Category: Education

MIL-OSI Global: Mickey 17: this absurdist, dystopian clone drama is highly entertaining – despite its flaws

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sean Seeger, Senior Lecturer, Department of Literature Film and Theatre Studies (LiFTS), University of Essex

Written, directed and co-produced by Bong Joon-ho, Mickey 17 is another exciting, discussion-worthy film from the acclaimed Korean director. For fans of his previous work, such as Oscar-winner Parasite (2019), it’s well worth seeing – even though the film is not without wrinkles.

Like Bong’s earlier films, Mickey 17 combines artful world-building, an impeccable cast, social satire, anarchic humour and a taste for the grotesque (a shot of a severed hand floating past the porthole of a spacecraft’s cafeteria lingers in the mind).

It’s a measure of Bong’s success to date that, as well as granting him full editorial control of the film, Warner Brothers reportedly provided a budget of US$120 million (£93 million). It’s a large sum by current Hollywood standards, though still only half that of mega productions like Avatar (£185 million) and The Dark Knight Rises (£195 million).

Set in 2054, Mickey 17 follows a mission to establish a human settlement on an inhospitable alien planet. In this imagined future, it has become possible to replicate human beings with total accuracy using an advanced form of 3D printing.

Although outlawed back on Earth, human printing is legal in the remote regions of space, where disposable workers known as “expendables” can be reprinted on demand each time they perish. At the start of the film, Mickey is killed and reprinted 16 times before an accident leads to two Mickeys (numbers 17 and 18) coexisting in what is referred to as a “multiples violation”.

The trailer for Mickey 17.

Mickey’s existence is nightmarish: an endlessly repeated cycle of exploitation, death and rebirth. Combined with some memorably surreal imagery – most notably a sequence in which multiple Mickeys are shown emerging from the printer like pages from a photocopier – this chilling scenario sometimes brings the film within the orbit of the horror genre.

Bong Joon-ho’s dystopian satire

Stylistically and thematically, Mickey 17 bears a clear resemblance to two of Bong’s previous films: Snowpiercer (2013) and Parasite. Where it diverges from its predecessors is the room it creates for hope.

In Snowpiercer, a bleakly comic eco-dystopia, the oppressive society in which the film is set is overthrown when a train housing the last human survivors of a new ice age is sabotaged by workers from the lower-class tail section.

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The ambiguous final scene of the film depicts the main characters exiting the train only to be confronted by a frozen, potentially uninhabitable wasteland. If the train stands for global capitalism, Snowpiercer seems to imply that the prospects for a life beyond capitalism are slight.

Parasite has likewise often been read as a fable about contemporary capitalism. It follows a lower-class family as they gradually try to take over the home of a much wealthier family, waging a kind of covert class warfare from a hidden subterranean level beneath the house. In the end, however, the poorer family is publicly humiliated and violently driven back underground to plot its revenge.

Whereas both Snowpiercer and Parasite can therefore be seen as staging revolutionary struggles that are in different ways defeated, Mickey 17 is more hopeful.

It is somewhat disappointing, then, that other than an impassioned anti-colonial speech in the final act, the victory over oppressive systems mainly involves throwing out the few bad apples at the top before resuming business as usual. In this regard, the stalled revolutions of Snowpiercer and Parasite are more persuasive.

Mickey 17 is a well-made and successful film. It is engaging, witty, strange and at times visually stunning. Although the film overstretches itself in attempting to envisage a future beyond dystopia, it is nonetheless gratifying in the age of the superhero franchise to see a bigger budget Hollywood film that has something to say and dares to take some creative risks.

Sean Seeger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Mickey 17: this absurdist, dystopian clone drama is highly entertaining – despite its flaws – https://theconversation.com/mickey-17-this-absurdist-dystopian-clone-drama-is-highly-entertaining-despite-its-flaws-251496

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Plants struggled for millions of years after Earth’s worst climate catastrophe – new study

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Marcos Amores, PhD Candidate in Palaeoclimatology, University College Cork

A king fern at the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, Australia. Marcos Amores

With the world on the threshold of 1.5°C of warming, one pressing question is: how bad can it get? The answer may lie beneath our feet.

Buried underground are rocks, many rocks, and they are old. For palaeontologists like us, they are a vast archive of past life on Earth. In particular, they can tell us how life on land fared during times when the climate warmed suddenly. Our new study showed that plants were severely affected and forests took millions of years to recover.

About 252 million years ago more than 80% of marine species became extinct. This is known as the end-Permian mass extinction, arguably the most significant climatic crisis since the earliest appearance of animals, more than 555 million years ago. It seems that the prime culprit was the massive amount of warming-inducing greenhouse gas released by volcanoes in a region known as the Siberian Traps in Russia.

Evidence suggests that plants may not have suffered a mass extinction, but their communities were heavily affected, if not destroyed outright. While the extreme heat would have pushed plants and animals past their tolerance limits, they probably also faced deadly droughts, ozone depletion, widespread wildfires and toxic heavy metal contamination.

Data on how plants fared following the end-Permian extinction are plentiful, but little is known about those located at higher latitudes, where it was cooler. Thriving ecosystems existed at polar latitudes back then, aided by a mostly ice-free polar region. At the end-Permian event, however, this ecosystem was entirely wiped out.

Our work examined the rocks and fossils of the Sydney region of Australia, which was located near the south pole for at least 8 million years following the worst mass extinction in Earth’s history. These well-preserved, long-term records provide a window into the recovery of plant communities furthest away from the source of trouble.

The long, unsteady path to recovery

The plant fossils from these Australian rocks showed that conifers, like modern pines or cypresses, were some of the earliest to colonise the land immediately following the calamity. The recovery to flourishing forests, however, was not smooth sailing.

We discovered that even higher temperatures 2 million years after the end-Permian event caused the collapse of these conifer survivors. In turn, they were replaced by tough, shrubby plants resembling modern clubmosses (like Isoetes). How hot it got in Sydney is not known, but this scorching period lasted for about 700,000 years and made life challenging for trees and other large plants.

When cooling conditions finally manifested, large but unusual plants that looked like ferns but bore seeds like conifers flourished and established more stable forests in Sydney. This recovery took less than 100,000 years to happen. These plants eventually dominated the landscape for millions of years, paving the way for the lush forests during the Mesozoic age of the dinosaurs.

So, after million of years, the forest ecosystems of the Mesozoic came to look like those from before the end-Permian event. But crucially, the plant species that made up the new forests were completely different.

The term “recovery” can be misleading. Forests recover eventually, but extinction of individual species is forever.

By understanding how ancient plant ecosystems weathered extreme climate swings, we, as researchers, hope to learn valuable lessons about how modern plants and ecosystems might cope (or not) with today’s climate crisis. With this knowledge, we can inform policymakers of what is yet to come, and help steer a course that will avoid the worst climate outcomes over the longest possible timeframes.

So, fossil records add a data-driven long-term perspective to the climate choices we make today. Ecosystems depend on a fragile balance, with plants as the backbone of food webs on land and climate regulators.

The fossils have spoken: the disruption of these systems can have consequences that last hundreds of thousands of years, so protecting today’s ecosystems is more important than ever.

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Marcos Amores receives funding from Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences (grants 13/RC/2092_P2 and 17/RC-PhD/3481) and Research Ireland (grant 22/FFP-P/11448).

Chris Mays receives funding from the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (grant #13/RC/2092_P2) and Science Foundation Ireland (grant #22/FFP-P/11448).

– ref. Plants struggled for millions of years after Earth’s worst climate catastrophe – new study – https://theconversation.com/plants-struggled-for-millions-of-years-after-earths-worst-climate-catastrophe-new-study-251324

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why global firms are pushed to take sides in wars, and how they can avoid it

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephan Manning, Professor of Strategy and Innovation, University of Sussex Business School, University of Sussex

Virrage Images/Shutterstock

Russia’s war against Ukraine has changed how global firms respond to geopolitical events. Whereas in the past foreign companies often preferred to stay neutral in times of war, now they increasingly take sides.

When Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, global firms like Google and Amazon were swift to offer support to Ukraine with donations and supplies. Others, like Renault and Deutsche Bank, harmed the Russian economy by suspending operations and investment.

Overall, more than 1,000 foreign companies reduced their activity in Russia, with nearly 300 of them leaving the country completely. These firms acted in line with the geopolitical position of their home countries, but often did so before their governments had issued any official policy.

In our study of corporate responses to the Russia-Ukraine war, we call this
“partisan behavior” – as it supports one side, while harming the other.

But taking sides often comes at a cost. Shell, for example, lost almost US$5 billion (£3.9 million) by leaving a joint venture with Russia’s energy giant Gazprom, and the US digital communication company Cisco lost almost £200 million from pausing its operations in Russia.

Supporting one side over another has also backfired for many firms in the conflict between Israel and Gaza. For example, McDonald’s restaurants in Israel (then owned by a franchise group) donated free food to Israeli soldiers, while Ben & Jerry’s sought to stop sales to Israelis in the West Bank.

Both actions led to a considerable backlash, mostly in the form of consumer boycotts, which led to reduced growth for McDonald’s, and big losses for Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever.

So why do companies take such economic and reputational risks? One reason could be that geopolitical divides along with ongoing culture wars, amplified by social media outrage, have increased public pressure on large multinational firms to take a political stance.

Yet continuing with business as usual does not seem to be an option either. After Coca-Cola continued to operate as normal during the Israel-Gaza conflict, it was accused by one Palestinian-led movement of being “complicit in a war crime”.

Firms that maintained operations in Russia, such as Carlsberg and Unilever, were not only criticised for doing so by their home countries, but also faced the prospect of a takeover by the Russian state – since their western influence was perceived as threatening. In comparison, many Chinese firms took the opportunity and expanded operations in Russia – supported by the Russian government.

A survey by the American thinktank the Conference Board confirms that western companies find it increasingly challenging to “maintain neutrality” in times of conflict. Yet geopolitical conflicts are on the rise, and multinational firms will continue to feel pressure to respond.

Of course, sometimes foreign firms have little choice about what to do. For example their home governments may issue sanctions on a conflict party, making it difficult to continue business. This was the situation for many foreign firms operating in Russia during the war.

Focus on the victims

But often, foreign firms can choose how to respond. In those cases, our research suggests that they should take a non-partisan humanitarian position, and focus on supporting the victims of a conflict – on both sides – as much as possible.

For example, two large US companies, Comcast (media) and Verizon (telecommunications), each committed US$1.5 Million to support humanitarian efforts, such as the charity Doctors Without Borders, in both Israel and Gaza. Neither firm has faced criticism or any kind of backlash.

Humanitarian aid arriving in Gaza, February 2025.
Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock

A further step would be for large corporations to develop a shared code of conduct which focuses entirely on non-partisan humanitarian measures in line with international law.

Under this law, conflicting parties have an obligation to ensure passage of humanitarian aid, freedom of movement of humanitarian workers and the protection of civilians, refugees, prisoners and the wounded.

Multinationals could play a constructive role in this effort. They could partner with NGOs and charities to finance essential services, provide logistical support and ensure the continuous flow of aid.

Such a shared commitment to the humanitarian cause could also be a useful approach for other organisations, like universities. The resignations of US university presidents after they criticised pro-Palestinian campus protests could have been prevented with a clearer non-partisan approach.

A politically polarised world can be difficult to navigate, and one that global businesses should be increasingly wary of. But a non-partisan humanitarian approach, which helps those who suffer the most, offers a balanced and ethical alternative.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Why global firms are pushed to take sides in wars, and how they can avoid it – https://theconversation.com/why-global-firms-are-pushed-to-take-sides-in-wars-and-how-they-can-avoid-it-249409

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The king has a tricky diplomatic role to play in inviting Trump for a state visit

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesca Jackson, PhD candidate, Lancaster Law School, Lancaster University

As monarch, King Charles III is bound by constitutional convention to remain politically neutral. But that hasn’t stopped the UK government from deploying the king to advance its foreign policy agenda.

During their inaugural meeting, Keir Starmer presented Donald Trump with a letter from the king, inviting the president for a “truly historic” and “unprecedented” second state visit to the UK and a visit to the monarch’s private Balmoral residence.

Later that week, the government arranged for the king to meet Volodymyr Zelensky at the royal countryside retreat of Sandringham, to show support for the Ukrainian leader following his disastrous meeting with Trump.

The government is walking a tightrope: it wants to avoid tariffs from Trump, while continuing to support Zelensky and Ukraine. And it is using the king to help it do so.

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It is not unusual for governments to use monarchs to boost international relations, particularly through state visits. The monarch has a huge amount of soft power and the pomp and ceremony of a state visit can help governments achieve their foreign affairs aims.

State visits differ from regular diplomatic visits: they are the most formal way in which a foreign head of state can come to the UK, and happen just once or twice a year.

Visitors are greeted by the king and other members of the royal family with a ceremonial welcome accompanied by gun salutes on the Horse Guards Parade ground in London. They then travel back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession, where they enjoy a formal state banquet at which the monarch toasts the visiting head of state.

State visits are not cheap: Trump’s first visit cost £3.5 million in policing alone. But they can play a key role in diplomacy.

A state visit to France by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972 helped seal the deal on the UK’s third attempt at joining the the European Economic Community. And in 2024, the UK’s defence partnership with Qatar was “strengthened” following the state visit of the Qatari emir.

There is a danger that the monarch’s reputation is affected by hosting controversial heads of state. No doubt the palace PR team is less than enthused about the prospect of Charles being seen wining and dining Trump. The optics of hosting Trump during his first state visit reportedly put the late Queen Elizabeth in a “very difficult position”.

But monarchs have little (if any) influence over who they host for a state visit. Charles will have been advised by the government to invite Trump in accordance with the cardinal convention. This fundamental constitutional principle requires the monarch to act on the advice of the government.

Constitutional conventions are not legally binding. But in the UK’s constitutional monarchy, the monarch reigns but does not rule and power is exercised by democratically-elected ministers rather than the sovereign. Failure by the monarch to follow convention could spark a constitutional crisis, as fictional plays and dramas have long imagined.

A royal invitation.
Number 10 Flickr, CC BY-ND

This is why the late queen had to host some controversial and less-than-democratic figures. It even once led her to hide in a bush to avoid encountering Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu in the Buckingham Palace gardens.

And it is why Charles, on the government’s advice, will host Trump.

Laying on the royal charm

Usually, the public doesn’t see invitations for state visits, but we did see this particular letter. Signed “Yours most sincerely, Charles”, it feels particularly personal and designed to charm Trump, whose love of the British royal family is well known. The offer of an additional visit to Balmoral is a nod to the president’s mother, who was born in Scotland.

The king’s invitation seems to have done the diplomatic trick. Trump ended his meeting with Starmer by stating: “I think we could very well end up with a real trade deal where the tariffs wouldn’t be necessary”.

But the visit won’t be without controversy. In the days since, a petition asking for Trump’s invitation to be withdrawn has reached nearly 200,000 signatures. But Starmer has publicly dismissed calls to withdraw the invitation.

No doubt Charles himself is less than thrilled to invite the president, both after his recent behaviour towards Zelensky and his decision to pull the US from the Paris agreement, given the king’s advocacy on environmental issues.

Could the king raise such issues with Trump? Charles is bound by the doctrine of political neutrality: he must refrain from acting on political opinions. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be room for other senior royals not bound by the convention, like William, from doing so.

Indeed, as prince of wales, Charles himself showed opposition to controversial leaders, effectively boycotting Chinese state visits in 1999 and 2015 allegedly in support for the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.

The monarch plays an important diplomatic role, especially during state visits. While the leaders they host may be controversial, the monarch must respect constitutional boundaries. Nevertheless, with an outspoken king and heir, this visit could prove to be even more unprecedented than it already is.

Francesca Jackson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The king has a tricky diplomatic role to play in inviting Trump for a state visit – https://theconversation.com/the-king-has-a-tricky-diplomatic-role-to-play-in-inviting-trump-for-a-state-visit-251308

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Russia launching ‘suicide missions’ across strategic Dnipro river as pause in US aid hampers defence

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Veronika Poniscjakova, Deputy Director, Porstmouth Military Education Team, University of Portsmouth

After publicly belittling Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in a White House meeting, Donald Trump has suspended US military aid to Ukraine and paused intelligence sharing. It is now clear that Ukraine is in trouble in both its political and military situations, and the latter will only worsen as the effects of the US aid suspension hit.

Trump’s outburst has, to some extent, reinvigorated European support for the war-torn country. But Zelensky’s recent statement that “Ukraine is ready to negotiate about an end to the conflict” suggests that he recognises how precarious the situation has become.

In Trump’s address to the US Congress on February 4, the US president welcomed this shift, and claimed that Russia was also ready for a truce.

What would a negotiated peace look like? The side that holds the upper hand, both politically and militarily, will have a stronger position at the negotiating table.

At the moment, the advantage is overwhelmingly with Russia, which is striving to press home its battlefield advantage and occupy as much territory as it can before a potential ceasefire. This is likely to mean a freezing of the conflict on its current lines of contact.

The war has now lasted more than three years, and since Ukraine’s failed summer 2023 counteroffensive, there have been no major changes on the battlefield, except for Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024. Kyiv had hoped that seizing this territory could serve as a bargaining chip in future peace negotiations.

But even this has not gone according to plan, as Russia has been steadily reclaiming the area, aided by North Korean troops.

Recent battlefield developments reaffirm the ongoing stalemate. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) (as of March 4), Russian forces continued offensives along various key strategic points in the east and south. While Russian advances continue to be slow, it’s a situation that could change quickly, particularly with the dramatic shutdown of US assistance.

One of the key areas where Russia is now putting intense pressure on Ukrainian troops is in the Kherson oblast in the south of the country. Russian forces are reportedly attempting to cross the Dnipro river, aiming to establish footholds on the west (right) bank at four locations to allow them a clear run at the strategically important port city of Kherson.

Russia has successfully negotiated river crossings during the three-year war, but this time, the situation seems more challenging. Recent reporting from the frontlines has described Russian assaults on Dnipro crossings as “suicide missions”, causing heavy Russian casualties.

A high Russian body count is nothing new in this conflict. But why is Russia willing to sacrifice so many of its soldiers, particularly when the political prospects favour Putin and the Russians?

Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor of Kherson, suggests that Russia is desperate to establish a foothold as crossing the Dnipro would open up Kherson oblast for further advances and could be used in negotiations to strengthen Russia’s claim over the entire region. The occupation of Kherson was listed by Russian defence minister, Andrei Belousov, as a key strategic goal for 2025.

Strategic barrier

Crossing the Dnipro will not be easy. Ukraine has tried and failed in the opposite direction on several occasions for example, in April and August 2023.

At that stage, as part of the (ultimately unsuccessful) spring-summer offensive, Kyiv hoped crossing the river would be a major breakthrough that would lead to easier access to Crimea. This now looks like a lost cause – at least militarily.

State of the conflict in Ukraine, March 5 2024.
Institute for the Study of War

The Dnipro is not only a natural barrier dividing the country into two parts. It’s also vital as a transport artery through the country and its dams provide energy.

Russia realises this, and it has seen the river as one of Ukraine’s “centres of gravity”. On day one of the invasion, Russian forces made a beeline for the Dnipro, crossing and taking up positions that they were later forced to abandon as Ukraine fought back.

Now, as Prokudin observed, Russia is once again throwing its troops at the river. A series of assaults in December 2024 were successfully repelled, but things have changed even in the few months since. Ukraine is in an increasingly difficult position.

Ukraine’s military is facing increasingly critical troop shortages and has a far smaller population to draw on than Russia – something which is beginning to tell.

And each day seems to bring further bad news. The US decision to pause intelligence sharing will mean its forces in the field will be virtually deaf and blind and at the mercy of Russian attacks on their positions (although there is reason to believe the pause may be reasonably shortlived).

But, with the decision to halt military aid, it’s an indication of the Trump administration’s determination to force Kyiv into a peace deal – whether or not it’s acceptable to Ukraine.

At this stage it looks almost inevitable that Ukraine will be unable to reclaim all the territory it has lost to Russia since 2014. Its best chance may be to secure what it still does control and go all-out to prevent further Russian advances. One of the ways it needs to do that right now is to ensure Russia does not establish a foothold across the Dnipro river.

Veronika Poniscjakova does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Russia launching ‘suicide missions’ across strategic Dnipro river as pause in US aid hampers defence – https://theconversation.com/russia-launching-suicide-missions-across-strategic-dnipro-river-as-pause-in-us-aid-hampers-defence-251439

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What climate vulnerability actually looks like

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Charlotte Kate Weatherill, Lecturer in Politics and International Studies, The Open University

Floods affected main roads in Norfolk, UK, in February 2024. mick wass photography/Shutterstock

The imagery of climate change matters. How we perceive the world affects how we perceive climate change, and how it will affect us – or whether it will affect us at all.

Imagery has long been understood as an important part of climate communication. Climate change is complex, and requires some simplification to be communicated widely. Yet, this process of simplification can rely too heavily on existing stereotypes, which can affect risk perception across different populations.

Think of climate vulnerability. This term describes who is likely to be negatively affected by climate change. Perceptions of vulnerability are affected by the images that are chosen to represent climate change. However, the images that are chosen also reflect our perceptions of who is vulnerable.

For example, sea level rise is often represented through aerial images of Pacific atolls and ice melt is made emotional through the use of polar bears. But which images are most often used to represent human vulnerability to climate change?

Search online for an image of climate victims and you are likely to see a photograph showing a stereotypical image of “brown women and children” standing in rising flood waters. Images like this show women and children, usually in Asia or Africa, looking distressed in a way that frames them as victims.

However, when searching by region, images of climate victims can look different. For example, compare the search for “climate victim Asia” and “climate victim UK”.

Fuli Khatun, a flood victim whose home was submerged in the 2019 floods in Bangladesh.
UN Women Asia and the Pacific, CC BY-NC-ND

The image above of of Fuli Khatan, a Bangladeshi flood victim, shows a woman experiencing a disaster. But the image below is very different. It shows Mary Long-Dhonau, a climate victim from the UK whose home has been flooded several times. She is looking directly at the camera, smiling slightly. She is not portrayed as a victim, but as a campaigner.

The difference in how these women are portrayed is effective in showing how climate vulnerability is understood. For the most part, the climate vulnerable are imagined to be women and children in the global south (developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America), due to their marginalised position within society.

In other words, the climate vulnerable are portrayed as the same people who are already considered vulnerable.

This framing makes climate change an issue that follows an established pattern of risk. It doesn’t seem like a new issue, but rather chalk on the white wall of other political issues such as development.

This overlap is partly the result of long-running and deeply embedded power inequalities that have made some people vulnerable in order to make other people wealthy.

However, this pattern is overstated and climate vulnerability extends beyond those we already understand as vulnerable. Last month, the European Copernicus climate service declared that 2024 was the first calendar year to pass the symbolic threshold of 1.5°C heating, as well as the world’s hottest on record. Every degree of heating means more people will suffer the effects of climate change.

These images also reflect the dominant understanding in the UK of climate change vulnerability as something that only happens elsewhere – in countries that are already vulnerable.

Climate is an ‘us’ problem

I’ve often encountered this issue in my research on the politics of climate vulnerability. My work questions the assumptions of climate change and vulnerability, tracing them back to understand the logics on which they rely. For example, the Pacific was described as vulnerable and doomed to not being habitable long before climate change became an issue.

At the same time, assumptions of safety are rooted in history. In developed societies, there is a popular narrative that affluence provides a shield, which assumes wealthier people will be better protected by default.

And yet, the UK is already experiencing climate change.

The UK’s rainfall intensity has increased markedly over the past 60 years, leading to an increase of extreme flooding events. The east coast is being eroded, and battling sea level rise. And the UK government’s climate change committee has argued that the UK has no credible adaptation plan.

Also, in an interconnected world, we have already experienced how shocks elsewhere can affect our food supply and gas prices. Even if the UK could escape the direct effects of climate change, it would still feel the consequences.

Our perceptions of vulnerability are so entrenched that even climate-related incidences in wealthy countries, like the recent floods in Valencia or wildfires in LA don’t lead to a change in narrative. In fact, climate activists continue to be criminalised.

Being aware of how images are used to influence our perceptions of vulnerability is an important step in changing the narrative. Climate change is already at levels at which we are all affected. We need to make this clearer.

The UK has an historical responsibility to mitigate but it also needs to take more steps towards adaptation to the climate change that is already locked in.

Speaking in February 2025, professor of energy and climate change Kevin Anderson described the future of humanity as a range of possibilities that goes from “dire consequences” to “catastrophic outcomes”. The higher temperatures are pushed past 1.5°C warming, the truer it is that nobody is safe.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Charlotte Kate Weatherill does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. What climate vulnerability actually looks like – https://theconversation.com/what-climate-vulnerability-actually-looks-like-249422

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Paying attention to how multilingual children read can help foster reading for pleasure for all

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sabine Little, Lecturer in Educational Studies (Languages Education), University of Sheffield

PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

Just 34.6% of children in the UK read for pleasure, according to a 2024 survey by the National Literacy Trust. This is the lowest number since the annual survey began in 2005 – down from 43.4% in the previous year.

These figures are worrying, but a key to helping children learn to love reading could lie in the reading habits of multilingual children.

My own research with the National Literacy Trust, conducted in 2021, explored the reading habits of 10,000 multilingual children in the UK. These are children who speak at least one language other than English at home.

We found that not only do multilingual children spend more time reading for pleasure than those growing up speaking just one language, they also read a wider variety of texts and formats, and they enjoy reading for pleasure more.

In a separate study, published in 2021, I found that multilingual children have a multitude of connections to their reading. A book might be important because it paved the way to a new hobby or because it was the first book they read in a new language, or one that was received from a beloved relative.

The research showed that multilingual children have a wide variety of ways in thinking about “importance” in reading, including what the book represents to them, in terms of their migration journey, the people in their lives, and the languages they read in.

Understanding these connections helps us to understand what children and young people are reading for. It teases out where and how reading had an impact on a child’s life: as an escape, as a guide to a new experience, as a link to a friend.

The study also showed that parents continue to have a significant input into the reading lives of multilingual children. Because they often have a vested interest in supporting the development of the home or heritage language development, they stay involved, by reading together with children, or being on hand to help with language-related stumbling blocks.

As a result, multilingual children persevere with their reading: they read while listening to the audio book at the same time, to improve literacy skills, or they read a book in both their languages, to make sure they catch nuances and meaning. Children identify these successes as “important” parts of their reading journey.

But in my research with the National Literacy Trust, multilingual children told us that they wished schools paid more attention to their multilingualism. While conducting focus groups about multilingual reading in schools a few years ago, I noticed that children would only talk to me about their reading in English. When I queried this, one girl said: “Sure, I read all the Harry Potter books in Bengali. But why do you want to know about that? Nobody wants to know about that.”

Celebrating reading by all children

In working to address this problem, I have developed techniques in my research that have helped multilingual children map their reading both in and outside school, and in more than one language.

This can also help other children understand and plot their own connections to what they read, and to recognise the value in what they read that isn’t books at school.

Photo taken in River of Reading project.
Sabine Little, CC BY-NC-ND

One key method is to create a “river of reading”: a chronological artefact that charts a child’s reading journey across their various languages, and what reading is important to them. It’s suitable for all reading, multilingual or monolingual.

This activity prompts children to think about the books that were important to them when they were very small, and to ask the adults in their lives about this too. It asks them to think about what they read that isn’t in books, such as magazines, recipes and messages from friends.

And it prompts children to consider that a written text might be important to them without being their “favourite” – that reading something important isn’t always easy. This allows them to claim and discuss books they didn’t like or found difficult, too.

This year’s World Book Day has taken on board the rivers of reading activity to help schools understand the reading that goes on at home and in school.

As a bonus, activities such as this could make multilingualism more visible in a positive way in schools. This sends a message to multilingual children that all parts of their identity are welcome and can have a positive effect on motivation for language learning for all children.

Sabine Little receives funding from the UK Literacy Association.

– ref. Paying attention to how multilingual children read can help foster reading for pleasure for all – https://theconversation.com/paying-attention-to-how-multilingual-children-read-can-help-foster-reading-for-pleasure-for-all-250711

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Developing the domestic agro-industrial complex: GUU and FNAC VIM outline areas of cooperation

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

On March 5, 2025, a delegation from the State University of Management visited the Federal Scientific Agroengineering Center VIM, the country’s leading research center in the field of agricultural engineering, machine-technological modernization of the country’s agriculture, and the introduction of the latest intelligent technologies and new-generation robotic technical means into agricultural production.

During the visit, negotiations between the heads of organizations took place, with the participation of: Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev, Vice-Rector of the University Maria Karelina, Director of the Federal Scientific and Technical Center of VIM Andrey Izmailov and Deputy Director for Scientific and Organizational Work Alexey Dorokhov. The parties outlined general areas of interaction and joint implementation of R & D in the field of precision farming – a set of innovative methods in agriculture using the latest technologies to improve the quality of the harvest. The participants discussed issues of training personnel for the agro-industrial sphere of production.

One of the key topics was the joint implementation of projects in the field of unmanned technologies for the benefit of the agricultural sector of the Russian Federation. GUU has high competencies in the field of unmanned aircraft systems and their application in the agricultural sector. Thus, the university’s research team is successfully implementing a large scientific project aimed at research, development and implementation of advanced software and information, technological, agricultural and organizational and managerial innovations in the agro-industrial complex of the Russian Federation. The heads of GUU and FNAC VIM decided to conclude a cooperation agreement.

At the end of the meeting, Deputy Director for Scientific and Organizational Work of the Federal Scientific and Technical Center VIM Alexey Dorokhov gave the participants of the meeting a tour of the VIM laboratories, which are working in the areas of additive technologies, polymeric materials, automation of processes in the agro-industrial complex and mechanization of animal husbandry.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/06/2025

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: IAM Veterans Services Class Hosts Training on Mental Health

Source: US GOIAM Union

IAM Veterans Services hosted another Veterans Advocate training for members who want to learn about the ways they can support veterans within the union.

The training, which took place at the IAM William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center, was led by IAM Veterans Services Coordinator Rich Evans and Assistant Coordinator Bryan Stymacks.

One day of the week-long training is dedicated to the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) class. This class teaches participants to identify people struggling with a mental health crisis and gives them tools to help and resources to direct them to.

The MHFA class has been a part of the Veterans Advocate Training since its inception.

“I find it very important to not only train interested members in helping veterans attain their deserved benefits, but also in supporting veterans, and others, through their mental struggles. Mental health has an enormous impact on one’s quality of life, so it’s important for us to learn how to help our veterans in this way,” said IAM Veterans Services Coordinator Rich Evans.

Share and Follow:

MIL OSI USA News –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Vaping hits alarming levels among South African teens – new study of fee-paying schools
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Sam Filby, Research Officer, Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products, University of Cape Town

It’s become common to see kids, some in their school uniforms, puffing on a vape.

The World Health Organization points to the enticing flavours and targeted marketing to young people as the key reasons behind this trend.

In the US, e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students aged 12 and older, with 5.9% of students reporting use.

Surveys from the UK indicate that 20.5% of children (aged 11–17) have tried vaping, and that 7.6% of children currently vape. Similar usage rates ranging from 3.3% to 11.8% have been found in south-east Asia. Evidence on vape use among adolescents living in Africa is more scarce.

We are public health researchers who have studied the phenomenon in South Africa. Our latest study, published in The Lancet’s eClinical Medicine, found that vaping among South African pupils is sky high. We surveyed over 25,000 South African high school students across 52 schools in eight of South Africa’s nine provinces.

An estimated 16.8% of the sampled learners currently use e-cigarettes.

Research has shown conclusively that children should not use these products because of the health risks.

Our findings in South Africa show that high rates of adolescent vaping are not restricted to high income countries.

Harmful impact on young minds and bodies

In a 2016 report, the US surgeon general called vaping among young people an “urgent public health problem”.

One reason for this is that these products commonly deliver nicotine. Nicotine use during adolescence harms the developing brain, with potential long-term effects on learning, memory and attention.

Nicotine is also an addictive substance. Addictive behaviour in general is associated with the development of mental illness, further fuelling the mental health problems experienced by some adolescents.
Substance abuse can lower their inhibitions, leading to increased high-risk behaviours.

Non-nicotine vapes are also bad for health. The chemical composition of specific flavours such as cherry, cinnamon and vanilla have also been shown to cause damage to the lung lining and blood vessels.

The rising popularity of e-cigarette use among adolescents globally should make helping young people with quitting vapes a priority.

Surveying South African schools

We approached schools predominantly in major centres like Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. All were “fee-paying” schools. We were not able to include less well resourced schools without easy internet access or non-fee-paying schools.

We categorised the schools into three brackets:
- lower-fee schools: annual fees between R20,000 and R40,000 (US$1,100-2,100)
- medium-fee schools: annual fees between R40,000 and R90,000 (US$2,100-4,800)
- high-fee schools: annual fees more than R90,000 (over US$4,800).
Around 17% of pupils in our sample attended lower-fee schools, 64% attended mid-fee schools, and 19% attended high-fee schools. Around 31% of learners attended co-ed schools, 41% attended all-boys’ schools, and 29% attended all-girls’ schools.

Students were asked about their use of four products in the 30 days preceding the survey: e-cigarettes, tobacco cigarettes, cannabis and hookah pipes.

Students who indicated that they currently vaped were asked additional questions
about their vaping history and habits. We also asked students about their
reasons for starting and continuing to vape.

Using this data, we studied e-cigarette use, nicotine dependence, and the mental
health and social stressors associated with vaping among a large sample of South
African high school learners.

Alarming rates

Our study found that 16.8% of high school learners we surveyed were currently using e-cigarettes. There were far lower rates of tobacco cigarette use (2%), cannabis use (5%) and hookah pipe use (3%).

The proportion of learners reporting e-cigarette use increased by grade: around 9% of grade 8 students reported using vapes, but this rose sharply to an average of 29.5% among grade 12 pupils (who will turn 18 in their final school year). Some schools had usage rates as high as 46% among grade 12 pupils.

Among the learners who indicated that they vaped, 38% vaped daily, and more than half of the learners in our sample reported that they vaped four or more days per week.

Around 88% of pupils reported using vapes that contained nicotine. About 47% reported that they vaped within the first hour of waking up – this is highly suggestive of nicotine addiction. We estimate that up to 61% of high school learners who vape could be seriously addicted to nicotine.

Why adolescents start and continue vaping

We found that the primary reasons for starting vaping differed from the main reasons for continuing to vape.
- Just over half (50.6%) of the students who vaped cited social influences
  (family, friends, peer pressure, the need to fit in) as reasons for starting. Around 20% of learners indicated that they’d started vaping to cope with stress and anxiety, while 16.2% said they had started out of general curiosity.
- Common reasons cited for continuing their vape use were to cope with
  anxiety, depression or stress (28.4%), or because they were addicted (14.9%).
Some learners explicitly stated addiction in their reasoning:

It’s an addiction, no matter what I try I can’t stop. (female, 17)

Others described it more as a habit:

It has become a habit. I have to consume something constantly. (female, 18)

Less than 10% of students identified social influences as the reason they continued to vape.

Around 46% of students did not list addiction as a reason for continuing to vape, although their reported vaping habits aligned with patterns typically seen in individuals who are highly addicted. This suggests that many learners in our sample may lack awareness of what constitutes addiction.

Read more:
South Africa’s new vaping tax won’t deter young smokers

What needs to be done

Our research underscores the urgent need for a coordinated public health response
to address the vaping crisis among high school learners.

The South African government must pass the Tobacco Products and Electronic
Delivery Systems Control Bill. This legislation will ensure that vapes cannot be sold near schools or online.

The restrictions on the advertising of vaping products provided for in the bill may aid with this as well as the deglamorisation of vaping among young people – reducing the general curiosity that leads many young people to begin in the first place.

The dangerous myth that “vaping is safe” also needs to be debunked.

Finally, we need to help addicted teenagers to stop vaping.

Punishing students for vaping is unlikely to be an effective strategy. Parents must be more aware of the signs of vaping and the underlying issues driving it.

Healthcare professionals should ask young people about their vape use during routine checkups.

And school counsellors should teach coping strategies to help teens navigate life’s challenges.

Sam Filby receives funding from the African Capacity Building Foundation and Cancer Research UK and has previously received funding from the CDC Foundation and the US Department of State.

Richard van Zyl Smit does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Vaping hits alarming levels among South African teens – new study of fee-paying schools – https://theconversation.com/vaping-hits-alarming-levels-among-south-african-teens-new-study-of-fee-paying-schools-244843
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why does Ethiopia have earthquakes and volcanoes? A geologist explains
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gemechu Bedassa Teferi, Lecturer, Department of Geology , Addis Ababa Science & Technology University

A swarm of earth tremors and fears of volcanic eruptions in January forced tens of thousands of people to move away from Awash Fentale, an area in the Afar region of Ethiopia. The area falls within a geologically active region of the Great Rift Valley that has experienced a number of earthquakes and volcanic events in the last 800 years. Two major volcanic eruptions occurred in 1250 and 1820 AD.

What’s unfolded in Fentale in 2025 is part of an ongoing process millions of years in the making, deep under the earth’s surface. Scientists see it as a fascinating natural laboratory that will culminate in a north-south continental split – and ultimately create a new ocean – along the great East African Rift Valley. Gemechu Bedassa Teferi, a researcher who studies the volcanoes of the Main Ethiopian Rift, unpacks what’s behind the recent events.

What causes tremors and volcanic eruptions in this region of Ethiopia?

Eighteen million years ago, the continents broke apart to form the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Around 11 million years ago, a crack formed deep under the present Afar Depression, an area of north-east Ethiopia.

The region sits on a hot, semisolid layer called the mantle. This mantle is constantly in motion due to the heat from the deeper part of the earth. One result is that the heated semi-solid rock (molten rock) can be forced up from the mantle and erupt through the weak spots in the earth’s crust. This is called a volcanic eruption.

Deep beneath the surface, the molten rock is also enabling a parallel process of the ground moving apart. This creates a gap – called a rift – which is eventually filled by the molten rock. The friction created results in rocks suddenly breaking and releasing enormous amounts of energy. The released energy radiates outward in the form of seismic waves like ripples on water, causing the ground to shake. This is what is felt as the so-called earthquake.

The Afar region is one of the most volcanically and tectonically active areas in the world.

The ongoing events in Fentale, as well as the Dofan area to the north, are the most recent in the history of molten material rising to the surface as parts of the earth’s crust move apart from each other.

No volcanic eruption has occurred in the most recent events. But more than 200 quakes with a magnitude of more than 4 have been recorded in the last five months. The strongest of these measured at 6 on the Richter scale.

The swarm of earthquakes damaged dozens of buildings, schools, roads and factories. Most residents in the capital, Addis Ababa, which is nearly 190km away from the epicentre (starting point for an earthquake), also felt the tremor.

The strongest earthquake since 1900 – in 1989 – had a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale. This is strong enough to damage old buildings or those not built to withstand earthquakes.

The last volcanic eruption at Fentale occurred in 1820. Based on historical records and global trends, an earthquake is a common precursor to volcanic eruptions. This has fuelled fears that recent earthquakes could signal eruptions at two nearby active volcanoes.

What can scientists learn from the current events?

Satellite radar images of the Fentale area revealed that the earthquakes in the region are due to hot molten rock pushing its way up from about 10km below Awash Fentale.

What could follow is complex and depends on several factors, such as:
- the temperature of the molten material – the hotter it is, the more easily it flows
- the viscosity (how thick it is) – thicker molten rock flows slowly
- the strength of the surrounding material – strong, resistant rocks around the hot molten rock can resist the pressure to rise.
Three scenarios could possibly play out under Fentale.

The first possible outcome is the cooling of the molten rock. That would lead to the formation of a dense, solidified rock material.

The second is that the molten material could cause an eruption after forcing its way vertically to the surface or moving laterally underneath the earth’s surface.

Read more:
Ethiopian earthquakes and volcanic eruptions: earth scientist explains the link

Under the third scenario, the super hot molten rock may also propagate laterally, interacting with other molten materials. This could eventually lead to either cooling or a massive volcanic eruption.

Still, there are other unknown factors that could affect these potential processes in a geologically dynamic region.

This calls for better predictions to mitigate future hazards. Scientists suggest that scientific monitoring techniques should be employed. These include volcanic gas measurement, onsite GPS monitoring, and geophysical study. Equally important is the collaborative effort of scientists and government officials to create a communication channel to engage the at-risk community.

Gemechu Bedassa Teferi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Why does Ethiopia have earthquakes and volcanoes? A geologist explains – https://theconversation.com/why-does-ethiopia-have-earthquakes-and-volcanoes-a-geologist-explains-250688
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Vaping hits alarming levels among South African teens – new study of fee-paying schools
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Sam Filby, Research Officer, Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products, University of Cape Town

It’s become common to see kids, some in their school uniforms, puffing on a vape.

The World Health Organization points to the enticing flavours and targeted marketing to young people as the key reasons behind this trend.

In the US, e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students aged 12 and older, with 5.9% of students reporting use.

Surveys from the UK indicate that 20.5% of children (aged 11–17) have tried vaping, and that 7.6% of children currently vape. Similar usage rates ranging from 3.3% to 11.8% have been found in south-east Asia. Evidence on vape use among adolescents living in Africa is more scarce.

We are public health researchers who have studied the phenomenon in South Africa. Our latest study, published in The Lancet’s eClinical Medicine, found that vaping among South African pupils is sky high. We surveyed over 25,000 South African high school students across 52 schools in eight of South Africa’s nine provinces.

An estimated 16.8% of the sampled learners currently use e-cigarettes.

Research has shown conclusively that children should not use these products because of the health risks.

Our findings in South Africa show that high rates of adolescent vaping are not restricted to high income countries.

Harmful impact on young minds and bodies

In a 2016 report, the US surgeon general called vaping among young people an “urgent public health problem”.

One reason for this is that these products commonly deliver nicotine. Nicotine use during adolescence harms the developing brain, with potential long-term effects on learning, memory and attention.

Nicotine is also an addictive substance. Addictive behaviour in general is associated with the development of mental illness, further fuelling the mental health problems experienced by some adolescents. Substance abuse can lower their inhibitions, leading to increased high-risk behaviours.

Non-nicotine vapes are also bad for health. The chemical composition of specific flavours such as cherry, cinnamon and vanilla have also been shown to cause damage to the lung lining and blood vessels.

The rising popularity of e-cigarette use among adolescents globally should make helping young people with quitting vapes a priority.

Surveying South African schools

We approached schools predominantly in major centres like Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. All were “fee-paying” schools. We were not able to include less well resourced schools without easy internet access or non-fee-paying schools.

We categorised the schools into three brackets:
- lower-fee schools: annual fees between R20,000 and R40,000 (US$1,100-2,100)
- medium-fee schools: annual fees between R40,000 and R90,000 (US$2,100-4,800)
- high-fee schools: annual fees more than R90,000 (over US$4,800).
Around 17% of pupils in our sample attended lower-fee schools, 64% attended mid-fee schools, and 19% attended high-fee schools. Around 31% of learners attended co-ed schools, 41% attended all-boys’ schools, and 29% attended all-girls’ schools.

Students were asked about their use of four products in the 30 days preceding the survey: e-cigarettes, tobacco cigarettes, cannabis and hookah pipes.

Students who indicated that they currently vaped were asked additional questions about their vaping history and habits. We also asked students about their reasons for starting and continuing to vape.

Using this data, we studied e-cigarette use, nicotine dependence, and the mental health and social stressors associated with vaping among a large sample of South African high school learners.

Alarming rates

Our study found that 16.8% of high school learners we surveyed were currently using e-cigarettes. There were far lower rates of tobacco cigarette use (2%), cannabis use (5%) and hookah pipe use (3%).

The proportion of learners reporting e-cigarette use increased by grade: around 9% of grade 8 students reported using vapes, but this rose sharply to an average of 29.5% among grade 12 pupils (who will turn 18 in their final school year). Some schools had usage rates as high as 46% among grade 12 pupils.

Among the learners who indicated that they vaped, 38% vaped daily, and more than half of the learners in our sample reported that they vaped four or more days per week.

Around 88% of pupils reported using vapes that contained nicotine. About 47% reported that they vaped within the first hour of waking up – this is highly suggestive of nicotine addiction. We estimate that up to 61% of high school learners who vape could be seriously addicted to nicotine.

Why adolescents start and continue vaping

We found that the primary reasons for starting vaping differed from the main reasons for continuing to vape.
- Just over half (50.6%) of the students who vaped cited social influences (family, friends, peer pressure, the need to fit in) as reasons for starting. Around 20% of learners indicated that they’d started vaping to cope with stress and anxiety, while 16.2% said they had started out of general curiosity.
- Common reasons cited for continuing their vape use were to cope with anxiety, depression or stress (28.4%), or because they were addicted (14.9%).
Some learners explicitly stated addiction in their reasoning:

It’s an addiction, no matter what I try I can’t stop. (female, 17)

Others described it more as a habit:

It has become a habit. I have to consume something constantly. (female, 18)

Less than 10% of students identified social influences as the reason they continued to vape.

Around 46% of students did not list addiction as a reason for continuing to vape, although their reported vaping habits aligned with patterns typically seen in individuals who are highly addicted. This suggests that many learners in our sample may lack awareness of what constitutes addiction.

Read more: South Africa’s new vaping tax won’t deter young smokers

What needs to be done

Our research underscores the urgent need for a coordinated public health response to address the vaping crisis among high school learners.

The South African government must pass the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. This legislation will ensure that vapes cannot be sold near schools or online.

The restrictions on the advertising of vaping products provided for in the bill may aid with this as well as the deglamorisation of vaping among young people – reducing the general curiosity that leads many young people to begin in the first place.

The dangerous myth that “vaping is safe” also needs to be debunked.

Finally, we need to help addicted teenagers to stop vaping.

Punishing students for vaping is unlikely to be an effective strategy. Parents must be more aware of the signs of vaping and the underlying issues driving it.

Healthcare professionals should ask young people about their vape use during routine checkups.

And school counsellors should teach coping strategies to help teens navigate life’s challenges.

– Vaping hits alarming levels among South African teens – new study of fee-paying schools
– https://theconversation.com/vaping-hits-alarming-levels-among-south-african-teens-new-study-of-fee-paying-schools-244843

MIL OSI Africa –
March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Why does Ethiopia have earthquakes and volcanoes? A geologist explains
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gemechu Bedassa Teferi, Lecturer, Department of Geology , Addis Ababa Science & Technology University

A swarm of earth tremors and fears of volcanic eruptions in January forced tens of thousands of people to move away from Awash Fentale, an area in the Afar region of Ethiopia. The area falls within a geologically active region of the Great Rift Valley that has experienced a number of earthquakes and volcanic events in the last 800 years. Two major volcanic eruptions occurred in 1250 and 1820 AD.

What’s unfolded in Fentale in 2025 is part of an ongoing process millions of years in the making, deep under the earth’s surface. Scientists see it as a fascinating natural laboratory that will culminate in a north-south continental split – and ultimately create a new ocean – along the great East African Rift Valley. Gemechu Bedassa Teferi, a researcher who studies the volcanoes of the Main Ethiopian Rift, unpacks what’s behind the recent events.

What causes tremors and volcanic eruptions in this region of Ethiopia?

Eighteen million years ago, the continents broke apart to form the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Around 11 million years ago, a crack formed deep under the present Afar Depression, an area of north-east Ethiopia.

The region sits on a hot, semisolid layer called the mantle. This mantle is constantly in motion due to the heat from the deeper part of the earth. One result is that the heated semi-solid rock (molten rock) can be forced up from the mantle and erupt through the weak spots in the earth’s crust. This is called a volcanic eruption.

Deep beneath the surface, the molten rock is also enabling a parallel process of the ground moving apart. This creates a gap – called a rift – which is eventually filled by the molten rock. The friction created results in rocks suddenly breaking and releasing enormous amounts of energy. The released energy radiates outward in the form of seismic waves like ripples on water, causing the ground to shake. This is what is felt as the so-called earthquake.

The Afar region is one of the most volcanically and tectonically active areas in the world.

The ongoing events in Fentale, as well as the Dofan area to the north, are the most recent in the history of molten material rising to the surface as parts of the earth’s crust move apart from each other.

No volcanic eruption has occurred in the most recent events. But more than 200 quakes with a magnitude of more than 4 have been recorded in the last five months. The strongest of these measured at 6 on the Richter scale.

The swarm of earthquakes damaged dozens of buildings, schools, roads and factories. Most residents in the capital, Addis Ababa, which is nearly 190km away from the epicentre (starting point for an earthquake), also felt the tremor.

The strongest earthquake since 1900 – in 1989 – had a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale. This is strong enough to damage old buildings or those not built to withstand earthquakes.

The last volcanic eruption at Fentale occurred in 1820. Based on historical records and global trends, an earthquake is a common precursor to volcanic eruptions. This has fuelled fears that recent earthquakes could signal eruptions at two nearby active volcanoes.

What can scientists learn from the current events?

Satellite radar images of the Fentale area revealed that the earthquakes in the region are due to hot molten rock pushing its way up from about 10km below Awash Fentale.

What could follow is complex and depends on several factors, such as:
- the temperature of the molten material – the hotter it is, the more easily it flows
- the viscosity (how thick it is) – thicker molten rock flows slowly
- the strength of the surrounding material – strong, resistant rocks around the hot molten rock can resist the pressure to rise.
Three scenarios could possibly play out under Fentale.

The first possible outcome is the cooling of the molten rock. That would lead to the formation of a dense, solidified rock material.

The second is that the molten material could cause an eruption after forcing its way vertically to the surface or moving laterally underneath the earth’s surface.

Read more: Ethiopian earthquakes and volcanic eruptions: earth scientist explains the link

Under the third scenario, the super hot molten rock may also propagate laterally, interacting with other molten materials. This could eventually lead to either cooling or a massive volcanic eruption.

Still, there are other unknown factors that could affect these potential processes in a geologically dynamic region.

This calls for better predictions to mitigate future hazards. Scientists suggest that scientific monitoring techniques should be employed. These include volcanic gas measurement, onsite GPS monitoring, and geophysical study. Equally important is the collaborative effort of scientists and government officials to create a communication channel to engage the at-risk community.

– Why does Ethiopia have earthquakes and volcanoes? A geologist explains
– https://theconversation.com/why-does-ethiopia-have-earthquakes-and-volcanoes-a-geologist-explains-250688

MIL OSI Africa –
March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Stops Trump Administration from Defunding Vital Medical and Scientific Research

Source: US State of New York

EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general today stopped the Trump administration from slashing vital medical and scientific research funding. Attorney General James and the coalition secured a nationwide preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration – including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – from cutting billions of dollars in critical funding that supports cutting-edge medical and public health research at institutions across the country.

“The president may want to play politics with public health, but we refuse to risk the resources Americans rely on,” said Attorney General James. “Without this lawsuit, New York could have lost $850 million in funding and researchers would have been forced to abandon vital research projects on cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. We will always fight back against these harmful, illegal cuts that slow down life-saving medical research, hurt our economy, and take away jobs.”

On February 7, NIH announced it would abruptly slash indirect cost rates for research grants to 15 percent across the board, significantly less than the cost required to conduct advanced medical research. The NIH also announced that cuts would go into effect the next business day – Monday, February 10 – giving universities and institutions no time to plan for the enormous budget gaps they would face.

On February 10, Attorney General James and the coalition filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, HHS, and NIH challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to unilaterally cut indirect cost reimbursements at every research institution throughout the country. Less than six hours after the attorneys general filed their lawsuit, the court issued a TRO against NIH, barring it from cutting billions in funding for biomedical and public health research.

Today’s order extends the protections of the TRO and bars the administration from cutting billions in funding for biomedical and public health research, ensuring this critical, life-saving research can continue nationwide.

The NIH is the primary source of federal funding for medical research in the United States. Medical research funding by NIH grants has led to innumerable scientific breakthroughs, including the discovery of treatment for cancers of all types, the first sequencing of DNA, and the development of the MRI. Additionally, dozens of NIH-supported scientists have earned Nobel Prizes for their groundbreaking scientific work. Most NIH-funded research occurs outside of federal government institutions such as public and private universities and colleges.

In New York, there is currently $5 billion in open NIH grants to institutions throughout the state. If the proposed funding cap was allowed to take effect, approximately 250 institutions in New York would be impacted, encompassing most universities and medical schools in the state. New York institutions stand to lose approximately $850 million from this policy. For example, the State University of New York (SUNY) system – including the University at Albany, Stony Brook, and the University at Buffalo – stands to lose $78 million through the full life of its current grants and would have to abandon groundbreaking research projects on cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease if the cap went forward.

Joining Attorney General James on this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UKAEA and F-REI sign collaboration in robotics research
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

UKAEA and F-REI sign collaboration in robotics research

A memorandum of cooperation has been signed by UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI).
Dr Koetsu Yamazaki (F-REI) and Prof. Rob Buckingham (UKAEA) at MOC signing – Image Credit United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI) have signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) on joint research in robotics and autonomous systems.

The MOC fosters UK-Japan collaboration between the government-funded organisations, enhancing joint research opportunities and advancing science and innovation in key technical areas, such as:

Robotics and autonomous systems: supporting nuclear decommissioning, operations in challenging environments and advanced manufacturing

Facility management and collaboration: sharing best practices in research facilities, harnessing a culture of innovation and commercialisation

Talent and skills: initiatives to drive partnerships and support talent and skills development.

UKAEA’s Executive Director, Prof. Rob Buckingham, commented: “We are delighted to collaborate with F-REI, as both organisations share a strong commitment to advancing science and innovation in key technical areas, including robotics and autonomous systems. UKAEA has established robust partnerships with leading Japanese organisations, and this collaboration marks an exciting opportunity to expand those connections. By leveraging our shared experience and expertise, I am confident we can further strengthen UK-Japan engagement across government, industry, and academia, driving cutting-edge advancements with real-world impact.”

F-REI’s President, Dr. Koetsu Yamazaki, remarked: “F-REI and UKAEA share complementary objectives in research, innovation, education, and commercialisation. The UKAEA’s extensive experience in developing productive research programmes, educational initiatives, innovation and commercialisation pipelines, and collaborative research facilities offers valuable lessons that can significantly benefit F-REI’s startup goals. We are also excited to enhance Japan’s scientific and technological capabilities and industrial competitiveness through this international collaboration.”

UKAEA’s mission is to lead the delivery of sustainable fusion energy and maximise the scientific and economic benefit. Established in 2014, UKAEA’s world-class robotics centre, RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments), has been at the forefront of research and development in the deployment of robotics within extreme industrial environments where human intervention is challenging. Among RACE’s recent achievements is the successful development of next-generation robotics technologies for decommissioning through the LongOps project, funded by the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

UKAEA is a member of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) alongside the NDA, Sellafield Ltd and the University of Manchester. The collaboration accelerates deployment of robotics and AI to solve shared nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering challenges.

F-REI, established by the Government of Japan in April 2023 under the Act on Special Measures for the Reconstruction and Revitalization of Fukushima, is dedicated to becoming a world-class core centre for creative reconstruction. F-REI embodies the dreams and aspirations of Fukushima and other parts of the Tohoku region, aiming to drive Japan’s scientific and technological capabilities and industrial competitiveness. The institute conducts research and development in the following five key areas:

Robotics

Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries

Energy

Radiation science, medicine, drug development, and industrial applications for radiation

The collection and dissemination of data and knowledge on nuclear disasters.

The MOC was signed by Koetsu Yamazaki and Rob Buckingham on 4 March 2025 at UKAEA’s Culham Campus, UK.

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Published 6 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Join Us on 3/27 for a Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar: Climate-Induced Migration: Responses in the Pacific

Source: US Global Legal Monitor

Join us on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 9 a.m. EDT for our next foreign, comparative, and international law webinar, “Climate-Induced Migration: Responses in the Pacific.”

Pacific Island nations have sought to increase global awareness of the impacts of climate change in the region and have pushed for greater mitigation of emissions and financing mechanisms to assist countries in adapting to rising sea levels and ocean acidification and to enhance resilience to extreme weather events. They have also highlighted the issue of climate-induced mobility, including displacement, planned relocation, and migration, and the need for this to be considered in discussions and policies at the international level.

Media stories have referred to low-lying islands in the Pacific as “sinking,” with the rising sea level being an “existential threat” to some countries and creating “climate refugees.” Commentators pose questions about what might happen, including under international law, if a country were to “disappear” – what happens concerning sovereignty, territorial rights, and the citizenship rights of the people? Where would the population move to and what support would be provided to do so? What status would they have in a different country or countries? How would cultures and languages be maintained?

In our March foreign, comparative, and international law webinar, we will look at some of the responses to the climate-induced migration issue in the Pacific. In particular, in 2023, Pacific Island leaders endorsed the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility, which “recognizes the urgent need to strengthen understanding, coordination and cooperation on climate change-related human mobility; to establish adequate human rights-based response and support mechanisms for people at risk; and to adopt a pro-active and planned approach to address climate mobility and enhance Pacific resilience and well-being.” In addition, the webinar will highlight the November 2023 agreement between Australia and Tuvalu, known as the Falepili Union, which includes an undertaking from Australia to create a “special mobility pathway” for Tuvaluans, with a focus on “mobility with dignity.”

Please register here.

The webinar will be presented by Kelly Buchanan, the Law Library’s foreign law specialist for the Pacific region. Kelly holds an LL.B. (Hons) and bachelor of arts degrees from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.

Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: University of California – Davis Student Shares Educational and Career Updates After Receiving SBB Research Group Foundation STEM Scholarship

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO, March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The SBB Research Group Foundation is proud to announce the continued success of Meher Khan after receiving the STEM Scholarship in 2023. The $2,500 award empowers students to create value for society by pursuing higher learning through interdisciplinary combinations of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Meher Khan received the SBB Research Group Foundation STEM Scholarship during her sophomore year at the University of California – Davis to pursue a degree in neurobiology and physiology.

Since receiving the scholarship, Khan has worked in the UC Davis Comparative Ophthalmology and Vision Science Laboratory and spent a summer at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland.

“Meher is a promising future ophthalmologist, and I’m glad we can support her as she prepares for that career,” said Matt Aven, co-founder and board member of the SBB Research Group Foundation.

The SBB Research Group Foundation is honored to have played a role in Khan’s success. We look forward to continuing to support outstanding students in STEM and helping them achieve their full potential.

For eligibility criteria and more information on the Foundation’s STEM scholarship, please visit http://www.sbbscholarship.org.

About the SBB Research Group Foundation

The SBB Research Group Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that furthers the philanthropic mission of SBB Research Group LLC (SBBRG), a Chicago-based investment management firm led by Sam Barnett, Ph.D., and Matt Aven. The Foundation sponsors the SBB Research Group Foundation STEM Scholarship, supporting students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degrees. In addition to its scholarship program, the Foundation provides grants to support ambitious organizations solving unmet needs with thoughtful, long-term strategies

Contact: Erin Noonan
Organization: SBB Research Group Foundation
Email: scholarship@sbbrg.org
Address: 450 Skokie Blvd, Building 600, Northbrook, IL 60062 United States
Phone: 1-847-656-1111
Website: https://www.sbbscholarship.com/

The MIL Network –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Anger is a flow of emotion like water through a hose − at work, it helps to know when to turn it up or down and how to direct it

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Laura Rees, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior, Oregon State University

Is the anger targeted or blasting everyone in the area? Witthaya Prasongsin/Moment via Getty Images

Pretty much everyone will sometimes struggle with anger at work. People fear the wrath of abusive supervisors, suppress anger to maintain a façade of professionalism, or vent anger toward co-workers who are, fairly or not, targets. Reactions to anger in the workplace can be strong, but they’re not always effective.

As scholars who also fall prey to the pitfalls of anger ourselves, we are fascinated by anger. We have studied the causes, underlying processes and consequences of anger from the perspectives of management, psychology, marketing and negotiations.

We recently reviewed more than 400 research articles across psychology, business and related fields on topics ranging from brain activity to negotiation to race relations. Yet despite the ubiquity of anger in the workplace and the decades of anger research that exists across a number of fields, we found no straightforward way to understand the complexity of the life cycle of anger and how to manage it most effectively.

As we dived more deeply into the research literature, though, we realized that simply reframing how we think about anger could provide a novel, flexible framework for how to deal with this emotion in daily life. Our suggestion: Think of anger as a flow of emotion, like water through a garden hose.

By thinking of the flow of anger, you can unpack its key dimensions: its path and strength. Understanding whether the hose is pointed effectively and whether the strength of the stream is appropriate are critical for knowing when, how and why to focus or redirect the anger and amplify or weaken its intensity.

When tempers flare, sometimes innocent bystanders take the heat.
RapidEye/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The direction of anger

Imagine a co-worker charges into your office, yelling, breathing heavily, face reddened, veins bulging. Even if you are simply an unsuspecting colleague who happened to have your door open, your attention is undoubtedly now fixed on your co-worker.

Are you the target of their anger for something you did, or merely an observer of their anger at someone else?

If you are an undeserving target, do you try to reframe the issue so that the angry person will realize the anger is better directed elsewhere?

If you are the observer, you also have a choice about whether to ignore your co-worker’s anger or help them redirect it to a more effective outlet. You might simply listen empathetically while they let off steam, perhaps pointing out the relative risks and benefits of their taking their complaints to the supervisor.

You are deciding, in effect, what suggestions to make about the direction of this person’s anger.

The key to effectively managing the direction of anger is to manage the attention of those in the room. Reshaping how angry people attribute blame, for example, can help people take another person’s perspective or understand the situation in a new way, directing the flow more productively.

The intensity of anger

When an angry co-worker approaches you as the target, do you ignore the signal or offer to work with the person so a similar situation doesn’t happen in the future? Both are ways to tamp down the intensity of the emotion coming at you.

When you are angry, do you try to distract yourself from the anger, let it simmer, or embrace it? You are essentially deciding how you want to manage the intensity of your own angry feelings.

It is important to recognize that managing the intensity of anger can go in both directions. Sometimes high-intensity anger should be turned down and sometimes subtle anger should be amplified.

For example, consider an instance in which you feel anger at what you perceive to be an unfair change to a company policy. In this case, simply going for a walk outside to avoid expressing your frustration may result in the leadership not realizing that you and others on the team feel this way, leaving little opportunity to discuss and update the policy to more reasonable standards.

Learning to self-regulate your thoughts and behaviors can help you manage the intensity of any anger you find yourself feeling. Rather than impulsively reacting, you can practice handling your emotions so you control whether you crank up your expressed anger or dial it down. Part of this process is thinking carefully about the cost-benefit trade-offs of expressing your anger. In these ways, you more effectively manage the strength of the flow without unnecessarily just turning it off.

The decision whether or how to intervene depends on the specifics of the situation.
FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images

Controlling anger

Knowing when, how and why to shape the direction and intensity of anger is no small feat. Some of this decision is rightly based on the situation. For example, is it safe to step in? Do you feel personally skilled at intervening?

But it is within everyone’s power to learn how to manage their own and others’ anger more effectively.

To do so, you need to understand your role and whether the flow is a one-time situation or a persistent problem. Understanding whether you’re holding the hose, standing in its path or observing from a distance is the first step to effectively managing the direction and intensity of the flow.

Second is deciding whether and how to intervene: Can you reframe the initial trigger so that the faucet is never turned on, or turned on more or less powerfully? If anger is already too strong and you cannot or do not want to avoid it, can you help the angry person regulate the direction and intensity of their anger to overcome the issue in some way?

You can get better at controlling the flow of anger in ways that can improve rather than harm relationships and outcomes. Research supports working on your emotional intelligence and building belief in your own capability to handle anger. Manage factors that tend to wrest control of the hose away from you, including becoming defensive, feeling shame or even suffering from a lack of sleep.

Taking these steps and practicing controlling the hose’s path and intensity can help address problems in the short term and prevent anger from becoming a destructive pattern in the long term.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Anger is a flow of emotion like water through a hose − at work, it helps to know when to turn it up or down and how to direct it – https://theconversation.com/anger-is-a-flow-of-emotion-like-water-through-a-hose-at-work-it-helps-to-know-when-to-turn-it-up-or-down-and-how-to-direct-it-243670

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why Muslim American nonprofits are taking steps to build trust with donors during Ramadan

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Shariq Siddiqui, Assistant Professor of Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University

Nearly 70% of American Muslims report giving Zakat, the obligatory charity, during Ramadan. NickyLloyd/E+ via Getty Images

As Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, an important aspect of their faith is their role as stewards of God on Earth. One way Muslims do this is through the practice of Zakat, an obligatory kind of charity that’s one of the five pillars of Islam.

Zakat requires Muslims to give 2.5% of their wealth to eight prescribed categories: the poor; the needy; Zakat administrators; those whose hearts can be reconciled; to free the enslaved; to help those in debt; for travelers; and for the sake of God.

Muslims, however, worry that they are responsible to God to ensure that their Zakat is used by institutions in ways that would do good, while adhering to the theological requirements of this religious practice. Yet, my research shows that Muslim American nonprofits are taking steps to build trust with donors.

Zakat as a communal practice

Muslims see themselves as custodians of whatever they possess as gifts from God.

During their lifetime, they must use wealth responsibly and for good; upon their death, the Quran prescribes who can inherit their wealth.

One important aspect of how Muslims are supposed to use their wealth is through charity. Zakat is an obligatory charitable practice in which donations are traditionally channeled through institutions.

According to research my team conducted, nearly 70% of Muslims in the United States report giving Zakat during Ramadan. Ramadan is thus a critical time for nonprofits to solicit Zakat funds.

Historically, Zakat was given through central Zakat collection agencies, or “bait-ul-maals.” For example, at the time of the Prophet Muhammad and early Islamic rulers, Zakat collection and distribution was carried out by the government.

Today, Zakat collection and distribution varies from place to place. In six of the 47 Muslim-majority countries – Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen – Zakat is obligatory and collected by the state. In Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Bangladesh, Zakat is regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary.

Most countries do not have a formal Zakat collection agency and rely upon local nonprofits or individuals for the collection and distribution of Zakat.

Over time, due to distrust in Zakat collecting institutions and perceived corruption, the practice of Zakat has become more individual and less communal. The vast majority of Zakat across the globe is collected and distributed individually rather than through institutions. Scholars have argued that many fear that Zakat collecting institutions may not be using the funds ethically, impactfully and in accordance with Islamic requirements.

For example, according to the Hanafi school of thought, a Zakat collection agency can spend up to 12.5% of donation money on administrative costs; other schools of thought argue that Zakat should be administered at no cost.

Building trust through transparency

It is important for many Muslims that their contributions are used in compliance with Islamic religious requirements.
Photo by Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images

Nonprofits are taking steps to build trust. For example, Muslim American charities were among the first to embrace Charity Navigator as a way to evaluate their impact.

Charity Navigator is a U.S.-based nonprofit that rates nonprofits. Many Muslim-led charities in the United States proudly display their “Four Star” Charity Navigator status.

My team has found that Muslim Americans are more likely to donate to nonprofits that the Internal Revenue Service has granted 501(c)(3) status. This is true even if they don’t claim the charitable deduction on their taxes and therefore cannot get tax breaks for their donations.

More recently, in my conversations with leading Muslim-led nonprofits, I learned that they are seeking to respond to Muslim concerns about how these nonprofits use Zakat funds. It is important for them that funds are used in compliance with Islamic religious requirements.

For example, they are looking at how nonprofits interpret what it means to be “needy,” “the poor,” “the enslaved” or “for the sake of God” in the contemporary context.

Many nonprofits are adopting Zakat policies that explain how they define these terms and how much of their budget covers their administrative costs. These include international organizations that are not led by Muslims, like the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, Save the Children, and the anti-poverty group Oxfam.

A case study

The Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at Indiana University, which I lead, convened a group of scholars in November 2024 to discuss challenges of collecting and distributing Zakat in the U.S. This discussion resulted in a report that sums up these conversations and examines the Zakat policy of the largest U.S. Muslim-led nonprofit: Islamic Relief USA.

Islamic Relief USA’s Zakat policy limits its administrative costs to 12%; it permits funding for both immediate and long-term projects and allows Zakat to be distributed not just as cash payments but also as goods and services. It does not discriminate on the basis of religion.

While not all scholars at the convening agreed with every aspect of the Islamic Relief USA Zakat policy, they accepted that diversity in Islamic thought permitted various approaches to Zakat. They also concurred that Islamic Relief USA’s process was likely the best framework for how nonprofits should approach the development of Zakat policies.

Ultimately, there was consensus that nonprofits seeking Zakat should have Zakat policies; should make them available on their websites; should state the process through which it was developed; and name the scholars and other experts who took part in the process.

Since a majority of American Muslims prefer to donate their Zakat during Ramadan, perhaps this might be the time when nonprofits can build trust through adopting more transparent Zakat policies.

This article discusses a meeting funded by the the Islamic.. However, Islamic Relief USA is not consulted on any of our scholarly or public facing publications resulting from that convening.

– ref. Why Muslim American nonprofits are taking steps to build trust with donors during Ramadan – https://theconversation.com/why-muslim-american-nonprofits-are-taking-steps-to-build-trust-with-donors-during-ramadan-251319

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Philly’s street fentanyl contains an industrial chemical called BTMPS that’s an ingredient in plastic

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Karli Hochstatter, Research Scientist in Epidemiology and Health Services, Columbia University

Adulterants such as xylazine, medetomidine and now BTMPS are common in Philly’s street fentanyl. Juan Pablo Pino/AFP via Getty Images

As much as half of the fentanyl sold on Philly’s streets contains an industrial chemical used in plastics manufacturing. That’s according to our November 2024 testing of fentanyl samples collected in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, regarded as the largest open-air drug market on the East Coast.

What’s more, the amount, or concentration, of this industrial chemical in the drug samples often exceeded the amount of fentanyl.

We are an epidemiologist and anthropologist whose research focuses on substance use disorders and the opioid overdose epidemic. Our team’s findings were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association in February 2025.

The industrial chemical we found is called BTMPS, which is the common abbreviation for bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate. BTMPS belongs to a class of molecules called hindered amine light stabilizers that manufacturers frequently add to plastics and other polymers to protect against degradation from heat and sunlight.

Since March 2024, our team has tested 228 street fentanyl samples collected in Kensington. Of these, 39 – or 17% – contained BTMPS.

We first detected BTMPS in Philadelphia in June 2024. We found it in two of the eight samples – 25% – that we collected that month. By November 2024, 12 of 22 samples – or 55% – contained BTMPS.

Why BTMPS is being added to the street opioid supply, and at what stage in production or distribution it is being added, remains unknown.

Researchers suspect that it may be added to stabilize a fentanyl precursor chemical that is susceptible to degradation from heat and oxygen.

Given its low cost, BTMPS may also be added to dilute other psychoactive substances or more expensive ingredients or both.

Kensington Avenue in North Philadelphia is considered the epicenter of the city’s opioid crisis.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images

How toxic is BTMPS?

Among the 39 samples that contained BTMPS in Philadelphia, the average amount of BTMPS was nearly double that of fentanyl. On average, BTMPS made up 4% of the sample, while fentanyl made up 2.3% of the sample. In one sample tested, BTMPS made up 18% of the sample.

BTMPS has not been approved for human consumption or been studied in humans.

However, it has been shown in rat studies to reduce nicotine use and attenuate withdrawal symptoms associated with morphine and cocaine.

The rat studies revealed several adverse health effects from exposure to BTMPS. They include heart defects, serious eye damage and death.

These findings raise concerns about the increasing exposure of BTMPS to humans through street drugs. The concentrations up to 18% found in the Philly samples are many orders of magnitude higher than the estimated concentration of 0.1% to 0.5% that people are exposed to through plastic products.

Some of the street fentanyl samples from Philadelphia contained more BTMPS than fentanyl.
Joe Lamberti for The Washington Post via Getty Images

BTMPS appearing in fentanyl across the US

Our colleagues who are testing street opioid samples in other regions also detected BTMPS in fentanyl samples or paraphernalia residue in Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, Washington and California. In Los Angeles, BTMPS was first detected in July 2024 – by September, 56% of samples there contained it.

The sudden and almost simultaneous appearance of a new adulterant in U.S. street opioids from the East Coast to the West Coast is rare. For example, fentanyl, xylazine and medetomidine became prevalent in the U.S. opioid supply in different regions at different times.

The recent emergence of BTMPS in street opioid markets nationwide suggests that it may be entering the supply at an early stage in production or wholesale distribution.

Historically, Philadelphia’s street opioid supply has had strong ties to Puerto Rico. These ties influenced Philly’s early incorporation of the veterinary sedative xylazine into the street drug supply. Since 2021, xylazine has been present in virtually all of Philly’s street fentanyl.

Given these associations, we are also testing the street opioid supply in Puerto Rico to examine potential similarities and relationships with Philadelphia’s supply. To date, we have detected BTMPS in two out of 49 – or 4% – of street opioid samples in Puerto Rico. We first detected it in a sample in September 2024 and again in December 2024.

What’s next

We continue to monitor BTMPS trends in Philadelphia’s street fentanyl. We are also examining whether concentrations of fentanyl and other key compounds such as xylazine in Philly’s street fentanyl have changed as new adulterants such as BTMPS and medetomidine become more widespread – and whether these changes play a role in the declining overdose death rate in Pennsylvania and other parts of the U.S.

We are also developing plans to study the immediate and long-term effects that BTMPS exposure has on people using drugs.

Karli Hochstatter receives funding from the NIH.

Fernando Montero receives funding from the NIH, the Social Intervention Group at Columbia University, and the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at New York University.

– ref. Philly’s street fentanyl contains an industrial chemical called BTMPS that’s an ingredient in plastic – https://theconversation.com/phillys-street-fentanyl-contains-an-industrial-chemical-called-btmps-thats-an-ingredient-in-plastic-249990

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: As tuberculosis cases rise in the US and worldwide, health officials puzzle over the resurgence of a disease once in decline

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Karen Dobos, Professor of Microbiology, Colorado State University

A microscopic view of _Mycobacterium tuberculosis_, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. koto_feja/E+ via Getty Images

An outbreak of tuberculosis, or TB – a lung disease that is often accompanied by a hacking cough – began in January 2024 in Kansas City, Kansas, and two nearby counties and continues as of early March 2025. To date, 147 people have been reportedly diagnosed with TB in the outbreak, with 67 becoming ill. The remaining 80 people diagnosed with TB in Kansas contracted the illness but showed no symptoms, which is called a latent infection.

TB is the leading infectious cause of death around the world, outpaced only by COVID-19 during the first three years of the pandemic.

The Conversation asked microbiologists Karen Dobos and Marcela Henao-Tamayo, both from Colorado State University, to explain why this ancient disease seems to be making a comeback.

What’s the history of TB?

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the organism that causes the disease tuberculosis in humans. The disease has been infecting humans for thousands of years. Researchers found evidence of the disease 9,000 years ago in the excavated remains of people who lived in the Eastern Mediterranean region during that time.

Reports of TB date back to around 410-400 B.C.E., when the physician Hippocrates termed the disease phthisis, an archaic word that means a progressive “wasting away,” due to the way people with the disease become emaciated.

TB was also known as consumption for the same reason. Similarly, it was called the white plague or white death – due to anemia from the disease, with people appearing pallid or chalky – leading to near-certain death. Untreated active TB, meaning cases that are symptomatic, is highly lethal.

About half of all people with untreated active TB die from the disease, whereas treatment reduces the death rate to 12%.

One of the more colorful phrases describing TB is “the king’s evil.” This is a form of TB that also causes neck swelling and lesions, a condition called scrofula. During the Middle Ages, people believed that the touch of a king could cure a person from this form of TB through miraculous intervention.

TB infections, which are typically found in the lungs, have risen since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Finally, TB was most ominously called the “robber of youth” due to its historical propensity to afflict people 15 to 30 years old.

In 1865, Jean Antoine Villemin, an army physician in Paris, demonstrated that TB could be transmitted from infected animals to healthy ones through inoculation. Before these studies, the cause of TB was presumed to be primarily constitutional, by either an inherent predisposition or from unhealthy or immoral lifestyles.

The microorganism causing TB was ultimately discovered in 1882 by the German physician Robert Koch. Koch announced his findings on March 24, 1882, a day globally recognized as World TB Day.

How does TB spread?

Tuberculosis is spread by small infectious droplets in the air. A TB patient may emit these droplets by coughing, singing and potentially from regular breathing that occurs during sleep or resting.

One form of TB can be spread through unpasteurized dairy products. While rare, there have been reports of TB transmission through bone graphs, in which healthy, donated bone material is used to replace damaged bones.

Close-up view of an infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

The origin of the TB outbreak in Kansas remains unknown as of early March 2025. The outbreak has disproportionately affected those in low-income communities, and two people have died from it.

Importantly, a patient with untreated TB can infect 10 to 15 others.

Could the COVID-19 pandemic be a factor?

The COVID-19 pandemic has played a pivotal role in the resurgence of TB. Cases increased globally by 4.6% from 2020 to 2023, reversing decades of steady declines in the disease. In the U.S. alone, TB cases rose by more than 15% from 2022 to 2023.

During mandatory shutdowns, people were less able to access health care centers for early diagnosis of TB or to fill prescriptions for treatment, perhaps due to the fear of contracting COVID-19 while visiting a medical care facility. COVID-19-related disruptions in care resulted in nearly 700,000 excess deaths from TB.

Access to health care may not be the only factor behind this uptick. Medical supply shortages and delays in shipment may have also played a role. For example, the U.S. experienced shortages of one of the primary TB drugs between 2021 and 2023.

As illustrated by this 1963 photo, TB is often detected by an X-ray of the chest.
Smith Collection/Gado/Archive Photos via Getty Images

What are the main treatments?

Multidrug treatment is currently the only way to cure TB and stop its spread.

Prior to the late 1930s, when the first antibiotic for TB treatment was developed, TB treatments included bloodletting and consumption of cod liver oil. The most popular treatment involved isolated sanatoriums in high-altitude areas such as the Adirondacks and the Rocky Mountains, where the cold, dry air was believed to be a cure. Scholars at the time suggested that the potential for cure was due to these environments being more invigorating for the body and providing more restful sleep. There is no evidence to support these beliefs.

Streptomycin was the first antibiotic treatment to become available for TB, in the 1940s. However, the microorganism quickly became drug resistant. A second antibiotic, called isoniazid, was developed as a first-line treatment against TB in the 1950s. Again, the microorganism became drug resistant.

Two- and four-drug combinations are now used to treat both latent infections and active disease. Treatment of active TB requires at least six months of uninterrupted therapy. Disruptions in treatment result in further spread of TB and the emergence of multidrug resistant TB, which requires additional drugs and more than nine months of treatment.

All TB drugs are toxic; the quality of life for TB patients deteriorates during treatment and remains so throughout their lives. Finding cases and treating TB illness early, before symptoms begin, is important because it not only reduces the spread of disease but also greatly reduces drug toxicity.

What should people be aware of?

People should be aware that TB is still a public health problem across the globe. Education on the transmission, treatment and need for active work to eradicate TB is the best defense.

One of the reasons why education and awareness about TB are so important is that a person with latent TB may be unknowingly harboring the microorganism for years. In the absence of symptoms, these people are unlikely to seek care and will not be diagnosed and treated unless identified as part of an outbreak, as was the case for more than half of the patients in Kansas.

Karen Dobos receives funding from NIAID, NIH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Marcela Henao-Tamayo receives funding from NIAID, NIH and OEDIT.

– ref. As tuberculosis cases rise in the US and worldwide, health officials puzzle over the resurgence of a disease once in decline – https://theconversation.com/as-tuberculosis-cases-rise-in-the-us-and-worldwide-health-officials-puzzle-over-the-resurgence-of-a-disease-once-in-decline-249450

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What’s that microplastic? Advances in machine learning are making identifying plastics in the environment more reliable

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ambuj Tewari, Professor of Statistics, University of Michigan

Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic that show up in the environment. Svetlozar Hristov/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Microplastics – the tiny particles of plastic shed when litter breaks down – are everywhere, from the deep sea to Mount Everest, and many researchers worry that they could harm human health.

I am a machine learning researcher. With a team of scientists, I have developed a tool to make identification of microplastics using their unique chemical fingerprint more reliable. We hope that this work will help us learn about the types of microplastics floating through the air in our study area, Michigan.

Microplastics – a global problem

The term plastic refers to a wide variety of artificially created polymers. Polyethylene, or PET, is used for making bottles; polypropylene, or PP, is used in food containers; and polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is used in pipes and tubes.

Microplastics are small plastic particles that range in size from 1 micrometer to 5 millimeters. The width of a human hair, for comparison, ranges from 20 to 200 micrometers.

Most scientific studies focus on microplastics in water. However, microplastics are also found in the air. Scientists know much less about microplastics in the atmosphere.

When scientists collect samples from the environment to study microplastics, they usually want to know more about the chemical identities of the microplastic particles found in the samples.

Plastic bottles are often made of polyethylene, while food containers usually containe polypropylene.
Anton Petrus/Moment via Getty Images

Fingerprinting microplastics

Just as fingerprinting uniquely identifies a person, scientists use spectroscopy to determine the chemical identity of microplastics. In spectroscopy, a substance either absorbs or scatters light, depending on how its molecules vibrate. The absorbed or scattered light creates a unique pattern called the spectrum, which is effectively the substance’s fingerprint.

Spectroscopy can match a substance with its unique fingerprint.
VectorMine/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Just like a forensic analyst can match an unknown fingerprint against a fingerprint database to identify the person, researchers can match the spectrum of an unknown microplastic particle against a database of known spectra.

However, forensic analysts can get false matches in fingerprint matching. Similarly, spectral matching against a database isn’t foolproof. Many plastic polymers have similar structures, so two different polymers can have similar spectra. This overlap can lead to ambiguity in the identification process.

So, an identification method for polymers should provide a measure of uncertainty in its output. That way, the user can know how much to trust the polymer fingerprint match. Unfortunately, current methods don’t usually provide an uncertainty measure.

Data from microplastic analyses can inform health recommendations and policy decisions, so it’s important for the people making those calls to know how reliable the analysis is.

Conformal prediction

Machine learning is one tool researchers have started using for microplastic identification.

First, researchers collect a large dataset of spectra whose identities are known. Then, they use this dataset to train a machine learning algorithm that learns to predict a substance’s chemical identity from its spectrum.

Sophisticated algorithms whose inner workings can be opaque make these predictions, so the lack of an uncertainty measure becomes an even greater problem when machine learning is involved.

Our recent work addresses this issue by creating a tool with an uncertainty quantification for microplastic identification. We use a machine learning technique called conformal prediction.

Conformal prediction is like a wrapper around an existing, already trained machine learning algorithm that adds an uncertainty quantification. It does not require the user of the machine learning algorithm to have any detailed knowledge of the algorithm or its training data. The user just needs to be able to run the prediction algorithm on a new set of spectra.

To set up conformal prediction, researchers collect a calibration set containing spectra and their true identities. The calibration set is often much smaller than the training data required for training machine learning algorithms. Usually just a few hundred spectra are enough for calibration.

Then, conformal prediction analyzes the discrepancies between the predictions and correct answers in the calibration set. Using this analysis, it adds other plausible identities to the algorithm’s single output on a particular particle’s spectrum. Instead of outputting one, possibly incorrect, prediction like “this particle is polyethylene,” it now outputs a set of predictions – for example, “this particle could be polyethylene or polypropylene.”

The prediction sets contain the true identity with a level of confidence that users can set themselves – say, 90%. Users can then rerun the conformal prediction with a higher confidence – say, 95%. But the higher the confidence level, the more polymer predictions given by the model in the output.

It might seem that a method that outputs a set rather than a single identity isn’t as useful. But the size of the set serves as a way to assess uncertainty – a small set indicates less uncertainty.

On the other hand, if the algorithm predicts that the sample could be many different polymers, there’s substantial uncertainty. In this case, you could bring in a human expert to examine the polymer closely.

Testing the tool

To run our conformal prediction, my team used libraries of microplastic spectra from the Rochman Lab at the University of Toronto as the calibration set.

Once calibrated, we collected samples from a parking lot in Brighton, Michigan, obtained their spectra, and ran them through the algorithm. We also asked an expert to manually label the spectra with the correct polymer identities. We found that conformal prediction did produce sets that included the label the human expert gave it.

Some spectra, such as polyethylene on the left and polypropylene on the right, look very similar and can easily be confused. That’s why having an uncertainty measure can be helpful.
Ambuj Tewari

Microplastics are an emerging concern worldwide. Some places such as California have begun to gather evidence for future legislation to help curb microplastic pollution.

Evidence-based science can help researchers and policymakers fully understand the extent of microplastic pollution and the threats it poses to human welfare. Building and openly sharing machine learning-based tools is one way to help make that happen.

Ambuj Tewari receives funding from NSF and NIH. The microplastics project is funded by the “Meet the Moment” initiative of the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. This initiative focuses on impactful research on pressing societal issues.

– ref. What’s that microplastic? Advances in machine learning are making identifying plastics in the environment more reliable – https://theconversation.com/whats-that-microplastic-advances-in-machine-learning-are-making-identifying-plastics-in-the-environment-more-reliable-249075

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: DOGE threat: How government data would give an AI company extraordinary power

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Allison Stanger, Distinguished Endowed Professor, Middlebury

Elon Musk has simultaneous control of DOGE and his AI company xAI. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has secured unprecedented access to at least seven sensitive federal databases, including those of the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration. This access has sparked fears about cybersecurity vulnerabilities and privacy violations. Another concern has received far less attention: the potential use of the data to train a private company’s artificial intelligence systems.

The White House press secretary said government data that DOGE has collected isn’t being used to train Musk’s AI models, despite Elon Musk’s control over DOGE. However, evidence has emerged that DOGE personnel simultaneously hold positions with at least one of Musk’s companies.

At the Federal Aviation Administration, SpaceX employees have government email addresses. This dual employment creates a conduit for federal data to potentially be siphoned to Musk-owned enterprises, including xAI. The company’s latest Grok AI chatbot model conspicuously refuses to give a clear denial about using such data.

As a political scientist and technologist who is intimately acquainted with public sources of government data, I believe this potential transmission of government data to private companies presents far greater privacy and power implications than most reporting identifies. A private entity with the capacity to develop artificial intelligence technologies could use government data to leapfrog its competitors and wield massive influence over society.

Value of government data for AI

For AI developers, government databases represent something akin to finding the Holy Grail. While companies such as OpenAI, Google and xAI currently rely on information scraped from the public internet, nonpublic government repositories offer something much more valuable: verified records of actual human behavior across entire populations.

This isn’t merely more data – it’s fundamentally different data. Social media posts and web browsing histories show curated or intended behaviors, but government databases capture real decisions and their consequences. For example, Medicare records reveal health care choices and outcomes. IRS and Treasury data reveal financial decisions and long-term impacts. And federal employment and education statistics reveal education paths and career trajectories.

What makes this data particularly valuable for AI training is its longitudinal nature and reliability. Unlike the disordered information available online, government records follow standardized protocols, undergo regular audits and must meet legal requirements for accuracy. Every Social Security payment, Medicare claim and federal grant creates a verified data point about real-world behavior. This data exists nowhere else with such breadth and authenticity in the U.S.

Most critically, government databases track entire populations over time, not just digitally active users. They include people who never use social media, don’t shop online, or actively avoid digital services. For an AI company, this would mean training systems on the actual diversity of human experience rather than just the digital reflections people cast online.

A security guard prevented U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., from entering an EPA building on Feb. 6, 2025, to see DOGE staff working there.
Al Drago/Getty Images

The technical advantage

Current AI systems face fundamental limitations that no amount of data scraped from the internet can overcome. When ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini make mistakes, it’s often because they’ve been trained on information that might be popular but isn’t necessarily true. They can tell you what people say about a policy’s effects, but they can’t track those effects across populations and years.

Government data could change this equation. Imagine training an AI system not just on opinions about health care but on actual treatment outcomes across millions of patients. Consider the difference between learning from social media discussions about economic policies and analyzing their real impacts across different communities and demographics over decades.

A large, state-of-the-art, or frontier, model trained on comprehensive government data could understand the actual relationships between policies and outcomes. It could track unintended consequences across different population segments, model complex societal systems with real-world validation and predict the impacts of proposed changes based on historical evidence. For companies seeking to build next-generation AI systems, access to this data would create an almost insurmountable advantage.

Control of critical systems

A company like xAI could do far more with models trained on government data than building better chatbots or content generators. Such systems could fundamentally transform – and potentially control – how people understand and manage complex societal systems. While some of these capabilities could be beneficial under the control of accountable public agencies, I believe they pose a threat in the hands of a single private company.

Medicare and Medicaid databases contain records of treatments, outcomes and costs across diverse populations over decades. A frontier model trained on new government data could identify treatment patterns that succeed where others fail, and so dominate the health care industry. Such a model could understand how different interventions affect various populations over time, accounting for factors such as geographic location, socioeconomic status and concurrent conditions.

A company wielding the model could influence health care policy by demonstrating superior predictive capabilities and market population-level insights to pharmaceutical companies and insurers.

Treasury data represents perhaps the most valuable prize. Government financial databases contain granular details about how money flows through the economy. This includes real-time transaction data across federal payment systems, complete records of tax payments and refunds, detailed patterns of benefit distributions, and government contractor payments with performance metrics.

An AI company with access to this data could develop extraordinary capabilities for economic forecasting and market prediction. It could model the cascading effects of regulatory changes, predict economic vulnerabilities before they become crises, and optimize investment strategies with precision impossible through traditional methods.

Elon Musk’s xAI company is well financed.

Infrastructure and urban systems

Government databases contain information about critical infrastructure usage patterns, maintenance histories, emergency response times and development impacts. Every federal grant, infrastructure inspection and emergency response creates a data point that could help train AI to better understand how cities and regions function.

The power lies in the potential interconnectedness of this data. An AI system trained on government infrastructure records would understand how transportation patterns affect energy use, how housing policies affect emergency response times, and how infrastructure investments influence economic development across regions.

A private company with exclusive access would gain unique insight into the physical and economic arteries of American society. This could allow the company to develop “smart city” systems that city governments would become dependent on, effectively privatizing aspects of urban governance. When combined with real-time data from private sources, the predictive capabilities would far exceed what any current system can achieve.

Absolute data corrupts absolutely

A company such as xAI, with Musk’s resources and preferential access through DOGE, could surmount technical and political obstacles far more easily than competitors. Recent advances in machine learning have also reduced the burdens of preparing data for the algorithms to process, making government data a veritable gold mine – one that rightfully belongs to the American people.

The threat of a private company accessing government data transcends individual privacy concerns. Even with personal identifiers removed, an AI system that analyzes patterns across millions of government records could enable surprising capabilities for making predictions and influencing behavior at the population level. The threat is AI systems that leverage government data to influence society, including electoral outcomes.

Since information is power, concentrating unprecedented data in the hands of a private entity with an explicit political agenda represents a profound challenge to the republic. I believe that the question is whether the American people can stand up to the potentially democracy-shattering corruption such a concentration would enable. If not, Americans should prepare to become digital subjects rather than human citizens.

Allison Stanger receives funding from the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University.

– ref. DOGE threat: How government data would give an AI company extraordinary power – https://theconversation.com/doge-threat-how-government-data-would-give-an-ai-company-extraordinary-power-250907

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How 18F transformed government technology − and why its elimination matters

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kayla Schwoerer, Assistant Professor of Public Administration & Policy, University at Albany, State University of New York

18F was a group of technology hotshots within the GSA. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Healthcare.gov, the government health insurance marketplace website, launched in October 2013 only to buckle under the weight of just 2,000 simultaneous users. As millions of Americans stared at error messages and frozen screens, a political crisis unfolded, but so did a new era of government technology.

The result was 18F, an in-house digital services consulting agency that brought Silicon Valley expertise to government, challenging decades of outdated procurement practices and introducing a radical new approach to building digital public services.

Founded on March 19, 2014, by Presidential Innovation Fellows, 18F was housed within the Technology Transformation Services department of the General Services Administration, or GSA. The name 18F was derived from the address of GSA headquarters: 1800 F Street. On March 1, 2025, just a few weeks shy of 18F’s 11th anniversary, the Trump administration eliminated the agency and laid off its staff.

As a researcher who studies public administration and technology, I have observed the transformational role 18F played in government digital services. The unit’s elimination raises the question of what the future of those services will look like.

Impact of 18F

18F served a unique role as an in-house digital consultancy for the U.S. government, drawing on innovative strategies to improve public service through technology. Within 18F, teams consisting of designers, software engineers, strategists and product managers worked together with federal, state and local agencies to not only fix technical problems but to build, buy and share technology that helped to modernize and improve the public’s experience with government services.

Over nearly 11 years, 18F built an impressive portfolio of successful digital projects that transformed how people interact with the U.S. government. Even if the average person is unfamiliar with 18F, the odds are quite high that they have at least encountered one of its many products or services.

18F staff describe the group’s mission and work.

For example, 18F supported the Internal Revenue Service in creating IRS Direct File, a free online tax filing tool that provides taxpayers with a simplified filing process. As of today, IRS Direct File is available in 25 states and is expected to serve 30 million eligible taxpayers during the 2025 tax filing season.

18F has been pivotal in modernizing and securing digital systems to help create more streamlined and secure user experiences for the public. For instance, Login.gov is a secure single sign-on platform that simplifies access to multiple government services for users.

Perhaps the most notable of 18F’s modernization efforts that touches nearly every aspect of government today is the U.S. Web Design System. The comprehensive design system was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Digital Service in 2015. It helps support dozens of agencies and makes nearly 200 websites more accessible and responsive to user needs.

How 18F worked

What set 18F apart was its approach. Rather than spending years on giant information technology contracts that often failed to deliver, 18F championed agile development. Agile and lean methodologies have been popular in Silicon Valley startups and software companies for decades due to their flexibility and focus on rapid iteration.

By applying agile development principles, 18F focused on breaking down large projects into manageable pieces with incremental improvements based on frequent user feedback. This approach allowed continuous adaptation spurred by user feedback and changing requirements while reducing risk.

Another cornerstone of 18F’s innovative approach was its focus on user-centered design. By focusing on the needs of the people who actually used government services, 18F was able to go beyond merely satisfying technical requirements to design digital products that were more accessible and user-friendly. The idea was to understand the end users and the problems they encountered in order to effectively design products and solutions that addressed their needs. It also aimed to provide a consistent user experience and earn the users’ trust in the services.

By prioritizing open-source development and collaboration, 18F also helped to make government IT more affordable. Making project code transparent meant that agencies could reuse the code and reduce the cost of duplicate development efforts across agencies and levels of government.

18F also had a hand in helping agencies develop their own technology capacity, whether by teaching them how to build software using open-source development and agile methodologies or by teaching agencies how to hire and oversee technology vendors themselves. This model was especially beneficial for state and local agencies following 18F’s expansion in 2016 to provide services to state and local government agencies that receive federal funding.

End of an era

The elimination of 18F marks the end of an era, raising concerns about both current and future technology projects. As of now, there does not appear to be a succession plan, leaving many federal agencies without ongoing support for their digital transformation efforts. Critics also argue that the loss of 18F means the loss of significant technical expertise within the government.

These changes come at a time when agencies are experiencing substantial personnel shifts, rendering digital services potentially even more critical. As agencies brace for more personnel cuts, the public may need to rely more on digital services to fill the gap amid growing staffing shortages.

Since the news was announced, current and former 18F team members as well as advocates of the unit have taken to social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, and LinkedIn, to share stories of its successes, honor its legacy and share 18F resources.

Kayla Schwoerer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. How 18F transformed government technology − and why its elimination matters – https://theconversation.com/how-18f-transformed-government-technology-and-why-its-elimination-matters-251333

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “What could be more important than feeding people?”: Vladimir Stroyev took part in a strategy session on the topic of training managers in the agro-industrial complex

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

On March 6, 2025, as part of the business program of the Exhibition and Forum of Educational Technologies, Infrastructure and Intelligent Solutions MMCO.Expo – 2025, a strategic session “Training of management personnel for rural areas and small towns: horizons for the development of the domestic system of vocational education” was held, in which the rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroev took part.

Together with the rector of the State University of Management, the discussion was attended by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Olga Petrova, member of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Igor Murog, rector of the Russian New University Vladimir Zernov, vice-president of RAO Viktor Basyuk, deputy chairman of the Association of Non-State Universities Roman Sultanov and other experts.

Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova spoke about the importance of the educational process for training personnel for the agro-industrial complex.

“How can we make it so that students who receive an education in Moscow and St. Petersburg come to work at enterprises that are not always located in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and very often are located in small towns? There is only one way. This is precisely the mission, the feeling of significance, value, the very same educational policy that must be clearly and correctly built,” Olga Petrova noted.

Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev spoke about the “Digital Village” – a large project to develop boxed solutions for farmers using various unmanned systems and new biotechnologies. Vladimir Vitalyevich also pointed out the high technology of the modern agro-industrial complex.

“Previously, the attitude towards the agro-industrial complex was somewhat residual. A rural leader was perceived as “a man with a shovel and a plough”. Now this opinion is already considered backward and those who continue to think so do not understand how the agro-industrial complex is developing in our time. Now it is one of the most high-tech complexes. This is a huge scientific base, institutes that have been engaged in biotechnology, unmanned developments, and management decisions for many years. In order to work in the agro-industrial complex now, you need the highest level of qualification,” said Vladimir Stroyev.

Deputy Chairman of the Association of Non-State Universities Roman Sultanov mentioned modern educational technologies.

“The easiest way to make education accessible is online. Today, there is no other way to reach every student, applicant or schoolchild, wherever they are. If you look at the ratings and research, the private sector is leading in distance education. And if you synchronize private sector with state tasks, then the first step could be access to online education,” said Roman Sultanov.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/06/2025

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: State Archives to Host Free Virtual Program on the Regulation of Midwives, 1900-1940

Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: State Archives to Host Free Virtual Program on the Regulation of Midwives, 1900-1940

State Archives to Host Free Virtual Program on the Regulation of Midwives, 1900-1940
jejohnson6
Thu, 03/06/2025 – 07:34

This Women’s History Month, learn about changes to the practice of midwifery in the early twentieth century in North Carolina.

Yale University student Jenesis Nwainokpor will present a free online program discussing the transition from traditional midwifery to the increasingly professionalized field of obstetrics, “Where Did All the Midwives Go?: Statistical Authority in the Regulation of Midwifery in North Carolina, 1900-1940.” At the turn of the 20th century, American physicians sought to control southern midwives, most of whom were Black. Their efforts reduced professional competition by blaming midwives for high rates of infant mortality and led to sweeping governmental regulation, eventually driving these care workers to virtual extinction.

The event is scheduled Thursday, March 13, from noon-1:00 p.m.

Register in advance for online participation. https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_ag8T1464Q9igwmEL2k69vg#/registration For more information, contact Adrienne Berney, adrienne.berney@dncr.nc.gov; 919-814-6863.

About the State Archives The State Archives serves as the custodian of North Carolina’s historical records, preserving and providing public access to a wealth of archival materials. Through its diverse collections, educational programs, and exhibitions, the State Archives plays a crucial role in promoting an understanding and appreciation of North Carolina’s rich historical legacy.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.

Mar 1, 2025

MIL OSI USA News –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Managers Can Help Their Gen Z Employees Unlock the Power of Meaningful Work − Here’s How
Source: US State of Connecticut

Finding fulfilling and motivating work is a challenge for many people, but it can be especially difficult for those just starting their careers. And as Generation Z professionals – those born between 1997 and 2012 – increasingly seek personalized career paths, managers are tasked with helping employees find meaning in their roles while also meeting organizational goals.

Some managers may view Gen Z’s desire for meaningful work as a form of entitlement, but dismissing it can be costly. Research shows that employees who find their work meaningful experience greater job satisfaction, which directly boosts productivity. Meanwhile, ignoring this need can lead to higher employee turnover and “quiet quitting.” In short, helping younger employees find meaning on the job isn’t just good for them – it’s a smart business strategy.

As business professors who study meaningful work, we wanted to understand how managers can help younger staff thrive. So one of us – Kelly Kennedy – conducted a research study at Baylor University in which she interviewed a range of Gen Z professionals. Then, together with leadership consultant Shanna Hocking, we analyzed the results to identify three crucial factors that can help managers unlock meaning for early-career professionals. These are self-knowledge, adding value, and relationships.

By addressing these areas, managers can foster a supportive environment where Gen Z professionals thrive.

The 3 keys to meaningful work

Self-knowledge is about understanding who you are and what you value, and recognizing your strengths and weaknesses. Research shows self-awareness can be a powerful tool for creating a productive and engaged workforce.

To help Gen Z employees develop self-knowledge, encourage them to reflect on what energizes and interests them. To get the ball rolling, you can ask them to think about their college experiences, internships and important personal milestones. These reflections can help them uncover patterns in what they enjoy and what drives their motivation.

Additionally, many Gen Z professionals seek roles that align with their values. It’s common for them to focus on developing a sense of purpose that extends beyond a specific job title.

For example, one young employee we interviewed, who works in fashion merchandising, told us, “I will make things beautiful and that will be my life.” This is a flexible sense of purpose – one that isn’t tied to any particular job, but rather to a bigger vision of impact. A smart manager will connect day-to-day tasks to employees’ larger goals, helping them see how their contributions fit into the bigger picture.

Adding value at work comes down to two key things: feeling recognized and knowing one’s contributions make a difference. Our study found that adding value and feeling valued play a crucial role in shaping workplace meaning. For example, when asked what makes work meaningful, a Gen Z worker said, “being part of a team where you are able to contribute and directly see the impact of your work, regardless of the level you are at.”

So, how do you make Gen Z employees feel recognized? It can be as simple as giving praise or as big as offering a raise. But for many young professionals, meaningful work goes beyond just perks – it’s about feeling like their efforts contribute to a larger goal and make a positive impact on society.

Finally, how people get work done in the office is often tied to the relationships they have.

Previous research has shown that Gen Z professionals are more likely to thrive in work environments that prioritize diversity and inclusion and encourage positive relationships between colleagues. Our conversations with Gen Z workers backed that up: They told us they valued quality relationships, collaboration, and support from managers and colleagues.

Managers can foster this type of environment by encouraging team members to meaningfully connect. As a Gen Z private equity analyst shared with us, “When you work such long hours, it’s nice knowing there’s others in the trenches with you.”

Building strong relationships with direct reports is also important. Gen Z professionals value being mentored by their managers and receiving regular feedback and honest communication. Research has shown connection at work is powerful for creating a meaningful environment of trust for employees of all ages.

We also found that Gen Z appreciates being able to take risks – and potentially fail – in a safe space. That’s why mentorship programs can be impactful; they help young professionals develop skills, build confidence and find meaning in their work by providing a safe space for learning and growth.

3 questions to unlock the power of meaningful work

Reflection and coaching are powerful tools that help early career employees develop self-awareness, add value and build strong relationships. This work may seem daunting at first, but it’s easy to incorporate into the regular conversations you’re already having as a manager. To bring out the best in your Gen Z employees, start by asking three simple questions during your next one-on-one meeting.
1. When have you felt most energized at work?
Asking this question can help early career employees gain a deeper understanding of what motivates them. By identifying key moments, both you and the employee can gain valuable insight into their priorities and interests. Pay close attention to the specific aspects of their work that spark enthusiasm, and observe nonverbal cues such as body language and facial expressions – they can reveal just as much as words about what truly excites them.

Make it a dialogue by sharing what you’ve noticed about the employee’s interests and discussing ways to tap into their motivations. Then, encourage the employee to find tasks and projects that align with their interests and bring them to the next one-on-one to discuss. From there, when assigning new tasks, be sure to highlight how the work connects to the employee’s interests and the organization’s larger goals.
1. Where do you feel you contribute the most?
This question helps early career employees recognize their strengths, allowing them to contribute more effectively and feel like a valued part of the team. As they respond, look for recurring themes in how they approach their work and the quality of their output.

Help employees see the bigger picture by connecting their efforts to departmental objectives and the company’s overall mission. Highlight how their skills and contributions make a difference – not just in their own work but in supporting their colleagues and driving team success. And be on the lookout for opportunities to genuinely acknowledge their contributions in real time, as well as during performance reviews.
1. Whom in the company do you want to learn from or work more closely with?
Bringing up an employee’s work relationships in a one-on-one meeting might seem unconventional, but it’s a valuable opportunity to guide them in building strong partnerships. Plus, showing genuine interest in their connections reinforces your own relationship with them.

As you discuss their workplace interactions, pay attention to whom they mention and why. Their responses can offer valuable insights into their career aspirations, potential collaboration opportunities and the relationships they find most meaningful.

Also, remember: You don’t have to have all the answers. If a Gen Z employee comes to you with a question, use it as a chance to connect them with other team members or subject-matter experts. Encouraging them to seek out knowledge from others not only strengthens their network but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.

As Gen Z professionals seek more personalized and fulfilling career paths, managers play a critical role in supporting them. Helping early career team members reach their professional goals will, in turn, help organizations reach their own goals. So if you’re a manager, asking these three simple questions during one-on-one meetings can lead to happier, more motivated workers and a more productive and stable organization.

Originally published in The Conversation.

MIL OSI USA News –
March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Humanities Project Looks at Black American Sign Language, African American English

Source: US State of Connecticut

Kanny Salike ’26 (CLAS) didn’t grow up in the Deaf community and no one around her uses American Sign Language – she didn’t even know her A, B, Cs until just over a year ago.

The linguistics and anthropology double major says she developed an interest in learning ASL after thumbing through a sign language dictionary gifted by her mother. The handshapes were intriguing and the idea of using facial expressions to communicate was fascinating.

“I’ve always been interested in languages and wish I knew more. But learning about how language changes over time and how our society can influence those changes is most interesting to me,” she says.

Kanny Salike ’26 (CLAS) is working on the project, “The Evolution of African American English (AAE) and Black American Sign Language (BASL) in the United States,” as part of an undergraduate fellowship from the UConn Humanities Institute. (Courtesy of Kanny Salike)

Salike took Elementary American Sign Language I in fall 2023, then followed up with the second level in spring 2024. This year, with an undergraduate research fellowship from the UConn Humanities Institute, she’s independently discovering “The Evolution of African American English (AAE) and Black American Sign Language (BASL) in the United States.”

It was in one of those early ASL classes that Salike says she learned there was even such a thing as BASL and that its origin parallels the evolution of AAE, each becoming distinct dialects with roots in ASL and Standard American English (SAE), respectively.

That got her thinking: Does racism and audism impact the way language evolves and the way people freely speak or sign? Does racism exist in the Deaf community? Does being deaf and Black influence how people are treated in a hearing-centric world? Do AAE and BASL share historical similarities in the way they became their own languages?

“It’s important to unpack how systemic structures influence the way people live,” she says, “and having more literature out there on this could start to break down the racism and audism that still exists.”

When speakers of SAE hear someone conversing in AAE, or vice versa, Salike says, they take notice of the grammar differences. AAE uses certain constructions including double negatives, for example.

“People have this idea that African American English is not a proper way to speak English because they are using ideas of what Standard American English should sound like. But each is different unto its own,” she says.

The same is true for the differences between BASL and ASL, she continues: “There’s a common misconception that there is one universal sign language, but there’s the same diversity in signing as there are number of groups in the larger Deaf community. For instance, if someone from the East Coast were to sign with someone from the West Coast, just like with oral communication, there would be detectable accents.”

Salike says that for her one of the trickiest parts of learning sign language comes with its reliance on facial expressions to convey words, phrases, and sentiments, in addition to the use of hand gestures.

That’s only amplified in BASL, which is even heavier on facial expressions and utilizes two-handed gestures more frequently.

While she says she can’t put a timestamp on precisely when BASL developed, it came about during segregation when white students were educated separately from Black students, a separation that allowed BASL to flourish.

“For a long time, manual languages were banned in white schools. You weren’t allowed to teach deaf children how to sign. They would need to learn to speak or use oral language as well,” Salike explains. “But the rules were different in Black schools where Black children had a space to learn sign language and practice signing because their education wasn’t given the same attention as white students.”

In the same way that SAE and AAE are mutually intelligible, so is ASL and BASL, she adds, noting that nonetheless there would be some fits and starts in communication, much like there are when two people with distinct regional dialects communicate (for example, the difference between the use of the word “soda” in the Northeast and “pop” in the Midwest).

Sign language is not a word-for-word translation, just as converting English to Spanish isn’t and often depends on context. That’s why sign language interpreters are not called translators, Salike says. Their job is to convey the essence of what the person is trying to say.

As Salike spends the rest of the semester pouring through the research around BASL and AAE, she also is seeking to talk with a few deaf people from the Black community to survey their experiences and compare them to the findings of noted researcher Carolyn McCaskill, a Gallaudet University professor who’s been honored for her research on ASL in the Black Deaf community.

“Language is powerful and people who speak AAE or sign BASL often get discriminated against just because they don’t communicate in the standard dialect,” Salike says. “We need to create a more inclusive environment for everyone to communicate freely no matter their origins or their background.”

MIL OSI USA News –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: UConn Student Club Bringing Free Medical Clinic to Willimantic This Weekend

Source: US State of Connecticut

More than 200 UConn student volunteers will join together with teams of medical, dental, and vision care providers this Saturday and Sunday as the University’s Medical Clinic Club, in partnership with the nonprofit Remote Area Medical, takes over Windham Middle School in Willimantic to offer a free pop-up health care clinic to area residents.

Patient parking will open at midnight on Saturday, March 8, for the clinic, with doors opening at 6:00 a.m. as services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis – at no cost – with doors closing once the day’s capacity is reached.

Parking starts again at midnight on Sunday, March 9, with doors opening at 6:00 a.m. and the two-day clinic ending once it again reaches capacity.

Patients should plan to attend as early as possible to ensure they’re able to be seen. All services are free and open to the general public. No identification is required, and Spanish-language interpreters and providers will be on-site and readily available for both days.

This weekend’s free clinic marks the second occasion that the Medical Clinic Club has organized this event to offer no-cost care to those in need in the greater Willimantic area alongside Remote Area Medical, or RAM, which helps run the clinics.

The first clinic, held in March 2024 and led by UConn alum Brooke DiVasto ’24 (CLAS), saw more than 400 volunteers provide more than $150,000 in free health care services to 212 patients over two days, according to Cameron Costa ’26 (CLAS), a physiology and neurobiology major at UConn Storrs and the club’s current president and community host group lead.

“We’re all just super excited, because it’s nice to see the impact of an initiative,” Costa says. “Having that first year under our belts, we were able to meet these patients. A lot of us were able to hear their stories, hear how infrequently they were able to get medical care, and seeing that impact really gives us the drive and passion to keep doing this work.”

The student-driven clinic, Costa says, is led by a nine-person organizing team that spends the better part of the year planning, organizing, and fundraising to support the effort.

Over the past 12 months, the club has raised more than $30,000 in private donations and through a GoFundMe campaign as well as through grants used to help fund the clinic. They’ve been aided in their efforts by their fiduciary partner, Access Agency, and by financial support from Undergraduate Student Government and through a Co-op Legacy Fellowship Program – Change Grant from the University’s Office of Undergraduate Research.

The Change Grant, Costa explains, was used to outfit a new Resource Hallway for the clinic, where patients will have access to nonperishable food items, personal care items, and other supplies they can take home with them after receiving care – an addition to this year’s clinic that the student organizers are excited to be able to offer to those who attend.

“We’ve got diapers and baby food, baby formula,” Costa says. “Hygiene products, things like hairbrushes, nail clippers, toothbrushes and toothpaste. We’ve got a lot of different nonperishable food options, like pasta and rice, but also soups and vegetables and stews. We did a book sorting event at the Mansfield Public Library, alongside the Friends of the Mansfield Library, and we got a lot of books from them that we thought would be good for the elementary-to-middle school level, study books for parents or kids to take with them. We’ve got some emergency options, like emergency thermal blankets, winter hats and gloves – because it’s still a little bit cold out. We cast a very wide net on the items we wanted to have in the hallway.”

While volunteer registration for this year’s clinic has closed – response from the UConn community was enthusiastic, and the club met its volunteer goals weeks ago, Costa says – the club is already organizing for next year and beyond.

UConn students interested in joining in the effort are encouraged to connect with the club through UContact in order to receive the most up-to-date information on volunteer opportunities, to become an active member, or to learn more about the club’s work. UConn students interested in volunteering for the next clinic are urged to sign up early, Costa says.

This year, club members also plan to expand the scope of their work, Costa explains, to help those who attend this weekend’s clinic find the care they need beyond the actual clinic days.

“A big thing about us is that it’s not just free care for this one day – follow-up care is super important,” he says. “After the clinic, all of our volunteers will come together for two nights to call back all of these patients to help them organize follow-up care. We’ve already worked with some local medical, dental, and vision offices that are in the area and are open to new patients, open to patients who may not have insurance, or open to patients that maybe have Medicare or Medicaid.

“So, it definitely a big job, and it’s a lot of work, but it’s very meaningful work, and we’re all really happy and grateful that we have support to do this.”

MIL OSI USA News –

March 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Promoting Healthcare Excellence with Evidence Based Practice at NHB

Source: United States Navy (Medical)

The commitment to enhance medical readiness was visually evident recently at Naval Hospital Bremerton.

U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Nurse Corps officers, along with hospital corpsmen assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command Bremerton, honed their evidence based practice skills at a TriService Nursing Research Program Evidence Based Practice training class.

“This is a big deal for nurses because two instructors came from out of town to teach this class which takes us through all the steps of EBP to come out and be ready to do a EBP project,” said Lt. Cmdr. Maggy Mitzkewich, NMRTC Bremerton Specialty Care department.

The training class, in conjunction with the Uniformed Services University, was held to refine attendees’ knowledge on the values of evidence based practice designed to help military nurses care for warfighters on the field of battle as well as retirees and dependents at a military treatment facility.

“Most nurses at Naval Hospital Bremerton work in a clinic environment, but we need to be ready to deploy in our primary subspecialty,” explained Mitzkewich. “Using evidence based practice, we can target the best training methods to keep our skills up to date using proven ideas such as skills fairs or virtual reality.”

Nurse Corps officers stationed at NHB, as well as other military treatment facilities, routinely are tasked for operational missions. NHB has recently deployed nurses to augment Navy fleet forces, support multiple Navy and Marine Corps locales across the Indo-Pacific theater, and assist U.S. Naval Forces Central Command needs and more.

The Tri-Service Nursing Research Program training class curriculum, under the auspices of organizers Laurie Migliore and Ellen Kroll, followed what is known as the Iowa Model, a practical process which provides a structured outline for conducting principles of evidence-based practice.

“The process uses a format based on the five stage formula of problem/population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and time,” said Mitzkewich, noting that a nurse can use evidence base practice knowledge to help improve quality healthcare and patient safety programs.

“As nurses, we use evidence based practice by integrating research, clinical expertise, and patient preference to make informed decisions about care,” continued Mitzkewich. “It is something we learn about in nursing school and continue to use and develop throughout our daily practice and careers. It is a tool that helps ensure we are keeping our patients safe and helping them reach their healthcare goals.”

According to Mitzkewich, examples of evidence based practice initiatives are NHB nurses updating the command’s patient falls policy and medication administration policy to ensure all staff members are adequately trained on both and that the hospital is using the most effective protocols to ensure patient safety.

Two of the EBP initiatives the class participants worked on were, ‘Implementing an effective medication administration training and competency for nurses and corpsmen’ and ‘Using evidence to create an effective outpatient falls protocol.’

Both initiatives are important in any healthcare locale.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patient falls in a hospital setting, especially amongst elder beneficiaries, are a constant risk. The National Institute of Health also affirms that medication administration errors, such as wrong patient, wrong dose, wrong prescription, are all dispensing issues which are preventable.

Mitzkewich attests that being able to implement evidence based practices to improve healthcare delivery is a gratifying experience for nurses, as well as their patients.

“It is rewarding because the initiative that come from this class will affect real change in patient safety and knowledge, skills and abilities at our command,” stated Mitzkewich.

MIL Security OSI –

March 7, 2025