bi The Impact of Radiobiologically-Informed Dose Prescription on the Clinical Benefit of Yttrium-90 SIRT in Colorectal Cancer Patients By jnm.snmjournals.org Published On :: 2020-05-01T11:16:57-07:00 The purpose of this study was to establish the dose-response relationship of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), when informed by radiobiological sensitivity parameters derived from mCRC cell lines exposed to yttrium-90 (90Y). Methods: 23 mCRC patients with liver metastases refractory to chemotherapy were included. 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT images were transformed into dose maps assuming the local dose deposition method. Baseline and follow-up CT scans were segmented to derive liver and tumor volumes. Mean, median, and D70 (minimum dose to 70% of tumor volume) values determined from dose maps were correlated with change in tumor volume and vRECIST response using linear and logistic regression, respectively. Radiosensitivity parameters determined by clonogenic assays of mCRC cell lines HT-29 and DLD-1 after exposure to 90Y or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT; 6MV photons) were used in biological effective dose (BED) calculations. Results: Mean administered radioactivity was 1469±428 MBq (847-2185 MBq), achieving a mean radiation absorbed tumor dose of 35.5±9.4 Gy and mean normal liver dose of 26.4±6.8 Gy. A 1.0 Gy increase in mean, median, and D70 absorbed dose was associated with reduction in tumor volume of 1.8%, 1.8%, and 1.5%, respectively, and increased probability of vRECIST response (odds ratio: 1.09, 1.09, and 1.10 respectively). Threshold mean, median and D70 doses for response were 48.3, 48.8, and 41.8 Gy respectively. EBRT-equivalent BEDs for 90Y are up to 50% smaller than those calculated by applying protraction-corrected radiobiological parameters derived from EBRT alone. Conclusion: Dosimetric studies have assumed equivalence between 90Y SIRT and EBRT, leading to inflation of BED for SIRT and possible under-treatment. Radiobiological parameters for 90Y were applied to a BED model, providing a calculation method that has the potential to improve assessment of tumor control. Full Article
bi Sudan Stakeholder Dialogues: Options for Economic Stabilization, Recovery and Inclusive Growth By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 13:54:18 +0000 3 October 2019 The Chatham House Africa Programme designed the Sudan Stakeholder Dialogues series to help identify the factors that have led to the current economic crisis, the immediate steps that need to be taken to avert collapse and stabilize the economy, and the longer-term structural reforms required to set Sudan on the path to recovery. The project is funded by Humanity United. Read online Download PDF in Arabic Download PDF in English Ahmed Soliman Research Fellow, Horn of Africa, Africa Programme @AhmedSolHoA 2019-10-03-Sudan.jpg An employee removes bread from the oven at a bakery in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on 24 May 2019. Photo: Getty Images. Three private roundtable meetings were convened in the first quarter of 2019, with the aim of generating informed and constructive new thinking on policy options and reforms that could help Sudan build a more economically prosperous, stable and inclusive nation. The roundtables were held under the Chatham House Rule.The project sought to offer a neutral space for discussion to policymakers and influencers from a broad range of backgrounds: Sudanese government officials, opposition figures, economists, experts on Sudan’s political economy and governance, civil society figures, representatives of international financial institutions, and other international policymakers.This paper draws together the key themes and findings from each of the three roundtables, ranging from broad structural economic issues to sector-specific priority interventions. It presents options and recommendations for Sudanese leaders, including the transitional government, in support of building a more economically prosperous, peaceful and inclusive nation. Department/project Africa Programme, Inclusive Economic Growth, Governance and Technology, Horn of Africa, Sudan Stakeholder Dialogues: Options for Economic Stabilization, Recovery and Inclusive Growth Full Article
bi Mobilizing Multinational Military Operations in Africa: Quick Fixes or Sustainable Solutions? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 09:55:01 +0000 Research Event 25 October 2019 - 9:30am to 11:15am Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Event participants Professor Tony Chafer, University of PortsmouthProfessor Gordon Cumming, Cardiff UniversityDr Roel van der Velde, Cardiff UniversityAhmed Soliman, Research Fellow, Horn of Africa, Chatham HouseDr Elisa Lopez Lucia, Université Libre de Bruxelles; University of PortsmouthChair: Janet Adama Mohammed, West Africa Programme Director, Conciliation Resources Peacekeeping missions which have sought to address evolving forms of conflict and instability on the African continent – led by the United Nations, African Union and European Union – have frequently been overstretched.Across regions including the Sahel, the Horn and West Africa, the issues of violent extremism and criminality – often set against a backdrop of collapsing or severely weakened central states – have led to the mobilisation of a diverse set of new collective responses.These include notable African-led efforts such as AMISOM in Somalia or more recently the G5 Sahel, where France have played a pivotal role in initiating new and more ad hoc approaches to coalition-building.As existing multinational missions in Africa continue to evolve on the ground and while new collective opportunities increasingly present themselves, it is critical for policymakers to understand how far such efforts reflect meaningful long-term solutions to the challenges of conflict and insecurity.At this roundtable event, participants will reflect on how such missions become mobilised and legitimised, the extent to which they can be defined as ‘new’, and whether they represent a truly sustainable means to tackle the issue of conflict in Africa.This roundtable is held in partnership with Cardiff University and the University of Portsmouth and is supported by the Leverhulme Trust. Department/project Africa Programme, West Africa, African Peace and Security, Horn of Africa Fergus Kell Projects Assistant, Africa Programme + 44 (0) 20 7314 3671 Email Full Article
bi Prospects for Peace and Stability in South Sudan By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 29 Oct 2019 15:20:01 +0000 Research Event 11 November 2019 - 5:00pm to 6:15pm Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Event participants Alan Boswell, Senior Analyst for South Sudan, International Crisis GroupMiklos Gosztonyi, Conflict Analyst, South Sudan, Norwegian Refugee CouncilNaomi Pendle, Research Fellow, Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa, London School of EconomicsGolda Abbé, Founding Member, Ghidam (Via Skype)Chair: Teohna Williams, CEO, Business Plan for Peace South Sudan’s prolonged peace process is approaching a critical juncture. There is uncertainty about whether the country’s political leaders will meet the 12 November 2019 deadline to form a transitional government of national unity – a process already delayed after a revitalized power-sharing deal was signed in September 2018. A political impasse has been caused by a lack of progress on outstanding issues such as deciding on the number of states and reunifying the security forces. The latter issue is seen as critical to preventing the reoccurrence of large-scale violence which would exacerbate already considerable humanitarian needs. Continued mediation by regional and international partners remains important to finding a way forward and preventing a return to widespread conflict.At this event, a panel of speakers will examine the status of the peace deal, the issue of federalism and subdivision, measures needed to prevent the humanitarian crisis from worsening and opportunities to foster greater security and unity in the country.THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL AND REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED. Department/project Africa Programme, African Peace and Security, Horn of Africa Sahar Eljack Programme Administrator, Africa Programme + 44 (0) 20 7314 3660 Email Full Article
bi Central & Eastern Europe and Africa Engagement: Labour Mobility and Policy in East Africa By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 08 Jan 2020 12:35:01 +0000 Research Event 15 January 2020 - 10:00am to 12:30pm Nairobi, Kenya Strengthened links between the states of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are emerging marked by growth in diplomatic representation, trade and economic ties and supporting networks.Against this backdrop, labour migration within and from the CEE and East Africa sub-regions are a key policy area with significant potential for shared learning and cooperation. For both regions, migration trends in recent years have evolved as a result of a diverse range of interactions among public, private and civil society actors and at local, national, regional and international levels. Unpacking such interactions and their political and geographical specificities is essential to effective engagement and cooperation within and between the regions on issues of labour migration and their management.This roundtable brainstorming workshop will provide a platform for stakeholders based in East Africa to discuss the way in which different actors and agencies in the region influence and shape labour migration processes and policy responses.This event is supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Event attributes Chatham House Rule Department/project Africa Programme, Foreign Relations and Africa’s Agency in the International System, Inclusive Economic Growth, Governance and Technology Fergus Kell Projects Assistant, Africa Programme + 44 (0) 20 7314 3671 Email Full Article
bi Côte d'Ivoire’s 2020 Elections and Beyond: Ensuring Stability and Inclusion By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Jan 2020 10:10:01 +0000 Research Event 21 January 2020 - 11:30am to 12:30pm Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Event participants HE Alassane Ouattara, President, Republic of Côte d'IvoireChair: Bob Dewar CMG, Associate Fellow, Africa Programme, Chatham House Please note, the second video on this page is from an interview with the president outside the event.HE Alassane Ouattara, president of Côte d'Ivoire, discusses governance and domestic priorities ahead of and beyond elections, as well as efforts to sustain stability and support an inclusive electoral process.Presidential elections in Côte d'Ivoire, the world’s top cocoa producer and the largest economy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), will be held on 31st October 2020 against a backdrop of marked political dynamism in the country and wider region.Possible constitutional amendments and a newly announced major reform of the currency regime are among significant issues drawing focus.A credible and inclusive electoral process is critical for the improvement of socio-development outcomes and for the maintenance of a positive investment environment.But instability remains a serious risk and the stakes are high for Côte d'Ivoire and the wider region. Department/project Africa Programme, Elections and political systems, West Africa Full Article
bi Why The Insurgency in Northern Mozambique Has Got Worse By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2020 17:14:28 +0000 1 April 2020 Dr Alex Vines OBE Managing Director, Ethics, Risk & Resilience; Director, Africa Programme Two attacks on towns in northern Mozambique by suspected jihadists point to a rapidly deteriorating security crisis. 2020-04-01-Mozambique Macomia, Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique. Photo by EMIDIO JOSINE/AFP via Getty Images. On March 23 to 24, the centre of Mocimboa da Praia in Cabo Delgado province was occupied by up to 40 “jihadists”, who targeted government facilities, including a barracks, and brandished banners of affiliation to the so-called Islamic State.On March 25, suspected jihadists raided the town of Quissanga and destroyed the district police headquarters. They too carried an Islamic State flag. Twenty to 30 members of Mozambique’s security forces were killed in both attacks.Mocimboa da Praia is just south of the Afungi Peninsula, the location of gas projects worth $60- billion. Mocimboa was briefly occupied in late 2017, during attacks claimed by a group known as Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama (or al-Sunnah) that marked the start of a brutal low-intensity conflict, with widespread human rights abuses and attacks on civilians.Up to 1,000 people have now been killed and 100,000 displaced. More recently, The Islamic State Central Africa Province (Iscap), affiliated with the Islamic State group, has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Video and photos of these most recent events, along with the testimony of frightened residents and overstretched government officials, suggest a shift of strategy by the insurgents.There seems to have been an effort to avoid harming civilians, to win hearts and minds by redistributing stolen food, medicine and fuel to “loyal” residents, and to direct attacks on the state and its symbols, such as police stations and military barracks. It is difficult from a distance to assess if there was any genuine pleasure over these attacks among local people; while residents in both towns that did not flee seemed to welcome the attackers, this may well have been out of fear that the government is currently unable to guarantee their security.These attacks also indicate that the jihadist-linked insurgents are growing in confidence. They are confronting government security forces with little appetite for fighting. The Mozambican government has been expecting setbacks like those of Mocimboa and Quissanga — its forces are demoralised and many commanders exhausted or corrupted by an emerging war economy. Jihadists are also taking tactical advantage before a reformed and more effective government counterinsurgency effort is introduced in response.President Filipe Nyusi, inaugurated in January for his second term, has made this crisis his prime focus and has become the de-facto minister of defence.Military reform and the role of private military companiesBut there is no quick fix. Most importantly, the Mozambican military and security forces need to be restructured. They were unable to win the Mozambican civil war (1977-1992), even with international support, and have not improved in capacity or conduct since. They now face a complex, multilayered and asymmetrical conflict, mostly drawing upon local and regional grievances and networks but increasingly also attracting some limited encouragement and advice from further afield.Nyusi will need to build-up trusted relationships in the military in the way he has successfully done with parts of the intelligence community. The Mozambican government has already reached out to international expertise — though not necessarily the right kind. The founder of the Blackwater private military company, Erik Prince, supplied two helicopters and support crew for the Mozambican military in mid-2019, before being replaced by some 170 Russian privateers linked to the Wagner Group.The Wagner contingent arrived in September 2019 at Nacala airport with trucks, drones and a Mi-17 helicopter gunship, then deployed into the combat zone of northern Cabo Delgado. Setbacks, including at least two dead Russians, forced a tactical fallback to Nacala, though a new effort is reported to have been underway since late February 2020.The Mozambican government is also considering a number of proposals from other private military companies. Maputo needs to consider these carefully; Israeli or Gulf State involvement in any form might exasperate rather than alleviate this crisis.The Tanzanian connectionBut market-led security and military providers will not end this insurgency. Nor will the engagement of states such as the United States, France, the United Kingdom or Angola, all of which have made their own offers of support. What would significantly make a difference is much closer to home: serious Tanzanian engagement.This insurgency is concentrated in districts bordering Tanzania and there is clear-cut intelligence of connections into Tanzania and beyond. Swahili is also a lingua franca for the jihadists, connecting them up the East African coast, and into eastern Congo and elsewhere.It is puzzling, given the deep shared history between Tanzania and Mozambique, that the bilateral relationship is as patchy as it is today: during the liberation struggle (1965-1974) against the Portuguese, Mozambique’s ruling party Frelimo maintained rear bases in Tanzania, and Nyusi was educated there.Conspiracy theories circulate that Tanzania has encouraged the Cabo Delgado insurgency to weaken its neighbour, or at least displace radicalised individuals from Tanzanian soil into Mozambique.President John Magafuli of Tanzania did not attend the January inauguration of Nyusi. It has become urgent that Magafuli (who is also the current chair of the regional body, the Southern African Development Community) and Nyusi meet face-to-face to map out improved intelligence sharing and a joint strategy to respond to an emerging regional threat.Southern Africa is locking down because of Covid-19, which will distract the government’s ability to focus fully on this crisis and create a perfect moment for the infant insurgency in Cabo Delgado to grow. More military setbacks should be expected in coming months.But the Mozambican government can still contain and prevail if it seriously reforms its military, builds strong alliances with its regional neighbours (especially Tanzania), chooses its private security contractors and international partnerships wisely, and backs military efforts with better intelligence and developmental interventions that offer alternative pathways to potential recruits.But despite Maputo’s hope that significant progress will be made over the coming year, and the setting up of a presidential task force to evaluate progress and intelligence, it is likely that Mozambique and its partners will need to prepare themselves for a drawn-out struggle.This article originally appeared in the Mail & Guardian Full Article
bi Webinar: Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for African Economies and Development By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 10:10:01 +0000 Research Event 21 April 2020 - 4:30pm to 5:30pm Event participants Dr Hafez Ghanem, Vice President for Africa, World BankChair: Elizabeth Donnelly, Deputy Director, Africa Programme, Chatham House Dr Hafez Ghanem discusses the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for African economies and their development and poverty reduction efforts, and assesses the priorities and obstacles for establishing a comprehensive response to the crisis. While the acute strain placed on health systems by the COVID-19 pandemic is already in evidence, the long-term economic fallout from the crisis is yet to fully manifest. For Africa it is the economic impact that may leave the most enduring legacy: from the direct expense of measures to treat, detect and reduce the spread of the virus; to the indirect costs of domestic lockdown measures, global supply chain disruptions and plummeting commodity prices. As decision-makers globally start to plan for the scale of this economic shock, strategizing in and on Africa to meet the challenge will require unprecedented planning and commitment - and will need to be matched by support from international partners to enable long-term recovery. Department/project Africa Programme, Inclusive Economic Growth, Governance and Technology Hanna Desta Programme Assistant, Africa Programme Email Full Article
bi Webinar: Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Food Security and Resilience in Africa By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 10:15:01 +0000 Research Event 23 April 2020 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm Event participants Dr Arif Husain, Chief Economist and Director of Research, Assessment and Monitoring, United Nations World Food ProgrammeRespondent: Dr Leena Koni Hoffmann, Associate Fellow, Africa Programme, Chatham HouseChair: Professor Tim Benton, Research Director, Emerging Risks; Director, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme, Chatham House Dr Arif Husain gives his assessment of the potential impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on food security in Africa and what can be done to prevent a food security emergency. Linked to the immediate public health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are those of economic and food security, particularly significant for low- and middle-income countries. Currently more than 821 million people globally go hungry, with 100 million of those suffering acute hunger, and this will worsen if the evolving economic emergency becomes a food security emergency. Sub-Saharan African countries rely on trade for food security and for revenue; they imported more than 40 million tons of cereal from around the world in 2018, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). The region faces stark new challenges due to the pandemic.This event launches the WFP paper COVID-19: Potential impact on the world’s poorest people. Department/project Africa Programme Hanna Desta Programme Assistant, Africa Programme Email Full Article
bi Webinar: Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for African Elections and Democracy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 15:10:01 +0000 Research Event 6 May 2020 - 2:30pm to 3:30pm Event participants Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa, National Democratic Institute (NDI)Chair: Elizabeth Donnelly, Deputy Director, Africa Programme, Chatham House 2020 was anticipated to be a year of landmark elections across Africa, including general elections scheduled in Somalia and Ethiopia – countries at critical junctures in their transitions to electoral democracy – as well as a re-run of annulled presidential elections in Malawi. The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for African countries seeking to hold elections or further democratization – including the practicalities of adapting containment measures to electoral processes in the context of strained financial and logistical resources. It may also be used as a pretext for the pursuit of repressive legislation and constitutional amendments to preclude elections or bolster authoritarianism, compounded by new constraints on accountability mechanisms such as election observation missions. At this event, Dr Christopher Fomunyoh discusses the likely impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elections and democracy in various African countries, as well as responses and measures to meet the multifaceted challenges posed. Department/project Africa Programme, Elections and political systems Hanna Desta Programme Assistant, Africa Programme Email Full Article
bi Combining Precursor and Fragment Information for Improved Detection of Differential Abundance in Data Independent Acquisition [Technological Innovation and Resources] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-02-01T00:05:30-08:00 In bottom-up, label-free discovery proteomics, biological samples are acquired in a data-dependent (DDA) or data-independent (DIA) manner, with peptide signals recorded in an intact (MS1) and fragmented (MS2) form. While DDA has only the MS1 space for quantification, DIA contains both MS1 and MS2 at high quantitative quality. DIA profiles of complex biological matrices such as tissues or cells can contain quantitative interferences, and the interferences at the MS1 and the MS2 signals are often independent. When comparing biological conditions, the interferences can compromise the detection of differential peptide or protein abundance and lead to false positive or false negative conclusions. We hypothesized that the combined use of MS1 and MS2 quantitative signals could improve our ability to detect differentially abundant proteins. Therefore, we developed a statistical procedure incorporating both MS1 and MS2 quantitative information of DIA. We benchmarked the performance of the MS1-MS2-combined method to the individual use of MS1 or MS2 in DIA using four previously published controlled mixtures, as well as in two previously unpublished controlled mixtures. In the majority of the comparisons, the combined method outperformed the individual use of MS1 or MS2. This was particularly true for comparisons with low fold changes, few replicates, and situations where MS1 and MS2 were of similar quality. When applied to a previously unpublished investigation of lung cancer, the MS1-MS2-combined method increased the coverage of known activated pathways. Since recent technological developments continue to increase the quality of MS1 signals (e.g. using the BoxCar scan mode for Orbitrap instruments), the combination of the MS1 and MS2 information has a high potential for future statistical analysis of DIA data. Full Article
bi Site-specific N-glycan Analysis of Antibody-binding Fc {gamma} Receptors from Primary Human Monocytes [Research] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-02-01T00:05:30-08:00 FcRIIIa (CD16a) and FcRIIa (CD32a) on monocytes are essential for proper effector functions including antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and phagocytosis (ADCP). Indeed, therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind FcRs with greater affinity exhibit greater efficacy. Furthermore, post-translational modification impacts antibody binding affinity, most notably the composition of the asparagine(N)-linked glycan at N162 of CD16a. CD16a is widely recognized as the key receptor for the monocyte response, however the post-translational modifications of CD16a from endogenous monocytes are not described. Here we isolated monocytes from individual donors and characterized the composition of CD16a and CD32a N-glycans from all modified sites. The composition of CD16a N-glycans varied by glycosylation site and donor. CD16a displayed primarily complex-type biantennary N-glycans at N162, however some individuals expressed CD16a V158 with ~20% hybrid and oligomannose types which increased affinity for IgG1 Fc according to surface plasmon resonance binding analyses. The CD16a N45-glycans contain markedly less processing than other sites with >75% hybrid and oligomannose forms. N38 and N74 of CD16a both contain highly processed complex-type N-glycans with N-acetyllactosamine repeats and complex-type biantennary N-glycans dominate at N169. The composition of CD16a N-glycans isolated from monocytes included a higher proportion of oligomannose-type N-glycans at N45 and less sialylation plus greater branch fucosylation than we observed in a recent analysis of NK cell CD16a. The additional analysis of CD32a from monocytes revealed different features than observed for CD16a including the presence of a predominantly biantennary complex-type N-glycans with two sialic acids at both sites (N64 and N145). Full Article
bi Combined EGFR and ROCK Inhibition in Triple-negative Breast Cancer Leads to Cell Death Via Impaired Autophagic Flux [Research] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-02-01T00:05:30-08:00 Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with very limited therapeutic options. We have recently shown that the combined inhibition of EGFR and ROCK in TNBC cells results in cell death, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To investigate this, here we applied a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach to identify proteins altered on single and combination treatments. Our proteomic data revealed autophagy as the major molecular mechanism implicated in the cells' response to combinatorial treatment. We here show that EGFR inhibition by gefitinib treatment alone induces autophagy, a cellular recycling process that acts as a cytoprotective response for TNBC cells. However, combined inhibition of EGFR and ROCK leads to autophagy blockade and accumulation of autophagic vacuoles. Our data show impaired autophagosome clearance as a likely cause of antitumor activity. We propose that the inhibition of the autophagic flux on combinatorial treatment is attributed to the major cytoskeletal changes induced on ROCK inhibition, given the essential role the cytoskeleton plays throughout the various steps of the autophagy process. Full Article
bi Interaction Proteomics Identifies ERbeta Association with Chromatin Repressive Complexes to Inhibit Cholesterol Biosynthesis and Exert An Oncosuppressive Role in Triple-negative Breast Cancer [Research] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-02-01T00:05:29-08:00 Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by poor response to therapy and low overall patient survival. Recently, Estrogen Receptor beta (ERβ) has been found to be expressed in a fraction of TNBCs where, because of its oncosuppressive actions on the genome, it represents a potential therapeutic target, provided a better understanding of its actions in these tumors becomes available. To this end, the cell lines Hs 578T, MDA-MB-468 and HCC1806, representing the claudin-low, basal-like 1 and 2 TNBC molecular subtypes respectively, were engineered to express ERβ under the control of a Tetracycline-inducible promoter and used to investigate the effects of this transcription factor on gene activity. The antiproliferative effects of ERβ in these cells were confirmed by multiple functional approaches, including transcriptome profiling and global mapping of receptor binding sites in the genome, that revealed direct negative regulation by ERβ of genes, encoding for key components of cellular pathways associated to TNBC aggressiveness representing novel therapeutic targets such as angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis and cholesterol biosynthesis. Supporting these results, interaction proteomics by immunoprecipitation coupled to nano LC-MS/MS mass spectrometry revealed ERβ association with several potential nuclear protein partners, including key components of regulatory complexes known to control chromatin remodeling, transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation and RNA splicing. Among these, ERβ association with the Polycomb Repressor Complexes 1 and 2 (PRC1/2), known for their central role in gene regulation in cancer cells, was confirmed in all three TNBC subtypes investigated, suggesting its occurrence independently from the cellular context. These results demonstrate a significant impact of ERβ in TNBC genome activity mediated by its cooperation with regulatory multiprotein chromatin remodeling complexes, providing novel ground to devise new strategies for the treatment of these diseases based on ligands affecting the activity of this nuclear receptor or some of its protein partners. Full Article
bi Advances in Tools to Determine the Glycan-Binding Specificities of Lectins and Antibodies [Reviews] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-02-01T00:05:29-08:00 Proteins that bind carbohydrate structures can serve as tools to quantify or localize specific glycans in biological specimens. Such proteins, including lectins and glycan-binding antibodies, are particularly valuable if accurate information is available about the glycans that a protein binds. Glycan arrays have been transformational for uncovering rich information about the nuances and complexities of glycan-binding specificity. A challenge, however, has been the analysis of the data. Because protein-glycan interactions are so complex, simplistic modes of analyzing the data and describing glycan-binding specificities have proven inadequate in many cases. This review surveys the methods for handling high-content data on protein-glycan interactions. We contrast the approaches that have been demonstrated and provide an overview of the resources that are available. We also give an outlook on the promising experimental technologies for generating new insights into protein-glycan interactions, as well as a perspective on the limitations that currently face the field. Full Article
bi Concentration Determination of >200 Proteins in Dried Blood Spots for Biomarker Discovery and Validation [Technological Innovation and Resources] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-03-01T00:05:26-08:00 The use of protein biomarkers as surrogates for clinical endpoints requires extensive multilevel validation including development of robust and sensitive assays for precise measurement of protein concentration. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) is a well-established mass-spectrometric method that can be used for reproducible protein-concentration measurements in biological specimens collected via microsampling. The dried blood spot (DBS) microsampling technique can be performed non-invasively without the expertise of a phlebotomist, and can enhance analyte stability which facilitate the application of this technique in retrospective studies while providing lower storage and shipping costs, because cold-chain logistics can be eliminated. Thus, precise, sensitive, and multiplexed methods for measuring protein concentrations in DBSs can be used for de novo biomarker discovery and for biomarker quantification or verification experiments. To achieve this goal, MRM assays were developed for multiplexed concentration measurement of proteins in DBSs. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was found to have a median total coefficient of variation (CV) of 18% for 245 proteins, whereas the median LLOQ was 5 fmol of peptide injected on column, and the median inter-day CV over 4 days for measuring endogenous protein concentration was 8%. The majority (88%) of the assays displayed parallelism, whereas the peptide standards remained stable throughout the assay workflow and after exposure to multiple freeze-thaw cycles. For 190 proteins, the measured protein concentrations remained stable in DBS stored at ambient laboratory temperature for up to 2 months. Finally, the developed assays were used to measure the concentration ranges for 200 proteins in twenty same sex, same race and age matched individuals. Full Article
bi Discovery of Species-unique Peptide Biomarkers of Bacterial Pathogens by Tandem Mass Spectrometry-based Proteotyping [Research] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-03-01T00:05:26-08:00 Mass spectrometry (MS) and proteomics offer comprehensive characterization and identification of microorganisms and discovery of protein biomarkers that are applicable for diagnostics of infectious diseases. The use of biomarkers for diagnostics is widely applied in the clinic and the use of peptide biomarkers is increasingly being investigated for applications in the clinical laboratory. Respiratory-tract infections are a predominant cause for medical treatment, although, clinical assessments and standard clinical laboratory protocols are time-consuming and often inadequate for reliable diagnoses. Novel methods, preferably applied directly to clinical samples, excluding cultivation steps, are needed to improve diagnostics of infectious diseases, provide adequate treatment and reduce the use of antibiotics and associated development of antibiotic resistance. This study applied nano-liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with tandem MS, with a bioinformatics pipeline and an in-house database of curated high-quality reference genome sequences to identify species-unique peptides as potential biomarkers for four bacterial pathogens commonly found in respiratory tract infections (RTIs): Staphylococcus aureus; Moraxella catarrhalis; Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The species-unique peptides were initially identified in pure cultures of bacterial reference strains, reflecting the genomic variation in the four species and, furthermore, in clinical respiratory tract samples, without prior cultivation, elucidating proteins expressed in clinical conditions of infection. For each of the four bacterial pathogens, the peptide biomarker candidates most predominantly found in clinical samples, are presented. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD014522. As proof-of-principle, the most promising species-unique peptides were applied in targeted tandem MS-analyses of clinical samples and their relevance for identifications of the pathogens, i.e. proteotyping, was validated, thus demonstrating their potential as peptide biomarker candidates for diagnostics of infectious diseases. Full Article
bi Peptidomic Analysis of Urine from Youths with Early Type 1 Diabetes Reveals Novel Bioactivity of Uromodulin Peptides In Vitro [Research] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-03-01T00:05:26-08:00 Chronic hyperglycemia is known to disrupt the proteolytic milieu, initiating compensatory and maladaptive pathways in the diabetic kidney. Such changes in intrarenal proteolysis are captured by the urinary peptidome. To elucidate the early kidney response to chronic hyperglycemia, we conducted a peptidomic investigation into urines from otherwise healthy youths with type 1 diabetes and their non-diabetic peers using unbiased and targeted mass spectrometry-based techniques. This cross-sectional study included two separate cohorts for the discovery (n = 30) and internal validation (n = 30) of differential peptide excretion. Peptide bioactivity was predicted using PeptideRanker and subsequently verified in vitro. Proteasix and the Nephroseq database were used to identify putative proteases responsible for peptide generation and examine their expression in diabetic nephropathy. A total of 6550 urinary peptides were identified in the discovery analysis. We further examined the subset of 162 peptides, which were quantified across all thirty samples. Of the 15 differentially excreted peptides (p < 0.05), seven derived from a C-terminal region (589SGSVIDQSRVLNLGPITRK607) of uromodulin, a kidney-specific protein. Increased excretion of five uromodulin peptides was replicated in the validation cohort using parallel reaction monitoring (p < 0.05). One of the validated peptides (SGSVIDQSRVLNLGPI) activated NFB and AP-1 signaling, stimulated cytokine release, and enhanced neutrophil migration in vitro. In silico analyses highlighted several potential proteases such as hepsin, meprin A, and cathepsin B to be responsible for generating these peptides. In summary, we identified a urinary signature of uromodulin peptides associated with early type 1 diabetes before clinical manifestations of kidney disease and discovered novel bioactivity of uromodulin peptides in vitro. Our present findings lay the groundwork for future studies to validate peptide excretion in larger and broader populations, to investigate the role of bioactive uromodulin peptides in high glucose conditions, and to examine proteases that cleave uromodulin. Full Article
bi Integration of IgA and IgG Autoantigens Improves Performance of Biomarker Panels for Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer [Research] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-03-01T00:05:26-08:00 Lung cancer (LC) remains the leading cause of mortality from malignant tumors worldwide. In our previous study, we surveyed both IgG and IgM-bound serological biomarkers and validated a panel of IgG-bound autoantigens for early LC diagnosis with 50% sensitivity at 90% specificity. To further improve the performance of these serological biomarkers, we surveyed HuProt arrays, comprised of 20,240 human proteins, for IgA-bound autoantigens because IgAs are a major immunoglobulin isotype in the lung. Integrating with IgG-bound autoantigens, we discovered and validated a combined biomarker panel using ELISA-format tests. Specifically, in Phase I, we obtained IgA-based autoimmune profiles of 69 early stage LC patients, 30 healthy subjects and 25 patients with lung benign lesions (LBL) on HuProt arrays and identified 28 proteins as candidate autoantigens that were significantly associated with early stage LC. In Phase II, we re-purified the autoantigens and converted them into an ELISA-format testing to profile an additional large cohort, comprised of 136 early stage LC patients, 58 healthy individuals, and 29 LBL patients. Integration of IgG autoimmune profiles allowed us to identify and validate a biomarker panel of three IgA autoantigens (i.e. BCL7A, and TRIM33 and MTERF4) and three IgG autoantigens (i.e. CTAG1A, DDX4 and MAGEC2) for diagnosis of early stage LC with 73.5% sensitivity at >85% specificity. In Phase III, the performance of this biomarker panel was confirmed with an independent cohort, comprised of 88 early stage LC patients, 18 LBL patients, and 36 healthy subjects. Finally, a blind test on 178 serum samples was conducted to confirm the performance of the biomarker panel. In summary, this study demonstrates for the first time that an integrated panel of IgA/IgG autoantigens can serve as valuable biomarkers to further improve the performance of early diagnosis of LC. Full Article
bi A Compact Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer with FAIMS Interface Improves Proteome Coverage in Short LC Gradients [Technological Innovation and Resources] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-01T00:05:32-07:00 State-of-the-art proteomics-grade mass spectrometers can measure peptide precursors and their fragments with ppm mass accuracy at sequencing speeds of tens of peptides per second with attomolar sensitivity. Here we describe a compact and robust quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer equipped with a front-end High Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS) Interface. The performance of the Orbitrap Exploris 480 mass spectrometer is evaluated in data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and data-independent acquisition (DIA) modes in combination with FAIMS. We demonstrate that different compensation voltages (CVs) for FAIMS are optimal for DDA and DIA, respectively. Combining DIA with FAIMS using single CVs, the instrument surpasses 2500 peptides identified per minute. This enables quantification of >5000 proteins with short online LC gradients delivered by the Evosep One LC system allowing acquisition of 60 samples per day. The raw sensitivity of the instrument is evaluated by analyzing 5 ng of a HeLa digest from which >1000 proteins were reproducibly identified with 5 min LC gradients using DIA-FAIMS. To demonstrate the versatility of the instrument, we recorded an organ-wide map of proteome expression across 12 rat tissues quantified by tandem mass tags and label-free quantification using DIA with FAIMS to a depth of >10,000 proteins. Full Article
bi Arginine in C9ORF72 Dipolypeptides Mediates Promiscuous Proteome Binding and Multiple Modes of Toxicity [Research] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-01T00:05:32-07:00 C9ORF72-associated Motor Neuron Disease patients feature abnormal expression of 5 dipeptide repeat (DPR) polymers. Here we used quantitative proteomics in a mouse neuronal-like cell line (Neuro2a) to demonstrate that the Arg residues in the most toxic DPRS, PR and GR, leads to a promiscuous binding to the proteome compared with a relative sparse binding of the more inert AP and GA. Notable targets included ribosomal proteins, translation initiation factors and translation elongation factors. PR and GR comprising more than 10 repeats appeared to robustly stall on ribosomes during translation suggesting Arg-rich peptide domains can electrostatically jam the ribosome exit tunnel during synthesis. Poly-GR also recruited arginine methylases, induced hypomethylation of endogenous proteins, and induced a profound destabilization of the actin cytoskeleton. Our findings point to arginine in GR and PR polymers as multivalent toxins to translation as well as arginine methylation that may explain the dysfunction of biological processes including ribosome biogenesis, mRNA splicing and cytoskeleton assembly. Full Article
bi Proximity Dependent Biotinylation: Key Enzymes and Adaptation to Proteomics Approaches [Reviews] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:05:26-07:00 The study of protein subcellular distribution, their assembly into complexes and the set of proteins with which they interact with is essential to our understanding of fundamental biological processes. Complementary to traditional assays, proximity-dependent biotinylation (PDB) approaches coupled with mass spectrometry (such as BioID or APEX) have emerged as powerful techniques to study proximal protein interactions and the subcellular proteome in the context of living cells and organisms. Since their introduction in 2012, PDB approaches have been used in an increasing number of studies and the enzymes themselves have been subjected to intensive optimization. How these enzymes have been optimized and considerations for their use in proteomics experiments are important questions. Here, we review the structural diversity and mechanisms of the two main classes of PDB enzymes: the biotin protein ligases (BioID) and the peroxidases (APEX). We describe the engineering of these enzymes for PDB and review emerging applications, including the development of PDB for coincidence detection (split-PDB). Lastly, we briefly review enzyme selection and experimental design guidelines and reflect on the labeling chemistries and their implication for data interpretation. Full Article
bi Biosynthesis of depsipeptides with a 3-hydroxybenzoate moiety and selective anticancer activities involves a chorismatase [Metabolism] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-17T00:06:05-07:00 Neoantimycins are anticancer compounds of 15-membered ring antimycin-type depsipeptides. They are biosynthesized by a hybrid multimodular protein complex of nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS), typically from the starting precursor 3-formamidosalicylate. Examining fermentation extracts of Streptomyces conglobatus, here we discovered four new neoantimycin analogs, unantimycins B–E, in which 3-formamidosalicylates are replaced by an unusual 3-hydroxybenzoate (3-HBA) moiety. Unantimycins B–E exhibited levels of anticancer activities similar to those of the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin in human lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and melanoma cells. Notably, they mostly displayed no significant toxicity toward noncancerous cells, unlike the serious toxicities generally reported for antimycin-type natural products. Using site-directed mutagenesis and heterologous expression, we found that unantimycin productions are correlated with the activity of a chorismatase homolog, the nat-hyg5 gene, from a type I PKS gene cluster. Biochemical analysis confirmed that the catalytic activity of Nat-hyg5 generates 3-HBA from chorismate. Finally, we achieved selective production of unantimycins B and C by engineering a chassis host. On the basis of these findings, we propose that unantimycin biosynthesis is directed by the neoantimycin-producing NRPS–PKS complex and initiated with the starter unit of 3-HBA. The elucidation of the biosynthetic unantimycin pathway reported here paves the way to improve the yield of these compounds for evaluation in oncotherapeutic applications. Full Article
bi Glucose availability but not changes in pancreatic hormones sensitizes hepatic AMPK activity during nutritional transition in rodents [Metabolism] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:06:09-07:00 The cellular energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a metabolic regulator that mediates adaptation to nutritional variations to maintain a proper energy balance in cells. We show here that suckling-weaning and fasting-refeeding transitions in rodents are associated with changes in AMPK activation and the cellular energy state in the liver. These nutritional transitions were characterized by a metabolic switch from lipid to glucose utilization, orchestrated by modifications in glucose levels and the glucagon/insulin ratio in the bloodstream. We therefore investigated the respective roles of glucose and pancreatic hormones on AMPK activation in mouse primary hepatocytes. We found that glucose starvation transiently activates AMPK, whereas changes in glucagon and insulin levels had no impact on AMPK. Challenge of hepatocytes with metformin-induced metabolic stress strengthened both AMPK activation and cellular energy depletion under limited-glucose conditions, whereas neither glucagon nor insulin altered AMPK activation. Although both insulin and glucagon induced AMPKα phosphorylation at its Ser485/491 residue, they did not affect its activity. Finally, the decrease in cellular ATP levels in response to an energy stress was additionally exacerbated under fasting conditions and by AMPK deficiency in hepatocytes, revealing metabolic inflexibility and emphasizing the importance of AMPK for maintaining hepatic energy charge. Our results suggest that nutritional changes (i.e. glucose availability), rather than the related hormonal changes (i.e. the glucagon/insulin ratio), sensitize AMPK activation to the energetic stress induced by the dietary transition during fasting. This effect is critical for preserving the cellular energy state in the liver. Full Article
bi Targeting the polyamine pathway—“a means” to overcome chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer [Cell Biology] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-08T03:41:14-07:00 Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by its aggressive biology, early metastatic spread, and poor survival outcomes. TNBC lacks expression of the targetable receptors found in other breast cancer subtypes, mandating use of cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, resistance to chemotherapy is a significant problem, encountered in about two-thirds of TNBC patients, and new strategies are needed to mitigate resistance. In this issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Geck et al. report that TNBC cells are highly sensitive to inhibition of the de novo polyamine synthesis pathway and that inhibition of this pathway sensitizes cells to TNBC-relevant chemotherapy, uncovering new opportunities for addressing chemoresistance. Full Article
bi Inhibition of the polyamine synthesis enzyme ornithine decarboxylase sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer cells to cytotoxic chemotherapy [Molecular Bases of Disease] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-08T03:41:14-07:00 Treatment of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is limited by a lack of effective molecular therapies targeting this disease. Recent studies have identified metabolic alterations in cancer cells that can be targeted to improve responses to standard-of-care chemotherapy regimens. Using MDA-MB-468 and SUM-159PT TNBC cells, along with LC-MS/MS and HPLC metabolomics profiling, we found here that exposure of TNBC cells to the cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin alter arginine and polyamine metabolites. This alteration was because of a reduction in the levels and activity of a rate-limiting polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Using gene silencing and inhibitor treatments, we determined that the reduction in ODC was mediated by its negative regulator antizyme, targeting ODC to the proteasome for degradation. Treatment with the ODC inhibitor difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) sensitized TNBC cells to chemotherapy, but this was not observed in receptor-positive breast cancer cells. Moreover, TNBC cell lines had greater sensitivity to single-agent DFMO, and ODC levels were elevated in TNBC patient samples. The alterations in polyamine metabolism in response to chemotherapy, as well as DFMO-induced preferential sensitization of TNBC cells to chemotherapy, reported here suggest that ODC may be a targetable metabolic vulnerability in TNBC. Full Article
bi Cyber security expert issues dire warning over vulnerability of key infrastructure By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Thu, 22 Oct 2015 13:00:00 GMT Data theft and cybercrime is a major source of funding for Islamic State which is likely to have secretly planted insiders "around the world" in positions where critical data could be extracted and exploited, a leading cyber security expert has warned. Full Article
bi Australian public service's 'gap in capability' to deal with digital revolution By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Thu, 29 Oct 2015 00:19:02 GMT State of the Service report outlines the major hurdle to digital reform. Full Article
bi From AFL star to Big Apple start-up, Swift's Joel MacDonald is kicking goals By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Fri, 13 Nov 2015 05:53:09 GMT Two years ago Joel MacDonald was in Melbourne playing in the AFL; now he's kicking goals in New York. Full Article
bi Delayed Australian data breach notification bill lands By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Fri, 04 Dec 2015 04:27:12 GMT Australians will be informed of certain breaches of their personal information under new laws being proposed by the Turnbull government, but only if the company or organisation breached turns over $3 million in revenue a year. Full Article
bi Pro sport and big data: coaches may be more in favour than athletes By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Mon, 14 Dec 2015 13:00:00 GMT Professional sport is still working out how to tackle big data and understand how technology can assist elite athletes, according to top-level sports sports officials in the United States. Full Article
bi Centrelink's IT meltdown hits the disability pension By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Mon, 21 Dec 2015 21:45:06 GMT Centrelink's tech woes disrupts Disability Pension medical crackdown. Full Article
bi The big business of hackathons By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Sun, 03 Jan 2016 22:29:07 GMT Hackathons have turned into million-dollar businesses of their own, as corporates scramble for the attention of the industry's best developer talent. Full Article
bi Centrelink wrongly hits 70,000 families with bills for up to $726 By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Thu, 07 Jan 2016 07:49:06 GMT Computer glitch blamed as welfare agency hits tens of thousands with bills for money that is not owed. Full Article
bi Apple v FBI: what the fight is about and why you should care By www.smh.com.au Published On :: Fri, 04 Mar 2016 15:27:05 GMT Apple is in the middle of a legal fight with the FBI over creating a 'back door' to unlock a terrorist's iPhone. Full Article
bi Why China Should Be Wary of Devaluing the Renminbi By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 29 Aug 2019 15:53:29 +0000 29 August 2019 David Lubin Associate Fellow, Global Economy and Finance Programme @davidlubin There are four good reasons why Beijing might want to think twice before using its currency to retaliate against US tariffs. 2019-08-29-Renminbi.jpg RMB banknotes. Photo: Getty Images The renminbi seems to be back in business as a Chinese tool of retaliation against US tariffs. A 1.5 per cent fall in the currency early this month in response to proposed new US tariffs was only a start. Since the middle of August the renminbi has weakened further, and the exchange rate is now 4 per cent weaker than at the start of the month. We may well see more of a ‘weaponized’ renminbi, but there are four good reasons why Beijing might be wise to think before shooting.The first has to do with how China seeks to promote its place in the world. China has been at pains to manage the collapse of its relations with the US in a way that allows it to present itself as an alternative pillar of global order, and as a source of stability in the international system, not to mention moral authority. This has deep roots.Anyone investigating the history of Chinese statecraft will quickly come across an enduring distinction in Chinese thought: between wang dao, the kingly, or righteous way, and ba dao, the way of the hegemon. Since Chinese thinkers and officials routinely describe US behaviour since the Second World War as hegemonic, it behoves Chinese policymakers to do as much as possible to stay on moral high-ground in their behaviour towards Washington. Only in that way would President Xi be able properly to assert China’s claim to leadership.Indeed, China has a notable track record of using exchange rate stability to enhance its reputation as a force for global stability. Both in the aftermath of the Asian crisis in 1997, and of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, Chinese exchange rate stability was offered as a way of demonstrating China’s trustworthiness and its commitment to multilateral order.Devaluing the renminbi in a meaningful way now might have a different rationale, but the cost to China’s claim to virtue, and its bid to offer itself as a guardian of global stability, might be considerable.That’s particularly true because of the second problem China has in thinking about a weaker renminbi: it may not be all that effective in sustaining Chinese trade. One reason for this is the increasing co-movement with the renminbi of currencies in countries with whom China competes.As the renminbi changes against the dollar, so do the Taiwan dollar, the Korean won, the Singapore dollar and the Indian rupee. In addition, the short-run impact of a weaker renminbi is more likely to curb imports than to expand exports, and so its effects might be contractionary. An ineffective devaluation of the renminbi would be particularly useless because of the third risk China needs to consider, namely the risk of retaliation by the US administration. Of this there is already plenty of evidence, of course.The US Treasury’s declaration of China as a ‘currency manipulator’ on 5 August bears little relationship to the actual formal criteria that the Treasury uses to define that term, but equally the US had warned the Chinese back in May that these criteria don’t bind its hand. By abandoning a rules-based approach to the definition of currency manipulation, the US has opened wide the door to further antagonism, and Beijing should have no doubt that Washington will walk through that door if it wants to.The fourth, and possibly most self-destructive, risk that China has to consider is that a weaker renminbi might destabilize China’s capital account, fuelling capital outflows that would leave China’s policymakers feeling very uncomfortable.Indeed, there is already evidence that Chinese residents feel less confident that the renminbi is a reliable store of value, now that there is no longer a sense that the currency is destined to appreciate against the dollar. The best illustration of this comes from the ‘errors and omissions’, or unaccounted-for outflows, in China’s balance of payments.The past few years have seen these outflows rise a lot, averaging some $200 billion per year during the past four calendar years, or almost 2 per cent GDP; and around $90 billion in the first three months of 2019 alone. These are scarily large numbers.The risk here is that Chinese expectations about the renminbi are ‘adaptive’: the more the exchange rate weakens, the more Chinese residents expect it to weaken, and so the demand for dollars goes up. In principle, the only way to deal with this risk would be for the People's Bank of China (PBOC) to implement a large, one-off devaluation of the renminbi to a level at which dollars are expensive enough that no one wants to buy them anymore.This would be very dangerous, though: it presupposes that the PBOC could know in advance the ‘equilibrium’ value of the renminbi. It would take an unusually brave central banker to claim such foresight, especially since that equilibrium value could itself be altered by the mere fact of such a dramatic change in policy.No one really knows precisely by what mechanism capital outflows from China have accelerated in recent years, but a very good candidate is tourism. The expenditure of outbound Chinese tourists abroad has risen a lot in recent years, and that increase very closely mirrors the rise in ‘errors and omissions’. So the suspicion must be that the increasing flow of Chinese tourists – nearly one half of whom last year simply travelled to capital-controls-free Hong Kong and Macao – is just creating opportunities for unrecorded capital flight.This raises a disturbing possibility: that the most effective way for China to devalue the renminbi without the backfire of capital outflows would be simultaneously to stem the outflow of Chinese tourists. China has form in this regard, albeit for differing reasons: this month it suspended a programme that allowed individual tourists from 47 Chinese cities to travel to Taiwan.A more global restriction on Chinese tourism might make a devaluation of the renminbi ‘safer’, and it would have the collateral benefit of helping to increase China’s current account surplus, the evaporation of which in recent years owes a lot to rising tourism expenditure and which is almost certainly a source of unhappiness in Beijing, where mercantilism remains popular.But a world where China could impose such draconian measures would be one where nationalism has reached heights we haven’t yet seen. Let’s hope we don’t go there.This article was originally published in the Financial Times. Full Article
bi Petro-RMB? The oil trade and the internationalization of the renminbi By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Sep 2019 14:13:14 +0000 4 September 2019 , Volume 95, Number 5 Maha Kamel and Hongying Wang Read online In this article, we examine China's promotion of the renminbi (RMB) in international oil trade and explore its implications for the international currency system in the short and the long term. The article traces the rise of the RMB in international oil trade in recent years and provides an analysis of its impact on the internationalization of the Chinese currency. We argue that despite the increasing use of the yuan in oil trade in recent years, in the short term it is highly unlikely that a petro-RMB system will emerge to rival the petrodollar system. Unlike the petrodollar, which combines the qualities of a master currency, a top currency and a negotiated currency, China lacks the economic leadership and the political and geopolitical leverages to make the RMB a major petrocurrency. Although the emergence of the RMB-denominated Shanghai oil futures is an important development, the absence of highly developed financial markets and a strong legal system in China hinders its potential. In the long run, the RMB may take on a more prominent role in the international oil trade as China's weight as an oil importer rises. More importantly, the overuse of financial sanctions by the US government has begun to undermine the role of the dollar within and beyond the oil trade. In addition, the rise of alternative energy sources will diminish the centrality of oil in the world economy, thus reducing the significance of petrocurrencies—whether the dollar or the RMB—in shaping the international currency system. Full Article
bi Secrets and Spies: UK Intelligence Accountability After Iraq and Snowden By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Jan 2020 09:23:12 +0000 20 January 2020 How can democratic governments hold intelligence and security agencies to account when what they do is largely secret? Jamie Gaskarth explores how intelligence professionals view accountability in the context of 21st century politics. Jamie Gaskarth Senior Lecturer, University of Birmingham Secrets and Spies (cover image) Using the UK as a case study, this book provides the first systematic exploration of how accountability is understood inside the secret world. It is based on new interviews with current and former UK intelligence practitioners, as well as extensive research into the performance and scrutiny of the UK intelligence machinery.The result is the first detailed analysis of how intelligence professionals view their role, what they feel keeps them honest, and how far external overseers impact on their work.The UK gathers material that helps inform global decisions on such issues as nuclear proliferation, terrorism, transnational crime, and breaches of international humanitarian law. On the flip side, the UK was a major contributor to the intelligence failures leading to the Iraq war in 2003, and its agencies were complicit in the widely discredited U.S. practices of torture and 'rendition' of terrorism suspects. UK agencies have come under greater scrutiny since those actions, but it is clear that problems remain.Secrets and Spies is the result of a British Academy funded project (SG151249) on intelligence accountability.Open society is increasingly defended by secret means. For this reason, oversight has never been more important. This book offers a new exploration of the widening world of accountability for UK intelligence, encompassing informal as well as informal mechanisms. It substantiates its claims well, drawing on an impressive range of interviews with senior figures. This excellent book offers both new information and fresh interpretations. It will have a major impact.Richard Aldrich, Professor of International Security, University of Warwick, UKGaskarth’s novel approach, interpreting interviews with senior figures from the intelligence world, brings fresh insight on a significant yet contested topic. He offers an impressively holistic account of intelligence accountability—both formal and informal—and, most interestingly of all, of how those involved understand it. This is essential reading for those wanting to know what accountability means and how it is enacted.Rory Cormac, Professor of International Relations, University of NottinghamAbout the authorJamie Gaskarth is senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, where he teaches strategy and decision-making. His research looks at the ethical dilemmas of leadership and accountability in intelligence, foreign policy, and defence. He is author/editor or co-editor of six books and served on the Academic Advisory panel for the 2015 UK National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review.Available now: Buying optionsInsights: Critical Thinking on International Affairs Department/project Russia and Eurasia Programme Full Article
bi China's 2020: Economic Transition, Sustainability and the Coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 04 Feb 2020 21:15:01 +0000 Corporate Members Event 10 March 2020 - 12:15pm to 2:00pm Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Event participants Dr Yu Jie, Senior Research Fellow on China, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham HouseDavid Lubin, Associate Fellow, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham House; Managing Director and Head of Emerging Markets Economics, CitiJinny Yan, Managing Director and Chief China Economist, ICBC StandardChair: Creon Butler, Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham House Read all our analysis on the Coronavirus ResponseThe coronavirus outbreak comes at a difficult time for China’s ruling party. A tumultuous 2019 saw the country fighting an economic slowdown coupled with an increasingly hostile international environment. As authorities take assertive steps to contain the virus, the emergency has - at least temporarily - disrupted global trade and supply chains, depressed asset prices and forced multinational businesses to make consequential decisions with limited information. Against this backdrop, panellists reflect on the country’s nascent economic transition from 2020 onward. What has been China’s progress towards a sustainable innovation-led economy so far? To what extent is the ruling party addressing growing concerns over job losses, wealth inequality and a lack of social mobility? And how are foreign investors responding to these developments in China? Members Events Team Email Full Article
bi Webinar: Coordinating the Fight Against Financial Crime By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 17 Apr 2020 16:10:01 +0000 Corporate Members Event Webinar 1 July 2020 - 5:00pm to 6:00pmAdd to CalendariCalendar Outlook Google Yahoo Che Sidanius, Global Head of Regulation & Industry Affairs, RefinitivPatricia Sullivan, Global Co-Head, Financial Crime Compliance, Standard CharteredDame Sara Thornton, Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, UKChair: Tom Keatinge, Director, Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, RUSI Illicit finance not only threatens financial stability and inclusion but also provides support for terrorism and is a primary incentive for human trafficking, the illegal wildlife trade and narcotics smuggling. Frequently, actors capitalize on loopholes and inefficiencies resulting from the lack of a coordinated response to financial crime and an underpowered global system for tracking illicit financial flows. Enhanced public-private partnerships, in addition to investment in tackling financial crime from governments, international bodies and private industries, are necessary to develop regulatory frameworks, effective responses and valuable coordination between law enforcement, policymakers, regulators and financial institutions. But how should businesses structure their efforts so that their business interests are protected and the work they do is of use to others fighting financial crime?This webinar will explore solutions to enable public-private partnerships to work together to combat financial crime. What do successful partnerships need from each side to ensure that the work being done is efficient and effective? How can the industry’s internal effectiveness impact the ‘real-world’ victims? And what barriers impede public-private partnerships operating as a force for good? This event is part of a fortnightly series of 'Business in Focus' webinars reflecting on the impact of COVID-19 on areas of particular professional interest for our corporate members and giving circles.Not a corporate member? Find out more. Full Article
bi Webinar: Global Economic Recovery and Resilience to Systemic Shocks By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 17 Apr 2020 16:15:01 +0000 Corporate Members Event Webinar 20 May 2020 - 5:00pm to 5:45pmAdd to CalendariCalendar Outlook Google Yahoo Francesca Viliani, Consultant Researcher, Global Health Programme, Chatham House; Director, Public Health, International SOSSven Smit, Co-Chair, McKinsey Global Institute and Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company, AmsterdamChair: Creon Butler, Research Director, Trade, Investment & New Governance Models: Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham House The outbreak of COVID-19 has demonstrated the wide-ranging and immediate impact a systemic shock can have on the global economy including the financial loss caused by the emergency shutdown of many retail operations, the loss of income for individuals who are forced to stay indoors and the major disruption to supply chains. The longer term impacts are still being realized and depend heavily on the ability of industry and the government to respond effectively to the direct economic shock caused by the pandemic.Systemic shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic demand immediate responses, but should also encourage governments and industries to re-examine their recovery processes, their resilience and their forward planning. In this webinar, the panellists will discuss the short and long-term impacts of the current crisis and explore how industry can help ensure that the global economy is able to recover from, and build resilience to, future systemic shocks. How do business leaders move from making decisions to reimagining a ‘new normal’ and reforming their practices? What are the critical decisions that businesses should consider when planning for this 'new normal'? And how far can these decisions be based on expected changes to governmental or intergovernmental regulation of different sectors? This event is part of a fortnightly series of 'Business in Focus' webinars reflecting on the impact of COVID-19 on areas of particular professional interest for our corporate members and giving circles.Not a corporate member? Find out more. Full Article
bi Webinar: European Democracy in the Last 100 Years: Economic Crises and Political Upheaval By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 10:25:01 +0000 Members Event Webinar 6 May 2020 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm Event participants Pepijn Bergsen, Research Fellow, Europe Programme, Chatham HouseDr Sheri Berman, Professor of Political Science, Barnard CollegeChair: Hans Kundnani, Senior Research Fellow, Europe Programme, Chatham House In the last 100 years, global economic crises from the Great Depression of the 1930s to the 2008 financial crash have contributed to significant political changes in Europe, often leading to a rise in popularity for extremist parties and politics. As Europe contends with a perceived crisis of democracy - now compounded by the varied responses to the coronavirus outbreak - how should we understand the relationship between externally-driven economic crises, political upheaval and democracy?The panellists will consider the parallels between the political responses to some of the greatest economic crises Europe has experienced in the last century. Given that economic crises often transcend borders, why does political disruption vary between democracies? What can history tell us about the potential political impact of the unfolding COVID-19-related economic crisis? And will the unprecedented financial interventions by governments across Europe fundamentally change the expectations citizens have of the role government should play in their lives?This event is based on a recent article in The World Today by Hans Kundnani and Pepijn Bergsen who are both researchers in Chatham House's Europe Programme. 'Crawling from the Wreckage' is the first in a series of articles that look at key themes in European political discourse from the last century. You can read the article here. This event is open to Chatham House Members. Not a member? Find out more. Full Article
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