GIS provides an invaluable platform relevant to almost every aspect of modern life.

The post Making the move – How federal agencies can embrace the benefits of the new cloud-based GIS system first appeared on Federal News Network.

Public and private sector experts say programs like StateRAMP make their data and networks safer as cyber threats become more serious and resources sparse.

The post States grasping the benefits of, need for cyber harmonization first appeared on Federal News Network.

Host Bob Leins, CPA® and cohost Ray Kirk, Ph.D., welcome Phil Gardner, Federal Benefits Specialist.

The post The Cost and Value of Federal Benefits first appeared on Federal News Network.

Host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes Herb Casey, Federal Benefits Specialist.

The post Federal Benefits Updates for 2024 first appeared on Federal News Network.

Host Bob Leins, CPA®, welcomes Bob Braunstein, Federal Benefits Specialist. 

The post Survivor benefits: Their importance and how to ensure they are in place for your loved ones first appeared on Federal News Network.

Host Bob Leins, CPA® welcomes back our original program guests Tammy Flanagan, NITP Senior Benefits Director, Karen Schaeffer, CFP®, Marc Levine, Esquire, and Tom O’Rourke, Counsel.

The post ForYourBenefit Farewell first appeared on Federal News Network.

DoD's Transition Assistance Program aims to prepare service members for life outside the military. But for members whose final duty station is small or rural, the benefits of TAP are fairly limited.

The post Service members in remote areas missing out on transition benefits first appeared on Federal News Network.

A Bridlington-based manufacturer of nutritional supplements has solved a complex production problem with the help of an on-demand digital spares service.

The new subsidiary of Körber’s Business Area Pharma in Dublin enjoys growing demand for its integrated solutions for pharmaceutical and biotech production in the UK and Ireland.

Emperor penguins huddle together to share warmth and protect each other during the intense winds of the harsh Antarctic storms. Fortunately, it’s not just penguins that can benefit from huddling together. Here, Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director of obsolete industrial parts supplier EU Automation, explains why manufacturers form clusters around the world.

The food industry has been warned that AI technology is no magic bullet to ensure food safety and that developing the right culture must be the first step.

Federal retirement benefits require specialized advice to maximize. Feds planning to retire need a fiduciary who specializes in federal retirement.

The post Navigating the complexities of federal retirement benefits first appeared on Federal News Network.

Learn how to compare Federal Benefits Open Season plans with easy-to-use tools.

The post We’re ready to help you make the most of the Federal Benefits Open Season first appeared on Federal News Network.

Hundreds of thousands of veterans have received additional benefits in the past year after President Joe Biden signed legislation expanding coverage for conditions connected to burn pits that were used to destroy trash and potentially toxic materials. The first anniversary of the law is Thursday, and Biden will mark the occasion at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Salt Lake City. Administration officials are trying to encourage as many people as possible to sign up by Wednesday, which would allow their benefits to be retroactive to when the law was signed. The agency is also trying to hire more people to handle the influx of claims, which is expected to cause larger backlogs over the coming months.

The post Veterans see historic expansion of benefits for toxic exposure as new law nears anniversary first appeared on Federal News Network.

Housing has long been a major benefit for service members, a subsidy to salaries that trail the private sector

The post Military families’ housing benefits lag as rents explode first appeared on Federal News Network.

Federal benefits may positively influence recruitment and retention of younger feds and women, who rank benefits of higher importance than older or male feds.

The post Federal benefits are major draw to service for younger employees first appeared on Federal News Network.

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board has been trying to reach out directly to TSP participants at risk of missing the full 5% government match.

The post TSP participants contributing too much, too soon could miss out on benefits first appeared on Federal News Network.

Dana Laake and her special guest Michael S. Tyrrell will discuss the benefits of therapeutic music for healthy sleep. Michael S. Tyrrell has dedicated over 4 decades to the study of music. Michael discovered specific…

The post Benefits of Therapeutic Music for Healthy Sleep first appeared on Federal News Network.

VA needed emergency funding by Friday to avoid delays in compensation and pension benefit payments that go to 7 million veterans and their survivors.

The post Senate passes $3B VA supplemental funding bill, averting delay in veterans’ benefits first appeared on Federal News Network.

Euronews Debates | Profit vs public good: How can innovation benefit everyone?

Superstitions may seem irrational, but research suggests they have benefits. These age-old rituals may be part of an evolutionary trait.

College Park, GA United States Description Menzies Aviation is seeking a full time diligent Ramp Agent to join our International and Domestic Team. The Ramp Agent plays an important role in ensuring that flights run on time by maintaining detailed records of shipped goods moving baggage and cargo from aircraft and guiding aircraft to and from their gates. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: + Comfortably and continuously lift/move 70 lbs. of cargo and baggage on and off aircraft and transport it between aircraft airport terminals and air cargo facilities. + Frequent bending stretching push/pulling stacking and kneeling in small confined locations. + Operate motorized equipment. + Read and interpret aircraft weight and balance loading instructions hazardous material identification labels aircraft loading manifests and baggage and carg

College Park, GA United States Description Menzies Aviation is seeking a full time diligent Ramp Agent to join our International and Domestic Team. The Ramp Agent plays an important role in ensuring that flights run on time by maintaining detailed records of shipped goods moving baggage and cargo from aircraft and guiding aircraft to and from their gates. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: + Comfortably and continuously lift/move 70 lbs. of cargo and baggage on and off aircraft and transport it between aircraft airport terminals and air cargo facilities. + Frequent bending stretching push/pulling stacking and kneeling in small confined locations. + Operate motorized equipment. + Read and interpret aircraft weight and balance loading instructions hazardous material identification labels aircraft loading manifests and baggage and carg

Improve your health and wellbeing with a new addition to the family.

Walsall councilors donate to needy.

Public support for benefits 'safety net'.

Helping with the work-life balance.

Laurence Inman is not in a hopeful mood, despite receiving good news

Businesses in the region are being encouraged to find out more about the importance of the growing digital economy at a free event taking place at Coventry University in January.

The benefits of short food chains and local produce were the focus of an event on Wednesday 3 July organised by Coventry University’s Centre for Agroecology and Food Security

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The post 6 Benefits of a Podcast Branding Refresh first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

Over the summer, the Huron River Watershed Council conducted an extensive survey of freshwater mussels in the Huron River to determine potential impacts when the Peninsular Paper Dam is removed. It found that removing the Pen Dam could release sediment, potentially smothering downstream mussel populations. Once the dam is removed, though, the river will return to a more natural state, benefiting mussel species over time. WEMU's David Fair looked at the research and its implications with Huron River Watershed Council Ecologist Dr. Paul Steen.

Well before invention of the computer age, reading each day is a habit that practically that everybody who wanted to learn adopted. There was no constant necessity emphasise the advantages of literature. The following examples will motivate you to pick up a book. Brain stimulation Your cerebral functioning is stimulated if you read day in ... Read more

The post Here are The Benefits of Reading Books first appeared on Storytellers Unplugged.

The gaming world is more broad and diverse today than it has ever been before. Games nowadays can be played on all sorts of devices, online and offline, alone or with large groups of people, on a tabletop or... Tagged as:

As rigorous as the pursuit of education can be, supplementing academic efforts with fun outdoor activities can yield remarkable benefits for serious students. From enhancing physical health to improving cognitive functions, the advantages of engaging in leisure cannot be overstated.... Tagged as:

Even before Donald Trump named Elise Stefanik the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the New York representative had touted how the president-elect would return to a "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran. The Wall Street Journal said Trump would "drastically increase" sanctions to "choke…

Video Marketing Video marketing is a widespread choice for businesses now a day’s. With increasing market tactics and gaining popularity, video marketing is an aspect of not just SEO, but a solid way to get your message across to your subscribers. Creating a video marketing plan is a great way to find new customers and […]

The health benefits of hot peppers are well-documented, and their popularity in various forms of cuisine is increasing rapidly. The chemical responsible for both the heat and the health benefits is called capsaicin. Before the invention of refrigeration, adding spicy elements to food was a common practice in warm climates to prevent spoilage. Capsaicin, found ... Read more

The post Extremely Spicy Peppers Health Benefits appeared first on Star Two.

A new study shows just what dolphins get out of cooperating with fishers in Brazil (besides lunch).

America has been chipping away at China's huge lead in the global cleantech race. Trump's return will see the US all but drop out. Bad news for the US, worse for the climate. But there are silver linings for the rest of the world, says Nick Hedley.

Are you dreaming of being your own boss someday, or would you like to bring in extra income? Starting an online business is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this. The biggest challenge of starting an online business can be developing your business plan. If you are struggling to come up with that brilliant […]

The UK must focus on how the Chagos decision is implemented to gain its benefits and minimize risks Expert comment jon.wallace 11 October 2024

The UK decision was welcomed by India and the US, and shows a capacity for fresh thinking. But the transfer of sovereignty must be handled carefully.

The UK announced on 3 October that it would cede sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius.

There are potential strategic and reputation-related upsides for the UK from the decision – but these can only be realized if the deal is implemented in ways that meet the UK’s stated goals.

First, the UK aims to safeguard the utility and security of the joint US–UK base on Diego Garcia. It also intends for the decision to benefit the Chagossians, who were displaced by the British decision in 1965 to separate the Archipelago from Mauritius as part of a deal to grant Mauritian independence.

The decision has already proved deeply controversial in the UK, provoking sustained criticism from former Conservative government ministers and commentary that has branded it naive, dangerous, and a blow to British prestige.

Part of the reason for the welter of criticism may be the apparent suddenness of the announcement. The impression that this was a hasty decision is likely because it came just three months after the Labour government came to office. But this belies the far longer gestation period around the decision.

World opinion

In fact, the previous Conservative UK government decided to begin negotiations over sovereignty of Chagos – following Mauritius bringing the matter to the International Court of Justice. In 2019, the court issued a non-binding opinion in favour of Mauritius.

The same year the UN General Assembly voted 116 in favour to 6 against, and with 56 abstentions, for a resolution ‘welcoming a 25 February 2019 International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the legal consequences of separating the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, demanding that the UK unconditionally withdraw its colonial administration from the area within six months’ to ‘enable Mauritius to complete the decolonization of its territory.’

But returning the islands will not necessarily boost the UK’s international standing. Issues relating to the Archipelago are complex, and it will take work to convince interested international parties that the UK is acting fairly against a colonized and displaced population.

Mauritius has no pre-colonial history of controlling the Chagos islands, which are located some 1,500 miles away from Mauritius across a vast sprawl of the Indian Ocean. It is true that the Chagos Islands were a colonial remnant, but to ensure that UK is seen by global audiences to be acting fairly, the handover of sovereignty must be carefully handled. Perhaps the greatest reputational risk will come from failing to adequately account for the rights of Chagossians.  

The more pertinent historical injustice has been to them. And reporting by the BBC has shown that at least some Chagossians were dismayed by not having been consulted in negotiations between the UK and Mauritius.

The UK government announcement on the deal did state that that ‘the welfare of Chagossians’ will be paramount and that ‘the UK will capitalize a new trust fund, as well as separately provide other support, for the benefit of Chagossians’. But for the Chagossians, there will be a clamour to see this realized in full.

Strategic interests

On the strategic question, the utility of the joint US–UK military base on Diego Garcia has been guaranteed in a 99-year lease. As the UK negotiator Jonathan Powell has explained, this deal was reached in close consultation with US officials and puts the base on legally safe ground for the first time in decades. 

Indeed, Powell has explained that Joe Biden was keen to reach agreement ahead of the US elections so that US military access to Diego Garcia was safeguarded against any possible contrary decision by a possible returning Trump presidency.

There are understandable concerns that, as a result of the decision, China may develop commercial ports in the region and seek to compete with India for economic and strategic relationships. But this is a long-term matter of concern to monitor, regardless of the UK’s decision on Chagos.

Chinese naval influence in the Indian Ocean is currently limited, compared to its assertiveness in the South China Sea, where it is building artificial islands, or in the South Pacific where it is pursuing policing assistance deals like that secured with the Solomon Islands.

And the strategic situations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are not at all alike. Indeed, the Chagos Islands are far closer to India and its economic influence than they are to any other major economic power. 

The fact that India has welcomed the UK’s decision over Chagos sovereignty is noteworthy, given the UK’s separate attempts to modernize and expand its bilateral relations with New Delhi.

In the long run, it is likely that India will play a leading role in Indian Ocean security, and the UK will want to be well-placed to explore how to play a role as an effectively partner.

The more pertinent immediate concern is the implications for other overseas UK territorial responsibilities. There are legitimate questions to be raised over setting a precedent that could undermine RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus, which remained sovereign UK bases after Cyprus’s independence in 1960.

Ion mobility separates molecules in the gas-phase based on their physico-chemical properties, providing information about their size as collisional cross-sections. The timsTOF Pro combines trapped ion mobility with a quadrupole, collision cell and a TOF mass analyzer, to probe ions at high speeds with on-the-fly fragmentation. Here, we show that on this platform ion mobility is beneficial for cross-linking MS (XL-MS). Cross-linking reagents covalently link amino acids in proximity, resulting in peptide pairs after proteolytic digestion. These cross-linked peptides are typically present at low abundance in the background of normal peptides, which can partially be resolved by using enrichable cross-linking reagents. Even with a very efficient enrichable cross-linking reagent, like PhoX, the analysis of cross-linked peptides is still hampered by the co-enrichment of peptides connected to a partially hydrolyzed reagent – termed mono-linked peptides. For experiments aiming to uncover protein-protein interactions these are unwanted byproducts. Here, we demonstrate that gas-phase separation by ion mobility enables the separation of mono-linked peptides from cross-linked peptide pairs. A clear partition between these two classes is observed at a CCS of 500 Ų and a monoisotopic mass of 2 kDa, which can be used for targeted precursor selection. A total of 50-70% of the mono-linked peptides are prevented from sequencing, allowing the analysis to focus on sequencing the relevant cross-linked peptide pairs. In applications to both simple proteins and protein mixtures and a complete highly complex lysate this approach provides a substantial increase in detected cross-linked peptides.

Weight-loss surgery in adolescents with severe obesity can lead to long-term health benefits, such as more frequent remission of type 2 diabetes than in adults who undergo the same treatment, a large, NIH-funded study.

President Joe Biden on Monday addressed a Veterans Day crowd at the national cemetery in Virginia where he revealed newly-expanded veteran benefits and urged Americans to "come together" and "keep faith."

Students at Bellevue Elementary in Syracuse, N.Y., spend an extra 70 minutes at school each day, and their principal says the extended school day has improved their academic performance.

Building on previous efforts, the Kingdom of Morocco will offer technical assistance to the Republic of Guinea through a South-South Cooperation Tripartite Agreement signed today at FAO headquarters by FAO [...]