magi

Abren investigación a la magistrada Nelly Villamizar por la PTAR Salitre




magi

Entre la magia y el reencuentro con sus fans: Álex Ubago de gira en Colombia




magi

Imagine, la icónica canción de John Lennon, cumple 50 años




magi

Misi regresa para encender la magia de la Navidad con su nuevo musical




magi

'Just Imagine', la editorial colombiana que vende libros de tela para niños




magi

“Si la terna está incompleta, deben devolverla al presidente”: exmagistrado Nilson Pinilla

En 6AM Hoy por Hoy de Caracol Radio estuvo Nilson Pinilla, exmagistrado de la Corte Constitucional, para hablar sobre la renuncia de la ternada Amelia Pérez, para la elección del fiscal general.




magi

“Odebrecht nos trajo a nosotros una cantidad de perjuicios que usted no se imagina, por sinvergüenzas, por vagabundos": Luis Carlos Sarmient

Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo en entrevista con 6AM 




magi

Magistrado de Alta Corte revela que su teléfono está ilegalmente interceptado por el Estado

El magistrado envió un mensaje a varios de sus contactos, en el que advertía de las interceptaciones ilegales.




magi

Alejandro Santos al punto: Cómo lo anticipó 6AM, magistrados denuncian interceptaciones ilegales por parte del Estado

¿Qué podría venir si descubren que estarían chuzando a magistrados de Altas Cortes?




magi

Alejandro Santos al punto: ¿Qué podría venir tras las denuncias de los magistrados de altas cortes por presuntas interceptaciones?

Las cabezas de las altas cortes, como revelamos en 6AM, apoyaron al magistrado Jorge Enrique Ibáñez en su preocupación por las presuntas interceptaciones, monitoreos y seguimientos que denunció, y que lo afectan a él, a sus colaboradores y a su familia.




magi

El drama familiar del magistrado que investiga a Gustavo Petro

El magistrado del Consejo Nacional Electoral, Álvaro Hernán Prada, tuvo que sacar a su esposa, y a sus cuatro hijos, del país por amenazas contra su integridad.




magi

The Magical Black Box

Google's mission statement is "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

That mission is so profound & so important the associated court documents in their antitrust cases must be withheld from public consumption.

Before document sharing was disallowed, some were shared publicly.

Internal emails stated:

  • Hal Varian was off in his public interviews where he suggested it was the algorithms rather than the amount of data which is prime driver of relevancy.
  • Apple would not get any revshare if there was a user choice screen & must set Google as the default search engine to qualify for any revshare.
  • Google has a policy of being vague about using clickstream data to influence ranking, though they have heavily relied upon clickstream data to influence ranking. Advances in machine learning have made it easier to score content to where the clickstream data had become less important.
  • When Apple Maps launched & Google Maps lost the default position on iOS Google Maps lost 60% of their iOS distribution, and that was with how poorly the Apple Maps roll out went.
  • Google sometimes subverted their typical auction dynamics and would flip the order of the top 2 ads to boost ad revenues.
  • Google had a policy of "shaking the cushions" to hit the quarterly numbers by changing advertiser ad prices without informing advertisers that they'd be competing in a rigged auction with artificially manipulated shill bids from the auctioneer competing against them.

When Google talked about hitting the quarterly numbers with shaking the cusions the 5% number which was shared skewed a bit low:

For a brand campaign focused on a niche product, she said the average CPC at $11.74 surged to $25.85 over the last six months, amounting to a 108% increase. However, there wasn’t an incremental return on sales.

“The level to which [price manipulations] happens is what we don’t know,” said Yang. “It’s shady business practices because there’s no regulation. They regulate themselves.”

Early in the history of search ads Google blocked trademark keyword bidding. They later allowed it. When keyword bidding on trademarks was allowed it led to a conundrum for some advertisers. If you do not defend your trademark you could lose it, but if you agree with competitors not to bid on each other's trademarks the FTC could come after you - like they did with 1-800 Contacts. This set up forces many brands to participate in auctions where they are arbitraging their own pre-existing brand equity. The ad auctioneer runs shady auctions where it looks across at your account behavior and bids then adjusts bid floors to suck more money out of you. This amounts to something akin to the bid jamming that was done in early Overture, except it is the house itself doing it to you! The last auction I remembered like that was SnapNames, where a criminal named Nelson Brady on the executive team used the handle halverez to leverage participant max bids and put in bids just under their bids. The goal of his fraud? To hit the numbers & get an earn out bonus - similar to how Google insiders were discussing "shaking the cushions" to hit the number.

Halverez created a program which looked across aggregate bid data, join auctions which only had 1 other participant, and then use the one-way view of competing bids to put in a shill bid to drive up costs - which sure sounds conceptually similar to Google's "shaking the cushions."

"Just looking at this very tactically, and sorry to go into this level of detail, but based on where we are I'm afraid it's warranted. We are short __% queries and are ahead on ads launches so are short __% revenue vs. plan. If we don't hit plan, our sales team doesn't get its quota for the second quarter in a row and we miss the street's expectations again, which is not what Ruth signaled to the street so we get punished pretty badly in the market. We are shaking the cushions on launches and have some candidates in May that will help, but if these break in mid-late May we only get half a quarter of impact or less, which means we need __% excess to where we are today and can't do it alone. The Search team is working together with us to accelerate a launch out of a new mobile layout by the end of May that will be very revenue positive (exact numbers still moving), but that still won't be enough. Our best shot at making the quarter is if we get an injection of at least __%, ideally __%, queries ASAP from Chrome. Some folks on our side are running a more detailed, Finance-based, what-if analysis on this and should be done with that in a couple of days, but I expect that these will be the rough numbers.

The question we are all faced with is how badly do we want to hit our numbers this quarter? We need to make this choice ASAP. I care more about revenue than the average person but think we can all agree that for all of our teams trying to live in high cost areas another $___,___ in stock price loss will not be great for morale, not to mention the huge impact on our sales team." - Google VP Jerry Dischler

Google is also pushing advertisers away from keyword-based bidding and toward a portfolio approach of automated bidding called Performance Max, where you give Google your credit card and budget then they bid as they wish. By blending everything into a single soup you may not know where the waste is & it may not be particularly easy to opt out of poorly performing areas. Remember enhanced AdWords campaigns?

Google continues to blur dataflow outside of their ad auctions to try to bring more of the ad spend into their auctions.

The amount Google is paying Apple to be the default search provider is staggering.

Tens of billions of dollars is a huge payday. No way Google would hyper-optimize other aspects of their business (locating data centers near dams, prohibiting use of credit card payments for large advertisers, cutting away ad agency management fees, buying Android, launching Chrome, using broken HTML on YouTube to make it render slowly on Firefox & Microsoft Edge to push Chrome distribution, all the dirty stuff Google did to violate user privacy with overriding Safari cookies, buying DoubleClick, stealing the ad spend from banned publishers rather than rebating it to advertisers, creating a proprietary version of HTML & force ranking it above other results to stop header bidding, & then routing around their internal firewall on display ads to give their house ads the advantage in their ad auctions, etc etc etc) and then just throw over a billion dollars a month needlessly at a syndication partner.

For perspective on the scale of those payments consider that it wasn't that long ago Yahoo! was considered a big player in search and Apollo bought Yahoo! plus AOL from Verizon for about $5 billion & then was quickly able to sell branding & technology rights in Japan to Softbank for $1.6 billion & other miscellaneous assets for nearly a half-billion, reducing the net cost to only $3 billion.

If Google loses this lawsuit and the payments to Apple are declared illegal, that would be a huge revenue (and profit) hit for Apple. Apple would be forced to roll out their own search engine. This would cut away at least 30% of the search market from Google & it would give publishers another distribution channel. Most likely Apple Search would launch with a lower ad density than Google has for short term PR purposes & publishers would have a year or two of enhanced distribution before Apple's ad load matched Google's ad load.

It is hard to overstate how strong Apple's brand is. For many people the cell phone is like a family member. I recently went to upgrade my phone and Apple's local store closed early in the evening at 8pm. The next day when they opened at 10 there was a line to wait in to enter the store, like someone was trying to get concert tickets. Each privacy snafu from Google helps strengthen Apple's relative brand position.

Google has also diluted the quality of their own brand by rewriting search queries excessively to redirect traffic flows toward more commercial interests. Wired covered how Project Mercury works:

This onscreen Google slide had to do with a “semantic matching” overhaul to its SERP algorithm. When you enter a query, you might expect a search engine to incorporate synonyms into the algorithm as well as text phrase pairings in natural language processing. But this overhaul went further, actually altering queries to generate more commercial results. ... Most scams follow an elementary bait-and-switch technique, where the scoundrel lures you in with attractive bait and then, at the right time, switches to a different option. But Google “innovated” by reversing the scam, first switching your query, then letting you believe you were getting the best search engine results. This is a magic trick that Google could only pull off after monopolizing the search engine market, giving consumers the false impression that it is incomparably great, only because you’ve grown so accustomed to it.

The mobile search results on Google require at least a screen or two of scrolls to get to the organic results if there is a hint of commercial intent behind the search query. Once they have monetized the real estate they are reliant on broader economic growth & using ad buy bundling to drive cross-subsidies of other non-search ad inventory, which may contain more than a bit of fraud. Performance Max may max out your spend without actually performing for anybody other than Google.

Google not only shill bid on lower competition terms to squeeze defensive brand bids and boost auction floor pricing, but they also implemented shill bids in competitive ad auctions:

Michael Whinston, a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said Friday that Google modified the way it sold text ads via “Project Momiji” – named for the wooden Japanese dolls that have a hidden space for friends to exchange secret messages. The shift sought “to raise the prices against the highest bidder,” Whinston told Judge Amit Mehta in federal court in Washington.

While Google's search marketshare is rock solid, the number of search engines available has increased significantly over the past few years. Not only is there Bing and DuckDuckGo but the tail is longer than it was a few years back. In addition to regional players like Baidu and Yandex there's now Brave Search, Mojeek, Qwant, Yep, and You. GigaBlast and Neeva went away, but anything that prohibits selling defaults to a company with over 90% marketshare will likely lead to dozens more players joining the search game. Search traffic will remain lucrative for whoever can capture it, as no matter how much Google tries to obfuscate marketing data the search query reflects the intent of the end user.

“Search advertising is one of the world’s greatest business models ever created…there are certainly illicit businesses (cigarettes or drugs) that could rival these economics, but we are fortunate to have an amazing business.” - Google VP of Finance Mike Roszak

Categories: 




magi

Catherine Lacey imagines a character without race or gender in her novel, Pew

The American author of Pew spoke with Eleanor Wachtel about writing a novel that examines faith, forgiveness and identity politics.



  • Radio/Writers & Company

magi

How using her imagination saved Scottish author Jackie Kay

Eleanor Wachtel spoke with Kay in 2007, following the publication of her short story collection Wish I Was Here.



  • Radio/Writers & Company

magi

Decentralized web movement imagines 'a web with many winners' that puts community first

Mai Ishikawa Sutton and Alicia Urquidi Díaz discuss the vision behind the movement known as DWeb, and how the decentralized web combines the community aspect of the '90s online experience with today's equity and accessibility principles.




magi

Room with a view: 60 years on, Gaston Bachelard's ideas still ignite our imagination

It's been 60 years since French thinker Gaston Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space made its English-language debut. It’s a hard-to-define book — part architecture, philosophy, psychoanalysis, memoir. And it continues to feed our ongoing need for purposeful solitude and wide-open fields for our imagination.




magi

microsoft/TinyTroupe: LLM-powered multiagent persona simulation for imagination enhancement and business insights.

LLM-powered multiagent persona simulation for imagination enhancement and business insights. - microsoft/TinyTroupe




magi

Weekend Movie Marathon: Viola Davis Flaunts Her Magic



The actress stars in The Help this weekend.



  • BET Star Cinema

magi

10 Reasons Lupita Will Always Epitomize #BlackGirlMagic



A fairy grows wings each time Lupita appears.



  • BET Star Cinema

magi

Setting the Stage: Marsha Ambrosius Spreads Her Vocal Magic



The singer's ground-shaking voice wakes Apollo Live up!




magi

Antoine Anderson Charged In Magistrates Court

44-year-old Antoine Anderson appeared in Magistrates Court charged with escaping lawful custody from the Prison Farm in St. George’s. It is related to an alleged incident earlier this week, and as it is an indictable offense he was not required to enter a plea. Anderson is due to reappear in the Supreme Court at the […]




magi

Three Men Charged In Magistrates Court

Three men appeared in Magistrate’s Court today [Aug 26] charged in connection with the death of Marcus Wilson, who was fatally stabbed earlier this month in Warwick. Jaja DeSilva, Isiah Smith and Omari Williams were charged in connection with the matter. The defendants, who are aged from 18 to their mid 20s, were not required to […]




magi

MP Zane DeSilva Charged In Magistrates Court

MP Zane DeSilva was charged today [Oct 26] in Magistrate’s Court with allegedly violating the Proceeds of Crime act. The charge alleged that between April 2018 and August 2018, he “entered into or became concerned in an arrangement, which you knew or suspected facilitated the use or control of criminal property by or on behalf […]




magi

The Real Magic of Poetry

Originally published in the Press-Enterprise, July 2014 If you ask a roomful of poets what poetry actually is, you’ll hear a lot of grandiloquent hemming and hawing. Poets talk about poetry like the old parable of the blind men describing an elephant: “It’s long and slender like a snake!” “No, it’s thick and sturdy like …

The post The Real Magic of Poetry first appeared on Timothy Green.




magi

Honor Magic7 RSR Porsche Design может получить 6,8" изогнутый OLED, Snapdragon 8 Elite, 50 МП камеру и 100 Вт зарядку

Honor готовится выпустить новую модель смартфона Magic7 RSR Porsche Design, которая снова будет привлекать внимание своим дизайном, напоминающим стиль автомобилей Porsche.




magi

Exclusive: Papercutz reimagines FLASH GORDON as THE GIRL FROM INFINITY

Papercutz has announced Flash Gordon: The Girl from Infinity, which reimagines the iconic character, for release in 2025.




magi

Write your magic spells with a LAMY Harry Potter fountain pen

NEWS – If you’re a Harry Potter fan and also love writing, the new LAMY Harry Potter fountain pens will be a magical addition to your pen collection! These special edition fountain pens combine the charm of Hogwarts with high-quality craftsmanship, making them perfect for jotting down your own stories or doodling your favorite characters. […]




magi

Actually magical.

Milkweed fluff and magic gold mica — love how these bookends came out. They actually are magical. ????. In the shop!




magi

marbles magic

Today on Married To The Sea: marbles magic


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!




magi

welcome to the magical lair

Today on Married To The Sea: welcome to the magical lair


This RSS feed is brought to you by Drew and Natalie's podcast Garbage Brain University. Our new series Everything Is Real explores the world of cryptids, aliens, quantum physics, the occult, and more. If you use this RSS feed, please consider supporting us by becoming a patron. Patronage includes membership to our private Discord server and other bonus material non-patrons never see!






magi

Have You Met Donald Trump's Imaginary Friend Jim?

It's been a fun week for political memes. While Donald Trump's friend "Jim" has been the subject of skepticism since as early as 2016, the marvelous mystery has once again been thrust into the spotlight by the Associated Press. Their July 13th piece, "Trump in Paris: The curious case of his friend Jim" was covered by outlets such as HuffPo and the AV Club, and inspired a healthy number of Twitter jokes. We've put together the most noteworthy Jim jokes from the past year, for your convenient viewing pleasure. 




magi

Reimagining Goal Setting: The Power of Northstar Goals

A few years back, I found myself in a rut with goal-setting. I had all these grand ambitions, but making actual progress always felt like an uphill battle. I’d set huge goals like “become a famous entrepreneur” or “get shredded,” but within months, my motivation would fizzle and I’d be back where I started. Even ... Read more

The post Reimagining Goal Setting: The Power of Northstar Goals appeared first on LifeHack.




magi

Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, and the Fate of the Nation

Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook – July 9, 2013




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Neither Edwin nor Lucinda wanted to be the first to admit they couldn't see a thing in the magic eye picture







magi

Amsterdam City Break: Discovering the Heart of the Netherlands in Three Magical Days

Amsterdam is a city of contrasts, where historic charm meets vibrant modernity. A city break in Amsterdam offers a chance to explore picturesque canals, world-renowned museums, and eclectic neighbourhoods, all within a compact and walkable setting. In this guide, I’ll take you through an unforgettable three-day itinerary designed to capture the essence of Amsterdam. From strolling along cobblestone streets to indulging in Dutch delicacies, here’s how to make the most of your Amsterdam city break. Considering taking a cruise to Amsterdam? Arriving by sea is not only a unique way to start your adventure but also offers breathtaking views of the city from the water. Cruises often include extras like guided tours or exclusive shore excursions, making it a convenient option for those looking to experience Amsterdam’s maritime charm from the moment they arrive. Day 1: Uncovering Amsterdam’s Historic Canals and Culinary Scene Morning: Arrive and Settle In If you’re arriving by cruise, you’ll dock at the Port of Amsterdam, just a stone’s throw away from the city centre. Once you’ve disembarked and checked into your accommodation, it’s time to start exploring. Begin your visit with a leisurely walk through Amsterdam’s Canal Belt, a UNESCO World Heritage site that embodies the city’s rich history and iconic architecture. As you wander, you’ll find charming bridges, historic houseboats, and narrow townhouses adorned with ornate gables. Each canal has its own character, but Prinsengracht, Herengracht, and Keizersgracht are among the most famous. You’ll quickly see why these canals are one of Amsterdam’s most photographed attractions. Afternoon: Dive into Amsterdam’s Maritime History with a Canal Cruise One of the best ways to immerse yourself in the city’s history is to take a canal cruise. Various operators offer guided tours, ranging from hour-long excursions to multi-course dinner cruises. As you glide along the water, you’ll get a sense of how Amsterdam’s intricate canal system helped shape its trade and commerce over the centuries. Plus, you’ll enjoy views of iconic landmarks like the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum, and Westerkerk from a unique vantage point. Evening: Sample Amsterdam’s Diverse Culinary Offerings Amsterdam’s food scene is as diverse as its population. For your first evening, treat yourself to a traditional Dutch dinner. Try local dishes like stamppot, a hearty blend of potatoes, vegetables, and sausage, or erwtensoep, a thick pea soup perfect for chilly evenings. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, don’t miss poffertjes—tiny pancakes dusted with powdered sugar. For a more eclectic dining experience, Amsterdam is home to countless international restaurants, reflecting its role as a global melting pot. You’ll find everything from Indonesian rijsttafel (a feast of small dishes) to Middle Eastern mezze. Many restaurants are located along the canals, offering atmospheric outdoor seating and views of the water. Day 2: Art, Parks, and Local Markets Morning: Explore the Treasures of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam is a haven for art lovers, and the Rijksmuseum is a must-visit. Housing masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age, including Rembrandt’s The Night Watch and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid, the museum offers a comprehensive journey through Dutch art and history. Set aside at least a couple of hours to explore the galleries, as the collection is extensive. For an insider’s tip, arrive early to avoid crowds, especially if you want to get a close-up view of Rembrandt’s renowned pieces. If you’re visiting during spring or summer, don’t miss the museum’s garden, which features beautiful sculptures and tranquil spots for a mid-morning break. Afternoon: Discover Van Gogh’s Vibrant World and Stroll Through Vondelpark Just a short walk from the Rijksmuseum is the Van Gogh Museum, dedicated to the life and work of one of the most iconic artists in history. With over 200 paintings, including famous works like Sunflowers and The Bedroom, this museum provides an intimate look at Van Gogh’s creative genius and turbulent life. After you’ve soaked in Van Gogh’s vivid colours and swirling brushstrokes, take a break in nearby Vondelpark. This sprawling green space is a favourite among locals and visitors alike, offering a peaceful escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. Pack a picnic or grab a coffee from one of the park’s cafés, and spend some time people-watching, cycling, or simply soaking up the scenery. Evening: Dinner in De Pijp and a Stroll Through the Albert Cuyp Market For dinner, head to De Pijp, a lively neighbourhood known for its multicultural vibe and delicious food scene. Here, you’ll find everything from trendy eateries to traditional eetcafés, where you can enjoy hearty Dutch fare in a casual setting. While you’re in De Pijp, be sure to explore the Albert Cuyp Market, the largest outdoor market in Europe. With over 250 stalls selling everything from fresh produce and cheese to clothing and souvenirs, it’s a fantastic place to soak up the local atmosphere. Grab a snack like a freshly made stroopwafel, or pick up some Dutch cheese to take home as a tasty souvenir. Day 3: History and Shopping in Amsterdam’s Iconic Neighbourhoods Morning: Reflect on History at the Anne Frank House Begin your day with a visit to the Anne Frank House, where the young diarist and her family hid during World War II. The museum offers a poignant glimpse into the hardships faced by Anne and her family, as well as the resilience of those who lived through the era. Due to its popularity, it’s best to book tickets in advance to avoid long wait times. If you’re interested in exploring more of Amsterdam’s wartime history, consider adding a visit to the Resistance Museum, which offers further insights into the city’s experiences during the German occupation. Afternoon: Shop and Dine in the Negen Straatjes (Nine Streets) Next, head to the Negen Straatjes, or Nine Streets, a charming area within the Canal Belt known for its quirky boutiques, vintage shops, and cosy cafés. This is the perfect place to indulge in some retail therapy, with stores selling everything from high-end fashion and handmade jewellery to unique home decor and antique books. Take your time browsing the shops, and be sure to stop for lunch at one of the many cafés lining the streets. The area is famous for its atmospheric coffee shops and bakeries, offering everything from freshly baked pastries to artisanal sandwiches. For a sweet treat, try a slice of Dutch apple pie, which pairs perfectly with a strong espresso. Evening: Wrap Up Your Trip at a Cosy Brown Café As your city break in Amsterdam comes to a close, spend your last evening unwinding at a traditional Dutch brown café. These cosy pubs are named for their dark wood interiors and smoky atmospheres, and they’re a staple of local culture. Café Hoppe and Café De Dokter are both great choices, offering a warm ambiance and a selection of Dutch beers to sample. Whether you’re sharing a drink with friends or simply savouring a quiet moment, the relaxed atmosphere of a brown café is the perfect way to end your Amsterdam adventure. Tips for an Unforgettable Amsterdam City Break When to Visit: Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Amsterdam, as the weather is mild, and there are fewer tourists. Spring is particularly beautiful due to the blooming tulips, while autumn offers colourful foliage along the canals. Getting Around: Amsterdam’s public transport system includes trams, buses, and ferries, making it easy to navigate the city. However, the city centre is highly walkable, and cycling is a popular way to get around. Many hotels offer bike rentals, or you can rent one from a local shop. Accommodations: Amsterdam offers a wide range of accommodation options, from boutique hotels and cosy bed-and-breakfasts to trendy hostels and luxurious canal-side apartments. Consider staying in a central area like the Jordaan or De Pijp for easy access to the city’s top attractions. Must-Try Foods: Beyond traditional Dutch dishes like stamppot and haring (raw herring), Amsterdam is known for its cheese, with varieties like gouda and edam readily available. Street foods like patat (thick-cut fries) served with mayo and bitterballen (fried meatballs) are also popular, especially at local markets and pubs. Cultural Etiquette: While Amsterdam is known for its liberal attitudes, it’s essential to respect local customs. Keep in mind that cycling is a primary mode of transportation, so be cautious when crossing bike lanes, and always look both ways.

The post Amsterdam City Break: Discovering the Heart of the Netherlands in Three Magical Days appeared first on Geeky Traveller.




magi

Red Hat is Acquiring AI Optimization Startup Neural Magic

Red Hat, the IBM-owned open source software firm, is acquiring Neural Magic, a startup that optimizes AI models to run faster on commodity processors and GPUs. From a report: The terms of the deal weren't disclosed. MIT research scientist Alex Matveev and professor Nir Shavit founded Somerville, Massachusetts-based Neural Magic in 2018, inspired by their work in high-performance execution engines for AI. Neural Magic's software aims to process AI workloads on processors and GPUs at speeds equivalent to specialized AI chips (e.g. TPUs). By running models on off-the-shelf processors, which usually have more available memory, the company's software can realize these performance gains. Big tech companies like AMD and a host of other startups, including NeuReality, Deci, CoCoPie, OctoML and DeepCube, offer some sort of AI optimization software. But Neural Magic is one of the few with a free platform and a collection of open source tools to complement it. Neural Magic had so far managed to raise $50 million in venture capital from backers like Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associations, Amdocs, Comcast Ventures, Pillar VC and Ridgeline Ventures.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.




magi

Undercurrents: Episode 31 - Re-imagining the Global Food System




magi

Imagine a World Without Fake News

Imagine a World Without Fake News Explainer Video NCapeling 25 February 2021

Harriet Moynihan and Mathieu Boulegue explain how we can avoid drowning in an ocean of fake news and information manipulation.

The flow of fake news is vast and unlikely to go away. What’s more, imagining a world where fake news is eradicated completely has implications for freedom of expression.

But what if, instead of wishing fake news away, we can adapt and become immune to it? 

Chatham House is built on big ideas. Help us imagine a better world.

Our researchers develop positive solutions to global challenges, working with governments, charities, businesses and society to build a better future.

SNF CoLab is our project supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to share our ideas in experimental, collaborative ways – and to learn about designing a better future, overcoming challenges such as fake news, COVID-19, food security, and conflict.




magi

Protecting universal human rights: Imagine a better world

Protecting universal human rights: Imagine a better world Explainer Video NCapeling 19 November 2021

Short animation examining why protecting and defending human rights ensures an equitable response to humanitarian crises and addresses economic inequality.

Human rights are not policies that can be overturned, they are not granted by governments. They belong to everyone as human beings.

For the most part, states are meeting their commitments to defend and protect universal human rights. But increasingly some governments are beginning to shy away from their obligations, and some are even actively seeking to subvert human rights.

And the regional and international bodies created and charged with defending these rights are being challenged by the rise of new powers and political movements.

Chatham House is built on big ideas. Help us imagine a better world.

Our researchers develop positive solutions to global challenges, working with governments, charities, businesses and society to build a better future.

SNF CoLab is our project supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to share our ideas in experimental, collaborative ways – and to learn about designing a better future.




magi

Re-imagining trade for domestic and foreign policy

Re-imagining trade for domestic and foreign policy Expert comment NCapeling 7 December 2021

Exploring future trade policy through issues such as the green transition, labour standards, human rights, the role of the WTO, and non-trade policy objectives.

Balancing trade and non-trade policy objectives

Marianne Schneider-Petsinger

The supply chain disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic highlight trade cannot be taken for granted, and economic interdependencies have both benefits and costs. As international commerce rebounds and trade policy is increasingly seen through the prism of enhancing resilience, the moment is ripe to redefine and reimagine trade.

The goal of trade policy has never been to increase trade for trade’s sake, so a new narrative and framework for global trade requires striking a careful balance between pursuing trade and non-trade policy objectives.

Protecting the environment, strengthening labour standards, and upholding human rights have long been goals for which trade policy is used as a lever, and the interaction of trade and national security interests as well as the links between trade and competition policy are not new issues either.

All these non-trade policy aspects have come to the forefront as the geopolitical context has shifted and the transition to green and digital economies has gathered force – and, at times, these different non-trade policy goals clash.

The US and European Union (EU) are promoting solar energy to fight climate change but supply chains for solar panels are heavily reliant on forced labour from Xinjiang, and hence it is not yet certain whether environmental or human rights concerns will prevail. However, it is clear trade policy tools can be part of a comprehensive solution which manages inherent tensions while still advancing both objectives.

A new narrative and framework for global trade requires striking a careful balance between pursuing trade and non-trade policy objectives

Trade policy is also not just a foreign policy instrument but links closely to domestic policy – the populist backlash against globalization in much of the developed world, especially the US and Europe, was in part driven by anti-trade sentiment.

While American attitudes towards trade improved after the 2016 election of Donald Trump, positive views towards trade dropped sharply in 2021. The Biden administration’s worker-centred trade policy aims to address distributional effects of international economic integration which is a long-standing challenge. Thus, tackling non-trade policy issues without losing sight of this unresolved core issue requires careful calibration.

Trade policy is being pulled in many different directions at the same time as the core institution governing global trade – the World Trade Organization (WTO) – is in crisis, and it is uncertain how much of the non-trade policy agenda the WTO can handle. If the linkage to non-trade policy becomes too strong, this could be the straw that breaks the WTO’s back, but if it is too weak, the WTO risks becoming irrelevant in efforts to tackle key global challenges.

But if its 164 members can generate trade-oriented solutions to non-trade issues, they can revive the organization and mobilize domestic support for global trade at the same time. This balancing act in managing the tensions between trade and non-trade policy objectives lies at the centre of future-proofing trade policy and global trade governance.

Developing countries must be part of green trade revolution

Carolyn Deere Birkbeck

The biggest challenge in taking environmental efforts forward within the multilateral context is to successfully combine environmental ambition with an approach which engages developing countries as partners, reflects their environment-related trade priorities, and addresses their sustainable development interests.

Meaningful, inclusive dialogue and action at the WTO also requires deeper efforts to build policy coherence among environment, development, and trade policymaking at home

The importance of engaging developing countries must not be underestimated because it is vital a global green economy does not leave the poorest behind, or becomes two-tier where green trade happens only between certain countries and the essential task of incentivizing and supporting sustainable production and consumption patterns in all countries is neglected.

The new member-led initiatives at the WTO do signal that, while the rulemaking and negotiating functions remain central to the global trade body, governments recognize the need for enhanced, transparent, and inclusive policy dialogue as well as problem-solving on sectoral issues and specific trade-related challenges.

Given the well-documented challenges of achieving multilateral consensus at the WTO, governments are exploring new ways to work within multilateral frameworks and to redefine what progress and successful outcomes should look like.

Therefore, there is a need for best practices, voluntary action, pledges, and guidelines to both sustain the relevance of the multilateral trading system and support policy action at the national level for trade which underpins environmental and wider sustainable goals.

Making progress on an environmental agenda which reflects sustainable development concerns requires stronger leadership, engagement, and advocacy from business, civil society, and research communities in both developing and developed countries, as well as economies in transition.

Meaningful, inclusive dialogue and action at the WTO also requires deeper efforts to build policy coherence among environment, development, and trade policymaking at home, with environmental ministries having a key role to play in bringing expertise to bear and ensuring strong regulatory environments and institutions for the implementation of national, regional, and international environmental commitments.

But at the domestic level, many countries still have to overcome complex politics and diverse interests as they work to transform their economies toward greater sustainability and tackle the costs of transition.

Social preparation holds the key to trade transitions

Bernice Lee 

Trade being often depicted as the mother of all ills should not come as a surprise, as politicians are only too happy to put the blame on trade when all sorts of exogenous shocks, such as technological change, could actually be the trigger which fires the bullet into local industries or jobs.

Trade brings positive benefits only if a society is ready for trade, which often means having the cushion for social protection such as healthcare, unemployment benefits, and opportunities for training and reskilling

Admittedly trade does have a way of breaking the seams in the social fabric but the fact politicians often ignore negative impacts of trade means its benefits can be likened to Schrodinger’s cat, both real and illusive. But trade being mainly depicted as a ‘zero-sum’ pursuit and trade deals as the result of swashbuckling duels belie the reality that the real business of trade is often boring, bureaucratic, but necessary.

This is particularly true when trade provides access to a much larger variety of necessary products, such as medicine, food, and minerals, which can be expensive to make domestically. Selling products and services abroad also brings in the hard currency needed to buy these goods or to spend on trips abroad.

This does not take away the fact trade is extremely disruptive but, as a result of all the theorizing and understandable rants about trade, large swathes of the international community have effectively foregone it as a force for good or as an instrument which – while not the answer to all problems – can help smooth the path to well-being through efficiency gains and income growth, as well as putting to work the theory of comparative advantage as promised by the textbooks.

Alas, what the textbooks do not clearly spell out – until recently – is that trade brings positive benefits only if a society is ready for trade, which often means having the cushion for social protection such as healthcare, unemployment benefits, and opportunities for training and reskilling.

The ‘China shock’ literature vividly depicts how workers rarely seamlessly move from one job or sector to another and so, without adequate social protection, trade not only magnifies existing fractures, it also exacerbates inequality. As the aftershock lingers for decades, the lesson learned is the importance of social readiness for trade, especially the role played by governments in providing support for workers as part of the adjustment to trade and globalization.

Authors of this China shock literature recently suggested the next shock will be the transition from fossil fuel production, but the good news is this so-called ‘just transition’ challenge is one which proponents of green energy are well aware of.

But ultimately the China shock could be the dry run for the advent of machine intelligence, meaning better preparation is needed with solid social policies, investment in institutional readiness, and social preparedness to ensure the machines only take on monotonous and unsafe work – not our livelihoods and communities.

Trading partners must move to creating human rights impact

Dr Jennifer Zerk

The question of whether, and how, trade policy should be used as a way of addressing human rights concerns remains controversial and attempts to link the two still attract accusations of ‘protectionism’ and ‘neo-colonialism’.

Momentum appears to be behind those arguing for greater alignment between trade policy and human rights objectives – a trend which is most noticeable in the increasing willingness of trade partners to reference human rights standards in their trade agreements and in the growth of complementary activities such as human rights impact assessment and monitoring.

Evidence that these are having an impact ‘on the ground’ remains elusive. Nevertheless, efforts to enhance scrutiny of trade agreements from a human rights perspective, and to signal the importance of respect for human rights to a trading relationship, can still have value.

Even if causal relationships between trading arrangements and human rights impacts are difficult to establish conclusively, human rights impact assessment and subsequent monitoring activities provide valuable opportunities for stakeholders to weigh in on aspects of trade policy which are of concern.

Such processes not only help governments to realize rights of public participation, they also contribute to good governance by making it more likely that potential human rights problems will be recognized and addressed.

Turning to the agreements themselves, various ideas have been put forward on how to make these more responsive to human rights concerns.

Options mooted by EU institutions in recent years include an enhanced monitoring and enforcement role for consultative bodies established under specialized ‘trade and sustainable development’ chapters, and better mainstreaming of human rights commitments in sector-specific chapters.

However, given the political and resource-related difficulties in developing credible monitoring systems for human rights-related issues, and the unlikelihood of actual enforcement, many view this as little more than window-dressing.

For governments wanting to see real impact, ‘supply chain due diligence’ regimes pioneered by the EU in relation to timber and conflict minerals present a promising regulatory model.

The question of whether, and how, trade policy should be used as a way of addressing human rights concerns remains controversial

These regimes seek to curb trade in products derived from, or which aggravate, human rights abuses as well as aiming to promote more responsible sourcing of products by EU importers. They create powerful incentives within partner countries to crack down on harmful practices by producers, which are bolstered further by regulations that demand more proactive human rights risk management by EU operators throughout their supply chains. Capacity-building and aid packages have been deployed to help speed up the necessary reforms.

New regulatory measures imposing mandatory human rights due diligence obligations on companies operating in a much broader range of sectors are now under consideration by the European Commission. While the role of trade-related measures in the enforcement of this new regime is still unclear, trading partners should be sure to preserve the regulatory space for sector-level and company-level initiatives such as these in future agreements.

Understanding the impact of NTPOs on investment

Professor Michael Gasiorek

Increasingly, trade policy is not just all about achieving trade-related outcomes as international trade, by definition, involves interaction with partner countries and therefore trade policy with regard to those partner countries can be used as a means to achieve ‘non-trade policy objectives’ (NTPOs).

In turn this means trade policy is also no longer just about the domestic economy but also about policies and economies in other countries – such as poorer countries achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), concerns about practices in other countries in areas such as governance or corruption, or a desire to address broader challenges such as climate change.

But the inclusion of NTPOs in trade policy arrangements between countries also creates possible impacts on investment flows between countries. Stronger NTPO commitments could have a negative impact both on foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic investment because the commitments increase costs for the companies involved which makes the investment less attractive.

However, NTPOs bringing progress on governance, or strengthening institutions, or giving more clarity on environmental regulations could signal a more stable and safe business environment, with production standards which create increased market access for exports – all of which may lead to increased incentives to invest.

A third possibility is that NTPOs do not have much effect either way because, although trade agreement increasingly include provisions on economic and social rights, or civil and political rights, or environmental protection – these are typically ‘best endeavour’ clauses which are frequently not binding or subject to dispute settlement, making them less likely to be implemented.




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Polydisperse molecular architecture of connexin 26/30 heteromeric hemichannels revealed by atomic force microscopy imaging [Protein Structure and Folding]

Connexin (Cx) protein forms hemichannels and gap junctional channels, which play diverse and profound roles in human physiology and diseases. Gap junctions are arrays of intercellular channels formed by the docking of two hemichannels from adjacent cells. Each hexameric hemichannel contains the same or different Cx isoform. Although homomeric Cxs forms have been largely described functionally and structurally, the stoichiometry and arrangement of heteromeric Cx channels remain unknown. The latter, however, are widely expressed in human tissues and variation might have important implications on channel function. Investigating properties of heteromeric Cx channels is challenging considering the high number of potential subunit arrangements and stoichiometries, even when only combining two Cx isoforms. To tackle this problem, we engineered an HA tag onto Cx26 or Cx30 subunits and imaged hemichannels that were liganded by Fab-epitope antibody fragments via atomic force microscopy. For Cx26-HA/Cx30 or Cx30-HA/Cx26 heteromeric channels, the Fab-HA binding distribution was binomial with a maximum of three Fab-HA bound. Furthermore, imaged Cx26/Cx30-HA triple liganded by Fab-HA showed multiple arrangements that can be derived from the law of total probabilities. Atomic force microscopy imaging of ringlike structures of Cx26/Cx30-HA hemichannels confirmed these findings and also detected a polydisperse distribution of stoichiometries. Our results indicate a dominant subunit stoichiometry of 3Cx26:3Cx30 with the most abundant subunit arrangement of Cx26-Cx26-Cx30-Cx26-Cx30-Cx30. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the molecular architecture of heteromeric Cx channels has been revealed, thus providing the basis to explore the functional effect of these channels in biology.




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Impact of the ISCHEMIA Trial on Stress Nuclear Myocardial Perfusion Imaging




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SNMMI Procedure Standard/EANM Practice Guideline for Brain [18F]FDG PET Imaging, Version 2.0

PREAMBLE

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and professional organization founded in 1954 to promote the science, technology, and practical application of nuclear medicine. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) is a professional nonprofit medical association that facilitates communication worldwide between individuals pursuing clinical and research excellence in nuclear medicine. The EANM was founded in 1985. The EANM was founded in 1985. SNMMI and EANM members are physicians, technologists, and scientists specializing in the research and practice of nuclear medicine.

The SNMMI and EANM will periodically define new guidelines for nuclear medicine practice to help advance the science of nuclear medicine and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the world. Existing practice guidelines will be reviewed for revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner, if indicated.

Each practice guideline, representing a policy statement by the SNMMI/EANM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review. The SNMMI and EANM recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guideline by those entities not providing these services is not authorized.

These guidelines are an educational tool designed to assist practitioners in providing appropriate care for patients. They are not inflexible rules or requirements of practice and are not intended, nor should they be used, to establish a legal standard of care. For these reasons and those set forth below, both the SNMMI and the EANM caution against the use of these guidelines in litigation in which the clinical decisions of a practitioner are called into question.

The ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific procedure or course of action must be made by the physician or medical physicist in light of all the circumstances presented. Thus, there is no implication that an approach differing from the guidelines, standing alone, is below the standard of care. To the contrary, a conscientious practitioner may responsibly adopt a course of action different from that set forth in the guidelines when, in the reasonable judgment of the practitioner, such course of action is indicated by the condition of the patient, limitations of available resources, or advances in knowledge or technology subsequent to publication of the guidelines.

The practice of medicine includes both the art and the science of the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, and treatment of disease. The variety and complexity of human conditions make it impossible to always reach the most appropriate diagnosis or to predict with certainty a particular response to treatment.

Therefore, it should be recognized that adherence to these guidelines will not ensure an accurate diagnosis or a successful outcome. All that should be expected is that the practitioner will follow a reasonable course of action based on current knowledge, available resources, and the needs of the patient to deliver effective and safe medical care. The sole purpose of these guidelines is to assist practitioners in achieving this objective.




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Clinical, Pathologic, and Imaging Variables Associated with Prostate Cancer Detection by PSMA PET/CT and Multiparametric MRI

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FAP and PSMA Expression by Immunohistochemistry and PET Imaging in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Translational Pilot Study

Visual Abstract