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Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Drone Operations Market Leading to Multi-Billion Dollar Revenue Opportunity

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – A report from Verified Market Research said that the AI In Drone Market size is projected to reach USD 206.9 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 32.4% during the forecast period to 2031. The report said: “Developments in Technology: One of the main factors propelling the artificial intelligence (AI) market for drones is the quick development of AI technologies. Drone capabilities are improved by innovations like computer vision, machine learning, and real-time data processing, which enable advanced decision-making and autonomous navigation. These developments make it possible for drones to more effectively carry out difficult jobs like infrastructure inspection, precision farming, and search and rescue missions. Furthermore, a variety of businesses can incorporate drones into their operations as AI software becomes more widely available and reasonably priced, expanding the market. Demand in the industry is driven by the ongoing improvement of AI algorithms, which guarantee that drones can do ever-more-difficult tasks. Industry Acceptance: One of the main factors driving the market is the growing use of drones in a variety of sectors, such as construction, logistics, surveillance, and agriculture. Businesses are increasingly incorporating AI-enabled drones into their operations as they realize the efficiency, cost savings, and safety enhancements these technologies provide. AI drones improve crop monitoring and resource management in agriculture and expedite delivery procedures in logistics. Demand is further fueled by this cross-industry applicability, as businesses look to automation and improved data insights to gain a competitive edge. Drones’ increasing acceptance as vital instruments in contemporary operations propels market expansion and encourages innovation in the AI space. Active Companies in the markets today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ: RGTI), AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), Unusual Machines (NYSE: UMAC), Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI).

    Verified Market Research continued: “Cost Cutting: The market is expanding due to the declining costs of drone technology and AI integration. Drones and related AI software are becoming more affordable as manufacturers develop and competition rises, opening up these technologies to a wider variety of consumers. Drone adoption is made possible by lower costs, which makes it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to enter the market. Cost savings are also facilitated by the adoption of open-source software and improved manufacturing process efficiency. The market is seeing faster adoption rates as affordability rises, which prompts more investment in AI capabilities that boost drone applications and functions. The government, commercial, and military sectors are the main end-users that divide the AI In Drone Market. Recognizing that different businesses have diverse needs and use drones for different purposes, this division highlights the uses of AI-powered drones across a range of fields. The government sector uses AI to improve data analysis, automate repetitive jobs, and increase decision-making in areas including disaster response, surveillance, law enforcement, and agricultural monitoring. Drones can now swiftly and effectively process enormous volumes of data thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), which is especially useful for government tasks requiring real-time information, such as monitoring emergencies or evaluating and handling public safety issues. The commercial AI drone market sector encompasses a wide range of applications, such as media, construction, logistics, and agriculture.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Quantum Computing “Sky Traffic” Project Demonstrates High Accuracy in Initial Testing Leading to Expansion of Team and AI Drone Applications for Commercial and Defense – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions, announces positive results from initial testing and an update on its Quantum Computing Sky Traffic project. An initial test using the Company’s AI algorithms and quantum computing to predict weather has resulted in a high level of accuracy for the parameters tested including actual temperatures versus predicted temperatures in the test which used 2016 data.

    Due in part to these encouraging results, ZenaTech is now growing its internal team over the next two months. As part of the ramp up, the Company is adding additional quantum, AI and hardware engineers, and optimization specialists and is engaged in recruiting staff from physics facilities at international universities, including researchers, instructors, and Ph.D. candidates.

    “The Sky Traffic project leverages AI and quantum computing to process vast data streams to improve the accuracy and speed of weather forecasting that can also apply to the innovation of many other commercial and defense applications utilizing drones. Our hiring strategy focuses on assembling a multidisciplinary team of quantum and AI specialists, and hardware and aerospace engineers to help us revolutionize autonomous drones. By combining quantum algorithms with advanced machine learning, we can optimize navigation, decision-making, and real-time data processing for next-generation aerial intelligence,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

    ZenaTech launched the Sky Traffic project in November 2024, which will utilize its AI drones, quantum computing, and specialized quantum and AI teams to develop and test advanced applications for traffic management, weather forecasting, wildfire management and defense applications using large datasets, Amazon Web Services, and computing devices and platforms.

    AI Drones are used in weather forecasting to collect real-time atmospheric data from hard-to-reach areas, such as storm systems or remote regions, providing valuable input for weather models. Quantum computers can then analyze this vast and complex data much faster and more accurately, improving weather predictions and enhancing the ability to forecast extreme events like hurricanes, tornadoes, or wildfires.

    AI and quantum computing can work together to make defense drones smarter, faster, and more efficient using a single drone or a swarm of multiple drones. AI helps drones analyze data, recognize objects, and make decisions on their own, while quantum computing can process massive amounts of information much faster than regular computers. For example, a defense drone using AI can detect enemy movement, but adding quantum computing allows it to analyze complex battlefield data instantly and find the best flight path or strategy in real time. This combination improves reaction speed, mission accuracy, and overall drone performance, making them more effective for surveillance, reconnaissance, and security operations.

    Quantum computing is an emergent field of cutting-edge computer science harnessing the unique qualities of quantum mechanics to solve problems beyond the ability of even the most powerful classical computers of today, to process massively complicated mathematical problems and data at orders of magnitude faster speeds.

    The ZenaDrone 1000 is a multifunction autonomous drone, in a VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) quadcopter design with eight rotors; it is considered a medium-sized drone measuring 12X7 feet in size. It is designed for stable flight, maneuverability, heavy lift capabilities up to 40 kilos, incorporating innovative software technology, AI, sensors, and purpose-built attachments, along with compact and rugged hardware engineered for industrial and defense use for a variety of inspection, surveillance or tracking applications. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    Other recent developments in the markets include:

    QphoX B.V., a Dutch quantum technology startup that is developing leading frequency conversion systems for quantum applications, Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ: RGTI), a pioneer in full-stack quantum-classical computing, and Qblox, a leading innovator in quantum control stack development, recently announced that their joint research demonstrating the ability to readout superconducting qubits with an optical transducer was published in Nature Physics.

    Quantum computing has the potential to drive transformative breakthroughs in fields such as advanced material design, artificial intelligence, and drug discovery. Of the quantum computing modalities, superconducting qubits are a leading platform towards realizing a practical quantum computer given their fast gate speeds and ability to leverage existing semiconductor industry manufacturing techniques. However, fault-tolerant quantum computing will likely require 10,000 to a million physical qubits. The sheer amount of wiring, amplifiers and microwave components required to operate such large numbers of qubits far exceeds the capacity of modern-day dilution refrigerators, a core component of a superconducting quantum computing system, in terms of both space and passive heat load.

    AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) recently announced the launch of the JUMP® 20-X, a next-generation, modular Group 3 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) designed to meet the dynamic demands of modern warfare. Setting a new benchmark for autonomous maritime operations, the JUMP 20-X delivers unrivaled versatility, efficiency, and precision in contested and complex environments.

    Unveiled at the 2025 International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX), the JUMP 20-X is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) medium uncrewed aircraft system (MUAS) engineered to revolutionize shipboard UAS operations. With an advanced heavy-fuel engine capable of running on multiple fuel types, JUMP 20-X enhances operational flexibility, simplifies refueling logistics, and ensures mission adaptability across diverse maritime and expeditionary environments.

    Unusual Machines (NYSE:UMAC) recently announced that its Fat Shark Aura FPV Camera has been added to the U.S. Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Blue UAS Framework. It is the only camera on the Blue UAS list purpose-built for first person view (“FPV”) applications, providing a high-performance, NDAA-compliant option for defense and government users.

    This approval marks another step forward in Unusual Machines’ mission to supply NDAA-compliant FPV components for both commercial and defense applications. The Fat Shark Aura FPV Camera joins the Rotor Riot Brave F7 Flight Controller and Brave 55A ESC, both of which have already been approved under the Blue UAS Framework.

    Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI) recently announced that its Safe Pro AI subsidiary reached its latest milestone having processed over 1,000,000 real-world images and 20,000 explosive threat detections in Ukraine utilizing its patented AI-powered small object threat detection and drone image analysis and mapping technology.

    Sourced from real-world aerial imagery collected in Ukraine by organizations utilizing commercially available drones over the past two years, SafePro’s latest generation of small object detection models include one of the largest and widest arrays of labeled imagery of landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and explosive remnants of war (ERW) in existence today. Supported by the hyper scale of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, this robust dataset enables the patented SpotlightAI™ ecosystem to rapidly detect over 150 types of surface-level explosive hazards, enabling government and humanitarian organizations to quickly assess threats on the ground with sub-centimeter precision. The Company intends to utilize its newly enhanced models to power new threat detection solutions designed for expanded domestic and international applications in defense, public safety and commercial markets.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet – in his first term, Trump was pretty tough on Putin

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Tatsiana Kulakevich, Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, University of South Florida

    Traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls depict U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a gift shop in Moscow on Feb. 13, 2025. Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP via Getty Images

    The United States’ steadfast allegiance to Ukraine during that country’s three-year war against Russia appears to be quickly disintegrating under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump on Feb. 19, 2025, called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a dictator” and falsely blamed him for the war that Russia initiated as part of a land grab in the countries’ border regions.

    Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said on Feb. 19 that Trump is trapped in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “disinformation space.”

    The intensifying bitterness comes as the U.S. and Russia started talks in Saudi Arabia, without including Ukraine, on how to end the conflict.

    The U.S. and Russia have long been adversaries, and the U.S., to date, has given Ukraine more than US$183 billion to help fight against Russia. But that funding came when Joe Biden was president. Trump does not appear to be similarly inclined toward Ukraine.

    Amy Lieberman, a politics editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Tatsiana Kulakevich, a scholar of Eastern European politics and international relations, to understand the implications of this sudden shift in U.S.-Russia policy under Trump.

    Kulakevich sees Trump’s moves that could be perceived as self-interested as instead part of a calculated strategy in preliminary discussions.

    An airplane passenger reads a Financial Times article about U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 19, 2025.
    Horacio Villalobos Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

    Can you explain the current dynamic between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia?

    People should not panic because the U.S. and Russia are only holding exploratory talks. We should not call them peace talks, per se, at least not yet. It was to be expected that Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia because there is nothing to talk about yet. We don’t know what the U.S. and Russia are actually discussing besides agreeing to restore the normal functioning of each other’s diplomatic missions.

    People are perceiving the U.S. and Russia as being in love. However, Trump’s Russia policy has been more hawkish than often portrayed in the media. Looking at the record from the previous Trump administration, we can see that if something is not in the interests of the U.S., that is not going to be done. Trump does not do favors.

    He approved anti-tank missile sales to Ukraine in 2019. That same year, Trump withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, an agreement with Russia that limited what weapons each country could purchase, over Russian violations.

    In 2019, Trump also issued economic sanctions against a Russian ship involved in building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. These sanctions tried to block Russia’s direct gas exports to Germany – this connection between Russia and Germany was seen by Ukraine as an economic threat.

    Based on Trump’s talks with Russia and remarks against Ukraine, it could seem like the U.S. and Russia are no longer adversaries. How do you perceive this?

    There are no clear indications that Russia and the U.S. have ceased to be adversaries. Despite Trump’s occasional use of terms like “friends” in diplomacy, his rhetoric often serves as a tactical maneuver rather than a genuine shift in alliances. A key example is his engagement with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, where Trump alternated between flattery and threats to extract concessions.

    Even if the U.S. is meeting with Russia and the public narrative seems to say otherwise, strategically, abandoning Ukraine is not in the United States’ best interests. One reason why is because the U.S. turning away from Ukraine would make Russia happy and China happy. Trump has treated China as a primary threat to the U.S., and China has supported Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also still saying that everyone, including Ukraine, will be at the table for eventual peace talks.

    The allegations that Russia was holding some information over Trump and blackmailing him started long before this presidential term and did not stop Trump from imposing countermeasures on Russia during his first term. The first Trump administration took more than 50 policy actions to counter Moscow, primarily in the form of public statements and sanctions.

    What does the U.S. gain from developing a diplomatic relationship with Russia?

    Trump is a transactional politician. American companies could profit from the U.S. aligning with Russia and Russian companies, as some Russian officials have said during the recent Saudi Arabia talks with the Trump administration. But the U.S. could also benefit economically from the Trump’s administration’s proposed deal with Ukraine to give the U.S. half of Ukraine’s estimated $11.5 trillion in rare earth minerals.

    Zelenskyy rejected that proposal this week, saying it does not come with the promise that the U.S. will continue to give security guarantees to Ukraine.

    Historically, since the Cold War, there has been a diplomatic triangle between the Soviet Union – later Russia – China and the U.S. And there has always been one side fighting against the two other sides. Trump trying to develop a better diplomatic relationship with Russia might mean he is trying to distance Russia from China.

    A similar dynamic is playing out between the U.S. and Belarus’ authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, a co-aggressor in the war in Ukraine. Lukashenko is close with both Russia and China. The U.S. administration is looking to relax sanctions on Belarusian banks and exports of potash, a key ingredient in fertilizer, in exchange for the release of Belarusian political opposition members who are imprisoned. There are over 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus. This U.S. foreign policy strategy is aimed at providing Lukashenko with room to grow less economically dependent on Russia and China.

    A worker clears snow from a cemetery in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on Feb. 17, 2025. More than 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in combat since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
    Pierre Crom/Getty Images

    Is this level of collaboration between the U.S. and Russia unprecedented?

    While U.S.-Russia relations are often defined by rivalry, history shows that pragmatic cooperation has occurred when both nations saw mutual benefits – whether this relates to arms control, space, counterterrorism, Arctic affairs or health.

    Moreover, the U.S. has always prioritized its own interests in its relationship with Russia. For example, the U.S. and its allies imposed sanctions on Russia’s uranium and nickel industries only in May 2024, over two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This was due to the United States’ strategic economic dependencies and concerns about market stability if it sanctioned uranium and nickel.

    Even after Russia invaded Crimea – an area of Ukraine that Russia claims as its own – in 2014 and provided support for Russian separatists in Ukraine’s Donbass region, the U.S. and other Western countries imposed largely symbolic sanctions. This included freezing assets of Russian individuals, restricting some financial transactions and limiting Russia’s access to Western technology.

    We should also notice that Trump in January 2025 promised to sanction Russia if it does not end the Ukraine war. The U.S. still has not removed any existing sanctions, which signals its commitment to a tough stance on Russia, despite perceptions of a close relationship between Trump and Putin.

    Given Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy, his tough rhetoric on Zelenskyy could be a deliberate negotiation strategy aimed at pressuring Ukraine into making greater concessions in potential peace talks, rather than signaling abandonment.

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

    – ref. Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet – in his first term, Trump was pretty tough on Putin – https://theconversation.com/trumps-move-to-closer-ties-with-russia-does-not-mean-betrayal-of-ukraine-yet-in-his-first-term-trump-was-pretty-tough-on-putin-250359

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 20 February 2025 Departmental update Message by the Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO – January/February 2025

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Safeguarding children and adolescents from deadly, yet preventable diseases, such as polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis, human papillomavirus and tetanus, among others, is the foundation of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) – saving an estimated 154 million lives and adding over 10 billion years of healthy life. Through strong partnerships and countries’ commitments vaccines have reached every corner of the world and became the single greatest contribution of any health intervention to ensuring babies not only see their first birthdays but continue leading healthy lives into adulthood.

    2025 marks a significant turning point for immunization efforts worldwide.

    Last year, we celebrated the remarkable progress made by the global immunization community since 1974. Each year, new and under-utilized vaccines continue to be introduced in countries. In 2024, four new countries introduced HPV vaccines and 25 adopted the single-dose schedule. Additionally, Niger and Nigeria became the first countries to implement the Men5CV vaccine, a new and affordable meningococcal pentavalent conjugate vaccine, and more than 12 million doses of malaria vaccine reached 17 countries in Africa in 2024 – a pivotal moment in the fight to end malaria.

    The Big Catch-up Initiative, a major vaccine co-financing initiative in collaboration with Gavi and UNICEF, began reaching children left unvaccinated as a result the pandemic. By the end of 2024, an estimated 143 million vaccine doses had been delivered to 36 countries and 10.5 million catch-up doses had already been administered. This year, an additional 104 million doses will be delivered as part of the Big Catch-up, and a new WHO global monitoring dashboard is enabling real-time data tracking to continually strengthen countries strategies and our support to them. The midway point of the Immunization Agenda 2030 is upon us. As we look towards the next five years there are challenges ahead, but the goal is more relevant than ever.

    Five immunization priorities for 2025

    Equity: Reaching Zero-Dose Children

    Vaccine equity remains one of the most urgent global health challenges of our time. While immunization programs have made tremendous progress, millions of children worldwide remain unreached—many of whom are classified as zero-dose children, meaning they have not received a single vaccine. In 2023, 14.5 million children had received no vaccines at all, a sharp increase from 12.9 million in 2019. These children are disproportionately from marginalized communities, including those in conflict zones, remote areas, and urban slums. The gap in coverage not only fuels preventable disease outbreaks but also deepens existing inequalities in health outcomes. Closing this gap requires targeted strategies: improving supply chains, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and addressing socioeconomic barriers that prevent families from accessing vaccination services. Achieving true equity means ensuring that no child is left behind.

    Outbreaks: The Resurgence of Measles and System Strengthening

    Vaccine-Preventable Disease surveillance is another pillar of global health security. From yellow fever to measles to pneumonia, early detection ensures vaccines reach those who need them most. The alarming rise in measles cases is a stark reminder of result when immunization networks are weakened. Once considered on the path to elimination in many regions, measles is resurging due to gaps in vaccine coverage. This increase is a warning signal that vaccination systems are at risk—delayed campaigns, supply chain disruptions, and weakened trust in health services have created the basis for outbreaks. Strengthening immunization programmes is not just about responding to crises but about intense work to build resilient health systems so those crises are averted in the first place. This means enhancing surveillance, ensuring robust stockpiles of vaccines, training health workers, assuring data systems are in place to drive impact and intensifying essential immunization services. A failure to act decisively now could see other vaccine-preventable diseases following the same dangerous trend.

    Vaccine Confidence: Strengthening Trust Among Communities and Health Workers

    Confidence in vaccines is the backbone of successful immunization efforts. The past few years have exposed both the strengths and vulnerabilities of public trust in vaccines. Misinformation, historical mistrust, and political instability threaten to erode hard-won gains. At the same time, frontline health workers—the trusted faces of vaccination—must be supported with training and resources to confidently engage with communities. Trust must be built through transparency, education, and engagement. Governments, civil society, and the private sector must work together to counter misinformation and misrepresentation, amplify accurate information, and ensure that communities feel empowered, not coerced, in vaccine decision-making.

    New Vaccines: Innovation, Hope, and the Need for Strong Support

    Innovation in vaccines brings immense opportunity for tackling some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The introduction of new vaccines—whether for malaria, RSV, or the next pandemic threat—represents a turning point in public health.  New vaccines are only as impactful as the systems that deliver them. The success of these vaccines hinges not just on their development but on their effective introduction and sustained delivery. This is where our role supporting countries is critical: ensuring that regulatory approvals, financing mechanisms, health system readiness, and community acceptance are in place. Investing in the introduction of these vaccines with the same urgency as their research and development will be key to translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world protection.

    Funding and political challengers

    In January, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order indicating the United States’ intent to withdraw from WHO. We remain hopeful that the US will reconsider. For decades, the partnership between the US and WHO has been instrumental in achieving historic public health milestones—from the eradication of smallpox to advancing global immunization efforts that have saved millions of lives in the US and around the world. This collaboration has protected Americans at home and abroad through disease surveillance, accelerating scientific progress, and ensuring that life-saving health interventions reach those who need them most, and shutting down outbreaks when they emerge, to limit their impact.

    Global health security is a shared responsibility. Infectious diseases do not respect borders, and the challenges we face—whether responding to outbreaks, developing new vaccines, or ensuring equitable access to healthcare—require international cooperation.

    WHO remains committed to its mission and will continue working with partners to strengthen global health systems. Strong leadership and sustained funding are critical to ensuring immunization programmes remain resilient. However, the political landscape for vaccines is increasingly unpredictable, putting decades of progress at risk.

    Moving Forward Together: A Moment for Global Health Cooperation

    Two upcoming meetings will be pivotal in providing critical guidance for future immunization policies and strategies.

    The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) will meet 10-13 March 2025, to advance global immunization policies and priorities. Key discussions will focus on IA2030 progress, pneumococcus vaccine schedules, varicella-zoster vaccination, new vaccine introductions, NITAG strengthening, and global polio eradication policy decisions and mpox updates. The Global Vaccine and Immunization Research Forum (March 25-27, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) will convene experts from around the world to advance vaccine innovations, sustainable R&D investments, Artificial Intelligence applications to vaccine development, climate-related challenges to immunization, and equitable access to vaccines. Key discussions will highlight Latin American advancements, maternal and new TB vaccines, vaccine role to reduce antimicrobial resistance, and clinical trial innovations for immunization.

    In closing, I want to thank Member States, partners, and all those in the global health community for the resilient commitment and focus on immunization, driven always by high quality evidence, science and impact. Now is the time to remain committed and sharpen our focus so that immunization for all is a reality.

    The world has the tools, knowledge, and capacity to protect future generations through vaccines. Political will and global solidarity are more valuable than ever to make that happen.

    In the words of Dr. Albert Sabin, “A scientist who is also a human being cannot rest while knowledge which might be used to reduce suffering rests on the shelf.” Let’s ensure that decades of progress are not left behind, but are built upon. It is in our hands. It is Humanly Possible.

     —-

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: Quantum Computing Solutions Big Influence on Commercial & Military Drone Applications Drastically Improving Operations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Recent reports on the quantum computing market all seem to project substantial growth for years to come and will enter into a multitude of uses… including drones. A recent International Conference of Intelligent Computing & Optimization Conference paper, titled “Enhancing Privacy and Security for UAV and IoT Enabled Drones an Intelligent Integration of Blockchain, AI, and Quantum Computing” had this to say, in part: “Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones have seen an upsurge in their usage in various industries due to the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT). Nevertheless, the extensive use of these technologies has given rise to concerns over privacy, data integrity, and security. This research presents a pioneering approach to tackle these challenges by amalgamating Blockchain technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computing. By virtue of its decentralized and immutable nature, blockchain can safeguard data integrity for UAVs and drones. A blockchain-based system can store all drone data transfers on distributed ledgers, thus enhancing transparency and reducing the risk of malicious tampering. The use of AI can significantly benefit drone operations and decision-making. AI systems empower drones to dynamically reroute themselves, predict potential security hazards, and adapt to new situations. Furthermore, AI’s real-time data processing can enhance anomaly detection and response times. Quantum computing, although still in its nascent stages, furnishes unparalleled processing capability. Drone data encryption is almost unfeasible to decrypt using conventional computing methods, as per quantum-enhanced security protocols that can be devised owing to quantum physics.”   Active Companies in the markets today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS), Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ: QUBT), IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), Quantum Corporation (NASDAQ: QMCO).

    The article continued: “Additionally, quantum computing can expedite complex route enhancements, thereby considerably augmenting drone output. The amalgamation of Blockchain, AI, and Quantum Computing has provided a comprehensive solution to the privacy and security apprehensions concerning UAVs and IoT-enabled drones. The forthcoming drone operations are expected to reap the benefits of the most promising features of these technologies, thereby elevating the benchmark for efficiency, openness, and safety. This study’s investigation provides insights into the advantages… of these integration mechanisms. An Abstract from yet another scholarly paper on ScienceDirect.com titled: “Futuristic view of the Internet of Quantum Drones: Review, challenges and research agenda”, said this: “The disruptive technology of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, is a trend with increasing applications and practical relevance in the current and future society. Despite the common interest in drones for commercial deliveries, the use of this disruptive technology can be examined in the contexts of other world strategic demands such as climate change issues and traffic management. As of very recently, some drone-related futuristic disruptive technologies, including quantum drones (QD), the Internet of Quantum Drones (IoQDs), and a constellation of quantum satellites (CQS), are expected to be a breakthrough technology in strategic areas of society.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) Quantum Computing “Sky Traffic” Project Demonstrates High Accuracy in Initial Testing Leading to Expansion of Team and AI Drone Applications for Commercial and Defense – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions, announces positive results from initial testing and an update on its Quantum Computing Sky Traffic project. An initial test using the Company’s AI algorithms and quantum computing to predict weather has resulted in a high level of accuracy for the parameters tested including actual temperatures verses predicted temperatures in the test which used 2016 data.

    Due in part to these encouraging results, ZenaTech is now growing its internal team over the next two months. As part of the ramp up, the Company is adding additional quantum, AI and hardware engineers, and optimization specialists and is engaged in recruiting staff from physics facilities at international universities, including researchers, instructors, and Ph.D. candidates.

    “The Sky Traffic project leverages AI and quantum computing to process vast data streams to improve the accuracy and speed of weather forecasting that can also apply to the innovation of many other commercial and defense applications utilizing drones. Our hiring strategy focuses on assembling a multidisciplinary team of quantum and AI specialists, and hardware and aerospace engineers to help us revolutionize autonomous drones. By combining quantum algorithms with advanced machine learning, we can optimize navigation, decision-making, and real-time data processing for next-generation aerial intelligence,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

    ZenaTech launched the Sky Traffic project in November 2024, which will utilize its AI drones, quantum computing, and specialized quantum and AI teams to develop and test advanced applications for traffic management, weather forecasting, wildfire management and defense applications using large datasets, Amazon Web Services, and computing devices and platforms.

    AI Drones are used in weather forecasting to collect real-time atmospheric data from hard-to-reach areas, such as storm systems or remote regions, providing valuable input for weather models. Quantum computers can then analyze this vast and complex data much faster and more accurately, improving weather predictions and enhancing the ability to forecast extreme events like hurricanes, tornadoes, or wildfires.

    AI and quantum computing can work together to make defense drones smarter, faster, and more efficient using a single drone or a swarm of multiple drones. AI helps drones analyze data, recognize objects, and make decisions on their own, while quantum computing can process massive amounts of information much faster than regular computers. For example, a defense drone using AI can detect enemy movement, but adding quantum computing allows it to analyze complex battlefield data instantly and find the best flight path or strategy in real time. This combination improves reaction speed, mission accuracy, and overall drone performance, making them more effective for surveillance, reconnaissance, and security operations.

    Quantum computing is an emergent field of cutting-edge computer science harnessing the unique qualities of quantum mechanics to solve problems beyond the ability of even the most powerful classical computers of today, to process massively complicated mathematical problems and data at orders of magnitude faster speeds.

    The ZenaDrone 1000 is a multifunction autonomous drone, in a VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) quadcopter design with eight rotors; it is considered a medium-sized drone measuring 12X7 feet in size. It is designed for stable flight, maneuverability, heavy lift capabilities up to 40 kilos, incorporating innovative software technology, AI, sensors, and purpose-built attachments, along with compact and rugged hardware engineered for industrial and defense use for a variety of inspection, surveillance or tracking applications.   Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    Other recent developments in the markets include:

    D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) and the Julich Supercomputing Centre (“JSC”) at Forschungszentrum Julich (“FZJ”) have recently announced that FZJ has purchased a D-Wave quantum computer, becoming the first high-performance computing (HPC) center in the world to own a D-Wave Advantage(TM) annealing quantum computing system.

    With the purchase of the world’s largest quantum computer and Europe’s first quantum computer with more than 5,000 qubits and 15-way connectivity, the Julich UNified Infrastructure for Quantum computing (JUNIQ), a public quantum computing user facility deployed by JSC, gains complete access to all aspects of the system. This will allow it to integrate the D-Wave system with Julich’s JUPITER exascale supercomputer in the future, potentially enabling breakthroughs in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum optimization. JSC’s system will be upgraded to D-Wave’s next-generation Advantage2 processor once available. The Advantage2 system is expected to deliver significant performance gains with doubled coherence, increased connectivity and a 40 percent boost to the energy scale for advanced problem solving.

    Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ: QUBT) recently announced it has received a fifth purchase order for its thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chip foundry. The latest order comes from a research group based in Canada to support its research efforts on quantum photonics.

    As part of the order, QCi will provide the research group with custom test structures based on its TFLN photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip technology. These test structures will serve as a baseline for advanced designs, such as periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) components, which are essential for generating entangled photons and optical frequency conversion. Under this order agreement, the research group will also receive priority access and preferred rates for future multi-project wafer (MPW) runs offered by QCi.

    IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) and General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics, recently announced a partnership to bring the power of quantum computing to government and defense sectors.

    IonQ and GDIT are partnering to combine GDIT’s deep technical and government agency mission expertise with IonQ’s pioneering quantum technology. Together, the companies will co-develop and market advanced quantum processing and networking applications to address high-impact use cases, including quantum AI extensions, resource optimization, and anomaly detection. This collaboration aims to deliver transformative capabilities for federal, and state governments, meeting critical challenges with cutting-edge solutions.

    Quantum Corporation (NASDAQ: QMCO) recently announced scalability enhancements to its Quantum Myriad® all-flash file system, making it the first solution to offer incremental, in-place system scaling with dynamic, automatic data leveling. These advancements deliver unmatched flexibility and adaptability in a modern, all-flash file system so customers can meet their evolving storage requirements in the era of AI.

    The new scalability features enable customers to start with as few as five partially populated NVMe Storage Server nodes, then expand in increments of one or more nodes at a time with the additional storage available in minutes, with no need for admin intervention, and no impact or interruption to user operation. Customers will be able to continue adding nodes as their needs grow, increasing capacity while maintaining linear performance with automatic data leveling across all nodes as new Storage Server nodes are added.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Orion180 Makes Key Executive Moves to Drive Product Growth and Further Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MELBOURNE, Fla., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orion180, a leading provider of innovative insurance solutions, today announced it has hired former The Hartford executive Chris DiMartino as Chief Underwriting Officer. In this role, DiMartino will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of underwriting, product development and management across its surplus and personal lines of business.

    DiMartino brings 27 years of experience in underwriting, actuarial science, and product management in commercial and personal lines P&C insurance. Prior to joining Orion180, he served as senior vice president of insurance services at AAA Northeast and held prominent leadership roles in his 20+ years at The Hartford, most recently serving as Head of Product for its $3 billion personal lines business. DiMartino is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS), a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), and a licensed attorney.

    “Bringing Chris on board marks a pivotal step in our company’s evolution,” said Ken Gregg, CEO and Founder of Orion180. “His deep expertise in underwriting and product management will be critical in enhancing our portfolio as we continue to aggressively grow product lines and expand to other States.”

    Additionally, Orion180 Chief Operations Officer (COO) Ryan Jesenik has been promoted to President, Insurance. In his expanded role, Jesenik will retain his responsibilities as COO while also leading growth strategy, ensuring daily operations align seamlessly with the company’s long-term goals.

    During Jesenik’s tenure as COO, Orion180 has been named to the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies list for two consecutive years, and he helped grow the company to $263M in in-force premium. He also supported the company’s homeowners, FLEX, and private residential flood insurance product launches, and the release of the innovative MY180 app allowing agents to seamlessly create new quotes and manage their book of business.

    “Ryan has been instrumental in helping Orion180 become one of the fastest growing home insurance companies in the U.S.,” said Gregg. “I look forward to our continued work together, advancing our vision of offering consumers and agents greater choice and unmatched flexibility to meet their everchanging needs.”

    About Orion180
    Orion180 is a customer-focused, technology-driven insurance brand that combines proprietary technology, real-time data, and straightforward underwriting practices to provide a seamless and premier insurance experience. Orion180 operates through Orion180 Insurance Co., a surplus lines insurance company serving Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Colorado (Flood only), Tennessee (Flood only), Illinois (Flood only) and Arizona, and Orion180 Select Insurance Co., an admitted insurance company offering coverage in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Ohio. With its proprietary MY180 platform and third-party integrations, Orion180 offers unmatched efficiency and innovation, fulfilling its vision of becoming the global leader in insurance solutions while maintaining its mission to deliver superior customer experiences and a comprehensive suite of products. Connect with Orion180 on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. For more information, visit www.Orion180.com.

    Media Contact
    Ross Blume
    Fusion Public Relations
    Orion180@fusionpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: p53 is both your genome’s guardian and weakness against cancer – scientists are trying to repair or replace it when it goes awry

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Prosper Obed Chukwuemeka, Ph.D. Candidate in Integrative Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh

    To stop tumors from forming, p53 can trigger programmed cell death. Juan Gaertner/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

    Cancer arises when your cells grow uncontrollably and refuse to die when they should. Normally, your body is equipped with regulatory processes to prevent this chaos. One such mechanism involves a protein called p53. Often dubbed the “guardian of the genome,” this protein plays a pivotal role in ensuring that your cells grow, divide and die in an orderly fashion. When p53 malfunctions, the result is often cancer.

    Learning about how p53 works has not only deepened how scientists understand cancer, but also provided promising avenues for new treatments.

    In my work as a cancer researcher, I study the underlying mechanisms of how tumors develop and resist treatment. By understanding how cancer cells bypass safeguards like p53, scientists can find better ways to stop them, leading to more effective treatments for patients.

    How p53 works

    Each cell contains DNA that instructs it how to function. Over time, this instruction manual can accumulate errors due to various factors like exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays, smoking or even just natural wear and tear.

    This is where p53 comes in. It acts like a vigilant proofreader, detecting errors in DNA and deciding how to handle them. If the damage is minor, p53 instructs the cell to repair it. But if the damage is beyond repair, p53 triggers a process called apoptosis, or programmed cell death, ensuring the faulty cell doesn’t turn cancerous.

    In more than half of all human cancers, p53 is either missing or dysfunctional. This often happens when the gene that encodes for p53 is mutated or deleted. Without a functioning p53, errors in DNA go unchecked, allowing damaged cells to multiply and form tumors.

    p53 has four arms to wrap around and bind to DNA.
    David Goodsell/RCSB PDB-101, CC BY-SA

    Targeting p53 pathways

    Given its crucial role in preventing cancer, p53 has become a major target for drug development.

    Over the years, scientists have devised various strategies to target the p53 pathway, or the network of molecules p53 controls to regulate cell growth, repair DNA damage and trigger cell death. Rather than acting alone, p53 interacts with multiple molecular pathways – some of which researchers are still discovering – that help determine a cell’s fate.

    Treatment approaches aim to restore or mimic p53’s function in cells where it has gone awry. For example, scientists have developed small molecules that can bind to mutant p53 and stabilize its faulty structure, restoring its ability to bind DNA and regulate genes. Drugs like PRIMA-1 and MIRA-1 essentially “rescue” p53, allowing it to resume its role as the cell’s guardian.

    Even when p53 is missing, scientists can still target the processes it normally controls to treat cancer. For example, drugs can activate apoptosis or halt cell division in ways that mimic p53’s normal function. Drugs like ABT-737 or Navitoclax can block proteins in the p53 pathway that usually stop apoptosis, allowing cell death to occur even when p53 is absent.

    Targeting p53’s overseers

    Researchers are also investigating other proteins that interact with p53 as potential treatment options. Because the p53 pathway is highly complex, targeting different parts of this network presents both opportunities and challenges.

    My colleagues and I are studying two other closely related proteins that regulate p53 by marking it for destruction when it’s no longer needed. These proteins, called MDM2 and MDMX, become overactive in cancer and break down p53.

    p53 is quickly activated to respond to DNA damage.

    Researchers have developed drugs to block MDM2 or MDMX, but targeting just one of these proteins is often not enough. If one is blocked, the other can step in and continue to destroy p53. Most existing drugs are also much better at blocking MDM2 than MDMX due to subtle differences in the latter’s shape, including a smaller area for p53 to bind. This makes it harder for drugs designed to target MDM2 to effectively bind to or reach MDMX.

    To find molecules that could bind to both MDM2 and MDMX, researchers traditionally synthesize and test each molecule individually, which is often time-intensive and costly. In contrast, my colleagues and I used computer modeling tools to simulate how thousands of molecules might interact with the proteins, allowing us to narrow down potential candidates much more quickly.

    We identified a small molecule we called CPO that shows promise in its ability to target both MDM2 and MDMX. Our models showed that CPO may have a stronger ability to block both MDM2 and MDMX than another molecule that researchers previously found could inhibit both of these proteins in cell culture.

    More research is needed to confirm whether CPO works in living systems the same way it does in our computer predictions. If CPO is as safe and effective in cell and animal models, it may offer another treatment option for cancers where MDM2 and MDMX are overactive.

    p53 and cancer treatment

    The journey to fully harnessing the p53 pathway for cancer therapeutics is ongoing, and researchers are exploring several promising options.

    Advances in gene-editing technologies like CRISPR are opening doors to directly correct p53 mutations in cancer cells.

    Additionally, researchers are exploring combination therapies that pair p53-targeting drugs with other treatments, such as immunotherapy, to amplify their effectiveness.

    Like other cancer treatments, one major challenge is ensuring the drugs target p53 in cancer cells and spare healthy cells from unnecessary damage. Achieving this balance will be crucial in translating these therapies from the lab to the clinic.

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

    – ref. p53 is both your genome’s guardian and weakness against cancer – scientists are trying to repair or replace it when it goes awry – https://theconversation.com/p53-is-both-your-genomes-guardian-and-weakness-against-cancer-scientists-are-trying-to-repair-or-replace-it-when-it-goes-awry-248674

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Polytechnic University opened a board of Endowment Fund benefactors

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On the Polytechnic’s birthday, the traditional meeting of ambassadors and patrons was held with special solemnity. Its culmination was the opening of the board of benefactors of the SPbPU Endowment Fund.

    Before this, a festive award ceremony was held in the foyer of the Technopolis Polytech research building to honor the most active graduates and employees of the university, who contribute to its successful development and strengthening of its position among higher educational institutions of the city and the country.

    Opening the meeting, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies Maxim Pasholikov congratulated the guests on the birthday of the Polytechnic University and thanked them for their loyalty and love for their alma mater.

    “I am glad that today those who provide the university with significant financial, administrative, and informational assistance have gathered here again,” said Maxim Aleksandrovich. “This is a good initiative to annually recognize the contribution of benefactors and graduates to the development of the university and the implementation of its initiatives. The endowment fund is the calling card of a modern world-class university. As of the end of 2024, we have collected more than 110 million rubles. They are under the trust management of the management company, and the income we receive is directed to the development of the Polytechnic University. Endowments for institutes are being actively created. We really hope for the support of our graduates in forming the fund and are grateful for the assistance that has already been provided.”

    In 2024, when Polytechnic celebrated not only its anniversary, but also the anniversary of the university’s founder, an outstanding Russian statesman, financier and diplomat Sergei Yulievich Witte, a commemorative medal in his name was established at the university. It will be awarded to multiple benefactors of the SPbPU Endowment Fund for Development.

    The first medals for long-term fruitful cooperation and significant contribution to the Endowment Fund were received by Bank Saint Petersburg and VTB Bank.

    For assistance in developing the University Endowment Fund, the following were awarded the Witte Medal and the University’s gratitude: Gazprom Transgaz Saint Petersburg LLC, Streamer NPO, and Arman Group.

    The following were personally awarded for their contribution to the development of the SPbPU Endowment Fund: Mikhail Silnikov, General Director and General Designer of NPO Spetsmaterialy; Vera Konsetova, General Director of AFK-AUDIT; Sergei Kopytov, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Petersburg Social Commercial Bank; Mikhail Grekov, Vice-Rector for Work with Branches of the Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State University of Railway Engineering; and Oleg Koval.

    The university staff also made a significant contribution to the development of the Endowment Fund: Vice-Rector for Economics and Finance of the Polytechnic University Alexander Rechinsky; Advisor to the Rector’s Office Vladimir Glukhov; Director of the Physics and Mechanical Institute Nikolay Ivanov; Director of the Higher School of Industrial Management Olga Kalinina; Director of the Higher School of Engineering and Economics Dmitry Rodionov; Director of the Center for Continuing Professional Education of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” Sergey Salkutsan; Leading Specialist of the SPbPU History Museum Alexander Kobyshev.

    For contribution to the implementation cooperation agreements between the university and the State Hermitage Museum and active participation in the activities of the Polytechnic Ambassadors Community in 2024, the following were awarded the university’s gratitude: Deputy Director General of the State Hermitage Museum Alexey Bogdanov and the head of the ventilation, air conditioning, control and measuring instruments and automation systems sector of the Operations Department of the Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Center of the State Hermitage Museum Kirill Tambovtsev.

    Also, for promoting the development of the community of ambassadors and the SPbPU Endowment Fund in 2024, awards were received by the head of the production preparation bureau of the chief technologist’s department of JSC Kronstadt Marine Plant Dmitry Gomonov and the head of the process automation department of the Information Systems Department of BorisHof Holding LLC, Ruslan Talipov.

    In 2024, in memory of Sergei Yulyevich Witte, the Academic Council decided to restore the Witte scholarships from the income from the management of the Polytechnic Endowment Fund. In accordance with historical tradition, the scholarships will be awarded to four students who have passed the next session with excellent marks and successfully passed the competitive selection. The scholarship will be 10,000 rubles, it will be paid for five months, and then, based on the results of the next session, the commission will determine new winners.

    The first Witte scholarship recipients were Yaroslav Kiyashko (Institute of Computer Science and Cybersecurity), Konstantin Fedorov (Institute of Energy), Anna Danilova (Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade) and Natalia Poluektova (Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade). At the ceremony, they were presented with scholarship certificates, memorable gifts from the university, and the girls were also given flowers.

    After the ceremony, the guests were invited to the opening of the board of benefactors of the SPbPU Endowment Fund. It is located next to the model of the Polytechnic University campus. The board reflects information about all major donors of the Endowment Fund since the year of its foundation.

    “Our fund has existed since 2012, and it was created for eternity. Therefore, if we participate in its work, it means that we are in touch with eternity,” said Yuri Levchenko, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund, Senior Vice President of VTB Bank. “Our fund, of course, is still small, compared to, say, Harvard University, but every year it grows thanks to your efforts, for which we are very grateful. And I encourage everyone to actively participate in this work, involve friends and acquaintances. We hope that our graduates will become successful businessmen, government officials, creative people, and will never forget the institute, and our fund will grow.”

    Vice-Rector Maxim Pasholikov explained that the plaque is removable, and if there are more donors, then by the university’s next birthday their names and the names of their companies will also appear in this place of honor.

    Photo archive

    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 Global: Your dog may be wilder than you think, according to canine sleep research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Deborah Wells, Reader, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast

    Rasulov/Shutterstock

    Dogs may look adorable when they snooze, but their sleeping habits actually hold fascinating clues on how living with humans has shaped canine behaviour. The sleep-wake patterns of the dog can also serve as a useful model for human sleep and wellbeing research.

    Domestic dogs have largely diurnal sleeping habits (awake during the day, asleep at night), aligning themselves to the lifestyle of their owners. Most of their sleep happens during the night, between the hours of 9pm and 6am. Unlike humans, however, dogs have frequent bouts of sleeping during the daytime, particularly in the afternoon.

    A 2020 study estimated that the average pet dog sleeps for roughly ten hours a day. In reality, it is difficult to determine how much dogs sleep during a 24-hour period because drowsiness (resting with eyes closed) accounts for a considerable proportion of their daily activity. This has led to a large range of estimation (seven to 16 hours) in the amount of time that dogs devote to sleep.

    The dog’s ancestor, the grey wolf, tends to show nocturnal (night-time active) or crepuscular (dawn and dusk active) sleep patterns in the wild. That said, wolves can show high variability in their activity, with human disturbance, food availability and weather conditions all influencing their sleep-wake cycles.

    Captive wolves, like dogs, typically have a diurnal circadian rhythm, adapting their sleep-wake cycle to the feeding regimes and human activity in their environment. Free-ranging domestic dogs are more inclined to resemble wild canids in their sleep cycles, showing a greater propensity towards crepuscular or nocturnal activity. In urban areas feral dogs may, again, align their sleeping habits with human activity.

    These cross-species studies suggest that domestication may not necessarily have changed the sleeping habits of dogs per se. Rather, sleep in dogs appears to be determined by human lifestyle and situational factors. Left to their own devices, however, dogs may be more likely to assume the sleeping habits of their wild ancestors.

    The nature of sleep in dogs

    Dogs have a number of sleep stages, including drowsiness, lighter non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and deeper rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, where most, although not all, dreaming happens. Dogs devote more of their total sleep time to REM (roughly 2.9 hours a day) than humans (1.9 hours a day).

    However, a 2022 study that involved researchers cuddling dogs and socialised wolves to sleep, found that dogs spent less time in REM sleep than the wolves.

    Both species, however, spent a similar amount of time in the other stages of sleep. This raises questions about whether REM sleep is related to domestication. Species which are at high risk of being attacked while asleep typically spend less time in REM sleep than animals who live in safer environments, so the findings from this study are intriguing.

    Dogs nap during the day more than people or wolves.
    manushot/Shutterstock

    Dogs engage in their deepest sleep during the night, and their daytime naps are relatively light. Like other animals, including rats and hedgehogs, dogs often wake up after a period of REM sleep, perhaps an evolutionary adaptation designed to force them out of their slumber to check for dangers in the environment.

    These frequent and relatively brief sleep-wake cycles allow dogs to adjust to changes in their routine more readily than humans. Drug detection dogs, for example, have been found to cope remarkably well with changes to their working schedule, showing little disruption to their sleeping patterns.

    As with humans, the duration and quality of sleep in dogs fluctuates, both day to day and over their lifespan. As dogs get older, their sleep becomes more fragmented, accompanied by decreased bouts of REM sleep at night and increased NREM sleep during the day.

    Other factors, including canine sex, daytime activity, welfare, environmental conditions, and even social interactions, can affect sleep quality. Deprivations in daytime napping typically lead to quicker sleep onset and longer REM sleep at night, both for dogs and other animals.

    Why do dogs sleep?

    Scientists still don’t agree why dogs, or indeed other animals, sleep, although we do know that the process is heavily involved in physical restoration.

    Memory consolidation (the conversion of short-term memory to long-term memory), closely linked to REM sleep, is perhaps the most studied function of sleep. Most of this work points to sleep’s important role in facilitating learning.

    For example, in 2017 researchers in Hungary found that dogs’ memory recall significantly improved when the animals were taught unfamiliar words and then allowed to take a three hour period of sleep and rest.

    The nature of sleep in dogs, as in humans, may be influenced by emotional processing. The 2017 Hungarian study found negative experiences, such as owner separation and approach from a threatening stranger, resulted in increased REM sleep and decreased drowsiness in the dogs. Further work on this aspect of sleep is much needed, particularly considering there are close parallels in cognitive functioning between humans and dogs.

    Scientists already use dogs as a model for studying a range of sleep-related issues in humans, including sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy and REM behaviour disorder, and age-related changes similar to dementia in humans (cognitive dysfunction syndrome). Although still in its foetal stages, work in this area is starting to yield data that may be useful in helping us decipher early mechanisms for Alzeimher’s disease and treatment for age-related health problems.

    It is clear that our dogs are not wasting their time slumbering on the sofa. There is still much to be learned from exploring the biological rhythms of the animals we share our lives with, so let those sleeping dogs lie.

    Deborah Wells 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. Your dog may be wilder than you think, according to canine sleep research – https://theconversation.com/your-dog-may-be-wilder-than-you-think-according-to-canine-sleep-research-241981

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free to Retire After 30 Years Service

    Source: NASA

    NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free announced Wednesday his retirement, effective Saturday, Feb. 22. As associate administrator, Free has been the senior advisor to NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro and leads NASA’s 10 center directors, as well as the mission directorate associate administrators at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He is the agency’s chief operating officer for more than 18,000 employees and oversaw an annual budget of more than $25 billion.  
    During his tenure as associate administrator since January 2024, NASA added nearly two dozen new signatories of the Artemis Accords, enabled the first Moon landing through the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative to deliver NASA science to the lunar surface, launched the Europa Clipper mission to study Jupiter’s icy ocean moon, and found molecules containing the ingredients for life in samples from asteroid Bennu delivered to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security–Regolith Explorer) spacecraft.
    “Throughout his career, Jim has been the ultimate servant leader – always putting the mission and the people of NASA first,” said Petro. “A remarkable engineer and a decisive leader, he combines deep technical expertise with an unwavering commitment to this agency’s mission. Jim’s legacy is one of selfless service, steadfast leadership, and a belief in the power of people.”
    Among the notable contributions to the nation during his NASA career, Free also championed a new path forward to return samples from Mars ahead of human missions to the Red Planet, supported the crews living and working aboard the International Space Station as they conduct hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, and engaged industry in new ways to secure a public/private partnership for NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission on the Moon. 
    “It has been an honor to serve NASA and walk alongside the workforce that tackles the most difficult engineering challenges, pursues new scientific knowledge in our universe and beyond, develops technologies for future exploration endeavors, all while prioritizing safety every day for people on the ground, in the air, and in space,” Free said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the NASA family and contribute to the agency’s mission for the benefit of humanity.”
    During his more than three decades of service, Free has held several leadership roles at the agency. Before being named NASA associate administrator, Free served as associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, where he oversaw the successful Artemis I mission and the development of NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture, defining and managing the systems development for the agency’s Artemis missions and planning for NASA’s integrated deep space exploration approach. 
    Free began his NASA career in 1990 as an engineer, working on Tracking and Data Relay Satellites at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. He later transferred to the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and served in a variety of roles supporting the International Space Station and the development of the Orion spacecraft before transferring to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in 2008. Free returned to NASA Glenn in 2009 and was promoted to chief of the Space Flight Systems Directorate, where he oversaw the center’s space work. Free was named deputy center director in November 2010 and then served as center director from January 2013 until March 2016, when he was appointed to the NASA Headquarters position of deputy associate administrator for Technical [sic] in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.
    A native of Northeast Ohio, Free earned his bachelor’s degree in aeronautics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his master’s degree in space systems engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. 
    Free is the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Significant Achievement Medal, and numerous other awards.
    For more information about NASA, visit:

    Home Page

    -end-
    Kathryn Hambleton / Cheryl WarnerHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Sends Experiment to Space to Study Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

    Source: NASA

    In an effort to learn more about astronaut health and the effects of space on the human body, NASA is conducting a new experiment aboard the International Space Station to speed up the detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, thus improving the health safety not only of astronauts but patients back on Earth.
    Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be difficult or impossible to treat, making antibiotic resistance a leading cause of death worldwide and a global health concern.
    Future astronauts visiting the Moon or Mars will need to rely on a pre-determined supply of antibiotics in case of illness. Ensuring those antibiotics remain effective is an important safety measure for future missions.
    The Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space (GEARS) experiment, which is managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, involves astronauts swabbing interior surfaces across the space station and testing those samples for evidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and in particular Enterococcus faecalis, a type of bacteria commonly found in the human body. The experiment is the first step in a series of work that seeks to better understand how organisms grow in a space environment, and how those similarities and differences might help improve research back on Earth.
    “Enterococcus is a type of organism that’s been with us since our ancestors crawled out of the ocean, and is a core member of the human gut,” said Christopher Carr, assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and co-principal investigator of GEARS. “It’s able to survive inside and outside of its host, which has allowed it to become the second highest leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. We want to understand how this type of organism is adapting to the space environment.”
    The GEARS experiment seeks to improve the detection and identification of these bacteria, building on existing efforts to understand what organisms grow on the station’s surfaces.
    “We’ve been monitoring the surfaces of the space station since 2000, but this experiment will give us insight beyond the identities of present organisms, which is currently all that is used for risk assessment,” said Sarah Wallace, a microbiologist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and co-principal investigator of GEARS. “With the station orbiting close to Earth, it’s a low-risk space to evaluate and learn more about the frequency of this bacteria and how it responds to the space environment so we can apply this understanding to missions to the Moon and Mars, where resupplies are more complex.”
    Over the next year, astronauts will swab parts of the station and analyze samples by adding an antibiotic to the medium in which the samples will grow. The results will reveal where this and other resistant bacteria are growing and whether they can persist or spread across the station.

    Sarah WAllace
    NASA Microbiologist

    The experiment was originally launched to the ISS on the 30th SpaceX commercial resupply services (CRS) mission in March 2024, and the first round of GEARS testing turned up surprising results: very few resistant bacteria colonies, none of which were E. faecalis. This bodes well for the threat of antibiotic resistance in space.
    “There was some cleaning done before swabbing the station, which may have removed some bacteria,” said Carr. To better understand how and where risky bacteria may live, the astronauts paused some cleaning before the second round of swabbing.
    “We want the astronauts to have a clean environment, but we also want to test those high-touch areas, so they intentionally and briefly avoided cleaning some areas so we can understand how bacteria may grow or spread on the station.”
    This experiment is the first study to perform metagenomic sequencing in space, a method that analyzes all the genetic material in a sample to identify and characterize all organisms that are present, an important research and medical diagnostic capability for future deep space missions.
    The GEARS team hopes to create a rapid workflow to analyze bacteria samples, reducing the time between swabbing and test results from days to hours. That workflow could be applied in hospitals and make a huge impact when treating hospital-acquired infections from antibiotic-resistant microbes.
    The result could save lives – more than 35,000 people die each year as a result of antibiotic-resistant infections. The issue is personal to Wallace, who lost a family member to a hospital-acquired infection.
    “It’s not that uncommon: so many people have experienced this kind of loss,” said Wallace. “A method to give an answer in a matter of hours is huge and profound. It’s my job to keep the crew healthy, but we’re also passionate about bringing that work back down to Earth. I hope we can shine a light on rapidly analyzing bacteria: if we can do this in space, we can do it on Earth, too.”
    Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space (GEARS) was funded by the Biological and Physical Sciences Space Biology Program, with pioneering funding and support from the Mars Campaign office.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 2.19.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 19, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Andrew “Andy” Nakahata, of San Francisco, has been appointed Chief Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank. Nakahata has been Director and Western Region Head of Public Finance at TD Securities LLC since 2024. He was Managing Director and Regional Head of Public Finance for the West Region at UBS Financial Services Inc. from 2017 to 2024. Nakahata was Managing Director and Head of the West Region at the National Public Finance Guarantee Corporation from 2015 to 2017. He was Director and Co-Head of the Higher Education Group at Citigroup from 2010 to 2015. Nakahata was an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan from 2009 to 2010. He was Vice President of Public Sector and Infrastructure Banking at Goldman Sachs & Co. from 1994 to 2010. Nakahata is Treasurer of the Board of Trustees at San Francisco University High School and member of the Board of Directors of Asian Americans in Public Finance. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Wesleyan University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $186,876. Nakahata is a Democrat.

    Diane Lydon, of Sacramento, has been appointed Assistant Deputy Director and Northern California Regional Advisor at the Office of the Small Business Advocate. Lydon has been a Business Outreach Manager for the Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services at the Department of General Services since 2023, where she was previously a Business Outreach Liaison from 2022 to 2023. She was Education and Training Manager at World Trade Center Northern California from 2019 to 2022. Lydon was a Sales and Business Development Manager at Heart Zones Inc. from 2015 to 2019. She was a Marketing Program Manager at Skopre from 2013 to 2015. Lydon was an Olympic Program Manager at Sportsworks Events LTD from 2004 to 2012. She is a member of the Department of General Services Toastmasters. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $123,600. Lydon is a Democrat.

    Brian Lin Walsh, of Rocklin, has been appointed Principal Labor Relations Officer at the California Department of Human Resources. Lin Walsh has been Director of the Administrative Services Division at the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing since 2024. He was Senior Labor Relations Officer at the California Department of Human Resources from 2022 to 2024, and Labor Relations Officer from 2020 to 2022. Lin Walsh was Labor Relations Manager II at the California Department of Motor Vehicles from 2014 to 2020. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. The position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $153,492. Lin Walsh is a Democrat.

    Joseph Tuggle, of Placerville, has been appointed Warden of Folsom State Prison, where he has been serving as Acting Warden since 2024 and was Chief Deputy Administrator from 2023 to 2024. Tuggle was Acting Chief Deputy Administrator at California Medical Facility from 2022 to 2023. He held several positions at Folsom State Prison from 2000 to 2022, including Correctional Administrator, Correctional Captain, Correctional Lieutenant, Correctional Sergeant, and Correctional Officer. Tuggle was a Correctional Officer at Pelican Bay State Prison from 1998 to 2000. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $193,524. Tuggle is a Republican.

    Kelly DeRoss, of Sacramento, has been appointed Labor Relations Officer at the California Department of Human Resources. DeRoss has been Labor Relations Manager II at the California Employment Development Department since 2019. She was Labor Relations Manager I at the California Department of Healthcare Services from 2015 to 2019, where she was previously Labor Relations Specialist from 2013 to 2014. DeRoss held several roles at the California Department of Public Health, including Labor Relations Analyst from 2012 to 2013, Associate Personnel Analyst from 2009 to 2012, and Staff Services Analyst from 2008 to 2009. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis. The position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $141,144. DeRoss is a Democrat.

    Jennifer Haley, of Rancho Palos Verdes, has been appointed to the California Workforce Development Board. Haley has been President and Chief Executive Officer at Kern Energy since 2018, where she was previously Vice President and General Counsel from 2012 to 2018. She was an Associate at Best Best & Krieger LLP from 2007 to 2012. Haley is the Chair of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the California Science Center Foundation and Board of Directors of the California Chamber of Commerce. She earned a Juris Doctor degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Haley is registered with no party preference.

    Amelia Tyagi, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California Workforce Development Board. Tyagi has been a Managing Director at Sellside Group since 2024, and an Author since 2003. She was Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Business Talent Group from 2005 to 2023. Tyagi was Vice President and Co-Founder of HealthAllies from 1999 to 2001. She was a Consultant at McKinsey & Co. from 1996 to 1999. Tyagi is the Chairperson of her local chapter of Young Presidents Organization, a member of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles, Fuse Corps, and WildAid and Chairperson Emeritus at Dēmos. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Brown University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Tyagi is a Democrat. 

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: A court has denied the city of Norwalk’s request to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against the city for its unlawful ban on homeless shelters.  NORWALK — Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement in response to a court decision…

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: Steve Jobs, a visionary of global scale, has been nominated to represent California on the American Innovation Coin. The coin, which will be minted by the U.S. Mint, highlights U.S. innovations and innovators, including California’s legacy…

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: Over the next three years, California will host the NBA All-Star Weekend, X Games, FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl LX & LXI, and the LA28 Olympics & Paralympics in select regions across the state. SACRAMENTO – As the Bay Area wraps up…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Common biomarker for range of Cancers offers potential non-invasive method for early cancer diagnosis

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 20 FEB 2025 4:30PM by PIB Delhi

    Researchers have identified some common metabolites across cancer types like pancreatic and glioma cancer that develops in the glial cells of the brain and spinal cord, suggesting their potential as universal cancer biomarkers. This offers a potential non-invasive method for early cancer diagnosis as well as therapeutic strategies for cancer.  

    Aggressive cancers like pancreatic and glioma cancers often diagnosed late and having poor prognoses. Hence there is an urgent need for non-invasive, reliable cancer biomarkers to address significant gaps in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, particularly for aggressive cancers like pancreatic and glioma, which lack early detection methods. Nano messengers (Exosomes), as carriers of tumour-derived metabolites, provide a unique opportunity to explore the tumour microenvironment (TME).

    A team of scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), including Ms. Nandini Bajaj and Dr. Deepika Sharma, have identified metabolites in exosomes derived from pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and glioma cancer cell line, offering potential universal biomarkers resulting in enhanced clinical applicability. Additionally, insights into metabolic interactions within the tumour microenvironment (TME) provide a foundation for targeted therapies.

    The researchers utilized a multi-technique approach combining Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), Electron Microscopy (EM), Western Blot (WB), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), untargeted Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), providing a comprehensive characterization of exosomes, surpassing conventional single-method studies. The study advances cancer diagnostics, personalized medicine, and our understanding of cancer progression mechanisms.

    These metabolites identified highlight dysregulated pathways in the tumour microenvironment (TME), also gives insights on how the cancer progresses and enables non-invasive and precise cancer detection and therapeutic targeting.

    The research published in the journal Nanoscale can lead to targeted therapies that disrupt dysregulated metabolic pathways in tumours, enhancing treatment efficacy and potentially reducing side effects. This advancement could significantly improve patient outcomes, especially through personalized, precision medicine approaches.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dr. Jitendra Singh Inaugurates PMSSY Building at SCTIMST, Highlights India’s Healthcare Transformation

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Dr. Jitendra Singh Inaugurates PMSSY Building at SCTIMST, Highlights India’s Healthcare Transformation

    Modi Govt’s new initiatives aim at making quality healthcare affordable, accessible;

    Union Minister Calls for SCTIMST to Emerge as Global Hub for Neurosurgery and Cardiovascular Research

    PMSSY Strengthens Healthcare Infrastructure, Fosters Indigenous Innovation, Says Dr. Jitendra Singh

    Posted On: 20 FEB 2025 6:02PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated today  the ‘Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana’ (PMSSY) driven upgraded Super specialty Neurosurgery and Cardiovascular Surgery  state-of-the-art  Building Block  at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST) here and emphasized that the Modi Govt’s new initiatives are aimed at making quality healthcare affordable, accessible across sections of society.

    The Minister described the institute as a model of synergy between science, technology and medical advancements, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of integrated holistic approach.

    Speaking at the event, Dr. Jitendra Singh praised SCTIMST for emerging as a center of excellence in both healthcare as well as research and development of new devices, instruments and medical procedures at cost-effective rates. He highlighted that the institute, functioning under the Department of Science and Technology, embodies the “whole-of-government” approach, fostering collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology. He acknowledged the role of scientists, researchers, and healthcare professionals in positioning India as a leader in medical research and innovation.

    Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh  speaking after inaugurating the new upgraded neurosurgery and cardiovascular surgery block  at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) at Thiruvananthapuram.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that the PMSSY initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen India’s healthcare infrastructure. “The scheme is designed to provide quality medical care while promoting indigenous innovation in health-related R&D,” he said. The new PMSSY Building will significantly enhance the capacity of SCTIMST, offering advanced healthcare facilities, specialized medical research laboratories, and improved infrastructure for patient care. It will also serve as a hub for high-end medical training, facilitating knowledge-sharing among medical professionals.

    He linked the project to the larger healthcare ecosystem that includes the Ayushman Bharat initiative, the world’s largest health insurance program, and the newly announced universal health cover for citizens above 70 years. Stressing the need for integrating modern medical advancements with traditional healthcare approaches, Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored the importance of digital health initiatives, artificial intelligence in diagnostics, and genome-based therapies.

    Highlighting India’s achievements in biotechnology, Dr. Jitendra Singh pointed to the success of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, the development of the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer, and breakthroughs in gene therapy. “India has transitioned from being an importer to a leader in preventive healthcare, gaining global recognition in bio-manufacturing and medical research,” he stated. He further emphasized the need for continued investments in healthcare R&D, ensuring that India remains at the forefront of medical advancements.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh also underscored the need for strategic specialization, suggesting that SCTIMST focus on becoming a global leader in neurosurgery and cardiovascular research to enhance its international recognition. “A distinct identity in a specialized field attracts global attention and medical tourism, much like leading institutes in the U.S.,” he added. He encouraged scientists and medical professionals to undertake collaborative research projects with global institutions to expand knowledge and expertise.

    The Minister stressed that while India has made remarkable progress in bridging the rural-urban divide in disease patterns, healthcare accessibility remains a challenge. He reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding medical services through new AIIMS institutions and upgraded medical colleges, ensuring affordable and high-quality treatment. He also called for leveraging telemedicine and mobile health units to extend healthcare services to remote regions, making quality healthcare accessible to all.

    The event saw participation from key stakeholders in the medical and scientific community, including senior officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology, medical practitioners, and researchers. The inauguration of the PMSSY Building at SCTIMST marks another milestone in India’s journey towards a self-reliant and globally competitive healthcare infrastructure. Dr. Jitendra Singh reaffirmed the government’s continued support for initiatives that strengthen India’s health ecosystem, positioning the country as a leader in medical innovation and patient care.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research (CTDDR-2022): The 9th MahaKumbh for Drug Research

    Source: Government of India

    Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research (CTDDR-2022): The 9th MahaKumbh for Drug Research

    Day one was dedicated to “New strategies in synthetic and medicinal chemistry”

    Posted On: 20 FEB 2025 1:30PM by PIB Delhi

    The 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” inaugurated yesterday at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow. Dr. Radha Rangrajan, Director CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow, welcomed all the dignitaries present in this mega event. She briefed about the details of this very important Drug discovery conference and set the tone for the participants that how they can utilize this opportunity for learning, networking and upgrading their research skills

    “Science has no borders”: Dr. N. Kalaiselvi

    The Chief Guest of the program, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR & Secretary DSIR addressed the audience. Dr. Kalaiselvi highlighted the event’s significance as a platform for knowledge exchange. She stressed that such gatherings provide a great opportunity for researchers, industry leaders, and young minds to collaborate, fostering innovation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare.”Science has no borders, and this program is a gateway for global collaboration,” she remarked, underlining the importance of international cooperation in research and development. She urged students to take inspiration from these discussions and work towards making India a global leader in science and technology by 2047.

    Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR & Secretary DSIR addressing the audience at the inauguration of  “Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research (CTDDR-2022)” at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

    Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolution in drug discovery: Prof. Balram Bhargava

    The Guest of Honour the program, Prof. Balram Bhargava, Dean and Senior Consultant, Holy Family Hospital, New Delhi & Former Director General, ICMR also addressed the audience. Dr. Balram Bhargava, emphasizes that India’s strength in drug discovery stems from its rich heritage in chemistry, making it a global hub for pharmaceutical advancements.The country has consistently demonstrated its ability to produce high-quality, affordable medicines, ensuring healthcare accessibility worldwide. However, challenges such as the availability of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and the need for new drug discoveries remain key areas of focus. Further he said that the integration of Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize drug discovery, accelerating research and reducing costs. Also he said that Collaboration has been a cornerstone of India’s pharmaceutical success, as seen in the development of vaccines. Market shaping is equally important, ensuring that innovations reach the masses while maintaining India’s leadership in cost-effective healthcare solutions.

    Journey towards the development of drugs for pain treatment

    (Prof. Christopher Robert McCurdy)

    In the inaugural program, Prof. Christopher Robert McCurdy, Professor and The Frank A. Duckworth Eminent Scholar Chair, University of Florida, USA, has delivered the inaugural talk on “Seeing Pain: from the lab to the clinic, a medicinal chemist’s journey.” In his oration, he brought up the role of Sigma-1 receptors in pain processing. He further talked about the journey of the discovery and development of a tracer molecule FTC146, which acts as a selective ligand for Sigma-1 receptors. This tracer can locate sites of nerve damage in peripheral nerves, which can result in better pain management and, in certain situations, cured pain. This tracer has completed Phase 1 human clinical trials and can be a breakthrough in pain management strategies.

    Targeting cofactor biosynthesis for the development of new antimicrobial agents with novel mechanism of action

    (Prof. Courtney C. Aldrich)

    Later in the Session II today, Prof. Courtney C. Aldrich from the University of Minnesota, USA, He online discussed about the novel approaches in targeting cofactor biosynthesis in order to develop new antimicrobial agents with novel mechanisms. He shared his efforts to design novel anti-tubercular agents against two elusive targets for which there are no effective small molecules. They discovered promising inhibitor chemotypes and optimized them for bioactivity and drug disposition characteristics using complementary techniques. He also discussed the difficulties he encountered during the optimization campaign and how he overcame them through the integration of mechanism of action studies. He also shared his most recent research to develop next-generation Rifamycin derivatives that overcome multiple resistance mechanisms.

     

    Eliciting agonism-antagonism in endosomal toll-like receptor modulators via convoluted interplay of chemical subunits

    (Dr. ArindamTalukdar)

    Dr. ArindamTalukdar from CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, shared his research findings on the stimulation of agonism-antagonism in TLR7 modulators via complex interactions between chemical subunits. The TLR7 is an endosomal TLR protein that helps the body to recognize and respond to viruses and bacteria. He noted in his presentation that agonists and antagonists frequently have overlapping binding sites in their target molecules. Therefore, agonistic chemical scaffolds can be used as a template for designing antagonists. Starting from the agonistic purine scaffold, by rationally dissecting, they identified a singular ‘chemical switch’ at C-2 that could make a potent purine scaffold TLR7 agonist to lose agonism and acquire antagonist activity. He further mentioned the most unprecedented outcome of his study as the convoluted interplay of “chemical subunits”, to venture into the agonist-partial agonist-antagonist-agonist circle through sequential single-point change. He further proposed these new class of TLR7 modulators as promising precursor for therapeutic development.

    The eminent speakers ignited the spark of scientific temperament in the participants of CTDDR-2025 with their vibrant talks filled with the latest information. The flooding of current information would be continued in further sessions which will dissipate the new energy and new direction for research and development among the participants sharing this platform from all around.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Correctional Services Department Annual Review 2024 (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Correctional Services Department Annual Review 2024 (with photos)
    Correctional Services Department Annual Review 2024 (with photos)
    *****************************************************************

         The following is the translation of the speech given by the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, at the annual press conference today (February 20): Foreword      The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance officially came into effect upon gazettal in 2024, reflecting the determination of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to safeguard national security and building momentum for stable social development. Shouldering the missions of safeguarding national security and maintaining social stability, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) was committed to ensuring the effective delivery of its custodial and rehabilitation work in the past year. At the same time, the CSD has been actively extending its reach beyond the prison walls to proactively promote support for offender rehabilitation and conduct crime prevention education in the community through utilising the CSD’s unique resources, with a view to nurturing young people into law-abiding social leaders. (1) Overview of penal population      In 2024, the number of admissions to correctional institutions (including convicted persons, remands and detainees) increased 7 per cent to 18 438 as compared with 2023. In addition, the average daily penal population at correctional institutions also increased significantly to 9 550 persons in 2024 from 8 498 persons in 2023, representing an increase of 12 per cent. The average daily occupancy rate also rose from 75 per cent to 85 per cent.      The year-on-year rate of increase in the average daily number of remands has been over 15 per cent since 2021. The respective number of persons stood high at 3 650 in 2024, representing an increase of 18 per cent as compared with 3 096 persons in 2023, which hit a new record high since 2000.       On the other hand, since 2021, the CSD has assisted to detain adult detainees who are non-Hong Kong residents detained under the Immigration Ordinance. The number of detainees increased by 36 per cent, from 580 in 2023 to 787 in 2024, while the average daily number of detainees substantially increased by 72 per cent from 185 in 2023 to 318 in 2024.       In 2024, the number of admissions to correctional institutions owing to their involvement in offences relating to the black-clad violence (including riots, unlawful assembly) and their contravention of the Hong Kong National Security Law/Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was 410 (64 of them were involved in the contravention of the Hong Kong National Security Law/Safeguarding National Security Ordinance). Compared to 950 in 2023, the number of such admissions dropped by 540, representing a decrease of 57 per cent. As at December 31, 2024, the number of persons in custody involved in offences relating to the black-clad violence and those contravening the Hong Kong National Security Law/Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was 591, representing a decrease of 24 per cent as compared to 776 in 2023.      In response to the ever-changing penal population, especially the increasing population of remands, the CSD has deployed part of the capacity of individual correctional institutions to admit remands in order to alleviate the overcrowding situation of the reception centre. Moreover, the Department has already commenced the in-situ partial redevelopment of Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, which will increase its capacity for admitting adult male remands in the long run. The Department will continue to closely monitor the changes in penal population and flexibly redeploy resources having regard to the actual operational needs to adjust the capacity for persons on remand in a timely manner. (2) Custodial work      Despite the increasing number of admissions and the growing penal population in the past year, which posed formidable challenges to both the governance and security of correctional institutions, correctional officers continued to stay united and stand fast to their posts. With the continued adoption of the nip-in-the-bud strategy, under which intelligence collection and search operations were stepped up, coupled with the application of technology and the upgrading of facilities and equipment, we strived to combat illicit activities and acts of indiscipline, thereby maintaining the good order and discipline of correctional institutions.      With regard to intercepting the smuggling of dangerous drugs into institutions, under the intensive measures by the Department, there were only six seizure cases of suspected dangerous drugs last year, representing a significant decrease of over 60 per cent as compared with 16 cases in 2023. Five of the cases were found in body-cavity concealment of newly admitted persons in custody; and the remaining one case was found in the mail sent to a person in custody. In addition, the Department continued to take a proactive approach by conducting a total of 12 547 joint search/special search/night raid operations in correctional institutions last year, covering 20 589 locations. Mobile X-ray scanners were also introduced to enhance the efficacy of search operations and strengthen the deterrent effect.          In 2024, as the number of admissions to and the penal population of correctional institutions kept increasing, the number of cases involving acts of indiscipline and violent acts among persons in custody also rose. In 2024, the number of disciplinary charges against persons in custody was 6 393. Counted against the penal population, there were 669 disciplinary cases per 1 000 persons in custody, representing an increase of 7 per cent as compared with 628 cases in 2023. The top three charges were “offending good order and discipline”, “possession of any unauthorised article” and “disobeying the orders of correctional officers”, which accounted for 35 per cent, 28 per cent and 18 per cent of the total number of disciplinary charges respectively. In 2024, a total of 3 412 persons in custody were subject to disciplinary charges, representing an increase of 401 persons or 13 per cent as compared with 3 011 persons in 2023. Among them, 618 committed disciplinary offences three or more times, involving 2 837 disciplinary charges, which accounted for 44 per cent of the total number of disciplinary charges.      In 2024, a total of 382 cases involving violent acts were recorded, representing an increase of 9 per cent as compared with 351 cases in 2023. These cases mainly involved fighting among persons in custody and assaulting others. Among these cases, 26 cases of a more serious nature were referred to the Police for follow-up, representing an increase of 18 per cent as compared to 22 cases in 2023. The number of correctional officers who were injured after being attacked or while stopping violent acts was 20, representing an increase of 33 per cent as compared to 15 in 2023.       In 2024, five cases of concerted acts of indiscipline among persons in custody were recorded, representing an increase of one case over 2023. The number of participants involved in the above incidents was 49 in total.      To maintain the good order and discipline of correctional institutions, apart from combating various kinds of acts of indiscipline through strict law enforcement by institutional staff, the Regional Response Team carried out a total of four operations in 2024 to support the security work of correctional institutions, which involved the handling of incidents like collective actions against the institutional management and group fights among persons in custody.       Apart from combating illicit activities and acts of indiscipline among persons in custody, correctional officers must stay vigilant at all times to detect and prevent any self-harm acts by persons in custody. Under the concerted efforts of correctional officers, a total of 18 self-harm cases were recorded in 2024, representing a significant decrease of 40 per cent as compared with 30 cases in 2023. (3) Rehabilitation      In 2024, the Department enhanced its rehabilitation work on all fronts by fully implementing various measures, including strengthening the determination of persons in custody to rehabilitate, extending the reach of rehabilitation programmes beyond the prison walls, and making an all-out effort to seek participation in and support for rehabilitation work from all sectors of the community, with a view to assisting persons in custody to turn over a new leaf and reintegrate into society.      To address the special rehabilitation needs of persons in custody involved in the black-clad violence and contravening the Hong Kong National Security Law/ Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the Department continued to launch a number of diversified rehabilitation programmes under the Project PATH to enhance their knowledge of the Chinese traditional culture, foster good character and moral education, and teach them to appreciate and pass down Chinese culture. A flag-raising and foot drill competition was held for the first time with an aim to enhance their sense of national identity.      Furthermore, to enable persons in custody to obtain more opportunities for upward mobility, the CSD launched “Project JET” in October 2022 to provide one-stop training and career development opportunities for persons in custody, encouraging them to make life planning early, make full use of their talents and contribute to society. The project includes life planning, in-centre training, post-release internship, formal employment and a mentoring scheme. “Project JET” was awarded the Community Corrections Award, an excellence award by the International Corrections and Prisons Association last year.      The CSD launched the Rehabilitation Dog Services in early 2024 at Lo Wu Correctional Institution and Phoenix House to provide animal-assisted therapies to persons in custody in need, with a view to improving their depression and anxiety and reducing their violent tendencies. Moreover, the Rehabilitation Dog Services Internship Programme implemented at Phoenix House helps halfway house trainees build self-confidence and develop a sense of responsibility through caring for rehabilitation dogs. Trainees and rehabilitation dogs were arranged to visit elderly service centres to conduct caring visits, thereby giving back to society.      In 2024, the Department also set up two family therapy centres at the Multi-purpose Family and Rehabilitation Service Centres in Tuen Mun and Sheung Shui to organise different kinds of treatment programmes for rehabilitated drug addicts under statutory supervision and rehabilitated persons with violent tendencies or radical thoughts. By extending the in-prison psychological and family counselling services to the community, the Department aims to help them resolve family problems so that they can rebuild family relationships smoothly.      In 2024, the Department set up the Correctional Rehabilitation Research Unit to envision evidence-informed rehabilitation services through promoting research and making reference to the latest international research findings. Last year, the Unit published two issues of “Insight”, a research bulletin, with contents covering “the effect of education programmes on the psychological conditions and rehabilitation motives of persons in custody”, “how rehabilitation dogs enhance psychological health”, and “the application of sports activities on male persons in custody”. Moreover, the Unit has also endeavoured to enhance professional exchanges and its network with overseas, Mainland and local research consultants and practitioners, so that they can consider collaborative research issues on rehabilitation services.      On education, to further enable the inaugural graduates of the Ethics College who have obtained the Diploma of Applied Education to pursue higher qualifications, a two-year full-time Associate of General Studies distance programme was organised in the Ethics College in September 2024 to provide persons in custody with an option for further studies. Meanwhile, the CSD has also extended the Ethics College to Pik Uk Prison to provide a half-day Associate of General Studies programme and half-day vocational training for graduates of the Ethics College who are unable to complete the associate degree programme during the remainder of their sentences. This allows them to receive short-term educational and vocational training and continuously equip themselves in preparation for reintegration into society for academic and career pursuits upon their imminent release.      The overall passing rate of public examinations taken by persons in custody was 88.4 per cent last year (85.3 per cent and 90.6 per cent for adult and young persons in custody respectively), representing an increase of 5.7 percentage points over 2023. One person in custody obtained a total of 25 marks in six papers under the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination. Four additional persons met the general entrance requirements for local universities. Moreover, one person in custody was awarded a doctoral degree, and 11 others were awarded bachelor’s degrees.      On vocational training, the Department provides 13 market-oriented vocational training courses to young persons in custody, and 43 vocational training courses with more than 1 700 training places, an increase of 300 places as compared with 2023, for lawfully residing adult persons in custody who are due for discharge within 24 months and eligible for employment to enrol on a voluntary basis.       Last year, the overall passing rate of vocational training examinations taken by persons in custody was 99.5 per cent (99.3 per cent and 100 per cent for adult and young persons in custody respectively). Their employment rates after six months of employment follow-up period upon release were 87.3 per cent and 78.4 per cent respectively.　　      Moreover, the Department has endeavoured to establish close partnerships with organisations and individuals from different sectors of the community, with a view to providing comprehensive rehabilitation services. The Department held in June last year the first Rehabilitation Partners Award Scheme Presentation Ceremony to honour 120 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), charitable institutions, commercial organisations, post-secondary institutions, etc, in recognition of their active support for persons in custody and rehabilitated persons over the past two years, as well as to encourage different sectors of the community to become Rehabilitation Partners and support rehabilitation work.　　     Over the past 20 years and so, based on the year of discharge, Hong Kong’s recidivism rate (the percentage of readmission of local persons in custody to correctional institutions following conviction for a new offence within two years after discharge) has recorded a significant decrease from 39.9 per cent in 2000 to 21.8 per cent in 2022. The hard-earned result reflects the perseverance and hard work of correctional officers, the firm determination of persons in custody and rehabilitated offenders to turn over a new leaf, as well as the support for offender rehabilitation from all sectors of the community. (4) Community education      The CSD’s Rehabilitation Pioneer Project (RPP) provides a series of community education activities to disseminate to young people the four key messages of safeguarding our country and home, leading a law-abiding and drug-free life as well as supporting offender rehabilitation. Last year, the Department strengthened its patriotic education for young people to enhance their sense of national identity and raise their understanding of our country. A total of 45 133 participants joined various RPP activities last year, representing an increase of 2.5 per cent as compared with 44 015 in 2023.      To further promote the coverage of the Rehabilitation Pioneer Leaders (RPL) in the community, the Department continued a school-based programme to provide on-campus training. Currently, a total of six schools have joined the school-based programme, and the total number of RPL trainees has exceeded 600, representing an increase of 49 per cent as compared to that at the end of 2023. The Department also continued to enhance the diverse training programmes for RPL to help them develop their potential, including organising two certificate courses in 2024, namely Foundation Certificate in Correctional Studies and Criminal Legal Studies and Foundation Certificate in Moral and Personal Management, both pitched at Level 2 under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework for Secondary One to Three RPL trainees to strengthen their awareness of making joint effort to build a society underpinned by the rule of law, foster positive thinking and establish good virtues.      Upholding the principle of sustainable development, the Department launched an initiative called “Captain Gor Union” and its mobile application last December, establishing a membership system for the RPP to recruit primary and secondary students as members. The members will then be arranged to join different activities promoting national security, national education, crime prevention, anti-drug and support for offender rehabilitation messages, as well as cultural exchange activities. The new membership system not only makes youth development work more systematic and sustainable but also helps recruit young people with great potential to join the RPL, with a view to continuously bringing in new blood to the Department’s youth uniformed group.      The Department organised different types of exchange activities under the theme “exploring our country ･ caring the community” last year. RPL trainees were arranged to visit different places on the Mainland, such as Wuhan, Beijing, Tianjin and Urumqi, and participate in volunteer activities. In addition, at the end of last year, the Department implemented a comprehensive co-operation programme with the charitable organisation, Long Caring, and arranged for RPL trainees to be the first uniformed youth group to join a tour to the Hong’an Hope Town in Hubei to enable them to learn about our country’s poverty alleviation work and the road to great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.      Furthermore, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Department organised the first 3×3 Basketball Invitation Game for Hong Kong Uniformed Youth Groups in celebration of National Day last October to unite different uniformed youth groups in Hong Kong, aiming to promote patriotism through positive sport games, enhance young people’s sense of national identity and nurture them into a new generation with an affection for our country and Hong Kong and a positive mindset. (5) Human resources      In 2024, a total of 30 Officers and 344 Assistant Officers II were recruited. As at December 31, 2024, there were 674 vacancies for disciplined staff, accounting for 10.3 per cent of the overall establishment of the Department. The Department continued to implement the Post-retirement Service Contract Scheme last year to relieve the manpower strain. As at December 31, 2024, a total of 127 retirees were recruited. About 45 Officers are expected to be recruited this year, and the year-round recruitment for the post of Assistant Officer II will continue to fill the relevant vacancies.      Multipronged recruitment strategies were adopted last year to attract more talents who aspire to serve the community to join the Department, which achieved remarkable overall results. The total number of Assistant Officers II recruited in 2024 saw an increase of 18.6 per cent as compared with 290 in 2023.      In addition, the Department continued to work closely with different support service centres for ethnic minorities and schools last year. A variety of activities were organised to attract non-ethnic Chinese to apply for the vacancies of the CSD. In 2024, an additional 13 non-ethnic Chinese correctional officers were appointed. As at December 31, 2024, a total of 66 non-ethnic Chinese correctional officers were employed by the Department.      On staff training, to enhance patriotism and national security awareness among correctional officers, the Department continued to include training elements of national security, national education and patriotic education in the recruit training and training courses for serving staff, including inviting legal professionals and renowned scholars to host talks and sharing sessions, and arranging for correctional officers to visit the National Security Exhibition Gallery, the Patriotic Education Centre and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center at Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks, as well as organising study and exchange visits to the Mainland for correctional staff. In 2024, 130 related activities were organised by the Department with over 2 600 staff members participating in the activities. (6) Application of innovation and technology      Last year, the Department continued to introduce innovation and technology projects to correctional facilities to assist the institutional management in enhancing management and operational efficiency and raising the security level of facilities. For example, the Department introduced the Second Generation Automatic Drone Patrol and Monitoring System to Tong Fuk Correctional Institution and implemented the Artificial Intelligence Coastal Surveillance System on Hei Ling Chau.      In addition, the Department continued its efforts to tie in with the Government’s Smart City Blueprint by digitising its public services. The Approved Hand-in Articles e-Ordering Service was implemented in all correctional institutions last December, enabling relatives and friends of persons in custody to purchase approved hand-in articles for them via an online platform. The articles are directly delivered to the correctional institutions concerned by the supplier. The service not only reduces the time visitors spend sourcing the articles in the market and the inconvenience of carrying them to the correctional institutions, but also shortens the time for correctional officers to conduct security checks and handle the articles, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of correctional institutions.      Meanwhile, the CSD launched two new technology projects, namely Digital Incarceration Proof and Chatbot Service, at the end of last year to bring convenience to the public. Members of the public may apply for the Digital Incarceration Proof through the “iAM Smart” mobile application, instead of having to visit the CSD Headquarters in person as in the past. Furthermore, the Chatbot Service is provided on the CSD website and its mobile application. Through the use of chatbot “Ching Ching” to handle public enquiries, the efficiency of the public enquiry service can be raised. (7) Deepening collaboration with the Mainland and international partners      The CSD has been fostering professional collaboration with the Mainland and overseas correctional institutions to establish close partnerships and create opportunities for co-operation on issues of mutual concern, making its best endeavours to tell good correctional stories and to tell good stories of Hong Kong.      The Department held the first Greater Bay Area Correctional Services Tactical Skills Competition in January this year, with the participation of seven teams from correctional organisations in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The event effectively facilitated the exchange of experiences in crisis management between the CSD and correctional organisations in the GBA, with a view to enhancing the tactical skills of the response teams and their emergency response capabilities.      Apart from fostering exchanges and connections within the GBA, the Department has also actively integrated into our country’s Belt and Road Initiative. In March last year, the Department and the Hungarian Prison Service (with Hungary being the first European country to sign the Belt and Road co-operation agreement) signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Through formulating and promoting co-operation programmes including experience sharing in correctional services, personnel exchanges and joint research, the development of the two correctional authorities could be enhanced, and long-term co-operation relationship could be established, thereby deepening professional exchanges about international correctional services.      In November last year, the Department further enhanced its role as an international link by hosting the 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators. About 140 correctional chiefs and representatives from 30 Asia-Pacific countries and regions (including 16 Belt and Road countries) attended the Conference, themed “Collaboration for Sustainable and High-quality Development”, to conduct professional exchanges about correctional services and the future development, with a view to strengthening and facilitating regional co-operation and further enabling counterparts from different places to gain a better understanding of the unique advantages and latest developments of Hong Kong’s correctional system. (8) Priorities in the coming year      Concluding its efforts made in 2024, the CSD achieved significant progress in various areas of its work. Looking forward, the Department will build on its success and seek changes while maintaining stability. We will continue to make innovations with professionalism in the three major areas of work, namely custodial work, rehabilitation and community education, with a view to making the CSD an internationally acclaimed correctional services institution.      On custodial work, following the successful organisation of the Greater Bay Area Correctional Services Tactical Skills Competition early this year, the CSD plans to set up the Hong Kong Correctional Services Response Tactics Training Base at Cape Collinson Correctional Institution to provide professional tactical skills training courses for officers of correctional institutions on the Mainland and overseas as well as local law enforcement officers to facilitate in-depth exchanges of response tactics and related skills between correctional institutions and professional law enforcement agencies in different jurisdictions and the CSD’s response teams, thereby enhancing their professionalism and response capabilities to deal with prison emergencies.      The Department will continue to introduce elements of innovation and technology into correctional facilities to raise operational efficiency, enhance institutional security and strengthen the self-management ability of persons in custody. These include the installation of the Persons in Custody Integrated Intelligent Communication System, the Electric Locks Security System, the Movement and Location Monitoring System, the Smart Visitor Management System, etc, in different institutions progressively. Moreover, the Department plans to set up a Penal Lab at Cape Collinson Correctional Institution jointly with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation in the first half of this year, where tailor-made innovative solutions can be tested, so that more smart initiatives tailored for penal settings can be introduced to enhance operational efficacy and service quality of the Department.      Following the launch of the Social Visit e-Booking Service, the Department plans to introduce a new e-booking option for video social visits to enable relatives and friends of persons in custody to make appointments via the Department’s webpage or its mobile application for video visits at the five Multi-purpose Family and Rehabilitation Service Centres located in the urban area. The new service can not only enhance the operational efficiency of the Department but also bring convenience to relatives and friends of persons in custody.      As for rehabilitation work, the Correctional Rehabilitation Research Unit will continue to carry out research studies in collaboration with local universities to promote evidence-informed rehabilitation services. The Unit plans to share its research findings with stakeholders and the public this year, including rehabilitated persons’ desistance from re-offending, and the use of social media of young persons in custody before incarceration and its impact on their mental health, in the hope of providing guidance on the formulation of future strategies for rehabilitation and crime prevention work.      Moreover, to address the rehabilitation needs of persons in custody serving short-term prison sentences, the Department is in discussion with an NGO to provide with them one-stop rehabilitation support services during imprisonment and after release, which include assessments made by professional social workers, participation in personal growth sessions, and the establishment of a positive social network after release. Such services can help rehabilitated persons establish positive values, develop law-abiding awareness, explore personal strengths, build self-confidence and set life goals, thereby reducing their recidivism risk. Under the collaborative project, the Correctional Rehabilitation Research Unit will carry out a three-year research project in collaboration with a local university and an NGO to track the rehabilitation situation of service users after release.      Furthermore, in view of the remarkable results of the Rehabilitation Dog Services Programme launched last year, the Department plans to conduct further studies with local universities and extend the programme to institutions for adult male persons in custody, with a view to benefitting more persons in custody in need.                  As regards community education, the Department will strengthen youth education in terms of its breadth and depth to nurture young people into a new generation with law-abiding awareness and affection for our country and Hong Kong.      With regard to expanding the breadth of youth education, the Department will make greater effort to enhance its connection with schools in various districts to further increase the number of schools joining the school-based RPL programme to recruit more RPL trainees.      The Department will extend its collaboration with other departments to jointly organise more publicity activities to promote crime prevention and anti-drug messages. For example, in view of an escalating trend of taking “space oil drug”, the Department will join hands with the Narcotics Division to organise the Creation and Rehabilitation Programme under the theme of “space oil drug” at Stanley Prison next month to disseminate anti-drug messages to participating students.       With regard to expanding the depth of youth education, to encourage young people to obtain an in-depth understanding of our country’s overall development trend, the Department will provide RPL trainees with job tasting opportunities on the Mainland to enable them to establish Mainland networking and raise their understanding of the Mainland market to assist them in realising their life planning and seizing national development opportunities.      A microfilm premiere on national security will be held this April to deepen the dissemination of messages about national security and the importance of the rule of law among participating secondary students and members of youth uniformed groups.      Lastly, in order to enhance the promotion of correctional work and the dissemination of the message of support for offender rehabilitation to the general public, since January this year, the Correctional Services Department Sports Association (CSDSA) has operated an online gift sales platform for charity named “Made in Prison” (MIP), which aims to foster a caring heart in the community through the sale of handcraft products made by persons in custody to the public. The charity online gift sales platform is operated by the charity fund under the CSDSA. All proceeds from the sale, after deducting necessary costs, will be donated to various local registered charities, thereby promoting the development of the local charity industry as well as providing persons in custody with opportunities to contribute to society.      In its future development, the MIP will introduce more innovative green elements. The Department and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in early February this year, under which PolyU’s patented technology for making 3D printing material with spent coffee grounds will be applied to the industrial production work performed by persons in custody. PolyU will also provide vocational training in product design for persons in custody to assist them in designing more environmentally friendly spent coffee grounds products, which will be available for sale on the MIP platform. The development of the platform signifies the CSD’s sheer determination to care for the underprivileged, the environment and the community in an innovative way.

     
    Ends/Thursday, February 20, 2025Issued at HKT 15:40

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Machine Learning Powers Detection of Contamination, Spoilage in Dairy, Meat

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Dairy and meat are two common sources of foodborne illness in the U.S.

    Because of this, producers use methods to test food for bacterial contamination before making it available to the public. However, these methods are time-consuming, expensive, and require expert training to perform.

    Researchers in UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources have developed new methods powered by machine learning to test for bacterial contamination and spoilage that radically reduce the cost and time required to perform them.

    This work is led by Yangchao Luo’s group, and Zhenlei Xiao. Luo and Xiao are both faculty members in the Department of Nutritional Sciences.

    Their method works by using a 96-well plate – a plate with many small areas to fill with samples – and an array of 12 sensors.

    The sensors react differently with different bacteria based on their molecular structure. These interactions produce unique patterns. By feeding these patterns into a machine learning algorithm, the researchers taught a computer to detect the pathogens based on the patterns.

    This new technology can detect eight different pathogenic and spoilage bacteria in milk in just two hours with more than 98% accuracy.

    “We hope to develop a technology that can detect simultaneously as many species as possible so that we can easily trace back the original source of contamination,” Luo says.

    The group tested five pathogenic bacteria including Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella, which are three of the most common foodborne pathogens in the U.S. They also tested three non-pathogenic bacteria that cause spoilage. They published these findings in Food Chemistry.

    “With this combination, we are pretty sure that we covered most cases of milk contamination,” Luo says.

    This approach is a major improvement over existing methods which can only test for one kind of bacteria at a time, and the whole process takes days and requires trained laboratory technicians.

    The researchers used cutting-edge nanotechnologies with high sensitivity and machine learning to achieve these results.

    Because performing this test does not require any formal laboratory training, the researchers hope to eventually develop an at-home test using an app that consumers can use to check their milk for pathogens or spoilage.

    Luo’s group is currently developing an app that enables a smartphone to read the fluorescence data the sensors produce.

    The team is also working to make this process even simpler by eliminating the purification step that removes proteins from the milk sample that would interfere with the accuracy of the test.

    The research team is also developing a sensor to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are produced by bacteria that cause spoilage in meat.

    These sensors can detect VOCs to determine food’s freshness, specifically beef, and determine the presence of pathogenic bacteria.

    “Based on the VOCs we can detect a pattern that can translate into which type of bacteria these VOCs are coming from,” Luo says.

    This research was published in Food Frontiers.

    The technology works similarly to the bacterial sensors. When VOCs are released from meat, it produces a color change in the sensor that gives researchers information about what VOCs are being produced and by which bacteria. The group again developed machine learning models to read the data.

    The advantage of testing for VOCs rather than bacteria in raw meat is that with VOCs, the sensors do not need to be in direct contact with the bacteria, so you don’t need to take a sample out of the product to test it. While taking a sample from a batch of milk is relatively simple, taking it out of a cut of meat is less so.

    This technology could be incorporated directly into food packaging to create an easily readable measure of potential food spoilage or contamination based on color changes in the sensor.

    “VOCs are volatile – they’re just in the air,” Luo says. “So, you can detect VOCs without touching bacteria. It doesn’t require a sampling process that way. So, we can put a simple sensor on the packaging.”

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Enhancing Health and Well-Being Locally, Nationally, and Globally.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Latest news – Meeting of 3 March 2025 – Delegation for relations with India

    Source: European Parliament

    An ordinary meeting of the Delegation for relations with India (D-IN) will be held in Brussels on Monday 3 March 2025 at 17.15-18.45. The meeting will be dedicated to two exchanges of views:

    3 March 2025, 17.15 – 17.45 In camera

    Exchange of views with Mr Charles Whiteley, Head of Division for South Asia (ASIAPAC.6), following the European Commission visit to India

    3 March 2025, 17.45 – 18.45

    Exchange of views on the state of play and perspectives of the EU-India relations with:

    • Mr Christophe Jaffrelot, Director of Research at CNRS – CERI Sciences Po, Avantha Chair and Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at the King’s College London, President of the French Association of Political Science; and
    • Ms Stefania Benaglia, EU Foreign Policy expert

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rector’s Ball at the Polytechnic: 220 Best Students Celebrated the University’s Birthday

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On the day of the 126th anniversary of the Polytechnic University, the best students took part in the Rector’s Ball – one of the most striking events in the history of the university. The Fundamental Library hall gathered the guys who achieved success in their studies, science and social life.

    On February 19, the Polytechnic’s birthday, the Reading Room of the Main Building reopened its doors for a ball. And this was a long-awaited event, since the university’s reading room had been closed for reconstruction since November last year.

    The ball was opened by the Polytechnic anthem performed by members of the Polivoks vocal studio and the SPbPU Pop and Symphony Orchestra. The recording also included a farewell speech by the first director of the university, Prince Andrei Grigorievich Gagarin, which he delivered in 1902 to the students of the Polytechnic Institute. The participants, dressed in ball gowns and tuxedos, were greeted by the Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies, Maxim Pasholikov:

    The tradition of organizing balls for students appeared at the Polytechnic University more than a hundred years ago. It is great that we have managed to revive these events. You are the best in various fields of activity – in studies, science, sports. Carry the great title of a polytechnician with dignity throughout your entire life. Happy birthday, Polytechnic University! Happy holiday, friends!

    For the second year in a row, the musical accompaniment was provided by the Polytechnic Orchestra under the direction of Dmitry Misiura. Also at the conductor’s stand stood a student of the master’s degree of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport Pavel Zhukov. The choreographer Maxim Salomatov helped to master various dances. Soloists of the studio “Polivoks” performed several vocal compositions.

    One of the main events of the ball was the awarding of excellent students, winners of Olympiads and competitions. Alexandra Brenman, a third-year student at the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade, was awarded for the best report at the All-Russian scientific and practical conference “Scientific Space of Modern Youth: Priority Tasks and Innovative Solutions”. In 2024, she also published 14 scientific publications, including 12 international ones.

    It is a great honor for me to be here. Each of us has a special dream. And when something like this comes true, we understand that we are really moving in the right direction. Thanks to the teachers who allow us to move forward, – Alexandra shared.

    Fourth-year student of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade Diana Yakimenko was awarded because she is the winner of the All-Russian Entrepreneurship Championship MIR, the grant competition of the Science and Higher School Committee of the Government of St. Petersburg, and the laureate of the startup competition of the Eurasian Youth Forum “EEFM 2024”.

    Today I became a participant of the rector’s ball, and for me it is a long-awaited event. I am very glad that there are so many talented people in the Polytechnic. May all your dreams come true! – said Diana.

    At the end of the ceremony, Vyacheslav Bugaev received the medal “Best SPbPU Graduate”. He graduated from the Institute of Computer Science and Cybersecurity and demonstrated significant success in his academic, scientific and social activities.

    Many thanks to the Polytechnic teachers, thanks to whom I received the award. I want to wish everyone to believe in themselves, achieve goals and not deviate from their path, – shared Vyacheslav.

    The ball continued with dance promenades, including waltz, polka, mazurka and quadrille. Polytechnicians enjoyed learning new dances and participated in ballroom games. The bright celebration ended with a rock band concert and a disco.

    Photo archive

    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: Window into the Cretaceous Period

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    As part of Darwin Week at Novosibirsk State University, Associate Professor of the Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of NSU, PhD Igor Kosenko spoke about the Jehol biota, a unique ecosystem of the Cretaceous period discovered in China at the end of the last century, and how this discovery changed scientists’ understanding of dinosaurs and their contemporaries.

    — Over the past century and a half, our views on dinosaurs have changed significantly more than once. At first, they were imagined as huge, clumsy reptiles; by the middle of the 20th century, thanks to new finds, it became clear that many of them walked on two legs. By the end of the last century, the majority of dinosaurs appeared to us as small, nimble predators that hunted large herbivorous dinosaurs in packs. And the latest discoveries have shown us that some dinosaurs were not just small, warm-blooded predators, but also covered in feathers, — said Igor Kosenko.

    The latest findings were made possible by discoveries related to the Jehol biota, an ecosystem of the Lower Cretaceous (between 133 and 120 million years ago) that left fossils in the Yixian Formation and Jiufotang Formation in northeastern China.

    — One of the most important properties of the Jehol biota was the fantastic preservation of the objects that make it up. And this allowed paleontologists to learn much better what the world was like 120 million years ago, — Igor Kosenko emphasized.

    Typical representatives of this ecosystem are the Lycoptera fish, the Eosestheria conchostracans (freshwater bivalve crustaceans) and the Ephemeropsis mayfly larvae. But much more interesting were the fossils, which had completely atypical (for paleontology at the end of the last century) details.

    The most fantastic find is probably the feathered dinosaur – Sinosauropteryx. In the same rocks, imprints of pterosaurs with hair-like structures were found. It turns out that these creatures were covered with fur. Another unique find is the imprints of feathered dinosaurs microraptors. In combination, these finds indicate that some kind of covering (hair or feathers) was typical of at least a number of dinosaurs. It is not for nothing that many scientists claim that they were closer to birds than to lizards.

    Thanks to the amazing preservation of fossils, scientists were able to learn much more not only about the appearance, but also the habits of dinosaurs. The discovery of skeletons of a dinosaur and a mammal fighting with each other confirmed that serious competition had already begun between these types of animals at this time. The location of other skeletons showed that in some dinosaur species, adults could guard flocks of cubs, and, judging by the number of such groups, these “caregivers” were grazing not only their own offspring, and this already speaks of a rather complex group hierarchy.

    Dinosaurs are not the only finds of paleontologists. In particular, the Jehol biota includes finds of some of the first angiosperms, which today are one of the most numerous groups of higher plants. But this is now, and initially the planet was dominated by gymnosperms – conifers and ferns. Fossils found in China made it possible to more accurately determine the boundaries of the beginning of the era of angiosperms, which then quickly took the leading positions. And their very first representatives grew in water bodies and were somewhat akin to water lilies.

    Recorded fossil finds belonging to the Jehol biota are not limited to the territory of modern China. The northernmost of them were discovered in Transbaikalia.

    — There is a famous joke about Russia being the homeland of elephants. With elephants, of course, this is debatable. But the most ancient fossils of this ecosystem were recorded here, and the first finds were also made not in China, but here, by the Russian scientist Middendorf before the revolution. He was the first to describe the location of the fossil fauna “Turga”, which is now also known as the “Middendorf outcrop”. Excavations there continue and regularly bring a variety of interesting finds, — Igor Kosenko emphasized.

    Thus, in the Kulinda valley in the Transbaikal region, the remains of another feathered dinosaur were found, called “Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus”. Despite its feathers, it could not fly, and is considered the most ancient non-avian feathered dinosaur to date.

    Scientists from the A.A. Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences managed to clarify the age of the Turginskaya suite in the Middendorf outcrop, which had previously been the subject of debate in the scientific world. Fossil pollen of flowering plants was found in the samples, which made it possible to date them with a high degree of accuracy. According to their estimates, the age of the fossils may be about 125 million years, which made it possible to speak of these finds as the most ancient part of the biota.

    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: Take part in the ESU Olympiad and get admitted to a master’s degree program on a budget

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The State University of Management invites you to take part in the II Eurasian Olympiad – the international student Olympiad of the Eurasian Network University.

    SUM is a member of the Eurasian Network University and a co-organizer of the ESU Olympiad. It should be noted that it is held in Russian in an online format by participating universities with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, as well as the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).

    This year the Olympiad is held in the form of a personal championship in 5 profiles:

    Economics and Management; International Relations and Humanities; Information and Computer Sciences; Biomedicine and Cognitive Sciences; Engineering and Future Technologies.

    Students and graduates of Russian and foreign universities who are receiving or already have higher education (bachelor’s or specialist’s degree level) and who are citizens of member countries and observer states of the Eurasian Economic Union can take part:

    Russian Federation; Republic of Belarus; Republic of Kazakhstan; Republic of Armenia; Kyrgyz Republic; Republic of Moldova; Republic of Uzbekistan; Republic of Cuba; Islamic Republic of Iran.

    Registration and portfolio submission are available until March 16 on the official website of the Olympiad. The winners of the selection round will be invited to online interviews, which will be held from March 24 to 30.

    Winners and prize winners of the main track of the Olympiad (except for citizens of the Russian Federation) have the opportunity to enroll in budget places in master’s programs of Russian universities participating in the ESU in areas of training in accordance with the declared profile of the Olympiad.

    Citizens of the Russian Federation and other EAEU countries, including observer countries, can take part in the international track of the Olympiad, the winners and prize winners of which will qualify for benefits and preferences provided by Russian and foreign universities of the ESU for the development of student exchanges, summer schools, scientific and educational cooperation and dual degree programs.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 02/20/2025

    II Евразийской олимпиаде – международной студенческой олимпиаде Евразийского сетевого университета….” data-yashareImage=”https://guu.ru/wp-content/uploads/7ioj804y4G4.jpg” data-yashareLink=”https://guu.ru/%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b8%d0%bc%d0%b8-%d1%83%d1%87%d0%b0%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b8%d0%b5-%d0%b2-%d0%be%d0%bb%d0%b8%d0%bc%d0%bf%d0%b8%d0%b0%d0%b4%d0%b5-%d0%b5%d1%81%d1%83-%d0%b8-%d0%bf%d0%be%d1%81%d1%82%d1%83%d0%bf/”>

    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 USA: Congressman Krishnamoorthi And Colleagues Demand Answers on Trump Administration’s Massive Cuts To National Institutes of Health Research

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON – Last week, Congressman joined a majority of his colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus in a letter to Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that expresses alarm at the illegal decision by President Trump to reduce the reimbursement rate for indirect research costs to 15 percent across the board.

    “The dramatically lower indirect cost rate cap will have far-reaching consequences for institutions and researchers nationwide, reducing their capacity to conduct cutting-edge research,” said the lawmakers. “Slashing this funding means cutting financial support for the construction and maintenance of laboratories and high-tech facilities; energy and utility expenses; and the essential safety, security, and other support services researchers need to perform their work. Indirect costs make research possible. Without fair reimbursement for indirect costs, research institutions may be forced to close laboratories, lay off staff, stop clinical trials, and pause research programs. This will force Americans to go without lifesaving and life-extending treatments.”

    Read the full letter HERE

    BACKGROUND

    On February 7, 2025, the Trump administration announced a new policy that would slash the NIH reimbursement rate for indirect research costs to 15 percent. This illegal move would have far-reaching consequences for institutions and researchers nationwide, cutting off financial support for the construction and maintenance of laboratories and high-tech facilities; energy and utility expenses; and the essential safety, security, and other support services researchers need to perform their work. Simply put, indirect costs make research possible. 

    Without fair reimbursement for indirect costs, research institutions may be forced to close laboratories, lay off staff, stop clinical trials, pause research programs, and redirect resources from critical areas like financial aid. This will force Americans to go without lifesaving and life-extending treatments.

    On February 10, 2025, a federal judge in Boston issued a nationwide temporary restraining order on the effort in response to a federal lawsuit filed by hospitals and medicals schools affected by the substantial loss in potential research funds.

    Funding for NIH research enjoys support from both sides of the aisle. On May 1, 2024, a bipartisan group of nearly 200 lawmakers called for $51.3 billion in fiscal year 2025 funding for NIH. 

    READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER

     

    Dear Acting Director Memoli:

    The United States is a global leader in biomedical research and innovation due to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. That is why we are alarmed by NIH’s illegal decision to slash the reimbursement rate for indirect research costs to 15 percent across the board.[1]  
    Because of the NIH, grantee institutions, and a vibrant life sciences sector, the United States has made significant strides in medicine, improving and saving lives with each breakthrough. From 1991 to 2022, the cancer mortality rate in the United States decreased by 34 percent.[2] Annual HIV infections fell by two-thirds from the height of the HIV epidemic, and 65 percent of individuals diagnosed with HIV in 2022 achieved viral suppression.[3] The life expectancy of someone born with cystic fibrosis today is multiple decades longer than it was 30 years ago.[4]  Each of these achievements was driven by research conducted at or funded by NIH.
    The dramatically lower indirect cost rate cap will have far-reaching consequences for institutions and researchers nationwide, reducing their capacity to conduct cutting-edge research. Slashing this funding means cutting financial support for the construction and maintenance of laboratories and high-tech facilities; energy and utility expenses; and the essential safety, security, and other support services researchers need to perform their work. Indirect costs make research possible. Without fair reimbursement for indirect costs, research institutions may be forced to close laboratories, lay off staff, stop clinical trials, and pause research programs. This will force Americans to go without lifesaving and life-extending treatments. 
    The supplemental guidance for this misguided and detrimental announcement states that the “United States should have the best medical research in the world.[5]” Cutting vital funding for indirect costs accomplishes the exact opposite. Instead of supporting efforts to cure disease, this policy will severely compromise the United States’ ability to conduct lifesaving research. 
    A recent Washington Post article described how a researcher who studies how cells communicate faced a setback when the lab’s “cold room” broke down. This cold room is essential for conducting experiments critical to advancing our understanding of colon cancer and developing potential cures. The expenses associated with maintaining cold rooms represent the kind of funding that would be slashed under NIH’s policy, compromising the infrastructure that allows researchers to carry out their vital work.
    Research universities generate significant economic activity in communities throughout the country. In 2024, the NIH supported work at over 2,500 institutions in all 50 states, as well as in U.S. Territories and Commonwealths.[6] In Fiscal Year 2023, each dollar of NIH funding generated $2.46 in economic activity.[7] The economic pain caused by slashing NIH research funding will not be contained to university campuses. It will reverberate into communities throughout the country, hurting hardworking families already struggling to keep up with rising costs. 
    The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 was passed by Congress on a bipartisan basis and contains a provision to prevent NIH from unilaterally making changes to how the agency pays for indirect costs. We are encouraged that a federal judge has issued a temporary order halting this controversial decision. However, the uncertainty and disruption caused by these irrational decisions highlight the need for the NIH to immediately rescind this guidance on indirect costs and refrain from taking unilateral action on payment for indirect costs in the future. With this in mind, we request answers to the following questions:

    1. What measures has the NIH taken to thoroughly assess the impact of capping indirect cost payments? 

    2. Were alternative solutions considered that would allow for budgetary savings without compromising research institutions’ ability to conduct research?

    3. How does the NIH plan to address concerns from research institutions about potential layoffs and halted studies caused by the new indirect cost rate?

    4. How will significantly reducing funds available to maintain critical laboratory infrastructure impact the overall quality and progress of biomedical research and innovation in the United States?

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.  We ask that you provide responses to these questions no later than February 28, 2025. 

     

    The letter was also signed by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Alma Adams (NC-12), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Ami Bera (CA-06), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-05), Ed Case (HI-01), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Lou Correa (CA-46), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Jason Crow (CO-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Bill Foster (IL-11), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-23), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Al Green (TX-09), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Pablo Hernández (PR), James A. Himes (CT-04), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Glenn Ivey (MD-04) Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09),William R. Keating (MA-09), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), , Greg Landsman (OH-01), John Larson (CT-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DL-AL), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Frank Mrvan (IN-01), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Brittany Pettersen (CA-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Josh Riley (NY-19), Luz M. Rivas (CA-29), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-IL-09), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Hillary J. Scholten (MI-03), Kim Schrier (WA-08), David Scott (GA-13), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Terri A, Sewell (AL-07), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Sylvester Turner (TX-18), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DelBene Highlights Damage of Federal Research Cuts to Patients, Medical Research at Fred Hutch

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) visited Fred Hutch Cancer Center to highlight the damage the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to medical research funding would have to Washington’s health care ecosystem and the harm it would have on patients.

    Immediately after taking office, President Trump froze federal grants pending an unspecified review process. These were funds approved by Congress in a bipartisan way and cannot be withheld solely by the White House. A federal court temporarily blocked the freeze, but many organizations receiving federal grants have experienced payment delays or are unclear when the funding will arrive. 

    The administration is also trying to drastically cut medical research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the world’s leading medical research organization, by limiting the amount of a research grant that can go to laboratory upkeep and other administrative costs. These proposed cuts would create major budget gaps in federally funded projects at research institutions. This could force independent research institutions like Fred Hutch, academic medical centers, and universities to cut potentially groundbreaking discoveries and clinical trials, depriving patients across the country of access to hope and lifesaving care. This proposed cut was temporarily halted by a federal judge, but uncertainty still harms research efforts.

    “Washington conducts world-class medical research that saves lives every day. President Trump is putting that all at risk with these illegal cuts. As a former researcher, I know the devastating impacts losing funding or even the threat of it being cut off can have on research institutions and their patients,” said DelBene. “The president must stop this senseless attack on science and let researchers get back to developing the cures and treatments of tomorrow.”

    “Cuts to federal biomedical research funds will stifle foundational science, cancer research, clinical trial access for patients, and future innovation and cures,” said Fred Hutch President and Director Thomas J. Lynch Jr., MD. “NIH support enables Fred Hutch to translate research from our labs into care at patient bedsides and ensures we can continue to provide world-class therapies to over 40,000 patients each year. Cuts to federally funded research will harm the scientists who find the discoveries that fuel Fred Hutch’s innovation, support the Puget Sound Region’s biotech industry, and ensure the continued discovery of life-saving cures.”

    The biggest recipients of NIH funding in Washington include Fred Hutch, the University of Washington, Virginia Mason, and Seattle Children’s Hospital. In Fiscal Year 2024, Washington researchers were awarded nearly $1.3 billion in NIH grants and contracts that support 12,000 jobs in the state.

    Last week, DelBene urged the NIH to rescind these cuts and asked the administration to provide answers on how this decision was made, and what future threats might come to the United States’ long-standing dominance in science.

    Fred Hutch Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit, unified adult cancer care and research center. Translating discoveries into cures, Fred Hutch’s groundbreaking research has saved hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide over our 50-year history. Innovative cancer research, clinical trial access, and future cures can only be achieved by continuing strong and stable federal investments in biomedical research. Federal investments in the NIH are critical to the future health of generations of Americans and will ensure that institutions like Fred Hutch can continue to cover the total cost of research.

    Fred Hutch’s mission relies on federal funding to eliminate cancer and related diseases, with approximately 70 percent of Fred Hutch’s current research funding coming from federal competitive grant awards.  Fred Hutch stands to lose $120 million of topline revenue annually with the recently announced NIH guidance on indirect costs.

    NIH awards grants to more than 300,000 researchers at more than 2,500 institutions. Every dollar in NIH grants spurs $2.09 in economic activity, and every $100 million in investment leads to 78 patents and $598 million in further research, according to N.I.H.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Reintroduces Measures To Halt Potentially Destructive Deep-Seabed Mining

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) has reintroduced two measures in the 119th Congress (2025-2027) calling for moratoria on the mining of our world’s deep seabed unless and until its potentially destructive consequences are fully understood and an appropriate international protective regulatory regime is established.

    “Our deep oceans and seabed are the last unexplored regions of our world, yet what we do know of them is that they are among our most intricate and fragile,” said Congressman Case.

    “Over half of all known coral species are found in the deep sea, and as many as 10 million marine species may inhabit the deep sea, a massive and interrelated biodiversity seen nearly nowhere else on the planet.”

    Joining Case as co-sponsors of the measures are Members of Congress Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), the ranking member (senior Democrat) of the House Natural Resources Committee, Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

    “Mining in pristine, fragile ecosystems like the seabed could open a Pandora’s box of unintended consequences, ranging from decimating fish and marine mammal populations to destroying ecosystems and inhibiting carbon sequestration,” said Congressman Huffman.

    “Extracting industries should not have carte blanche access to what are some of the last untouched places on our planet. I’m glad to join Rep. Case in these bills to prevent the exploitation of seabeds before the proper research and regulations can be established.”

    “Deep sea mining poses significant risks. It has the potential to disrupt delicate ocean chemistry, harm deep sea life, and increase ocean acidification,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “I’m grateful to partner with Congressman Case on this moratorium to protect the ocean ecosystem from exploitation.”

    “Deep sea mining can devastate our marine habitats and the species that live there, as well as negatively impact our climate,” said Congresswoman Norton.  “I’m proud to join Congressman Case in supporting legislation to pause our deep-sea mining activity pending further study and ensure we do not sign off on any harmful deep sea mining activities abroad.”

    Case continued: “Some of these species have had surprising benefits to humanity, including enzymes from one microbe found in deep-sea hydrothermal vents being used to develop COVID-19 tests. In addition, the deep ocean is one of our planet’s largest and most important stores of carbon and could play a critical role in the fight against climate change.”

    Among the deep-seabed mining areas most sought after by the industry for immediate unregulated mining is the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an abyssal plain as wide as the continental United States punctuated by seamounts which extends to just hundreds of miles southeast of Hawai‘i Island. Yet little if anything material is known about the marine ecosystem of this area or its connection to Hawaii’s own unique marine and related ecosystem.

    “The marine life and natural processes not only of this zone but of our world’s oceans, and their relationships to our international ecosystems in terms of biodiversity, weather and other macro-environmental interdependencies, are in all likelihood imperiled by the imminent commencement of large-scale unregulated commercial seabed mining operations,” said Case. “Seabed mining could take a number of destructive forms, including methods which would shear off seamounts on the ocean floor, the functional equivalent of strip mining.”

    Case said the American Seabed Protection Act will place a moratorium on deep-sea mining activities in American waters or by American companies on the high seas. It also tasks the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Academies of Science with conducting a comprehensive assessment of how mining activities could affect ocean species, carbon sequestration processes and communities that rely on the ocean.

    The International Seabed Protection Act will require the United States to oppose international and other national seabed mining efforts until the President certifies that the International Seabed Authority has adopted a suitable regulatory framework which will guarantee protection for these unique ecosystems and the communities that rely on them.

    The introduction of the measures comes as the International Seabed Authority considers regulations that could open the international seabed for mining.  While both companies and countries are lining up to secure mining permits, many are concerned about the impact on marine ecosystems, habitats and communities.

    “The more we learn about the deep ocean, the more we understand its essential connections to the health of the entire ocean and to the climate,” said Addie Haughey, Earthjustice Legislative Director for Lands, Wildlife and Oceans.

    “Some mining industry interests would unleash unproven technology in sensitive and still unknown deep ocean ecosystems that belong to all of us. This gamble with the ocean, with a dubious rate of return economically, is not worth it. We support this legislation and appreciate Rep. Case’s vital leadership on this important effort.”

    The bills are also endorsed by the Benioff Ocean Science Lab, the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Earthworks, Marine Conservation Institute, Blue Climate Initiative – Tetiaroa Society and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

    Case summarized: “Paired together, these bills will establish the United States as an international leader in protecting our precious oceans through a responsible process to address the potentially devastating effects of

    Attachments:

    ·         Text for the American Seabed Protection Act is here.

    ·         Text for the International Seabed Protection Act is here.

    ·         Text of Case remarks on the measures is here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pallone Slams Trump’s Layoffs to 9/11 First Responder Health Care Program Workers, Calls It a Betrayal of Heroes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

    PISCATAWAY, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is calling out the Trump Administration’s reckless decision to gut the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), a move that puts the health of 9/11 first responders and survivors at risk. The Administration has already laid off up to 20% of program staff—jeopardizing the program’s ability to provide life-saving care, including at Rutgers’ Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI) in Piscataway, which has treated thousands of responders and survivors over the years.

    Pallone has already heard from constituents who are alarmed by the cuts, including Frank Granger from Piscataway, a 9/11 responder who developed terminal cancer due to his exposure at Ground Zero. In a message submitted through Pallone’s website, Granger wrote:

    “Hello sir. Thank God we are fighting back. I am a 9/11 responder who developed terminal cancer as a result of my time spent at Ground Zero and I’m concerned among other things that my 9/11 health care will be taken away. Please fight this tyrant, sir. Americans like myself are behind you 100%.”

    “These latest DOGE purges are an absolute disgrace,” said Pallone. “Thousands of responders and survivors depend on the care they receive through the World Trade Center Health Program, including many treated right here in New Jersey at Rutgers’ EOHSI clinic. Trump’s decision to allow his lackey Elon Musk to eliminate these critical jobs isn’t just cruel, it’s a betrayal of the heroes who risked everything to protect our country after 9/11. First responders shouldn’t have to beg for the care they earned. I fought to create this program, and I will fight like hell to protect it.”

    Pallone has been a longtime champion for 9/11 first responders. He helped negotiate the House passage of the bipartisan James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which established the WTCHP and the Nationwide Provider Network. The law also created the Rutgers clinic, which continues to provide critical medical care to responders across the region.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytech expands cooperation with industrial partners

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    A discussion of cooperation prospects with a representative of the management of JSC Shvabe of the Rostec State Corporation took place at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

    The working visit to SPbPU of the Director for Development of Medical Projects at Shvabe, Valeria Tonkoshkurova, organized with the assistance of the Head of Science and Business Cooperation at Rostec, Pavel Platonov, began with a visit to the laboratories.

    Director of the Scientific and Educational Center “Nanotechnologies and Coatings” Alexander Semencha spoke about patented innovative technologies and devices, about the possibilities of expanding research and existing developments. In particular, about the technology and equipment for the production of optical devices with thermoplastic infrared optics, about the technology of automatic formation of microlenses by hot pressing, about an innovative microspectrometer.

    At the meeting with the Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation of SPbPU, the head of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” Alexey Borovkov, projects that could be of interest to Shvabe were also discussed in detail. Alexey Ivanovich spoke about the promising research of the PIS, and Valeria Tonkoshkurova outlined the priority tasks in her area.

    Valeria Vasilievna, who has a medical education and experience in cardiovascular surgery, professionally assessed the potential for using certain developments in medical production. She was interested in the developments in the field of optical coherence tomography of the Fiber Optics laboratory. The leading researcher of the laboratory, Nikolay Ushakov, spoke about the laboratory’s project, “Optical coherence tomography/elastography system with improved spatial resolution.”

    Valeria Tonkoshkurova discussed the prospects of a joint project to create such equipment, replacing imported analogues, at a meeting with SPbPU Vice-Rector for Research Yuri Fomin. The partners also discussed targeted training of personnel for Shvabe and the implementation of educational programs in the medical engineer/architect track.

    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 teachers are prize winners of the regional Spartakiad

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    NSU
    News and Events
    News
    NSU teachers are prize winners of the regional Spartakiad

    02.20.2025

    Latest news

    02/19/2025

    NSU scientist talks about the current epidemic season

    In the last two weeks of January and the first two weeks of February, there was a slight increase in the incidence of respiratory viral infections; the H3N2 subtype of influenza A viruses that were dominant in the 2023/24 season were replaced by strains of the H1N1 subtype.

    02/19/2025

    Exhibition “Life as a Vocation” to Open at NSU

    It is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Honorary Professor of NSU, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, founder of the scientific school of modern Siberian science studies and cultural studies, veteran of the Great Patriotic War Varlen Lvovich Soskin.

    02/18/2025

    Sergey Netesov: “You have to root for the positive”

    To overcome ARVI, medications and immune stimulation alone are not enough. The patient’s emotional state is no less important. A positive attitude will make the medications more effective.

    All news

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Russian House in Addis Ababa opened the Information Center of RAFU and SPbPU

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The grand opening of the Information Center of the Russian-African Network University Consortium and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University took place in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, at the Russian House. The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Yevgeny Primakov, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department Stepan Sokolov and Head of the Russian House in Ethiopia Vladimir Golovachev. The Polytechnic was represented by the head of the RAFU project office, Maxim Zalyvsky.

    The new center will become an important link in strengthening scientific and educational cooperation between Russia and Ethiopia, and will also promote Russian education on the African continent. The main goal is to develop partnerships with Ethiopian universities, popularize Russian educational programs, and prepare applicants interested in entering universities participating in the RAFU consortium. The center is equipped with information materials about Russian universities and methodological literature that will help future students make an informed choice.

    At the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Konstantin Mogilevsky emphasized: Cooperation between Russia and Ethiopia is developing in various key areas: education, science, culture. To obtain the best Russian education, especially in the engineering and technical field, it is important to have a good knowledge of mathematics, physics and other natural sciences from the very beginning. To help you on this path, today we are opening three new centers at the Russian House.

    As part of the event, the Russian Language Center of the Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University and the Pre-University Education Center of the Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University “LETI” were also opened in the capital of Ethiopia.

    We strive to create conditions so that every potential applicant could receive all the necessary information about Russian universities, areas of study, admission procedures, as well as available grants and scholarships. This will help young people make the right choice of their future profession and discover new opportunities for studying in Russia, – said Maxim Zalyvsky, head of the RAFU project office.

    The opening of the center was an important step in strengthening Russian-Ethiopian relations in the field of education and science. It will become not only a platform for information, but also a place where students and teachers can exchange experiences, participate in joint projects and build long-term cooperation.

    The head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Yevgeny Primakov, added: We are happy to share knowledge and strive for young people, enriched by Russian culture and science, to make their countries stronger, to raise their economies, technologies, and businesses. The Russian House in Ethiopia is a living embodiment of this philosophy. It will develop, filling with people, ideas, and the energy of the young.

    The Russian-African Network University unites leading Russian universities that are actively developing partnerships with African countries. The Polytechnic University has been the coordinator of the RAFU consortium since 2023.

    As part of the ceremonial event, NGLU and the Ethiopian Association of Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities joined the RAFU consortium.

    The Polytechnic University is interested in strengthening educational and scientific ties with Ethiopia and other African countries. The opening of the joint Information Center of SPbPU and RAFU is an important step in implementing the strategy of the Russian Government to expand the presence of Russian education and science on the African continent, emphasized Dmitry Arsenyev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at SPbPU.

    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: Ganda Business Solutions and Danforth Advisors Align to Streamline Growth and Market Access for Biotechs Operating in Switzerland and the United States

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BASEL, Switzerland and WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ganda Business Solutions Ltd. and Danforth Advisors LLC today announced an exclusive partnership to support the business and clinical operations of Swiss biotech companies. Working jointly with localized expertise, the firms will provide integrated services to help Swiss companies scale with efficiency, expand to the US, and leverage flexible support in the areas of finance and accounting, human resources, investor relations, clinical operations, and regulatory strategy.

    The combined team encompasses more than 400 consultants specializing in life science business operations, asset development support, and commercial readiness. The firms’ breadth of experience spans 500+ active clients and more than 60 IPO and reverse merger transactions.

    “Our shared philosophy towards efficient capital allocation is reflected through our focus on providing variable and fractional support. We know that risk and uncertainty are inherent in biotech and organizational agility allows companies to remain flexible. This allows management to focus on the development activities knowing that strategic advice is on hand to help navigate the road ahead. For a majority of Swiss biotech companies, this road leads to the US, and by aligning with Danforth we can deliver both strategic guidance and well-managed operational execution,” said Christoph Rentsch, Managing Partner of Ganda Business Solutions.

    The partnership also combines both teams’ deep relationships with investors, bankers, attorneys, CROs, and other pillars of the Swiss and US ecosystems, enabling them to seamlessly support clients as they scale their operations, advance clinical programs, and launch new products.

    “Establishing a US nexus is often integral to Swiss biotechs’ strategy – whether through access to patients and payers via FDA approvals, financing from private and public investors, recruiting cohorts for clinical trials, or leveraging specialist capabilities from world leading physicians and experienced management teams. Our collaboration with Ganda gives Swiss clients assurance that they can navigate the US landscape with our well-developed strategies to de-risk execution as their operations advance,” said Michael Cunniffe, Managing Director of Danforth’s UK and European operations.

    Having supported hundreds of biotech companies over two decades, Danforth and Ganda bring unmatched experience drawn from hands-on operational management and strategic advisory at executive and board levels.

    “For a sustainable biotech growth story, the right talent and team composition play a key role, and must be aligned with the company’s vision and development goals. This talent is highly sought after and not always readily available,” said Catherine Ammann, Managing Partner of Ganda Business Solutions. “Through our partnership with Danforth, we can provide access to valuable skill sets where full time roles might be cost-prohibitive or difficult to fill.”

    About Ganda Solutions
    Ganda is a Professional Service Provider covering all General and Administration (G&A) tasks in the life science field. Ganda’s team of professionals has extensive industry experience at various leadership levels both in strategic and operational matters – within small and large organizations. Ganda operates from its Basel base and offers full support in English, German and French. Additional information is available at www.ganda-solutions.com.

    About Danforth Advisors
    Danforth is the life science industry’s trusted partner for strategic and operational support across business, clinical, and commercial functions. The company advises and executes in the areas of finance and accounting, strategic communications, human resources, risk management, clinical and regulatory, market research, and commercial readiness and launch. Founded in 2011, Danforth has partnered with more than 1,500 life science companies, private and public, across all stages of the corporate lifecycle. The company serves clients around the globe from its base in Waltham, Massachusetts and regional operations in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, California, and London. Additional information is available at www.danforthadvisors.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Netherlands to return looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

    Source: Government of the Netherlands

    News item | 19-02-2025 | 00:05

    At the request of Nigeria, the Netherlands is returning 113 Benin Bronzes from the Dutch State Collection. This decision was taken by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins. In 1897 British soldiers looted these objects from the Kingdom of Benin (now part of modern-day Nigeria) and sold them. They eventually ended up in the Dutch State Collection. The Benin Bronzes are an important record of the history of the Kingdom of Benin and, thus, of great significance to Nigeria. The Bronzes, consisting of plaques, personal ornaments and figures, are currently housed in the collection of Wereldmuseum Leiden. The return of these objects is the result of intensive cooperation between experts and representatives of both countries.

    Minister Bruins: “This restitution contributes to redressing a historical injustice that is still being felt today. Cultural heritage is essential for telling and living the history of a country and a community. The Benin Bronzes are indispensable to Nigeria. It is good that they are going back.”

    The transfer agreement will be signed in Leiden on 19 February by Mr Bruins and Olugible Holloway, Director-General of the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

    DG Holloway: ‘The return from the Netherlands will represent the single largest return of Benin antiquities directly linked to the 1897 British punitive expedition. We thank the Netherlands for their cooperation and hope this will set a good example for other nations of the world in terms of repatriation of lost or looted antiquities.’

    The return follows the publication of an advisory report by the Colonial Collections Committee, chaired by Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You. The objects will be returned to the Nigerian government, which will then decide how and where they will be displayed. The Wereldmuseum hopes that the return of the objects will not mark the end of the process, but rather serve as a starting point for further cooperation between museums in Nigeria and the Netherlands.

    Return of objects by the municipality of Rotterdam

    In addition to the return of 113 objects from the Dutch State Collection, on 19 February the municipality of Rotterdam will also be returning a further six objects that fall under the Benin Bronzes collection. These objects – a bell, three relief plaques, a coconut casing and a staff – were also looted in 1897.

    Said Kasmi, a member of the Rotterdam municipal executive: ‘Art and heritage should be where they belong. These objects belong in Nigeria. By returning them, we’re taking an important step towards recognising the past and respecting the value these objects hold for Nigeria.’

    Advisory report published by the Colonial Collections Committee

    On the basis of a provenance investigation conducted by the Wereldmuseum and the municipality of Rotterdam, the Colonial Collections Committee advised the minister to return these objects in line with the Netherlands’ colonial collections policy. This advisory report resulted from close consultation and collaboration with the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments. The Committee published the report on its website. This is the fifth time that the Netherlands is returning objects as a direct result of an advisory report by the Committee. The Committee is currently drawing up advisory reports in response to requests submitted by Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: To the team of the Zvezda TV channel

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The Zvezda TV channel is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

    Dear friends!

    I sincerely congratulate you and your multi-million audience on this significant event – the 20th anniversary of the start of broadcasting of the Zvezda TV channel.

    Over the years, the first military-patriotic TV channel in our country has become one of the leaders in the Russian media space. Its dynamic development is the result of the coordinated work of a large creative team, talented and creative people – presenters, correspondents, cameramen, directors and editors, everyone who is in the frame and behind it. Sincerely devoted to your work, you are creating a unique information space. Around the clock, you share with viewers relevant and objective news from the scene of events in the country and the world. You are looking for new formats, introducing modern technologies, expanding the boundaries of broadcasting. For many years, your popular science, educational and entertainment projects, live broadcasts and special reports, including from hot spots, have been in demand among viewers of different generations.

    The current year has been declared by the President as the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland. All those who ensure the defense capability and national security of our country deserve special attention. And your programs dedicated to the Russian army, heroes and participants of the SVO, innovative developments of the defense-industrial complex are becoming an important part of modern history.

    I am confident that the TV channel’s team will continue to work on preserving the memory and cultural heritage of Russia and the patriotic education of youth.

    I wish you the fulfillment of your plans, new projects and all the best.

     

    M. Mishustin

    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 –