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Category: Health

  • MIL-Evening Report: Dogs see their world through smell – and scientists are starting to translate it like never before

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University

    Lorenzooooo/Shutterstock

    Scent is how dogs largely experience the world, a lot like the way we humans rely on sight. We know little about how dogs interpret scent, but thanks to a recent study, we may be getting closer to understanding what a dog’s nose actually knows.

    Dogs are primed to detect smells. The average dog’s nose has more than 10 million scent receptors in their nose, compared to humans, who only have about 6 million.

    This makes the canine nose more than 10, 000 times better at detecting scents than we are. They can detect minute quantities of scent. For example, forensic detection dogs can detect 0.01 microlitres of gasolene. A microlitre is one millionth of a litre.

    Humans have exploited dogs’ olfactory superpowers in a number of ways, which has no doubt contributed to the deep relationship we have developed with our canine companions over 40,000 years living together.

    Dogs still join us as hunting partners, sniffing out food. They work beside us as vital members of crime-fighting teams, finding illicit substances, as medical colleagues for disease detection, and as partners in conservation efforts, finding rare and endangered species.

    Despite the widespread involvement of dogs as natural scent detectors, we remain largely oblivious as to how dogs interpret what they smell and how they perceive the world in which they live.

    We don’t know much about dogs’ experience of smell – but we know they’re good at it.
    Sundays Photography/Shutterstock

    Exploring the brain activity of dogs when they are exposed to specific smells can help identify which of their brain regions are associated with scent detection. This helps scientists understand what the dog is experiencing, which might help us enhance the selection and training of sniffer dogs.

    Until now, scientists needed expensive equipment to study dogs’ brains and research methods that required dogs to stay still. This means we know less about the brains of active working dogs who might struggle to remain motionless for long periods.

    But we can’t simply apply the data from dogs who can cope with sitting still since dog breeds have differences in their training and scenting skills.

    Sensing scents

    The recent study I mentioned at the beginning of this article uses a new, cheap and non-invasive method to explore how the canine brain responds to scent. The researchers think that this method – known as AI speckle pattern analysis – will help us identify how dog brains react to scents and what it means for how dogs perceive and respond to the world around them in future research too.

    The researchers developed an optical sensor to target three brain areas involved in canine scent discrimination: the amygdala, olfactory bulb and hippocampus. The amygdala is responsible for emotional responses to stimuli.

    The olfactory bulb is involved with odour processing and the hippocampus is associated with memory formation.

    The equipment used in the study consisted of a high resolution digital camera linked to a computer, plus a green laser. Laser light, capable of penetrating dog fur and skull bone, was shone on the heads of four relaxed, blindfolded study dogs who were exposed to four different scents: alcohol, marijuana, menthol and garlic. These substances all appear to evoke similar olfactory responses in dogs.

    As laser light was reflected from the three brain areas, the camera detected interference as a distinct “speckle” pattern. The camera made recordings for five seconds, repeated four times for each scent.

    AI analysed differences in the speckle patterns from the different brain regions to create models of how the brain regions of the dogs responded to each scent.

    It’s not just sniffing

    The study results highlighted the importance of the amygdala for canine scent discrimination. This suggests that there could be an emotional component to how dogs sense their environment. Taste and odour detection are also known to be linked to memory formation and emotional state in humans.

    Because dogs appear to experience emotional responses to scents, training methods and experiences might need to take this into consideration. For example, dogs often link the characteristic aroma of the veterinary surgery with less-than-fun situations.

    Dogs in training for scent detection would also probably benefit from being in a positive emotional state when they are exposed to training odours.

    This research could even pave the way to developing specialised equipment for detecting and translating the olfactory responses of dogs. Mobile equipment that works rapidly could allow us to interpret what dogs’ noses are telling them in real time.

    This isn’t as far-fetched as it may sound. If you’ve seen the Disney movie Up, you probably remember Dug the dog who wore a bark translation collar. Well, scientists have developed a real collar that claims to tell you what your dog’s vocalisations mean.

    It’s difficult to say how accurate it is without analysing the data the collar’s AI was trained on, but the database is growing as more dogs use the collars. If the collars do prove accurate, it might not be too long before wearable technology can tell us exactly what our dogs are saying and smelling.

    Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership and as advisor to the Health Advisory Group. Jacqueline is a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #01583) and she also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis, in addition to her academic affiliation at Nottingham Trent University.

    – ref. Dogs see their world through smell – and scientists are starting to translate it like never before – https://theconversation.com/dogs-see-their-world-through-smell-and-scientists-are-starting-to-translate-it-like-never-before-252659

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch’s Bipartisan Bill to Help Dairy Farmers and Students Considered by the Agriculture Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Welch urged Republicans to support USDA’s school nutrition and dairy support programs.
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—In an Agriculture Committee hearing today focused on U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.)’s Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, Sen. Welch celebrated Vermont’s dairy farmers and students and called for passage of this bipartisan, bicameral bill. Senator Welch also urged his colleagues to support school nutrition programs, including those championed by former Senator Leahy, which benefit students and local farmers. 
    “Kids are hungry and it’s through no fault of their own…It is really reassuring to me that we’re taking up this bill about whole milk. It’s about whole milk. It’s about our farmers. It’s about an acknowledgment that school is a place where kids get the opportunity to get some decent nutrition. It doesn’t matter what our politics are—we all care about our kids, right? …Whole food tends to be more locally produced. The virtuous cycle that happens when you are getting local products, milk from Vermont dairy (or Kansas dairy, or West Virginia) or vegetables grown locally, that is healthy food, but it’s also locally produced and strengthens the rural economy. All of us, in every one of our states, is really suffering from incredible pressures on the rural economy that is making life very difficult there,” said Senator Peter Welch.  
    “I hope that as we pursue this—this whole milk opportunity for our kids and for our farmers—that it is the beginning of the real commitment to nutritious, locally produced, natural foods as being a much bigger part of what our diet is,” continued Welch. 
    Watch the hearing here:  
    Senator Welch also questioned witness Dan Gorman, Food Service Director of Montague Area Public and North Muskegon Public Schools, about the importance of food programs created by Senator Welch’s predecessor, former Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee Patrick Leahy, which have lost funding as a consequence of President Trump’s freeze on federal grants and loans: 
    Senator Welch: “Mr. Gorman, my predecessor in the United States Senate from Vermont is that man who’s staring at us right from his picture up there: former Chairman of the Agriculture Committee Patrick Leahy. And we in Vermont are very proud of all he did. One of his many accomplishments was the Patrick Leahy farm-to-school [program]…That was terminated for the rest of this fiscal year and my understanding understand is it will be reinstated next year.  Can you just comment on the benefit of Senators Leahy’s legacy program that was supported with a strong bipartisan majority in the United States Senate?”
    Mr. Gorman: “Thank you for that question. It really is. We were a recipient of the grant probably 5 or 6 years ago, and we had applied again this coming year and got that notice that it was cancelled. So, it was really crushing to us. It is a jumpstart to local food movements. I think about over our past 10-15 years, it started us building towards figuring out the local infrastructure and getting more local food and starting school gardens. Over the past five years we’ve gotten private and public grants in our county—over $2 million to move on this issue, to get kids so they understand what local food is, to make those connections. We’re starting a food processing plant in Muskegon County with the goal of getting local Michigan potatoes diced and frozen so we can get them on every plate in Muskegon County and beyond. All of that started with that farm-to-school grant that we got 10 years ago as a cooperative to start putting those pieces together.”  
    The bipartisan, bicameral Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, led by Senator Roger Marshall, MD (R-Kan.), would support America’s students and dairy farmers by allowing schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to offer students whole milk, in addition to reduced-fat, low-fat, fat-free, and lactose-free milk.  
    Senator Welch recently joined Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and 15 of his Democratic colleagues in introducing the Honor Farmer Contracts Act, legislation to release illegally withheld funding for all contracts and agreements previously entered into by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This bill would require the USDA to pay farmers all past-due payments as quickly as possible to prevent them from having to shut down their operations.  Last week, Senator Welch and 30 Senators called on Secretary Rollins urging USDA to support local food for schools and local food system grant programs. 
    As Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, Senator Welch has led bipartisan efforts to support Vermont’s dairy farmers and strengthen the state’s dairy industry. Senator Welch introduced several bills in the 118th Congress to support Vermont’s dairy, organic, and specialty crop farmers; strengthen rural development and infrastructure; increase energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption; improve access to nutrition; strengthen our local food systems and expand markets; and make our communities more resilient to flooding. These bills were included in Senate Democrats’ draft Farm Bill, the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cancer patients from migrant backgrounds have a 1 in 3 chance of something going wrong in their care

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ashfaq Chauhan, Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University

    SeventyFour/Shutterstock

    More than 7 million people in Australia were born overseas. Some 5.8 million people report speaking a language other than English at home.

    But how well are we looking after culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians?

    In countries around the world, evidence suggests people from CALD backgrounds are at increased risk of harm as a result of the health care they receive when compared to the general population. Common problems include a higher risk of contracting a hospital-acquired infection or medication errors.

    People receiving cancer care are at particularly high risk of harm associated with their health care.

    In a recent study, we found CALD cancer patients in Australia had roughly a one-in-three risk of something going wrong during their cancer care. This is unacceptably high.

    We reviewed medical records

    We worked with four cancer services (two in New South Wales and two in Victoria) that provide care to high proportions of people from CALD backgrounds. These four cancer services offer a combination of care to patients in hospitals, clinics and in their homes.

    We analysed de-identified medical records of people from CALD backgrounds who received care at any of the four cancer services during 2018. To identify CALD patients, we used information from their medical records including “country of birth”, “preferred language”, “language spoken at home” and “interpreter required”.

    We reviewed a total of 628 medical records of CALD cancer patients. We found roughly one in three medical records (212 out of 628) had at least one patient safety event recorded. We defined a patient safety event as any event that could have or did result in harm to the patient as a result of the health care they receive. We also found 44 patient records had three or more safety events recorded over a 12-month period.

    Medication-related safety events were common, such as the wrong medication type or dose being given to a patient. Sometimes the patients themselves took the wrong type or dose of a medication or stopped medication all together. We also observed a variety of other patient safety events such as falls, pressure ulcers and infections after surgery.

    The number of incidents could even be higher than what we observed. We know from other research that not all patient safety events are documented.

    Our research looked at patient safety incidents among CALD patients at four Australian cancer services in 2018.
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    We didn’t have a control group, which is the main limitation of our study. In other words, we didn’t examine medical records of patients from non-CALD backgrounds to compare how common patient safety events were between groups.

    But looking at other data suggests the rate of incidents is much higher in CALD patients.

    Studies over many years indicate around one in ten patients admitted to hospital experience a safety event.

    One study from Norway found cancer patients have a 39% greater risk of experiencing adverse events in hospital when compared to other patients (24.2% compared to 17.4%).

    Why is the risk of incidents so high for CALD patients?

    We identified miscommunication as a key factor that put cancer patients from CALD backgrounds at risk.

    For example, we observed from one patient’s notes that the patient didn’t take their medication because they were confused by the instructions given by different clinicians. This confusion might have stemmed from language barriers or health literacy issues.

    In some medical records, we also saw interpreter requirements were unmet. For example, at the time of admission, assessment for language needs noted an interpreter was not required. However, later notes mentioned the patient had poor English or needed an interpreter.

    Also, with the limited availability of interpreters, they’re often reserved for specialist appointments, and not used for “routine” tasks, such as during chemotherapy treatment. This may result in side effects from cancer medications not being properly identified and responded to, potentially leading to patient harm.

    Risks may increase if a patient needs an interpreter but doesn’t have one.
    THICHA SATAPITANON/Shutterstock

    What can we do to improve things?

    To make care safer, patients, their families and the clinicians who care for them should come together so that any solutions developed are practical, relevant, and informed by their combined experiences.

    As an example, we developed a tool with consumers from CALD backgrounds and their clinicians that seeks to ensure that when patient medications are changed, there is common understanding between the clinician and the patient of their medication and care instructions. This includes recognising the side effects of the medications and who to contact if they have concerns.

    This tool uses images and simple language to support common understanding of medication and care instructions. It takes into account specific cultural expectations and is available in different languages. It’s currently being evaluated in two cancer clinics.

    To make cancer care safer for patients from CALD backgrounds, health systems and services will need to support and invest in strategies that are specifically targeted towards people from these backgrounds. This will ensure more equitable health solutions that improve the health of all Australians.

    Ashfaq Chauhan’s PhD was funded by Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship and Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. He receives funding from Medical Research Future Fund.

    Melvin Chin has received funding from South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Cancer Institute NSW, Cancer Australia, National Health and Medical Research Council, AstraZeneca, and Avant Foundation.

    Reema Harrison receives funding from Cancer Institute NSW, Medical Research Futures Fund, NHMRC and ARC.

    Meron Pitcher 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. Cancer patients from migrant backgrounds have a 1 in 3 chance of something going wrong in their care – https://theconversation.com/cancer-patients-from-migrant-backgrounds-have-a-1-in-3-chance-of-something-going-wrong-in-their-care-250931

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Supporting Survivors and Holding Abusers Accountable

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today recognized April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in New York, issuing a statewide proclamation. This comes as the Governor made combatting sexual violence a top priority in her FY26 Budget, pushing to double funding for rape crisis programs and proposing a mandate that all hospitals provide access to trained sexual assault forensic medical examiners for victims and survivors. The Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) is also launching new initiatives to raise awareness about technology facilitated abuse and assault. This builds on Governor Hochul’s ongoing efforts to protect kids online and increase online safety for all New Yorkers, including through her Budget proposals to outlaw AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material and require AI Companion companies to implement safety features to protect against self-harm.

    “Sexual violence is an issue that affects countless individuals and families across the State, and my Administration is dedicated to strengthening resources for survivors and expanding protections to keep New Yorkers safe,” Governor Hochul said. “By recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting survivors, holding perpetrators accountable, and preventing future harm, while ensuring that every New Yorker has access to the care and justice they deserve.”

    In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, state landmarks will be illuminated in teal tonight, Tuesday, April 1, and again on Wednesday, April 30, for NYS Denim Day. The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) also announced several new initiatives to help raise awareness, including the launch of an online Spot the Deepfake quiz, the launch of New York’s “Power DownSpeak Up” campaign, and the New York State Denim Day Exhibit to be held at the Empire State Plaza Concourse. Additionally, OPDV announced weekly “Sexual Violence 101” awareness trainings, which are open to the public.

    OPDV Executive Director Kelli Nichols Owens said, “Many cases of sexual, domestic, and other gender-based violence, now involve some form of technology facilitated abuse or attacks. Over the last two years we have been working to engage New Yorkers in the conversations around these personal safety issues and remain committed to supporting victims and survivors in survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive ways. We thank you, Governor Hochul, for your dedication to improving the lives of those affected by sexual assault, be it through education, direct services and support, prevention, or response.”

    OPDV’s Spot the Deepfake quiz is an online quiz designed to educate New Yorkers on how to spot AI-generated fake images. OPDV’s Spot the Deepfake quiz allows participants to examine pictures to determine if they are real or deepfake images. Individuals who take this quiz will receive a score at the end, as well as important information on how to differentiate AI-generated images from real ones.

    In March, OPDV launched the Statewide “Power Down, Speak Up” campaign, working to raise awareness and help protect New Yorkers from technology facilitated abuse, including sextortion, deepfakes, unauthorized location tracking, and online harassment. Join OPDV in powering down technology threats and speaking up for yourself by sharing Power Down, Speak Up posts on your social media.

    Finally, as part of an international movement to raise awareness about sexual assault, the New York State Denim Day Exhibit will be held April 28-April 30 at the Empire State Plaza Concourse. This exhibit is hosted by OPDV, in partnership with the NYS Office of General Services. The Denim Day movement started more than 25 years ago, after the Italian Supreme Court ruled that because a victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the person who raped her remove them, implying consent. Following the ruling, women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans to work in solidarity with the victim.

    Protecting People Online
    As part of her ongoing leadership and commitment to protecting people and especially children online, this year Governor Hochul proposed updating the penal law to treat AI-generated child sexual abuse material as child pornography. Existing laws address traditional child pornography, but the emergence of easily accessible “undressing” apps and the misuse of generative AI highlight the need to strengthen and modernize these laws. Governor Hochul has also proposed legislation to require AI companionship companies to implement safety features to protect against self-harm and to remind users they are interacting with machines rather than humans. These steps aim to reduce risks and ensure safer interactions with AI companions, which are part of a rapidly developing and largely unregulated market where chatbots are designed to simulate human connection, remember personal details, and adapt their personality to user preferences to establish long-term relationships.

    Ensuring Child Victims of Crime Are Maximally Supported
    A child becoming the victim of a crime is every parent’s worst nightmare, especially when the crime is violent in nature. When that does happen, families must walk the difficult line of supporting the pursuit of justice while also protecting their young loved one from having to re-experience and relive the crime and trauma. Child Advocacy Centers provide a child-friendly, safe, supportive environment for child victims of abuse or neglect and crime. Children and their loved ones have access to victim advocacy, mental health support and specialized medical exams from a multi-disciplinary team of professionals. This year, Governor Hochul will double funding to the Child Advocacy Centers to ensure that as children receive services and support, they have one single advocate who works with them and their family through the entire process. This will ensure young victims of crime and their families are prepared and supported by the same trusted adult at every step in the process.

    State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Sadly, too many individuals are coping with trauma because they have experienced sexual, domestic, and other gender-based violence. We must continue to have open and honest conversations and provide survivors with support and resources with empathy and compassion. I thank Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to giving survivors of domestic and sexual violence access to resources of healing and informing New Yorkers through education, prevention strategies, and response.”

    Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden said, “In the United States, a sexual assault occurs, on average, every 68 seconds. The implications of this type of violence are felt physically, psychologically, emotionally, developmentally and financially, and underscore the substantial need to implement efficacious and assessable supports and safeguards. OCFS is proud to join Governor Hochul and the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence in reinforcing New York State’s commitment to combatting sexual violence. OCFS is committed to prevention and support to survivors, through services at Child Advocacy Centers, which offer resources to children who have experienced assault; the Safe Harbour New York program and the EMPOWER program for youth who have been sexually trafficked; and working closely with local rape crisis programs, where appropriate, to support adults experiencing domestic violence. We will continue to message that survivors of sexual violence are never at fault and that New York State government will lend its resources to assisting survivors in their healing journey.”

    Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “We are grateful to Governor Hochul for making combatting sexual violence a top priority in her FY2026 Executive Budget and to all of our state and local partners for helping to raise awareness about sexual assault and honor survivors for their resiliency and strength. We are also grateful to OPDV for their dedication to supporting victims and survivors and for raising awareness about sexual assault through education and ongoing trainings.”

    Office of Victim Services Director Bea Hanson said, “Sexual assault survivors deserve to have all of the resources and support they need to help them heal. OVS is proud of the work we have done to improve tracking of forensic exam kits, covering medical costs and counseling for survivors, and raising funding caps and eliminating red tape for reimbursements of costs incurred as a result of crime. We thank Governor Hochul, who has consistently shown leadership and support for survivors, as well as OPDV, which provides critical resources and support.”

    New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “Survivors deserve support and compassion when they seek help from law enforcement. DCJS funds and supports police agencies, district attorneys’ offices, and service providers that engage with victims and survivors throughout the state, and work to ensure their rights should they wish to involve the justice system. We are proud to stand with Governor Hochul and our state and local partners to shine a light on sexual assault and provide the resources that survivors need to recover and heal.”

    Division of Criminal Justice Services
    New York State’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline provides free, confidential support 24/7 and is available in most languages: 800-942-6906 (call), 844-997-2121 (text) or @ opdv.ny.gov (chat).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: Sanders to Host Youth Choral Concert and Town Meeting on the Arts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    BURLINGTON, Vt., April 1 – Sen. Bernie Sanders will host a youth choral concert and town meeting on the importance of arts education on Saturday evening at the Casella Theater in Castleton. The concert will feature performances from seven Vermont elementary, middle, high school, and college choirs.
    Last year marked the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that Vermont students participated in this once-annual event. More than 180 Vermont students joined Senator Sanders at the Dibden Center for the Arts for a town meeting and performed songs that ranged from traditional to spiritual to pop.
    “I’m so glad we were able to bring our youth choral concert back last year. It was a great night full of fantastic music. I am thrilled that we are once again hosting a concert – this year at the Casella Theater. I have no doubt this will again become an event held every spring. I look forward to hearing some beautiful choral music and speaking to the many talented young performers,” said Sanders.
    The following Vermont schools will be performing: Lothrop Elementary School, Shelburne Community School, Hartland Elementary School, Colchester Middle School, Arlington Memorial Middle High School, Thetford Academy and the VTSU Castleton Chamber Singers.
    The concert will be conducted by Dr. Sherrill Blodget, Director of Choral Activities and Music Professor at Vermont State University Castleton.
    Details:
    What: Choral Concert and Town Meeting on the Arts with Sen. Bernie Sanders
    When: Saturday, April 5, 6:00 p.m. Concert starts at 6:00 p.m.; Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
    Where: Casella Theater, Vermont State University, 45 Alumni Dr, Castleton, VT
    General Public RSVP: Please RSVP online here. RSVPs are highly encouraged, but not required to attend the event. Seating will be on a first-come-first served basis.
    Media RSVP: Media members interested in attending must RSVP by contacting press@sanders.senate.gov.
    Note: All attendees are expected to follow Vermont Department of Health guidance, monitor symptoms, and are encouraged to take a rapid COVID-19 test prior to the event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Woman Convicted of Embezzling from Car Dealership

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that SEHRELINA TARDO (“TARDO”), age 36, from Tallahassee, Florida, pled guilty on March 26, 2025 to wire fraud, in connection with an embezzlement scheme.

    According to court documents, from November of 2018 through May of 2023, TARDO was a senior accountant at a car dealership in New Orleans, where she embezzled customer cash down payments and deposits, taking the funds for herself.  TARDO hid her theft by creating fake journal entries of customer transactions on her employer’s books and records.  Under the terms of the plea agreement, TARDO agreed to pay restitution of $535,750.77 to her former employer.

    The Honorable Jane Triche Milazzo set sentencing for June 25, 2025.

    At sentencing, TARDO faces up to twenty years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator and member of the Financial Crimes Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin explained how the new standard of emergency medical care works

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Moscow was the first in the country to develop and implement a new standard of emergency medical care. In the future, the capital will continue to improve the quality of emergency care and city hospitals. This in his telegram channel Sergei Sobyanin reported.

    “A great need for emergency medical care is a daily reality in the largest megacities. Moscow ambulance crews make about four million trips a year,” the Moscow Mayor noted.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @Mos_Sobyanin

    Every day, over a thousand ambulance crews are on duty in Moscow. Over a million emergency patients are admitted to the capital’s hospitals every year – this is 60 percent of all hospitalizations.

    The main elements of the new standard of emergency medical care are:

    — unified medical algorithms for each health worker for most cases of emergency care, a unified sequence of diagnostic procedures and manipulations;

    — professionalism in teamwork: high demands on the competencies of employees and a multidisciplinary approach to providing specialized assistance;

    — advanced digital solutions: digital integration with emergency services and city medical organizations, medical documents in electronic form in the unified medical information and analytical system (EMIAS) with round-the-clock access for doctors. Use of the digital triage system, thanks to which patients are distributed into streams depending on the priority of assistance (red, yellow and green);

    — a single standard of organization — new technological and logistical solutions: planning of admission departments and location of relevant services in such a way as to minimize the time from the patient’s admission to the start of providing assistance; organization of work on the principle of “doctor to patient”;

    — a unified standard for equipment.

    The focus is on the person. All processes — both technological and personnel — are built around the patient, medical personnel are focused on fighting for his health, and non-medical functions are performed by employees of public service centers and social coordinators. The new reception departments and flagship centers provide a single standard of customer service: comfortable waiting areas, cloakrooms, open-type counters, water coolers, examination rooms with curtains, lockers for personal belongings and personal hygiene items are equipped.

    “Thanks to the creation of new

    flagship centers and the transformation of existing admissions departments according to the new standard, all adult multidisciplinary hospitals in Moscow are currently operating,” added Sergei Sobyanin.

    Flagship centers have been opened at the V.V. Veresaev City Clinical Hospital, the N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Care, the O.M. Filatov City Clinical Hospital, the S.P. Botkin Moscow Multidisciplinary Scientific and Clinical Center, the N.I. Pirogov City Clinical Hospital, and the V.M. Buyanov City Clinical Hospital (the main work is being completed here).

    The medical institutions where the flagship centers are located were chosen to minimize travel time for emergency patients from any area. All of them provide assistance around the clock and every day. Almost all hospitals where flagship centers have been created have or will have helicopter pads to receive medical air transport in the near future.

    More than 10,000 units of the latest medical equipment were installed in the flagship centers, including expert-class CT, MRI and ultrasound machines, angiographs, hybrid systems for operating rooms, navigation systems, endoscopic and laboratory equipment, equipment for the resuscitation and intensive care department. In addition, about 60 operating rooms were deployed, including high-tech hybrid ones that have no analogues in Russia, for performing complex surgical, neurosurgical, vascular, traumatological and cardiac surgery. The capabilities for performing such operations have increased several times.

    Mobile medical equipment, including expert class equipment, for diagnostic rooms (for example, ultrasound and ECG machines), basic heavy medical equipment (including X-ray and CT machines), as well as red zone anti-shock rooms have appeared in the emergency departments of city hospitals.

    Since time is of the utmost importance when providing emergency care and delay can cost the patient his life, the Moscow ambulance service was digitalized and integrated with EMIAS, which significantly simplified the work of hospital doctors. As a result, the time from the patient’s admission to the initial examination by a specialist today does not exceed 20 minutes, and in emergency cases, only a few seconds pass between the patient’s admission and the provision of emergency resuscitation or surgical care. Thanks to the digital circuit, hospital doctors can see all the data about the patient and the medications prescribed to him in the system.

    Since the beginning of 2025, flagship centers and renovated emergency departments of Moscow hospitals have provided emergency care to more than 230 thousand people. Most patients were admitted in such areas as surgery (acute pancreatitis, appendicitis), neurosurgery (traumatic brain injury), traumatology (fractures) and urology (renal colic).

    Stages of emergency medical care

    Anyone can call 103 for emergency medical care. The response time to a call is three to four seconds. More than 60 specialists are on duty around the clock in the single city dispatch center, who not only take calls, but can also provide consulting assistance to the patient and determine whether he really needs a team or whether he needs to go to a medical institution on his own. The survey system with elements of artificial intelligence allows you to quickly determine a person’s condition and, if hospitalization is necessary, select the nearest specialized hospital in the shortest possible time.

    The provision of emergency medical care begins from the moment the team is dispatched to the call. At this stage, thanks to the connection of the ambulance team’s tablet to the EMIAS, doctors can already familiarize themselves with the patient’s data and plan the necessary actions in advance.

    Upon arrival at the scene, doctors examine the person, make a preliminary diagnosis and provide emergency care. If hospital care is required, the patient is taken to the nearest specialized medical facility, where he or she is provided hospital emergency care.

    Thanks to the new standard and digital technologies, these stages are now inextricably linked. After examination and emergency care, doctors enter the necessary patient data into the EMIAS via a tablet. In the case of hospitalization, the hospital medical staff, waiting for the team to arrive, sees all the information about the patient, including the examination results and preliminary diagnosis, and, if necessary, prepare the operating room and diagnostic equipment, and gather specialized specialists.

    When patients are admitted to the hospital admission department, they are sorted by priority of medical care using the “triage” system. Those who are assigned to the yellow and green streams are sent to diagnostic rooms, where all necessary tests are carried out to establish a diagnosis and determine the treatment tactics. Work in diagnostic rooms is built on the principle of “doctor to patient”. That is, most tests, primarily without the use of heavy equipment, are performed at the patient’s bedside.

    Red Stream patients who require emergency resuscitation or surgical care are immediately sent to the operating room or anti-shock room. Due to the fact that the resuscitation room and the angiographic operating room are located in close proximity to the ambulance entry vestibule, only a few seconds pass between the patient’s arrival and the provision of medical care.

    Flagship centers and all admission departments operate on the basis of large multidisciplinary hospitals, thanks to which, if necessary, the attending physician can involve surgeons, traumatologists and orthopedists, a gastroenterologist, cardiologist, neurologist, ENT doctor, urologist, gynecologist and other specialists.

    Overall, thanks to the introduction of the new standard, over several years the average speed of emergency care has increased by one and a half times, with 70 percent of patients receiving a full examination and diagnosis within two hours of admission.

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12565055/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Head contractor appointed for southside hydrotherapy facility

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Construction is expected to be completed by May 2025.

    The new hydrotherapy pool in Canberra’s south is another step closer with Monarch Building Solutions appointed to lead its construction.

    The first sod has now been turned on the site following the recent development approval for the project.

    The construction phase is the next step and comes after extensive consultation and engagement with stakeholders to inform the design of the facility.

    Construction is expected to be completed by May 2025.

    “Monarch Building Solutions is honoured to play a role in enhancing healthcare infrastructure in Canberra,” Director of Monarch Building Solutions Marco Galeotti said.

    “Our team is excited and ready to dive straight into the construction of the new southside hydrotherapy pool and understand the importance of this facility to the local community.”

    Hydrotherapy offers a vital service for a wide range of Canberrans.

    It provides people with mobility issues access to an important form of recreation. It also supports people to better manage chronic pain caused by illnesses such as cancer, migraine, osteoarthritis and arthritis, and it offers the opportunity to help people recover from injury or surgery.

    The southside pool will complement the hydrotherapy pool opened at the University of Canberra Hospital in 2020.

    “Arthritis ACT welcomes the commencement of the building of this essential infrastructure. For people living with chronic pain conditions which includes all types of Arthritis, hydrotherapy is essential both to providing ongoing pain relief as well as a wonderful place to exercise, especially for those that get a lot of pain when exercising,” CEO of Arthritis ACT Rebecca Davey said.

    Find more information on the new pool on the Built for CBR website.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H., Sworn in as FDA Commissioner

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    For Immediate Release:
    April 01, 2025

    Renowned surgeon-scientist and health policy expert, Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H., took the oath of office to become the 27th Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Dr. Makary was confirmed by a bipartisan vote of the U.S. Senate.
    “I am pleased to welcome Dr. Makary to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “He is a national leader in medicine with impeccable credentials. His extensive research, clinical experience, and national leadership make him uniquely qualified to lead the FDA as we work together to Make America Healthy Again.”
    Dr. Makary’s accomplishments as a researcher, clinician and prolific author are numerous. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in medical literature and founded the Johns Hopkins Center for Surgical Trials and Outcomes Research. Dr. Makary has led cross-disciplinary research on a range of subjects including cancer care, obesity, frailty and psychologic reserve in older patients, adverse event monitoring, the Orphan Drug Act, antimicrobial resistance, and Alzheimer’s. Of note, he is the co-developer of the Surgery Checklist used in many operating rooms around the world today. A member of the prestigious National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Makary has been a visiting professor at more than 25 medical schools across the U.S. and internationally.
    “I am honored and humbled to assume this role at the FDA under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy,” said FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “I look forward to working with this Administration and the FDA workforce to advance our shared goals in meeting the agency’s public health mission. As Commissioner, I hope to ensure that the FDA holds to the gold standard of trusted science, transparency, and common sense so that we can Make America Healthy Again.”
    Dr. Makary is a graduate of Bucknell University, Thomas Jefferson University, and the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his residency at Georgetown University and surgical oncology fellowship at Johns Hopkins. After six years on the faculty at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Makary was named an endowed chair in gastrointestinal surgery and subsequently promoted to full professor with tenure. He has held joint appointments at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
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    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RIDOH Statement on Lawsuit Against Federal HHS

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Rhode Island was among a group of states that filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island today against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the premature termination of grants that support critical public health services.

    “Investments in public health make our communities healthier and safer, and they save lives,” said Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. “These grants support critical work to prevent deadly infectious diseases, ensure people are vaccinated, prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness, modernize many of our core laboratory functions, Medical Examiner’s Office, and public health data systems, amongst other work. These are public health services that Rhode Islanders paid for and deserve. I want to thank the legal team and program staff at RIDOH and the Attorney General’s Office for all the work that went into today’s filing.”

    Today’s filing was co-led by Attorney General Peter F. Neronha and attorneys general from other states. In coordination with the Office of Governor Dan McKee and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) provided detailed affidavits for the filing, outlining the impact of these terminations. With this lawsuit, Attorney General Neronha and the coalition are seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the terminations of these grants.

    Last week RIDOH, received notice of the termination of four grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that represented roughly $31 million in public health funding. These grants originally came to RIDOH during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as they were renewed over time, their scopes were expanded by CDC to prepare Rhode Island for future pandemics and strengthen the public health system in Rhode Island. For example, these grants support:

    –Surveillance, outbreak response, engagement in care, and other infectious disease prevention and control activities. This decreases rates of infectious diseases in Rhode Island, including respiratory pathogens, foodborne illnesses, HIV, hepatitis C, congenital syphilis, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and tuberculosis. It also helps prevent disease clusters and outbreaks. –Occupational health, biosafety risk activities, biosafety training, and other functions. This funding also supports some core laboratory functions and administration as well as the replacement of obsolete laboratory equipment and systems (for example, a modernized Laboratory Information Management System). –The public health infrastructure that surrounds vaccination in Rhode Island. This includes vaccination clinics, partnerships with community organizations to promote vaccination and increase vaccine confidence, proper vaccine storage, and upgrading our immunization registry. This work and these systems help Rhode Island maintain some of the highest vaccination rates in the country across all vaccine-preventable diseases (e.g., measles and other childhood vaccines, and seasonal vaccinations).

    RIDOH will continue to coordinate with the Office of the Rhode Island Attorney General, the Governor’s Office, and EOHHS as this suit moves forward.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WA co-leads multistate suit against HHS, Sec. Kennedy to overturn cuts to public health grants

    Source: Washington State News

    OLYMPIA — Attorney General Nick Brown today joined a coalition of 24 states in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for abruptly and illegally terminating $11 billion in critical public health grants to the states.

    The grant terminations, which came with no warning or legally valid explanation, have quickly caused chaos for state health agencies that rely on these critical funds for a wide range of urgent public health needs such as infectious disease management, fortifying emergency preparedness, providing mental health and substance abuse services, and modernizing public health infrastructure.

    “We can’t make America healthy by spreading preventable diseases,” Brown said. “Aside from the illegality of these actions, the administration is also choosing to neglect the biggest public health challenges, including substance abuse and mental health crises, facing our communities.”

    Washington stands to lose more than $159 million from these cancellations by HHS. If the funding is not restored, important state public health programs and initiatives will have to be dissolved or disbanded. Washington’s Department of Health has already had to cancel its Care-A-Van mobile health clinics that provide health care, including vaccinations and health education, to historically underserved communities. The program prioritizes rural areas, BIPOC communities, immigrants and refugees, unhoused populations, children and schools, and other vulnerable populations.

    These federal awards terminations also threaten Washington’s Health Care Authority’s network of regional Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organizations, which provide behavioral health services to low-income non-Medicaid individuals with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders, populations disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The HHS cuts threaten the urgent public health needs of states around the country at a time when emerging disease threats—such as measles and bird flu—are on the rise, Brown warned.

    Congress authorized and appropriated new and increased funding for these grants in COVID-19-related legislation to support critical public health needs. Many of these grants are from specific programs created by Congress, such as block grants to states for mental health and substance abuse and addiction services. Yet, with no legal authority or explanation, Secretary Kennedy’s HHS agencies on March 24 arbitrarily terminated these grants “for cause” effective immediately, claiming that the pandemic is over and the grants are no longer necessary.

    In their lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, the coalition of states assert that the mass terminations violate federal law because the end of the pandemic is not a “for cause” basis for ending the grants, especially since none of the appropriated funds are tied to the end of the pandemic. HHS’ position, up until a few days ago, was that the end of the pandemic did not affect the availability of these grant funds. HHS has not pointed to any failure on the part of the states in complying with their agreements with HHS that would warrant the federal government’s unlawful terminations.

    With this lawsuit, the coalition is seeking a temporary restraining order to invalidate HHS’s and Secretary Kennedy’s mass grant terminations in the suing states, arguing that the actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act. The states are also asking the court to prevent HHS from maintaining or reinstating the terminations and any agency actions implementing them.

    Attorneys General Brown, Phil Weiser of Colorado, Peter Neronha of Rhode Island, Rob Bonta of California, and Keith Ellison of Minnesota are co-leading the litigation. They are joined by the Attorneys General of Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin, as well as the Governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

    The lawsuit can be found here.

    -30-

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    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is the risk of brain injury from contact sports being overstated by the media?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christian Yates, Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Biology, University of Bath

    PeopleImages/Shutterstock

    More and more people are worried about the long-term effects of contact sports on the brain. In football (soccer), studies have found that repeatedly heading the ball can lead to memory problems and an increased risk of serious brain diseases. This has led to rules limiting heading the ball in youth leagues and calls to protect professional players in similar ways.

    In American football, research shows a high number of former players have a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This has prompted the National Football League (NFL) to change some rules and introduce better safety equipment.

    Rugby, a sport known for its hard collisions, is also becoming more aware of head injuries. As a result, new rules require players to rest after a concussion – and there are stricter rules about preventing head contact during games.

    Some older players are taking legal action because of the brain injuries they suffered. Lawyers are representing over 500 former players from both rugby union and rugby league, claiming that repetitive head impacts during their careers caused long-lasting brain damage.

    The lawyers argue that the sports’ governing bodies failed to protect these former players from the effects of blows to the head.

    A recent BBC article said that “almost two-thirds of the claimants in a concussion lawsuit against rugby league authorities” had symptoms of CTE. Two-thirds is a lot, but is it really that surprising?

    It’s important to remember that the players in this lawsuit are a self-selecting sample. These people have been chosen for inclusion in the class action lawsuit precisely because they have evidence of brain damage. We should expect a high prevalence of conditions like CTE in this sample. So we must be careful not to infer something about all rugby players that is not supported by the data.

    However, perhaps the BBC article is not so troubling, since the condition for selection – that the players were part of the lawsuit – is clearly stated. More problematic are articles in which the conditions for the selection of the studied sample are not so clearly laid out.

    Another BBC article, published in 2023, summarised the results of studies investigating the prevalence of CTE in the brains of deceased rugby players. It reported that “68% of the brains had traces of the brain condition CTE”. This might suggest to readers that CTE is very common among all rugby players.

    In American football, the problem appears to be even more prevalent. In 2017, the BBC ran an article with the headline: Brain disease affects 99% of NFL players in study. The piece led with the sentence: “A study of American football players’ brains has found that 99% of professional NFL athletes tested had a disease associated with head injuries.”

    This sounds extremely alarming and might lead readers to surmise that nearly all professional NFL players will develop CTE. The study also surveyed the brains of college and high-school students, concluding: “Of the 202 total players, 87% were found to have traces of CTE,” giving the impression that most American football players at all levels might expect to develop CTE.

    Selection bias

    CTE research is difficult because the disease can only be diagnosed by examining samples of a patient’s brain tissue after their death. Consequently, for the NFL study, researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine, who conducted the research, drew their sample from the VA Boston Healthcare System’s “brain bank”.

    The bank, established to better understand the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma, holds hundreds of donated brains potentially damaged through sporting or military activities.

    And herein lies the problem. Many of the brains held in the bank were donated by families who suspected that their loved ones had CTE. The study hugely overrepresented players who were likely to have CTE in comparison to the general American football-playing population.

    To their credit, the scientists who conducted this research were at pains to point out their sample was not representative and should not be used to draw population-level conclusions.

    In particular, the conclusion that many sports fans reading the headlines will have come to – that a huge proportion of American football players will suffer from CTE – is not supported by the study. Somehow, that message got lost between the research article and the media’s reporting of it.

    The eye-catching statistics about the prevalence of CTE in rugby players, derived from a study at the University of Glasgow, are the result of a similar misrepresentation of the underlying research. In this case, the brains that were analysed came from three brain banks (from Scotland, the US and Australia).

    All of these repositories take donations of brains from people who were more likely to have suffered from neurological conditions, and so are unlikely to be representative of the underlying population of ruby players.

    The weight of evidence linking repetitive blows to the head to brain harm (particularly to CTE) is growing stronger. Studies comparing footballers to the general population show the increase in neurological conditions among football players is probably not a statistical fluke.

    However, if we seek to truly understand the risks of undertaking these contact sports, loved by billions, then we need to look beyond the startling headlines. Selection bias, caused by a disparity in the reasons why brains are donated for study, means it’s not enough just to sample from the brains we have available in order to establish an estimate of the prevalence of such diseases.

    Instead, we need to understand who is missing from the studied population, and use that information to infer how a potentially biased sample might cause the statistics we read in the headlines to be unrepresentative.

    Christian Yates 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. Is the risk of brain injury from contact sports being overstated by the media? – https://theconversation.com/is-the-risk-of-brain-injury-from-contact-sports-being-overstated-by-the-media-253378

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Dogs see their world through smell – and scientists are starting to translate it like never before

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University

    Lorenzooooo/Shutterstock

    Scent is how dogs largely experience the world, a lot like the way we humans rely on sight. We know little about how dogs interpret scent, but thanks to a recent study, we may be getting closer to understanding what a dog’s nose actually knows.

    Dogs are primed to detect smells. The average dog’s nose has more than 10 million scent receptors in their nose, compared to humans, who only have about 6 million.

    This makes the canine nose more than 10, 000 times better at detecting scents than we are. They can detect minute quantities of scent. For example, forensic detection dogs can detect 0.01 microlitres of gasolene. A microlitre is one millionth of a litre.

    Humans have exploited dogs’ olfactory superpowers in a number of ways, which has no doubt contributed to the deep relationship we have developed with our canine companions over 40,000 years living together.

    Dogs still join us as hunting partners, sniffing out food. They work beside us as vital members of crime-fighting teams, finding illicit substances, as medical colleagues for disease detection, and as partners in conservation efforts, finding rare and endangered species.

    Despite the widespread involvement of dogs as natural scent detectors, we remain largely oblivious as to how dogs interpret what they smell and how they perceive the world in which they live.

    We don’t know much about dogs’ experience of smell – but we know they’re good at it.
    Sundays Photography/Shutterstock

    Exploring the brain activity of dogs when they are exposed to specific smells can help identify which of their brain regions are associated with scent detection. This helps scientists understand what the dog is experiencing, which might help us enhance the selection and training of sniffer dogs.

    Until now, scientists needed expensive equipment to study dogs’ brains and research methods that required dogs to stay still. This means we know less about the brains of active working dogs who might struggle to remain motionless for long periods.

    But we can’t simply apply the data from dogs who can cope with sitting still since dog breeds have differences in their training and scenting skills.

    Sensing scents

    The recent study I mentioned at the beginning of this article uses a new, cheap and non-invasive method to explore how the canine brain responds to scent. The researchers think that this method – known as AI speckle pattern analysis – will help us identify how dog brains react to scents and what it means for how dogs perceive and respond to the world around them in future research too.

    The researchers developed an optical sensor to target three brain areas involved in canine scent discrimination: the amygdala, olfactory bulb and hippocampus. The amygdala is responsible for emotional responses to stimuli.

    The olfactory bulb is involved with odour processing and the hippocampus is associated with memory formation.

    The equipment used in the study consisted of a high resolution digital camera linked to a computer, plus a green laser. Laser light, capable of penetrating dog fur and skull bone, was shone on the heads of four relaxed, blindfolded study dogs who were exposed to four different scents: alcohol, marijuana, menthol and garlic. These substances all appear to evoke similar olfactory responses in dogs.

    As laser light was reflected from the three brain areas, the camera detected interference as a distinct “speckle” pattern. The camera made recordings for five seconds, repeated four times for each scent.

    AI analysed differences in the speckle patterns from the different brain regions to create models of how the brain regions of the dogs responded to each scent.

    It’s not just sniffing

    The study results highlighted the importance of the amygdala for canine scent discrimination. This suggests that there could be an emotional component to how dogs sense their environment. Taste and odour detection are also known to be linked to memory formation and emotional state in humans.

    Because dogs appear to experience emotional responses to scents, training methods and experiences might need to take this into consideration. For example, dogs often link the characteristic aroma of the veterinary surgery with less-than-fun situations.

    Dogs in training for scent detection would also probably benefit from being in a positive emotional state when they are exposed to training odours.

    This research could even pave the way to developing specialised equipment for detecting and translating the olfactory responses of dogs. Mobile equipment that works rapidly could allow us to interpret what dogs’ noses are telling them in real time.

    This isn’t as far-fetched as it may sound. If you’ve seen the Disney movie Up, you probably remember Dug the dog who wore a bark translation collar. Well, scientists have developed a real collar that claims to tell you what your dog’s vocalisations mean.

    It’s difficult to say how accurate it is without analysing the data the collar’s AI was trained on, but the database is growing as more dogs use the collars. If the collars do prove accurate, it might not be too long before wearable technology can tell us exactly what our dogs are saying and smelling.

    Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership and as advisor to the Health Advisory Group. Jacqueline is a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #01583) and she also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis, in addition to her academic affiliation at Nottingham Trent University.

    – ref. Dogs see their world through smell – and scientists are starting to translate it like never before – https://theconversation.com/dogs-see-their-world-through-smell-and-scientists-are-starting-to-translate-it-like-never-before-252659

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Under Musk’s Plan for Social Security, 67,000 Americans Will Die Waiting for Disability Benefits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, April 1 – Ahead of the Senate Finance Committee’s vote to advance Trump’s nominee to be Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Senate Finance Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy, today released new findings exposing the stark reality of Elon Musk’s plans to cut the SSA by up to 50 percent. These disastrous cuts are taking place at a time when Social Security’s staff is already at a 50-year low. 
    Under Musk’s policies, the number of people who will die waiting for benefits could more than double from nearly 30,000 in 2023 to up to 67,000. Average wait times for Social Security disability benefits will nearly double from an average of 236 days in February of 2025 to 412 days. 
    “President Trump and Elon Musk have suggested that ‘millions and millions’ of dead people receive Social Security checks. That is an outrageous lie designed to undermine Americans’ faith in Social Security,” said Sanders. “Here’s the truth: 30,000 people die a year waiting for an understaffed Social Security to approve disability benefits. The Trump-Musk plan to cut Social Security’s staff by up to 50 percent will make this tragic reality even worse, and Frank Bisignano is there to see it through. We cannot let that happen.” 
    In 2023, 5,252 full time employees were responsible for making disability determinations at SSA, a workforce which has steadily decreased from previous years. Even before DOGE started making cuts to SSA, the number of people who died waiting for a benefit decision grew from 10,000 to 30,000 from 2017 to 2023. Meanwhile, Americans have had to wait longer than ever to get their benefits. During that same time, the average wait time for a decision grew exponentially – from 111 days to 217 days. In February 2025, Americans had to wait an average of 236 days for a determination. 
    Instead of making the federal government work for the American people, the Trump administration and Elon Musk want to make SSA less efficient by cutting as much as 50 percent of its staff. Using SSA data and regarding initial decisions disability benefits for 2025, Musk’s reported plans to lay off Social Security employees will result in:
    Nearly 67,000 people dying and
    A 412 day wait.
    Sanders concluded: “Instead of slashing Social Security’s staff, closing down Social Security field offices, we should be making it easier, not harder, for seniors and people with disabilities to receive the Social Security benefits that they have earned and deserve.” 
    Read the full report here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Files Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Unlawful Termination of $11 Billion in Critical Public Health Funding

    Source: US State of California

    9th lawsuit against Trump Administration argues that abrupt termination of federal funds is unlawful 

    Funding was appropriated by Congress in response to COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that U.S. is better prepared for future public health threats 

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced co-leading a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. over the unlawful termination of $11 billion in critical public health funding. Beginning on March 24, 2025, HHS abruptly, with no advance notice or warning, issued termination notices to state and local public health agencies across the country, purporting to end federal funding for grants that provide essential support for a wide range of urgent public health needs, including identifying, tracking, and addressing infectious diseases; ensuring access to immunizations; and modernizing critical public health infrastructure. The federal funding was appropriated by Congress to ensure the United States is better prepared for future public health threats. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, the lawsuit by the attorneys general alleges that the termination notices are unlawful in several ways under the Administration Procedures Act (APA). The coalition is also seeking a temporary restraining order to maintain the status quo and immediately restore the public health funding due to the irreparable harm that their respective states and their local health jurisdictions would otherwise suffer. California stands to lose more than $972 million from these cancellations by HHS.

    “Over and over, I’ve made clear that my office will only take legal action against the Trump Administration when it breaks the law. Unfortunately, but predictably, that has happened once again,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Congress explicitly authorized funding for the grants at issue to help keep our country healthy and protect us from future pandemics. HHS and its Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., cannot unilaterally do away with that critical federal funding. My fellow attorneys general and I are committed to defending the rule of law. We know how high the stakes are in our respective states — thousands of jobs and key public health programs and initiatives could be eliminated.” 

    According to the Trump Administration, funding for the grants is “no longer necessary” because the grants were appropriated through one or more COVID-19 related laws, and the COVID-19 pandemic is over. In the lawsuit, the attorneys general allege: 

    • The termination notices violate the APA because they are contrary to law. The foreseeable end of the COVID-19 pandemic is not a lawful basis to terminate “for cause.” Terminations “for cause” are only permissible based on a grant recipient’s “material failure” to comply with the applicable terms and conditions of the grants and agreements. The Trump Administration has never alleged, much less demonstrated, any failure by the fund recipients to comply with the applicable terms and conditions of the grants and agreements. In addition, federal law requires the HHS Secretary to “provide to the State involved adequate notice and an opportunity for a hearing” prior to terminating Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants, which fund mental health and substance abuse services. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. provided absolutely no notice or opportunity for a hearing before terminating the grants, effective immediately.
    • The termination notices further violate the APA because they are arbitrary and capricious. Among other things, they assumed, with no legal or factual support, that all appropriations in COVID-19 related laws were only intended for use during the pandemic. In fact, HHS granted numerous extensions to the performance period of many grants issued to Plaintiff States and their local health jurisdictions, some of which were scheduled to end as late as June 2027. The termination notices are also arbitrary and capricious because they failed to undertake any individualized assessments of the grants or cooperative agreements, including any analysis of the benefits of this public health funding or the dire consequences of termination. 
    • The Trump Administration’s unlawful withholding of funds has already caused substantial confusion and will result in immediate and devastating harm to their states, their local health jurisdictions, their residents, and public health writ large.

    Without this essential public health funding, vital programs that serve millions of Californians, including children, rural communities, and nursing homes, will be jeopardized. For example, the federal government terminated over $800 million that the California Department of Public Health intended to use, in part, to vaccinate 4.5 million children statewide and assist hospitals in directing injured and ill patients to available health facilities during all types of emergencies, where efficient routing saves lives. The California Department of Health Care Services is set to lose over $119 million, which the state needs to support key programs, including substance use disorder prevention and early intervention services for youth in at least 18 counties. And the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will lose over $45 million that was slated, in part, to strengthen the County’s efforts to prevent the spread of measles, and seasonal and avian influenza. 

    Attorney General Bonta is co-leading the litigation with the attorneys general of Colorado, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Washington. They are joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin, as well as the Governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. 

    A copy of the complaint is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Meet the Galaxy Ring: A Personalised Health Care Device Encased in an Elegant Charging Case – Now Available in South Africa

    Source: Samsung

    The Galaxy Ring, is the smallest device in the Galaxy line-up to date. Despite its size, it’s packed with Samsung’s most advanced sensor technology and Galaxy AI capabilities, helping users keep tabs on their health by simply wearing it on their finger.
     
    Samsung Newsroom unboxed the Galaxy Ring, designed to enhance both style and convenience in everyday life.
     
    A Journey That Begins With Fine Packaging

     
    The Galaxy Ring’s innovative form factor is reflected in its thoughtfully crafted packaging. Constructed in a clamshell design, the packaging resembles a jewelry box, thereby accentuating the wearable’s unique form. Opening the box unveils a transparent charging case with LED lighting — evoking the feeling of revealing a precious gem.

     
    Consistent with the packaging, the charging case adopts a design similar to that of a jewelry box as well. Once opened, the charging case reveals the Galaxy Ring with its titanium frame and sleek curved body, subtly illuminated by LED lighting.
     
    The Galaxy Ring is available in three colours — Titanium Black, Titanium Silver and Titanium Gold — and comes in nine ring sizes from size 8 to 15. This range allows users to select the perfect combination of colour and fit, tailored to their personal style and size.
     
    ▲ The Galaxy Ring, alongside its packaging, charging case and a USB Type-C cable
     
    Sophisticated Design Offering Comfort All Week Long
    To provide continuous support and help users stay on track with their health, the Galaxy Ring is equipped with a powerful battery that lasts up to seven days on a single charge.1 The battery level and charging status can be easily monitored through the LED lighting in the charging case.

     

     
    The Galaxy Ring’s main appeal lies in its lightweight and comfortable fit. Weighing between 2.3 grams (size 5) and 3 grams (size 13),2 the device’s sleek, slim design creates an effortless wearing experience that is so comfortable users might forget they have anything on.
     
    ▲ The Galaxy Ring boasts a sleek, lightweight design.
     
    The Galaxy Ring is exceptionally durable, thanks to its concave design and Titanium Grade 5 finish that resists everyday scratches and wear.3 The device is also 10 ATM water resistant,4 allowing it to withstand pressures equivalent to a depth of 100 metres. This means the Galaxy Ring can continue to monitor users’ health while they wash their hands, take a shower or engage in strenuous activities without worrying about damaging the device.
     

     
    Advanced Sensors for Comprehensive Health Monitoring
    ▲ The Galaxy Ring features three state-of-the-art sensors.
     
    The Galaxy Ring’s ability to deliver a comprehensive range of health information, from sleep quality to daily activities, is rooted in its advanced built-in sensors. With a skin temperature sensor, heart rate monitor sensor and accelerometer, the Galaxy Ring’s trio of state-of-the-art sensors encircle the user’s finger — meticulously tracking data that is subsequently analysed by Galaxy AI to provide personalised health insights. Users can access detailed health information and insights on the Samsung Health app.
     
    Quick and Easy Pairing With Galaxy Smartphones
    To use the Galaxy Ring, it must first be paired with a Galaxy smartphone. This process is very straightforward. When the case is opened, the device automatically enters pairing mode. Users can follow the instructions on their Galaxy smartphone to complete the connection.
     

     
    To pair manually, place the Galaxy Ring in the case and press the multipurpose button for at least three seconds to activate pairing mode.
     
    ▲ A long press (for three seconds) on the multipurpose button will manually activate pairing mode. A short press will display the battery level via an LED light.
     
    The Galaxy Ring can be worn on the finger once paired, and users can begin personalising and monitoring their health care right away.
     
    ▲ The initial setup screen for the Galaxy Ring when pairing showcases signature digital health features like Energy Score, sleep analysis, Wellness Tips and Heart Rate Alert.
     
    For accurate data tracking, the device should be worn with the protruding line that indicates the sensor’s direction facing the palm. The Galaxy Ring can be worn on any finger, but it is recommended that users try the sizing kit5 rings for a day or more to find out which finger suits them best.
     
    ▲ The Galaxy Ring worn correctly, with the protruding line facing the palm.
     
    In addition to health management, the Galaxy Ring also offers a handy smartphone control feature with just a simple gesture of the fingers. When wearing the device, users can double pinch via Gestures to take a photo or turn off an alarm on a connected Galaxy smartphone.6
     
    ▲ The Galaxy Ring’s smartphone control feature lets users take a photo or turn off an alarm by double-pinching their thumb and index finger together.
     
    The Galaxy Ring combines powerful performance and a sleek design for a refined and comfortable wearable experience. Reflecting Samsung’s commitment to advancing user convenience and health monitoring, the Galaxy Ring invites users to embark on a new journey towards healthier living. The Galaxy Ring is available at Samsung stores, online, the Samsung Shop App, as well as participating retailers and operators, at a recommended retail price of R7,9997. Until 30 April 2025, you can get 20% off the Galaxy Ring when you buy any Galaxy S25 smartphone.
     
    [1] Based on the battery life of a size 13 product. Battery life will vary depending on ring size.[2] Weight of Galaxy Ring varies by size. Size 5 Galaxy Ring is 2.3g, size 6 Galaxy Ring is 2.4g, size 7 Galaxy Ring is 2.4g, size 8 Galaxy Ring is 2.6g, size 9 Galaxy Ring is 2.7g, size 10 Galaxy Ring is 2.8g, size 11 Galaxy Ring is 3.0g, size 12 Galaxy Ring is 3.0g, and size 13 Galaxy Ring is 3.0g.[3] Titanium is only applied on Galaxy Ring device frame.[4] ATM stands for the standard atmosphere, a unit of air pressure. In theory, one ATM means that the product is waterproof to a depth of 10 metres under water.[5] One Sizing Kit is available free of charge upon purchasing the Galaxy Ring. Only one Sizing Kit is provided per order number. Sample rings included in the Galaxy Ring Sizing Kit are inoperable and for measuring ring size only. Wearing the ring for at least 24 hours is recommended to test the ring.[6] The double-pinch feature with the thumb and index finger is only able to take photos and turn off alarms on Galaxy Rings paired with Samsung Galaxy smartphones running on One UI 6.1.1 or later.
    [7] Recommended Retail Price Only. Prices may vary per retailer.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Sara Jacobs, Sen. Tammy Duckworth Introduce IVF for Military Families Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53)

    April 01, 2025

    Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), and Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) introduced the IVF for Military Families Act, which would require TRICARE to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF – and end the differing levels of reproductive health care coverage between active duty service members and their dependents and Members of Congress and their staff. 

    Beginning this year, Members of Congress and their staff who obtain health insurance through the DC Health Exchange have access to plans that include coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF and standard fertility preservation services. Meanwhile, TRICARE coverage currently only covers fertility services for those who can prove a service connection to injury or illness. In practice, this leaves about a quarter of service members and spouses who report infertility to pay tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs for fertility treatment. Passing the IVF for Military Families Act would strengthen recruitment, retention, and readiness efforts and ensure that service members can access the family-building services they deserve.

    Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “Our military families have sacrificed so much for our safety and security – they shouldn’t also sacrifice their dream to build a family. But for too many service members, the lack of TRICARE coverage of IVF has left them with only a few choices: beat the odds and prove that their infertility is directly related to their service, pay tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for a chance at a family, forgo having children, or leave the military. This is wrong. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the IVF for Military Families Act with Senator Duckworth to give them every opportunity to build their families. To my colleagues: We now have access to this level of health care coverage, and we shouldn’t deny that same standard to those who wear our country’s uniform. And to President Trump: calling yourself the father of IVF is meaningless – take some action and support our bill.”

    “After all the tremendous sacrifices they make, our brave women and men in uniform should never have to make the impossible and unjust choice between serving their country or facing financial ruin just to start a family,” said Senator Duckworth. “It was extremely disappointing that our IVF provision—which would have simply ensured that our servicemembers and their families have access to the same level of IVF coverage as Members of Congress—was removed from the final defense bill behind closed doors last year, even after so many of my Republican colleagues continue to loudly and publicly claim to support IVF. President Trump pledged to voters on the campaign trail that he would go even further by making IVF free if elected and has repeated the bold-faced lie that he is governing on the principle of ‘Promises made, promises kept.’ Republicans can now help him partially fulfill his broken IVF promise by joining our commonsense legislation that would make sure those who answer the call to serve have access to the care they need to build their family.”

    “Servicemembers who risk their lives to protect our families deserve all the support they need to grow theirs,” said Senator Murray. “Federal employees have access to comprehensive infertility treatment, including IVF – and TRICARE should cover those same services for our servicemembers, full stop. Struggling with infertility is painful enough without having to worry about the cost of treatment. I’ve worked for over a decade to expand access to IVF and other fertility treatment for veterans and servicemembers who need it, and am proud to be joining Senator Duckworth to introduce the IVF for Military Families Act to continue fighting to ensure our servicemembers never have to sacrifice their ability to start a family.”

    “One in four military families experience infertility. Congress should take the long-overdue step of overturning outdated limitations on IVF to give service members access to the reproductive health care they deserve,” said Congressman Larsen. “Women and men in uniform should not have to choose between serving their country and starting a family.”

    “MOAA supports the IVF for Military Families Act that would expand TRICARE coverage of assisted reproductive technology (ART) for currently serving families. We appreciate Rep. Sara Jacobs’ and Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s leadership on this issue. Servicemembers have earned a top tier benefit in recognition of the risks and sacrifices they face.  Most large employer sponsored plans – including those covering federal employees and members of Congress – now offer ART/IVF coverage. Addressing this TRICARE parity gap will not only fulfill our nation’s commitment to the currently serving but also ensure TRICARE remains an effective component of the compensation and benefits package that sustains the all-volunteer force,” said Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly USAF (Ret), MOAA President & CEO.

    “The majority of Americans–85%–support access to IVF, one of the most effective medical treatments for those struggling to build their family,” said Barbara Collura, President/CEO, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. “Yet so many people are shut out of accessing this care, including the brave Americans who serve in the military. They assume they will have the best medical care possible, yet we make it so hard for them to start or grow their family while serving our country. This injustice can be fixed by passing the IVF for Military Families Act, a bill that simply provides parity to the comprehensive IVF coverage that Members of Congress and their staff have now. There is no need to wait–let’s get this passed.” 

    “The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is proud to support the IVF for Military Families Act. With higher rates of infertility impacting the military due the dangers of the job and the unique family building challenges our men and women in uniform face, it is a no brainer that TRICARE should cover fertility treatments like IVF,” said Sean Tipton ASRM Chief Advocacy & Policy Officer. “For decades, ASRM has championed increasing access to fertility treatment for all Americans, including federal employees. This is why we thank Senators Duckworth and Murray and Congresswoman Jacobs and Congressman Larsen for their leadership on legislation to ensure that military families have no less than the same fertility benefits available to Members of Congress. This should be a bipartisan issue, and we are hopeful the administration will look closely at this bill as it considers ways to expand access and reduce out of pocket costs for IVF.”

    Background: As the representative of San Diego, the country’s largest military community, Rep. Sara Jacobs has led the effort to expand reproductive health care for service members and military families. Last year, she championed a similar effort to expand TRICARE to cover assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, for active duty service members and their dependents. This provision received bipartisan support when it was included unanimously in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) committee mark and in the House-passed version of the NDAA. Unfortunately, the provision was ultimately stripped from the conference report despite versions being included in both the House and Senate NDAAs. The Congresswoman also successfully secured a demonstration program on cryopreservation to reimburse active duty service members for the cost of freezing, shipping, and storing their gametes and to eliminate the co-pay on contraception for all TRICARE beneficiaries in the final version of the FY 2025 NDAA.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: More special school places created in Plymouth

    Source: City of Plymouth

    A £13 million programme of work to improve support for children and young people with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND) by increasing the availability of special school places in Plymouth is underway.  

    A new satellite provision for Mill Ford School will provide 50 special school places from September for children with SEND in Reception and years 1 and 2.  

    Plymouth City Council has agreed to investing £161,000 from the Department for Education’s high needs provision capital allocation fund into creating the places on the grounds of Riverside Community Primary in St Budeaux, following an executive decision signed today.  

    The new places for the next school year have already been allocated to children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP).  

    This development is part of the Council’s SEND Sufficiency plan which aims to address the shortage of suitable school places for children and young people with SEND in Plymouth. The plan includes reconfiguration and refurbishment of some of the city’s special schools to increase their current capacity, as well as developing more specialist places within mainstream schools.    

    Through this work, a further 34 new special school places have also been created for this coming September, bringing the current total number of new places – including the Mill Ford satellite provision – to 84.  

    Councillor Sally Cresswell, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Apprenticeships, said: “We have seen a huge rise in demand for special school places in recent years, with far more requests for places than the number of places available. 

    “We understand how frustrating this can be for families and our SEND Sufficiency plan clearly sets out how we will maximise the limited resources available in order to provide more specialist provision so that our children and young people with SEND receive the support they need.”   

    In the Council’s initial plans set out last year, the intention was for Mill Ford School to have a satellite provision at Marlborough Primary Academy but the site was unable to accommodate alterations. Instead, a temporary provision was created at Riverside Community Primary which has provided 30 places throughout this school year. With the confirmed new investment, there will now be a further 20 places.   

    While most children’s needs can be met in a mainstream setting, for some a specialist setting is more appropriate. To be eligible for a special school place, children must have an EHCP or be undergoing a statutory assessment of their special educational needs and have needs that cannot be met in a mainstream school.  

    The Council and local schools have recently launched a new website outlining the Plymouth Graduated Approach to Inclusion. This helps schools and parents and carers by setting out the support available for children and young people with SEND to ensure that their needs are meet. Find out more at https://plymouthgati.co.uk.   

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Walker’s Wine Juice LLC Recalls Product Due to Possible Health Risk

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    April 01, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    April 01, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & BeveragesJuiceFoodborne Illness
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Potential Foodborne Illness – Botulism

    Company Name:
    Walker’s Wine Juice LLC
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Walker’s Wine Juice LLC

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Pumpkin Juice

    Company Announcement
    Walker’s Wine Juice LLC of Forestville, NY is recalling its pumpkin juice because it may be contaminated with Botulism. Botulism is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning and can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision, and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.
    Product was distributed via Walker’s Wine Juice retail store in NY. The juice was also distributed directly by Walker’s to a limited number of commercial wineries in the following states: IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MI, MN, NJ, NY, OH, PA, WI.
    Products can be identified as follows:

    2.5-gallon bag in box and 5-gallon hot pack are labeled “pumpkin”; All lots are subject to the recall
    30-, 60-, and 275-gallon bulk containers are tagged “pumpkin”; All lots are subject to the recall

    No illnesses have been reported to date.
    The potential contamination was discovered after an inspection by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors found that the pumpkin juice pH was too high to be processed per Walker’s “hot fill” schedule process. As a result, it was determined that no adequate kill step was used to address the possibility of microbiological hazards.
    Consumers are urged to contact Walker’s Wine Juice to determine appropriate disposal of the remaining product and determine other appropriate steps including a calculation of reimbursement.

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    Matthew Walker
    716-679-1292 x 1016

    Content current as of:
    04/01/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Topic(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: How do coconuts get their water?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gaston Adoyo, Lecturer and researcher, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

    Coconut trees are iconic plants found across the world’s tropical regions. They’re called “nature’s supermarket” or the “tree of life” in several cultures because every part of the coconut tree is used. Its leaves can be used to thatch homes, its heart can be eaten and its roots have medicinal uses.

    The refreshing liquid found within a young green coconut is a highly prized component of the coconut palm. Coconuts are unique in the world of fruits because they have a large internal cavity filled with water. Other fruits typically store water within individual cells or pulp.

    I’m a food scientist who has carried out research on the properties of coconuts.

    All coconut palms produce water, though some, like tall varieties, will produce more than others, like dwarf varieties. The water is sourced from the trees’ immature, green coconuts. As the coconut matures, the developing white flesh absorbs the water, resulting in less liquid in a fully ripe brown coconut.

    So, how is this water reservoir created, and what factors influence it?

    A coconut’s structure

    To better understand how coconut water is formed, it is essential to grasp its anatomical structure. The coconut fruit is classified as a drupe, meaning it has three layers: the exocarp (the smooth, green outer layer seen in unripe coconuts), the mesocarp (a fibrous husk beneath the exocarp), and the endocarp (the hard, woody inner shell that protects the white flesh inside).

    Kerina yin/Shutterstock

    Within the endocarp, there are two components: the flesh (endosperm, a soft, jelly-like material in immature coconut that hardens as it matures) and the clear coconut water that fills the cavity. This water is a nutritive fluid nourishing the developing seed and is formed naturally during the development of the coconut fruit.

    The water is a filtered sap that’s drawn up from the roots and transported through the tree’s vascular system (its water and nutrient transport system), specifically the xylem tissue.

    The coconut tree’s extensive root system, ranging from 1 to 5 metres deep, absorbs groundwater – with dissolved nutrients – from the surrounding soil. The absorbed water is then transported upwards through the trunk and branches and finally to the fruit.

    The fruit retains this water, stored in the cavity of the coconut. The accumulated water, with its rich nutrients, provides food to the developing endosperm (white flesh).

    Therefore, coconut water is neither rainwater nor seawater stored inside, but carefully filtered and nutrient-rich clear liquid formed by the tree itself.

    What is coconut water made of?

    About 95% of coconut water is simply water, making it an excellent hydrating fluid.

    The rest of the water is made up of various components, which are useful for us too.

    Minerals (like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium) nourish human nerves and muscles; proteins (amino acids and enzymes) can help in metabolism in both the tree and humans; sugars (fructose and glucose) are responsible for the light sweetness and there are trace amounts of vitamins (vitamin C and B vitamins).

    Read more: Is coconut water good for you? We asked five experts

    Coconut water levels

    Many factors can influence the amount and quality of water in a coconut.

    The age of the coconut is a critical determining factor. Immature, green coconuts (six to eight months) are usually full of water: between 300 millilitres and 1 litre. Mature coconuts (12 months and older) have low water levels as the liquid is partially absorbed by the endosperm.

    High rainfall encourages greater accumulation of water, while drought conditions reduce the amount of water that can be transported to the fruit.

    Healthy soils packed with minerals lead to high-quality and nutrient-rich coconut water. Poor or salty soils, lacking in minerals that can travel up the coconut tree to the fruit, will lead to low quality water.

    Finally, unhealthy or diseased trees produce smaller-sized coconuts with little water.

    Protecting coconuts

    Coconut trees and coconut water are important to tropical economies across south-east Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean Sea territories, as well as the coastlines of central America and Africa.

    Conserving the trees and their environment is therefore essential.

    Sustainable farming practices, like soil management – including soil testing and organic composting – should be implemented to maintain the proper nutrient profile, which results in high-quality coconut water.

    Read more: The end of coconut water? The world’s trendiest nut is under threat of species collapse

    Additionally, protecting freshwater aquifers from saltwater intrusion along coastlines where coconuts grow is crucial for preserving the quality of this refreshing fluid. Drip irrigation and mulching can help maintain soil moisture for the required coconut water production.

    Pest and disease management techniques (like intercropping coconuts with bananas or legumes), as well as integrated pest management, can contribute to healthy trees that produce large coconuts with ample water.

    – How do coconuts get their water?
    – https://theconversation.com/how-do-coconuts-get-their-water-252673

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New acting chair appointed for Mental Health Review Board

    Joanna Nefs has been appointed for a six-month term as acting chair of the Mental Health Review Board, starting Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

    The review board is an independent tribunal established under the Mental Health Act. The board conducts panel hearings for patients admitted by physicians and detained involuntarily in provincial mental-health facilities in a manner consistent with the principles of fundamental justice and Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    Nefs holds a master in public policy degree, 2017-18; a juris doctor, 2008-11; and a bachelor’s degree in political science, 2006-08, all from York University.

    From 2020 until 2024, Nefs was the CEO of AIDE Canada, a national initiative funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. It focused on delivering information and resources to people with developmental disabilities and diagnosed with autism and their families.

    From 2018 until 2020, Nefs was executive director of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and at the United Nations, working on projects with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and at the UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. From 2012 until 2018, Nefs was the assistant Crown attorney at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.  

    From January until May 2018, Nefs taught a course at Osgoode Hall law school about representing clients with mental illnesses and addictions.

    Since 2020, Nefs has been a member and alternate chair of B.C.’s Mental Health Review Board.

    Learn More:

    For more information about the Mental Health Review Board, visit: https://www.bcmhrb.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Expands Coverage for Continuous and Flash Glucose Monitors

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 1, 2025

    Seniors and Young Adults with Diabetes to Benefit 

    Effective April 1, the Government of Saskatchewan is investing $23 million to expand full coverage for Continuous and Flash Glucose Monitors (Advanced Glucose Monitors) to seniors aged 65 and older and young adults aged 18 to 25, as announced in the 2025-26 Provincial Budget. 

    “Our government remains committed to providing Saskatchewan residents living with diabetes the support they need to live an active lifestyle,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. “We are pleased to expand coverage for these monitors to seniors and young adults with diabetes, helping improve their health and quality of life.” 

    An Advanced Glucose Monitor uses a sensor on the skin to send a glucose level reading to a smart phone or other electronic device to help diabetics track their glucose levels, minimizing the risk and frequency of potentially life-threatening low-blood sugar episodes. The monitor also records trends and patterns. With consent, physicians can remotely access the information, assisting them in making informed clinical decisions. 

    “Diabetes Canada welcomes the Saskatchewan government’s expansion of the program,” Diabetes Canada Director of Government Affairs Joan King said. “These devices are life-changing for many people with diabetes, regardless of age. This expansion will enable more Saskatchewanians to enhance their blood glucose management and reduce their risk of short- and long-term complications, including severe hypoglycemia.” 

    Approximately 9,000 seniors and 700 young adults may be eligible to benefit from the expanded coverage for Advanced Glucose Monitors. 

    Since 2021, the province has provided coverage for these devices at no cost for children and youth under 18 who meet specific medical criteria. 

    Inquiries about qualifying medical criteria can be directed to the Drug Plan at 306-787-3317 (Regina) or 1-800-667-7581 (toll-free).  

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Directs Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty for Luigi Mangione

    Source: US State of California

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:

    “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

    • As alleged, Luigi Mangione stalked and murdered UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. The murder was an act of political violence. Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.   
    • Following federal murder charges handed down on Dec. 19, 2024, Attorney General Bondi has now directed Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case.
    • This is in line with Attorney General Bondi’s Day One Memo as Attorney General entitled Reviving The Federal Death Penalty And Lifting The Moratorium On Federal Executions

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Directs Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty for Luigi Mangione

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    WASHINGTON – Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:

    “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

    • As alleged, Luigi Mangione stalked and murdered UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on December 4th, 2024.  The murder was an act of political violence.  Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.   
    • Following federal murder charges handed down on December 19th, 2024, Attorney General Bondi has now directed Acting US Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case.

    This is in line with Attorney General Bondi’s Day One Memo as Attorney General entitled Reviving The Federal Death Penalty And Lifting The Moratorium On Federal Executions

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Sues Trump Administration for Slashing Vital Health Funding

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 22 other states and the District of Columbia today filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for abruptly and unlawfully slashing billions of dollars in vital state health funding. On March 24, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it was clawing back more than $11 billion in funding previously allocated to states for public health, mental health, and addiction initiatives – including nearly $400 million for New York. The attorneys general argue that these sudden and reckless cuts violate federal law, jeopardize public health, and will have devastating consequences for communities nationwide. Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the court to immediately stop the administration from rescinding the funding and prevent the breakdown of crucial health services.

    “The Trump administration’s illegal and irresponsible decision to claw back life-saving health funding is an attack on the well-being of millions of Americans,” said Attorney General James. “Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients. My office is taking immediate action to stop this heartless and shortsighted move and ensure these life-saving programs remain intact.”

    In the lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition assert that if funding is not restored, key public health programs and initiatives across the country will have to be dissolved and disbanded, and thousands of health care workers will lose their jobs. The terminated funds, which were allocated by Congress at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, include $11.4 billion in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for pandemic preparedness, overdose prevention, and community health programs, as well as $1 billion from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for addiction treatment, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention programs.

    The attorneys general warn that the revocation of this funding will cause immediate and irreparable damage in communities across the nation. Programs that provide harm reduction services, medication-assisted recovery treatment, and overdose reversal drugs are set to be slashed, just as the nation begins to turn a corner on fighting the opioid crisis and reducing overdose deaths. Funding for crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and community-based mental health care is at risk while the nation is currently facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. Financial support for hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities will be eliminated, exacerbating already devastating staffing shortages. Prevention programs that combat infectious disease outbreaks and future health emergencies are already being gutted.

    In New York, more than $400 million in critical funding has been terminated, including over $300 million for the New York State Department of Health (DOH), Office of Mental Health (OMH), and Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and over $100 million for New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)’s infectious disease detection and surveillance work. These cuts are already causing devastating, far-reaching consequences. At least 23 public health employees have already been laid off, and further layoffs are likely. More than 200 local organizations statewide have now lost funding for their efforts to address food insecurity, mental health, maternal health, and more. DOH has been forced to halt efforts to address health disparities and shutter programs focused on LGBTQ+ and immigrant health. Funding for school immunization programs has also been cut, which could have disastrous effects on child vaccination rates. Most importantly, New York state’s ability to manage infectious diseases, support vulnerable populations, and maintain critical health infrastructure is now in jeopardy, and there are long-term risks for public health preparedness and equity.

    HHS has tried to suggest that terminating this funding is necessary because the “COVID-19 pandemic is over.” This contradicts both ongoing public health data and the terms of the grants in question. In the lawsuit, the attorneys general assert that many of the eliminated funds were never intended solely for COVID-19 response – they were allocated to support long-term public health infrastructure, future pandemic preparedness, and critical behavioral health services.

    Attorney General James and the coalition argue the federal government does not have the legal authority to unilaterally rescind funding it already allocated, particularly when states have built essential health programs around these commitments. The attorneys general add that the terminated funds are attached to specific congressional allocations, and that by cutting these funds, the administration is undermining Congress’s constitutional power over federal spending. The lawsuit alleges the decision to terminate these funds was made abruptly, arbitrarily, and without any opportunity for public input.

    In addition to preliminary and permanent injunctions, Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a temporary restraining order to immediately halt the chaos and destruction the administration’s funding cuts are causing.

    “These federal health cuts are not only dangerous, but they undermine public health and will broaden the health disparities we have been working hard to eliminate,” said DOH Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. “It is unprecedented and unacceptable to have funding terminated retroactively without warning or regard for the impact on this important public health work. I thank Attorney General James for taking immediate action, ensuring the health of New Yorkers remains a priority, and working to get these reckless actions during the federal transition reversed.”

    “The removal of these grants will affect prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery services that many New Yorkers rely on, and which have saved thousands of lives throughout the state,” said OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham. “Amid the ongoing overdose crisis, it is critical that these services remain intact and available for those who need them. We fully support these efforts to ensure that this critical funding continues to go towards these vital addiction services in New York.”

    “The loss of $27 million in federal funding will impact the mental health services and supports provided through our agency, including crisis stabilization and residence programs, Assertive Community Treatment teams and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline,” said OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. “We are pleased that New York State is challenging these cuts in in an effort to avoid the consequences of losing this critical federal assistance. We look forward to working with the Attorney General and Governor Hochul as they challenge these cuts and fight to preserve funding for these important programs.”

    This is the latest action Attorney General James has taken to protect New Yorkers and the services they rely on from the Trump administration’s illegal attacks. On March 14, Attorney General James and a coalition secured a court order reinstating federal workers subject to mass firings at 18 agencies. On March 13, Attorney General James led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education. On March 10, Attorney General James secured a court order blocking the Trump administration from cutting critical grant programs for teachers and on March 6, Attorney General James secured a court order blocking the Trump administration’s freeze of essential federal funds to states. On March 5, Attorney General James and a coalition of attorneys general won a court order stopping the Trump administration from withholding vital funding to the National Institutes of Health. On February 24, Attorney General James led a coalition of attorneys general in securing a court order preventing Elon Musk and members of DOGE from accessing Americans’ private information through the U.S. Treasury and on February 13, Attorney General James and a coalition of attorneys general secured a preliminary injunction stopping the administration’s illegal revocation of birthright citizenship. 

    Joining Attorney General James in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the Governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Solomon Partners Hires Jon Pritti as a Partner in the Healthcare Group

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Solomon Partners, a leading financial advisory firm and independent affiliate of Natixis, today announced the appointment of Jon Pritti as a new Partner in its Healthcare Group, where he will lead the firm’s expansion into the fast-growing Healthcare Technology sub-sector.

    “Jon’s experience and industry expertise will be invaluable to our growing Healthcare team and expand Solomon’s coverage in the Healthcare Technology space,” said Solomon Partners’ CEO Marc Cooper.

    Mr. Pritti joins Solomon with over two decades of investment banking experience, most recently serving as a Senior Managing Director in the Private Equity Advisory group at Guggenheim Securities. Prior to that role, he served as Managing Director in the Healthcare Investment Banking practice and Head of Healthcare Technology at Houlihan Lokey. Mr. Pritti earned a BBA from Emory University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

    “We are incredibly fortunate to welcome a banker with Jon’s background and extensive network. Jon will be a critical addition to the team as we continue to expand our capabilities to deliver exceptional service to our clients,” said Jon Hammack, a Partner and Head of Solomon’s Healthcare Group.

    “I have been impressed by Solomon’s collaborative, client-centric approach,” Mr. Pritti said. “This is an exciting era for Healthcare Technology, and I look forward to working with my new partners to help Solomon expand its services in this part of the healthcare ecosystem.”

    About Solomon Partners

    Founded in 1989, Solomon Partners is a leading financial advisory firm with a legacy as one of the oldest independent investment banks. Our difference is unmatched industry knowledge in the sectors we cover, creating superior value with unrivaled wisdom for our clients. We advise clients on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, recapitalizations, capital markets solutions and activism defense across a range of verticals. These include Business Services, Consumer Retail, Distribution, Financial Institutions, FinTech, Financial Sponsors, Healthcare, Grocery, Pharmacy & Restaurants, Healthcare, Industrials, Infrastructure, Power & Renewables, Media and Technology. Solomon Partners is an independently operated affiliate of Natixis, part of Groupe BPCE. For further information, visit solomonpartners.com.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/97f1532a-940b-4b92-ac42-dc71d170c0a4

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  • MIL-OSI: UPDATE – Liquidia Corporation to Present at the 24th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MORRISVILLE, N.C., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Liquidia Corporation (NASDAQ: LQDA), a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for patients with rare cardiopulmonary disease, today announced that the company will provide an overview of the company’s business at a fireside chat at the 24th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, beginning at 8:45 a.m. ET.

    Access to a webcast of the presentation will be available on the “Investors” page of Liquidia’s website at https://liquidia.com/investors/events-and-presentations.

    An archived, recorded version of the presentation will be available on Liquidia’s website for at least 30 days following the event. 

    About Liquidia Corporation
    Liquidia Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for patients with rare cardiopulmonary disease. The company’s current focus spans the development and commercialization of products in pulmonary hypertension and other applications of its proprietary PRINT® Technology. PRINT enabled the creation of Liquidia’s lead candidate, YUTREPIA™ (treprostinil) inhalation powder, an investigational drug for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). The company is also developing L606, an investigational sustained-release formulation of treprostinil administered twice-daily with a next-generation nebulizer, and currently markets generic Treprostinil Injection for the treatment of PAH. To learn more about Liquidia, please visit www.liquidia.com.

    Contact Information

    Investors:
    Jason Adair
    Chief Business Officer
    919.328.4350
    jason.adair@liquidia.com

    Media:
    Patrick Wallace
    Director, Corporate Communications
    919.328.4383
    patrick.wallace@liquidia.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How do coconuts get their water?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gaston Adoyo, Lecturer and researcher, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

    Coconut trees are iconic plants found across the world’s tropical regions. They’re called “nature’s supermarket” or the “tree of life” in several cultures because every part of the coconut tree is used. Its leaves can be used to thatch homes, its heart can be eaten and its roots have medicinal uses.

    The refreshing liquid found within a young green coconut is a highly prized component of the coconut palm. Coconuts are unique in the world of fruits because they have a large internal cavity filled with water. Other fruits typically store water within individual cells or pulp.

    I’m a food scientist who has carried out research on the properties of coconuts.

    All coconut palms produce water, though some, like tall varieties, will produce more than others, like dwarf varieties. The water is sourced from the trees’ immature, green coconuts. As the coconut matures, the developing white flesh absorbs the water, resulting in less liquid in a fully ripe brown coconut.

    So, how is this water reservoir created, and what factors influence it?

    A coconut’s structure

    To better understand how coconut water is formed, it is essential to grasp its anatomical structure. The coconut fruit is classified as a drupe, meaning it has three layers: the exocarp (the smooth, green outer layer seen in unripe coconuts), the mesocarp (a fibrous husk beneath the exocarp), and the endocarp (the hard, woody inner shell that protects the white flesh inside).

    Within the endocarp, there are two components: the flesh (endosperm, a soft, jelly-like material in immature coconut that hardens as it matures) and the clear coconut water that fills the cavity. This water is a nutritive fluid nourishing the developing seed and is formed naturally during the development of the coconut fruit.

    The water is a filtered sap that’s drawn up from the roots and transported through the tree’s vascular system (its water and nutrient transport system), specifically the xylem tissue.

    The coconut tree’s extensive root system, ranging from 1 to 5 metres deep, absorbs groundwater – with dissolved nutrients – from the surrounding soil. The absorbed water is then transported upwards through the trunk and branches and finally to the fruit.

    The fruit retains this water, stored in the cavity of the coconut. The accumulated water, with its rich nutrients, provides food to the developing endosperm (white flesh).

    Therefore, coconut water is neither rainwater nor seawater stored inside, but carefully filtered and nutrient-rich clear liquid formed by the tree itself.

    What is coconut water made of?

    About 95% of coconut water is simply water, making it an excellent hydrating fluid.

    The rest of the water is made up of various components, which are useful for us too.

    Minerals (like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium) nourish human nerves and muscles; proteins (amino acids and enzymes) can help in metabolism in both the tree and humans; sugars (fructose and glucose) are responsible for the light sweetness and there are trace amounts of vitamins (vitamin C and B vitamins).



    Read more:
    Is coconut water good for you? We asked five experts

    Coconut water levels

    Many factors can influence the amount and quality of water in a coconut.

    The age of the coconut is a critical determining factor. Immature, green coconuts (six to eight months) are usually full of water: between 300 millilitres and 1 litre. Mature coconuts (12 months and older) have low water levels as the liquid is partially absorbed by the endosperm.

    High rainfall encourages greater accumulation of water, while drought conditions reduce the amount of water that can be transported to the fruit.

    Healthy soils packed with minerals lead to high-quality and nutrient-rich coconut water. Poor or salty soils, lacking in minerals that can travel up the coconut tree to the fruit, will lead to low quality water.

    Finally, unhealthy or diseased trees produce smaller-sized coconuts with little water.

    Protecting coconuts

    Coconut trees and coconut water are important to tropical economies across south-east Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean Sea territories, as well as the coastlines of central America and Africa.

    Conserving the trees and their environment is therefore essential.

    Sustainable farming practices, like soil management – including soil testing and organic composting – should be implemented to maintain the proper nutrient profile, which results in high-quality coconut water.



    Read more:
    The end of coconut water? The world’s trendiest nut is under threat of species collapse

    Additionally, protecting freshwater aquifers from saltwater intrusion along coastlines where coconuts grow is crucial for preserving the quality of this refreshing fluid. Drip irrigation and mulching can help maintain soil moisture for the required coconut water production.

    Pest and disease management techniques (like intercropping coconuts with bananas or legumes), as well as integrated pest management, can contribute to healthy trees that produce large coconuts with ample water.

    Gaston Adoyo 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. How do coconuts get their water? – https://theconversation.com/how-do-coconuts-get-their-water-252673

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Celebrating International Women’s Day

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    This International Women’s Day, the ACT Public Service (ACTPS) celebrates the theme: ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’.

    The ACTPS is a diverse, progressive public service within which 64.6 per cent of employees identify as female.

    Women now comprise 56 per cent of the ACTPS Senior Executive Service.

    A record low gender pay gap

    This increased representation of women in leadership has driven the Service’s narrowing gender pay gap over the last year.

    The ACTPS gender pay gap reached a record low of -0.1 per cent in June 2023. The ACT labour force sits at 10 per cent and the national gender pay gap at 13.3 per cent.

    Employee spotlight

    The ACTPS encourages an inclusive culture by acknowledging and showcasing the contributions of all staff.

    Below, five female employees share their thoughts on International Women’s Day, working for the ACTPS and how they’ve seen the gender landscape change at work throughout their careers.

    Rachael Dawes – Senior Director Urban Treescapes

    Urban Treescapes Senior Director Rachael Dawes

    Senior Director Rachael Dawes manages the Urban Treescapes business unit within City Services. Urban Treescapes is tasked with managing and protecting Canberra’s urban trees.

    “I’m incredibly proud to be a woman working in the ACTPS caring for our urban forest, but particularly proud of the positive results of increased gender diversity in the team,” she said.

    “When you have an inclusive environment, understanding and supporting each other, we can combine these diverse skills and lived experiences to respond to the changing conditions and needs of our environment”.

    “There has been significant advancement in ACT urban forest management in recent years with the release of the Urban Forest Strategy and Urban Forest Act, which could not have happened without the vision and drive of the women in our team,” she said.

    A career change led Rachael into forestry, and she urges women beginning their careers to look beyond perceived traditional career options.

    “Explore your networks, ask questions, take chances and follow your interests and see what career path they can lead you down,” she said.

    Arooj Fatima – Customer Service Operator, Access Canberra Contact Centre

    Arooj Fatima of Access Canberra

    Every day, Access Canberra Customer Service Officer Arooj Fatima assists Canberrans via phone.

    From vehicle registration enquiries to Fix My Street requests, Fatima is the first point of contact on many issues.

    First attracted to the role for its flexibility, she brings to it myriad skills including active listening, empathy, patience and problem solving.

    “There needs to be an acknowledgement and inclusion of women in all aspects of society. Women need to be fully included, supported, and empowered in all fields to contribute to a more prosperous future for all,” she said.

    Arooj says she has seen women make significant progress over the course of her career.

    “Women are serving and being valued at all employment levels i.e., manager, team leaders and administrative roles. They are excelling in every field,” she said.

    “I feel immensely proud to be a woman working for the ACTPS because of the respect, value, and recognition that I get. I feel so comfortable with the work environment, work life balance and flexibility. I feel included and appreciated for every little progress that I make. I am provided the opportunity to undertake various training and roles for my professional development,” she said.

    Katie Smith – Principal, Duffy Primary School

    Principal Katie Smith, right, with Deputy Principal Arilia Abell

    Principal Katie Smith leads an all-female leadership team at Duffy Primary.

    “By setting a strong example of supporting women, Deputy Principal Arilia Abell and I work to create a more inclusive and diverse work environment for future generations. Our presence in the school community showcases the importance of investing in women, inspiring both girls and boys to expect equality and inclusivity in their future workplaces,” she said.

    Katie has seen progress in terms of gender equality during her career.

    “One notable advancement is the increased representation of women in leadership roles such as principals and executive roles. Efforts to promote gender equality in education have led to greater recognition of female educators’ contributions and capabilities,” she said.

    This year’s IWD theme resonates with Katie. “It speaks to our commitment to uplifting and supporting the capabilities of all women in our school community, providing opportunities for growth and success,” she said.

    “For young women starting their careers: believe in yourself, set clear goals, seek mentorship, embrace learning, build a supportive network, speak up, prioritise balance, embrace challenges, stay flexible, and stay true to your values and passions.”

    Rebecca Power, Project Director, CIT Woden Campus – Women in Construction advocate

    Project Director Rebecca Power, third from right

    Project Director Rebecca Power works describes her work as “Celebrating gender diversity, equity and inclusion in construction and on Major Projects Canberra construction sites”.

    “In an industry where gender inclusion is still challenging, Major Projects Canberra strives towards our social objectives to encourage and enable women and girls to reach their potential, contribute to innovation and ideas, and be leaders in their individual fields and professions within our industry,” she said.

    “I’m excited by the opportunity to continue to tell women’s stories in our industry, empower women to achieve and grow their careers while opening up mentoring pathways for women who are just beginning their careers, laying the foundations for a brighter future in infrastructure to inspire real progress. I want to continue to advocate for meaningful change and I am committed to this cause.”

    Rebecca advises women in construction to join the NAWIC ACT Mentoring program.

    “It provides guidance and leadership while empowering women to achieve their goals and aspirations in the construction industry,” she said.

    Janet Zagari, Deputy CEO, Canberra Health Services

    Janet Zagari is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Canberra Health Services.

    With 28 years in the health industry under her belt, her focus is on the service’s strategic direction, looking at cross-government priorities, operational planning and commissioning of new services.

    “We know that diversity in the workforce generates better outcomes,” Janet said.

    “Acknowledging the well-documented barriers that women face to participating in employment and the under representation of women in some industries and at senior levels, investing in women to create greater opportunities and genuinely believing that there is a value add to doing so is key to moving organisations forward.”

    She cites increased representation of women graduating from medical school as a pronounced change in Australia.

    “It is useful to stop and look back over the course of your career to think about what has changed, because it is easy to only see how far we still have to go and not to think about how far we have come,” she said.

    “There are more women in traditionally male dominated areas of clinical practice, and better recognition of the value that women bring.”

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: FLG Partners Announces Andrea Persily as Returning Partner

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALO ALTO, Calif., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FLG Partners, a leading CFO and CEO consulting practice and Board advisory services firm serving over 500 clients from startups to Fortune 100, has announced the election of Andrea Persily as a Partner in the firm.

    Andrea worked as an FLG Partner from 2017 to 2019 before joining one of her clients in a full-time CFO capacity for over six years. “We are thrilled to welcome back Andrea to FLG,” said Managing Partner Jennifer Cho. “Andrea’s outstanding CFO credentials and deep breadth of financial and operational expertise make her a powerful addition to our already substantial bench of CFO expertise.”

    “I am proud to have this opportunity to return to FLG and rejoin this best-in-class team of top-tier CFOs,” shared Ms. Persily. “I look forward to joining my peers in delivering excellence and elevating the growth of our client partners.”

    Ms. Persily has significant experience as a CFO and COO in the Digital Content, Education, FinTech, Health & Wellness sectors. After beginning her career at Smith Barney, Ms. Persily joined Primedia, where she quickly grew to CFO of the Business to Business Group, overseeing strategy, financial planning, and analysis for a $350M division. She was later tapped to lead Prism Business Media (a subsidiary of Primedia) as COO, overseeing 300 employees. Later, as part of her work as CFO and COO of Spafinder Wellness, she led the spin out Booker.com, a SaaS appointment booking product, into a separate entity for which she helped obtain Series A funding. She also served as the Managing Director of WellTech Funding, a seed fund that invested in health and wellness tech startups. In 2017, Ms. Persily joined FLG Partners, bringing significant experience in M&A transactions, organizational design, and re-engineering while focusing on Media, FinTech, SaaS, and Health & Wellness. She joined FLG client Great Minds, a premier K-12 educational publisher, as a full-time CFO for over six years. There, she oversaw Finance, Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Operations, IT, and HR while converting the company’s organizational structure from a nonprofit to a public benefit corporation, setting up its first option plan.

    Ms. Persily holds a BA in Economics from Cornell University and an MBA in Finance/Strategic Management from The Wharton School.

    About FLG Partners
    Founded in 2004, FLG Partners is the leader in CFO solutions and CEO and Board advisory services in Silicon Valley and nationwide. FLG delivers financial and operational leadership to companies ranging from startups to multi-billion-dollar public and private companies across multiple industry sectors from technology, SaaS, life sciences, to consumer products and manufacturing. FLG Partners’ engagements span interim or permanent CFO and C-suite leadership roles, CFO consulting, board directorships, and board advisory and performance consulting. With a cumulative total of over 950 years of CFO experience, FLG partners bring outstanding expertise, independence and objective leadership and industry best practices to clients in business planning and execution; fundraising and financing; SEC reporting, tax and regulatory compliance; mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; and company turnarounds and restructurings. Throughout their careers, FLG’s partners have completed approximately 350 M&A transactions, 200+ IPOs and secondary offerings, 100+ divestiture transactions, and have raised $19 billion in equity and $12 billion in debt for their clients. For more information, visit flgpartners.com.

    Contact information:

    Melanie LoBue
    melanie@voyagercomms.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b3d8cf5d-8daf-4c9a-9220-d852e4733014

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