ot

Is the Australian government agile and innovative? Not to those in the start-ups world

Public service departments "too nervous" to innovate, say start-ups.




ot

Can the government really protect your privacy when it 'de-identifies' public data?

We don't really know to how to use big data and protect personal information at the same time.




ot

Brisbane City Council IT contract faces potential $60 million blow-out

A $122 million Brisbane City Council IT contract will be renegotiated after a systems replacement program was delayed by 18 months, with a potential cost blow-out of up to $60 million.




ot

How federal government departments are protecting Australians' data against cyber hack

Cyber Security Minister Dan Tehan says the government can't rule out vulnerabilities to cyber threats.




ot

Robot to greet visitors to Queensland government office

Visitors to two Queensland government offices in 1 William Street will be greeted by a robot, as part of a new trial.




ot

Quirk's integrity questioned over failure to release "secret" IT report

Opposition councillors have called Brisbane's Lord Mayor Graham Quirk secretive and accused him of putting his integrity at stake over the failure to release an external review into the now terminated $122 million IT contact with Technology One.




ot

FIFA 18 and Harry Potter play rescued from bots by Queensland start-up

The FIFA soccer game and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child have been protected from bots thanks to a Queensland start-up.




ot

The EU Cannot Build a Foreign Policy on Regulatory Power Alone

11 February 2020

Alan Beattie

Associate Fellow, Global Economy and Finance Programme and Europe Programme
Brussels will find its much-vaunted heft in setting standards cannot help it advance its geopolitical interests.

2020-02-11-Leyen.jpg

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks at the European Parliament in Strasbourg in February. Photo: Getty Images.

There are two well-established ideas in trade. Individually, they are correct. Combined, they can lead to a conclusion that is unfortunately wrong.

The first idea is that, across a range of economic sectors, the EU and the US have been engaged in a battle to have their model of regulation accepted as the global one, and that the EU is generally winning.

The second is that governments can use their regulatory power to extend strategic and foreign policy influence.

The conclusion would seem to be that the EU, which has for decades tried to develop a foreign policy, should be able to use its superpower status in regulation and trade to project its interests and its values abroad.

That’s the theory. It’s a proposition much welcomed by EU policymakers, who know they are highly unlikely any time soon to acquire any of the tools usually required to run an effective foreign policy.

The EU doesn’t have an army it can send into a shooting war, enough military or political aid to prop up or dispense of governments abroad, or a centralized intelligence service. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has declared her outfit to be a ‘geopolitical commission’, and is casting about for any means of making that real.

Through the ‘Brussels effect’ whereby European rules and standards are exported via both companies and governments, the EU has indeed won many regulatory battles with the US.

Its cars, chemicals and product safety regulations are more widely adopted round the world than their American counterparts. In the absence of any coherent US offering, bar some varied state-level systems, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the closest thing the world has to a single model for data privacy, and variants of it are being adopted by dozens of countries.

The problem is this. Those parts of global economic governance where the US is dominant – particularly the dollar payments system – are highly conducive to projecting US power abroad. The extraterritorial reach of secondary sanctions, plus the widespread reliance of banks and companies worldwide on dollar funding – and hence the American financial system – means that the US can precisely target its influence.

The EU can enforce trade sanctions, but not in such a powerful and discriminatory way, and it will always be outgunned by the US. Donald Trump could in effect force European companies to join in his sanctions on Iran when he pulled out of the nuclear deal, despite EU legislation designed to prevent their businesses being bullied. He can go after the chief financial officer of Huawei for allegedly breaching those sanctions.

By contrast, the widespread adoption of GDPR or data protection regimes inspired by it may give the EU a warm glow of satisfaction, but it cannot be turned into a geopolitical tool in the same way.

Nor, necessarily, does it particularly benefit the EU economy. Europe’s undersized tech sector seems unlikely to unduly benefit from the fact that data protection rules were written in the EU. Indeed, one common criticism of the regulations is that they entrench the power of incumbent tech giants like Google.

There is a similar pattern at work in the adoption of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. In that field, the EU and its member states are also facing determined competition from China, which has been pushing its technologies and standards through forums such as the International Telecommunication Union.

The EU has been attempting to write international rules for the use of AI which it hopes to be widely adopted. But again, these are a constraint on the use of new technologies largely developed by others, not the control of innovation.

By contrast, China has created a vast domestic market in technologies like facial recognition and unleashed its own companies on it. The resulting surveillance kit can then be marketed to emerging market governments as part of China’s enduring foreign policy campaign to build up supporters in the developing world.

If it genuinely wants to turn its economic power into geopolitical influence – and it’s not entirely clear what it would do with it if it did – the EU needs to recognize that not all forms of regulatory and trading dominance are the same.

Providing public goods to the world economy is all very well. But unless they are so particular in nature that they project uniquely European values and interests, that makes the EU a supplier of useful plumbing but not a global architect of power.

On the other hand, it could content itself with its position for the moment. It could recognize that not until enough hard power – guns, intelligence, money – is transferred from the member states to the centre, or until the member states start acting collectively, will the EU genuinely become a geopolitical force. Speaking loudly and carrying a stick of foam rubber is rarely a way to gain credibility in international relations.

This article is part of a series of publications and roundtable discussions in the Chatham House Global Trade Policy Forum.




ot

Parenteral lipids shape gut bile acid pools and microbiota profiles in the prevention of cholestasis in preterm pigs

Lee Call
Apr 29, 2020; 0:jlr.RA120000652v1-jlr.RA120000652
Research Articles




ot

HDL inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis of pancreatic {beta}-cells in vitro by activation of Smoothened

Mustafa Yalcinkaya
Apr 1, 2020; 61:492-504
Research Articles




ot

ANGPTL4 inactivates lipoprotein lipase by catalyzing the irreversible unfolding of LPLs hydrolase domain

Kristian K Kristensen
Apr 23, 2020; 0:jlr.ILR120000780v1-jlr.ILR120000780
Images in Lipid Research




ot

A novel NanoBiT-based assay monitors the interaction between lipoprotein lipase and GPIHBP1 in real time

Shwetha K. Shetty
Apr 1, 2020; 61:546-559
Methods




ot

The fatty acids from LPL-mediated processing of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins are taken up rapidly by cardiomyocytes

Haibo Jiang
Apr 2, 2020; 0:jlr.ILR120000783v1-jlr.ILR120000783
Images in Lipid Research




ot

Skin barrier lipid enzyme activity in Netherton patients is associated with protease activity and ceramide abnormalities

Jeroen van Smeden
Apr 7, 2020; 0:jlr.RA120000639v1-jlr.RA120000639
Research Articles




ot

Commentary on SSO and other putative inhibitors of FA transport across membranes by CD36 disrupt intracellular metabolism, but do not affect fatty acid translocation

Henry J. Pownall
May 1, 2020; 61:595-597
Commentary




ot

A novel GPER antagonist protects against the formation of estrogen-induced cholesterol gallstones in female mice

Chelsea DeLeon
May 1, 2020; 61:767-777
Research Articles




ot

Ebola virus matrix protein VP40 hijacks the host plasma membrane to form the virus envelope

Souad Amiar
Apr 15, 2020; 0:jlr.ILR120000753v1-jlr.ILR120000753
Images in Lipid Research




ot

GPIHBP1, a partner protein for lipoprotein lipase, is expressed only in capillary endothelial cells

Xia Meng
May 1, 2020; 61:591-591
Images in Lipid Research




ot

Lipid-tuned Zinc Transport Activity of Human ZnT8 Protein Correlates with Risk for Type-2 Diabetes [Molecular Bases of Disease]

Zinc is a critical element for insulin storage in the secretory granules of pancreatic beta cells. The islet-specific zinc transporter ZnT8 mediates granular sequestration of zinc ions. A genetic variant of human ZnT8 arising from a single nonsynonymous nucleotide change contributes to increased susceptibility to type-2 diabetes (T2D), but it remains unclear how the high risk variant (Arg-325), which is also a higher frequency (>50%) allele, is correlated with zinc transport activity. Here, we compared the activity of Arg-325 with that of a low risk ZnT8 variant (Trp-325). The Arg-325 variant was found to be more active than the Trp-325 form following induced expression in HEK293 cells. We further examined the functional consequences of changing lipid conditions to mimic the impact of lipid remodeling on ZnT8 activity during insulin granule biogenesis. Purified ZnT8 variants in proteoliposomes exhibited more than 4-fold functional tunability by the anionic phospholipids, lysophosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. Over a broad range of permissive lipid compositions, the Arg-325 variant consistently exhibited accelerated zinc transport kinetics versus the Trp-form. In agreement with the human genetic finding that rare loss-of-function mutations in ZnT8 are associated with reduced T2D risk, our results suggested that the common high risk Arg-325 variant is hyperactive, and thus may be targeted for inhibition to reduce T2D risk in the general populations.




ot

UK Tech Weekly Podcast - Episode Three: The Internet of Sex Robots - Facebook likes, AI and Trump

In this week's UK Tech Weekly Podcast host Matt Egan is joined by PC Advisor staff writer Chris Minasians chats about Facebook's new like buttons, the team has contracted smartphone fever from the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona and finally, acting editor of Macworld UK David Price, discusses Donald Trump boycotting Apple.  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode Eight: The Internet of Genocidal Chatbots (IoGC) Tay, Microsoft Build and Apple vs FBI

In this week's UK Tech Weekly Podcast host Matt Egan is joined by online editor at Techworld.com Scott Carey to discuss all of the news coming out of Microsoft's Build 2016 developer conference, before being joined by producer Chris to talk about the company's genocidal AI chatbot Tay's public meltdown (13:00). Then, acting editor at Macworld.co.uk David Price jumps in to discuss the apparent resolution to the Apple vs FBI fight (29:00).  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode Ten - The Internet of Tacobots (IoTB): F8, chatbots, HTC 10 & Kindle Oasis

Producer Chris dives in this week to discuss the HTC 10 release, and why it's difficult to get excited about good mobile phones. Then Techworld.com editor Charlotte Jee chats Facebook chatbots and other F8 news (12:30). Finally, editor at Digitalartsonline.co.uk Neil Bennett jumps in to discuss the new Amazon e-reader (31:00) Kindle Oasis and why everyone is kicking off about the price.  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 17 - The Internet of Not Terrible Windows Phones (IoNTWP) - VR games & phones at gigs

This week host Matt Egan is joined by PC Advisor staff writer Chris Minasians to chat about the AMD Radeon RX 480 graphics card and what this could mean for the future of virtual reality games. Fellow staff writer at PC Advisor Henry Burrell jumps in to talk about the "not terrible" Windows 10 phone as he starts using the Microsoft Lumia 950 and can't see what everyone's beef with it is (13:00). Finally Ashleigh Allsopp, engagement editor at Macworld UK chats about using your technology at concerts (24:30).  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 23 - The Internet of Top Tech Topics (IoTTT) Brexit, Pokemon Go & Tesla

For the second week running hosting duties are taken by Henry Burrell, who is joined by Techworld.com editor Charlotte Jee to discuss the impact of Brexit on the UK's startups. Producer Chris then jumps in to discuss the Pokemon Go launch in the UK and a debate breaks out over whether it is for adults (13:00) Finally, online editor at Computerworld UK Scott Carey brings the latest news around driverless cars, from Tesla's recent struggles and how it may affect the industry in general (25:00)  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 26 - The Internet of Small Hands Big Phones (IoSHBP) Galaxy Note7, GDS & Instagram stories

Matt Egan is back in the hosting chair to chat with producer Chris about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and how we feel about phablets. Techworld.com editor Charlotte Jee comes in to explain what is going on at the GDS (government digital service) and why we should care (13:00). Then online editor at Techworld.com Scott Carey chats Instagram stories, why it is a blatant rip off of Snapchat stories and how the social media giant can get away with being so brazen (22:00).  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 36 - The Internet of Playstation pom-poms (IoPPP) Note 7, Playstation VR & Dreamforce

Matt Egan is back on hosting duties this week to break down the demise of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 with producer Chris. Then staff writer at PC Advisor Lewis Painter comes on to talk about the Playstation VR release, games and pricing and compares it to the flagging Oculus Rift and HTC Vive (13:00). Finally, Scott Carey, online editor at Computerworld UK reports back from the biggest tech conference in the world, Dreamforce, chats about Salesforce's rumoured bid for Twitter and tries to make CRM interesting (25:00).  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 40: The Internet of Trump Sadness (IoTS) Trump on tech, Daydream & Tesco Bank hack

Host Matt Egan is in a sombre mood this week as the tech industry comes to terms with a Donald Trump US presidency. Staff writer at Macworld UK dives into what this could mean for Silicon Valley, Apple products and wether social media is at fault. Then producer Chris comes on to discuss the latest addition to the VR headset market with Google's Daydream. Will it be held back by a lack of applications though? (14:45) Finally, online editor at Computerworld UK talks about the biggest data breach at a UK bank, as Tesco Bank suffers a £2.5 million cyber theft and what this means for the banking industry as a whole (25:00).  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 48 - The Internet of the International Ruling Class (IotIRC) Nintendo Switch, Davos and app prices

Host Matt Egan clips us round the ear and tells us to listen up as we chat yet more tech and then some other stuff about tech. Consumer tech editor at PC Advisor Chris Martin lays down his definitive opinion after he went hands on with the Nintendo Switch this week, and why the company really should have had their star plumber ready in time for launch. Tamlin Magee, Online Editor at Computerworld UK then takes us through the odd goings on at Davos, and whether or not the elite can identify with what tech actually means to real working people. To round us up, Acting Macworld UK Editor David Price explains why app prices are going up in the UK for iOS users, and why it might - might - not be UKIP's fault. Sort of.  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 54 - The Internet of Insecure Robots (IoIR) MWC, the government's digital strategy and pesky hackable robots

The gang muck in to discuss the hottest tech topics of the week (as is tradition). Deputy Editor of Macworld UK David Price asks Jim Martin what was hot at MWC, where phones are birthed or something. Then Techworld Online Editor Thomas MacAuley chats about the government's digital strategy. First question: does it have one? Finally Tamlin Magee, Computerworld UK's Online Editor explains how to hack a robot and why people will almost certainly use this for EVIL. Thanks for listening.  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 58 - The Internet of another bloody phone (IoABP)

David Price leads the line this week to see how Samsung's Galaxy S8 came out fighting in London and New York this week. It's blown up! But not like that. Had to get that joke (poorly) out of the way. Chris Martin tells all. Then (18 mins) Cam Mitchell takes aim at Home Secretary Amber Rudd's ill advised comments on encryption and wanting government backdoor access to WhatsApp. Does her basic misunderstanding of privacy rights and how tech works extend to the wider population? And then Dom Preston (31 mins) tells us why Hollywood gone and done another flop, and why Ghost in the Shell is a red (or Scarlett!!!!!) mark against remakes.  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 63 - The Internet of the French (IotF) New Surface Pro and Netflix vs Cannes

This week we dive into the new Surface Pro with Digital Arts' Neil Bennett. Who is it for and is it that different to the last one? And are 2 in 1 devices really the future of computing? Then Techworld's Scott Carey, fresh back from Cannes, discusses why the French film industry booed at a Netflix film - why was it there in the first place? Is the film industry being that affected by tech giants like Amazon? Tech Advisor's Dom Preston chimes in to let us know. Finally, we all quickly nerded out about Alien: Covenant. Mild spoiler alert!  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 68 - The Internet of Motherzuckers (IoM) Snopes and AI fighting

Join Henry Burrell as he asks Davids Price why Snopes, the fact checking website, has run into trouble and how crowdfunding could save the day. Is it still important in this age of fake news? Then Scott Carey commentates on the bout between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Who knows the most about AI? When will the killer robots descend upon us? Does Mark do all his online Q & A’s in front of a cooking brisket? All this answered and more.  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 70 - The Internet of tricky surnames (IoTS) Uber's new CEO and new phone chat

Scott Carey necessarily tries to get his pronunciation game on fleek to deliver the latest Uber news - there's a new CEO in town, and it isn't a woman. Should it have been? He tells Henry Burrell what's next for the company. Then roles are reversed as Henry updates Scott on the Galaxy Note 8, LG V30 and September 12's very own iPhone 8 - will it be called that? Will anyone spend £1,000 on it?  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 76 - The Internet of Deals (IoD) Black Friday, Mac root bug, Pixel Buds and Animal Crossing

It's a bumper pod! David Price leads Ashleigh Macro and Henry Burrell down the topical rabbit hole to discuss why Black Friday largely sucks, but is an interesting venture for publishers as well as consumers. Who else bought a Switch?


We then tackle the Mac root issue that hit headlines worldwide before tearing the Pixel Buds a new one. And we all downloaded Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp to see what the fuss is about.

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 77 - The Internet of Tulips (IoT) Bitcoin, the platform wars and Christmas tech gifts

We finally get the IoT acronym the pod has been waiting for as we discuss Bitcoin and 17th century Dutch finance. Charlotte Jee informs Henry Burrell, David Price and Scott Carey.


Scott then leads us down the winding road of the so-called platform wars, in a week when Google blocked the Amazon Echo Show from streaming YouTube. Is this a bump in the road or will services be cut from rival hardware?


And finally, led by David, the pod discusses its favourite tech of the year and what you might consider buying for friends and family for Christmas.

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 78 - The Internet of the pod before Christmas (IotPBC) iMac Pro, Netflix's Twitter misstep and Apple buys Shazam

Once more for 2017 as Henry Burrell, Karen Khan and Scott Carey bid farewell to this wonderful year (ahem) with musings on Apple's sexy new iMac Pro. Who is it for, how much is it and does this mean there is no Mac Pro in 2018?


We then tackle Netflix's Twitter shaming of its users and why Spotify got away with it earlier in the year. How comfortable are we all when we realise how much data companies really have on us?


In light of this, Apple bought Shazam - most likely for the data sets as much as the tech and the talent. What form will it take in Apple as another UK tech company is acquired?

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 92 - The Internet of Tech in Sport (IoTiS) VAR, Hawkeye and F1

World Cup fever is upon us, and this time round is tech-heavy. The VAR (video assistant referee) makes its (their? know know) debut at a major international football tournament. Is it for the good of the sport?


We’re already used to Hawkeye and goal-line technology, so what makes it different in football? Henry Burrell resides as David Price, Christina Mercer and Sean Bradley set the record straight. NB: David loves cricket a lot.


And of course, the most tech sport of all, Formula One. Is there a balance the sport misses when it comes to safety and competition? We discuss some of the finer points in a lively debate.

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 98 - The Internet of Banning Idiots (IoBI) Infowars, new phone hype and the Millennium Dome

This week on the UK Tech Weekly Podcast our host Scott Carey talks to Macworld editor David Price about the ever-controversial Alex Jones and why the big tech companies are finally stepping up their efforts to ban him from their platforms. Editors note: we recorded this on Thursday before Twitter finally started to take some measures against Jones, without outright banning him.


Next our resident phone nerd and consumer tech editor at Tech Advisor Henry Burrell talks about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 9, the latest iPhone X rumours and how Apple and Google are trying to make you use your phone less.


Lastly Techworld editor Charlotte Jee takes us on a trip down memory lane to talk about the utopian vision of the Millennium Experience, how it reflected the values of a New Labour government and its legacy.

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 102 - The Internet of Tennis Max (IoTM) Apple event special, new iPhones and Apple Watch

A quick-fire reaction Apple special, recorded the morning after new iPhones and an Apple Watch were announced at an event in California.


Henry Burrell joins David Price, Ashleigh Macro and Scott Carey to discuss which products we'll be buying, avoiding and coveting over the Christmas period.


Is the new iPhone named terribly? Is it an upgrade at all? What wasn't announced? And does Scott give the new Apple Watch any praise at all? It's all here.

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 109 - The Internet of Takes Two to Tango (IoTTtT) Fallout 76, Red Dead online and Christmas buying guide

Two’s a crowd for this week’s games and Christmas pod with Consumer Tech Editor Henry Burrell and Games Editor Lewis Painter. Lewis lines up reviews of the awful Fallout 76 and the excellent online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2 – two polar opposites in how to make a decent online multiplayer game.


We also discuss smartwatches we’ve recently reviewed that left us feeling cold and why Apple is still king of the hill.


And to get into the festive vibe, interspersed throughout as we enter December are our top tech Christmas gift picks, both cheap and indulgent.


Everything we recommend is linked below:


Google Home Hub


Tile Bluetooth tracker


Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)


Super Smash Bros – Ultimate (Switch)


Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! (Switch)


Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 + Superamp


Amazon Kindle Paperwhite


PlayStation Classic


PlayStation VR Starter Pack


The best budget smartphones

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 110 - The Internet of These are a Few of Our Favourite Things (IoTaaFoOFT) Best Tech of 2018

Scott Carey is in the hosting chair this week as we have a rotating cast of staffers from across Macworld, Tech Advisor, Techworld and Computerworld to discuss our two favourite techie things of the year, from the best games and films, to our favourite devices and even, microchips.


Thank you for listening this year and for your continued support for the UK Tech Weekly Podcast and we will see you in the new year.

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

Episode 111 - The Internet of Not Watching Films (IoNWF) Bird Box, Black Mirror and bent iPads

Happy New Year from the UK Tech Weekly Podcast!


We are back this week to discuss what we have been watching (or not watching) over the festive period, including Scott Carey on the meme-marketed sensation of Bird Box and what this says about Netflix's ability to dominate the cultural conversation. Then Tamlin Magee jumps in to talk about the interactive Black Mirror movie Bandersnatch and why it may have been destined to fail.


Lastly David Price steps out of the hosting chair to talk about bendy iPads and Apple's strange rhetoric.

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




ot

WITHDRAWN: The Fundamental And Pathological Importance Of Oxysterol Binding Protein And Its Related Proteins [Thematic Reviews]

This article has been withdrawn by the authors as part of this review overlapped with the contents of Pietrangelo A and Ridgway ND. 2018. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 75; 3079-98.




ot

Fatty acid oxidation and photoreceptor metabolic needs [Thematic Reviews]

Photoreceptors have high energy-demands and a high density of mitochondria that produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) of fuel substrates. Although glucose is the major fuel for central nervous system (CNS) brain neurons, in photoreceptors (also CNS), most glucose is not metabolized through OXPHOS but is instead metabolized into lactate by aerobic glycolysis. The major fuel sources for photoreceptor mitochondria remained unclear for almost six decades. Similar to other tissues (like heart and skeletal muscle) with high metabolic rates, photoreceptors were recently found to metabolize fatty acids (palmitate) through OXPHOS. Disruption of lipid entry into photoreceptors leads to extracellular lipid accumulation, suppressed glucose transporter expression, and a duel lipid/glucose fuel shortage. Modulation of lipid metabolism helps restore photoreceptor function. However, further elucidation of the types of lipids used as retinal energy sources, the metabolic interaction with other fuel pathways, as well as the crosstalk among retinal cells to provide energy to photoreceptors is not yet known. In this review, we will focus on the current understanding of photoreceptor energy demand and sources, and potential future investigations of photoreceptor metabolism.




ot

The fatty acids from LPL-mediated processing of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins are taken up rapidly by cardiomyocytes [Images in Lipid Research]




ot

Skin barrier lipid enzyme activity in Netherton patients is associated with protease activity and ceramide abnormalities [Research Articles]

Individuals with Netherton syndrome (NTS) have increased serine protease activity, which strongly impacts the barrier function of the skin epidermis and leads to skin inflammation. Here, we investigated how serine protease activity in NTS correlates with changes in the stratum corneum ceramides, which are crucial components of the skin barrier. We examined two key enzymes involved in epidermal ceramide biosynthesis, glucocerebrosidase (GBA) and acid-sphingomyelinase (ASM). We compared in situ expression levels and activities of GBA and ASM between NTS patients and controls and correlated the expression and activities with i) stratum corneum ceramide profiles, ii) in situ serine protease activity, and iii) clinical presentation of patients. Using activity-based probe labeling, we visualized and localized active, epidermal GBA, and a newly developed in situ zymography method enabled us to visualize and localize active ASM. Reduction in active GBA in NTS patients coincided with increased ASM activity, particularly in areas with increased serine protease activity. NTS patients with scaly erythroderma exhibited more pronounced anomalies in GBA and ASM activities than patients with ichthyosis linearis circumflexa. They also displayed a stronger increase in stratum corneum ceramides processed via ASM. We conclude that changes in the localization of active GBA and ASM correlate with i) altered stratum corneum ceramide composition in NTS patients, ii) local serine protease activity, and iii) the clinical manifestation of NTS. 




ot

Ebola virus matrix protein VP40 hijacks the host plasma membrane to form the virus envelope [Images in Lipid Research]




ot

ANGPTL4 inactivates lipoprotein lipase by catalyzing the irreversible unfolding of LPLs hydrolase domain [Images in Lipid Research]




ot

Parenteral lipids shape gut bile acid pools and microbiota profiles in the prevention of cholestasis in preterm pigs [Research Articles]

Multi-component lipid emulsions, rather than soy-oil emulsions, prevent cholestasis by an unknown mechanism. Here, we quantified liver function, bile acid pools, and gut microbial and metabolite profiles in premature, parenterally fed pigs given a soy-oil lipid emulsion, Intralipid (IL); a multi component lipid emulsion, SMOFlipid (SMOF); a novel emulsion with a modified fatty-acid composition (EXP); or a control enteral diet (ENT) for 22 days. We assayed serum cholestasis markers; measured total bile acid levels in plasma, liver, and gut contents; and analyzed colonic bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences and metabolomic profiles. Serum cholestasis markers (i.e. bilirubin, bile acids, and g-glutamyl transferase) were highest in IL-fed pigs and normalized in those given SMOF, EXP, or ENT. Gut bile acid pools were lowest in the IL treatment and were increased in the SMOF and EXP treatments and comparable to ENT. Multiple bile acids, especially their conjugated forms, were higher in the colon contents of SMOF and EXP than in IL pigs. Colonic microbial communities of SMOF and EXP pigs had lower relative abundance of several Gram-positive anaerobes, including Clostridrium XIVa, and higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae than those of IL and ENT pigs. Differences in lipid and microbial-derived compounds were also observed in colon metabolite profiles. These results indicate that multi-component lipid emulsions prevent cholestasis and restore enterohepatic bile flow in association with gut microbial and metabolomic changes. We conclude that sustained bile flow induced by multi-component lipid emulsions likely exerts a dominant effect in reducing bile acid–sensitive, Gram-positive bacteria.




ot

Why The Insurgency in Northern Mozambique Has Got Worse

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 companies

But 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 connection

But 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