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By continuing to use the website, you consent to Middlebury's use of cookies and other technologies as outlined in our Privacy Policy When Leire Carbonell graduated with a degree in conference interpretation from the Middlebury Institute in 2003 her dream was to work as an interpreter at the United Nations That meant passing the United Nations’s Competitive Examinations for Language Positions (CELPs) I didn’t know how to study for this exam,” said Carbonell who now teaches Spanish interpretation at the Institute “That’s why I wanted to create a class to help my students build the experience needed to pass.” Carbonell works as a freelance interpreter for the United Nations and has also worked for the International Olympic Committee and companies such as Google and Microsoft—leveraging her specialization in interpretation for the IT field while Hofmann-Miller also worked for the German Parliament “It’s no mystery that this is one of the most challenging [translation and interpretation] programs It’s hailed as one of the best in the world,” said Anahni Harris a current student who took the workshop in January “What makes this experience so unique is all the people who have come through this Institute and formed a Middlebury family It’s a lifelong connection that you have.” Studying speeches and analyzing regional accents are part of what it takes to be a professional interpreter But when you’re aiming for the pinnacle of the profession there is far more to learn and few structured resources to help aspiring interpreters prepare Carbonell developed a special prep workshop to help students who aspired to work at the UN Middlebury Institute has had a memorandum of understanding with the UN on cooperation in the training of language professionals for 16 years This course aims to help interpreters prepare for challenging UN examinations “If you want to be a conference interpreter everybody dreams of working for the UN,” Carbonell said “The values of the UN and Middlebury Institute are very similar: to foster international peace and mutual understanding.” in-person workshop helps students learn the exam’s requirements and develop a methodical process to study Students also complete a mock exam and become familiar with the UN Charter and how the organization works The workshops usually fill up each year. Two workshops are available for those with Spanish in their language combination, and one for those with Chinese as their “A” language, or native language. Carbonell led the Spanish group while Professor Emeritus Chuanyun Bao a former staff interpreter for the UN in Geneva “This workshop was buzzing with energy and seeing the students learn from the top professionals was a real highlight,” said Bao The Institute’s translation and interpretation students nearing the end of their program can attend for free Carbonell was able to secure presentations from a number of guest speakers a librarian at the Dag Hammarskjöld Library at UN headquarters about the different resources available and how to conduct effective research the current chief of the UN’s Spanish booth at UN headquarters and a Middlebury Institute alumnus Delgado and five UN interpreters participated in this year’s course.  Workshop participant Jiahui Lin said the involvement of current UN interpreters was invaluable “Having them listen to our practice and provide feedback and suggestions was an incredible experience,” Lin said “The combination of expert guidance and hands-on training made this workshop especially rewarding.” Metrics details 1,5-Disubstituted bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes are bridged scaffolds with well-defined exit vectors that are becoming increasingly popular building blocks in medicinal chemistry because they are saturated bioisosteres of ortho-substituted phenyl rings Here we have developed a Lewis-acid-catalysed [2 + 2] photocycloaddition to obtain these motifs as enantioenriched scaffolds providing an efficient approach for their incorporation in a variety of drug analogues Retention of the biological activity of the bicyclo[2.1.1]hexane-containing analogues in the specific proteins targeted by the original drugs has confirmed the suitability of this moiety to serve as a bioisostere of ortho-substituted phenyl rings we have studied the potential of the different enantiomers of the drug analogues to selectively induce cytotoxicity in a panel of tumour cell lines observing markedly differential effects for the two enantiomers and a substantial improvement over the corresponding sp2-based drugs This showcases that the control of the absolute configuration and tridimensionality of the drug analogue has a large impact on its biological properties Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Impact of cross-coupling reactions in drug discovery and development Interactions with aromatic rings in chemical and biological recognition A systematic analysis of atomic protein–ligand interactions in the PDB Nonconjugated hydrocarbons as rigid-linear motifs: isosteres for material sciences and bioorganic and medicinal chemistry Escape from Flatland: increasing saturation as an approach to improving clinical success Saturated bioisosteres of benzene: where to go next Bioisosteres of the phenyl ring: recent strategic applications in lead optimization and drug design (S)-(+)-2-(3′-Carboxybicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl)-glycine a structurally new group I metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist 2-Oxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane as a new bioisostere of the phenyl ring Synthesis of bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane bioisosteres of internal alkynes and para-disubstituted benzenes from [1.1.1]propellane Radical multicomponent carboamination of [1.1.1]propellane Copper-mediated synthesis of drug-like bicyclopentanes Exploiting the sp2 character of bicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl radicals in the transition-metal-free multi-component difunctionalization of [1.1.1]propellane Catalytic undirected borylation of tertiary C–H bonds in bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes and bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes 1,3-Difunctionalizations of [1.1.1]propellane via 1,2-metallate rearrangements of boronate complexes Large-scale synthesis and modifications of bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (BCP) A general route to bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes through photoredox catalysis Rapid and scalable halosulfonylation of strain-release reagents Ripenko, V. et al. Light-enabled scalable synthesis of bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane halides and their functionalizations. Nat. Synth. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-024-00637-y (2024) Saturated bioisosteres of ortho-substituted benzenes 2-Oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes as saturated bioisosteres of the ortho-substituted phenyl ring 1,2-Difunctionalized bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes: long–sought-after mimetics for ortho/meta-substituted arenes Selective synthesis of 1-dialkylamino-2-alkylbicyclo-[1.1.1]pentanes Rapid access to 2‑substituted bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes An intramolecular coupling approach to alkyl bioisosteres for the synthesis of multisubstituted bicycloalkyl boronates Strain release [2π + 2σ] cycloadditions for the synthesis of bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes initiated by energy transfer A catalytic alkene insertion approach to bicyclo[2.1.1]hexane bioisosteres Pyridine-boryl radical-catalyzed [2π + 2σ] cycloaddition of bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes with alkenes Synthesis of polysubstituted 2-oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes via visible-light-induced energy transfer Catalytic formal [2π + 2σ] cycloaddition of aldehydes with bicyclobutanes: expedient access to polysubstituted 2-oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes Synthesis of meta-substituted arene bioisosteres from [3.1.1]propellane Practical and facile access to bicyclo[3.1.1]heptanes: potent bioisosteres of meta-substituted benzenes Water-soluble non-classical benzene mimetics Bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes by visible light-driven intramolecular crossed [2 + 2] photocycloadditions Selective [2σ + 2σ] cycloaddition enabled by boronyl radical catalysis: synthesis of highly substituted bicyclo[3.1.1]heptanes Photochemical intermolecular [3σ + 2σ]-cycloaddition for the construction of aminobicyclo[3.1.1]heptanes [2]-Ladderanes as isosteres for meta-substituted aromatic rings and rigidified cyclohexanes General access to cubanes as benzene bioisosteres A practical synthesis of 1,3-disubstituted cubane derivatives Photochemical formal (4 + 2)-cycloaddition of imine-substituted bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes and alkenes Skeletal editing approach to bridge-functionalized bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes from azabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes Preparation of new bicyclo[2.1.1]hexane compact modules: an opening towards novel sp3-rich chemical space Silver(I)-catalyzed synthesis of cuneanes from cubanes and their investigation as isosteres Exploring cuneanes as benzene isosteres and energetic materials: scope and mechanistic investigations into regioselective rearrangements from cubanes Multigram synthesis of dimethyl stellane-1,5-dicarboxylate as a key precursor for ortho-benzene mimics 1,2-Disubstituted bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes as saturated bioisosteres of ortho-substituted benzene Synthesis of borylated carbocycles by [2 + 2]-cycloadditions and photo-ene reactions The significance of chirality in drug design and development Three-dimensional saturated C(sp3)-rich bioisosteres for benzene (Bio)isosteres of ortho- and meta-substituted benzenes Copper-catalyzed diastereo- and enantioselective desymmetrization of cyclopropenes: synthesis of cyclopropylboronates Enantioselective synthesis of cyclobutylboronates via a copper-catalyzed desymmetrization approach Stereoselective diboration of spirocyclobutenes: a platform for the synthesis of spirocycles with orthogonal exit vectors Regioselective monoborylation of spirocyclobutenes Enantioselective Suzuki cross-coupling of 1,2-diboryl cyclopropanes (eds) Visible Light Photocatalysis in Organic Chemistry (Wiley Chiral photocatalyst structures in asymmetric photochemical synthesis Recent advances in the synthesis of cyclobutanes by olefin [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reactions (ed.) Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis Chap 3 (Wiley Chromophore activation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and its application to enantioselective photochemical reactions Asymmetric photocatalysis with bis-cyclometalated rhodium complexes Preparation of chiral-at-metal catalysts and their use in asymmetric photoredox chemistry enantioselective addition of alkyl radicals to alkenes via visible-light-activated photoredox catalysis with a chiral rhodium complex Direct visible-light-excited asymmetric Lewis acid catalysis of intermolecular [2 + 2] photocycloadditions Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of a nitrogen heterocycle through stereocontrolled direct photoreaction from electronically excited state Catalytic asymmetric dearomatization by visible-light-activated [2 + 2] photocycloaddition Asymmetric photocatalysis by intramolecular hydrogen-atom transfer in photoexcited catalyst–substrate complex Enantioselective crossed intramolecular [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reactions mediated by a chiral chelating Lewis acid The role of five-membered heterocycles in the molecular structure of antibacterial drugs used in therapy Evolutionarily conserved susceptibility of the mitochondrial respiratory chain to SDHI pesticides and its consequence on the impact of SDHIs on human cultured cells An improved assay to measure the phospholipid transfer activity of microsomal triglyceride transport protein Molecular characterisation of the interactions between olmesartan and telmisartan and the human angiotensin II AT1 receptor Nonclinical antiangiogenesis and antitumor activities of axitinib (AG-013736) and selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases 1 Longitudinal bioluminescence imaging to monitor breast tumor growth and treatment response using the chick chorioallantoic membrane model Stratification of 18F-labeled PET imaging agents for the assessment of antiangiogenic therapy responses in tumors 3D models of epithelial–mesenchymal transition in breast cancer metastasis: high-throughput screening assay development Axitinib blocks Wnt/β-catenin signaling and directs asymmetric cell division in cancer KRAS-mutant colon cancer cells respond to combined treatment of ABT263 and axitinib nilotinib and lomitapide inhibit haemozoin formation in malaria parasites Targeting PP2A with lomitapide suppresses colorectal tumorigenesis through the activation of AMPK/Beclin1-mediated autophagy is an anticancer agent that induces autophagic cell death via inhibiting mTOR Repositioning lomitapide to block ZDHHC5-dependant palmitoylation on SSTR5 leads to anti-proliferation effect in preclinical pancreatic cancer models Advances in the clinical management of uveal melanoma Download references Financial support was provided by the European Commission (ERC Consolidator Grant to M.T. and Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship to T.R. grant number 101151954) and the Spanish Ministry of Science Innovation and Universities (MICIU) and the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) (grant number PID2022-142594NB-I00 to M.T. grant number PID2022-138797OB-I00 to S.O.-G. grant numbers PID2022-139318NB-I00 and RED2022-134331-T to I.F. grant number PID2020-119352RB-I00 and PID2023-146982OB-I00 to A.S.) thanks the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) and IMDEA Nanociencia acknowledges support from the Spanish ‘Severo Ochoa’ Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (grant number CEX2020-001039-S) Perles and the Servicio Interdepartamental de Investigación of UAM (SIdI-UAM) for X-ray structure analysis Fernández (Universidad de Sevilla) for allowing us to use their HPLC equipment Silvia Ortega-Gutiérrez & Israel Fernández Center of Innovation in Advanced Chemistry (ORFEO-CINQA) Institute for Advanced Research in Chemical Sciences (IAdChem) performed the biological assays for bioisostere validation performed the cell viability studies and fluorescence-activated cell sorting experiments interpreted the data and wrote the paper with input from all authors The authors declare the following competing financial interests: T.R (IMDEA Nanociencia) are listed as inventors on EU patent application number EP24382968 which covers the synthesis of ‘sp3-analogues of axitinib and medical uses thereof’ in the paper The other authors declare no competing interests reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Crystallographic data for compound 3; CCDC reference 2286648 Crystallographic data for compound 8; CCDC reference 2286647 a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-01746-7 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology image: AI-generated representation of an accreting supermassive black hole surrounded by gas spiralling toward it along the equatorial plane (the accretion disk) and emitting powerful winds of matter as it falls in This representation is based on a NASA's artist's concept that illustrates a supermassive black hole with millions to billions times the mass of our sun In the article published today in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal new evidence suggests how supermassive black holes with masses of several billion times that of our Sun formed so rapidly in less than a billion years after the Big Bang led by researchers of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) observed in the X-rays band by the XMM-Newton and Chandra space telescopes The results suggest that the supermassive black holes at the centre of these titanic quasars may have reached their extraordinary masses through very rapid and intense accretion thus providing a plausible explanation for their existence in the early stages of the Universe Quasars are active galaxies powered by the central supermassive black holes (known as active galactic nuclei) which emit an enormous amount of energy as they attract matter They are extremely luminous and distant from us the quasars examined in this study are among the most distant objects ever observed dating back to a time when the Universe was less than a billion years old the analysis of X-ray emissions from these objects revealed an entirely unexpected behaviour of the supermassive black holes at their centres: a connection emerged between the shape of the X-ray emission and the speed of the winds of matter ejected by the quasars which can reach thousands of kilometres per second to the temperature of the gas in the corona the region that emits X-rays closest to the black hole the corona turned out to be connected to the powerful accretion mechanisms of the black hole itself and thus a lower temperature in the corona This indicates a highly rapid growth phase that exceeds a physical limit for the accretion of matter called the Eddington limit which is why this phase is called "super-Eddington." Conversely quasars with higher-energy X-ray emissions tend to exhibit slower winds "Our work suggests that the supermassive black holes at the centre of the first quasars formed within the first billion years of the Universe's life may have actually increased their mass very rapidly challenging the limits of physics," says Alessia Tortosa lead author of the study and researcher at INAF in Rome "The discovery of this connection between X-ray emission and winds is crucial for understanding how such large black holes could have formed in such a short time thus providing a concrete clue to solve one of the greatest mysteries of modern astrophysics." The result was achieved mainly by analysing data collected with the XMM-Newton space telescope of the European Space Agency (ESA) which allowed for approximately 700 hours of observations of the quasars collected between 2021 and 2023 as part of the Multi-Year XMM-Newton Heritage Programme which aims at studying hyperluminous quasars during the cosmic dawn of the Universe The extensive observation campaign was led by a team of Italian scientists and received crucial support from INAF thereby supporting cutting-edge research on the evolutionary dynamics of the early structures of the Universe we focused on two key factors: on one hand the careful selection of quasars to observe meaning those that had accumulated as much mass as possible the in-depth study of their properties in X-rays something never attempted before on such a large number of objects from the cosmic dawn," says Luca Zappacosta The results we're getting are genuinely unexpected and they all point to a super-Eddington growth mechanism of the black holes." This study provides important insights for future X-ray missions which are scheduled for launch between 2030 and 2040 the results obtained will be useful for refining the next-generation observational instruments and for defining better strategies for investigating black holes and active galactic nuclei in X-rays at more distant cosmic epochs These are key elements for understanding the formation of the first galactic structures in the primordial Universe Related journal article: “HYPERION. Shedding light on the first luminous quasars: A correlation between UV disc winds and X-ray continuum” 10.1051/0004-6361/202449662 HYPERION. Shedding light on the first luminous quasars: A correlation between UV disc winds and X-ray continuum Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system. Copyright © 2025 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) An animal shelter in the southern Catalan city of Tortosa is currently overwhelmed with dozens of wild cats and dogs. The site receives up to a dozen cats per day. The association Petjades de l'Ebre takes care of the animal shelter that currently hosts around 120 cats and dogs, and while it was first thought to be a place to welcome dogs, there are currently 81 cats. Many of these cats are sick feral animals that heavily impact the association's day-to-day operations. They mean higher costs, including more rooms dedicated to their care and frequent vet visits. "How can we control 81 cats and many more dogs with all the medication and vet visits required?" Ana Gil, vice president of the Petjades de l'Ebre group, rhetorically asked during an interview with the Catalan News Agency (ACN). "We cannot," she said as the financial support agreed with the city council "is not enough." Gil is now asking for people not to bring in more feral cats, as some of them carry a spreading virus, and most are used to living on the streets and cannot survive in enclosed areas. "It is very difficult to move forward," Gil said as "people see kittens on the streets thinking they are doing them a favor, but these cats do have a cat to look after, and the mother could probably be looking for food, and the cats then moved. She will take them to wherever they need to go." Volunteers warn that many come with a very contagious virus that increases the costs, but these are not the only problems. "The emotional damage is huge, as you have been taking care of them, cleaning their swollen eyes, administering medicine, and many more things, and some days later, they just pass away," Gil said. She warns people not to bring cats with swollen eyes to the shelter "because they will not survive." Due to the large number of cats the Petjades de l'Ebre shelter receives, it has had to set up different areas to accommodate them. Animals are divided by age and between sick and healthy ones. Some volunteers have set up cages for the cats in the corridors and in the shelter's largest room. Experts call nearby farmers to supervise their cats whenever they are pregnant, as many kittens end up in the shelter. "Where do we place them? We do not have any more space. This shelter is not planned to foster cats," Ana Gil said. The shelter has around 40 stray dogs and calls for people not to abandon animals, not even using excuses such as allergies or children moving away. Some dogs "are suffering a huge trauma," when people "have a dog, they should be aware it will be part of the family for around 16 years," Ana Gil said. "We have seen dogs crying. They are better taken off here than on the streets, that is true, but they should be in their home," she concluded. Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone v1.1.0. Copyright © 2025. Powered by EBANTIC. All rights reserved. First published: September 11, 2024 06:54 PM Latest update: September 11, 2024 07:06 PM The pro-independence demonstration that takes place every year coinciding with Catalonia's National Day took place on Wednesday in five different municipalities throughout Catalonia. According to local policies, 73,500 demonstrators took to the street on Wednesday with the aim to "taking on the streets", as the organization of the demonstration praised for this year's protest.  Here are some of the best photos of the demonstration across different cities. A demonstrator with a poster reading 'Independència' during the pro-independence demonstrator in Barcelona for Catalonia's National Day, 2024 / Jordi Borràs Exhibition promoted by the Department of Culture of the City of Rome and Azienda Speciale Palaexpo Organized by Azienda Speciale Palaexpo in collaboration wih LatitudoRealised with the support of Instituto Cervantes di Roma and Lithuanian Culture Institute has reached significant milestones in economic and social development amidst deeper international integration said Vice President of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) Jesús Germán Faría Tortosa January 28 (VNA) - Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Vietnam has achieved remarkable accomplishments continuously advancing and enhancing its position on the international stage In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s correspondents in Latin America on the occasion of the CPV's 95th founding anniversary Tortosa said throughout Vietnam’s journey of national liberation and nation building the CPV has effectively inherited and promoted the legacy of President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology This has propelled Vietnam from a war-torn nation to one of continuous progress and growth Economic growth has been steadily maintained while social welfare policies continue to ensure and meet the basic needs of the people To advance further on the journey of successfully building socialism he suggested intensifying efforts to address challenges such as bureaucracy and improving the management of resources for development The CPV’s efforts in introducing reforms and improving state management efficiency have not only bolstered public trust but also strengthened the nation’s internal capacity is a clear reflection of the Party's determination and political leadership in overcoming the challenges of the new development phase Regarding the 14th National Party Congress he said he hopes the congress will continue to make decisions aligned with the country's practical realities tackling challenges in the next phase of development He said he believes this will contribute to Vietnam’s continued strong growth in the new era Vietnam is increasingly asserting its position on the global stage and serves as a model for countries like Venezuela to learn from Vietnam is well prepared to navigate all challenges and build a prosperous future in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant Venezuelan agencies organised a ceremony on December 9 in Caracas to celebrate the 35th founding anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two nations (December 18 The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency Stressing the importance of cooperation between the Senate of Kazakhstan and Vietnam’s National Assembly the two leaders agreed to promote collaboration increase delegation exchanges via parliamentary channels Party General Secretary To Lam praised the Vietnamese community in Kazakhstan for their integration into the local society as well as their solidarity and efforts to preserve the national identity Vietnam always values Sri Lanka’s invaluable support during its past struggle for national independence as well as in its ongoing renewal and international integration the full draft resolution on the supplementations and amendments to some articles of the 2013 Constitution and accompanying documents will be publicised for public comment Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was present at the airport to welcome the Vietnamese leader and delegation Sri Lanka regards Vietnam as a source of inspiration and encouragement in its own quest for progress and recovery Leaders of Vietnam and Sri Lanka discussed and agreed on key directions to uplift bilateral relations to the next level during the state visit to Vietnam by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka on May 4-6 Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka expressed his belief that the steadfast friendship and enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and Vietnam will pave the way for a brighter future for both nations The decision paves the way for the streamlining of the political system's organisational apparatus with revisions focusing on the role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front The Cambodian official highlighted the pride of marching alongside forces from Vietnam marking the first time a Vietnamese-hosted parade featured foreign troops – a meaningful gesture in today’s global challenges The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency Party General Secretary To Lam said that this session is addressing numerous crucial issues he stressed that any constitutional amendments must strictly adhere to legal procedures and ensure broad public consultation Vietnam actively participates in international forums and supports the universalisation of the convention Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said Legislators will look into and adopt a resolution amending and supplementing several articles to the Constitution 2013 describing this a strategic task of both political and legal significance to institutionalise the Party’s major policies especially the reorganisation of the state apparatus towards a streamlined and efficient structure that is closer to the people and more responsive to reality Noting that Vietnam and Sri Lanka still have great potential in economic the two leaders vowed to take stronger measures to increase two-way trade and investment aiming for bilateral trade turnover of 1 billion USD and considering the possibility of negotiating and signing a bilateral free trade agreement when conditions permit PM Chinh reiterated the 2025 target of 8% GDP growth an economic size exceeding 500 billion USD Participants reviewed the historical significance of April 30 1975 - a pivotal turning point marking the complete victory of the Vietnamese nation in the cause of national liberation and reunification as well as a shared triumph of progressive humanity for justice and the right to self-determination of peoples worldwide President Cuong thanked Sri Lanka for supporting Vietnam in the past struggle for national independence and for cooperating closely with Vietnam in the current process of national construction The visits serve as additional important steps to implement the foreign policy of independence multilateralisation and diversification of external relations identified at the 13th National Party Congress 2008 by the Ministry of Information and Communications Email: vietnamplus@vnanet.vn Reproduction in any form is prohibited without written consent ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT has impressed tennis fans around the world throughout his career The Spaniard is prepping for the 2024 French Open where he will have the support of his wife Ana Bodi Tortosa The Spanish beauty is a rather private person Ana Bodi Tortosa is reportedly from Burriana - a town in the east of Spain While she was also a former beauty queen pageant star in her hometown she really has turn to a life under the radar as her Instagram page is set to private Ana now spends the majority of her time supporting her husband's tennis career as it takes them around the world The pair met when they were teenagers and will tied the knot on November 30 The wedding came after a personal time for Bautista Agut as less than a fortnight before The travel also was good for me and for my mind As I worked a lot during all my life to be where I am I think that’s why I have kept fighting hard Bautista Agut returned to action days after the funeral, as he told Gulf News: "What I can say is what I have passed has been very difficult for me. "I won’t say anything in particular to another person or another player having the same situation. I cannot say anything. Everyone has to think on what he’s doing. "In my case, the tennis helped me a lot to escape everything at home, while trying to keep my mind on my job. "The travel also was good for me and for my mind. As I worked a lot during all my life to be where I am, I didn’t want to stop the development, to stop my tennis career. I think that’s why I have kept fighting hard." Bautista Agut had to miss his stag do before the wedding due to competing in Wimbledon at the time. Being due to head to Ibiza, he said at the time :"I had planned to be in Ibiza right now. "We had everything organised already. My friends, six of them, are all there. "It feels better to be here in London." The tennis star later revealed that his friends met him in London to celebrate instead. The couple's first child, a boy named Roberto, was born in September 2020. Bautista Agut revealed that his wife was expecting their first child when they were locked down due to coronavirus. He took to his Instagram page to tell his followers the exciting news. He said at the time: "She is pregnant and our son will be born in September if all goes well, by the end of the US Open or early Roland Garros. "The doctors have told us not to go to the hospital at the moment and that we will have time to follow up." Please check entered address and try again or go to homepage The region is also well-known for its gastronomy that includes the world-famous bomba rice grown in the Delta and  the renowned garnatxa wines and olive oils from the higher lands of the Terra Alta Its unique location also allows one to enjoy the freshest seafood in towns like Sant Carles de la Ràpita that offer tourists plenty to see before sitting down and sampling the local cuisine Through the Healthy Tourism Lab program, Airbnb will be collaborating with the Tortosa City Hall to develop a set of interventions with the city and the neighboring region, aiming to help open new economic prospects for the local community and governments. Taking the learnings from the Healthy Destinations Lab in Igualada the Tortosa program will consist of a series of workshops and events with Airbnb hosts entrepreneurs and the public administrations of the region The program will also include a co-creation workshop to allow local stakeholders to propose ideas that will feed the development of a city and regional tourism strategy Attendees will have the opportunity to debate the tourism model they want for their region and create experiences that leverage their knowledge and passions As part of our commitment to the region of Terres de l’Ebre, Airbnb will also collaborate for the third consecutive year with Terres Festival an event that aligns with the region’s sustainable destination orientation Igualada served as a test to generate a number of ideas to support a public-private model to promote healthy tourism that benefits everyone. This project allowed Airbnb to develop a methodology to promote healthy tourism in new destinations, which resulted in the White Paper on New Sustainable Tourism Destinations.  “Airbnb has worked with more than 500 governments and regions around the world We are proud now to work with communities in Tortosa and democratize the benefits of tourism we are providing digital tools in favor of a type of tourism that doesn’t need big infrastructures but instead leverages and optimizes the existing one promoting entrepreneurship at all levels.” Territory Manager of Airbnb Marketing Services spoke against the campaign to discredit and stigmatize his country for challenging neoliberal globalization and its opposition to the modern version of colonialization.  The aim of this campaign is to create political and economic conditions which prevent alternatives to capitalism’s imperialist and predatory system.  Accused of being a dictatorship and a failed State Venezuela has experienced attempts to destabilize its democracy including assassination seditious movements and a parallel government 913 sanctions and the theft of its foreign assets.  Denouncing the sanctions as crimes against humanity he proclaimed they “have never been able to break the will of our people”.  Such acts of piracy have left a deep wound.  While political propaganda points to forced migration as an example he noted that 60 per cent of Venezuela’s migrants return voluntarily because of exploitation mistreatment and persecution in other countries.  Urging accountability over the “millions of resources that were supposed to be there to help Venezuelan migrants” he called upon multilateral organizations to guarantee the rights of all migrants around the world and warned all of the outbreak of xenophobia Instead of surrendering to the conditions imposed upon its people Venezuela is working towards social peace and has implemented an economic plan to open up new sources of wealth through tourism entrepreneurship and farming development.  Expressing concern over the impact of various global conflicts on food security he shared his country’s stance that the only way to overcome global hunger and poverty is through a return to sustainable agriculture.  Venezuela will help other countries and as an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member wants to assist in the current energy emergency Listen to and download the full statement in mp3 format UN PhotoPrevious sessionsAccess the statements from previous sessions designed to be exhibited within the historic center of tortosa as part of the 2020 ‘cel obert’ local festival the structure plays with natural tendencies and fragile equilibrium to poetically represent the moment that a wall caves in all images by antonio bouzas the site chosen by the festival is the old church of dolors, in the historic center of tortosa. destroyed during the spanish civil war, its monumental arcades, the six side-chapels, and the main entrance in ruins coexist in a unique public space. martillo neumático‘s ‘collapse’ refers to this very condition of ruins representing a material gesture that seeks to freeze a specific instant: the breaking down of a wall ‘collapse’ is a peculiar moment in matter transformation the installation presented as a fragile equilibrium freezes that precise instant an inclined plane where heavy becomes light and transitory turns stable a moment suspended in time that means to reveal the poetics of balance the wall is made from dunnage airbags usually used to secure loads in transport containers the production starts from an overlay of ten rows sewn in the workshop formed by an irregular bonding the design dismisses the traditional form of building masonry walls by adding pieces the installation was forced to collapse in a public event that announced the festival coming to an end the tensions accumulated are released in an action that breaks the frozen image of the wall.  name: collapse designer: martillo neumático carried out by: roman sost jerome lorente and iñigo barrón together with javier gutierrez and ines miño designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom happening now! partnering with antonio citterio, AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function, but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style, context, and personal expression. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Welcome! We hope that you enjoy our free content. Thank you for signing in! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code. For Dr. Rich Tortosa and his wife Beth, relocating to Nevada County had long been a dream: The pine trees, the hiking trails, the arts – all of it appealed to them. But what really… For Dr. Rich Tortosa and his wife Beth, relocating to Nevada County had long been a dream: The pine trees, the hiking trails, the arts – all of it appealed to them. But what really convinced them that this was the place for them was the people. “For nearly 30 years, I was practicing in Yuba City,” Dr. Tortosa recalls. “I saw patients from all over – Placer County, Yuba County, Sutter County… I found that the people from Nevada County were particularly interesting. They were artisans, musicians, very intelligent and accomplished. It intrigued me.” Dr. Tortosa found that those same qualities that made the Nevada County residents interesting also made them good patients. In fact, Dr. Tortosa says that by the time he left Yuba City last year, more than 30 percent of his patients were from Nevada County. “They were always really easy to care for,” he says. “Responsible with their health and motivated to get back to their lifestyle.” Last June, Dr. Tortosa and his wife made the move and joined the Nevada County lifestyle. In addition to enjoying the people and the trees and the hiking, he’s also enjoying practicing medicine, closer to the population he felt so connected to. Dr. Tortosa is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the upper extremities, specifically the shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. After graduating from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, he completed his specialty training and fellowship at the University of California – San Francisco. While living in Yuba City, Dr. Tortosa also served as clinical faculty at UC Davis for 23 years. In addition to the people, he says what drew him to practice his specialty in Nevada County is the abundance of resources and support. “There is a real team approach to orthopedics here, from diagnostics to imaging to surgery and rehab,” he explains. “A very important aspect of that team approach is Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital’s commitment to having several hand therapists on staff in their rehabilitation center.” Hand therapy is a subset of occupational and/or physical therapy, requiring additional training. Dr. Tortosa says for many of his patients, therapy is the only treatment they will need. For others, therapy is a critical part of their recovery following surgery. Carpal tunnel syndrome – a painful compression of a nerve in the wrist – is commonly treated by hand therapists and is also one of the most common hand conditions Dr. Tortosa sees. In fact, he says carpal tunnel surgery is the most common surgical procedure a hand specialist will perform. Dr. Tortosa also treats many patients for arthritis; in particular, arthritis involving the thumb. “Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the bone wears out,” he explains. “As we age, it becomes increasingly common, especially in the hands. In fact, 50 to 60 percent of women over the age of 70 will experience osteoarthritis at the base of their thumb.” Osteoarthritis of the hands can be treated with splinting, medication, injections or, for advanced cases, reconstructive surgery, a procedure Dr. Tortosa has performed hundreds of times in his career. While Dr. Tortosa sees a lot of patients who enjoy Nevada County as part of retirement, he also sees patients injured while enjoying the outdoor activities the region offers. “The interesting thing about being an orthopedist in this area is that you have both ends of the spectrum,” Dr. Tortosa explains. “On one end, you have the retired population who are now facing overuse or age-related conditions, and on the other end you have younger adults who are enjoying the outdoors and may experience trauma due to high risk activities.” For those traumatic type injuries, Dr. Tortosa says he is more likely to see fractures (especially of the wrist, elbow or shoulder) as well as ligament damage. Often the prescription is the same – surgery and/or rehab. He says he understands the lure of the riskier outdoor pursuits. “The outdoor lifestyle here is great – I enjoy mountain biking myself!” Dr. Tortosa says he and his wife have settled into their new community nicely, due in large part to the people who drew them here in the first place. “We’re enjoying ourselves,” he says. “We’ve made friends, have dinner with the neighbors, gone fly fishing. It’s amazing to have these beautiful pine trees that keep us cool and to have hiking trails 200 feet outside our front door. This community is really blessed.” Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The largest Francoist monument in Catalonia will not be dismantled until next summer The monument, standing in the middle of the river in the southern Catalan town of Tortosa, was supposed to be removed last summer, but a late court order halted proceedings.  Catalonia’s justice minister does not believe that those open appeals will be resolved soon which is why removing the monument this summer seems highly unlikely The monument commemorates those who died in the Battle of the Ebre one of the biggest and most significant battles of the Spanish civil war which ended in a victory for Franco’s nationalist forces and was erected in 1966 during the fascist dictatorship The dismantling of the structure was set to get underway last July when the conditions of the river made it easier to install the necessary machinery.  Whether the court rules in favor of removing the monument or whether it will be necessary to wait for the new law of democratic memory to protect it its dismantling will be delayed for at least another year.  Justice minister Lourdes Ciuró described the delay as "unjustifiable." However the department is ready to begin work on removing the structure as soon as it can continue the procedure.  Following an appeal in the summer of 2021 brought forth by the Collective for the Reinterpretation of the Monument of the Battle of Ebre (Corembe) the scheduled dismantlement of the Francoist Tortosa monument was halted “It is a victory for common sense and for doing things the right way,” the group’s spokesperson The dismantling was set to start on July 18 authorities had been surveying the area since June 2 in order to begin works.  Works could have even possibly started earlier than expected as the justice minister had suggested prior to the planned start date Because Corembe was concerned about the presence of construction machinery and Ciuró’s words it filed a petition for the operation to be stopped stated last year following the court ruling that Francoism should not be normalized and that taking down the monument would dignify the victims of the Battle of the Ebre.  The monolith was inaugurated in 1966 by Spain’s fascist dictator to pay homage to the fallen of the Battle of the Ebre Tens of thousands of people died in what became a major Republican defeat in the Spanish Civil War.  many wish to take down the Franco-era monument although others wish to “reinterpret” the structure as it is part of Tortosa’s history and also because they believe “it can be associated with other concepts everyone can get behind.” a city on the banks of the River Ebro in Catalonia is crammed with important historic sites ranging from 2,000-year-old structures to artifacts of the late 20th century One of the most obscure of these “newer” finds is tucked away on a sharp corner of the road leading up to the Castel de la Suda you’ll spot the remains of Tortosa’s coal gas manufacturing industry It worked by heating coal without air to produce coal gas (a toxic mix of carbon monoxide and hydrogen) which was first used for street gas lighting and later remarkably—and perhaps dangerously—pumped into people’s homes for lighting After non-toxic natural gas options became available in Tortosa in the late 20th century Most of it was demolished in 1983 to make room for a local school one small part was left standing as a memorial to this piece of scientific and social history water-sealed gas holder (which is actually tiny by modern standards) The framework can be seen complete with the typical (of the time) counterweight system used to lift the top section of the gas holder to allow gas to fill the telescopically expanding tank without exerting excessive pressure the remains of the gas holder have great artistic value It’s made of attractive 19th century ironwork and around it the authorities have created a delightful little park-like setting which sits gently at the foot of the walls of Tortosa’s imposing castle The gas holder remains could easily be mistaken for an elaborate pergola It’s a lovely memorial to a bygone piece of most modern histories It’s not clear whether this framework is in its original location but a number of photographs from the 1940s and 1950s seem to indicate that it has been moved The remains of a massive blast furnace in what was once one of the country's largest iron-producing regions This chimney is the oldest free standing industrial chimney in Britain The ruins of a military-industrial complex now host concerts and more the world's tallest solar tower looks like a sight straight out of science fiction The 19th-century ruins hide deep in an overgrown forest The remnants of a 19th-century ironmaking complex hidden in the woods of Connecticut The decommissioned station is now a museum packed with antiquated hydroelectricity artifacts is the latest recipient of the STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM) Young Investigator Award The award fosters advancements in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine by honoring a young researcher who is the principal author of an article published in SCTM that a research assistant in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Lund University (Sweden) was awarded the prize for her work on induced pluripotent stem cell-derived progenitors for cell therapy in ischemic stroke About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM) is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS, celebrating its 39th year, is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF): The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit honouring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards 10.1002/sctm.20-0134 are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system a comprehensive look at the agony of building a business If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy Fast forward four years, and Tortosa is set to open Robin a firmly untraditional omakase restaurant in Hayes Valley Throughout the nearly two-year opening process from sitting in on meetings to filming the construction of the restaurant sharing the price of everything from public relations to the (very expensive) plates on the tables The result is a deep dive into what it really takes — financially and emotionally — to open a restaurant in a major city like San Francisco Tortosa nearly left restaurants altogether The experience prompted a six-month depression instead spending that entire stretch of time obsessing over what went wrong to show that I had some technique or skill and that I belonged here that’s the personality I adapted in the kitchen I was probably a piece of shit to be around,” Tortosa recounts Eventually, he came to the conclusion — with the help of some anti-depression medication and a newfound belief in meditation — that he wanted to try again. So Tortosa fell back on his sushi training from Los Angeles’ master sushi chef Katsuya Uechi and worked behind the bar at Akiko’s for two years while rebuilding his confidence the itch to be in charge of his own place returned But if I left — if I just went back to Los Angeles — I would lose this round,” he says Unlike many of the omakase restaurants in SF (Omakase, Kusakabe, Sasaki) Robin’s sushi sharply veers away from what’s found in Japan Tortosa tops his nigiri with unexpected ingredients straight from the farmers market like Cara Cara oranges or confited tomato — ingredients that make more sense considering his California roots For the past year and a half Tortosa has painstakingly built his personal pipe dream — and it took a hell of a lot more than hopes and wishes His team constructed the space from scratch Want a real answer to what it takes to open and run a restaurant complete with the hard numbers that typically stay out of public view Tortosa needed to go out and woo some sugar mamas and daddies this turned out to include his actual mom and dad who along with some other family members and friends contributed about half of the $600,000 he raised While Tortosa is certainly very passionate, operational execution is not always his strong suit, something evidenced by the debacle of his restaurant’s name. Originally, he chose The Sparrow after a Japanese proverb about friendship and greed and quickly got to work with graphic designer Jordan Ma to create the above logo It only occurred to Tortosa after work was underway that a restaurant already existed by that name in San Francisco By then he was very attached to the bird branding After telling his lawyer last winter that was the new name he wanted, he announced the restaurant as such to the public Starling Bar in Sonoma sent Tortosa a cease-and-desist on that name Tortosa thought his lawyer was filing the legal documents necessary to claim the name while his lawyer thought Tortosa was doing the same Tortosa spent hours researching bird-related words Eventually he remembered his mother’s middle name is Robin Tortosa had to go the traditional route of raising money from outside investors It’s a skill that relies heavily on salesmanship and he found it incredibly uncomfortable to ask people he knew for upwards of $50,000 like self-promotion and taking compliments.” “I can’t.” Talk to him about the restaurant industry or what he’s learned in his career or his beliefs and you’ll get very thoughtful — if expletive-filled — answers Others he’s worked with during this process are quick with compliments like “sweet,” “talented,” and “creative,” but he has trouble even acknowledging them It’s something he’s working on with a therapist he had an offer on the table from someone willing to give the entire $600,000 in return for half-ownership of the restaurant It would have completely solved his money issues “Obviously that amount of money is very important but I have to really trust that person,” he says “I have to trust that they’re not going to cause more problems than essentially the amount of money they give me If every investor brings a lot of headache So rather than give up that kind of control Tortosa instead turned to past customers from Katsuya in Los Angeles and Akiko’s here in San Francisco Investors gave money in $50,000 increments the hard truth is they will not get their money back the investors stand to profit for as long as Robin is open — after they’ve recouped their investment 100 percent of profits go to them — a common financial arrangement for first-time restaurants like Robin those investors still collectively own 25 percent of the restaurant and thus will continue to get 25 percent of the profits in perpetuity If financial projections go according to plan investors will have their money back in under three years The arrangement weighs heavily on Tortosa’s mind and comes up often when people ask about his goals for the restaurant “My first priority is getting people this money back and they put a lot of trust into me with that money,” he says “As much fun and everything that a restaurant is and how everyone’s like an ‘artist’ and all that shit Negotiated into the lease were what is called tenant improvement or “TI” kickbacks a bonus that sometimes comes with newer spaces the landlord would cover anything that Tortosa paid for that was an improvement to the building itself — meaning he couldn’t take it away with him if Robin moved or closed Since Robin was an empty box when Tortosa got in there collecting $100,000 from his landlord to offset the expense When he made sushi for Steele in November of 2015 So he took a chance and Googled Steele’s email address to reach out I didn’t know what to do next,” Tortosa says ‘This guy has to know what the fuck he’s doing Turns out Tortosa was contacting Steele at the perfect time: He and business partner David White were building a consulting portion of Ne Timeas and Urban Putt have all paid White and Steele to consult on their projects Although the Ne Timeas name isn’t well-known to people outside the industry the group has quietly helped shape a significant part of the San Francisco dining scene in the last decade “The food at Akiko’s is terrific,” says Steele “And my understanding as I sat there is they give the chefs a lot of creative freedom Maybe he didn’t have the reputation for being the sweetest guy when he was there but he’s just been a pleasure to work with.” Steele and White guided Tortosa through sharpening a business plan and connecting him with everyone that helps a restaurant come together: a realtor Tortosa has upwards of five hundred emails from Steele alone in his inbox “I call it the process of demystification,” says Steele We have no involvement in the creativity of this But one of the most important things we do for our clients is the investor deck It’s so critical to create an attractive document that gives the impression to anyone who reads it that the person creating this restaurant has their shit together which means one has to actually have their shit together and think through everything this restaurant is going to be Their services for this particular project cost $25,000 up-front — plus a future percentage of profits for seven years Steele notes that each project has different time requirements The other part of Ne Timeas’ involvement — the less quantifiable part — is the sense of confidence that an established company with a successful track record lends a project with a lot more time and mistakes and money The amount of time I spent with either of the Davids is insane.” With investors secured and a solid business plan in place Headlines love to tout San Francisco as having the most expensive rents in America — an obvious challenge for restaurants across the city So Tortosa took his time finding the right location He was targeting the Tenderloin-Nob Hill area or Hayes Valley “I wanted a space where we would fit into a community of other businesses I don’t look at other restaurants as competition It’s more like an ecosystem — all of a sudden because it’s all of these restaurants and bars together,” he says but it’s another story to actually find this Out of a dozen locations he saw (“They were such shitboxes,” he says) only one space — a ground-floor storefront in a brand-new micro-unit building in Hayes Valley — stood out But there was already a letter of intent on it meaning that another prospective restaurant owner had put in a bid wherein the tenant pays all real estate taxes and maintenance on the property in addition to rent and utilities He put down a three-month security deposit and first month’s rent Written into his contract was a bonus six-month reprieve from rent for the build-out Tortosa planned to be open by the time rent kicked in But this is San Francisco and ubiquitous permitting delays shoved Robin another six months down the line Which means Tortosa also had to pay $48,000 rent before he ever opened The remaining $4,269 in this category went toward utilities over the year he’s had the space Since Robin was in a completely new building, Tortosa could construct it any way he wanted. Of course, he had no idea how to do that. So he turned once again to Steele and White, who put him in touch with a few architects, including Todd Davis who built his company working on residential projects he’s not a numbers guy and runs almost entirely on feeling It also helped that Davis wanted to break into restaurant design settling on $25,000 to draw up the plan and push through the permitting and it was one of those experiences where you’re like “There are a lot of fakers in San Francisco but that meal was one of those food experiences that inspired me even more to make it with this project.” Davis spent the majority of his time either dealing with the city to get permit approvals or working on the design of the space He connected Tortosa with the slatemaker who created the custom slate-top sushi bar which lies just a few inches higher than the wood bar where guests sit “The sushi cases are built down into the bar so there is nothing blocking the view of chefs making the sushi It’s one-of-a-kind like that where they can set up their stuff and they’re making the sushi right in front of you,” Davis says It’s one of the elements of the design he’s most proud of The other $9,500 in this category went to mechanical, engineering, and plumbing design, which another company handled. This comprised the gritty details like heating, ventilation, air conditioning lines, and an air-flow system. Once the company decided the best places for things like California-compliant Title 24 lights and water drains Tortosa was working on Robin during the day and still slinging sushi at Akiko’s by night Dealing with the city’s Department of Building Inspection is the bane of every restaurateur’s existence It’s why almost every SF restaurant is delayed for months on end Once all the architectural and system plans are in place the city’s planning department has to approve them before construction can start This is the point of the process where most restaurants get delayed This restaurant had an especially complicated procedure since the space was originally approved as a retail location That means on top of regular restaurant permits Robin needed a dreaded change-of-use approval Approvals dragged on for months and included steep fees: A fire department permit worker told Tortosa that it would take him two to four weeks to even look at Robin’s paperwork — or for $536 ($134 per hour of overtime with a four-hour minimum) Tortosa could pay for him to look at it right now But that was just the fire department permit there were 14 subsequent (not simultaneous) permit stops: planning One stop in the chain of approval took anywhere from one day all the way up to six weeks The process was especially long if a permitter requested a change to plans because the approver needs to see the fix before signing off on it Then there are ridiculous things like this: One permitter would not approve plans because the font Robin used on the paperwork was too small She requested that it be 1/8 of an inch or larger before she would even read it Davis biked down to the planning department almost daily while Tortosa followed up with each department via email practically begging the process to move forward “One city worker forgot to drop our plans in the correct health bin and instead it sat on the corner of his desk for a week Who knows how long it would have been there if I didn’t ask That one week of a complete waste of time cost me about $2,000 in rent alone,” Tortosa says some restaurants will pay companies that specialize in permit expedition decide to get professional help with the alcoholic beverage control (ABC) permit By paying a company $5,000 to secure his beer-and-wine license Tortosa was able to skip the work himself of that particularly involved process which includes minutiae like mailing notices to every single resident within 500 feet of the restaurant Tortosa left Akiko’s to focus full-time on Robin since permits took so much longer than anticipated So Tortosa planned a last-minute Japan research trip where he traveled the country for two weeks just eating along the way 2016 — pretty much the day he had hoped to open to the public and nine months after the permit process started — Tortosa got the official green light from the city of San Francisco for construction to start Because Tortosa chose a brand-new building that had never been occupied The upside is that he was able to create his dream space from scratch The downside: That it cost him much more time and money Tortosa gathered three bids from Bay Area construction companies which at $170,000 — $230,000 less than his most expensive bid — would require a heavy amount of project management from him Tortosa budgeted $225,000 with a $25,000 contingency he was able to go above budget on other things created the layout of the kitchen and sushi bar with a professional focus on what makes the most sense operationally for things like sink placement and refrigeration That company then put together an equipment list and sent it out to different companies to bid which covered big items like refrigerators and the sushi cases Even with a limited kitchen — Robin does not have any hoods which saved Tortosa about $30,000 — kitchen design and equipment still managed to be one of the largest expenses The costs on top of the bid include things like the required horn strobes for the fire alarms ($2,800) and eco-grip flooring for the kitchen and behind the sushi bar ($12,000) especially since he wasn’t working at Akiko’s anymore He catered some private dinners while figuring out final design details but he spent the majority of his time trying to ensure he was as mentally strong as possible Just trying to get my personal life in order I knew that I was about to walk into a very stressful project,” he says Tortosa tries to meditate for at least 20 minutes a day He even attended a meditation seminar at one point he wants to avoid an unproductive kitchen dynamic this time around “Obviously that situation was very difficult for me I treated a lot of people not well,” he says “I was very excited when the chairs came and then everyone I showed them to hated them “I’ve known what I wanted Robin to look like from before day one So when people would just see little aspects of it ‘It doesn’t make sense or doesn’t go.’ But then when people saw them in the space Tortosa’s outlook has vacillated between confident and insecure he has stayed consistently certain of his vision He’s open to any and all suggestions from us and other people who he respects,” Steele says “But at the same time he puts his foot down when he feels strongly about something Nine thousand dollars backed point of sale devices and a music setup — from which rap and old-school hip hop will blare “Most high-end sushi places right now have a very temple-like environment It’s not the most fun environment and kind of intimidating,” Tortosa says “I really want Robin to have personality and soul The most important part is that the guest has fun but I’d rather them feel something than just be like The rest of the money in this category went toward service stations The design of Robin kept Tortosa up at night. He spent countless hours scouring the Internet and creating Pinterest boards to communicate his ideas “A lot of people are going to hate the design But the feeling of the restaurant is so important to me and I wanted to be 100 percent involved in every aspect,” he says The result is bold and moody — distinctly unlike the industrial There’s a showy coral- and black-tile backdrop for the alder wood bar custom-painted walls with thick rose gold resin drips flowing down which is as bright and colorful as the main room is dark saturated walls and a penny tile floor that Tortosa and his parents spent hours making together Tortosa sourced from almost exclusively California artisans using local goods for all design elements. Bay Area decorative artist Caroline Lizarraga has worked on restaurants like Nightbird “It was quite contagious to get excited with Adam about Robin A lot of restaurants are worried about making it so they don’t want to be risk-takers,” Lizarraga says He also trusted my work and wanted me to express myself I think it will be a breath of fresh air for San Francisco.” Lizarraga hand-poured the rose gold resin that drips down the main room walls, a technique she has never used with this medium before. Hanging on those walls will be Ferris Plock’s character-based custom artwork, which combines contemporary pop culture with the aesthetic of Japanese ukiyo-e a deranged Donald Duck head sits on a kabuki-style body of which the top ticket item was the aforementioned $14,500 slate bar for the sushi chefs to work on Then there are the smallwares like plates, glasses, and cutlery. One wooden spoon cost $4. Each custom Japanese-made hinoki cypress chopstick was $5. A wine glass, imported from Gabriel Glas, was $35. A single small bowl, one of 412 custom ceramic pieces from Jered’s Pottery in the East Bay Jered’s is the Bay Area’s go-to fancy ceramicist whose work is also in Mister Jiu’s Tortosa spent a ton of time with its owner Jered Nelson traveling to his Richmond workshop upwards of 15 times “I would tell him what I liked and didn’t like and then I would go snoop around his shop and pick other glazes or designs,” Tortosa elaborates The two talked a lot about the functionality of some of the pieces Tortosa wanted since Nelson had never made a chopstick rest or oshibori (wet towel) holder before One of the most unique pieces from Nelson is a white ceramic hand (pictured above) on which Tortosa will serve some pieces of nigiri It’s inspired by an influential experience from one of his trips to Japan where the chef served sushi directly into diners’ hands In a saturated market like San Francisco, restaurants need more than just great food in a nice room — they benefit from a cohesive look to tie the web presence together with the physical space. Graphic designer Jordan Ma created Robin’s brand, drew the logo Tortosa became so attached to, built the website Ma says he was inspired by pairing Japanese minimalism and elegance with a younger Conveying all this information to the media and public is Magnum PR “based on the vibes” he got from owner Jen Pelka Magnum also represents major city restaurants such as Mister Jiu’s Magnum has already started sending out press releases and invitations to media (including Eater) and influencer dinners which will undoubtedly sway the way Robin is portrayed to the public in the weeks to come There are many mundane elements of opening a restaurant Tortosa has brought on consulting manager Michael Huffman (Aatxe) and beverage director Anna Nguyen (Liholiho Yacht Club) Tortosa will provide health insurance for any employees who work over 30 hours a week and opt in Through human resources app Gusto — which also handles all of his payroll and onboarding — Tortosa chose the Kaiser Permanente Platinum Plan in which he will cover 75 percent of the fees “It signifies that we care about the people who work here,” he says as to why he wanted to provide this benefit But it’s also more personal than that for him “I’m sure some of my co-workers have been depressed at some point but it’s not something that you talk about Unfortunately that’s not what young males or people in general do in the kitchen.” Chefs are slowly coming forward to discuss mental illness in the restaurant industry and Tortosa wants to continue that momentum Providing health insurance for his employees is one way to do just that Clockwise: A fried nori chip topped with A5 beef tartare and togarashiSesame noodles with black truffles and black and white sesame seedsSanta Barbara uni with a shiro dashi-emulsified egg yolk and soyCanary rockfish being seared on a Japanese binchotan “I’m not really worried about the food being good,” Tortosa says in his typical effusive way But a wave of omakase restaurants has flooded San Francisco within the last year He hopes his food is different enough to both fit well into the existing sushi scene “There’s already a lot of good sushi in San Francisco Every omakase restaurant has its own unique perspective and so do I,” he says “Growing up in California and not being Japanese The majority of his product comes from five purveyors: three local companies “The restaurant is not going to be for everyone Some people want a place that serves 50 different types of rolls But someone who enjoys good fish will like it here because all we have is a ton of good fish,” Tortosa says “It’s not like we’re bastardizing the fish and covering it with mayo We’re just taking good fish and elevating it a little bit differently.” including the complimentary friends and family practice dinners taking place this week Tortosa will purchase $26,000 worth of food Needless to say, food is not solely what diners pay for when they go out to eat. Rather, it’s all of the above — not to mention the costs that kick in once a restaurant opens, such as increased labor, higher insurance fees, reservation services, flowers, cleaning, taxes, and so much more. This is often why the price of an avocado toast or an entire omakase can feel cringeworthy Tortosa has about $50,000 set aside to get him through the first few months his financial projections have Robin hopefully making $1.8 million in total sales in the first year That accounts for losing money the first month and then slowly increasing profits month by month there will be a seven percent profit — just $135,000 — in the first year all of which will go straight to investors $701,095 and an unquantifiable amount of time and stress later “I’m nervous about everything that could ever go wrong Like what if no one comes to the restaurant,” Tortosa says “So many great restaurants fail for so many reasons It’s so close [to opening] and there’s still a lot of shit to get done.” He’s spending his final days before opening curing fish and trying to meditate as much as possible but I base my self-worth off the success of my job you dedicate so much time and effort to something that doesn’t pay you that well There are not that many redeeming qualities on that end So success is what matters to me,” Tortosa says More than hope — I’m not leaving it up to hope as the Apostolic Nunciature notified the Spanish Episcopal Conference The Bishop-elect will take up his position on Saturday 9 September 2023 He was named Auxiliary Bishop of Barcelona on 19 June 2017 and his episcopal ordination was held on 9 September 2017 at the Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona He has also been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2015 The Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Família Board of Trustees would like to congratulate Mons Sergi Gordo Rodríguez on his appointment as the new Bishop of Tortosa We use our own and third-party cookies to improve this website as well as collect and analyze access data By clicking on 'OK' you accept the use of your data for these purposes You can modify this consent whenever you wish.