my Teaching My Daughters to Read. Part III: Phonics By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Mar 2020 11:06:37 EDT So far, I have explained the literacy environment, print awareness, and sight word teaching that were part of teaching my daughters to read, but phonics also played an important role. Full Article
my Teaching My Daughters to Read. Part IV: Success By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 12:00:58 EDT Previously, I described how I taught my daughters about print, sight vocabulary, phonological awareness, Full Article
my oscon: High Availability in MySQL - how to pick a solution that best matches your use case http://t.co/PItdw0maTj @h_ingo #oscon #tutorial By twitter.com Published On :: Fri, 24 May 2013 17:46:32 +0000 oscon: High Availability in MySQL - how to pick a solution that best matches your use case http://t.co/PItdw0maTj @h_ingo #oscon #tutorial Full Article
my oscon: RT @jonobacon: working on my material for my community management training class - be sure to join me in Portland -... By twitter.com Published On :: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:52:13 +0000 oscon: RT @jonobacon: working on my material for my community management training class - be sure to join me in Portland -... Full Article
my oscon: RT @mark_grover: Attending #oscon at end of July in Portland? Come hear my talk on Apache Bigtop http://t.co/kkSdOyyY5a By twitter.com Published On :: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:52:00 +0000 oscon: RT @mark_grover: Attending #oscon at end of July in Portland? Come hear my talk on Apache Bigtop http://t.co/kkSdOyyY5a Full Article
my oscon: RT @mmmpork: If you're going to #oscon and you're into #perl check out my talk on contributing http://t.co/HEJaPF5JbY By twitter.com Published On :: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:27:42 +0000 oscon: RT @mmmpork: If you're going to #oscon and you're into #perl check out my talk on contributing http://t.co/HEJaPF5JbY Full Article
my How can I teach RAN to improve my students' reading? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 09:54:26 EDT Teacher’s question: Our school psychologist tests all of our boy and girls for RAN. He says it is the best predictor of reading ability. How can I improve my students’ RAN performance? Shanahan’s response: If someone tells you that you can teach RAN, run! Full Article
my How can I teach RAN to improve my students' reading? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 09:54:26 EDT Teacher’s question: Our school psychologist tests all of our boy and girls for RAN. He says it is the best predictor of reading ability. How can I improve my students’ RAN performance? Shanahan’s response: If someone tells you that you can teach RAN, run! Full Article
my Need of Feedback Software for Ministry of Army and Defense By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 03 Jan 2020 16:00:39 +0000 In any business or organization, the customer is the king. Anything and everything starts with the customer and ends with them. And so, it is necessary to have a satisfied customer base for increased brand loyalty and trust. For this very reason, almost all businesses today rely on technology. The technology helps companies to interact […] The post Need of Feedback Software for Ministry of Army and Defense appeared first on ReadWrite. Full Article Apps Customer Service Data and Security army feedback software customer feedback app defense feedback software
my Should I Have a Pro Sharpen My Knives? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 14:30:06 +0000 How should you take care of your knives? Can you adequately sharpen them at home or should you leave it to the pros? What's the difference between honing and sharpening? Here's our advice! Continue reading "Should I Have a Pro Sharpen My Knives?" » Full Article Ask the Team Kitchen Tools
my A Note About the State of My Photography Tours and Workshops By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 20 Apr 2020 12:00:17 +0000 This is a quick update about how things are going to be working with my travel photography tours during this time of crisis. Obviously, with international travel nearly impossible right now, some changes needed to happen, and some adjustments are going to need to continue over the next couple months. Below, I chat quickly about […] The post A Note About the State of My Photography Tours and Workshops appeared first on Brendan van Son Photography. Full Article Travel Photography Blog
my velocityconf: Call for speakers and registration is open for @webperfdays in Silicon Valley http://t.co/cJKBmynkjI June 22, Google HQ (cc @sfwebperf) By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 29 May 2013 15:30:51 +0000 velocityconf: Call for speakers and registration is open for @webperfdays in Silicon Valley http://t.co/cJKBmynkjI June 22, Google HQ (cc @sfwebperf) Full Article
my News24.com | Betrayed by my country, but I don't want to jump ship By www.news24.com Published On :: Tue, 04 Feb 2020 11:12:03 +0200 Make no mistake, the ratings agencies are scratching their heads on whether to downgrade us to junk status or to skip directly to leaking styrofoam cup status. Full Article
my How Each Home Sale Adds to the Economy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 00:00:00 -0500 NAR calculated the total economic impact that real estate–related industries can have on state economies. See how your state fares in this interactive map. Full Article
my AT#85 - Travel to Burma / Myanmar By traffic.libsyn.com Published On :: Sat, 07 Apr 2007 22:57:00 +0000 Burma / Myanmar Full Article
my AT#354 - Travel to Myanmar By asia.amateurtraveler.com Published On :: Sat, 05 Jan 2013 23:30:00 +0000 Hear about Myanmar as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dustin Main from SkinnyBackpacker.com about Myanmar (Burma). Full Article
my Predictions Review: Trump, Zuck Crush My Optimism In 2019 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Dec 2019 18:08:18 +0000 This past year, I predicted the fall of both Zuck and Trump, not to mention the triumph of cannabis and rationale markets. But in 2019, the sociopaths won – bigly. Damn, was I wrong. One year ago this week, I sat down to write my annual list of ten or so predictions for the coming … Continue reading "Predictions Review: Trump, Zuck Crush My Optimism In 2019" Full Article Uncategorized 2019 Election 2020 facebook politics predictions tech technology Trump
my "Leopards ate my face" subreddit bans posts about coronavirus scoffers who later die of it By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 07:19:06 PDT The Leopards Ate My Face subreddit is dedicated to mocking people who thought the Republican party would hurt their enemies only to be surprised to find that it hurts them, too. Inspired by a tweet by Adrian Bott—'I never thought leopards would eat MY face,' sobs woman who voted for the Leopards Eating People's Faces Party—it has now banned posts about people who claimed Covid-19 was bullshit only to die of Covid-19. There are simply too many, and it's getting depressing. "We've seen a billion of them in the past two weeks and the vast majority of them don't fit the subreddit," writes moderator u/ROBOT_OF_WORLD. "People dying from their decisions isn't justice, karmic, or funny." Read the rest Full Article Post depressing rona
my Every Home Sale Adds More than $88,000 to the Economy. How Do Home Sales Affect the Economy in Your State? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 15:45:55 +0000 How Do Home Sales Affect the Economy in Your State? Real estate is the foundation of wealth building for the middle class and a critical link in the flow of goods, services, and income for Americans. By: Nadia Evangelou Full Article
my I Never Thought I’d Want (or Need) an Electric Folding Bike … But This Changed My Mind By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 23 Sep 2019 18:44:13 +0000 If you've never had enough room to take your bike road-tripping, Oyama's origami-inspired folding electric bike is here to change your mind. The post I Never Thought I’d Want (or Need) an Electric Folding Bike … But This Changed My Mind appeared first on Vagabondish. Full Article Modern Vagabond Review
my My Faith in Nerds: Stronger Than Any Gelatinous Cube By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:01:57 +0000 dConstruct 2010: Merlin Mann - "Kerning, Orgasms & Those Goddamned Japanese Toothpicks" (NSFW) ME - Kerning, Orgasms And Those Goddamned Japanese Toothpicks on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it Let's be honest. I don't go...mmmm...places very often. I sit in this chair. I go to the Safeway with my daughter. Sometimes, I take the train downtown to get a haircut. I check the mail. But, by and large, like most nerds, I'm without question, a bit of a shut-in. Which makes it more than a little ironic that my first trip off the North American continent brought me all the way to Brighton, England's wonderful dConstruct Conference. Which wonderful conference placed me inside a very royal complex, alone on a very large stage, 90 seconds after being informed I'd better be entertaining, because I'd be conducting my oration on the same spot where, a scant 36 years earlier, ABBA had become international stars by singing an up-tempo number about giving up. So, y'know. No pressure. Commanded to this location by two of my web heroes, I was told I could speak about whatever I wanted. So, wow, to quote the ladies of ABBA, how could I ever refuse? Thus, I stood on that stage for over 35 minutes, rambling to 800 talented, creative people about Dungeons & Dragons, japanese toothpicks, torrenting Photoshop, as well as what I used to find myself doing after a long evening of shooting mutants in Stargate.1 But, mostly? Yes. Mostly, I stood on a stage thousands of miles from the chair from which I barely move, and I told a lot of really smart people that they were nerds. I also told them they should get out more. I swear: it made sense at the time. Some Serious Talent My talk about the challenges and opportunities of being a giant nerd seemed well received. Honestly, I'm very happy with how it turned out. But--oh, brother--was I ever up against some heavy hitters. Serious Lou Gehrig shit. I'll leave it to other, more eloquent folks to tell you what a wonderful day this was. But I will very much suggest you learn this for yourself by listening to the audio of the fantastic talks. Because every one of them is a corker. Additionally, like I said, Tom Coates put on one of the loveliest slide decks it's ever been my pleasure to see (56MB PDF). Great speakers, great hosts, wonderful attendees (who aren't above buying a yank a pint [thanks, everybody]). And, Thanks, dConstruct I have to admit, I'm kind of over conferences as a thing, which makes it even more crazy when I go to one, and it blows me out of the water with the care and quality of the event, the speakers, and the attendees. dConstruct was absolutely one of those blown-out-of-the-water events. (photo: happy.apple) As I learned over and over again--yes, like me--these folks are nerds. But, brother are they ever talented nerds who care and care. Which I just love so much. I'll take a nerdy bunch of fontdorks and cellists over a splashy mega-conference full of VC pitches and skanks pushing free Red Bull anytime. Anytime. dConstruct was simply a top-notch operation from end-to-end, and I'm insanely grateful that I was invited to participate. Thanks, Clearleft. And, you, the reader? If you get the chance next time, go. Heck, I might even leave this chair and go there, myself. Maybe. I suppose when Dr. Who's over, I could just let these 20-sided dice decide for me. Lemme see...what's my Armor Class and Hit Points...? Listen for Yourself2 dConstruct Podcast MARTY NEUMEIER - The Designful Company The Designful Company on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it BRENDAN DAWES - Boil, Simmer, Reduce Boil, Simmer, Reduce on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it DAVID MCCANDLESS - Information Is Beautiful Information Is Beautiful on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it SAMANTHA WARREN - The Power and Beauty of Typography The Power and Beauty of Typography on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it JOHN GRUBER - The Auteur Theory Of Design The Auteur Theory Of Design on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it HANNAH DONOVAN - Jam Session: What Improvisation Can Teach Us About Design Jam Session: What Improvisation Can Teach Us About Design on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it JAMES BRIDLE - The Value Of Ruins The Value Of Ruins on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it TOM COATES - Everything The Network Touches Everything The Network Touches on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it Kerning, Orgasms And Those Goddamned Japanese Toothpicks ME - Kerning, Orgasms And Those Goddamned Japanese Toothpicks on Huffduffer Download the audio | Huffduff it Hint: Number Three. ↩ Code for these was stolen wholesale from the dConstruct site. Jeremy, et al - don't hesitate to tell me if that's a problem.Srsly. ↩ ”My Faith in Nerds: Stronger Than Any Gelatinous Cube” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on September 10, 2010. Except as noted, it's ©2010 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?" Full Article dConstruct Geeks Knowledge Workers Nerds Speaking NSFW
my MSNBC’s Brian Williams Chuckles With Dem Strategist as He Gloats, Mocks Trump About Tragic Downturn in Economy: “They were going to lose before this hit. They’re just going to lose worse now” By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 15:29:05 +0000 The following article, MSNBC’s Brian Williams Chuckles With Dem Strategist as He Gloats, Mocks Trump About Tragic Downturn in Economy: “They were going to lose before this hit. They’re just going to lose worse now”, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. James Carville spoke out before the coronavirus crisis to say that there is no way Joe Biden has a chance at beating President Trump in the 2020 election. Well, He’s singing a different tune now at the expense of Americans suffering through this horrible pandemic and economic crisis. James Carvill is a Democratic strategist who […] Continue reading: MSNBC’s Brian Williams Chuckles With Dem Strategist as He Gloats, Mocks Trump About Tragic Downturn in Economy: “They were going to lose before this hit. They’re just going to lose worse now” ... Full Article Breaking Featured Left News Politics
my Video Scrubbed of Obama-Biden Ambassador To China Praising Their Response to Coronavirus: “I take my hat off to China” By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 16:55:44 +0000 The following article, Video Scrubbed of Obama-Biden Ambassador To China Praising Their Response to Coronavirus: “I take my hat off to China”, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. During a recent interview on CNN, Obama-Biden ambassador to China (2014-2017) Max Baucus compared standing up to China on the coronavirus to “Hitler in the ’30s.” Baucus has proven himself to be sympathetic to China in recent interviews, where he puts down America and praises the Chinese. The MSNBC video via The Washington Free Beacon […] Continue reading: Video Scrubbed of Obama-Biden Ambassador To China Praising Their Response to Coronavirus: “I take my hat off to China” ... Full Article Breaking Featured Government Politics
my Busted! Late-Night Hack Comedian, Jimmy Kimmel Is Forced To Apologize For Sharing Highly Edited Video Of VP Pence To Make Him Look Bad By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 01:45:58 +0000 The following article, Busted! Late-Night Hack Comedian, Jimmy Kimmel Is Forced To Apologize For Sharing Highly Edited Video Of VP Pence To Make Him Look Bad, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. Last night, Jimmy Kimmel, host of the low-rated, late-night Jimmy Kimmel Show, shared a deceptively edited video clip of Vice President Pence delivering PPE to a nursing home. Today, liberal activist Matt McDermott tweeted the videotaped segment on VP Pence that was edited to make the vice president look like he was faking a delivery […] Continue reading: Busted! Late-Night Hack Comedian, Jimmy Kimmel Is Forced To Apologize For Sharing Highly Edited Video Of VP Pence To Make Him Look Bad ... Full Article Featured Politics
my Can the World Economy Find a New Leader? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 07 Oct 2019 11:54:39 +0000 10 October 2019 This paper examines the governance problems in the monetary system and global trade and regulation. It then explores whether issues have arisen because the US has given up its dominant role, and if so how these might be rectified. Read online Download PDF Alan Beattie Associate Fellow, Global Economy and Finance Programme and Europe Programme @alanbeattie LinkedIn 2019-10-07-RMB.jpg An employee counts money at a branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Anhui Province, on 26 July 2011. Photo: Getty Images. SummaryMultilateralism may, in theory, put countries on an equal economic footing. But in practice the concept has often relied on an anchor government to create and preserve global norms. Under the presidency of Donald Trump, the US has accelerated its move away from leadership in global economic governance. This shift threatens the monetary and trading systems that have long underpinned globalization. Does the global economy need – and can it find – another leader to take America’s place?In the monetary sphere, the US role in providing an internationalized currency has endured relatively well, even though the US’s formal anchoring of the global exchange rate system collapsed nearly half a century ago. Governance of the US dollar and of the dollar-based financial system has largely been left to competent technocrats.Recent US political uncertainty has encouraged other governments, particularly in the eurozone and China, in their long-standing quest to supplant the dollar. But these economies’ internal weaknesses have prevented their respective currencies from playing a wider role. Arguments for a multipolar system exist, yet network effects plus the dollar’s superior institutions mean it has retained its dominance.In trade, the US role as anchor of the global legal order was already looking unreliable before Trump’s election. Washington has faced growing resistance at home to its global responsibilities. This, together with the idiosyncratic rise of countries such as China, has made the US an increasingly unreliable and narrowly transactional leader.More recently, hard-to-regulate issues such as foreign direct investment, technology transfer and data flows, often with national security implications, are increasingly undermining the ideal of multilateral global governance. Institutions such as the World Trade Organization, focused on cross-border trade in goods and services, are becoming less relevant.Recent US actions against the Chinese technology firm Huawei show the Trump administration’s willingness to decouple the US market from China and try to drag other economies with it. As far as possible, other governments should resist taking sides. A complete separation of the global economy into rival spheres is probably unfeasible, and certainly highly undesirable.Although future US administrations may be less wantonly destructive, it is not realistic to expect them to resume America’s former role. Nor can the US simply be replaced with another power. Instead, coalitions of governments with interests in international rules-based orders will need to form. These coalitions will need to show due deference to issues like investment and national security, especially where attempts to bind governments by multilateral rules are likely to provoke a severe backlash from domestic constituencies. Department/project Global Economy and Finance Programme Full Article
my COVID-19: How Do We Re-open the Economy? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 14:41:47 +0000 21 April 2020 Creon Butler Research Director, Trade, Investment & New Governance Models: Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme LinkedIn Following five clear steps will create the confidence needed for both the consumer and business decision-making which is crucial to a strong recovery. 2020-04-21-Shop-Retail-Closed Chain wrapped around the door of a Saks Fifth Avenue Inc. store in San Francisco, California, during the COVID-19 crisis. Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images With the IMF forecasting a 6.1% fall in advanced economy GDP in 2020 and world trade expected to contract by 11%, there is intense focus on the question of how and when to re-open economies currently in lockdown.But no ‘opening up’ plan has a chance of succeeding unless it commands the confidence of all the main actors in the economy – employees, consumers, firms, investors and local authorities.Without public confidence, these groups may follow official guidance only sporadically; consumers will preserve cash rather than spend it on goods and services; employees will delay returning to work wherever possible; businesses will face worsening bottlenecks as some parts of the economy open up while key suppliers remain closed; and firms will continue to delay many discretionary investment and hiring decisions.Achieving public confidenceTaken together, these behaviours would substantially reduce the chances of a strong economic bounce-back even in the absence of a widespread second wave of infections. Five key steps are needed to achieve a high degree of public confidence in any reopening plan.First, enough progress must be made in suppressing the virus and in building public health capacity so the public can be confident any new outbreak will be contained without reverting to another full-scale lockdown. Moreover, the general public needs to feel that the treatment capacity of the health system is at a level where the risk to life if someone does fall ill with the virus is at an acceptably low level.Achieving this requires the government to demonstrate the necessary capabilities - testing, contact tracing, quarantine facilities, supplies of face masks and other forms of PPE (personal protective equipment) - are actually in place and can be sustained, rather than relying on future commitments. It also needs to be clear on the role to be played going forward by handwashing and other personal hygiene measures.Second, the authorities need to set out clear priorities on which parts of the economy are to open first and why. This needs to take account of both supply side and demand side factors, such as the importance of a particular sector to delivering essential supplies, a sector’s ability to put in place effective protocols to protect its employees and customers, and its importance to the functioning of other parts of the economy. There is little point in opening a car assembly plant unless its SME suppliers are able to deliver the required parts.Detailed planning of the phasing of specific relaxation measures is essential, as is close cooperation between business and the authorities. The government also needs to establish a centralised coordination function capable of dealing quickly with any unexpected supply chain glitches. And it must pay close attention to feedback from health experts on how the process of re-opening the economy sector-by-sector is affecting the rate of infection. Third, the government needs to state how the current financial and economic support measures for the economy will evolve as the re-opening process continues. It is critical to avoid removing support measures too soon, and some key measures may have to continue to operate even as firms restart their operations. It is important to show how - over time - the measures will evolve from a ‘life support’ system for businesses and individuals into a more conventional economic stimulus.This transition strategy could initially be signalled through broad principles, but the government needs to follow through quickly by detailing specific measures. The transition strategy must target sectors where most damage has been done, including the SME sector in general and specific areas such as transport, leisure and retail. It needs to factor in the hard truth that some businesses will be no longer be viable after the crisis and set out how the government is going to support employees and entrepreneurs who suffer as a result.The government must also explain how it intends to learn the lessons and capture the upsides from the crisis by building a more resilient economy over the longer term. Most importantly, it has to demonstrate continued commitment to tackling climate change – which is at least as big a threat to mankind’s future as pandemics.Fourth, the authorities should explain how they plan to manage controls on movement of people across borders to minimise the risk of new infection outbreaks, but also to help sustain the opening-up measures. This needs to take account of the fact that different countries are at different stages in the progress of the pandemic and may have different strategies and trade-offs on the risks they are willing to take as they open up.As a minimum, an effective border plan requires close cooperation with near neighbours as these are likely to be the most important economic counterparts for many countries. But ideally each country’s plan should be part of a wider global opening-up strategy coordinated by the G20. In the absence of a reliable antibody test, border control measures will have to rely on a combination of imperfect testing, quarantine, and new, shared data requirements for incoming and departing passengers. Fifth, the authorities must communicate the steps effectively to the public, in a manner that shows not only that this is a well thought-through plan, but also does not hide the extent of the uncertainties, or the likelihood that rapid modifications may be needed as the plan is implemented. In designing the communications, the authorities should develop specific measures to enable the public to track progress.Such measures are vital to sustaining business, consumer and employee confidence. While some smaller advanced economies appear close to completing these steps, for many others there is still a long way to go. Waiting until they are achieved means higher economic costs in the short-term. But, in the long-term, they will deliver real net benefits.Authorities are more likely to sustain these measures because key economic actors will actually follow the guidance given. Also, by instilling confidence, the plan will bring forward the consumer and business decision-making crucial to a strong recovery. In contrast, moving ahead without proper preparation risks turning an already severe economic recession into something much worse. Full Article
my Repression of sphingosine kinase (SK)-interacting protein (SKIP) in acute myeloid leukemia diminishes SK activity and its re-expression restores SK function [Molecular Bases of Disease] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-17T00:06:05-07:00 Previous studies have shown that sphingosine kinase interacting protein (SKIP) inhibits sphingosine kinase (SK) function in fibroblasts. SK phosphorylates sphingosine producing the potent signaling molecule sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). SKIP gene (SPHKAP) expression is silenced by hypermethylation of its promoter in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, why SKIP activity is silenced in primary AML cells is unclear. Here, we investigated the consequences of SKIP down-regulation in AML primary cells and the effects of SKIP re-expression in leukemic cell lines. Using targeted ultra-HPLC-tandem MS (UPLC-MS/MS), we measured sphingolipids (including S1P and ceramides) in AML and control cells. Primary AML cells had significantly lower SK activity and intracellular S1P concentrations than control cells, and SKIP-transfected leukemia cell lines exhibited increased SK activity. These findings show that SKIP re-expression enhances SK activity in leukemia cells. Furthermore, other bioactive sphingolipids such as ceramide were also down-regulated in primary AML cells. Of note, SKIP re-expression in leukemia cells increased ceramide levels 2-fold, inactivated the key signaling protein extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and increased apoptosis following serum deprivation or chemotherapy. These results indicate that SKIP down-regulation in AML reduces SK activity and ceramide levels, an effect that ultimately inhibits apoptosis in leukemia cells. The findings of our study contrast with previous results indicating that SKIP inhibits SK function in fibroblasts and therefore challenge the notion that SKIP always inhibits SK activity. Full Article
my N{alpha}-Acetylation of the virulence factor EsxA is required for mycobacterial cytosolic translocation and virulence [Molecular Bases of Disease] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-04-24T06:08:45-07:00 The Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence factor EsxA and its chaperone EsxB are secreted as a heterodimer (EsxA:B) and are crucial for mycobacterial escape from phagosomes and cytosolic translocation. Current findings support the idea that for EsxA to interact with host membranes, EsxA must dissociate from EsxB at low pH. However, the molecular mechanism by which the EsxA:B heterodimer separates is not clear. In the present study, using liposome-leakage and cytotoxicity assays, LC-MS/MS–based proteomics, and CCF-4 FRET analysis, we obtained evidence that the Nα-acetylation of the Thr-2 residue on EsxA, a post-translational modification that is present in mycobacteria but absent in Escherichia coli, is required for the EsxA:B separation. Substitutions at Thr-2 that precluded Nα-acetylation inhibited the heterodimer separation and hence prevented EsxA from interacting with the host membrane, resulting in attenuated mycobacterial cytosolic translocation and virulence. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that at low pH, the Nα-acetylated Thr-2 makes direct and frequent “bind-and-release” contacts with EsxB, which generates a force that pulls EsxB away from EsxA. In summary, our findings provide evidence that the Nα-acetylation at Thr-2 of EsxA facilitates dissociation of the EsxA:B heterodimer required for EsxA membrane permeabilization and mycobacterial cytosolic translocation and virulence. Full Article
my Modification of a PE/PPE substrate pair reroutes an Esx substrate pair from the mycobacterial ESX-1 type VII secretion system to the ESX-5 system [Molecular Bases of Disease] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:06:09-07:00 Bacterial type VII secretion systems secrete a wide range of extracellular proteins that play important roles in bacterial viability and in interactions of pathogenic mycobacteria with their hosts. Mycobacterial type VII secretion systems consist of five subtypes, ESX-1–5, and have four substrate classes, namely, Esx, PE, PPE, and Esp proteins. At least some of these substrates are secreted as heterodimers. Each ESX system mediates the secretion of a specific set of Esx, PE, and PPE proteins, raising the question of how these substrates are recognized in a system-specific fashion. For the PE/PPE heterodimers, it has been shown that they interact with their cognate EspG chaperone and that this chaperone determines the designated secretion pathway. However, both structural and pulldown analyses have suggested that EspG cannot interact with the Esx proteins. Therefore, the determining factor for system specificity of the Esx proteins remains unknown. Here, we investigated the secretion specificity of the ESX-1 substrate pair EsxB_1/EsxA_1 in Mycobacterium marinum. Although this substrate pair was hardly secreted when homologously expressed, it was secreted when co-expressed together with the PE35/PPE68_1 pair, indicating that this pair could stimulate secretion of the EsxB_1/EsxA_1 pair. Surprisingly, co-expression of EsxB_1/EsxA_1 with a modified PE35/PPE68_1 version that carried the EspG5 chaperone-binding domain, previously shown to redirect this substrate pair to the ESX-5 system, also resulted in redirection and co-secretion of the Esx pair via ESX-5. Our results suggest a secretion model in which PE35/PPE68_1 determines the system-specific secretion of EsxB_1/EsxA_1. Full Article
my Report Launch – Owners of the Republic: An Anatomy of Egypt's Military Economy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 18 Nov 2019 10:45:01 +0000 Research Event 12 December 2019 - 5:30pm to 6:30pm Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Event participants Yezid Sayigh, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Middle East CenterDavid Butter, Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham HouseChair: Lina Khatib, Head, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House The Egyptian military accounts for far less of the national economy than is commonly believed but transformations in its role and scope since 2013 have turned it into an autonomous economic actor that can reshape markets and influence government policy and investment strategies. Will the military economy contract to its former enclave status if Egypt achieves successful economic growth or has it acquired a permanent stake that it will defend or even expand?This roundtable will mark the London launch of a Carnegie Middle East Center report on Egypt’s military economy. The report author, Yezid Sayigh, will begin the discussion with remarks on Egypt’s military economy model and offer thoughts on how external actors can engage the country’s formal and informal networks. David Butter will serve as discussant and the roundtable will be moderated by Lina Khatib.To attend this event, please e-mail Reni Zhelyazkova. Department/project Middle East and North Africa Programme Reni Zhelyazkova Programme Coordinator, Middle East and North Africa Programme +44 (0)20 7314 3624 Email Full Article
Reni Zhelyazkova Programme Coordinator, Middle East and North Africa Programme +44 (0)20 7314 3624 Email
my Modification of a PE/PPE substrate pair reroutes an Esx substrate pair from the mycobacterial ESX-1 type VII secretion system to the ESX-5 system [Molecular Bases of Disease] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:06:09-07:00 Bacterial type VII secretion systems secrete a wide range of extracellular proteins that play important roles in bacterial viability and in interactions of pathogenic mycobacteria with their hosts. Mycobacterial type VII secretion systems consist of five subtypes, ESX-1–5, and have four substrate classes, namely, Esx, PE, PPE, and Esp proteins. At least some of these substrates are secreted as heterodimers. Each ESX system mediates the secretion of a specific set of Esx, PE, and PPE proteins, raising the question of how these substrates are recognized in a system-specific fashion. For the PE/PPE heterodimers, it has been shown that they interact with their cognate EspG chaperone and that this chaperone determines the designated secretion pathway. However, both structural and pulldown analyses have suggested that EspG cannot interact with the Esx proteins. Therefore, the determining factor for system specificity of the Esx proteins remains unknown. Here, we investigated the secretion specificity of the ESX-1 substrate pair EsxB_1/EsxA_1 in Mycobacterium marinum. Although this substrate pair was hardly secreted when homologously expressed, it was secreted when co-expressed together with the PE35/PPE68_1 pair, indicating that this pair could stimulate secretion of the EsxB_1/EsxA_1 pair. Surprisingly, co-expression of EsxB_1/EsxA_1 with a modified PE35/PPE68_1 version that carried the EspG5 chaperone-binding domain, previously shown to redirect this substrate pair to the ESX-5 system, also resulted in redirection and co-secretion of the Esx pair via ESX-5. Our results suggest a secretion model in which PE35/PPE68_1 determines the system-specific secretion of EsxB_1/EsxA_1. Full Article
my Syria's Economy: Picking up the Pieces By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Jul 2015 09:33:00 +0000 23 June 2015 20150623SyriaEconomy.jpg Photo: Getty Images/Stringer. On Tuesday 23 June, Chatham House will publish Syria's Economy: Picking up the Pieces, a comprehensive account of the state of the Syrian economy and its prospects. The paper, by David Butter, associate fellow on the Middle East and North Africa Programme, finds that:Syria's economy has contracted by more than 50 per cent in real terms since 2011, with the biggest losses in output coming in the energy and manufacturing sectors. Agriculture has assumed a bigger role in national output in relative terms, but food production has fallen sharply as a result of the conflict.Inflation has averaged 51 per cent between January 2012 and March 2015, according to the monthly data issued by the government, and the Syrian pound has depreciated by about 80 per cent since the start of the conflict.In the first half of 2015, the regime has shown increasing signs of strain on both the military and the economic fronts. The regime has lost ground to rebel forces, and the Syrian pound has depreciated at the fastest rate since the conflict began.Continued support from Iran, in the form of oil supplies and import credits, will come with political and economic conditions.The question arises as to whether a dramatic worsening in the economic situation might be the catalyst for the regime’s military collapse or for an externally imposed political settlement against Assad’s wishes; or whether further military setbacks might be the trigger for the government’s economic collapse. Editor's notes Read Syria's Economy: Picking up the PiecesThis paper is the first research output of the Middle East and North Africa Programme’s flagship project, Syria and its Neighbours, a multiyear research initiative examining the long-term impact of the conflict on neighbouring countries. Contacts Press Office +44 (0)20 7957 5739 Email Full Article
my Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership Announces 2018/19 Fellows By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 24 Sep 2018 08:16:49 +0000 1 October 2018 The Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs, based at Chatham House, is delighted to announce the arrival of its new cohort of Academy fellows. 2018-10-01-CH.jpg The Academy was launched by Her Majesty the Queen in November 2014 to offer potential and established leaders from around the world the opportunity to spend ten months as Academy fellows and develop the tools needed to address the major policy challenges and critical issues facing the world today.Academy fellows are drawn from government and the broader policy community, the private sector, media and civil society. During their time at the Academy, fellows deepen their understanding of critical issues, learn new skills, develop their networks and propose new ideas and solutions to complex policy challenges and opportunities.Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Dean, QEII Academy for Leadership in International Affairs says:'Chatham House recognizes the need for inspirational and effective leadership in today’s complex and rapidly changing global environment. We remain absolutely committed to the mission of developing leadership skills and feel privileged to welcome the 2018-19 Academy Fellows. The Queen Elizabeth II Academy is uniquely well-positioned, drawing on the historical depth of expertise at Chatham House, our international and national networks, and the dynamism of London to develop skills, knowledge, and global insights that benefit emerging and accomplished leaders across diverse sectors in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.'Academy Fellows 2018/19Rustam AnshbaRustam’s research will explore the prospects for transforming the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. He will be hosted by the Russia and Eurasia Programme. His fellowship is supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.Rita DayoubRita will analyse attacks against healthcare systems during conflicts in Syria and South Sudan. She will be hosted by the Centre on Global Health Security. Her fellowship is supported by the Asfari Foundation.Isabel DunstanIsabel’s research will focus on digital literacy among women as a means to counter radicalization and intolerance in Indonesia. She will be hosted by the Asia-Pacific Programme. Her fellowship is supported by Mr Richard Hayden.Sophia IgnatidouSophia will examine the political and security implications of Artificial Intelligence. She will be hosted by the International Security Department. Her fellowship is supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.Anna KorbutAnna’s research will examine the current media landscape in Ukraine and its transformative potential. She will be hosted by the Russia and Eurasia Programme. Her fellowship is supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.Damir KurtagicDamir will research the challenges and possibilities of private sector engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa. He will be hosted by the Africa Programme. His fellowship is supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.Zaki MehchyZaki will research the role and dynamics of non-state actors in Syria and their relationship with state institutions. He will be hosted by the Middle East and North Africa Programme. His fellowship is supported by the Asfari Foundation.Anne NyambaneAnne will examine the synergies and trade-offs involved in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She will be hosted by the Energy, Environment and Resources Department. Her fellowship is supported by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.MasterclassThe Academy is also pleased to welcome three Masterclass participants from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Full Article
my Creon Butler appointed to lead Global Economy and Finance Programme By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:22:32 +0000 22 October 2019 Creon Butler has been appointed to lead the Global Economy and Finance programme at Chatham House, joining the institute at the beginning of December. He will also form part of the institute’s senior leadership team. Creon will join Chatham House from the Cabinet Office where he served as director for international economic affairs in the National Security Secretariat and G7/G20 ‘sous sherpa’, advising on global policy issues such as climate change, natural resource security, global health threats and the future of the international economic architecture.Creon first joined the Cabinet Office in 2013 as director in the European and Global Issues Secretariat, advising prime minister David Cameron on international economic and financial issues, ranging from country-specific developments in China and Germany to global challenges such as antimicrobial resistance and anticorruption. He designed and organized the UK’s global Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016. Earlier in his career, he served in the Bank of England, HM Treasury and in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where he was director for economic policy and chief economic adviser. He was also deputy high commissioner in New Delhi from 2006 to 2009.Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House, said: 'We are delighted that Creon Butler will join Chatham House at such an important moment, when geoeconomic competition and technological disruption are changing the structure of the global economy, and as governments and societies across the world must develop more sustainable pathways to economic growth. Creon brings precisely the right combination of knowledge and experience to enable Chatham House to conceive inclusive solutions for the future.'Creon Butler said: “Chatham House’s high quality, independent and focused policy research has never been more important in helping policy makers to chart the best path given today’s extraordinary economic and political uncertainties. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to lead the institute’s Global Economy and Finance programme at this critical time.' Full Article
my Transatlantic Economic Cooperation and the Global Economy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Feb 2015 10:15:01 +0000 Members Event 13 February 2015 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm Chatham House, London Transcriptpdf | 112.29 KB Transcript Q&Apdf | 129.72 KB Event participants Caroline Atkinson, Deputy Assistant to President Obama and Deputy National Security Advisor for International EconomicsChair: Sebastian Mallaby, Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow in International Economics, The Council on Foreign Relations The speaker will outline the importance of economic cooperation in the transatlantic relationship and consider recent developments in the global economy. Members Events Team Email Full Article
my Transatlantic Strategy Group on the Future of US Global Leadership: Global Institutions and the Economy of the Future By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:30:01 +0000 Invitation Only Research Event 10 June 2015 - 8:45am to 4:30pm Bertelsmann Foundation, Berlin, Germany Meeting Summarypdf | 154.74 KB Europe and the United States have dominated global institutions for over 70 years. However, as the emerging markets take up a greater share of the global economy it is becoming increasingly difficult for the transatlantic powers to maintain the current system. This event will examine the changes needed in order to avoid a collapse of the current system.The workshop is held as part of the Transatlantic Strategy Group on the Future of US Global Leadership run jointly with the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Over the course of a year, this group will discuss how US policy is changing on key issues and the implications for Europe. This project is supported by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, with support for this event provided by the Bertelsmann Foundation. Event attributes External event Department/project US and the Americas Programme US and Americas Programme Email Full Article
my Supporting the US Economy by Improving the Mobility of High-skilled Labour Across the Atlantic By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 20 Sep 2017 10:33:17 +0000 27 September 2017 US policymakers should give special consideration to a more open immigration policy for highly skilled professionals from the EU. This would ultimately benefit the US economy. Read online Download PDF Marianne Schneider-Petsinger Senior Research Fellow, US and the Americas Programme @mpetsinger 2017-09-25-labour-mobility-us-economy.jpg Businessman on bicycle passing skyline of La Defense business district in Paris, France. Photo: Getty Images. SummaryThe United States and the European Union are deeply integrated economically in terms of movement of goods, services and capital across the Atlantic, but this is not matched by the mobility of labour. Freer movement of high-skilled workers across the Atlantic has a potentially critical role to play in maintaining and strengthening the bilateral economic relationship.Both the US and EU seek to attract high-skilled labour through the use of temporary visa programmes. Various routes are available for highly skilled workers from the EU to temporarily work in the US (for instance, through the H-1B visa for foreign nationals in ‘specialty occupations’, as well as other visa categories for treaty traders and investors, intra-company transferees, and international students seeking work authorization in the US before or after graduation). The main ways for highly skilled workers from the US to temporarily work in EU member states are through EU-wide schemes that apply in 25 out of the 28 member states (for holders of EU Blue Cards or intra-company transferees); or via member states’ parallel national schemes.The experiences of US and EU employers and workers under the US H-1B programme and the EU’s Blue Card scheme differ greatly. The EU Blue Card scheme avoids many of the drawbacks of the H-1B visa. It does not have an annual cap on the number of visas issued. It also grants greater autonomy to the worker by not requiring the employer to sponsor long-term residence, by providing greater flexibility to switch employment, and by having a longer grace period for visa-holders to find new employment after dismissal.The US visa system hampers America’s economic growth. Restrictive policies such as an annual limit on the number of H-1B visas issued, and the associated uncertainty for employees and employers, hinder the ability of US companies to expand and innovate. The complex and costly visa application process is a particular burden for small and medium-sized enterprises. Problems around the timely availability of visas frustrate investors both from the US and from abroad (including from the EU). European firms face difficulties in acquiring visas for intra-company transferees, and not all EU member states have access to the treaty trader and treaty investor visa categories. At times, this impedes foreign direct investment and restricts US job creation. In addition, current policies hinder the economy’s retention of EU and other graduates of US universities. This is of particular concern given that skilled graduates have a critical role to play in addressing the US’s growing shortage of workers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.Given the comparability of US and EU wages and labour markets, US concerns about foreign workers ‘stealing’ their jobs or depressing wages generally do not apply to EU citizens. On the contrary, a more open immigration policy for high-skilled workers – in particular for EU citizens – would benefit the US economy.Efforts to reform visa systems for high-skilled labour are under way in both the US and EU. In order to facilitate the movement of highly skilled workers across the Atlantic, this research paper recommends (1) creating a special visa for highly skilled EU citizens to work temporarily in the US; (2) extending the availability of treaty trader and investor visas to all EU member states; and (3) increasing efforts to eliminate fraud and abuse in the H-1B system. These measures could potentially help to create more investment, jobs and economic growth in the US. Department/project International Security Programme, US and the Americas Programme Full Article
my The Political Economy of Universal Health Coverage By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 06 Jan 2020 13:35:01 +0000 Corporate Members Event Nominees Breakfast Briefing Partners and Major Corporates 22 January 2020 - 8:00am to 9:15am Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Event participants Robert Yates, Head, Centre on Global Health Security, Chatham HouseChair: Professor David R Harper, Senior Consulting Fellow, Centre on Global Health Security, Chatham House; Managing Director, Harper Public Health Consulting Limited At the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019, all governments re-committed their countries to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) whereby ‘all people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them’. To achieve UHC, governments will need to oversee health systems that are predominantly publicly financed although countries may use both private and public health providers of health services.Robert Yates will provide a review of recent transitions towards Universal Health Coverage, highlighting the importance of genuine political commitment by heads of state, and the potential benefits to corporate stakeholders in helping reach this sustainable development goal. What are the political, economic and health benefits of UHC? Why can only public financing mechanisms, rather than a free market in health services, deliver an equitable health system? And what is the role of the private sector within the political economy of UHC?This event is only open to Major Corporate Member and Partner organizations of Chatham House. If you would like to register your interest, please RSVP to Linda Bedford. We will contact you to confirm your attendance.To enable as open a debate as possible, this event will be held under the Chatham House Rule. Event attributes Chatham House Rule Members Events Team Email Full Article
my Why an Inclusive Circular Economy is Needed to Prepare for Future Global Crises By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 13:23:01 +0000 15 April 2020 Patrick Schröder Senior Research Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme @patricks_CH Google Scholar The risks associated with existing production and consumption systems have been harshly exposed amid the current global health crisis but an inclusive circular economy could ensure both short-term and long-term resilience for future challenges. 2020-04-15-Waste-Collection-Peru.jpg Lima city employees picking up garbage during lockdown measures in Peru amid the COVID-19 crisis. Photo: Getty Images. The world is currently witnessing how vulnerable existing production and consumption systems are, with the current global health crisis harshly exposing the magnitude of the risks associated with the global economy in its current form, grounded, as it is, in a linear system that uses a ‘take–make–throw away’ approach.These ‘linear risks’ associated with the existing global supply chain system are extremely high for national economies overly dependent on natural resource extraction and exports of commodities like minerals and metals. Equally vulnerable are countries with large manufacturing sectors of ready-made garments and non-repairable consumer goods for western markets. Furthermore, workers and communities working in these sectors are vulnerable to these changes as a result of disruptive technologies and reduced demand.In a recently published Chatham House research paper, ‘Promoting a Just Transition to an Inclusive Circular Economy’, we highlight why a circular economy approach presents the world with a solution to old and new global risks – from marine plastic pollution to climate change and resource scarcity.Taking the long viewSo far, action to transition to a circular economy has been slow compared to the current crisis which has mobilized rapid global action. For proponents of transitioning to a circular economy, this requires taking the long view. The pandemic has shown us that global emergencies can fast-forward processes that otherwise might take years, even decades, to play out or reverse achievements which have taken years to accomplish.In this vein, there are three striking points of convergence between the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to transition to an inclusive circular economy.Firstly, the current crisis is a stark reminder that the circular economy is not only necessary to ensure long-term resource security but also short-term supplies of important materials. In many cities across the US, the UK and Europe, councils have suspended recycling to focus on essential waste collection services. The UK Recycling Association, for example, has warned about carboard shortages due to disrupted recycling operations with possible shortages for food and medicine packaging on the horizon.Similarly, in China, most recycling sites were shut during the country’s lockdown presenting implications for global recycling markets with additional concerns that there will be a fibre shortage across Europe and possibly around the world.Furthermore, worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns are resulting in a resurgence in the use of single-use packaging creating a new wave of plastic waste especially from food deliveries – already seen in China – with illegal waste fly-tipping dramatically increasing in the UK since the lockdown.In this vein, concerns over the current global health crisis is reversing previous positive trends where many cities had established recycling schemes and companies and consumers had switched to reusable alternatives.Secondly, the need to improve the working conditions of the people working in the informal circular economy, such as waste pickers and recyclers, is imperative. Many waste materials and recyclables that are being handled and collected may be contaminated as a result of being mixed with medical waste.Now, more than ever, key workers in waste management, collection and recycling require personal protective equipment and social protection to ensure their safety as well as the continuation of essential waste collection so as not to increase the potential for new risks associated with additional infectious diseases.In India, almost 450 million workers including construction workers, street vendors and landless agricultural labourers, work in the informal sector. In the current climate, the poorest who are unable to work pose a great risk to the Indian economy which could find itself having to shut down.Moreover, many informal workers live in make-shift settlements areas such as Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi in Mumbai, where health authorities are now facing serious challenges to contain the spread of the disease. Lack of access to handwashing and sanitation facilities, however, further increase these risks but circular, decentralized solutions could make important contributions to sustainable sanitation, health and improved community resilience.Thirdly, it is anticipated that in the long term several global supply chains will be radically changed as a result of transformed demand patterns and the increase in circular practices such as urban mining for the recovery and recycling of metals or the reuse and recycling of textile fibres and localized additive manufacturing (e.g. 3D printing).Many of these supply chains and trade flows have now been already severely disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the global garment industry has been particularly hard-hit due to the closure of outlets amid falling demand for apparel.It is important to note, workers at the bottom of these garment supply chains are among the most vulnerable and most affected by the crisis as global fashion brands, for example, have been cancelling orders – in the order of $6 billion in the case of Bangladesh alone. Only after intense negotiations are some brands assuming financial responsibility in the form of compensation wage funds to help suppliers in Myanmar, Cambodia and Bangladesh to pay workers during the ongoing crisis.In addition, the current pandemic is damaging demand for raw materials thereby affecting mining countries. Demand for Africa’s commodities in China, for example, has declined significantly, with the impact on African economies expected to be serious, with 15 per cent of the world’s copper and 20 per cent of the world’s zinc mines currently going offline. A further threat is expected to come from falling commodity prices as a result of the curtailment of manufacturing activity in China particularly for crude oil, copper, iron ore and other industrial commodities which, in these cases, will have direct impacts on the Australian and Canadian mining sectors.This is all being compounded by an associated decline in consumer demand worldwide. For example, many South African mining companies – leading producers of metals and minerals – have started closing their mining operations following the government’s announcement of a lockdown in order to prevent the transmission of the virus among miners who often work in confined spaces and in close proximity with one another. As workers are laid off due to COVID-19, there are indications that the mining industry will see fast-tracking towards automated mining operations. All of these linear risks that have been exposed through the COVID-19 pandemic reinforce the need for a just transition to a circular economy. But while the reduction in the consumption of resources is necessary to achieve sustainability, the social impacts on low- and middle- income countries and their workers requires international support mechanisms.In addition, the current situation also highlights the need to find a new approach to globalized retail chains and a balance between local and global trade based on international cooperation across global value chains rather than implementation of trade protectionist measures.In this vein, all of the recovery plans from the global COVID-19 pandemic need to be aligned with the principles of an inclusive circular economy in order to ensure both short-term and long-term resilience and preparedness for future challenges and disruptions. Full Article
my Webinar: The Global Economy after COVID-19 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 12:50:01 +0000 Members Event 20 April 2020 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm Online Event participants The Rt Hon Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer (2016-19)Chair: Dr Robin Niblett, Director and Chief Executive, Chatham House As the coronavirus pandemic continues to expand and claim lives across the globe, the OECD has warned that the economic shock it has caused has already surpassed that of the financial crisis of 2007/8.With strict social distancing measures imposing an enormous cost on world economies, governments are faced with the difficult task of determining how best to design policy response with a view of saving lives and minimizing economic loss alike. Against this backdrop, former UK chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond considers the economic implications for a world that has practically ground to a halt and provide his reflections on the future of the global economy. Members Events Team Email Full Article
my COVID-19: How Do We Re-open the Economy? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 14:41:47 +0000 21 April 2020 Creon Butler Research Director, Trade, Investment & New Governance Models: Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme LinkedIn Following five clear steps will create the confidence needed for both the consumer and business decision-making which is crucial to a strong recovery. 2020-04-21-Shop-Retail-Closed Chain wrapped around the door of a Saks Fifth Avenue Inc. store in San Francisco, California, during the COVID-19 crisis. Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images With the IMF forecasting a 6.1% fall in advanced economy GDP in 2020 and world trade expected to contract by 11%, there is intense focus on the question of how and when to re-open economies currently in lockdown.But no ‘opening up’ plan has a chance of succeeding unless it commands the confidence of all the main actors in the economy – employees, consumers, firms, investors and local authorities.Without public confidence, these groups may follow official guidance only sporadically; consumers will preserve cash rather than spend it on goods and services; employees will delay returning to work wherever possible; businesses will face worsening bottlenecks as some parts of the economy open up while key suppliers remain closed; and firms will continue to delay many discretionary investment and hiring decisions.Achieving public confidenceTaken together, these behaviours would substantially reduce the chances of a strong economic bounce-back even in the absence of a widespread second wave of infections. Five key steps are needed to achieve a high degree of public confidence in any reopening plan.First, enough progress must be made in suppressing the virus and in building public health capacity so the public can be confident any new outbreak will be contained without reverting to another full-scale lockdown. Moreover, the general public needs to feel that the treatment capacity of the health system is at a level where the risk to life if someone does fall ill with the virus is at an acceptably low level.Achieving this requires the government to demonstrate the necessary capabilities - testing, contact tracing, quarantine facilities, supplies of face masks and other forms of PPE (personal protective equipment) - are actually in place and can be sustained, rather than relying on future commitments. It also needs to be clear on the role to be played going forward by handwashing and other personal hygiene measures.Second, the authorities need to set out clear priorities on which parts of the economy are to open first and why. This needs to take account of both supply side and demand side factors, such as the importance of a particular sector to delivering essential supplies, a sector’s ability to put in place effective protocols to protect its employees and customers, and its importance to the functioning of other parts of the economy. There is little point in opening a car assembly plant unless its SME suppliers are able to deliver the required parts.Detailed planning of the phasing of specific relaxation measures is essential, as is close cooperation between business and the authorities. The government also needs to establish a centralised coordination function capable of dealing quickly with any unexpected supply chain glitches. And it must pay close attention to feedback from health experts on how the process of re-opening the economy sector-by-sector is affecting the rate of infection. Third, the government needs to state how the current financial and economic support measures for the economy will evolve as the re-opening process continues. It is critical to avoid removing support measures too soon, and some key measures may have to continue to operate even as firms restart their operations. It is important to show how - over time - the measures will evolve from a ‘life support’ system for businesses and individuals into a more conventional economic stimulus.This transition strategy could initially be signalled through broad principles, but the government needs to follow through quickly by detailing specific measures. The transition strategy must target sectors where most damage has been done, including the SME sector in general and specific areas such as transport, leisure and retail. It needs to factor in the hard truth that some businesses will be no longer be viable after the crisis and set out how the government is going to support employees and entrepreneurs who suffer as a result.The government must also explain how it intends to learn the lessons and capture the upsides from the crisis by building a more resilient economy over the longer term. Most importantly, it has to demonstrate continued commitment to tackling climate change – which is at least as big a threat to mankind’s future as pandemics.Fourth, the authorities should explain how they plan to manage controls on movement of people across borders to minimise the risk of new infection outbreaks, but also to help sustain the opening-up measures. This needs to take account of the fact that different countries are at different stages in the progress of the pandemic and may have different strategies and trade-offs on the risks they are willing to take as they open up.As a minimum, an effective border plan requires close cooperation with near neighbours as these are likely to be the most important economic counterparts for many countries. But ideally each country’s plan should be part of a wider global opening-up strategy coordinated by the G20. In the absence of a reliable antibody test, border control measures will have to rely on a combination of imperfect testing, quarantine, and new, shared data requirements for incoming and departing passengers. Fifth, the authorities must communicate the steps effectively to the public, in a manner that shows not only that this is a well thought-through plan, but also does not hide the extent of the uncertainties, or the likelihood that rapid modifications may be needed as the plan is implemented. In designing the communications, the authorities should develop specific measures to enable the public to track progress.Such measures are vital to sustaining business, consumer and employee confidence. While some smaller advanced economies appear close to completing these steps, for many others there is still a long way to go. Waiting until they are achieved means higher economic costs in the short-term. But, in the long-term, they will deliver real net benefits.Authorities are more likely to sustain these measures because key economic actors will actually follow the guidance given. Also, by instilling confidence, the plan will bring forward the consumer and business decision-making crucial to a strong recovery. In contrast, moving ahead without proper preparation risks turning an already severe economic recession into something much worse. Full Article
my Complementary Profiling of Gene Expression at the Transcriptome and Proteome Levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2002-04-01 Timothy J. GriffinApr 1, 2002; 1:323-333Research Full Article
my Toward a Comprehensive Atlas of the Physical Interactome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2007-03-01 Sean R. CollinsMar 1, 2007; 6:439-450Research Full Article
my Multiplexed Protein Quantitation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Using Amine-reactive Isobaric Tagging Reagents By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2004-12-01 Philip L. RossDec 1, 2004; 3:1154-1169Research Full Article
my NF-{kappa}B mediates lipopolysaccharide-induced alternative pre-mRNA splicing of MyD88 in mouse macrophages [Signal Transduction] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:06:09-07:00 Although a robust inflammatory response is needed to combat infection, this response must ultimately be terminated to prevent chronic inflammation. One mechanism that terminates inflammatory signaling is the production of alternative mRNA splice forms in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway. Whereas most genes in the TLR pathway encode positive mediators of inflammatory signaling, several, including that encoding the MyD88 signaling adaptor, also produce alternative spliced mRNA isoforms that encode dominant-negative inhibitors of the response. Production of these negatively acting alternatively spliced isoforms is induced by stimulation with the TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS); thus, this alternative pre-mRNA splicing represents a negative feedback loop that terminates TLR signaling and prevents chronic inflammation. In the current study, we investigated the mechanisms regulating the LPS-induced alternative pre-mRNA splicing of the MyD88 transcript in murine macrophages. We found that 1) the induction of the alternatively spliced MyD88 form is due to alternative pre-mRNA splicing and not caused by another RNA regulatory mechanism, 2) MyD88 splicing is regulated by both the MyD88- and TRIF-dependent arms of the TLR signaling pathway, 3) MyD88 splicing is regulated by the NF-κB transcription factor, and 4) NF-κB likely regulates MyD88 alternative pre-mRNA splicing per se rather than regulating splicing indirectly by altering MyD88 transcription. We conclude that alternative splicing of MyD88 may provide a sensitive mechanism that ensures robust termination of inflammation for tissue repair and restoration of normal tissue homeostasis once an infection is controlled. Full Article
my Britain, the EU and the Power of Myths: What Does Brexit Reveal about Europe? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:10:01 +0000 Invitation Only Research Event 14 November 2019 - 8:30am to 9:30am Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Event participants Kalypso Nicolaïdis, Professor of International Relations, Faculty Fellow, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford; Author, Exodus, Reckoning, Sacrifice: Three Meanings of BrexitChair: Hans Kundnani, Senior Research Fellow, Europe Programme, Chatham House When we look back on Brexit, what will it tell us about Europe? Will it simply be that an insular UK was always different and destined to never fit in? Will it be that the UK's decision to leave revealed deeper problems with the EU? Or will it be that the threat created by the UK's withdrawal united the continent and saved the European project?The speaker will explore Brexit through the prism of biblical and ancient Greek mythology. She will examine the reasons behind Britain’s decision to leave the EU and imagine a ‘better Europe’ that has learnt the lessons of the past and reconciled the divisions exposed by the Brexit vote. How can the EU reinvent itself and re-engage its citizens? And where does a post-Brexit UK fit?Attendance at this event is by invitation only. Event attributes Chatham House Rule Department/project Europe Programme, Britain and Europe: The Post-Referendum Agenda Alina Lyadova Europe Programme Coordinator Email Full Article
my A single amino acid substitution uncouples catalysis and allostery in an essential biosynthetic enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis [Enzymology] By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-08T03:41:14-07:00 Allostery exploits the conformational dynamics of enzymes by triggering a shift in population ensembles toward functionally distinct conformational or dynamic states. Allostery extensively regulates the activities of key enzymes within biosynthetic pathways to meet metabolic demand for their end products. Here, we have examined a critical enzyme, 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase (DAH7PS), at the gateway to aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which shows extremely complex dynamic allostery: three distinct aromatic amino acids jointly communicate occupancy to the active site via subtle changes in dynamics, enabling exquisite fine-tuning of delivery of these essential metabolites. Furthermore, this allosteric mechanism is co-opted by pathway branchpoint enzyme chorismate mutase upon complex formation. In this study, using statistical coupling analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, isothermal calorimetry, small-angle X-ray scattering, and X-ray crystallography analyses, we have pinpointed a critical node within the complex dynamic communication network responsible for this sophisticated allosteric machinery. Through a facile Gly to Pro substitution, we have altered backbone dynamics, completely severing the allosteric signal yet remarkably, generating a nonallosteric enzyme that retains full catalytic activity. We also identified a second residue of prime importance to the inter-enzyme communication with chorismate mutase. Our results reveal that highly complex dynamic allostery is surprisingly vulnerable and provide further insights into the intimate link between catalysis and allostery. Full Article
my Webinar: The Opportunity of Crisis? Transitioning to a Sustainable Global Economy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 09:55:02 +0000 Corporate Members Event Webinar 22 April 2020 - 1:00pm to 1:45pm Event participants Professor Tim Benton, Research Director, Emerging Risks and Director, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme, Chatham HouseCreon Butler, Research Director, Trade, Investment & New Governance Models; Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham HouseElsa Palanza, Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainability and ESG, BarclaysChair: Laura Wellesley, Research Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme, Chatham House With the Asian Development Bank estimating that the COVID-19 outbreak’s global cost could reach $4.1 trillion and the OECD warning that the shock caused by the pandemic is already greater than the financial crisis of 2007, the global economic impact of the health emergency is not only vast but also unpredictable. The disruption to a number of industries and sectors including, but not limited to, the airline and energy industries, could result in long-term damage to global trade flows, supply and demand. But does the pandemic also present an opportunity to build sustainable economies that can cope with such threats?This panel will explore the ways in which the coronavirus outbreak has highlighted vulnerabilities in global systems and what this might mean for a transition towards a sustainable economy. How do we explain the failure of businesses and governments to prepare for systemic shocks and the lack of resilience in global structures and models? How should governments prepare to reshape policy, business practices and societal behaviour to better tackle climate change while addressing the current emergency? And might the emergency offer opportunities to kick start a sustainable path towards a greener future?This event is part of a fortnightly series of 'Business in Focus' webinars reflecting on the impact of COVID-19 on areas of particular professional interest for our corporate members and giving circles.Not a corporate member? Find out more. Full Article
my Webinar: The Global Economy after COVID-19 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 12:50:01 +0000 Members Event 20 April 2020 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm Online Event participants The Rt Hon Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer (2016-19)Chair: Dr Robin Niblett, Director and Chief Executive, Chatham House As the coronavirus pandemic continues to expand and claim lives across the globe, the OECD has warned that the economic shock it has caused has already surpassed that of the financial crisis of 2007/8.With strict social distancing measures imposing an enormous cost on world economies, governments are faced with the difficult task of determining how best to design policy response with a view of saving lives and minimizing economic loss alike. Against this backdrop, former UK chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond considers the economic implications for a world that has practically ground to a halt and provide his reflections on the future of the global economy. Members Events Team Email Full Article
my Demystifying the media caricatures of Pussy Riot By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 05 Feb 2014 12:13:19 +0000 6 February 2014 , Volume 70, Number 1 Masha Gessen, Words will Break Cement: The Passion of Pussy Riot, Granta, £8.70 Sean Guillory, author of seansrussiablog.org Guillory.jpg Maria Alyokhina and Nadazhda Tolokonnikova, two members of Pussy Riot, speak with their lawyer from a glass-walled cage in a court in Moscow. Photo: AFP/Getty Images Full Article
