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Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Global: How human connections shaped the spread of farming among ancient communities

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Javier Rivas, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Bath

    Yuangeng Zhang/Shutterstock

    If you’ve ever wondered how farming spread far and wide, our research on past human societies offers one explanation: contact between different groups often drives change.

    In a recent paper, together with our colleagues Enrico R. Crema, Stephen Shennan and Oreto García-Puchol among others, we used a mathematical model to analyse what happens when communities with different cultures interact.

    We used a model from predator-prey equations that usually describe how animal populations compete. Our results, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that when one group of foragers and another group of farmers share the same space, their interaction can determine the speed at which agriculture is adopted.

    In many parts of the world, people lived by hunting, fishing and gathering until groups of farmers arrived. This date varies depending on region. For instance, farming arrived at around 1000BC in Japan but at around 5600BC in Iberia.

    Archaeologists have long debated whether farming spread because local foragers took it up themselves or because farmers from elsewhere moved in and outnumbered or replaced them.

    Our model builds on the view that in some cases locals might have adopted farming from newcomers either through exchange or intermarriage but in other cases they might have been displaced or killed by the incoming farmers.

    We tested simulated data against real data from Eastern Iberia, Denmark and the island of Kyushu (Japan) to see which explanations fit best. Considering a period of 1,000 years, we combined equations for population growth, mortality resulting from species’ competition, migration and something called an assimilation parameter, which represents how many foragers became farmers in each time step.

    This allowed us to assess the role of competition and collaboration between groups during the transition to farming.

    To check whether this theory makes sense in real life, we looked at three regions where farming was introduced to local foragers.

    1. Eastern Iberia (Spain)

    Agriculture seems to have arrived around 5600-5500BC in this area and took hold relatively quickly, within about 300-400 years. Small groups of farmers probably arrived by sea, which meant weaker ties to their original communities.

    As a result, they had only two options: perish or expand, since they could not rely all that much on the support of their original groups. Their attempt to expand farming may have failed if they didn’t integrate with or eliminate locals.

    This opens the door to potential “failed attempts”, not captured by the archaeological record. There are recorded “failed” attempts at farming in other areas throughout the world in the archaeological record.

    2. Denmark

    Further north, the process was slower, taking up to 600-800 years. Farmers and foragers appear to have lived close to one another for centuries before the rapid turnover, with a stable “frontier” between the two groups for centuries.

    3. Kyushu (Japan)

    Wet rice farming was introduced by multiple waves of migrants from the Korean peninsula around 1,000BC. We found that, although the farming population grew at a modest rate, mixing with locals was limited. Foragers did, however, decline faster and grow slower than in the other two areas.

    Farming was introduced to Japan around 1000BC.
    Chatrawee Wiratgasem/Shutterstock

    Why contact matters

    Our findings show how human interaction can drive the adoption of farming. Our approach considers that small-scale human relationships can have big consequences.

    Imagine a small community of farmers setting up near a river that local hunter-gatherers frequently visit. Soon they start trading, and a few foragers learn how to cultivate plants. Over time, more people see the benefits of a stable crop supply and switch from hunting to farming.

    Likewise, picture groups of farmers clearing woods to create spaces for husbandry and agriculture. In doing so, they can (even inadvertently) ruin hunting spots during the process, forcing the hunter-gatherers to move elsewhere.

    These scenarios might seem obvious, but considering them pushes us to look for more nuanced explanations further than environmental drivers. While such drivers can play a role, our findings suggest that the demographic makeup, how many farmers there are compared to foragers, and how likely foragers are to jump ship, can be crucial in the spread of farming.

    The same dynamics might explain other moments in human history where two groups interacted. For instance, sometimes early humans migrating into Neanderthal territory mixed with the local populations.

    On the other hand, the spread of horse-riding groups over Eurasia from 3000BC provoked a major demographic turnover. People adapt to their ever-changing contexts, which causes a snowball effect.

    Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that human connectivity is key for cultural and technological change. Our approach isn’t meant to exclude other explanations like climate fluctuations. But it does remind us to think about how simple social exchanges; marriages, friendships or alliances, as well as conflicts, can shape communities.

    Today we think nothing of adopting a new app or gadget once enough people around us use it, in the same way that we often stick to our good ol’ way of doing things, despite being aware of better alternatives.

    Ancient groups might have shown similar patterns on a massive scale during the spread of farming. Seeing these parallels helps us understand how humans behave in groups, whether in a prehistoric village, or a modern metropolis.

    Alfredo Cortell receives funding from the European Commission: MSCA-IF ArchBiMod project H-2020-MSCA-IF-2020 actions (Grant No. 101020631) and The Humboldt Foundation (Grant ID: 1235670). This work has received funding from the following projects: ERC-StG project ENCOUNTER (Grant No. 801953); Synergy Grant project COREX: From Correlations to Explanations: towards a new European Prehistory (Grant Agreement No. 95138). The projects PID2021-127731NB-C21 EVOLMED “Evolutionary cultural patterns in the contexts of the neolithization process in the Western Mediterranean,” MCIN/AI/10.13039/ 501100011033 ERDF A way of making Europe are funded by the Spanish Government, and Prometeo/2021/007 NeoNetS “A Social Network Approach to Understanding the Evolutionary Dynamics of Neolithic Societies (C. 7600–4000 cal. BP)” is funded by the Generalitat Valenciana. Open access funding has been provided by the Max Planck Society.

    Javier Rivas 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 human connections shaped the spread of farming among ancient communities – https://theconversation.com/how-human-connections-shaped-the-spread-of-farming-among-ancient-communities-254852

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Endometriosis: our research shows changing your diet may reduce pain symptoms

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Philippa Saunders, Professor of Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh

    In our study, the majority of participants had tried changing their diet to improve endometriosis pain. Perfect Wave/ Shutterstock

    Endometriosis affects nearly 200 million people worldwide. This chronic condition is characterised by tissue resembling the lining of the womb growing outside of the uterus.

    This common condition has devastating impacts on patients’ wellbeing. It causes chronic pain (particularly during their periods), infertility and symptoms similar to irritable bowel syndrome, including bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and pain during bowel movements.

    While there are ways of managing endometriosis, these treatments can be invasive and often don’t work for everyone. This is why many patients seek out their own ways of managing their symptoms.

    A frequent question we get from patients is, “Can you recommend a diet that will help me manage my pain and gut symptoms?” While ample advice exists online, there’s little information from clinical studies to adequately answer whether or not diet can have an effect on endometriosis symptoms.

    So, we conducted an international online survey, inviting people with endometriosis to share their experiences of how diet has affected their endometriosis pain symptoms.

    Diet and pain

    Before publishing the survey online, we collaborated with a local Scottish endometriosis patient support group to come up with appropriate questions.

    The final survey included multiple-choice and free-text questions about the participant’s demographics, their pain, their use of diet in managing symptoms and their sources of dietary advice. It was promoted online through social media and patient support groups. The survey received 2,599 responses from 51 countries. The age of participants ranged from 16-71.

    Most respondents reported experiencing pelvic pain (97%) and frequent abdominal bloating (91%). This highlighted how common these symptoms are in people with endometriosis.

    Participants were also asked to rate the average level of their abdominal and pelvic pain over the past month, on a scale from zero to ten. The responses highlighted a wide range of pain experiences, though the majority of respondents either rated their average pain a four (can mostly be ignored but with difficulty) or a seven (makes it difficult to concentrate, interferes with sleep and takes effort to function as normal).

    The majority (83%) of respondents also reported making dietary changes to control symptoms. Around 67% noted this had a positive effect on pain.

    The survey listed 20 different diets (plus “other”), allowing participants to select all the diets they’d tried and explain which had affected their pain symptoms. Some of the most popular diets patients had tried included: reducing alcohol intake, going gluten-free, going dairy-free, drinking less caffeine and reducing intake of processed foods and sugar.

    Giving up processed and sugary foods was a common diet change many women with endometriosis made.
    Tatjana Baibakova/ Shutterstock

    Around half of participants reported improvements in their pain after adopting at least one of these diets. For the most popular diets, a reduction in pain was reported by 53% who reduced alcohol consumption, 45% who went gluten-free and dairy-free and 43% who reduced caffeine intake.

    Reducing inflammation

    This survey, which was the largest of its kind to date, was only conducted in English. This might have limited participation. Additionally, the observed changes were all self-reported, meaning we cannot confirm that the dietary modifications directly caused the changes in pain.

    Still, our findings show diet may be an important tool in managing the pain caused by endometriosis. Importantly, no specific diet benefits everyone, so it may take some trial and error to figure out what works best. It’s also worth noting that diet changes appeared to be less beneficial for those with the most severe symptoms.

    Research into why people with endometriosis experience pain has identified excess inflammation as a key factor. Inflammation is the body’s mechanism for fighting off an infection or recovering from an injury. In people with endometriosis, it’s thought that the inflammatory response is overstimulated – triggering sensitisation of nerves and amplifying the perception of pain.

    Certain foods may also promote inflammation in the body. For instance, it’s thought that gluten and dairy could promote inflammation due to the way they interact with the cells lining the gut and the by-products they produce when broken down by the gut microbes. These by-products have the potential to move around the body and cause more widespread inflammation. Alcohol is also known to be pro-inflammatory.

    Reducing intake of certain foods may therefore help reduce overall inflammation levels in people with endometriosis. This may explain why the participants in our study, and others, reported seeing improvements in their symptoms as a result of cutting out inflammatory foods.

    Moving forward, we need properly controlled clinical studies that monitor food intake, real-time recording of pain and IBS-like symptoms, and precise measurement of inflammation in the body, in order to understand the reasons why diet may help people with endometriosis.

    This is something our research team is already working on. We’re launching a large-scale study with more than 1,000 people who have endometriosis. Each participant will donate stool and blood samples, record food intake details and report on the use of pain medications, supplements, prebiotics, probiotics and dietary modifications. The long-term goal with this project is to support a more holistic and personalized approach to caring for people with endometriosis.

    Philippa Saunders has received funding from The Medical Research Council. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and sits on the Scientific Advisory Group of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

    Andrew Horne reports receiving grants from the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Chief Scientist Office, Wellbeing of Women, Roche Diagnostics, and European Union, receiving consultancy and lecture fees from Theramex, Roche Diagnostics and Gedeon Richter, and having patents issued for a UK patent application No. 2217921.2 and international patent application No. PCT/GB2023/053076 outside the submitted work. He is President-elect of the World Endometriosis Society and Trustee to Endometriosis UK. He is Specialty Advisor to the Scottish Government’s Chief Medical Officer for Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

    Francesca Hearn-Yeates 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. Endometriosis: our research shows changing your diet may reduce pain symptoms – https://theconversation.com/endometriosis-our-research-shows-changing-your-diet-may-reduce-pain-symptoms-254424

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Piracy’ to legitimacy: how companies like French ride-hailing platform Heetch can make their mark

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Maxime Massey, Docteur en Sciences de Gestion & Innovation – Chercheur affilié à la Chaire Improbable, ESCP Business School

    The 2024 arrest and subsequent release of activist Paul Watson, the founder of the NGO Sea Shepherd that fights to protect ocean biodiversity, highlighted a division between two opposing camps. There are those who want to stay true to the NGO’s DNA by continuing to practice strong activism against poaching states, and those who believe there is too much at stake in remaining confrontational and advocate instead for more measured actions to institutionalize the NGO. This opposition reflects the dilemma faced by many “pirate organizations”, a concept introduced by scholars Rudolph Durand and Jean-Philippe Vergne.

    What are pirate organizations?

    Pirate organizations are defined by three key characteristics.

    • they develop innovative activities by exploiting legal loopholes

    • they defend a “public cause” to support neglected communities, who in turn support them

    • by introducing innovations that address specific social needs, they disrupt monopolies and contribute to transforming economic and social systems


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    However, to do these things effectively, pirate organizations must become legitimate. An organization is considered legitimate when its various audiences (customers, media, the state, etc.) perceive its actions as desirable according to prevailing values, norms and laws. Legitimacy is built through a process known as legitimation. For pirate organizations, this is particularly challenging, as they are often viewed as both illegal and illegitimate by the state and established industry players. These actors apply pressure to hinder legitimation. So how do pirate organizations build their legitimacy? We examined this question through the emblematic case of Heetch.

    A case study of a pirate organization

    Heetch is a French urban transport start-up launched in 2013 when its founders observed that “young people in Paris and its suburbs struggle to travel at night due to a lack of suitable options”. They decided to create a ride-hailing platform connecting private drivers with passengers.

    This business model, based on the principles of the “sharing economy”, encroached on the monopoly of taxis and the regulated sector of professional chauffeur-driven vehicles (VTCs). Despite challenges, Heetch gradually built its legitimacy through three distinct phases, responding to pressures in different ways.

    Stage 1: ‘clandestine pragmatism’ (2013-2015)

    When Heetch launched in 2013, a conflict was brewing in the urban transport sector. On one side, there were new applications for VTC services (such as Uber) and for private driver platforms (such as UberPop and Heetch); on the other, there were traditional taxis and their booking departments (such as G7). The latter, along with government authorities, began exerting pressure to shut down the apps, with Uber receiving most of the media attention.

    During this phase, Heetch adopted a strategy of “clandestine pragmatism”. The start-up avoided direct confrontations and stayed “under the radar” of the media. This approach is similar to “bootlegging” – concealing an innovative activity during its early stages. Heetch built a pragmatic legitimacy among its immediate audience using informal techniques such as word-of-mouth. However, its legitimacy remained limited, because it operated outside media scrutiny and without state approval.

    Stage 2: ‘subversive activism’ (2015-2017)

    In June 2015, taxi drivers organized massive protests against the “unfair competition” posed by new ride-hailing apps. The Paris police issued a ban on UberPop-like applications, including Heetch’s.

    While Uber shut down UberPop, Heetch exploited a legal loophole – its name was not explicitly mentioned in the ban – and continued operations. In response, the state cracked down on Heetch: around 100 drivers were placed in police custody and the founders were summoned to court, facing charges of “illegal facilitation of contact” with drivers, “complicity in unlawful taxi operations” and “misleading commercial practices”.

    Heetch reacted by engaging in “subversive activism”. The founders spoke out in the media to defend their service, emphasizing its public utility, particularly for young suburban residents needing nighttime mobility. The start-up generated buzz by releasing a satirical video featuring altered images of political figures in their youth. Heetch leveraged its pragmatic legitimacy, already established within its community, to gain media legitimacy among a broader audience of people, including journalists and policymakers. The organization gained public recognition, but also faced increasing legal battles.

    Stage 3: ‘tempered radicalism’ (2017-present)

    In March 2017, a court ruled against Heetch, deeming its operations illegal. Heetch temporarily suspended its service but relaunched two weeks later with a new business model employing professional drivers. Two months later, Heetch attempted to reintroduce private drivers, but, after facing additional legal action, it abandoned this approach after six months to focus exclusively on legal transportation services.

    During this phase, Heetch practised “tempered radicalism”. The company integrated into the system while continuing its “fight” in a more moderate manner, avoiding direct confrontation with the state and industry players. It adopted three key strategies:

    • compliance – respecting the law

    • compromise – balancing its transportation service with its public mission

    • manipulation – lobbying to influence regulations

    Through this approach, Heetch secured regulatory legitimacy while strengthening its existing pragmatic and media legitimacy. The company was recognized by the French government and included in the French Tech 120 and Next 40 programmes for the country’s most promising start-ups. It also became the first ride-hailing platform to attain “mission-driven company” status.

    Is ‘piracy’ a growth accelerator?

    Ultimately, our study highlights the value of piracy as a strategy for kickstarting the growth of an organization that serves a public cause. By embracing this approach, a pirate organization can drive systemic change to address social or environmental challenges.

    That said, piracy carries an inherent risk: at some point, it will likely face a legitimacy crisis triggered by resistance from monopolies or public authorities. The recent struggles of Paul Watson serve as testament. As he aptly puts it: “You can’t change the world without making waves”.

    Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.

    – ref. ‘Piracy’ to legitimacy: how companies like French ride-hailing platform Heetch can make their mark – https://theconversation.com/piracy-to-legitimacy-how-companies-like-french-ride-hailing-platform-heetch-can-make-their-mark-253079

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ARU celebrates global successes of its alumni

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Vice Chancellor’s Outstanding Alumni Awards showcase incredible contributions

    The incredible contributions that Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) graduates have made to communities, culture and enterprise across the world were celebrated at the annual Vice Chancellor’s Outstanding Alumni Awards last night.

    During a glittering ceremony at its Chelmsford campus, ARU welcomed back of its former students to celebrate their successes since crossing the stage and graduating from ARU.

    A total of 34 finalists were shortlisted in seven categories which recognised contributions in areas such as voluntary service, contribution to culture, public service and sustainability.

    • Alumni Contribution to Culture Award: Winner: Thea Lu (MA Children’s Book Illustration 2021). Thea is a picture book author and illustrator whose published works include Dive into the Night Sea, Here & There, and Minuscules Mandibules, winning awards including the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition Winners, 2021 Sebastian Walker Award, and 2024 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books.
    • Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Winner: Joe McGrath (Masters of Business Administration 2024). An entrepreneur and marketer, Joe is the founder of Rhotic Media, a financial marketing agency. Joe holds an MBA from ARU and a BA (Hons) in Corporate Communication. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Prior to launching Rhotic, Joe worked as a senior journalist for the Financial Times Group, Dow Jones, and Reach plc.
    • Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award: Winner: Mary Prior KC (LLB 1984) Mary is a barrister with 34 years’ experience of prosecuting and defending the most serious, complex criminal cases across England and Wales. A KC, she is Chair of the Criminal Bar Association, the Midland Criminal Law Association, and Midland Women in Criminal Law. She is also a Bencher and Vice Chair of Education (Outreach) for Gray’s Inn, Head of 36 Crime in London, Patron of the Non-Russell Group of Lawyers and Bringing (Dis)ability to the Bar. In 2020, Mary was named Woman of the Year at the Women in Law Awards.
    • Alumni Public Service Award: Winner: Dr Manshi S. Mankiwala (MSc Public Health 2011). Dr Mankiwala is a dedicated public health professional serving as a state consultant with the National Health Mission, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Gujarat. Her work focuses on strengthening health systems, policy advocacy, and maternal, child, and adolescent health.
    • Alumni Rising Star Award: Winner: Ariana Soares Dias Portela (MSc Applied Bio Science 2021). Ariana Soares Dias Portela is a dedicated scientist who spent two years in New York researching a compound that delays Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis symptoms in mice. She is now pursuing a PhD at the UK’s first Space Innovation Lab, collaborating with NASA to study how microgravity affects aging.
    • Alumni Sustainability Champion Award: Winner: Dr Norbert Edomah (Doctor of Philosophy Global Sustainability Institute 2018). Norbert Edomah is a Professor of Energy Systems and Policy at the School of Science and Technology, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria. With over two decades of experience in the energy sector, he has led several EU and UKRI-funded projects. Norbert focuses on understanding how people respond to changes in energy systems and how these interactions impact energy policy.
    • Alumni Voluntary Service Award: Winner: Oa Hackett (Certificate of Higher Education Charity and Social Enterprise Management (LDS) 2019). Oa founded Little Lifts in 2017 after her breast cancer treatment at the age of 28. The charity has raised over £2million and supported over 28,000 breast cancer patients through 10 NHS hospital partnerships and The Little Kindness Fund. Her contributions have been recognised with a Points of Light Award, a British Citizen Award, and the Chartered Institute Fundraising East of England Professional Fundraiser of the Year Award.

    “The calibre of our nominees has been outstanding. It has been a great pleasure to learn more about their success, and we are proud to recognise their dedication, passion and commitment. They are inspirational role models to our students and our ARU community.”

    Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexey Lukin: “I linked my future with the Higher School of Mechanics and Control Processes and have never regretted it”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Associate Professor of the Higher School of Mechanics and Control Processes of the Physics and Mechanical Institute Alexey Lukin is a bright representative of young scientists of the Polytechnic University. A candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, he successfully manages and participates in projects supported by the Russian Science Foundation, including projects for youth research groups. Their topics are related to the activities of SPbPU partner – the Central Research Institute “Elektropribor”, with which Alexey Vyacheslavovich actively interacts. In the interview the hero said about his path in science, about fateful acquaintances at the Polytechnic University and about which engineering projects are currently considered breakthroughs.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Tracks Snowmelt to Improve Water Management

    Source: NASA

    As part of a science mission tracking one of Earth’s most precious resources – water – NASA’s C-20A aircraft conducted a series of seven research flights in March that can help researchers track the process and timeline as snow melts and transforms into a freshwater resource. The agency’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) installed on the aircraft collected measurements of seasonal snow cover and estimate the freshwater contained in it.
    “Seasonal snow is a critical resource for drinking water, power generation, supporting multi-billion dollar agricultural and recreation industries,” said Starr Ginn, C-20A project manager at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.  “Consequently, understanding the distribution of seasonal snow storage and subsequent runoff is essential.”
    The Dense UAVSAR Snow Time (DUST) mission mapped snow accumulation over the Sierra Nevada mountains in California and the Rocky Mountains in Idaho. Mission scientists can use these observations to estimate the amount of water stored in that snow.

    “Until recently, defining the best method for accurately measuring snow water equivalent (SWE) – or how much and when fresh water is converted from snow – has been a challenge,” said Shadi Oveisgharan, principal investigator of DUST and scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “The UAVSAR has been shown to be a good instrument to retrieve SWE data.”
    Recent research has shown that snow properties, weather patterns, and seasonal conditions in the American West have been shifting in recent decades. These changes have fundamentally altered previous expectations about snowpack monitoring and forecasts of snow runoff. The DUST mission aims to better track and understand those changes to develop more accurate estimates of snow-to-water conversions and their timelines.
    “We are trying to find the optimum window during which to retrieve snow data,” Oveisgharan said. “This estimation will help us better estimate available fresh snow and manage our reservoirs better.”

    The DUST mission achieved a new level of snow data accuracy, which is partly due to the specialized flight paths flown by the C-20A. The aircraft’s Platform Precision Autopilot (PPA) enables the team to fly very specific routes at exact altitudes, speeds, and angles so the UAVSAR can more precisely measure terrain changes.
    “Imagine the rows made on grass by a lawn mower,” said Joe Piotrowski Jr., operations engineer for NASA Armstrong’s airborne science program. “The PPA system enables the C-20A to make those paths while measuring terrain changes down to the diameter of a centimeter.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 4.24.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 24, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Leia Bailey, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Bailey has been Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation since 2021. Bailey was the Associate Executive Director at the California Craft Brewers Association from 2016 to 2021. She was a Public Relations Account Manager at Perry Communications Group from 2014 to 2016. Bailey was a Public Relations Manager at Appency: Mobile Application Marketing from 2012 to 2014. She was an Account Coordinator at McGrath Power Public Relations and Communications in 2012. Bailey earned a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Journalism from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and compensation is $193,008. Bailey is a Democrat.

    Miranda Flores, of Folsom, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the Governor’s Office of Land Use, Climate, and Innovation. Flores has been Deputy Secretary of Legislation at the California Natural Resources Agency since 2020. She held multiple roles in the Office of State Assemblymember Bill Quirk in the California State Assembly from 2012 and 2017, including Legislative Director, Interim Chief of Staff, Legislative Aide, and Executive Assistant. Flores was Executive Assistant in the Office of State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg in the California State Senate from 2010 to 2012. She was Office Manager and Scheduler in the Office of State Senator Jenny Oropeza in the California State Senate from 2008 to 2010. Flores was Lead Capitol Secretary Technician for the California State Senate Sergeant-at-Arms from 2003 to 2008. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $190,536. Flores is a Democrat.

    Crystal Young, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Communications at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Young has been Director of Communications to the First Partner in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom since 2022. She was a Press Secretary in the Office of the California Attorney General from 2020 to 2022. Young was the Communications Coordinator for Teamsters Local 856 from 2017 to 2020. She was a Staff Writer at the United Domestic Workers of America from 2015 to 2017. Young was a Program Manager at the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor from 2011 to 2015. She was an Eligibility Specialist at the State of Michigan Department of Human Services in 2011. Young was an Investigative Assistant at the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights from 2008 to 2009. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Social Justice from Loyola University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Adrian College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $155,004. Young is a Democrat.

    Kevin Matulich, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Clean Economy and Infrastructure at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Matulich has been a Deputy Cabinet Secretary in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom since 2023. He held multiple positions at the California Employment Development Department from 2014 to 2023, including Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs, Assistant Director, Assistant Director of Policy and External Affairs, and Special Assistant to the Director. Matulich earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from University of California, Santa Barbara. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $181,416. Matulich is a Democrat.

    Brianna Nicole Mallari, of West Sacramento, has been appointed Special Assistant to the Secretary at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Mallari has been an Office Technician at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency since 2024. She was a Women’s Basketball Coach and Director of Scheduling at Del Oro High School from 2021 to 2025. Mallari was a Human Resources Administrator at Advanced Integrated Pest Management from 2022 to 2024. She was a Personal Assistant at Hilay.Co from 2020 to 2022. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $70,692. Mallari is a Democrat.

    Patricia Lock Dawson, of Riverside, has been appointed to the California Air Resources Board. Lock Dawson has been Mayor of the City of Riverside since 2020. She was a Trustee of the Board of Education at the Riverside Unified School District from 2011 to 2020. Lock Dawson was the President and Owner at PLD Consulting Governmental Affairs from 2001 to 2020. She was a Wildlife Biologist at the Bureau of Land Management from 1994 to 1998. Lock Dawson earned a Master of Business Administration from Claremont Graduate University, a Master of Science degree in Forestry from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (Ecology) from the University of California, Riverside. This position requires Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Lock Dawson is registered without party preference.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

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    Apr 24, 2025

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    Apr 23, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Annabelle Hopkins, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Government Affairs at the California Public Advocates Office. Hopkins has been Government Relations Manager at…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 3-Day ‘India Steel 2025’ Kicks Off with Visionary Dialogue and Industry-Driven Innovation on Day 1

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 24 APR 2025 8:30PM by PIB Mumbai

    Mumbai, 24 April 2025

     

    India Steel 2025 was inaugurated today at the Bombay Exhibition Centre with a dynamic Day 1 that set the tone for three days of ground breaking dialogues, collaborations, and innovations. The biennial event, jointly organized by the Ministry of Steel, Government of India, and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), has once again cemented its status as the country’s premier platform for the steel industry.

    The inaugural session was addressed by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi through a video message and he emphasized India’s strategic vision to enhance domestic steel production, reduce carbon emissions, and promote Make in India. The other key dignitaries part of the inaugural session included Shri Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, Minister of State, Ministry of Steel, Govt of India; Shri Lakhan Lal Dewangan, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Labour, Govt of Chhattisgarh, Shri Sandeep Pondrik, Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Govt of India; Shri Amarendu Prakash, Chairman, Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) and Chair- FICCI Steel Committee, Shri Anant Goenka, Senior Vice President, FICCI & Vice Chairman, RPG Group, and Dr. Edwin Basson, Director General, World Steel Association.

    During the day, important sessions were organized to discuss the potential, challenges and opportunities in the Indian steel sector and the road map to capitalize the international market.

    The session on ‘Viksit Bharat: Role of Steel Sector in Indian Economy’, a high-level panel comprising senior policymakers, economists, and industry leaders delved into the critical role of steel in realizing India’s $5 trillion economy vision which was moderated by Shri Anthony Crasto, Senior Partner, Deloitte. The session emphasized the sector’s potential to drive infrastructure, employment, and self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Context to the session was set by Shri Amarendu Prakash, Chairman, SAIL whereas panelists H.E. Shri Mikhail Yurin, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry & Trade, Government of Russian Federation, Shri Ashwini Kumar, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Steel, Government of India, Shri Jayant Acharya, Joint Managing Director & CEO JSW Group, Shri Anthony Crasto, Senior Partner, Deloitte & Shri Hitoshi Kawano, CEO, Primetals Technologies India Ltd. shared their thoughts.

    The ‘CEOs Round Table’ was chaired by Shri Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, Hon’ble Minister of State for Ministry of Steel and Heavy Industries. Other key participants included Shri Sandeep Poundrik, Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Government of India, Shri Hemant Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and MSME, Government of Odisha, Shri Ashish Chatterjee, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Steel, Government of India along with other govt officials, industry leaders who discussed on the current challenges and growth for the Indian steel sector.

    The ‘India–Russia Round Table’ served as a strategic platform for bilateral engagement between key stakeholders from both nations. The Indian delegation included senior officials such as the Secretary (Steel), Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor (AS&FA), Director General of BIS, Joint Secretaries (AN and VKT), the Director of SAIL, Chairmen and Managing Directors of NMDC and MECON, as well as top leadership from major private sector players including Tata Steel, AMNS, JSW, JSPL, JSL, and other prominent industry members. On the Russian side, the delegation was led by H.E. Shri Mikhail Yurin, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Trade, along with Shri Bobylev Petr, Director, Coal Industry Development, Ministry of Energy. The round table also included key trade representatives: Shri Evgeny Griva, Shri Mamed Akmedov, Shri Andrey Podchufarov, Shri Artem Ukolov, and Shri Vladislav Dmitriev, Head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. The discussion centered on enhancing bilateral cooperation in the steel and mining sectors, fostering joint ventures, and exploring new avenues for technology transfer and trade facilitation.

    With participation from over 250 exhibitors across 15 countries, the exhibition hall buzzed with activity, showcasing cutting-edge equipment, automation solutions, and sustainable product lines. Delegates explored advances in AI, robotics, and materials science that are shaping the future of steel.

    The Day-2 of India Steel 2025 will witness the presence of Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Govt of India; Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, Govt of India; Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, I&B and Electronics & Information Technology, Govt of India; Shri Pralhad Joshi, Minister of New & Renewable Energy, Govt of India; along with Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister of Odisha; to address the industry leaders, delegates along with exhibitors  on various sessions on infrastructure, export strategies, and skill development. Networking events and B2B meetings are also scheduled to drive cross-border collaboration and business growth.

    India Steel 2025 continues through April 26, offering a comprehensive platform for stakeholders to engage, ideate, and lead the way forward.

     

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    PIB Mumbai | T.Jadhav/D.Rane

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CSIR-IMMT Signs Joint Declarations of Intent with Russia’s Giredmet, Rosatom, Moscow and National University of Science and Technology, Moscow to Advance Critical Mineral Technologies

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 25 APR 2025 11:00AM by PIB Bhubaneshwar

    The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), through its premier minerals research institute CSIR-IMMT, has signed two Joint Declarations of Intent (JDIs) with leading Russian institutions—the State Research and Design Institute of the Rare Metal Industry (JSC Giredmet), a premier research and design institute under the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom, Moscow and the National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow (NUST MISIS)—to strengthen cooperation in critical mineral processing and sustainable resource development.

    Two separate Joint Declarations of Intent were signed by Dr. Ramanuj Narayan (Director, CSIR-IMMT)—one with Dr. Andrei I. Golinei (Director, Chemical Technology Unit, JSC Rosatom Science) and another with Dr. Michael R. Filonov (Vice-Rector, NUST MISIS).The collaborations are coordinated by Dr. Kali Sanjay, Chief Scientist and Head of Business Development from CSIR-IMMT, and Dr Konstantin V. Ivanovskikh, Deputy Director for Science and Innovation, and Dr. Korotchenko Natalia, Director MISIS Information and Marketing Centre from Giredmet JSC and NUST MISIS, respectively.Shri Anoop Kumar Srivastava, Counsellor (Space) from the Embassy of India, Moscow was also present during the signing, supporting the bilateral collaborations in critical minerals technologies.

    Signing of JDI between CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar and State Research and Design Institute of the Rare Metal Industry (JSC Giredmet), Rosatom, Moscow

    Signing of JDI between CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar and National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow

     

     

    The CSIR-IMMT team (Dr. Ramanuj Narayan, Director and Dr. Kali Sanjay, Chief Scientist and Head, Business Development) met with His Excellency Mr. Vinay Kumar, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation, at the Indian Embassy in Moscow on 24th April, 2025. The meeting was facilitated by Shri Anoop Kumar Srivastava, Counsellor (Space). During the interaction, the team briefed the honourable Ambassador on purpose of the visit to Russia and highlighted the importance of R&D and technological collaboration in process metallurgy, with a focus on critical minerals vital for Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.

     

     

    CSIR-IMMT team meets with His Excellency Mr. Vinay Kumar, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation, at the Indian Embassy in Moscow.

     

     

    Swadhin/Manoj

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NHRC, India condemns the killing of innocent civilians by terrorists in the Pahalgam area of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir

    Source: Government of India

    NHRC, India condemns the killing of innocent civilians by terrorists in the Pahalgam area of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir

    Says, the time has come to act against those indulging in terrorism directly or indirectly and to hold them accountable for this menace against humanity

    It is expected that the State will take all necessary steps to fix accountability; bring the perpetrators to justice, and provide succour to the families of the victims in all possible manner

    Posted On: 25 APR 2025 12:56PM by PIB Delhi

    “The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India is deeply disturbed by the news of the killing of 28 people by the terrorists after identifying their faith in Pahalgam area of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir on 22nd April, 2025.

    The Commission condemns the dastardly attack on the unarmed and unsuspecting innocent civilians who were on a holiday to the valley. The incident has shaken the conscience of every right thinking human being as a serious issue of violation of human rights of the innocent victims and their families.

    It has been said time and again at various forums that terrorism is one of the biggest causes of human rights violations in the world. The time has come to act against those aiding, abetting, supporting and advancing terrorism and to hold them accountable for this menace. Otherwise, it may result in shrinking of democratic space, intimidation, reprisals, harmony among communities and grave violation of various human rights, including right to life, liberty, equality, fraternity, and livelihood.

    It is expected that the State will take all the necessary steps to fix accountability; bring the perpetrators to justice and provide succour to the families of the victims in all possible manner.”

    *****

    NSK

    (Release ID: 2124223) Visitor Counter : 94

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University presented its developments at the international conference on plasma physics

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Students and postgraduates of the Institute of Physics and Mechanics of SPbPU took part in the international conference on plasma physics and controlled thermonuclear fusion in Zvenigorod. The organizers were the state corporation Rosatom, the National Research Center Kurchatov Institute and the Russian Academy of Sciences. More than 200 specialists discussed current issues related to plasma physics, plasma technologies and thermonuclear energy.

    This year the conference was dedicated to the memory of Academician Evgeny Pavlovich Velikhov, an outstanding scientist and organizer who made an invaluable contribution to research in the field of plasma physics and controlled fusion in our country.

    Participants discussed magnetic confinement of high-temperature plasma, inertial thermonuclear fusion, physical processes in low-temperature plasma, physical foundations of plasma and beam technologies, and much more. A separate section presented the results of work within the framework of ITER, the largest international project in the field of thermonuclear fusion.

    At the plenary session, experts discussed the historical aspects of plasma physics and controlled fusion in our country, as well as current progress in the most important areas of plasma physics and thermonuclear energy. The teams of the Russian T-15MD and Globus-M2 installations, representatives of the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and other major Russian research institutes, enterprises, and universities shared their work results. Students of the PhysMech Institute of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University were among the co-authors of a review report dedicated to the results of research on the Globus-M2 spherical tokamak operating at the Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    Colleagues from the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) spoke about the current progress at the operating EAST tokamak and the new generation BEST and CFEDR installations being created. The report was given by the president of LiWFusion L. E. Zakharov.

    Students and postgraduates of the Higher School of Fundamental Physics Research of the PhysMech Institute took part in the work of the section “Magnetic Confinement of High-Temperature Plasma”. Arseny Tokarev presented a study of the radial electric field during peripheral localized modes at the Globus-M2 tokamak, carried out with the support of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.

    Alexey Krivosheev and Yulia Lashkina analyzed the phenomenon of non-local heat transfer (NLT), which is observed in high-temperature plasma magnetic confinement installations during injection of macroparticles into the plasma, in particular, in the Japanese LHD heliotron. The work was supported by the Rosatom State Corporation and the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.

    Mikhail Buts gave two reports. He spoke about the results of modeling the spectra of braking and recombination soft X-ray radiation of plasma in comparison with measurements obtained on a new X-ray spectrometer, created with his participation at the FT-2 tokamak. Mikhail also presented a method for processing diagnostic data using high-speed video filming.

    Kirill Kukushkin demonstrated the results of modeling the Globus-M2 tokamak using the SOLPS-ITER code with an improved model for describing neutral particles. The work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. Dmitry Korobko spoke about the studies of the peripheral plasma of the Globus-M2 tokamak using the helium spectroscopy method with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science. Margarita Deryabina presented a report on the features of the influence of electromagnetic waves in the frequency range of the lower hybrid resonance on the plasma of the FT-2 tokamak. The reports of the Polytechnic University representatives aroused keen interest among the conference participants.

    At the invitation of colleagues from Moscow, students and postgraduates of the PhysMech Institute visited the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, where they observed an experiment on the T-15MD tokamak, as well as the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, where they got acquainted with the university tokamak MIFI-0 and the laboratories of the plasma physics department.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU is represented in 10 RAEX subject rankings

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Yesterday, the RAEX agency for the fourth time published subject rankings of the “Three University Missions” family. The lists of the best included 166 universities from 40 regions of Russia. This year, ratings were prepared in 35 subject areas – mathematics, a wide range of natural science and engineering specialties, social and humanitarian areas, etc. The ratings were formed on the basis of only objective data, the results of expert surveys were not used. NSU is represented in 10 ratings – 2 more than in 2024. Among the new areas in which the university is positioned are “information technology” and “mechanical engineering and robotics”.

    NSU took the highest positions in the areas of “biology” and “chemistry”: the university entered the top 3 best universities in Russia. NSU is also in 5th place in “physics” and in 6th place in “mathematics”. The university’s positions in these four subject areas have not changed compared to last year.

    The university improved its position in “information technology”: last year NSU was not positioned in this area, and compared to 2023, it rose by 2 positions and took 17th place. In “history and archeology”, it rose by one position and entered the top 10; in “sociology” – by 3 positions and took 11th place. For the first time this year, NSU is positioned in “mechanical engineering and robotics”: the university took 11th place.

    — Novosibirsk State University traditionally occupies high positions in the natural sciences. The Faculty of Natural Sciences, the Physics Department and the Mechanics and Mathematics Department are known at the federal and global level, so applicants from all over the country come to us. Thus, at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the share of out-of-town students exceeds 70%. The university also has strong training in the field of information technology, and NSU is currently actively developing such a promising area as artificial intelligence and machine learning. In the new educational model, we pay attention to the engineering research track. We have achieved significant results in this area, which is confirmed by our fairly high positions in the subject ranking for “mechanical engineering and robotics”, which we entered for the first time this year, — commented NSU Rector, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk.

    Reference:

    Subject rankings are based on the assessment of three university missions: educational, scientific, and social. When assessing the first — educational — mission of universities, the quality of training of enrolled applicants, the university’s staffing, the competitiveness of the master’s program, the amount of funding, the results of students’ performance at Russian student Olympiads, and the number of massive online courses are assessed.

    The indicators of the Science group include bibliometric indicators (publications and their citations), according to the Web of Science and RSCI databases, research income adjusted for scale, the scale of training highly qualified personnel (postgraduate studies), the number of dissertation defenses, as well as the share of extra-budgetary sources in the total volume of expenditure on scientific research and development.

    When assessing the third, public mission of universities, both subject and institutional indicators related to the university as a whole were taken into account. For example, the university’s contribution to training personnel for the region, the share of students in the field on a national scale, the share of target students, the share of first-year students from other regions.

    The methodology of subject rankings is developed taking into account the characteristic features of different spheres. Therefore, subject rankings use different sets of indicators and different weights. Thus, for the natural sciences and engineering areas, the weight of the “Science” group is 35%, while for the social and humanitarian spheres it is 25%. The weight of the “Education” group indicators for the natural sciences and engineering areas is 40%, while for the social and humanitarian spheres it is 50%. All indicators of the third group, “Society”, in both cases are 25%.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University, Xi’an University Strengthen Cooperation at Anniversary Meeting

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    A delegation from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University visited Xi’an University of Technology. The visit was led by Vice-Rector for Educational Activities Lyudmila Pankova. SPbPU representatives took part in the ceremonial events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of one of the leading technical universities in China.

    This visit was an important step in the development of a long-term strategic partnership between the two universities, which includes joint educational programs, scientific research and academic exchanges. The meeting began with a reception of the SPbPU delegation by the President of STU, Professor Yao Yao, who noted that cooperation between the universities, which officially began in 2018, is developing dynamically. During this time, significant progress has been achieved in joint projects, including the establishment of the Joint Polytechnic Institute in 2023 – a key link in the training of engineering personnel for Russia and China. President Yao Yao proposed expanding cooperation in master’s and postgraduate educational programs.

    Lyudmila Pankova conveyed congratulations from SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy, who in his address called STU “a forge of talents” and emphasized that the joint initiatives of the two universities laid a solid foundation for long-term partnership. In response, the Chinese colleagues expressed gratitude for the support and noted that interaction with the Polytechnic University opens up new opportunities for students and researchers of both countries.

    The central event of the visit was the participation of the SPbPU delegation in a symposium on international education, where Lyudmila Pankova gave a report on “A New Model of Personnel Training to Achieve Technological Leadership”. In her speech, she shared the Polytechnic University’s experience in implementing innovative educational programs aimed at training specialists capable of responding to the challenges of the global economy.

    During the talks with Vice-Rector for Education and International Affairs Yan Li and Director of the Joint Polytechnic Institute STU-SPbPU Niu Tongjin, the parties discussed further development of cooperation, including expansion of student exchanges, joint research projects in the field of new materials, artificial intelligence and energy, as well as deepening interaction within the Joint Polytechnic Institute. The SPbPU delegation also visited advanced laboratories and research centers of STU, where they got acquainted with the latest developments of Chinese scientists.

    The visit ended with a constructive dialogue. Representatives of both universities confirmed their interest in further developing cooperation in science, education and technology, emphasizing the importance of sustainable ties between Russia and China.

    “Our cooperation with Xi’an University of Technology is not just an exchange of knowledge, but the creation of a single educational space where breakthrough ideas are born. The joint polytechnic institute has become a living example of how the academic traditions of Russia and the innovative potential of China are united to train highly qualified specialists of the new generation. Those who will determine the technological landscape of tomorrow,” noted Lyudmila Pankova.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Digital Transformation of Management: All-Russian Conference Held at GUU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    On April 24, the Institute of Information Systems of the State University of Management hosted the VII All-Russian scientific and practical conference “Digital Transformation of Management: Problems and Solutions”.

    Traditionally, the purpose of the conference is to exchange experience, information, and research results between scientists from leading universities, practicing specialists from IT companies, and start-up entrepreneurship, shaping the formation of “education-business-science” clusters.

    The organizers selected the best reports for participation, reflecting the modern scientific and practical interests of scientists from leading Russian universities in the field of developing digital solutions and control automation: State University of Management, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow Aviation Institute, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Saratov State Technical University named after Yu.A. Gagarin, Crimean Federal University named after Vernadsky, Kazan Innovative University, etc.

    The event discussed issues of forming an individualized educational trajectory using a composition of educational technologies, integrating artificial intelligence into management processes, ensuring corporate information security, priorities and drivers of digitalization in agribusiness, using unmanned aerial vehicles and building platform solutions and hybrid DSS for managing processes in agriculture, developing a computer vision model for detecting documentary areas of interest, using mathematical modeling tools for analyzing mortgage lending, labor migration, etc.

    At the conference, Sergei Golovashov, Head of the Competence Center at Bell Integrator, also shared his experience in ensuring corporate information security.

    It is noteworthy that young scientists took an active part in this year’s conference: senior bachelors, master’s students and postgraduates of the IIS SUM.

    Participants of the conference “Digital Transformation of Management: Problems and Solutions” noted that holding such scientific events has great theoretical and practical significance for improving the processes of digitalization of management and solving new problems that arise as challenges to the development of modern society.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/25/2025

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

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  • MIL-OSI Global: Malaria scorecard: battles have been won and advances made, but the war isn’t over

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Shüné Oliver, Medical scientist, National Institute for Communicable Diseases

    Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of malaria cases in the world. In this region 11 countries account for two-thirds of the global burden.

    World Malaria Day is marked on 25 April. What progress has been made against the disease, where are the gaps and what’s being done to plug them?

    As scientists who research malaria in Africa, we believe that the continent can defeat the disease. New, effective tools have been added to the malaria toolbox.

    Researchers and malaria programmes, however, must strengthen collaborations. This will ensure the limited resources are used in ways that make the most impact.

    The numbers

    Some progress has been made, but in some cases there have been reverses.

    • Between 2000 and 2015 there was an 18% reduction in new cases from 262 million in 2000 to 214 million in 2015. Since then, progress has stalled.

    • The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 2.2 billion cases have been prevented between 2000 and 2023. Additionally, 12.7 million deaths have been avoided. In 2025, 45 countries are certified as malaria free. Only nine of those countries are in Africa. These include Egypt, Seychelles and Lesotho.

    • The global target set by the WHO was to reduce new cases by 75% compared to cases in 2015. Africa should have reported approximately 47,000 cases in 2023. Instead there were 246 million.

    • Almost every African country with ongoing malaria transmission experienced an increase in malaria cases in 2023. Exceptions to this were Rwanda and Liberia.

    So why is progress stagnating and in many cases reversing?

    The setbacks

    Effective malaria control is extremely challenging. Malaria parasite and mosquito populations evolve rapidly. This makes them difficult to control.

    Africa is home to malaria mosquitoes that prefer biting humans to other animals. These mosquitoes have also adapted to avoid insecticide-treated surfaces.

    It has been shown in South Africa that mosquitoes may feed on people inside their homes, but will avoid resting on the sprayed walls.

    Mosquitoes have also developed mechanisms to resist the effects of insecticides. Malaria vector resistance to certain insecticides used in malaria control is widespread in endemic areas. Resistance levels vary around Africa.

    Resistance to the pyrethroid class is most common. Organophosphate resistance is rare, but present in west Africa. As mosquitoes become resistant to the chemicals used for mosquito control, both the spraying of houses and insecticide treated nets become less effective. However, in regions with high malaria cases, nets still provide physical protection despite resistance.

    An additional challenge is that malaria parasites continue to develop resistance to anti-malarial drugs. In 2007 the first evidence began to emerge in south-east Asia that parasites were developing resistance to artemisinins. These are key drugs in the fight against malaria.

    Recently this has been shown to be happening in some African countries too. Artemisinin resistance has been confirmed in Eritrea, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Molecular markers of artemisinin resistance were recently detected in parasites from Namibia and Zambia.

    Malaria parasites have also developed mutations that prevent them from being being detected by the most widely used rapid diagnostic test in Africa.

    Countries in the Horn of Africa, where parasites with these mutations are common, have changed the malaria rapid diagnostic tests used to ensure early diagnosis.

    The progress

    Nevertheless, the fight against malaria has been strengthened by novel control strategies.

    Firstly, after more than 30 years of research, two malaria vaccines – RTS,S and R21 – have finally been approved by the WHO. These are being deployed in 19 African countries.

    These vaccines have reduced disease cases and deaths in the high-risk under-five-years-old age group. They have reduced cases of severe malaria by approximately 30% and deaths by 17%.

    Secondly, effectiveness of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets has been improved.

    New insecticides have been approved for use. Chemical components that help to manage resistance have also been included in the nets.

    Thirdly, novel tools are showing promise. One option is attractive toxic sugar baits. This is because sugar is what mosquitoes naturally eat. Biocontrol by altering the native gut bacteria of mosquitoes may also prove effective.

    Fourthly, reducing mosquito populations by releasing sterilised male or genetically modified mosquitoes into wild mosquito populations is also showing promise. Trials are currently happening in Burkina Faso. Genetically sterilised males have been released on a small scale. This strategy has shown promise in reducing the population.

    Fifthly, two new antimalarials are expected to be available in the next year or two. Artemisinin-based combination therapies are standard treatment for malaria. An improvement to this is triple artemisinin-based combination therapy. This is a combination of this drug with an additional antimalarial. Studies in Africa and Asia have shown these triple combinations to be very effective in controlling malaria.

    The second new antimalarial is the first non-artemisinin-based drug to be developed in over 20 years. Ganaplacide-lumefantrine has been shown to be effective in young children. Once available, it can to be used to treat parasites that are resistant to artemisinin. This is because it has a completely different mechanism of action.

    The end game

    It has been several years since the malaria control toolbox has been strengthened with novel tools and strategies that target both the vector and the parasite. This makes it an ideal time to double down in the fight against this deadly disease.

    In 2020, the WHO identified 25 countries with the potential to stop malaria transmission within their borders by 2025. While none of these countries eliminated malaria, some have made significant progress. Costa Rica and Nepal reported fewer than 100 cases. Timor-Leste reported only one case in recent years.

    Three southern African countries are included in this group: Botswana, Eswatini and South Africa. Unfortunately, all these countries showed increases in cases in 2023.

    With the new tools, these and other countries can eliminate malaria, getting us closer to the dream of a malaria-free world.

    Shüné Oliver receives funding from the National Research Foundation of South Africa and the South African Medical Research Council. She is associated with both the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the Wits Research Institte for Malaria.

    Jaishree Raman receives funding from the Gates Foundation, Global Fund, Wellcome Trust, National Research Foundation, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South African Medical Research Council, and the Research Trust. She is affiliated with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the Wits Institute for Malaria Research, University of Witwatersrand, and the Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria.

    – ref. Malaria scorecard: battles have been won and advances made, but the war isn’t over – https://theconversation.com/malaria-scorecard-battles-have-been-won-and-advances-made-but-the-war-isnt-over-255230

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU took part in the discussion of the ECG rating and the role of large families in the development of Russia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    Director of the Center for Assessment and Development of Management Competencies of the State University of Management Anton Velichko, as part of the national standard project “Index of Business Reputation of Entrepreneurs (EKG-rating)”, took part in the work of the Annual All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference of the D. I. Mendeleyev Institute of Demographic Policy “From the Year of the Family to the Century of the Family”.

    The plenary session of the conference was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Council for the Implementation of State Demographic and Family Policy Tatyana Golikova, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Central Federal District, member of the Presidential Council for the Implementation of State Demographic and Family Policy Igor Shchegolev, Head of the Presidential Administration for Public Projects Sergei Novikov, Chairman of the State Fund for Support of Participants of the NVO “Defenders of the Fatherland”, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Anna Tsivileva, Chairperson of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, Executive Secretary of the Presidential Council for the Implementation of State Demographic and Family Policy Liliya Gumerova and others.

    The event was attended by more than 400 representatives of government bodies, scientific, educational and public organizations, and businesses.

    The past Year of the Family allowed us not only to focus on the demographic agenda, but also to understand the fact that the Russian family should never again fall out of the sight of the state and society if we are talking about the preservation and development of the Russian nation and statehood.

    The aim of the conference is to find effective solutions in the area of population conservation and improvement of demographic policy, as well as corporate practices to support families with children.

    The annual All-Russian scientific and practical conference of the D. I. Mendeleyev Institute of Demographic Policy “From the Year of the Family to the Century of the Family” is organized with the support of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/25/2025

    Центра оценки и развития управленческих компетенций ГУУ Антон Величко в рамках проекта национальный стандарт «Индекс деловой репутации субъектов предпринимательской деятельности (ЭКГ-рейтинг)» принял участие в работе Ежегодной всероссийской научно-практической конференции Института демографической политики имени Д….” data-yashareImage=”https://guu.ru/wp-content/uploads/IMG_9380-scaled.jpg” data-yashareLink=”https://guu.ru/%d0%b3%d1%83%d1%83-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b8%d0%bd%d1%8f%d0%bb-%d1%83%d1%87%d0%b0%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b8%d0%b5-%d0%b2-%d0%be%d0%b1%d1%81%d1%83%d0%b6%d0%b4%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8%d0%b8-%d1%8d%d0%ba%d0%b3-%d1%80%d0%b5/”>

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Toughest measures yet to protect children from knife content

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Toughest measures yet to protect children from knife content

    Even tougher action to hold tech platforms to account for failing to protect children from harmful knife crime content online, the government has announced.

    Image: Getty Images

    As part of the Plan for Change, tougher sanctions will be brought in to combat the unacceptable content circulating online that advertises deadly and illegal knives and other offensive weapons to young people – or which glorifies or incites violence.  

    The government has already announced a significant fine of up to £10,000 for individual tech bosses whose platforms fail to remove this content within 48 hours following a police warning. Following significant consultation with the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, the government is going even further with an additional fine of up to £60,000 to be paid by the company. This means tech platforms and their executives could collectively face up to £70,000 in fines for every post relating to knife crime they fail to remove. 

    A greater range of online platforms will be liable under these new laws to also include online search engines as well as social media platforms and marketplaces, to capture all online providers which might currently be failing to remove content. 

    The move bolsters further measures set out yesterday by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and Ofcom, to protect children from a broad spectrum of harmful online content including pornography, suicide and self-harm under the Online Safety Act.  The laws will be some of the most comprehensive online safety protections in the world and mean platforms must protect children from content including suicide, self-harm, and pornography by taking steps such as introducing age checks like photo ID matching or facial age estimation and filtering out harmful content from algorithms.   

    Crime and Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson said:  

    The kind of content that young people scroll through every day online is sickening and I will not accept any notion that restricting access to this harmful material is too difficult.

    Our children need more from us. That is why we are now going further than ever to hold to account the tech companies who are not doing enough to safeguard young people from content which incites violence, particularly in young boys.

    Curbing the impact of this kind of content will be key for our mission to halve knife crime, but more widely our Plan for Change across government to do more protect young people from damaging and dangerous content.

    As previously announced, the Home Office will introduce a new system to be carried out by a new policing unit backed by £1.75 million of funding to tackle the sale of knives online. This will operate out of the Met, but on a national scale. They will be responsible for issuing Content Removal Notices which inform the tech platform of illegal content, giving them a 48 hour window in which they must remove it.  

    Failure to comply will now result in a Civil Penalty Notice rather than taking the company to civil court, which include the respective fines for both executives and the wider company. This will mean sanctions can be inflicted much more quickly and is the same penalty that an employer may receive for employing an illegal worker to reflect the vital importance of removing harmful knife related content.     

    Patrick Green CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust said:

    The portrayal of knife crime on social media has significantly hindered efforts to reduce it. Beyond merely normalising, glamorising, and desensitising young people to violence, it has often provided an illegal avenue for purchasing knives without adequate safeguards, such as proper age verification.

    Social media companies and their executives have repeatedly failed to address these issues. Therefore, I welcome today’s announcement from the government to take decisive action and hold these executives accountable.

    I also thank the government for listening to the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime and for extending these sanctions to include social media companies, who have a responsibility to keep young people safe on their platforms.

    These sanctions are part of a range of measures being introduced by this government in its mission to halve knife crime in a decade. These include: 

    • banning zombie-style knives and ninja swords, with a nationwide surrender scheme launching in July 

    • introducing stronger 2-step verification for online retailers selling knives online and banning delivery of weapons to alternative addresses that don’t match the buyer 

    • requirement for online retailers to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives to the police 

    • launching a consultation in spring on the introduction of a licensing scheme for retailers who wish to sell knives

    • increasing prison sentences for selling weapons to under 18s from 6 months to 2 years

    • introducing a new offence for possessing a weapon with intent for violence with a prison sentence of up to 4 years

    The sanctions for tech platforms will be introduced via an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which was tabled on 24 April for committee stage.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Successes in Reverse Engineering: GUU Project Receives Positive Opinion from RAS

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    The research team of the State University of Management, implementing the project “Development of scientific and methodological foundations for managing technological processes of reverse engineering in the transport industry of mechanical engineering”, received a positive conclusion from the Russian Academy of Sciences based on the results of the reporting period in 2024.

    The fundamental research is aimed at developing theoretical and methodological principles of industrial economics, as well as tools for making management decisions to ensure import substitution. The relevance of the research is confirmed by the consideration of issues of managing technological processes of reverse engineering when solving complex problems of import substitution in the transport industry of mechanical engineering of the Russian Federation.

    Scientific results of the first stage of work:

    The study of the state of the transport industry during the period of import substitution was carried out, risks were identified and solutions were outlined; the role of reverse engineering as a tool for import substitution in the transport engineering industry was substantiated and the main stages of reverse engineering were determined; an overview and assessment of existing reverse engineering technologies for transport engineering products using Russian and imported equipment were proposed; a methodology and an information model in the form of an algorithm were developed that take into account the most frequently used tasks of reverse engineering; a methodology for decision-making and risk assessment was developed that takes into account technical, technological and economic aspects, which allows preventing and minimizing possible negative consequences of reverse engineering; the role of standardization as one of the important tools of import substitution contributing to an increase in the orderliness of production, acting as a guarantor of the quality and competitiveness of products was proven.

    According to experts, the results obtained during the implementation of the first stage of the project are significant for the development of this field of science in Russia and the solution of specific applied problems. The methodology for managing technological processes developed during the study is universal and will be useful not only for industrial enterprises in the transport industry, but also for any enterprises in the mechanical engineering industry.

    “The results of the study may be relevant for optimizing the existing scheme for organizing reverse engineering processes in the transport industry of mechanical engineering, as well as for forming an effectively functioning scheme for organizing the management of reverse engineering processes in the transport industry of mechanical engineering in the short, medium and long term. The significance of the obtained results for specific applied tasks of the Russian Federation is confirmed by the possibility of their use in the educational process when giving lecture courses on industrial policy, supporting government decision-making in the industrial sphere and ensuring national security issues, including import substitution issues, including in the transport industry,” the RAS experts noted.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/25/2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU plans to create specialized international classes to prepare for university admission on the basis of Chinese schools

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Novosibirsk State University plans to begin training Chinese schoolchildren for university admission. For this purpose, specialized “international classes” with a total of 60 people will be created on the basis of Chinese schools. The training will be conducted in the natural sciences, and the curriculum will be built on the model SUNC NSU (Physics and Mathematics Schools). Classes are scheduled to open in September 2025.

    NSU is taking a strategically important step by creating a school-university system for Chinese students. This will not only attract talent to Russia, but also strengthen scientific and educational cooperation between the countries.

    From March 28 to April 4, a working trip of the heads of educational institutions of Novosibirsk and Izhevsk to Henan Province, PRC was organized. The initiators of this project were Novosibirsk State University and Izhevsk State Technical University named after M.T. Kalashnikov. The delegation included: Head of the Education Export Department of NSU E.I. Sagaydak, Director of the Novosibirsk Institute for Monitoring and Development of Education of the Novosibirsk Region N.V. Yaroslavtseva, Deputy Director of the Institute O.V. Nedosyp, Head of the Education Department of the Kochenevsky District Administration A.S. Bobin, Director of the NSTU Engineering Lyceum M.A. Bezlepkina and Director of School No. 112 V.N. Platonov, as well as other directors of schools and lyceums from Izhevsk.

    During the week, the Russian delegation visited several secondary educational institutions, including the school at the Shaolin Monastery, Kaifeng Vocational College and the education departments of the cities of Henan Province: Dengfeng, Zhongmou, Kaifeng and Xinxiang, as well as the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing.

    During the visit, a productive exchange of experience in the field of teaching methods and pedagogical practices took place. Particular attention was paid to the development of a cooperation strategy in the following areas: teaching Russian and Chinese languages, academic mobility of schoolchildren and teachers, and the development of joint educational programs, including the creation of “international classes”.

    Four schools in Henan Province — Zhongmou Foreign Language Middle School, Zhongmu No. 3 Senior School, Xinxiang No. 7 Senior School, and Henan Normal University Affiliated Xinxiang Middle School — held official ceremonies to award these schools a special status: training talents for admission to Novosibirsk State University. These schools will host Olympiads in mathematics, physics, and information technology, and the winners and prize winners will be able to study in Russia at the expense of the Russian Federation budget.

    — One of the tasks that NSU sets for itself is to increase the number of foreign students, including those from China. We strive to select the most talented and gifted schoolchildren. Therefore, NSU is selecting strong secondary schools in China to create specialized “international classes” where joint training of schoolchildren will be organized for early career guidance and preparation for admission to our university, — noted Evgeniy Sagaydak, Head of the NSU Education Export Department.

    Teaching in “international classes” will be conducted in the last three years of school: in the first year, students will study Russian with a visiting teacher from Russia; in the second year, they will study mathematics, physics and chemistry under the guidance of teachers from the NSU SUNC; in the third year, students will study at home or be invited to the NSU SUNC. The students will be trained in the natural sciences using the model of early entry into science, which has been successfully implemented and used for over 60 years at the NSU Physics and Mathematics School.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Biosensory Dome (Spatial Design)—Digitally Expressing the Healing Powers of Nature

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Biosensory Dome (Spatial Design)—Digitally Expressing the Healing Powers of Nature

    Mikako Miura
    Solution Development Division,Electric Works Company,Panasonic Corporation

    Yoshiteru Hara
    Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai,Japan Promotion Committee,Panasonic Holdings Corporation

    Nariaki Iwatani
    anno lab Inc.

    Ippo Hayashida
    anno lab Inc.

    Masahiro Ihara
    anno lab Inc.

    Co-creation as the First Step of a Slightly Lofty Challenge
    Hara: This is the second time Panasonic collaborated with anno lab. The first was an exhibit with biophilia* as the overarching theme.
    ＊Biophilia: A concept emphasizing connectivity with nature and being in harmony with it.
    Miura: Biophilia and the concept of the Earth area, a “720° cycle,” are tightly linked. That’s why we wanted to ask for anno lab’s support again in designing the Biosensory Dome.
    Ihara: We usually create digital content for exhibitions in science and other museums. Although we are quite familiar with exhibits leveraging digital technology, the abstract theme of digitally recreating nature posed a rather formidable challenge.
    Hara: The breadth and depth of the theme were precisely what made designing this exhibit so difficult. The other exhibits in the Earth area had a clear starting point: “How can we express the 720° cycle with this technology?” On the other hand, there were no requirements regarding technologies to be used for the Biosensory Dome.

    Miura: Instead of installing real natural elements like houseplants, we were tasked to digitally reproduce nature with whatever means available. Because we had absolutely no limitations, it took us a long time to find a solution.
    Hayashida: Once we found the direction to take, we received increasingly challenging requests, which communicated to me that these people are 120% serious about the exhibit. That invigorated us and made us want to reciprocate.
    Iwatani: For people like us who are used to creating digital content, we can see the feasibility of a project, whether for good or for bad, at the ideation stage. If anno lab had taken on this challenge alone, we would not have been able to deliver as bold an exhibit as this one. But Panasonic pushed us outside of our comfort zone, and we watched the exhibit evolve. I could see the true value of co-creation by how the number of possibilities ballooned.
    Hara: This project was initially a little above everyone’s pay grade. But I think our handiwork exceeded our expectations because we dared to challenge ourselves beyond our skill levels.

    Digitally Reproducing Fog, Sunlight Filtered Through Trees, Breath, and Warmth
    Ihara: After countless discussions and some failures, we finally settled on the themes of “fog and airflow” and “light and breath,” under which we are now creating exhibits.
    Hayashida: I was put in charge of creating the device producing the mist. We use a machine resembling a water basin to generate mist, which we then illuminate. The result is that you can enjoy drifting mist similar to a morning fog or a sea of clouds.
    Miura: Visitors can interact with the exhibit in many ways. The experience is not only visual but also tactile: they can stick their hand into the mist and stir it or blow on it. What were the challenges in creating and adjusting the device?
    Hayashida: Because mist is fluffy and elusive, it was tough to make it move the way we wanted it to. Particularly difficult was striking the optimal balance between retention and diffusion. If the wind were too weak, the mist would not move, and then…nothing. On the other hand, if it were too strong, the mist would look too “busy.” It took me a very long time to configure the device so that the mist would stay inside it but continue to drift around.

    A device that controls the amount of mist and airflow to create an illusory drifting of fog

    The Breathing Sphere expresses lifelike softness and warmth

    Hara: Originally, we were only planning to control the amount of mist, but ultimately, we needed to control the airflow as well. Thanks to anno lab’s innovative solution to this difficult request, I believe we succeeded in creating an exhibit that is both natural and entertaining for visitors. The Breathing Sphere in the other dome was designed by Mr. Ihara.
    Ihara: I considered the soothing effects of nature from various angles and decided on the theme of “the breathing of a child sleeping in the shade of a tree with sun rays shining through it.” The Breathing Sphere was born out of trial and error in an effort to somehow express the up-and-down motion of a child’s chest while napping in the warm sunlight.
    Miura: The Breathing Sphere is a large ball with a soft texture. It is also slightly warm to the touch and expands and shrinks. It’s kind of magical, like touching a living thing or lying in the shade on a sunny day.
    Ihara: In actually building the exhibit, I realized how difficult it was to create something unprecedented or with no correct answer. Our goal was to make the Breathing Sphere feel natural and comfortable to the people who saw it, and thus this goal was essentially unquantifiable. We did everything possible to design the exhibit in such a way with digital technology.
    Hara: We basically experimented with many ideas, and the team members would make a decision on the best one based on their intuition. We would then find a path that might work, proceed that way, and then repeat the process.
    Iwatani: My mission was to quantify the comfortable state that Mr. Ihara, Mr. Hayashida, and the other team members discovered with their senses so that we could reproduce this state digitally. I was put in charge of setting comfort parameters and controlling the equipment and programs.
    Ihara: Mr. Iwatani was also responsible for controlling the lighting in the dome.
    Iwatani: We are using Panasonic’s new lighting technology leveraging micro LEDs. Light usually travels in only one direction; however, the novelty of this technology is its ability to control light so that you can illuminate multiple directions with a single light source or create dynamic lighting effects. Since it is not yet on the market, we held numerous discussions with the developers to find the most effective way to use it.
    Miura: We explored the comfort of nature through a very hands-on approach—depending on people’s senses. Once we had a clue, we digitally reproduced the state and then observed it again with our senses. We switched back and forth between analog and digital approaches every day as we sought the best way to fashion the exhibit.
    Ihara: We simply “arrived” at the current design through trial and error, rather than moving forward with a clear goal in mind.

    How Do You Play with This and What Do You Feel? Leaving the Answers to Children
    Hara: Because we focused on how it would resonate with people’s intuition or feelings, the exhibit was not designed with an agenda like “This is how we want you to feel” or “That is how you should experience it.”
    Miura: Of course, we offer sensory stimuli that most people would find comfortable and pleasant, but some kids may dislike the sensations, and that’s okay. What’s more important is that children be connected to how they feel, whether it’s pleasant or uncomfortable.
    Hara: When I visited the Biosensory Dome, I got a pleasant feeling from seeing Ms. Miura grinning as she touched the Breathing Sphere. I newly discovered that we can enjoy multisensory stimulation through not only touching the Breathing Sphere and mist but also watching people having fun with them.
    Miura: I want children to freely explore without worrying about rules or guidelines when interacting with the Biosensory Dome. If I can convey through this exhibit the notion that there are a thousand different ways to have fun, and experiences vary from person to person, then I will have achieved my goal.
    Ihara: To me, the Biosensory Dome is like a sandbox. You can build a castle, dig a river, or just listen to the whisper-like sound of sand falling. It would be great if everyone could freely explore like that. But if it’s too free, some kids start wondering, “Where can I start?” That is why we wanted to provide some gimmicks to stimulate their curiosity. They can at least start from stirring the mist or touching the Breathing Sphere.
    Iwatani: It’s only adults who try to manipulate certain feelings in children, whether it be through exhibits, interactive experiences, or play. Children don’t look back on every fun and new experience, or try to put into words their accomplishments or events that lead to their growth, right? We want children to play like children. Having said that, it would be nice if kids could sense that somebody behind the scenes created these natural experiences. For example, you get comforted by the sight of sunshine penetrating tree leaves or sitting around a fire. But behind those natural experiences, there was someone who planted the tree or lit the fire. It is my hope that children can sense that, even if only vaguely.

    Hayashida: I would be happy if the Biosensory Dome struck a chord not only with small children but also with teenagers. Naturally, I want them to experience the beauty and comfort in what we created, but it is also my hope that they would take it a step further and see the ingenuity in reproducing nature with digital technology, or ask questions like “How did they do it?” “Who are the people that made this?” It would be wonderful if both their senses and their intellect were stimulated, and that some would be inspired to choose engineering or manufacturing as their career.
    Hara: I really look forward to seeing how children let their imagination run free in this unrestricted space.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 25, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 25, 2025.

    Labor takes large leads in YouGov and Morgan polls as surge continues
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With just eight days until the May 3 federal election, and with in-person early voting well under way, Labor has taken a seven-point lead in a national

    Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Taneshka Kruger, UP ISMC: Project Manager and Coordinator, University of Pretoria Healthcare in Africa faces a perfect storm: high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV, a rise in non-communicable diseases, and dwindling foreign aid. In 2021, nearly half of the sub-Saharan African countries relied on

    Open letter to Fijians – ‘why is our country supporting Israel’s heinous crimes in Gaza?’
    Pacific Media Watch The Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network today condemned the Fiji government’s failure to stand up for international law and justice over the Israeli war on Gaza in their weekly Black Thursday protest. “For the past 18 months, we have made repeated requests to our government to do the bare minimum and enforce

    Scares and stunts in the home stretch: election special podcast
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Michelle Grattan and Amanda Dunn discuss the fourth week of the 2025 election campaign. While the death of Pope Francis interrupted campaigning for a while, the leaders had another debate on Tuesday night and the opposition (belatedly) put out its

    Grattan on Friday: Coalition’s campaign lacks good planning and enough elbow grease
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Whatever the result on May 3, even people within the Liberals think they have run a very poor national campaign. Not just poor, but odd. Nothing makes the point more strongly than this week’s release of the opposition’s defence policy.

    Inside the elaborate farewell to Pope Francis
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carole Cusack, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Sydney ➡️ View the full interactive version of this article here. Carole Cusack 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

    5 ways to tackle Australia’s backlog of asylum cases
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Professor and Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney People who apply for asylum in Australia face significant delays in having their claims processed. These delays undermine the integrity of the asylum system, erode public confidence and cause significant

    Preference deals can decide the outcome of a seat in an election – but not always
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Every election cycle the media becomes infatuated, even if temporarily, with preference deals between parties. The 2025 election is no exception, with many media reports about preference

    What is preferential voting and how does it work? Your guide to making your vote count
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania For each Australian federal election, there are two different ways you get to vote. Whether you vote early, by post or on polling day on May 3, each eligible voter will be given two ballot papers: one

    Back to the fuel guzzlers? Coalition plans to end EV tax breaks would hobble the clean transport transition
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Mortimore, Lecturer, Griffith Business School, Griffith University wedmoment.stock/Shutterstock If elected, the Coalition has pledged to end Labor’s substantial tax break for new zero- or low-emissions vehicles. This, combined with an earlier promise to roll back new fuel efficiency standards, would successfully slow the transition to hybrid

    Many experienced tradies don’t have formal qualifications. Could fast-tracked recognition ease the housing crisis?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan University Once again, housing affordability is at the forefront of an Australian federal election. Both major parties have put housing policies at the centre of their respective campaigns. But there are still concerns too little is being done

    This may be as good as it gets: NZ and Australia face a complicated puzzle when it comes to supermarket prices
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Meade, Adjunct Associate Professor, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University Daria Nipot/Shutterstock With ongoing cost of living pressures, the Australian and New Zealand supermarket sectors are attracting renewed political attention on both sides of the Tasman. Allegations of price gouging have become

    The phrase ‘fuzzy wuzzy angels’ is far from affectionate – it reflects 500 years of racism
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erika K. Smith, Associate Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University This article contains mention of racist terms in historical context. Every Anzac Day, Australians are presented with narratives that re-inscribe particular versions of our national story. One such narrative persistently claims “fuzzy wuzzy angel” was

    Why AUKUS remains the right strategy for the future defence of Australia
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University Australian strategic thinking has long struggled to move beyond a narrow view of defence that focuses solely on protecting our shores. However, in today’s world, our economy could be

    Election meme hits and duds – we’ve graded some of the best (and worst) of the campaign so far
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University As Australia begins voting in the federal election, we’re awash with political messages. While this of course includes the typical paid ads in newspapers and on TV (those ones with the infamously fast-paced “authorised by”

    Markets are choppy. What should you do with your super if you are near retirement?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natalie Peng, Lecturer in Accounting, The University of Queensland Shutterstock For Australians approaching retirement, recent market volatility may feel like more than just a bump in the road. Unlike younger investors, who have time on their side, retirees don’t have the luxury of waiting out downturns. A

    Provocative, progressive and fearless: why Beatrice Faust’s views still resonate in Australia
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Brett, Emeritus Professor of Politics, La Trobe University Beatrice Faust is best remembered as the founder, early in 1972, of the Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL). Women’s Liberation was already well under way. Betty Friedan had published The Feminine Mystique in 1962, arguing that many women found

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 24, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 24, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor applauds President Trump’s executive order advancing artificial intelligence education for young Americans

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling applauded President Trump’s latest Executive Order “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth.” 

    The directive, which establishes the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education, calls on the U.S. Department of Labor to protect and prepare the American workforce for challenges of the future, which remains at the forefront of the President’s AI agenda.

    “The President and I are in complete agreement that protecting and preparing our workforce must be a top priority in advancing his critical AI agenda. I applaud the President for keeping his promise to put American Workers First,” Secretary Chavez-DeRemer said. “As our nation continues to step into the future, I am committed to ensuring our workforce is ready. There’s no one I trust more to help me carry out this mission than my deputy, Keith, whose expertise in AI makes him a natural fit to spearhead this effort.”

    “Artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market, and it’s critical we equip our workers with the skills they need to lead in this new era. I applaud President Trump for taking swift action to support AI education and workforce development and appreciate the Secretary’s trust in me to help lead this effort to expand apprenticeships and promote AI literacy nationwide,” said Deputy Secretary Sonderling. 

    The President’s executive order puts American workers first by instructing the department to:

    • Leverage authorities and financial incentives to increase participation in AI-related apprenticeships.
    • Encourage states and grantees to use Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funding to develop AI skills and support work-based learning opportunities within occupations utilizing AI.
    • Collaborate with the director of the National Science Foundation to work with state and local workforce organizations and training providers to identify and promote high-quality AI skills education coursework and certifications across the country.
    • Work with the Secretary of Education and the NSF Director to create opportunities for high school students to take AI courses and certification programs.

    Learn more about the executive order, “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RI Delegation Calls Out Trump’s 100 Days of Economic Chaos

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    PROVIDENCE, RI – As President Trump approaches his first 100 days in office at the end of the month, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo gathered in Providence today to highlight the economic chaos and financial damage President Trump has caused for families and small businesses and warn that the President could induce a recession unless he changes course.

    Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation says the Trump Administration, Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Congressional Republicans continue to threaten Rhode Islanders’ Social Security benefits, Medicaid coverage, nutrition assistance, and federal investments in science and education in favor of a billionaires-first tax agenda.

    President Trump’s scattershot and indiscriminate tariff plan will force families to pay nearly $5,000 more each year.  It has already wiped out trillions of dollars from the stock market and is raising costs and uncertainty for American families and manufacturers.

    Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation visited Farm Fresh today to discuss the impact Trump’s policies are having on everything from food prices to health care and the instability it’s causing for consumers and businesses alike.

    “Donald Trump is a one man financial crisis and has single-handedly driven down consumer confidence and forced up prices with his reckless tariff taxes.  He inherited an economy that was on the upswing and senselessly decimated it with policies that raised prices, deterred investment, and needlessly triggered financial turmoil.  So far, Trump’s economic policies have been a disaster for Main Street and a nightmare for Wall Street.  Instead of increasing costs on consumers and businesses, President Trump must reverse course and work with Democrats to actually lower prices and get our economy working and growing again,” said Reed.

    “Rhode Island is a small business state, and the Trump Tariffs are saddling many business owners with major economic uncertainty,” said Whitehouse.  “Trump is constantly changing his mind about how and when he’s going to slap tariffs on our allies so Republicans can help pay for big tax cuts for giant corporations and the wealthy.  That leaves small business owners wondering which products they’ll be able to stock and at what cost, and whether they’ll be able to make payroll.”

    “Donald Trump’s first 100 days have been an economic disaster,” said Magaziner.  “This is to be expected from an administration of out-of-touch billionaires with no idea what working people go through on a daily basis.  The Trump Administration’s assault on essential programs even includes education – as they have proposed cutting funding for public schools and job training.  I’ll keep fighting alongside the rest of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation to protect education funding, push back against Trump’s extremism, and stand up for our state.”

    “Over the past 100 days, Donald Trump has unleashed a torrent of chaos and confusion on a number of fronts.  This isn’t fear mongering.  Rhode Islanders are right to be afraid when they see the largest number ever — $880 billion — in proposed cuts to Medicaid,” said Amo.  “Yet Medicaid isn’t just a government program; it’s about universal values.  Make no mistake, as a united delegation, we’ll keep sounding the alarm every day until these harmful proposals are defeated for good.”

    Americans are not buying President Trump’s false claims about the prices of gas, eggs, and other groceries: President Trump claimed that gas costs $1.98 per gallon in some states when the national average price is currently $3.17 per gallon and $2.94 in Rhode Island.  Additionally, Trump claimed egg prices are down 94 percent since he took office.  The national average price of eggs in March 2025 was $6.23 – setting an all-time high for the third straight month.  And elsewhere at the grocery store, Americans are paying more for things like coffee – the average price of coffee in March 2025 was $7.38 – up 15 percent since the beginning of the year, while the national average price of ground beef in March 2025 was $5.79, a 3 percent increase from the previous month.

    “In Rhode Island, nearly 40 percent of our population is food insecure.  This means over 42 million meals missed last year by children, seniors and low-income families. The proposed cuts to the SNAP program will not help Rhode Island to lower these awful numbers. The actions of the current administration, including recent USDA funding terminations, are exacerbating this problem by eliminating programs that connect local food from Rhode Island into schools, and the emergency food system.  Any cuts to SNAP are also cuts to our local economy.  Many local farmers and fishers benefit from SNAP redemption at farmers markets statewide.  It is imperative for the state’s well-being that we empower local farmers, fishers and food producers to be part of the solution to end hunger, raise healthy children and boost our local economy,” said Jesse Rye, Executive Director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island.

    Trump’s trade war has created chaos for the economy, driving prices up for families and small businesses.  The President’s blanket tariffs on nearly every product imported into the U.S., including 25 percent tariffs on Canada, Rhode Island’s biggest international trading partner, has already impeded businesses in our state.  The tariffs have increased the cost of imported goods and raw materials on which small businesses depend.  These rising costs have slowed production, reduced competitiveness, and left business owners scrambling.  International travel to the United States has declined sharply since President Trump returned to office, threatening Rhode Island’s tourism industry in the busy summer months ahead.

    Consumer confidence is down nearly 30 percent and the value of the dollar is down nearly 10 percent since President Trump took office.  Prices on everyday goods are expected to climb, with year-ahead inflation expectations hitting 6.7% in April – the highest reading since 1981.  The stock market has dropped considerably, causing retirement plans and savings to plummet as the risk of a recession skyrockets. 

    The Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are threatening the stability of Social Security benefits for the over 230,000 Rhode Islanders who receive them through customer service cuts and staff firings and buyouts.  President Trump and Congressional Republicans are also trying to take health care coverage from many of the nearly 330,000 Rhode Islanders – 30 percent of the state’s population – who are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP.  To pay for trillions in tax cuts for mega-corporations and the wealthy, Republicans are preparing to pass a bill with $880 billion in Medicaid cuts.  Approximately 44 percent of births in Rhode Island are covered by Medicaid, and half?of all Rhode Island kids are enrolled in Medicaid.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s space exploration benefits the world

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, April 24 — China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship Thursday, continuing efforts to advance space technology for all humanity — a vision long championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    Over the past years, Xi has addressed the importance of international cooperation in peaceful space exploration and development on multiple occasions.

    During the meeting with the Shenzhou-12 astronauts in 2021, Xi said that progress in space science and technology will benefit people around the world, and China wants to use space exploration achievements to create a better future for mankind.

    When meeting representatives of the Chang’e-5 mission in 2021, Xi stressed actively conducting international cooperation and making more contributions to humanity’s well-being.

    According to the China Manned Space Agency, China is in discussions with other nations regarding potential foreign astronaut participation in the country’s future space station missions.

    China welcomes international applications for acquiring lunar samples brought back by the Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6 probes for scientific research. Scientists from various countries have taken part in researching the Chang’e-5 lunar samples.

    Moreover, Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8 lunar probes to be launched in the next three years will offer international payload capacity, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

    China has also signed cooperation agreements with 17 countries and international organizations on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) construction, offering various levels and forms of collaboration opportunities.

    In a congratulatory letter to the First International Summit on BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) Applications in 2021, Xi said China is willing to share the achievements of the BDS with all parties, promote the progress of the global satellite navigation industry and make the BDS better serve the world and benefit humankind.

    To date, BDS services have been used in precision agriculture and smart ports in ASEAN countries, South Asia, West Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa to serve local economic and social development.

    Within the BRICS framework, China will continue advancing the development of the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation to enhance disaster emergency data sharing.

    China will also provide satellite services to the Belt and Road Initiative partner countries, fostering their sustainable progress in agriculture, disaster prevention, and smart city initiatives.

    When he met with representatives of space scientists and engineers who participated in the research and development of the Chang’e-6 lunar mission last year, Xi called for deepening various forms of international exchange and cooperation in the field of space, sharing development achievements with other countries, improving outer space governance, and making space science and technology achievements more beneficial to all people.

    Outer space is a domain shared by humanity, and space exploration is humanity’s common cause, Xi said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Signs Bills to Protect Coloradans’ Privacy and Healthcare Freedom Into Law, Signs Additional Laws, and Takes Action on Bill

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis signed into law protections to ensure Coloradans’ healthcare freedoms and safeguard privacy. During a ceremony in the Governor’s Office, Governor Polis signed the following bills into law:

    • SB25-129 – Legally Protected Health-Care Activity Protections, sponsored by Senators Lisa Cutter and Faith Winter, and Representatives Junie Joseph and Karen McCormick
    • SB25-183 – Coverage for Pregnancy-Related Services, sponsored by Senators Robert Rodriguez and Lindsey Daugherty, and Representatives Lorena Garcia and Julie McCluskie

    “In the Free State of Colorado, we are protecting Coloradans’ healthcare freedoms, while leaders in DC and across the country are focused on bringing government between doctors and patients, overreaching into our families and lives. This past November, Coloradans from every walk of life overwhelmingly voted to enshrine reproductive freedom into our state constitution. Today, we are aligning our laws with the will of voters to strengthen access to reproductive care, protect our privacy from Washington, DC, and safeguard freedoms,” said Governor Polis.

    “We trust patients. We trust families. And we trust providers. While other states are turning back the clock, we’re moving forward — protecting privacy, expanding access, and standing up for fundamental freedoms,” said Lt. Governor and Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, Dianne Primavera. “These laws don’t just reflect our values — they protect real people in real ways. As a woman who’s faced serious illness and spent my career fighting for high-quality and affordable health care for all Coloradans, I’m proud that Colorado continues to lead with compassion, conviction, and courage.”

    Governor Polis also signed the following bipartisan bills into law administratively:

    • SB25-216 – Eliminate Reprinting of Education Laws, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Emily Sirota and Rick Taggart
    • SB25-217 – Repeal Computer Science Education Grant Program, sponsored by Senators Judy Amabile and Jeff Bridges, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Emily Sirota
    • SB25-222 – Repeal Proficiency Tests Administered by Schools, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges and Judy Amabile, and Representatives Emily Sirota and Rick Taggart
    • SB25-231 – Repeal Inclusive Higher Education Act, sponsored by Senators Judy Amabile and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Emily Sirota
    • SB25-232 – Repeal Recovery-Friendly Workplace Program, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Rick Taggart
    • SB25-246 – Eliminate Gray & Black Market Marijuana Grant Program, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Emily Sirota
    • SB25-250 – Repeal Disordered Eating Prevention Program, sponsored by Senators Judy Amabile and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Rick Taggart
    • SB25-252 – Repeal Radiation Advisory Committee, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Rick Taggart
    • SB25-255 – Transfer to Hazardous Substance Response Fund, sponsored by Senators Judy Amabile and Jeff Bridges, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Rick Taggart
    • SB25-256 – Funds for Support of Digital Trunked Radio System, sponsored by Senators Barbara Kirkmeyer and Judy Amabile, and Representatives Shannon Bird and Emily Sirota
    • SB25-266 – Repeal Statutory Appropriation Requirements, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bridges and Barbara Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Emily Sirota and Rick Taggart

    Governor Polis also vetoed the following bill:

    • SB25-086 – Protections for Users of Social Media, sponsored by Senators Lisa Frizell and Lindsey Daugherty, and Representatives Andrew Boesenecker and Anthony Hartsook

    “This law imposes sweeping requirements that social media platforms, rather than law enforcement, enforce state law. It mandates a private company to investigate and impose the government’s chosen penalty of permanently deplatforming a user even if the underlying complaint is malicious and unwarranted. In our judicial proceedings, people receive due process when they are suspected of breaking the law. This bill, however, conscripts social media platforms to be judge and jury when users may have broken the law or even a company’s own content rules. This proposed law would incentivize platforms, in order to reduce liability risk, to simply deplatform a user in order to comply with this proposed law,” Governor Polis wrote in his veto letter.

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Taneshka Kruger, UP ISMC: Project Manager and Coordinator, University of Pretoria

    Healthcare in Africa faces a perfect storm: high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV, a rise in non-communicable diseases, and dwindling foreign aid.

    In 2021, nearly half of the sub-Saharan African countries relied on external financing for more than a third of their health expenditure. But donor fatigue and competing global priorities, such as climate change and geopolitical instability, have placed malaria control programmes under immense pressure. These funding gaps now threaten hard-won progress and ultimately malaria eradication.

    The continent’s healthcare funding crisis isn’t new. But its consequences are becoming more severe. As financial contributions shrink, Africa’s ability to respond to deadly diseases like malaria is being tested like never before.

    Malaria remains one of the world’s most pressing public health threats. According to the World Health Organization there were an estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 deaths globally in 2023 – an increase of 11 million cases from the previous year.

    The WHO African region bore the brunt, with 94% of cases and 95% of deaths. It is now estimated that a child under the age of five dies roughly every 90 seconds due to malaria.

    Yet, malaria control efforts since 2000 have averted over 2 billion cases and saved nearly 13 million lives globally. Breakthroughs in diagnostics, treatment and prevention have been critical to this progress. They include insecticide-treated nets, rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin-based combination therapies (drug combinations to prevent resistance) and malaria vaccines.

    Since 2017, the progress has been flat. If the funding gap widens, the risk is not just stagnation; it’s backsliding. Several emerging threats such as climate change and funding shortfalls could undo the gains of the early 2000s to mid-2010s.

    New challenges

    Resistance to drugs and insecticides, and strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum that standard
    diagnostics can’t detect, have emerged as challenges. There have also been changes in mosquito behaviour, with vectors increasingly biting outdoors, making bed nets less effective.

    Climate change is shifting malaria transmission patterns. And the invasive Asian mosquito species Anopheles stephensi is spreading across Africa, particularly in urban areas.

    Add to this the persistent issue of cross-border transmission, and growing funding shortfalls and aid cuts, and it’s clear that the fight against malaria is at a critical point.

    As the world observes World Malaria Day 2025 under the theme “Malaria ends with us: reinvest, reimagine, reignite”, the call to action is urgent. Africa must lead the charge against malaria through renewed investment, bold innovation, and revitalised political will.

    Reinvest: Prevention is the most cost-effective intervention

    We – researchers, policymakers, health workers and communities – need to think smarter about funding. The economic logic of prevention is simple. It’s far cheaper to prevent malaria than to treat it. The total cost of procuring and delivering long-lasting insecticidal nets typically ranges between US$4 and US$7 each and the nets protect families for years. In contrast, treating a single case of severe malaria may cost hundreds of dollars and involve hospitalisation.

    In high-burden countries, malaria can consume up to 40% of public health spending.

    In Tanzania, for instance, malaria contributes to 30% of the country’s total disease burden. The broader economic toll – lost productivity, work and school absenteeism, and healthcare costs – is staggering. Prevention through long-lasting insecticidal nets, chemoprevention and health education isn’t only humane; it’s fiscally responsible.

    Reimagine: New tools, local solutions

    We cannot fight tomorrow’s malaria with yesterday’s tools. Resistance, climate-driven shifts in transmission, and urbanisation are changing malaria’s patterns.

    This is why re-imagining our approach is urgent.

    African countries must scale up innovations like the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine and next-generation mosquito nets. But more importantly, they must build their own capacity to develop, test and produce these tools.

    This requires investing in research and development, regional regulatory harmonisation, and local manufacturing.

    There is also a need to build leadership capacity within malaria control programmes to manage this adaptive disease with agility and evidence-based decision-making.

    Reignite: Community and collaboration matters

    Reigniting the malaria fight means shifting power to those on the frontlines. Community health workers remain one of Africa’s greatest untapped resources. Already delivering malaria testing, treatment and health education in remote areas, they can also be trained to manage other health challenges.

    Integrating malaria prevention into broader community health services makes sense. It builds resilience, reduces duplication, and ensures continuity even when external funding fluctuates.

    Every malaria intervention delivered by a trusted, local health worker is a step towards community ownership of health.

    Strengthened collaboration between partners, governments, cross-border nations, and local communities is also needed.

    The cost of inaction is unaffordable

    Africa’s malaria challenge is part of a deeper health systems crisis. By 2030, the continent will require an additional US$371 billion annually to deliver basic primary healthcare – about US$58 per person.

    For malaria in 2023 alone, US$8.3 billion was required to meet global control and elimination targets, yet only US$4 billion was mobilised. This gap has grown consistently, increasing from US$2.6 billion in 2019 to US$4.3 billion in 2023.

    The shortfall has led to major gaps in the coverage of essential malaria interventions.

    The solution does not lie in simply spending more, but in spending smarter by focusing on prevention, building local innovation, and strengthening primary healthcare systems.

    The responsibility is collective. African governments must invest boldly and reform policies to prioritise prevention.

    Global partners must support without dominating. And communities must be empowered to take ownership of their health.

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

    – ref. Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats – https://theconversation.com/beating-malaria-what-can-be-done-with-shrinking-funds-and-rising-threats-255126

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement on Resignation of NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    04.24.25

    Cantwell Statement on Resignation of NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan

    EDMONDS, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released this statement regarding the resignation of Sethuraman Panchanathan as Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF):

    “The National Science Foundation 55 percent budget cut is a deliberate dismemberment of America’s innovation engine by Russell Vought and DOGE. This is exactly the type of behavior you would expect from someone seeking to make America weaker and less competitive in the face of its adversaries — it is the type of behavior you would expect from a Chinese Communist Party asset.

    “Don’t blame Panch for stepping down.”

    In April 2023, Sen. Cantwell invited Director Panchanathan to Washington state to discuss opportunities available thanks to the CHIPS & Science Act. At the University of Washington, Panchanathan toured UW’s quantum computing facilities, then joined a forum to discuss diversity in STEM. In Spokane, Panchanathan saw firsthand how Spokane organizations have collaborated to drive the region’s current and future potential as a leader in technology innovation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Unlocking the power of Engineering Biology

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Unlocking the power of Engineering Biology

    New report outlines the transformative potential of Engineering Biology to tackle modern-day challenges.

    Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Dame Angela McLean has today launched a new Foresight report, Engineering Biology Aspirations, which highlights the transformative potential of Engineering Biology (EngBio) to address some of the major challenges of our time – from lab-grown blood to biologically derived materials for fashion. 

    This fast-moving, innovative technology applies engineering principles to the design of biological systems and processes. It can create practical solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges, addressing issues faced by people and the planet, both now and in the future. 

    The report, published by the Government Office for Science, examines how we can harness EngBio to create a more sustainable future, helping to solve problems in areas such as healthcare, environmental sustainability, agriculture and energy. 

    Read the Engineering Biology Aspirations report.

    Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    This is a timely report. Engineering biology is a technology with enormous potential, and it is already delivering innovations from healthcare to clean energy, supporting the missions that underpin this Government’s Plan for Change. 

    Our commitment to the UK’s burgeoning engineering biology sector is clear: from £100 million investment in the Engineering Biology Mission Hubs and Awards, to efforts to improve the regulation of this critical technology, including through the new Regulatory Innovation Office.

    Commenting on the report, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Dame Angela McLean said:

    Engineering biology has the power to drive economic growth and deliver transformative solutions to a wide range of challenges.

    This report aims be a source of inspiration across Government, industry, academia and the public, demonstrating what might be possible if we can harness the opportunities offered by engineering biology.

    The paper features expert-authored chapters that consider how EngBio can aid efforts to solve global challenges. One examines the revolutionary solutions that lab-grown blood could present. Another explores how biologically derived fashion materials could reduce environmental pollution to create a more sustainable industry. Further chapters include how nitrogen-fixing cereals could produce a new sustainable generation of crops, and how microbes can help solve metal scarcity and be manufactured to create sustainable fuels and chemicals from waste. 

    As the report highlights, although there is still progress to be made, with continued research, development, scale-up, and regulatory considerations, EngBio can help to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.  

    The “Engineering Biology Aspirations” report is a result of cross-Government work and collaboration with leading scientists to understand this transformative technology and its vast applications.  

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – Keeping tabs on native woodland vegetation in times of flood and drought – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    Like farmland in Australia, native forests struggle with drought and flooding, so future management decisions need more sophisticated systems to monitor and manage their water needs.  

    A new study led by Flinders University aims to provide a good estimate of water used by trees and plants and bushes under the treetops (or the forest understorey) to help improve management of native woodlands.

    Researchers tested an advanced way to measure evapo-transpiration (ET) patterns in understorey (compared to canopy) vegetation at two different rainfall locations in South Australia to help develop better water and woodland management decision-making in future.

    ET returns water from the soil and plants into the atmosphere and is the major component of terrestrial water balance, explains Professor of Environmental Science and Hydrology Huade Guan, from the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training at Flinders University.

    “Woodland understorey ET is difficult to monitor using conventional methods. Our latest study tested a new method of measuring understorey evapotranspiration in floodplains and catchment areas,” he says.

    This is important to understand because understorey ET can contribute between 10% (in cooler seasons) and up to 50% (during hot weather) of ecosystem water use, researchers say.

    The latest study, published in the Journal of Hydrology with collaborators around Australia, China and the US, retrieved understorey temperature from airborne thermal imagery and used it in a ‘maximum entropy production’ model (called the ‘MEP model’) to map understorey ET.

    Researchers hope to improve ecosystem water evaluations to create more effective management strategies for increasingly scarce river and freshwater resources.

    The research was based on investigations in a River Red Gum woodland of a Murray floodplain near Bookpurnong in the Riverland and a hilly woodland catchment near Mount Wilson in the Willunga Basin. The locations reflected different topographical, hydrological and climate conditions.  

    Both locations showed understorey ET was a key component of ecosystem water balance, so working out the best way to support River Red Gum and other woodland environmental water requirements could incorporate broadscale monitoring and mapping with high-resolution thermal data from satellites in future.

    The study found that flooding modified water availability and vegetation response, influencing understorey ET dynamics over time, says Flinders University Professor Guan, who leads the Eco-hydrology and Hydro-meteorology Research Group (EcoH2OMe) at the College of Science and Engineering.

    For example, after major flooding in 2022-23, the fraction of understorey ET to the total ecosystem ET declined, likely due to increased overstorey transpiration.

    In the hilly environment, slope orientation plays a key role in regulating ET by controlling solar radiation exposure and soil moisture retention.

    North-facing slopes generally have higher understorey ET than south-facing slopes, particularly in a wet winter, where understorey ET on the north-facing slopes accounts for up to 50% of total surface ET.

    This high understorey ET on north-facing slopes consumes soil moisture a lot quicker, resulting in less water for vegetation use in dry summer than south-facing slopes.

    The study highlights the advantages of integrating new methods and technologies in addressing environmental problems.

    Meanwhile, South Australia is currently experiencing particularly dry weather, which is most likely the result of climate change, according to the SA Water for Good plan. This means less rain and a reduction of flows into traditional water sources such as our reservoirs, rivers and groundwater. The CSIRO has forecast an overall decline in rainfall of between 15% to 30% by 2050.

    The SA Government plan emphasises the need for proactive management of non-prescribed water resources to ensure water security to 2050, including a deeper understanding of overall water resource capacity to prevent over-exploitation and enhance sustainability.

    The article, ‘Integrating the Maximum Entropy Production model and airborne imagery for understorey evapotranspiration mapping’ (2025) by Wenjie Liu, Okke Batelaan, David Bruce, Jingfeng Wang, Hugo Gutierrez, Hailong Wang, Robin Keegan-Treloar, Jianfeng Gou, Robert Keane, Jessica Thompson and Huade Guan has been published in the Journal of Hydrology (Elsevier) DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133076

    Acknowledgements: Field data were obtained in the projects funded by Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MD005764) and National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (SR08000001). Researchers acknowledge fieldwork by Karina Gutierrez, Lawrence Burk, Zhongli Liu, Zhechen Zhang, Xiang Xu and Rose Deng and landowners Langdon Badger and Steve Clark for access. Wenjie Liu received support from the China Scholarship Council (201906370006) and Jingfeng Wang’s research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation Hydrological Sciences and Physical and Dynamic Meteorology Program Grant EAR‐2006281.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sergey Kiriyenko and Dmitry Chernyshenko held a meeting of the NTO organizing committee and greeted the participants of the Fakel award

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The National Center “Russia” celebrated the tenth anniversary of the National Technology Olympiad (NTO). On this day, the fifth meeting of the Olympiad organizing committee and the Fakel Prize award ceremony took place – an award for NTO graduates who have achieved significant results in science, engineering, business and mentoring.

    The meeting of the organizing committee was opened by the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration, co-chairman of the organizing committee of the National Technology Olympiad, Sergei Kiriyenko.

    “Since 2015, NTO has brought together almost 900,000 schoolchildren and students from all over Russia, as well as 77 other countries. The Olympiad, originally conceived as an all-Russian engineering competition, has gradually reached the international level. However, NTO is not only about scale. The main thing here is people. Young, bright, talented guys who are already creating the future today. Some of the winners’ projects can be compared to serious scientific works worthy of the level of candidate dissertations. We are confident that with the launch of the 11th season, the number of participants will exceed a million. But what is more important is not quantity, but quality – young people who really change reality with their ideas and developments,” he said.

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko added that next year it is necessary to increase the number of participating countries, and also thanked the NTO partners.

    “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our leading technology partners – companies such as Sber, Yandex, Roscosmos, 1C and others. Thanks to their support, the Olympiad is held at a truly high level. I am sure that this list will expand. And NTO will become an even more powerful tool for developing talents and strengthening international scientific and technological cooperation,” Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized.

    During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister supported the inclusion of new areas in the NTO for grades 5–7 and the launch of the International Space Games. He also instructed to work out the possibility of adding individual educational events of the NTO to the calendar of the “Movement of the First”.

    Nikita Anisimov, Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics and Deputy Co-Chairs of the Organizing Committee of the NTO, spoke about the development of the Olympiad movement and the results of the decade of the NTO. He noted that the NTO preserves and continues the traditions of the Moscow Mathematical Olympiad: it is a movement that brings together like-minded people and comrades. Nikita Anisimov also emphasized that the NTO has grown over the past years. For example, the first final of the Olympiad brought together about 1.2 thousand participants, and this year there were already about 220 thousand.

    Hero of Russia, participant of the presidential program “Time of Heroes”, Chairman of the Board of the “Movement of the First” Artur Orlov noted that the “Movement of the First” project “First in Science”, implemented within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children”, will become an important platform for interaction on the development of scientific and technical cooperation.

    After the organizing committee, the Fakel Prize was presented. At the ceremony, Sergei Kiriyenko emphasized the importance of holding it at the National Center “Russia”, created on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    “I am sure that not much time will pass and the results of your projects, your discoveries and your dreams that came true will be presented here as a source of pride,” said Sergei Kiriyenko.

    The shortlist of the award included 21 applications. The selection of candidates for the final list of applicants took place in several stages: first, the applications were selected for compliance with all criteria, then a public vote took place. Based on its results, a shortlist was formed, which was then evaluated by an expert jury.

    “It is very symbolic that the first celebration of the winners of the Fakel Prize is taking place in the year of the tenth anniversary of the National Technology Olympiad. As Sergey Vladilenovich decided, and we included this in the protocol, this will now be an annual event. In addition to encouraging the winners, it is important to remember those who prepared them. These are mentors, teachers, parents, and our technology partners who helped create conditions for the implementation of opportunities and talents, as instructed by our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. So that together we can ensure not just technological sovereignty, but also technological leadership of our country. Thank you very much, congratulations to the winners. Create, dare, try, everything will work out!” Dmitry Chernyshenko addressed the guests of the award.

    In the Startup Leader category, the award was received by Daniil Zaitsev and Anastasia Popova, the authors of the SkyControl system for controlling UAVs using hand tilt and gestures. It involves children and teenagers in the world of robotics and technical sciences.

    The winners in the Social Progressor category were the creators of the Green School project – Polina Sapozhnikova, Anna Budekova and Matvey Karachev. They create green corners with information stands and thematic cubes in schools. This helps to form ecological thinking and eco-habits in the younger generation.

    The title “Professional of the Future” was awarded to German Golod, who, as a student, works as a 1C developer at T-Bank. According to him, participation in the NTO helped him acquire the necessary skills. Dmitry Shpanov, who developed a computer model for selecting the mode of electron-beam processing of alloys or ceramics, was recognized as “Innovation Engineer”.

    The winner in the “Technology Champion” category was Eduard Sukharev, a multiple winner of Russian and international competitions in the operation of unmanned aircraft systems.

    The title of “Best Mentor” was awarded to Arseniy Yarmolinsky, a computer science teacher and teacher of additional education, who trained dozens of finalists and winners of NTO and other engineering competitions.

    The winner in the “Engine of Science” nomination was Maria Tishkova, a junior research fellow at the Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    Let us recall that the Olympiad is being held under the coordination of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation together with the presidential platform “Russia – Country of Opportunities” within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children” with the support of the “Movement of the First”, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and the ANO “NTI Platform”. The NTO project office is deployed at the HSE with the methodological support of the Association of Participants of Technology Circles (NTI Circle Movement).

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