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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Global: The heart is a symbol of love – things weren’t always like that

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

    Valentine’s Day is all about the hearts: heart-shaped chocolates, cards, balloons and even pizza. But the heart hasn’t always just been a symbol of romance.

    Across cultures and centuries, the heart has been revered as the seat of the soul, a source of supernatural power and a vessel of identity. From ancient Egyptian afterlife beliefs to medieval relics, from necromantic rituals to modern heart transplants, this organ has been at the centre of both scientific curiosity and deep-seated mysticism.

    Why has the heart, more than any other organ, been imbued with such deep symbolism and power? While anatomy tells us it is a muscular pump controlled by electrical impulses, history tells a more complex story – one of rituals, relics and even dark magic.

    The human heart is a remarkably efficient pump, beating about 100,000 times a day and circulating about 7,500 litres of blood. It is driven by the sinoatrial node, a cluster of pacemaker cells that spontaneously generate electrical impulses independently of the brain.

    As this intrinsic electrical system does not rely on direct nervous input but is influenced by it, the heart can continue beating for a short while even when removed from the body – provided it has an adequate supply of oxygen and electrolytes. This uncanny quality only reinforced superstitions that the heart was more than just a muscle and may explain why many early cultures viewed the heart as possessing a life force of its own.

    But to present the heart as merely a pump ignores wider influences. The heart functions as an endocrine organ, releasing hormones that regulate blood pressure, fluid balance and cardiovascular health.

    The connection between the heart and “love hormones”, such as oxytocin, extends beyond metaphor, as research suggests the heart not only responds to oxytocin but may also play a role in its release.

    Oxytocin is primarily produced in the brain by the hypothalamus and released from the pituitary gland, flooding the body during moments of affection, trust and bonding. It is the chemical catalyst behind the deep emotional connections that define human relationships.

    The heart is equipped with oxytocin receptors, and studies show that the hormone promotes vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels), reducing blood pressure and improving circulation. Beyond this, oxytocin may protect the heart, helping it repair itself and reducing inflammation after injury, such as during a heart attack.

    However, the heart’s function was not always understood. The ancient Greeks believed it was the seat of intelligence, while Aristotle dismissed the brain as a mere “cooling fluid” for the heart’s divine fire.

    Galen, a Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher who lived during Roman times, described the heart as the body’s furnace, while William Harvey’s 1628 discovery of circulation reshaped our understanding of this important organ. Even so, its symbolic and mystical significance never fully waned.

    The seat of the soul

    The ancient Egyptians preserved the heart during mummification, believing it would be weighed by Anubis against the Feather of Truth, the divine measure of justice. Ironically, the brain was discarded as totally useless. An excerpt from the Book of the Dead, an ancient Egyptian funerary text, reads:

    O my heart which I had from my mother! which I had from my mother! O my heart of my different ages! Don’t stand up as a witness against me. Do not be opposed to me in the tribunal.

    This spell is intended to pacify the heart and assert dominion, ensuring it remains loyal when weighed.

    The idea that the heart carried more than just blood persisted into the Renaissance, with scholars debating whether it was the true locus of identity.

    “If indeed from the heart alone rise anger or passion, fear, terror, and sadness; if from it alone spring shame, delight, and joy, why should I say more?” Andreas de Laguna, a Spanish physician wrote in 1535.

    Even today, heart transplants fuel questions about whether a transplanted heart carries something of its donor. Some recipients report changes in personality, memories or food preferences, raising speculation about cellular memory. While no definitive scientific basis exists, such cases continue to intrigue.

    Heart of darkness

    The heart’s power was not only revered, but feared. In folk magic and necromancy, people believed that the hearts of executed criminals retained energy from their violent deaths. Some thought consuming, burning or preserving a heart could grant knowledge or strength.

    In Scotland and England, people reportedly boiled the hearts of murderers to prevent their ghosts from haunting the living. Dried hearts were sometimes ground into powders for potions, while in occult traditions, they were burned in rituals to banish spirits or bind enemies.

    More disturbing are accounts of unbaptised infants’ hearts in witchcraft traditions. Some sources claim they were used in hexes, flying ointments or dark pacts. While probably exaggerated during witch trials, such stories reflect a deep-rooted belief in the heart as a conduit of power.

    The heart has been a vessel of the soul, a source of magic and a point of conflict between science and superstition. While modern medicine has demystified much of its function, its symbolism remains deeply ingrained in human culture.

    This Valentine’s Day, as we exchange stylised hearts in celebration of love, we might pause to remember that the power of the heart has been a symbol of life, death and everything in between for millennia.

    Michelle Spear 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 heart is a symbol of love – things weren’t always like that – https://theconversation.com/the-heart-is-a-symbol-of-love-things-werent-always-like-that-249211

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Huntzinger Management Group Welcomes Industry Leader Jon P. Burns as Advisor

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUNMORE, Pa., Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Huntzinger Management Group is thrilled to announce that accomplished healthcare IT and operations executive Jon P. Burns has joined the organization as an advisor. His decades of expertise, leadership, and transformative impact in healthcare technology and operations will further strengthen Huntzinger’s ability to deliver strategic insights and value-driven solutions to clients.

    “We are beyond excited to welcome Jon to the Huntzinger team,” said Robert Kitts, CEO and Founding Partner at Huntzinger. “His vast industry experience, innovative leadership, and ability to drive meaningful change in healthcare IT and operations align perfectly with our mission to empower organizations with expert-driven solutions.”

    About Jon P. Burns

    With an impressive career extending 48 years in healthcare leadership, Jon Burns has held senior executive roles at leading institutions, including Geisinger, UNC Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic, and the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS). As UMMS’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and later Chief Administrative Officer, he spearheaded the integration of IT and other operations across the medical system, executed a single enterprise-wide EMR, and co-developed iHarbor, an innovation center that generated marketable healthcare technology products. His expertise in operations, healthcare technology, and strategy has earned him national recognition, including being consistently named among Becker’s Health Care’s Top CIOs.

    Huntzinger is honored to have Jon as part of its growing team of industry-leading advisors. His experience and leadership will further enhance Huntzinger’s ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions, drive healthcare transformation, and optimize IT performance for clients nationwide.

    For more information about Huntzinger and its services, visit https://huntzingergroup.com

    ABOUT HUNTZINGER MANAGEMENT GROUP
    Huntzinger Management Group provides expert healthcare advisory and managed services, delivering actionable solutions that enhance performance, manage risk, and drive results. Recognized as a “Best in KLAS” organization, Huntzinger is committed to excellence in healthcare IT leadership. With a team of seasoned healthcare professionals, Huntzinger sets the standard in HIT leadership. For more information, please visit https://huntzingergroup.com/

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Educators, Parents & Leaders Rally to Protect Students and Public Schools  

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, February 12, parents, educators, community leaders and elected officials from across the country rallied outside the U.S. Capitol – in the rain and snow – to take a stand for students and public schools. The rally took place ahead of U.S. Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing and amidst threats of a looming executive order to dismantle the Department of Education.  

    If confirmed, McMahon will oversee attempts to gut public education and push vouchers that take critical funding from public schools. This will lead to significant cuts to programs that support and protect our most vulnerable and underserved students. Such actions could lead to larger class sizes, a reduction in resources for at-risk students, the loss of vital services for students with disabilities, cuts to job-training programs, increased costs for higher education, and a rollback of essential civil rights protections.  

    “Americans all across this nation share our belief that every student—no matter their race or place, or the language they speak—deserves to attend public schools that are high-quality, safe, welcoming, and inclusive,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “As I travel around the country, I have heard from parents and educators that they want more resources, more opportunities that will help students live into their brilliance. They do not want to dismantle public schools and privatize them. Quite the opposite. Instead of sending money to private schools, they want us to strengthen public schools, where 90% of all children attend, not take money away from them. They want to partner with us—at the local, state, and federal levels—to make sure our schools have what they need so we can reduce class sizes, recruit qualified staff, and keep students safe.”  

    In the early weeks of the Trump administration, a series of executive orders have undermined students’ protections, effectively reversing progress and moving our country backward, stripping students of their rights and opportunities. Now, before Secretary of Education nominee McMahon’s confirmation hearing, parents, educators, community leaders, and elected officials rallied to protect students and public schools.    

    “President Trump’s education plan puts our children at risk and has grave implications for our workforce and our economy,” said MomsRising Executive Director and CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. “Trump is threatening to dramatically reduce public education funding and end critical programs that students, parents and educators desperately need. Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education would divert funds from public education and bring overcrowded classrooms, gutted services for students with disabilities, an end to job training programs, and even higher costs for college. America’s moms want a qualified leader at the U.S. Department of Education who will reject rightwing attacks on our schools and ensure they teach accurate history, welcome and support students of all abilities, and help all students succeed. Linda McMahon is wholly unqualified for that position.” 

    Speaker after speaker shined a spotlight on the negative impact that shutting down the U.S. Department of Education would have on students, educators and public schools across the country. They raised the alarm bells about what would happen to our most vulnerable students if McMahon were confirmed as Secretary and urged elected officials to reject her nomination.  

    “I’m 18 years old and I’ve attended public schools my whole life- my teachers and classmates made me who I am today. I’m fighting for the millions of students and teachers across the country who deserve better than a billionaire-run government,” said student and organizer Adah Crandall. “McMahon doesn’t care about any of us, she only cares about lining her own pockets. We’re calling on leaders to stand up for young people everywhere and reject McMahon so that we can have the education and futures we deserve.”

    “Congress must reject Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education. She promises to gut public education, and she has spent years pushing policies that would defund and destroy public schools. Whether here on Capitol Hill, with legal actions and lawsuits we will file to protect students from harm, or through grassroots actions in communities across the country, we will make our voices heard. For as long as it takes, we will fight to protect our nation’s public schools and our democracy!” concluded Pringle.   

    For select photos of the Rally to Protect Students and Public Schools, please click here.

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    Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social 

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor McKee, Commissioner Infante-Green Launch Math Matters RI Campaign, Award $2.85 Million in Learn365RI Grants Aimed to Improve Math Skills

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Published on Thursday, February 13, 2025

    PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, RIDE Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, Providence Public School District (PPSD) Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez, Principal Cassandra Henderson, and 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) recipient Kerry Johnson joined state, municipal, school and community leaders today at Asa Messer Elementary School to launch the statewide Math Matters RI campaign, which aims to promote the importance of mathematics.

    As part of the launch, Governor McKee and Commissioner Infante-Green awarded the latest round of Learn365RI grants, which will provide 38 communities with $2,125,000 in grant funding aimed at improving math skills. Additionally, $725,000 has been allocated as a State set-aside for statewide intervention and support. Asa Messer Elementary was chosen to host the event because the school saw one of the highest increases in math proficiency, with a more than 12 percentage point improvement in students meeting or exceeding expectations in the 2024 RICAS results.

    “In every home, every day, learning matters and we are launching our statewide Math Matters RI campaign to place an extra emphasis on math instruction and learning,” said Governor Dan McKee. “We’re underscoring that math is important for the future success of students and state with an investment of $2.85 million in Learn365RI funding that will support out-of-school math-focused programming statewide. Our intention is to build on the success of our nationally recognized Attendance Matters RI campaign and continue our work to improve academic achievement across the Ocean State.”

    “Providing our students with the tools and support they need to excel in math is an investment in both their future and the future of Providence,” said Mayor Brett P. Smiley. “Strong math skills create pathways to higher education and careers in high-demand industries, strengthening our local workforce and economy. We are pleased to partner with the State to expand access to high-quality learning opportunities. By working together, we can ensure that every student has the foundation to reach their full potential and succeed for years to come.”

    “While some of our students are seeing positive momentum in math and have rebounded past pre-pandemic levels of achievement, we have to double down on our efforts to promote math to help all students get back on track,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “RIDE is working diligently to expand access to high-quality math instruction for students and math-focused professional learning for teachers, and we know that the funds made available to communities through the Governor’s Learn365RI initiative will complement and strengthen our efforts to improve math understanding and skills. RIDE is excited to kick off the Math Matters RI campaign alongside math teachers, coaches, champions, and representatives from cities and towns throughout Rhode Island.”

    Funding for the third round of Learn365RI Municipal Learning Project grants has been aligned to the Math Matters RI campaign and will support out-of-school time learning programs with an explicit focus on math programs for students currently enrolled in kindergarten through grade 8. The program’s grant recipients may offer April break math camps, intensive afterschool and/or weekend math programming, and/or a four (or more)-week summer program.

    State leaders emphasized the need to focus on improving math instruction and learning, citing positive trends in math RICAS results that have rebounded past pre-pandemic levels of achievement with 30.1% of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2023-2024 results compared to 29.8% in 2018-2019. However, math SAT results remain below pre-pandemic levels, with 21.7% of secondary students meeting and exceeding expectations compared to 31.2% in 2018-2019. At the national level, NAEP, known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” underscored a need to focus on math with 2024 national math scores declining by 5 percentage points in grade 4 and 8 percentage points in grade 8 compared to 2019.

    “When our future leaders succeed, Rhode Island succeeds, and I am proud that representatives from across our state are joining to support students reach their highest potential,” said Chair of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education Patti DiCenso. “A comprehensive, high-quality education opens doors for all students, but we’ve seen that math can serve as a gatekeeper for many. By focusing joint efforts to promote math, we can help expand college and career options for students of all backgrounds.”

    As part of the $725,000 State set-aside, $500,000 will help provide math-focused and enrichment courses through EnrollRI.org. The All Course Network (ACN), accessible through EnrollRI, helps students get a head start on postsecondary success, master the skills required of a lifelong learner, and be prepared for jobs in sectors critical to Rhode Island’s future prosperity. ACN courses offer students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit, offsetting the cost of college tuition, and preparing students for a life without limits. With the goal of supporting college and career readiness, last December state leaders announced a new partnership with Khan Academy, offering a no-cost opportunity to all local education agencies (LEAs) to enhance SAT preparation and student success through the integration of Khan Academy Districts and Khanmigo tools.

    Providence Public Schools will receive $225,000 of the State set-aside to set up spring recess math programming. PPSD’s math RICAS results show positive trends with 14.7% of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2023-2024 compared to 11.9% in 2018-2019, prior to the pandemic. PPSD has seen steady increases in math RICAS annually since levels reached their lowest point during the pandemic.

    “PPSD is committed to promoting the message that math matters, and we are working hard to expand access to learning opportunities that will boost math outcomes in the capital city,” said Superintendent Montañez. “Since the height of the pandemic, PPSD has made gains in math RICAS every year, and are now above where we were prior to the disruption of COVID-19. We know work remains and we are thankful for the State’s support in helping ensure our students continue to learn and develop their math skills beyond the classroom.”

    The new campaign is in alignment with Governor McKee’s goal to meet or beat Massachusetts’ achievement levels by 2030 improving school attendance, boosting FAFSA completion rates, and improving RICAS English Language Arts (ELA) and math scores. To promote greater outcomes, state leaders have made a series of investments to support students and teachers. Notably, last year, the State announced the investment of $5 million in funding for instructional coaching in mathematics and ELA for more than 20 schools and districts across the state, with $4 million going towards staffing and the remaining $1 million going towards accompanying professional development.

    “We are all math people, and as a math educator it brings me great joy to see statewide support towards elevating and strengthening math skills across the Ocean State,” said 2023 PAEMST recipient Kerry Johnson. “We can all learn and thrive in math if given the right support and I join the chorus of Rhode Island officials, teachers, parents, and business and community partners proudly saying that math matters!”

    Grant Funding Breakdown:

    • City of Providence – $200,000.00
    • City of Pawtucket – $145,000.00
    • City of Cranston – $125,000.00
    • City of Warwick – $80,000.00
    • City of Woonsocket –  $100,000.00
    • Town of Cumberland – $70,000.00
    • City of East Providence – $70,000.00
    • City of Central Falls – $75,000.00
    • Town of Coventry – $55,000.00
    • Town of North Providence – $55,000.00
    • Town of North Kingstown – $55,000.00
    • Town of West Warwick – $55,000.00
    • Town of Lincoln – $55,000.00
    • Town of Barrington – $55,000.00
    • Town of East Greenwich – $55,000.00
    • Town of South Kingstown – $55,000.00
    • Town of Smithfield – $55,000.00
    • Town of Westerly – $55,000.00
    • Town of Burrillville – $55,000.00
    • Town of Portsmouth – $55,000.00
    • Town of Middletown – $55,000.00
    • City of Newport – $75,000.00
    • Town of Bristol – $40,000.00
    • Town of North Smithfield – $40,000.00
    • Town of Tiverton – $40,000.00
    • Town of Glocester – $40,000.00
    • Town of Scituate – $40,000.00
    • Town of Hopkinton – $40,000.00
    • Town of Richmond – $40,000.00
    • Town of Warren – $40,000.00
    • Town of Narragansett – $20,000.00
    • Town of West Greenwich – $20,000.00
    • Town of Exeter – $20,000.00
    • Town of Charlestown – $20,000.00
    • Town of Jamestown – $20,000.00
    • Town of Foster – $20,000.00
    • Town of Little Compton – $15,000.00
    • Town of New Shoreham – $15,000.00

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Valentine’s Day: why physical affection can boost your health

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    In the opening scene of Love, Actually, Hugh Grant’s character says how, whenever he gets gloomy with the state of the world, he thinks about the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport. The reason is on screen: we see couples kissing, old friends embracing, children smiling and laughing as they jump into the arms of their parents.

    Airports are great places to really understand the importance of physical affection – hugging, kissing, cuddling, holding hands, or even just touching. But physical affection is ubiquitous in everyday life, too – and with good reason. Science shows that non-sexual physical affection produces more than just moments of joy – it also benefits our mental and physical health.

    Physical affection is one of the most direct and important ways that people communicate intimacy in their romantic relationships. And it seems to occur in romantic relationships all over the world, despite cross-cultural differences in ideas of love and romance.

    People in romantic relationships report more intimate physical affection than singletons. They’re also more comfortable allowing their partners to touch more of their bodies than strangers or friends. For example, most people are comfortable being touched on their thighs and abdomen by their partner, but not by other people.

    Even how we touch our partners is different to how we touch other people. When participants in one study were asked to stroke their partner, a friend, a stranger, or an artificial arm, they did so more slowly with their partner. Slower strokes may may be experienced as more pleasant and erotic than quicker strokes. Even just thinking about physical affection from a partner evokes pleasant and erotic sensations.

    There is now strong evidence showing that physical contact is associated with better physical and mental health. One review of “touch interventions” – think massage – in 212 studies involving more than 13,000 participants found that physical touch benefited everything from sleep patterns to blood pressure to fatigue. Touch interventions were especially helpful in reducing pain, depression and anxiety.

    Couple’s therapy

    Before you rush off to book yourself a massage, you should know that much of the evidence suggests the strongest benefits come from physical affection with romantic partners. Several studies have found that, in couples, physical affection is associated with a range of physiological effects, including lower blood pressure and better immune responses.

    In couples, physical affection is also associated with better psychological wellbeing. One study found that couples who sleep-touched – cuddling shortly before or after sleep – felt happier and calmer in the morning, which meant they were more likely to enjoy the company of their partners.

    Physical affection – including kissing and affection after sex – is also associated with greater relationship and sexual satisfaction, and better ratings of one’s relationship overall, which in turn contribute to better psychological wellbeing. And even when conflicts do occur, hugging seems to reduce levels of negative mood in couples.

    Cuddle up, because there’s more. Receiving physical affection from a partner makes us feel psychologically stronger. One study found that women showed less activation in parts of the brain that respond to threat when holding their husband’s hand. Even just imagining touch from a partner can increase one’s willingness to take on challenging tasks.

    Another way to look at this is to examine what happens when we lose physical affection. Studies have shown that “touch deprivation” – the absence of touch – is associated with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety. Indeed, the loss of affection from others during the pandemic hit many people hard. Among couples, a lack of physical affection is associated with lower relationship satisfaction, stress, and feelings of loneliness.

    There are several ways in which physical affection provides these benefits. Affectionate touch is known to activate reward centres of the brain, which boosts our mood and promotes feelings of wellbeing. Touch also stimulates the release of oxytocin, which can strengthen social bonds and increase feelings of trust between individuals. It’s for these reasons that oxytocin is sometimes called the “cuddle chemical”.

    Physical affection also reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol and reduces perceived pain, which suppress physiological stress systems. One study found that a ten-minute neck-and-shoulder massage from one’s partner helped lower cortisol responses, helping to regulate levels of stress.

    Psychologically, physical affection in romantic relationships is an important way to keep our emotions under control. Touching one’s partner in a caring manner helps to improve their mood and makes them feel loved, secure, and safe. As feelings of connection, trust, and belonging are strengthened through non-sexual physical signs of affection, negative effect is reduced and psychological well-being is improved.

    However, not everyone likes to be touched, even if it is by their romantic partners. Some people are “touch avoidant” – and some people may actually be apprehensive about being touched. For instance, people with avoidant attachment styles – characterised by a discomfort with emotional closeness – often have very negative views about cuddling and are more hesitant to touch their partners. Conversely, people with anxious attachment styles – characterised by a fear of abandonment – may desire more touch than they receive.

    But when couples have similar touch preferences, it can lead to greater attraction, closeness, and commitment to one another. And if you’re looking for a fun way to incorporate non-sexual physical affection into your relationships, consider home massage. One study found that couples who took turns massaging each other at home felt a deeper connection with each other, and felt more relaxed and less stressed.

    Viren Swami 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. Valentine’s Day: why physical affection can boost your health – https://theconversation.com/valentines-day-why-physical-affection-can-boost-your-health-247858

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US says European security no longer its primary focus – the shift has been years in the making

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David J. Galbreath, Professor of International Security, University of Bath

    European defence ministers left their meeting in Brussels on February 12 in shock after the new US secretary of defence, Pete Hegseth, told them they could no longer rely on the US to guarantee their security.

    Hegseth said he was there “to directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe”.

    He also insisted that European countries provide the “overwhelming” share of funding for Ukraine in the future. The US has been the biggest source of military aid to Ukraine, with its weapons, equipment and financial assistance crucial in helping Kyiv resist the Russian invasion.

    Hegseth’s comments are in keeping with the stance of the US president, Donald Trump, on the Nato transatlantic military alliance. Trump sees Nato as an excessive financial burden on the US and has repeatedly called on its members to increase their defence spending.

    But Hegseth’s remarks could also be seen as a sign of America’s waning commitment to the terms of Nato’s founding treaty. Signed in 1949 by the US, Canada and several western European nations, Article 5 of the treaty requires member states to defend each other in the event of an armed attack.

    The US has the largest military – and the biggest stockpile of nuclear weapons – in Nato. So, on the face of it, efforts to recast the alliance appear a drastic shift in Europe’s security landscape in the post-cold war era.

    However, those familiar with the political sentiment around Nato and the defence of Europe in the US will see that this move follows in the footsteps of what others have sought to do – starting from the very end of the cold war.

    Changing over time

    In 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Nato was under considerable pressure to change for the new world order. A rising China was not yet on the minds of many in Washington, but the feeling was that the financial commitments the US had made to defend western Europe during the cold war could not continue.

    The so-called “peace dividend”, a slogan popularised by former US president George H.W. Bush and former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher, allowed nearly all Nato states to reduce their military spending at this time.

    In 1992, almost as soon as European Nato countries were shrinking their forces and moving away from mass armies to professional soldiering, the alliance became actively engaged in maintaining a no-fly zone over Yugoslavia.

    A new Nato was becoming apparent. It was transitioning from being a collective defence organisation to one of collective security, where conflicts were managed on Nato’s borders.

    A US fighter jet at Aviano air base, Italy, after a mission over Bosnia to enforce the no-fly zone in 1993.
    Sgt. Janel Schroeder / Wikimedia Commons

    This collective security arrangement worked well to keep the alliance together until 2001, when the administration of George W. Bush entered the White House and involved the US in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, Nato invoked Article 5 and returned to the principle of collective defence.

    Many European countries, including the new, smaller Nato states like Estonia and Latvia, sent troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. The persistent justification I heard in the Baltic states was “we need to be there when the US needs us so that they will be there when we need them”.

    Yet in 2011, before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were over, the administration of Barack Obama introduced a foreign policy strategy known as the “pivot to Asia”. The implication was that the US would shift its attention from primarily the western hemisphere to China.

    By this point, China had become the second-largest economy in the world and was rapidly developing its military. The reaction to this US policy shift in European capitals was one of shock and disappointment. They saw it as the US deciding that its own security did not sit in Europe like it had since 1945.

    Then, in 2014, Russia invaded Crimea and the Donbas in eastern Ukraine. The pivot to Asia looked like it had stalled. But US interest and investment in European defence continued to decline, with American military bases across Europe closed down. The first Trump administration continued the pattern set by Obama.

    President Joe Biden, who entered office in 2021, used Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to show European leaders that the US still saw its own security in Europe and that it would stand beside Ukraine.

    But the US continued to insist that European countries invest in their own defence. The UK, Poland and France have all committed to increase their defence spending over recent years – though spending by European Nato states as a whole continued to fall.

    There has been a long-held belief in the US that Europe is “freeriding” on American power. While the US saw its own security in Europe, this freeriding was allowed to continue.

    But as the perspective of the US has changed, with the focus now on countering China, it has been keen to suggest that European defence should increasingly become the job of Europe itself.

    Nato will not go out with a bang. It is much more likely to gradually disappear with a whimper. After all, who did Trump meet on his second day in office? Not Nato but the Quad: an alliance between Australia, India, Japan and the US in the Indo-Pacific.

    David J. Galbreath has received research funding from the UKRI.

    – ref. US says European security no longer its primary focus – the shift has been years in the making – https://theconversation.com/us-says-european-security-no-longer-its-primary-focus-the-shift-has-been-years-in-the-making-249813

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump phone call with Putin leaves Ukraine reeling and European leaders stunned

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Hastings Dunn, Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham

    Donald Trump likes to portray himself as the great deal maker. Typically, his idea of the “Art of the Deal” had tended to involve outlandishly bullish opening demands – whether that’s on tariffs or trade deals – before settling on more moderate, but still exacting conditions. This context makes what happened when the US president spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about Ukraine so remarkable.

    The very fact that Trump spoke with Putin at all was a diplomatic gift to the pariah state and its leader. For three years Russia has been diplomatically isolated by most western leaders, many of whom have called for Putin to face war crimes charges (there is currently an ICC arrest warrant out for Putin for the alleged illegal transfer of children from, Ukraine to Russia).

    Indeed, the fact that Trump spoke with Putin and only then called the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to inform him of their conversation indicates the subordination of Ukraine’s role in the talks.

    Trumpeting the call as “highly productive” on his TruthSocial website, Trump wrote that the two leaders had spoken about the “strengths of our respective nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together”. He said they had arranged to visit each other’s nations. In fact, the two will initially meet in Saudi Arabia – where Putin would not be arrested under the ICC’s warrant.

    At the same time, Trump’s new defense secretary spelled out to a meeting of European defence officials the administration’s position on some of the key issues. It was clear that several of Ukraine’s “red lines” had already fallen by the wayside as far as the US is concerned.

    Hegseth said that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is “an unrealistic objective” and an “illusionary goal” and that any deal must be based on “a realistic assessment of the battlefield.”

    Likewise Ukraine’s future Nato membership – something the US committed to support in the 2008 Budapest Declaration, was also a non-starter. And he said the US would not only not join any international force deployed to ensure Ukrainian security, but that if such a force were constituted it would not be a Nato operation. As such, he said, it would not be covered by the alliance’s article 5 pledge for collective security. This effectively dooms this initiative to failure.

    As important as what was announced by the Trump administration on this subject, was what was omitted. Trump has never condemned Putin for his illegal invasion of Ukraine. And there has been no mention in his social media posts that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a violation of international law. Or the inviolability of Ukraine’s borders or the issue of Russian reparations for the material and human damage inflicted on Ukraine.

    Russia celebrates

    Russia, meanwhile, is cock-a-hoop. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov reported that Putin talked about Moscow’s demands, telling Trump of “the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict”. This suggests that while Ukraine’s red lines are going to be ignored by the US, Russia will continue to insist on its maximalist demands that the Russians intend to take in their approach to the negotiation.

    In addition to the concessions that Hegseth indicated the Trump administration has already decided to go along with, Russia is also likely to press for the demilitarisation of Ukraine. It will demand control, not just of the territory that it occupies, but of the remainder of the Ukrainian provinces that Putin has already declared to be “Russian”: Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, in the south and east of Ukraine.

    Both the Russian stock market and the ruble rose sharply on the US announcement of the talks, and the government-controlled press in Russian could hardly hide their glee, reporting that: “Russia is ready for talks. But on its terms”.

    European leaders shocked

    The pace and scale of US concessions on Ukraine seen to have caught the US’s European Nato allies off guard. Like Ukraine itself, they have been sidelined by Trump’s decision to seek direct negotiations with Putin. The UK’s defence secretary, John Healey, issued a statement appealing that “that there can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine and Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks”.

    German foreign minister, Anna Baerbock, meanwhile, said the call had come out of the blue without any consultation with Europe: “This is the way the Trump administration operates,” she said, adding: “This is not how others do foreign policy, but this is now the reality.” Baerbock said a deal must not be imposed on Ukraine and that Europe should be involved in negotiations: “This is about European peace. That’s why we Europeans must be involved.”

    The French foreign ministry put out a statement saying that: “Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations. Ukraine should be provided with strong security guarantees.”

    Other commentators have been less diplomatic. Michael McFaul, who served as US ambassador to Russia under Barack Obama, took to X to question Trump’s tactics: “Diplomacy 101: Don’t give anything without getting something in return. Don’t negotiate in public. Don’t negotiate about Ukraine’s future without first coordinating your position with Ukrainians.”

    We’ll know more about what – if any – agency Volodymyr Zelensky and his diplomats have in the future of their country after US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and vice-president, JD Vance, meet with Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on February 14-16.

    But for the present at least, it appears that negotiations will be less about pressuring Putin to bring a just end to the war he started, than forcing Ukraine to give in to the Russian leader’s demands.

    David Hastings Dunn has previously received funding from the ESRC, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the Open Democracy Foundation and has previously been both a NATO and a Fulbright Fellow.

    – ref. Trump phone call with Putin leaves Ukraine reeling and European leaders stunned – https://theconversation.com/trump-phone-call-with-putin-leaves-ukraine-reeling-and-european-leaders-stunned-249876

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Will Lucy Letby get a retrial? Here’s what happens next with her case

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel Alge, Senior Lecturer in Criminology & Criminal Justice, Brunel University of London

    Lucy Letby was convicted in two trials in 2023 and 2024 of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others in her care at the Countess of Chester hospital in north-west England between 2015 and 2016.

    She is currently serving 15 whole life sentences for the murders. But the case has been called into question as a result of growing concerns about the expert evidence presented at her trial. Will she get a retrial? Here’s what happens next.

    In the context of usually cautious expert opinion, the press conference held on February 4 2025 was extraordinary. An international panel of medical experts investigating the medical evidence against Lucy Letby concluded that there were alternative explanations for each of the deaths. They said they found no evidence of deliberate harm, and believe Letby did not murder any babies.

    The panel’s chair, Dr Shoo Lee, is a retired neonatal care expert. His 1989 paper on air embolisms was heavily relied on by the prosecution in the Letby trial and appeals. However, Lee has previously said that his research was misinterpreted at trial. At the press conference he said, “we did not find any murders. In all cases, death or injury were due to natural causes or just bad medical care.”

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    The panel’s findings put the case in uncharted territory, given Letby’s very recent convictions and the continuing public inquiry into the case.

    The public inquiry – the Thirlwall Inquiry into events at the Countess of Chester hospital – will operate based on the assumption, following her convictions, that Letby is guilty. Letby’s barrister has called for the inquiry to be halted pending the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) review of her case.

    Despite the findings of the expert panel, Letby’s release or even a retrial is by no means imminent, let alone guaranteed. Letby has already had two applications for leave to appeal refused. The grounds of appeal were related to what her defence argued were errors in judicial decision making during the trial, rather than the medical evidence. Nonetheless, this means that the CCRC is the only route left open to Letby to challenge her convictions.

    Letby’s defence team confirmed that a preliminary application has been made to the CCRC, with a full submission to follow. The CCRC investigates potential miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    The commission is expected to treat Letby’s case as a priority given the public interest. But it is still likely to take at least a year to review the considerable evidence before a referral back to the Court of Appeal could even be considered.

    What evidence will be considered?

    The CCRC aims to complete cases within 12 months of receiving the application. But the organisation has recently come under criticism over how it handled the case of Andrew Malkinson, who was wrongly jailed for 17 years for a crime he did not commit.

    When the CCRC considers the full application, they have the power to refer the case back to the Court of Appeal. In order to do so, the commission requires new evidence or other relevant factors which would support a fresh appeal.

    The findings of the medical panel will be part of the defence submission. The CCRC will decide, with other factors, whether they constitute fresh grounds for an appeal. It is particularly compelling that the prosecution case relied on Dr Lee’s research, and yet it is in part his expertise that has become a crucial element of the defence.

    To send the case back for appeal, the CCRC would also need to conclude that there was a “real possibility” of the conviction being overturned.

    It is important to remember that the case against Letby included statistical and circumstantial evidence as well as medical opinion. However, what are alleged to be numerous fallacies in the statistical evidence have been highlighted. And circumstantial evidence is just that – circumstantial. Letby was convicted on the medical evidence.

    The evidence given as part of the Thirlwall Inquiry will be within the remit of the CCRC too. Although the inquiry has not yet formally concluded, all oral testimony has taken place. As would be expected given the inquiry’s terms of reference, much of the evidence heard has been less favourable to Letby.

    The CCRC also has the power under the Criminal Appeals Act 1995 to instruct its own expert witnesses and interview previous and potential new witnesses.

    If the CCRC ultimately decides to refer the case to the Court of Appeal, it will be treated like any other appeal. It could result either in the conviction being quashed and Letby going free, or a retrial.

    A retrial would follow if the appeal judges believed that a retrial met the criteria set out in the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 and was in the interests of justice. The likelihood of this outcome depends on the strength of the medical evidence presented to the CCRC and the Court of Appeal.



    Read more:
    Lucy Letby case: the problems with expert evidence

    As the Thirlwall Inquiry and the CCRC application are separate processes, is it technically not essential that the inquiry concludes before the CCRC makes a decision. Closing submissions to the inquiry are scheduled for March 2025, with the report expected later in the year. This should fit within the expected timeframe of the CCRC taking at least a year to consider the application.

    A further complicating factor is Lee’s assertion that the Countess of Chester hospital provided such bad care that it would have been “shut down” in his home country of Canada. This will no doubt lead to legal claims against the NHS trust, particularly if Letby is exonerated and culpability for avoidable deaths is sought elsewhere.

    Some, including Lee, have gone so far as to suggest the new evidence is so compelling that Letby should be released on house arrest pending the CCRC review. This would be highly unusual, and for the time being, Letby remains imprisoned as one of the worst child serial killers in modern British history.

    Daniel Alge 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. Will Lucy Letby get a retrial? Here’s what happens next with her case – https://theconversation.com/will-lucy-letby-get-a-retrial-heres-what-happens-next-with-her-case-249415

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What happens in the brain when there’s a word ‘on the tip of the tongue’?

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Frédéric Bernard, Maître de conférences en neuropsychologie, Université de Strasbourg

    We’ve all experienced it: you’re in the middle of a conversation, searching for a word, a name, or a title, and… nothing. You know you know it–you can almost feel it–but it just won’t come. This phenomenon, known as having a word “on the tip of the tongue,” is both fascinating and frustrating. But what exactly is happening in the brain during these moments? Scientists have explored this question, uncovering some intriguing insights.

    When a word is “on the tip of the tongue,” multiple regions of the brain spring into action, working to locate the missing term. Imagine a group of people frantically searching a library for a specific book. Similarly, the brain mobilizes specific areas to assist in this search. Three regions, in particular, play key roles: the anterior cingulate cortex, the prefrontal cortex and the insula.

    The anterior cingulate cortex and the prefrontal cortex are part of a network responsible for cognitive control and perform complementary roles when a word is elusive. The anterior cingulate cortex acts like a supervisor, signaling that there’s a conflict: “I know this word, but I can’t retrieve it!” Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex evaluates and verifies the information that surfaces during the search, ensuring that what is retrieved matches what you’re looking for. The insula, a deeper and less visible brain region, contributes to phonological retrieval–helping access the sounds that make up words.

    Using tools like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers have observed how these brain areas work together during such moments. It’s as if these regions collaborate like colleagues tackling a tough problem, pooling their efforts to find the missing word.

    Interestingly, this frustrating experience becomes more frequent as we age. Studies show that parts of the brain involved in word retrieval–particularly the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula–tend to atrophy over time. This means they lose some efficiency, like a once-pristine library becoming disorganised, with misplaced books and poorly labelled shelves. As a result, retrieving a “book” or, in this case, a word, becomes more challenging.

    For example, research has shown that in older adults, the insula is less active during word retrieval attempts. This diminished activity impairs the ability to assemble the phonological elements of words, making “tip-of-the-tongue” moments more common. The more affected the insula becomes with age, the harder it is to recover words that are otherwise familiar.

    Despite its increased frequency with ageing, the “tip-of-the-tongue” phenomenon is entirely normal. It highlights the complexity of the brain, showing that even seemingly simple tasks–such as finding a word–rely on the coordinated action of many regions.

    Moreover, there are ways to mitigate the effects of ageing on word retrieval. One strategy involves building what scientists call cognitive reserve–a protective factor bolstered by intellectual, physical and social activities. This reserve helps optimise brain health and cognitive ageing, making word-finding easier even as we grow older.

    The next time a word is on the tip of your tongue, remember that your brain is hard at work trying to retrieve it. Partial information–such as certain sounds or related words–might surface first, encouraging you to keep searching. If the word doesn’t come to you right away, take a break and try again later with a clear mind. These moments are a testament to the brain’s complexity and remarkable efficiency.

    Frédéric Bernard ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. What happens in the brain when there’s a word ‘on the tip of the tongue’? – https://theconversation.com/what-happens-in-the-brain-when-theres-a-word-on-the-tip-of-the-tongue-246091

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Islamic Development Bank, WFP launch ‘nutritious start’ financing initiative to boost funding for child nutrition and school meals

    Source: World Food Programme

    ROME – The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) today launched an innovative financing initiative to boost funds available for governments to combat child malnutrition and expand school meals programmes.

    The ‘Nutritious Start’: Human Capital Development Initiative (HCDI) will see IsDB provide governments with financing worth up to US$3 for every $1 secured in grants for nutrition and school meals programmes in least-developed and lower-middle-income countries belonging to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

    The agreement was signed by WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain and IsDB President H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser at WFP headquarters in Rome on 12 February 2025.

    “Ensuring vulnerable people are well-nourished, healthy, and educated is fundamental for long-term economic growth,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. “Across the world, school meals and nutrition programs are the essential building blocks of a future free from hunger and poverty. WFP is proud to partner with IsDB on this innovative financing initiative. Together, we will mobilize critical resources to transform the lives of the most vulnerable people.”

    HCDI addresses the first 8,000 days of a child’s life through adolescence (up to 21 years of age). This starts with the first 1,000 days – a crucial window for cognitive and physical growth. Every US$1 invested in addressing early childhood undernutrition can yield up to US$23 in economic returns, while school feeding programmes generate between US$7 and US$35 per dollar invested.

    “Investing in human capital is fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty and achieving sustainable development,” said H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. “The ‘Nutritious Start’ initiative is not just about combating malnutrition—it is about equipping future generations with the foundation to thrive. By strategically blending our financing with targeted grant funding, we are amplifying impact and ensuring that every dollar drives meaningful progress toward national development goals.”

    This collaboration builds on the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IsDB and WFP reinforcing their shared commitment to addressing food insecurity and malnutrition. The IsDB and WFP are also partners in the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and the School Meals Coalition, two country-driven initiatives focusing on combating child malnutrition.

    Notes to Editor

    • Least-developed and lower-middle-income Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen

    • The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement is an initiative led by 66 countries and 4 Indian States – collectively known as the SUN Countries and includes thousands of stakeholders from across society – all united in their mission to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030. 

    • The School Meals Coalition, hosted by the World Food Programme (WFP) as Secretariat, is led by over 100 governments and supported by more than 140 partners, working together to urgently scale and strengthen school meals programmes worldwide to ensure every child receives a healthy, nutritious meal at school by 2030.
    • High resolution photos are available here.

    #                 #                   #

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

    Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media 

    About the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

    Rated AAA by the major rating agencies of the world, the Islamic Development Bank is the pioneering multilateral development bank (MDB) of the Global South that has been working for over 50 years to improve the lives of the people and communities it serves by delivering impact at scale. The Bank brings together 57 Member Countries across four continents, touching the lives of nearly 1 in 4 of the world population. It is committed to addressing development challenges and promoting collaboration to help

    achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by equipping people to drive their own green economic and sustainable social progress, putting planet-friendly infrastructure in place and enabling them to fulfil their potential. Headquartered in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, IsDB has 10 regional hubs and a center of excellence.  Over the years, the Bank has evolved from a single entity into a group comprising: the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI); the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC); the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD); the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC); and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD).

    For more information, please visit ( www.isdb.org). Find updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/islamic-development-bank/

    Visit us on X: @isdb_group Engage with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isdbgroup

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Unions Expand Suit to Block Elon Musk from Accessing Private Data at DOL, HHS and CFPB

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    The AFL-CIO, AFGE, AFSCME, AFT, CWA, SEIU, Economic Policy Institute, and partner organizations are expanding their legal challenge to stop DOGE’s takeover of Americans’ private data

    (Washington, D.C.)—A coalition of the AFL-CIO, unions, an economic think tank and partner organizations filed an amended lawsuit to protect the confidential information of America’s working people housed at the Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

    The lawsuit expands the initial challenge to the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE)’s attempt to raid the DOL for key information on America’s workers in order to hobble the agency tasked with protecting their rights, health and safety on the job, as Elon Musk expands his slash-and-burn approach to Americans’ private data and their most essential government services.

    As the complaint lays out: “DOGE seeks to gain access to sensitive agency systems of data before courts can stop them, dismantle agencies before Congress can assert its Constitutional prerogatives in the federal budget, and intimidate and threaten employees who stand in their way, without regard for the consequences. The results have already been catastrophic. DOGE has seized control of some of the most carefully protected information systems housed at the Treasury Department, taken hold of all sensitive personnel information at the Office of Personnel Management, and dismantled an entire agency within a week.”

    “Elon Musk and DOGE continue to jeopardize Americans’ most sensitive, personal data, and threaten our health, safety, rights, paychecks, and the essential services we depend on,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “Unions and allies will vigorously fight DOGE’s attempt to put working people at risk through reckless actions that endanger workers and our families. They must be stopped—and today we’re getting back in court to do just that.”

    “What Elon Musk is doing is not an audit—it’s an illegal violation of American citizens’ most sensitive personal information by an unelected billionaire who seems to believe he has been delegated the powers of the elected president,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “Unions and our allies will continue to stand up against Elon Musk and anyone else who thinks they can buy the government of the United States.”

    “Together with our union partners and allies, we filed a lawsuit to protect working people from billionaires stealing their data. Elon Musk thinks his wealth and political contributions give him the right to disregard the law and masquerade as an elected official—but he is not,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Working people deserve a government that will protect their privacy and hold corporations that break the law accountable. We call on the courts to address this unlawful corruption and ensure that our government remains for the people.”

    “Elon Musk, under the guise of making bureaucracy more ‘efficient,’ is effectively eviscerating  Americans’ privacy and fundamental freedoms,” said American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten. “This may be one of the biggest data hacks in U.S. history—I doubt anyone who voted for Donald Trump thought he would enable Musk to vacuum up their Social Security numbers, spousal details, and kids’ medical records for his own ends. Americans want a better life for themselves and their families: lower costs and higher wages. Yet Musk’s goal is evidently to weaponize this invasion of privacy to cut support for working families and ram through tax cuts for himself and his billionaire buddies. We are joining this lawsuit to stop the heist, end the chaos and confusion, and prevent Musk from causing irreparable harm to millions of American lives.”

    “Elon Musk is a notorious union buster whose retaliation against workers exercising their union rights won praise from Donald Trump as thousands of CWA members went out on strike,” said Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Claude Cummings Jr. “Musk and the other billionaires who supported Trump aren’t looting our confidential records to find ways to help workers organize to join unions and collectively bargain. They aren’t feeding sensitive personal data into AI systems to make sure working families are able to secure the benefits they are entitled to or to stop the big banks from ripping us off. They are looking for ways to enrich themselves and punish anyone who stands in the way of their profits.”

    “Every person in our country—regardless of race, occupation or political party affiliation—should have the comfort of knowing that their government is attempting to work in their best interests,” said Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President April Verrett. “No one deserves to have their privacy violated when they visit their doctor and seek care for their sick child. Nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals should be able to provide their patients with quality care without the threat of having their personal healthcare information being exposed to unelected billionaires. Medical privacy is the cornerstone of quality patient care and necessary for improving health outcomes across our nation. It is an injustice when our leaders willingly leave any person vulnerable to becoming a victim of fraud, scams, and discrimination. Today SEIU members and our allies are saying that working people will not back down to these attacks on our health and safety from the Trump-Musk Administration. We will not stop fighting to build a future where every worker, of every race and from every place, can join together in a union to win the wages, healthcare, and security we all deserve.”

    ​​“Elon Musk’s DOGE is illegally seizing Americans’ private data. No responsible policymaker—whatever their political party—should tolerate this, and we all have a moral obligation to stand up against Elon Musk’s takeover,” said Economic Policy Institute (EPI) President Heidi Shierholz.

    The lawsuit was brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by the AFL-CIO and a coalition of unions representing workers across the federal government and public sector: the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AFSCME, AFT, CWA and SEIU, as well as EPI, Economic Action Maryland Fund and Virginia Poverty Law Center.

    The full complaint can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: School of Pharmacy Faculty Member Appointed to Board of the Cochrane Heart, Stroke and Circulation Thematic Group

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Hernandez brings to the board expertise in systematic review methodology, cardiovascular diseases, collaborative work with researchers from South America and prior work within Cochrane. He is an expert in systematic reviews and meta-analyses and has been working for several years in the former Cochrane Heart Group as author, peer reviewer and editor. He performs collaborative work with researchers from several countries and languages, especially Peru and Brazil.

    Adrian Hernandez presenting his work

    Cardiovascular disease is one of the 12 broad topic areas of importance identified by Cochrane and the World Health Organization (WHO). Cochrane has brought together the four former Cochrane groups – Cochrane Heart, Cochrane Hypertension, Cochrane Stroke, and Cochrane Vascular – into a single Thematic Group. This group is led by Professor Gillian Mead of the University of Edinburgh, UK. It shares collective expertise and knowledge and ensures that evidence synthesis in cardiovascular disease reflects the multimorbidity paradigm, the large global burden of vascular disease (including in developing countries), and the continuous development of interventions and diagnostic tests for these conditions.

    Professor Hernandez’s work on the board will help map existing reviews and identify areas of overlap of interventions and cardiovascular diseases, identify high priority reviews and updates, provide topic, content and editorial expertise to the Cochrane central team, and create a dissemination strategy of updated and new reviews within the Group.

    C. Michael White, Pharm.D., FCP, FCCP, FASHP, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Pharmacy Practice, noted, “Cochrane is the major international body behind systematic reviews and it is wonderful that they recognized the expertise that Dr. Hernandez brings. From his stellar publication record and international presentations on cardiovascular diseases, to his high-quality reviewing for cardiovascular journals across the globe, I am sure he will provide tremendous value to the organization.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Asian immigrants to the U.S. resisted pressures to assimilate, creating a vibrant American suburbia

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Bianca Mabute-Louie, Sociology PhD candidate, Rice University

    This article is adapted from UNASSIMILABLE: An Asian Diasporic Manifesto for the 21st Century by Bianca Mabute-Louie (HarperCollins, January 2025).

    I grew up in San Gabriel Valley — also referred to as SGV or the 626. SGV is an ethnoburb — an ethnic enclave — that grew out of the 1970s, with its own economy and ecosystem that includes banks, grocery stores, hair salons and restaurants.

    Since many early Asian immigrants to this country were barred from accessing white institutions, working together to build and protect this ethnic ecosystem was a matter of survival and necessity.

    Wei Li, a Chinese American geographer, first proposed the term “ethnoburb” to describe the hybridity of ethnic enclaves and middle-class suburbs: suburban ethnic clusters of people and businesses.

    The ethnoburb demonstrates that we can create our own power and belonging — without learning English, without participating in white institutions, and Americanizing. It is a communal endeavour, one that requires everybody’s imagination and care.

    The ‘Chinese Beverly Hills’

    Fuelled by foreign capital, ethnoburb immigrants redefined the entire landscape of the suburb and instigated an economic boom. The growth of Chinese American banking institutions, along with the political and economic factors that prompted the migration of wealthy ethnic Chinese from Taiwan and Hong Kong, played an important role in facilitating the Chinese economic growth in Monterey Park, a city in San Gabriel Valley.

    With their resources, Chinese immigrants bought homes and started businesses with distinct Chinese and Vietnamese language signs to cater to fellow Asian transplants. Valley Boulevard, which runs through 10 cities in San Gabriel Valley, became home to Asian-owned malls, commercial plazas, office complexes, shops, hotels and industrial plants, often with trilingual signage in Chinese, Vietnamese and English.

    Asian immigrants transformed neglected strip malls into prosperous Asian marketplaces and forged a sense of permanence and community. Monterey Park, and eventually the rest of San Gabriel valley, began to be referred to as “Little Taipei” or the “Chinese Beverly Hills” by journalists and Chinese diasporic media.

    By the 1980s, Monterey Park was known as “the first suburban Chinatown,” converting San Gabriel Valley from predominantly white suburbs into an Asian-majority ecosystem with a conspicuous and diverse first-generation, unassimilated immigrant presence.

    Bypassing urban Chinatowns for the suburbs

    The ethnoburb troubles the American construction of the suburbs as static sites of whiteness and socioeconomic mobility.

    The majority of new immigrants, especially those with resources, bypassed urban ethnic enclaves like Chinatown that previously served as immigrant gateway cities and settled immediately into suburbs instead.

    Min Zhou, a professor of sociology and Asian American Studies at UCLA, argues that the deliberate preservation of ethnic values, ties and institutions is what actually acclimates non-white immigrants to the U.S.

    Zhou also says the direct insertion of new Asian immigrants into traditionally white middle-class suburbs offends the conventional understanding of immigration and assimilation. Ethnoburb immigrants were non-white, didn’t always speak English, made considerably less effort to acculturate into whiteness, and many of them were already educated and affluent. They broke the bounds of the American imagination of an immigrant.

    In addition to higher levels of education and incomes, many ethnoburb immigrants also possessed expansive and transnational social networks that shaped their reluctance to acculturate. They did not need to learn English or go through the ethnic enclave to reach a middle-class dream of financial stability.

    The ethnoburb was not a “staging ground” for somewhere better or whiter. The ethnoburb was the final desired destination.

    In actuality, contrary to popular conceptions, the ethnoburb was not apolitical or insular at all. It was and remains a site of resistance against the confining, white imagination of suburbia. With the emergence of Monterey Park as an Asian ethnoburb, questions over group identity, spatial boundaries, and the character of Monterey Park became politicized.

    White hostility in an ‘all-American’ city

    Nativist white residents were at the forefront of erecting boundaries of belonging that stigmatized first-generation immigrants. In addition to Asian businesses changing the esthetic and cultural identity of Monterey Park, Asian immigrants took on local politics. This direct insertion of unassimilated Asian immigrants into traditionally white suburbs and its institutions troubled conventional American understandings of who an immigrant is, the norms they should follow, and how they should behave.

    Lily Lee Chen’s official portrait as mayor of Monterey Park, California, 1983. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

    On Nov. 8, 1983, Lily Lee Chen, a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan, was inaugurated in Monterey Park as the first Chinese American mayor in the nation. Chen was relatable, charismatic, and not assimilated. The Los Angeles Times described Chen’s speech as “accented with pauses and grammatical errors, characteristic of someone speaking in their second language.”

    In another Times article from 1985, Chen told the reporter that she enjoyed dressing in bright reds and jade greens, despite being told by her consultant to look more subdued because her bright colours made her appear “aggressive.” During her campaign, she was met with fierce resistance from white residents, who commonly took down her neighbourhood campaign signs.

    As a response, Chen worked tirelessly on voter engagement among Asian Americans and Latinos, publishing multilingual voter handbooks, registering voters, and building relationships with ethnic communities, including working with Cesar Chavez to support the Latinos in Southern California.

    The same year as Chen’s election, Monterey Park’s five-member city council became multiethnic, with two Mexican Americans, one Filipino American, one Chinese American, and one white council member.

    As Monterey Park became touted as a “successful suburban melting pot” by journalists and even won an “All-American City” award in 1985 for its civic engagement and racial diversity, white flight accelerated and resentment festered among the minority of white residents.

    The large influx and increasing influence of Chinese immigrants over a short period of time caused racial tension to build, with mounting struggles over cultural differences, language barriers, and explicit mistrust of immigrants. Chinese businesses, political candidates, religious institutions, and entrepreneurs became racialized targets of nativist animus.

    A particularly contentious conflict emerged over the proliferation of business signs in languages other than English. In 1986, white hostility among the remaining white residents swept the council members of colour out of office, and replaced them with three long-established white residents, who promptly launched an anti-immigrant, “English-only” campaign attacking the proliferation of business signage in Chinese.

    A scene from the 2010 play by Annette Lee about the English only movement from the 80s. 17-year-old Scarlett Wong, an ‘all-American teenager’ struggles with her neighbors who don’t speak English.
    Angry Asian Man/Annette Lee

    The “English-only” movement in Monterey Park reflects the struggle to control the identity and narrative of a built environment. It represents the tension between America’s idea of how immigrants should assimilate, and how ethnoburb immigrants instead created their own unassimilable institutions and communities.

    Frank Arcuri, one of the Monterey Park residents and community activists who started the “English-only” petition campaign, insisted, “Immigrants are welcome here, but they must realize that English is the language we use in America… They must realize they are making a negative impact on our city. They must adapt to our ways. They must use our language and respect our culture.”

    The nativist, inflammatory rhetoric Arcuri employed to speak about immigrants is as American as apple pie, comparable to replacement theory touted by white nationalist conspiracists today.

    The English-only conflict illustrates the deeper, ideological tensions behind an increasingly diverse and polyglot constituency, composed of politically active immigrants, and nostalgic white residents desperately (and at times violently) clinging on to institutional power and a homogeneous past.

    Asian immigrants defied assimilation theories

    Traditionally, sociologists of immigration and assimilation theorists believed that all immigrant groups would eventually assimilate and integrate into white Protestant American institutions, culture, and society. They argued that doing so would be in the best interests of immigrants. They were also all white scholars. For the most part, what they theorized was true for European immigrants.

    However, Asian immigrants in the ethnoburb remained proudly unassimilable and trans-national. While the ethnoburb was their final destination, they maintained diasporic ties. Many with socioeconomic privilege shuttled back and forth to their home countries.

    It is our diasporic connections to our motherlands and our ethnic communities, not necessarily our assimilation into whiteness, that help us thrive in the U.S.

    Bianca Mabute-Louie is affiliated with Asian Texans for Justice.

    – ref. How Asian immigrants to the U.S. resisted pressures to assimilate, creating a vibrant American suburbia – https://theconversation.com/how-asian-immigrants-to-the-u-s-resisted-pressures-to-assimilate-creating-a-vibrant-american-suburbia-247184

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Why skin-to-skin contact is good for parent and baby

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    By Viren Swami, Anglia Ruskin University

    In the 1950s, the American psychologist Harry Harlow provided a stark demonstration of the importance of a mother’s touch. He famously – and controversially – showed that rhesus monkeys would rather cling to a surrogate “mother” made of soft cloth than one made of metal wire that provided milk. A loving touch seemed to be more important than food, Harlow concluded.

    Today, the importance of touch has become firmly embedded in infant care. For example, UNICEF and the NHS recommend skin-to-skin contact between a parent and newborn. This involves placing a newborn on a parent’s bare chest, both of them covered in a warm blanket, for at least an hour after birth or until after the first feed.

    In fact, feeling the power of touch begins long before a baby is even born. Touch is the first sense to develop. Just eight weeks after conception, a foetus already responds to the sensation of touch in the womb – and it is crucial for people of any age.

    By 14 weeks, twins have been observed on ultrasound sucking on each other’s fingers and exploring each other’s faces. And frame-by-frame analyses of ultrasound have shown that, by 20 weeks, foetuses respond to mothers touching their bellies.

    The benefits of parental touch become clear at birth. One review of 52 studies involving over 4,000 newborns found that touch interventions – such as skin-to-skin contact and baby massage – was associated with better newborn health, including better regulation of temperature, breathing and heart rate. The review also found that touch was more beneficial when it came from a parent compared to medical staff.

    Cuddle up, because there are other benefits of skin-to-skin contact. When a parent holds their baby in skin-to-skin contact after birth, it helps to calm the newborn and stimulates an interest in feeding. In the longer-term, daily skin-to-skin contact with infants improves sleep patterns and pain tolerance, supports healthy weight gain and continued breastfeeding, and strengthens brain development.

    These benefits are also experienced by infants born prematurely. For example, one review of kangaroo care – skin-to-skin contact for premature or low birth-weight infants – found that it reduced the risk of death, infection and low body temperature, and improved weight gain and rates of breastfeeding.

    In both healthy and premature infants, skin-to-skin contact also triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin – the so-called “love hormone” – which encourages bonding between the parent and infant. Skin-to-skin contact also lowers levels of the hormone cortisol, which helps newborns to regulate levels of stress.

    In fact, the benefits of skin-to-skin contact are not exclusively experienced by the newborn. Studies have found that daily skin-to-skin contact with their babies can reduce symptoms of postpartum stress, depression and anxiety in mothers. And while most studies have focused on mothers, skin-to-skin contact also seems to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in fathers.

    While most of this research has focused on the short-term outcomes of touch, scientists are also following infants over time to see what impact early touch has on long-term outcomes. For example, one study found that premature babies who received at least one hour of kangaroo care for two weeks had better mother-child interactions, sleep and brain development when they were 10 years old.

    Another group of researchers followed infants and their mothers for a period of nine years. When they were only one-month-old, infants who had experienced skin-to-skin contact with their mothers already showed better emotional adjustment and attachment than infants who had no skin-to-skin contact.

    Nine years later, these children were also more willing and able to engage in emotive conversations with their mothers.

    Some of the effects of touch are more difficult to quantify. In the 1970s, for example, the psychiatrist Donald Winnicott described how a mother’s touch helps infants and young children to experience the body as “the place where one securely lives”. This idea seems to be supported by ethnographic records and anthropological studies of communities where infants are in close contact with a caregiver.

    For instance, in many communities – such as the Netsilik, !Kung, and Balinese – infants are pressed skin-to-skin with their mothers for much of the day. This means that infants are more likely to have their needs met quickly – being comforted when they cry or fed when they suckle – while also helping them develop a sensitivity to touch. These forms of “skinship” also help parents and their infants to develop deeper bonds through touch.

    While this research shows the benefits of touch in infancy, what about childhood? Studies of young children and adolescents have shown that touch – particularly caring touch like hugging from a parent or other caregivers, such as teachers – can support psychological development and wellbeing. For instance, touch can help children develop a sense of emotional security, belonging and feelings of support, especially in stressful situations.

    The anthropologist Marjorie Goodwin has described how “haptic rituals” – such as hugs between a parent and their child over the course of a day – can help the child feel loved and cared for.

    Regularly experiencing caring touch can also help children to develop their social interaction skills, including empathy toward others. Caring touch also reduces aggressive behaviour in adolescence.

    Unfortunately, even today, many parents hold on to old fashioned ideas – popularised by psychologists like John Watson – that they should avoid caring touch with their children, out of fear that hugging or cuddling will cause their children to become weak willed. The scientific evidence doesn’t support such ideas, so go hug your kids.

    Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

    If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Get moving with new ARU Writtle walking group

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    An aerial view of the ARU Writtle campus

    A new walking group aimed at getting people moving and socialising has been launched at ARU Writtle, led by popular local instructor Natasia Johnson.

    The free weekly Walk and Talk Group will centre on ARU Writtle’s campus in Lordship Lane, and also take in some of the beautiful nearby countryside.

    Natasia already leads several walks in parks around the local area which have proved popular with the Chelmsford public.

    The new walk, which takes place weekly on Mondays at 12.15pm, follows in the footsteps of the successful Nordic Walking workshops that were launched at ARU Writtle in 2024.

    “Going for a walk is one of the most underrated and underutilised activity we can do to help our physical health, mental health and overall wellbeing.

    “The club’s mission is to promote activity that encourages participants to engage in friendly conversation while enjoying the benefits of being outdoors to help support physical activity, mental health, wellbeing and social connection.

    “The walks are very casual with the pace set by the attendees, so there is no pressure to be super fit.”

    Natasia Johnson, who runs Engage Fitness Services

    “The new Walk and Talk initiative continues ARU Writtle’s stride towards supporting health and wellbeing in the community.

    “Our campus provides a fantastic natural environment for a good walk, and there are so many benefits for people taking part.”

    Greg Deacon, Head of Health at ARU Writtle

    The walks are free to join, and there is the option to purchase a drink afterwards if you wish to stay and chat. Regular attendance is encouraged to help build connections, but participants are welcome to join whenever their schedule allows. Comfortable clothing and suitable footwear are recommended, and a bottle of water is advised.

    Participants should meet at ARU Writtle’s main reception. This event will run weekly (excluding bank holidays) and booking is required. For more information and to book, visit engagefitnessservices.com

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Advancing midwifery access in Alberta

    As of January 2025, 181 midwives were practising across the province, reflecting a 26 per cent increase from 2020. Midwives play a crucial role in improving health outcomes for women, newborns and families by bringing maternal care closer to home. They build strong relationships with families, provide emotional support, help manage pregnancy risks and make referrals when needed.

    Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring Albertans can access high-quality maternal health care anywhere in the province. To help achieve this goal, $10 million is being invested over three years to implement the comprehensive new Alberta Midwifery Strategy.

    “Midwives play an important role in delivering primary health care to Albertans. Our goal is to continue leading the way in women’s and children’s health programs, and implementing initiatives through our midwifery strategy is an important part of achieving this goal.”

    Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

    The midwifery strategy outlines short-, medium-, and long-term goals to strengthen care and support midwifery pathways to practice. In the short term, the focus is on enhancing care for Indigenous populations through provider and community engagement. Medium-term efforts aim to address midwifery attrition and identify the supports needed to sustain the workforce. Long term, the strategy seeks to formalize guidelines and processes to integrate midwifery practice while monitoring supply and demand.

    First Nations, Métis and Inuit families have emphasized that increased access to midwifery services is critical, especially in rural and remote areas of the province. They believe that improved midwifery access will help to address physical, emotional and cultural barriers that affect health outcomes for mothers, babies and communities.

    “Implementing this strategy will support midwifery practice and improve rural Albertans’ access to the maternity services they need.”

    Martin Long, parliamentary secretary for rural health

    Funding will support engagement with Indigenous communities and birth workers, pilot innovative projects within Indigenous populations, assess data gaps and develop resources to provide midwifery services effectively. Additionally, it will help attract and retain internationally educated midwives and promote the integration of midwifery practice in team-based primary care. 

    “The Alberta Association of Midwives values the government’s commitment to supporting midwifery in Alberta through the provincial midwifery strategy. We look forward to collaborating on initiatives to grow and sustain midwifery in our province.”

    Marita Obst, president, Alberta Association of Midwives

    Midwifery services are in high demand across Alberta, and Alberta’s government recognizes the need to expand options and improve access to maternal care. This strategy will help ensure families receive the care they need, when and where they need it.

    Quick facts

    • Alberta’s government is investing $2 million for midwifery projects in 2024-25, followed by $3 million in 2025-26 and $5 million in 2026-27.
    • Alberta’s government worked with the Alberta Association of Midwives, the College of Midwives of Alberta, Mount Royal University, Alberta Health Services and internal stakeholders to develop the midwifery strategy.  
    • Midwifery is a publicly funded service in Alberta.
    • Midwives are regulated by the College of Midwives of Alberta under the Health Professions Act and must complete formal education in midwifery and pass written and practical examinations before practising in Alberta.
    • Midwives provide comprehensive care to individuals with low-risk pregnancies through labour and birth, continuing to support the health and safety of mothers and babies until six weeks after birth.

    Related information

    • Alberta Midwifery Strategy
    • Minister of Health 2023 mandate letter 

    Related news

    • Investing in women’s and children’s health (May 3, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Diversifying income with planting for wood products at Grascott Farm

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Diversifying income with planting for wood products at Grascott Farm

    Find out how Grascott Farm diversified their business to generate income through timber, biomass, wood products and recreation.

    Forester Sam Whatmore reflects on his 85 hectare woodland creation project that has allowed local wildlife to thrive whilst also bringing long-term value to his business.

    Grascott Farm facts

    • location: Devon
    • size: 212 acres
    • type: conifer woodland with areas of broadleaf
    • species: predominantly Douglas fir, together with Sitka spruce, field maple, ash, chestnut and oak
    • date established: 1998-2000
    • grants: Forestry Commission woodland grant and South West Forest grant
    • main objective: grow high-quality Douglas fir to produce timber and wood fuel, combined with delivery of multi-objective and continuous cover management principles

    An aerial view of woodland on Grascott Farm. Copyright Grascott Farm.

    Establishing a thriving forest

    Set in over 85 hectares within the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Grascott Farm boasts a thriving woodland that is home to barn owls, badgers and elusive otters, as well as providing a steady income through timber, biomass, and recreation. But it hasn’t always been like this – so what is the story behind Grascott Farm’s success?

    Over 25 years ago, expert forester Sam Whatmore was determined to create his own forest. Having spent years managing other people’s woodlands with short-term objectives, Sam wanted to focus on a longer-term goal: maintaining continuity of forest management to see the fruits of his labour in the years to come. When the opportunity arose to purchase an initial 25 acres of woodland in 1993, Sam jumped at the chance, supplementing his holding with the addition of a larger mixed farm in 1998.

    The primary objective of the forest was to grow high-quality Douglas fir to produce timber and other wood products. Following extensive woodland planning, trees were planted during the 1998-99 and 1999-00 planting seasons, as part of the then South West Forest, taking advantage of Forestry Commission grants and local incentives.

    With over 150,000 trees to put in the ground, this was no mean feat. Devon has ideal growing conditions for Douglas fir with the warm and wet climate, and the landholding has sloping freely draining soils to support establishment. Slightly wetter soils around the site were more appropriate for Sitka spruce, and broadleaves were planted to complement and diversify the conifer species. Careful management was critical particularly in the first 5 years of establishment, with a lot of time dedicated to weeding, pest control, and beating up, to ensure full stocking.

    Sam Whatmore, Owner, Grascott Farm said:

    The most important thing for forestry is continuity of management.

    Watch the video on how Sam Whatmore diversified his business to generate income from timber.

    Opportunity and innovation

    Establishing a woodland brings challenges, with innovative thinking required to fill the income gap between tree establishment and future returns to turn those challenges into opportunities. Holiday cottages were built in the early years on Grascott Farm to generate revenue through recreation. Deer stalking led to the creation of a successful venison business, selling high-quality burgers and sausages at shows across the county.

    In 2000, the biomass renewable energy market was only just emerging, and with it the development of a whole new avenue for the forestry sector. Aiming to be ahead of the curve, Sam installed a biomass boiler in 2003 – the third in the UK – providing heat to the holiday cottages. From this point onwards, Sam was at the forefront of wood fuel development as it grew into an established market, changing the face of the UK forestry economy. Alongside delivering hundreds of seminars across the country, Sam set up his own wood fuel business in 2006.

    This start-up evolved into the biggest biomass supply company in the UK, and has since merged with an international energy company that continues to flourish to this day.

    Sam Whatmore, Owner, Grascott Farm said:

    I absolutely love the woodland! It is my total pleasure in life and key to my wellbeing.

    Top tips for timber production

    1. Consider stocking density if you’re looking to grow high-quality timber, a greater density will result in straighter trees.
    2. Woodland management is essential for creating a well-stocked forest: the more work you put in during establishment, the greater your future returns.
    3. Think outside the box to generate income, anything is possible.
    4. Remember the impact trees have on wellbeing!

    Delivering value through woodlands

    The principle of using woodlands to deliver long-term value to people and society is central to Sam’s management plan; generating products that people need and use. Grascott Farm now has a healthy turnover as a successful business, incorporating:

    • timber and firewood: no part of the tree goes to waste, with saw logs going to the sawmill, smaller roundwood being used as firewood, and the canopy woodchip feeding the biomass boiler, which in turn is used to heat both the holiday cottages and the kiln to dry the firewood
    • biomass, supported by the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme
    • 4 prospering holiday lets for recreation and tourism
    • innovative forest products: from wooden poles for glamping tepee construction and window displays for large retailers, to a ship’s mast and foliage for florists, to sawdust for horse bedding and pokers for the steel industry – the opportunities are endless

    Alongside delivering economic benefits and valuable wood products, Grascott Farm has boosted local biodiversity, with springtime carpets of bluebells and orchids, and even a family of lively otters.

    A bridleway running through the heart of the woodland provides public access for the local community to enjoy and explore, and visitors to the holiday cottages are spoilt with nature trails, lakes, and cycle paths on their doorstep.

    The enterprise is also involved in delivering wider benefits such as educational activities and seminars, and working in collaboration with Forest Research through ongoing sample plots and experiments across the forest.

    View the brochure for this case study: Grascott Farm: innovating with timber, biomass, and wood products (PDF, 1.02 MB, 3 pages).

    Find out how the Forestry Commission can help you create woodland, visit our Tree planting and woodland creation overview.

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Advanced Mathematics Support Programme decision should be reversed

    Source: Mayor of London

    The Government has announced plans to scale back the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme and remove the provision of funding for Latin in the curriculum, reducing opportunities for London students.

    Today, the London Assembly called on the Mayor to oppose the cancellation of the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme.

    Emma Best AM, who proposed the motion, said:

    “Education is a pivotal gateway to opportunity within our country.

    “England is amongst the highest performing countries in the world and in Maths in particular we have come leaps and bounds, rising from 27th in the world rankings in 2009 to 11th today.

    “Cuts to educational programmes that have enabled this transformative progress risks the next generation’s future

    “We do not doubt that the Mayor shares our concerns and we call on him to oppose these cuts. We also hope the Mayor will consider how his budget for adult education can best develop the math skills of Londoners and plug the potential gap left by the government.”

    The full text of the motion is:

    This Assembly wishes to express its concern at the Government’s decision to scale back the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme and remove the provision of funding for Latin in the curriculum, reducing opportunities for London students to excel.

    Additionally, this Assembly regrets to learn that the Government intends to make cuts to adult education budgets for the next academic year, as reported by FE Week. These reductions undermine vital opportunities for lifelong learning and personal development, disproportionately impacting working-class Londoners as well as hindering wider economic growth.

    This Assembly believes that these policies will damage the quality of education in London, limit opportunities for students and threaten the progress made in raising school standards under the previous government.

    This Assembly calls on the Mayor to:

    • Oppose the cancellation of the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme and lobby the Government to reinstate funding to ensure London students have the best possible access to educational opportunities.
    • Lobby the Government to reconsider its decision to make cuts to the Adult Skills Fund for the next academic year.
    • Consider how the Adult Skills Fund could be used to further the development of maths skills across London.

    The meeting can be viewed via webcast or YouTube.

    Follow us @LondonAssembly

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Fine Arts students were the first to defend their theses at the State University of Management

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On February 12, 2025, the Institute of Distance Education of the State University of Management awarded diplomas to bachelors who completed their studies in the accelerated program “Human Resources Management”.

    The students of the Institute of Distance Education, who studied in their field after technical schools, colleges or received a second higher education, passed the final certification tests at the State University of Management earlier than others. For three and a half years, they combined their studies at the university with work in institutions and enterprises of various sectors of the economy and are now ready to continue their career in a new capacity.

    At the award ceremony, the bachelor’s degree students were congratulated by the Director of the Institute of Distance Education, Sergei Lenshin, the Institute’s staff, and representatives of the Distance Learning Student Council, who wished the graduates not to stop there, to realize themselves in their professions, and to continue their education in the university’s Master’s program.

    We wish that the acquired education will help our graduates in their career growth, and that the knowledge obtained at the State University of Management will become the basis and a serious bid for a successful life.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 02/13/2025

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “The role of an academic supervisor is not about a fixed schedule”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Pavel Voloshchuk has been developing and researching educational products for 14 years. Since August 2024, he has headed two master’s programs at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science:Research and Entrepreneurship in AI” And “Master of Science in Data Science” Pavel Voloshchuk spoke about his career path, time management and the specifics of academic leadership in an interview.

    — Tell us about your background.

    — I have two main interests. The first is teaching adults. For the last 14 years, I have been creating educational products: first in consulting and corporations (the Sochi-2014 organizing committee, Russian Railways, Sber), and for the last five years at HSE. The second interest is product research and product management, especially in the area of customer research and working with product hypotheses. This year, AST publishing house released my textbook, “Shake the Client: How to Create Products Inspired by Real People.”

    Thus, I have a managerial, product background.

    — What are your scientific interests?

    — I’m interested in how people learn, especially in face-to-face programs that are delivered online. How user behavior and their perception of product value change. How we can easily assess the value of a product before investing in expensive design and development stages.

    — How did you get into HSE?

    — I worked at SberUniversity, a division that trains Sber executives and develops external educational programs for partner companies. At a certain point, I was offered to transfer to the Higher School of Economics.

    — What are your responsibilities?

    — I am responsible for two master’s programs.

    “Research and Entrepreneurship in Artificial Intelligence” is a classic full-time program with 30 students. It is designed for those who want to dedicate themselves to scientific work in the field of DS – to become an employee of a corporate or university laboratory, a founder or a member of a team of a technology startup.

    The Master of Science in Data Science is a large online program, currently enrolling around 450 students. The online master’s degree is suitable for those who have no technical experience and are looking to learn the Data Scientist profession from scratch.

    These programs differ in everything from the format of study (face-to-face vs. online) to the requirements for admission (having technical experience and a desire for scientific work vs. lack of technical knowledge and mastering the profession from scratch).

    In addition, I collaborate with colleagues from Center for Continuous Education of the Faculty of Computer Science, where we are developing several new projects in the field of additional professional education.

    I also, of course, teach product research and mentor seminars in my master’s programs.

    — How does your working day go?

    — My working day can vary greatly depending on the season.

    During the admissions campaign, I conduct consultations with applicants and prepare for the new academic year. In May and June, I participate in examination committees and accept defenses from students.

    At the same time, a typical day always includes meetings – with the program team, teachers and colleagues from different departments of the HSE – communication with students, preparation of materials and much more, which ends with evening classes.

    The role of an academic director is not about a fixed schedule. The program is not just a set of tasks, but people: students, teachers, university staff, the market and the situation. This means that every day you have a variety of tasks to ensure the effective operation of the program.

    — How do you manage to combine academic leadership of two such different master’s programs?

    “It’s difficult, and without a team it would not have been possible to cope with such a workload.”

    We are implementing the program “Research and Entrepreneurship in AI” together with our partner – MTS, the guys are very helpful. And we also have an amazing manager of the training office – Ilona Yakovleva.

    If we talk about the Master of Data Science program, there is also a huge amount of work. Several factors help: previous experience in online education, the project team and the amazing involvement of teachers, with whom we are friends and solve all the problems together. For such a large program, connections with the industry are important. For example, in the 2024/25 academic year, through joint efforts, we found academic supervisors for 190 students in two weeks.

    — Are there any special features in managing an online master’s degree program?

    — There are many, I will give a couple of examples. First of all, it is a much larger volume of communication with students and teachers. Due to the format, they cannot simply ask questions at a meeting, it is a little more difficult for them to remain involved. Therefore, we have special curators who work with students’ questions. Special attention is also paid to community management, so that students have the opportunity to get to know those with whom they study and expand their circle of social and professional connections.

    — What are the prospects for your educational programs?

    — In 2024, we launched the first intake for the AI Research and Entrepreneurship program. On the one hand, it is difficult to be the first, on the other hand, students receive maximum attention from partners and the program team. Now we are actively preparing for the start of a new admissions campaign, analyzing feedback and preparing the program design for the next academic year. In addition, the internship season is approaching, colleagues from MTS are preparing to accept our students who have applied for an internship.

    For the Master of Data Science program, 2025 is a very important year — we are completely redesigning the program: it has become Russian-language, classes are synchronous. That is, students will be able to attend online classes, and the studies will be as similar as possible to the full-time program. This is an important transition that will improve the quality of training in the program and maintain the maximum relevance of the competencies that students receive.

    — What do you do in your free time?

    — Tennis. I also like quizzes. This fall we picked up a kitten, named her Amber, and now our family leisure time is treating the cat. She is almost healthy, we will soon choose another hobby.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI: Legible & CAMB.AI Unlock New Revenue Streams with Global Multilingual Audiobook Access

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia and DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Legible Inc. (CSE: READ) (OTCQB: LEBGF) (FSE: D0T). On Wednesday, February 12, 2024 (“Legible” / “Company”), and CAMB.AI Ltd. (“CAMB.AI”), signed an agreement to enhance the digital reading experience, leveraging artificial intelligence (“AI”) on demand to instantly convert millions of eBooks into high-quality audiobooks in over 160 languages. This accessibility tool is poised to unlock global markets, delivering previously unavailable content to readers around the world.

    With millions of eBooks available across all genres, this collaboration represents an extraordinary market opportunity—hundreds of millions of hours of potential audiobook content available to readers anytime, anywhere as seamless reading and listening experiences, —enabling publishers and authors to reach international audiences with new speed, efficiency, and savings. CAMB.AI’s AI-driven voice localization and instant translation technologies will be integrated into Legible’s platform, enhancing the accessibility and commercial viability of every eBook.

    “This is an exciting development in accessibility for books,” said Kaleeg Hainsworth, CEO of Legible. “By partnering with CAMB.AI, we’re enabling publishers and authors to create high-quality, multilingual audiobooks faster and more affordably than ever before. With this integration, books on our platform can reach new markets in multiple languages faster than ever before and can do so across any device, expanding access and revenue potential globally.”

    This AI-driven solution will be commercialized as a premium add-on to Legible’s subscription service, and also accessible via Legible’s apps, browser-based platform, and in-car infotainment systems, with revenues and savings being directly passed on to publishers and authors. This ensures a truly international accessibility offering, enhancing the reading experience for users worldwide.

    User Journey & Offering:

    • Instant toggling between eBook text and audiobook mode.
    • AI-powered voice synthesis delivering narration in over 160 languages.
    • Publishers retain full control, ensuring opt-in participation without disruption.
    • Traditional audiobook production costs can be substantially reduced while maintaining professional quality including tone and intonation.
    • Voice actors can license their voices for AI-generated narrations, ensuring fair compensation and ethical AI integration.

    “Legible’s vision aligns perfectly with our mission to eliminate language barriers and promote global literacy,” said Akshat Prakash, CTO & Co-Founder of CAMB.AI. “Our proprietary AI models enable publishers and content creators to instantly translate their works into multiple languages, reaching wider audiences on an unprecedented scale via Legible’s platform.”

    By drastically lowering audiobook production costs for multiple language audiences, while maintaining voice quality, this partnership removes long-standing barriers in the publishing industry. Authors and publishers can now reach international markets in record time, tapping into new revenue potential.

    Legible and CAMB.AI are committed to ethical AI use, ensuring publishers and voice actors retain full control in this ecosystem. This guarantees creative integrity, fair compensation practices, and a sustainable model for the future of publishing.

    About CAMB.AI
    Established in 2022, CAMB.AI leads content localization with a five-year foundation in advanced AI research in speech and translation. Our team comprises AI experts from top level companies and institutions. We’ve pioneered the zero-shot AI Dubbing platform, delivering hyper-realistic content translation in 160+ languages. CAMB.AI empowers content creators and owners across media, sports, and education, to transcend language barriers and make content universally relatable on a global scale.

    About Legible
    Legible is a mobile-centric global company specializing in eBooks and audiobook entertainment. Its extensive partnerships encompass four of the Big 5 Publishers, the world’s largest eBook distributor, and a wide range of outstanding and innovative publishers of all sizes, enabling Legible to seamlessly deliver millions of multilingual eBooks and audiobooks, transforming any smart device into a source of cutting-edge infotainment.

    Legible is advancing mobile-centric eBook and audiobook experiences with interactive AI-driven content in Living Books, including comics and manga. Legible’s recent release, FrankensteinAI, third in the Company’s AI Classics series, reimagines Mary Shelley’s masterpiece with animated AI art developed by digital artist Remo Camerota and immersive character-driven AI chat, offering readers a uniquely engaging journey through the classic horror tale. Legible is also the exclusive publisher of the My Model Kitchen series of video-enriched Living Cookbooks by former supermodel, talk show host, bestselling author, and celebrity chef, Cristina Ferrare, with an embedded AI Sous Chef for each recipe, which have been featured three times on the Drew Barrymore Show and in many other major US media outlets.

    As a first mover in the rapidly expanding automotive infotainment market, Legible has partnered with media providers Appning by FORVIA, Harman Ignite, LiveOne, ACCESS Twine4Car, and Visteon. Legible has the only Android Automotive app with the capacity to deliver both audiobooks and eBooks to drivers and passengers into tens of millions of vehicles around the globe, positioning Legible at the forefront of the new world of in-car infotainment experiences.

    The 2024 EdTech Breakthrough Award winner for eLearning Innovation of the Year, Legible is reshaping the digital publishing landscape, committed to gaining a significant market share by providing innovative 21st-century publishing solutions and enriching global reading experiences.

    Becoming a member of Legible Unbound for only US$9.99 provides readers access to unbeatable value on unlimited reading and listening, plus exclusive member-only access to Legible’s unique Living Books. Please visit Legible.com and discover the place where eBooks come to life.

    Contacts

    Legible Inc.
    Ms. Deborah Harford, EVP, Global Strategic Partnerships
    Tel.: +1-604-283-2028
    Email: invest@legible.com
    Website: https://invest.legible.com

    Krupp Kommunications, Inc.
    Ms. Kathy Giaconia, VP Media Relations
    Tel.: +1-213-324-5665
    Email: kgiaconia@kruppagency.com
    Website: www.KruppAgency.com

    CAMB.AI
    Mr. Grigorij Richters, PR
    Email: grig@xwecan.com
    Website: www.camb.ai

    Ms. Katie Case
    Email: katie@srkstrategies.com
    Website: https://www.camb.ai/

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information
    This Press Release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information (“forward-looking statements”), including statements regarding Legible’s business. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Legible’s control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, currency fluctuations, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Although Legible believes that the expectations in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking information. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward- looking information, as no assurance can be provided as to future results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of the date of this document and, except as required by applicable law, Legible does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: An educational project on information modeling technologies for students of secondary vocational education has been launched at SPbGASU

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    From February 3 to April 4, the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering is once again implementing the educational initiative “TIM-elective of SPbGASU for SPO”. It is being held jointly with Association SRO “OsnovaProekt” with the support of the National Association of Surveyors and Designers (NOPRIZ) and the industry Consortium of Secondary Vocational Education in Construction. The TIM elective is part of the innovative educational project of SPbGASU “Innovative Methodology for Forming Digital Professional Competencies of Students and Specialists in the Construction Industry”, implemented under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.

    The purpose of the elective is to develop design skills using information modeling technologies (IMT) among students majoring in construction.

    SPbGASU teachers and invited specialists conduct classes in such areas as architect, designer, heating and ventilation engineer, water supply and sanitation engineer, TIM coordinator, estimator. Training in each competency is implemented in the form of modular advanced training programs, within the framework of which teachers and students become familiar with working in specialized domestic software products (Renga, nanoCAD, Pilot-BIM, CADLib Model and Archive, SmetaWIZARD, BIM WIZARD).

    More than 750 people (including more than 140 teachers) from 31 colleges across Russia are taking part in the elective course.

    The elective will result in the qualifying TIM championships of SPbGASU in the SPO League, which each participating organization will hold on its own site according to the uniform regulations of the TIM championships of SPbGASU. Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge and skills to solving a practical problem in a competitive format.

    After this, all participating organizations will have the opportunity to send one team to the All-Russian TIM Championship of SPbGASU, the final of which will be held at our university in person from April 22 to April 25, 2025, as part of VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference “Information Modeling in Construction and Architecture Problems” (BIMAC-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 –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 65th Medical Brigade Hosts Republic of Korea Army Leaders for Medical Capabilities Overview

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  –  

    The 65th Medical Brigade hosted senior leaders from the Republic of Korea Army Feb. 6 for a briefing and static display walk-through at the 135th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment. The visit highlighted the ongoing partnership between U.S. and ROK medical forces and their efforts to modernize battlefield medical capabilities.

    “As our partnership with the Republic of Korea Army continues to strengthen, we are working together to modernize battlefield medical capabilities,” said Col. Edgar G. Arroyo, commander of the 65th Medical Brigade. “The exchange of knowledge and experience between our forces ensures that we remain ready to provide life-saving care in any operational environment.”

    As the ROKA transitions from its Mobile Army Surgical Hospital model to adopt the U.S. Army’s FRSD structure, the engagement provided an in-depth look at how expeditionary surgical teams deliver advanced combat casualty care in austere environments. The event included a briefing on FRSD operational capabilities and a static display walk-through to showcase how this capability enhances battlefield survivability.

    Two senior ROKA generals attended the visit. Brig. Gen. Seo, the ROKA equivalent of the U.S. Army surgeon general, plays a pivotal role in shaping medical doctrine and force modernization. Brig. Gen. Jeon, head of the ROKA Analysis and Evaluation Department, oversees the assessment and implementation of force structure advancements. Additional attendees included commanders from ROK 7th Corps, 2nd Operational Command and 5th Corps, along with representatives from the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff, Armed Forces Medical School and other ROK medical institutions.

    “The ability to sustain the fight starts with effective medical care,” Arroyo said. “Through engagements like this, we are reinforcing our shared commitment to ensuring our warfighters have access to the best possible battlefield medical support, no matter the conditions.”

    This event supports bilateral efforts to enhance interoperability and improve combined medical readiness. By sharing best practices and demonstrating the effectiveness of the FRSD, U.S. and ROK forces continue to improve their ability to respond to future operational challenges.

    For imagery, please visit:

    The 65th Medical Brigade hosted senior leaders from the Republic of Korea Army on Feb. 6 for a briefing and static display walk-through at the 135th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment. The visit highlighted the ongoing partnership between U.S. and ROK medical forces and their efforts to modernize battlefield medical capabilities. Photo courtesy of Cpl. Yum Jin-young, 65th Medical Brigade

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: More red tape slashed to reduce apprenticeship bureaucracy

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Reforms to apprenticeship training provider payment system and End Point Assessments will cut bureaucracy and enable focus on high quality training.

    The government is slashing more red tape to ensure businesses and apprenticeship training providers are able to focus even more of their time on apprentices, the Skills Minister announced today, unlocking opportunity and driving growth under the government’s Plan for Change.

    Reforms to the payment system have long been called for by training providers. They will cut red tape by stopping the need for providers to log the same data multiple times, saving valuable time currently wasted on duplicating records, ensuring consistency across systems.

    The move comes during National Apprenticeship Week and will mean training providers can focus on what matters most – breaking down barriers to opportunity through helping apprentices to develop their skills to enter well-paid careers and drive economic growth in key sectors.

    Today the government also announced changes to End Point Assessments (EPAs), making the system simpler and more flexible while ensuring apprentices prove their competence for skilled work.

    Where appropriate, apprentices will be assessed on some things during their apprenticeship rather than all at the end, and training providers may be able to deliver elements of the assessment, rather than having to rely on external assessors.

    The government is also ensuring apprentices don’t have to be re-tested on the same skills they have already demonstrated, such as by taking a mandatory industry exam, to avoid wasting apprentices’ time. 

    This will deliver more timely assessments while retaining rigour, and ensure that apprentices are assessed on what matters most to employers, removing unnecessary burdens to career opportunities and getting skilled workers into key industries to support growth.

    Skills Minister, Baroness Jacqui Smith, said:

    Employers and providers are burdened with needless red tape which makes it harder to train and recruit apprentices.

    We have heard time and again from training providers, apprentices and employers that this needs to change, and we are determined to deliver this so they can focus on what they do best – creating jobs and driving growth.

    Businesses should rest assured this National Apprenticeship Week that this government is determined to work with them to make apprenticeships work better, helping to grow the economy.

    Mike Blakeley, Executive Director of Partnerships & Apprenticeships at Exeter College, said:

    Employer voice is very important to us here at Exeter College, and being invited to contribute to shaping some of these changes has allowed us to share concepts and ideas to make the learner and employer journey easier to navigate.

    We thank DfE for not only listening but actioning a range of simplifications to the system that will ease the burden on employers and providers alike. These measures will be welcomed across the sector and will be a significant boost to an already brilliant National Apprenticeship Week.

    Rob Nitsch, CEO of the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB), said:

    Seven years into apprenticeship standards, it is right and natural that we should be stepping back to see how end-point assessment can be optimised for the benefit of apprentices, employers and those involved in delivery.

    The Federation welcomes the principles-based methodology that the Department has proposed and the inclusive approach that has been adopted; FAB and its members are pleased to have contributed to the refinement of the principles already and look forward to working with DfE and other stakeholders to take them forward to the next stage and moving to implement the Review at pace.

    This builds on reforms announced earlier in National Apprenticeship Week by the DfE. These included shorter apprenticeships with the minimum time for completion reduced to eight months, and making English and Maths requirements for completing an apprenticeship more flexible to boost recruitment in sectors like construction and healthcare.

    Existing assessment plans will be rewritten on a standard-by-standard basis to reflect these changes, with the first plans being revised from April 2025.

    New assessment principles for apprenticeships will be published this week, and will be available here.

    DfE media enquiries

    Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Few Simple Steps to Start Preventing Heart Disease Today

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Dr. Maxwell Eder recently joined the Calhoun Cardiology Center at UConn Health. The Center is celebrating its 20th anniversary of advancing cardiovascular care, research, and training the next generation of heart doctors.

    “UConn Health is an excellent place for general cardiology,” says Eder. “General cardiology allows me to care for a wide variety of heart patients which I really enjoy!”

    Eder serves as an assistant professor of cardiology at UConn School of Medicine. He joined the UConn faculty from Yale where he completed both his residency and fellowship training in general cardiology.

    Eder cares for patients at UConn Health ranging from those who simply want to prevent heart disease or lower their risk factors to those with a cardiovascular disease diagnosis and are being treated in the echocardiography lab or as inpatients at UConn John Dempsey Hospital.

    Eder loves the heart.

    Maxwell Eder, MD, is a general cardiologist in the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at UConn Health (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health Photo).

    “I really like the complexity of this muscle we call the heart,” says Eder. “It is more than just a muscle, a lot more. The heart has a very unique pathology, its own piping, and even its own electrical system too.”

    Plus, Eder loves the heart patients he gets to meet.

    “I really connect with my heart patients. It’s very gratifying to be able to offer them really great and evidence-based treatments,” Eder says who finds it also rewarding to meet with patients who are looking to prevent heart disease.

    “I am happy to see all patients, but most people don’t need a practicing cardiologist to begin to prevent heart disease today, right now,” Eder says about heart disease which remains the leading cause of death of American men and women.

    According to Eder, if someone has a new concern or change in their heart health or risk factors for the disease such as a sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, was a past smoker, or has a strong family history of heart attack or stroke, it’s a very good idea to seek a consult with a cardiologist.

    Eder advises three simple healthy lifestyle choices to begin preventing heart disease at any age.

    First, eat heart healthy with a daily diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and high in fiber.

    Second, stay active weekly with brisk walking or other vigorous exercise you enjoy.  In fact, the official recommendation for exercise by the American Heart Association (AHA) is 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week with strength training two days per week.

    Lastly, don’t ever smoke, or quit smoking now, as it hardens and narrows the arteries in your body including those in the heart.

    “If you eat healthy, exercise regularly, keep your cholesterol low, and avoid smoking your risk of developing heart disease will be much lower,” stresses Eder. “It’s never too early to start preventing heart disease and reducing your cardiovascular risk factors to prevent a heart attack or stroke in your lifetime.”

    Eder concludes, “Live a healthy lifestyle, with everything in moderation. Do these few simple steps daily and you will be doing an amazing job of keeping your risk factors for cardiovascular disease low and maintaining your heart health.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tickets selling fast for the magical Beauty and the Beast

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Tickets selling fast for the magical Beauty and the Beast

    13 February 2025

    Much Ado Stage School are preparing to take to the stage at the Alley Theatre for a spellbinding performance of Beauty and the Beast. 
    The local group will perform the timeless classic from 20th-22nd February. From the enchanted castle to the charming village, this magical production promises to transport audiences of all ages to a world filled with love, bravery, and enchantment.
    Beauty and the Beast tells the story of Belle, a young woman who finds herself trapped in an enchanted castle, and the Beast, a prince cursed to live in his monstrous form. Together, they embark on a journey that will change their lives forever. Featuring memorable songs, dazzling choreography, and a talented cast, Much Ado Stage School’s performance is a delightful experience for families, theatre lovers, and fans of the classic fairytale.
    Under the direction of Rois Kelly, Much Ado Stage School’s talented cast, featuring local performers, will bring to life this enchanting story with stunning costumes, set designs, and powerful performances. Playing ‘The Beast’ is Kevin Connor and playing the beautiful ‘Belle’ is Lucy Harper. 
    Rois explained: “We are really excited to see the months of work come together to produce a showstopper with such a stellar cast, with heart-warming moments, humorous twists, and spectacular musical numbers, Beauty and the Beast will certainly captivate audiences in Strabane”. 
    Beauty and the Beast is showing from Thursday 20th- Saturday 22nd February at 7.30pm each evening and a matinee performance on Saturday 22nd  February at 2.30pm.  Tickets are £15 each. Tickets are selling fast, with limited availability for some performances so make sure to get yours now at www.alley-theatre.com or call the Alley Theatre Box Office on 028 71 384444.  
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Great turn out for school apprenticeship show

    Source: City of Coventry

    As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2025, the Apprenticeship Team at Coventry City Council hosted more than 25 employers for a School Apprenticeship Show.

    The event held this week at Coventry Rugby Club brought together over 300 students.

    Severn Trent, Coventry University, BUUK infrastructure, Land Rover and West Midlands Police were just a few of the organisations promoting the wealth of apprenticeship opportunities available.

    The show provided an invaluable platform for young people to explore career pathways, engage with employers, and gain insights into how apprenticeships can be a direct route into skilled employment.

    Employers from sectors such as construction, healthcare, digital, engineering, and the public sector were on hand to share information, answer questions, and inspire the next generation of apprentices.

    Cllr Richard Brown, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources at the Council, said: “I’m really pleased that our own apprenticeship team is helping to bring together so many great organisations and so many young people.

    “Events like this are such a great way to highlight the different career options that apprenticeships can be the springboard to.”

    Zak Bhana, Apprenticeship and Career Pathways Advisor, at Coventry City Council, said: “The event was a real success. It was great to see so many Coventry-based employers getting involved and informing students about the different apprenticeship career pathways they have available.

    “Apprenticeships provide fantastic opportunities for young people to earn while they learn, and this event highlighted just how many options there are locally.”

    The Apprenticeship Show aligns with the Council’s commitment to supporting young people into meaningful careers and ensuring local businesses can connect with the talent they need.

    A huge thank you to all the employers, students, and schools who took part in making this event such a success. If you’d like to find out more about apprenticeships in Coventry, please visit our Apprenticeships Hub or contact the team at coventry.gov.uk/apprenticeships

    Thursday, 13th February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Preserve the house of William Blake as a national cultural centre

    Source: Mayor of London

    William Blake, author of ‘Jerusalem’, regarded as the unofficial national anthem, is internationally revered as a Poet, Artist, and Visionary.  He lived at 17 South Molton Street in London for 17 years in two humble rooms in which he produced his most famous and influential illustrated works.

    Today, the London Assembly has called for the site to become a cultural and educational hub and visitor centre, boosting the local and London economy.

    Marina Ahmad AM, who proposed the motion, said:

    “Preserving our heritage is vital to our cultural identity, well-being, and economic growth. William Blake—renowned poet, artist, and visionary—lived and created some of his most influential works at 17 South Molton Street. Yet, this historic home is at risk of being lost.

    “We have a unique opportunity to transform Blake’s last remaining London residence into a world-class cultural and educational hub, honouring his legacy while boosting the local economy. The homes of Mozart, Rembrandt, and Burns are thriving visitor attractions – let’s do the same with William Blake’s house.

    “I ask the mayor to meet with the William Blake Fellowship, engage with the Grosvenor Group, and rally key stakeholders to support this vision. If action is not taken now, we risk losing this opportunity forever. Let’s secure Blake’s legacy for generations to come.”

    The full text of the motion is:

    This Assembly recognises that preserving our heritage is important to the cultural, well-being and economic growth of our country.

    William Blake, author of ‘Jerusalem’, regarded as the unofficial national anthem and sung at the 2012 Olympics and by all main political parties, is internationally revered as a Poet, Artist and Visionary.

    Last year international Blake exhibitions in Los Angeles, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge and in Europe attracted thousands of visitors. Blake is on the National Curriculum taught in UK Primary and Secondary schools.

    William Blake lived in 17 South Molton Street in London for 17 years in two humble rooms in which he produced his most famous and influential illustrated works, now in 56 galleries and private collections around the world.  The home is a Georgian townhouse similar to Handel House or Charles Dickens’ houses and has been cherished as The House of William Blake even when Blake still lived there in 1803, all the way up to present day.

    The building is listed with English Heritage as ‘more than of special interest’ to the nation and since the 1970’s has had a City of London blue plaque. Blake’s unique contribution to the arts and humanity should be proudly celebrated by his home city with this site becoming a cultural and educational hub and visitor centre which would boost the local and London economy.

    The William Blake Fellowship has been liaising for many months with the company who owns the property. The company’s plan is to renovate it as a private residence sold on the commercial market. It is instead now the time for this property to become a cultural hub, honouring and celebrating the life and works of William Blake.

    This would draw from the success of long standing historic houses in other European cities such as Mozart’s House in Vienna, Rembrandt’s House in Amsterdam, Dante’s House in Florence, nearby Handel House in London and Robert Burns’s House in Scotland, the legacy of which generates £200 million a year to the Scottish economy. The Fellowship has produced ample evidence of the social, cultural and economic value of this property being repurposed as a world class cultural visitor centre.

    The House of William Blake’s proposal is supported by the Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries Justine Simons OBE, Lord Vaizey of Didcot, Rachel Blake, MP for Cities of London and Westminster, Westminster Council, Dee Corsi, Chief Executive Officer of New West End Company, a business partnership of 600 UK and international retailers, Mayfair residents and English Heritage.

    The Fellowship has submitted an application for Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy funding and are soon meeting with Westminster Council to discuss its pre-app planning submission for the process of changing the use of the building from a private residence to a cultural centre.           

    However, the current owners of the building, although also supportive of the proposal in principle, are continuing with their planned renovation and marketing of Blake’s home as a private residence.

    The Fellowship retains the ambition to open a centre in 2027, which would mark both 200 years since Blake’s death and 270 years since his birth. If the property is continued to be developed as a luxury apartment, the opportunity to create a dedicated centre to William Blake at his last remaining London home will be lost for good.

    This Assembly resolves to:

    • Call on the Mayor to meet with the William Blake Fellowship to be updated on the current status of plans for the House of William Blake.
    • Convey the importance and need for this venture to the Grosvenor Group and board, as well as their Chair, the Duke of Westminster, and request the pausing of the ongoing commercial renovation work so that the House of William Blake proposal can continue to the next stages of development.
    • Call for Grosvenor Group to develop and work with the relevant public and private partnerships to enable the creation of the centre to go forward.
    • Call a meeting with key stakeholders (listed above) to discuss working together in the same way that the Government, councils and institutions of other major European cities have partnered to create the houses of Rembrandt, Mozart and Robert Burns as international cultural visitor attractions.
    • Write to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy MP, and the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, Sir Chris Bryant MP, to convey the importance of the House of William Blake being preserved as a national cultural centre.

    The meeting can be viewed via webcast or YouTube.

    Follow us @LondonAssembly

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Successful community event builds futures for young people in Normanton

    Source: City of Derby

    An “inspiring” community event took place at Akaal Primary School recently which brought together key local partners to support young people and families to identify employment and education options for young people.

    Led by Derby City Council’s Neighbourhood Team, this initiative was a direct response to ideas raised at the recent Normanton Partnership; a collaboration of residents, community groups, schools and councillors.

    The event gave residents the opportunity to ask local organisations about the work taking place in their neighbourhood, and also gave young people and their families the chance to talk about apprenticeship and educational opportunities available to them.

    With the involvement of organisations such as Aspire2Succeed, Derby College, DWP Job Centre, Derbyshire Constabulary, Supporting Communities and many others, the event provided a vital space for engagement, support, and collaboration. Over 60 residents attended, highlighting the community’s desire for accessible, local support.

    A key takeaway from the evening was that young people expressed the importance of having a dedicated space within their community where they feel safe, valued, and represented. The success of this event has laid the foundation for further events in the future at other locations around Derby, so residents learn more about their neighbourhood team and education and employment opportunities available to them.

    Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills, said:

    It was truly inspiring to see people of all ages, along with their families, come together to discuss their futures and explore the opportunities available to them. I would encourage any young people who would like more information about what opportunities are available to get in touch with the Derby City Council Employment and Skills team who will be able to let you know about all the latest employment opportunities in Derby.

    A huge thank you to all the incredible organisations that played a role in making this happen. Your collaboration and commitment to supporting our young people and communities is what makes events like this so impactful.”

    This event is one of many employment and skills events that have been put on by The Employment Hub. The Hub has been created to help you gain the confidence, support and skills to move into employment. The Hub, is based at the Council House and is open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday. You can find one to one employment and careers advice as well as opportunities to get in touch with local employers. If you can’t make it into the council house, you can email employmentandskills@derby.gov.uk or telephone: 01332 956989 for a discussion.

    More information about local opportunities is also available in Derby Jobs Weekly. This free newsletter features all of the latest employment opportunities as well as information about apprenticeships, upskilling courses, and training into employment opportunities.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: AI in Science: Research and Development

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Print version

    The Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, based on statistical data and a specialized survey called “Making Science in Russia,” analyzes the prevalence of practices in scientific organizations and universities in the country that use AI solutions to carry out research and development.

    Reference: The “Doing Science in Russia” study is a continuation of the Doing Science project (the first two waves were conducted in 2017 and 2022). As part of the third wave (October-November 2024), representatives of 719 scientific organizations and universities (heads or their deputies for research activities) were asked to rate on a five-point scale the level of provision with AI systems for research and development.

    This issue of the series “Artificial Intelligence” was prepared within the framework of the project “Monitoring scientific support for measures to achieve technological leadership of the Russian Federation” of the thematic plan of research work provided for by the State assignment of the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    Modern AI-based technologies are changing the usual way of life in all areas of activity, and science is no exception. SurveyA 2023 Nature study found that more than a quarter of scientists already using AI in their research expect the technology to become an essential tool for their field in the next 10 years, with another 47% believing it will be very useful. Related study Oxford University Press shows that we won’t have to wait that long: 75% of surveyed scientists publishing in leading journals have already used various AI tools in 2024, including machine translation services (49%), chatbots (43%) and search engines (25%). According to respondents, AI-based solutions are useful at all stages of the research cycle and for a wide range of tasks: 41% of respondents used them to search for literature, about 35% – for its generalization and/or editing of text (e.g., an article manuscript), 25% – for idea generation, data collection and/or its analysis.

    According to statistics, the implementation of AI solutions in the field of science in Russia is only gaining momentum. In 2023, about 5% of scientific organizations and about 10% of universities used AI for their purposes, but these figures do not fully reflect the real scale of the use of this technology by scientists, since they characterize only the practices of the organizations themselves, and not their employees.

    In the future, we should expect the expansion of AI implementation in the field of science and higher education: every second organization sees prospects for further use of relevant tools in their activities here. In addition, almost 25% of scientific organizations and 38% of universities that are already using AI believe that such technologies will radically change internal processes in science in the coming years; many of them consider intelligent decision support technologies to be the most promising for these tasks (33%).

    It is obvious that the possibility of realizing these expectations largely depends on the level of development of the necessary digital infrastructure. As shown by a survey of 719 scientific organizations and universities conducted by the HSE ISSEK as part of the Doing Science in Russia project (October-November 2024), access to AI systems for research and development is still difficult. The surveyed executives rated the availability of such foreign-developed systems (ChatGPT, Trinka, Mendeley, Scite, Google Jax, etc.) at 2.71 points out of a possible five, and domestic systems (GigaChat, GitVerse, YaLM, SOVA, RAZUM AI, GOLEM, NeuroMark, AI BAUM PLATFORM, NNWizard, etc.) even lower, at 2.60 points. The situation is somewhat better in universities than in other organizations (Fig. 1).

    Against the background of restrained assessments of the current situation, forecasts for the next three years look more optimistic: organizations of all types expect a significant increase in the use of AI systems for research and development. Of course, to ensure such dynamics, it is necessary to remove barriers that hinder the spread of AI in science. Among the most significant of them, universities and scientific organizations note: a shortage of financial resources, a shortage of qualified personnel, an insufficiently developed ICT infrastructure, a shortage/low quality of big data for the implementation of AI. Half of the universities and about 40% of scientific organizations point to the influence of these restraining factors.

    Overcoming barriers to the spread of AI in Russian science could be facilitated by a special program that would provide for the development of research standards using AI; grants for young scientists and research teams studying and using AI in their work (with priority given to those areas of science where such technologies are rarely used); support for the development of AI applications for scientific tasks; compensation for the costs of universities and research organizations for the purchase of big data for the purposes of training and development of generative models.

    This HSE ISSEK material may be reproduced (copied) or distributed in full only with prior consent from HSE (please contact Issek@mse.ru). It is permitted to use parts (fragments) of the material provided that the source and an active link to the HSE ISSEK website are indicated (Issek.hse.ru), as well as the authors of the material. Use of the material beyond the permitted methods and in violation of the specified conditions will result in a violation of copyright.

    Suggested citation:

    Streltsova E. A., Popov E. V., Gershman M. A. (2025) Artificial Intelligence in Science. Moscow – ISSEK HSE. Access mode: https://issek.hse.ru/news/1015931860.html.

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