NewzIntel.com

    • Checkout Page
    • Contact Us
    • Default Redirect Page
    • Frontpage
    • Home-2
    • Home-3
    • Lost Password
    • Member Login
    • Member LogOut
    • Member TOS Page
    • My Account
    • NewzIntel Alert Control-Panel
    • NewzIntel Latest Reports
    • Post Views Counter
    • Privacy Policy
    • Public Individual Page
    • Register
    • Subscription Plan
    • Thank You Page

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU presented the program of the upcoming scientific and production forum “Golden Valley” at the TASS press center

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Today, a press conference dedicated to the upcoming Golden Valley forum was held at the TASS press center in Novosibirsk.

    Rector of NSU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk, speaking about the reasons for holding the forum, noted:

    — Now, due to the development of the university, due to the fact that it has significantly expanded in scale and in the number of faculties, students and the projects that it carries out, it plays the role of a center of attraction on the territory of the Novosibirsk Scientific Center. This is facilitated by the university’s participation in all key federal development programs, such as “Priority 2030”, Advanced Engineering Schools, Creation of a Network of Modern Campuses, etc. The university is beginning to more actively position itself as a leading educational and scientific-technological center. Therefore, we are holding the second forum, which brings together large enterprises and scientific organizations. The goal of the forum is to strengthen and develop the university’s interaction with industrial partners and in the future to attract them to joint developments and technologies already based on the university.

    Next, Alexander Lyulko, Director of the Center for Interaction with Government Authorities and Industrial Partners of NSU, spoke in more detail about the forum program. This year it includes a business part – these are plenary sessions and sections on various topics; an exhibition of projects, technologies and developments; negotiations (a platform for signing agreements and contracts between forum participants); and a cultural and entertainment program with a scientific twist.

    There will be two plenary sessions within the framework of the “Golden Valley”: on the first day – on the topic “Requests of the real sector of the economy for the creation of new technologies”; on the second day – on the topic “Scientific developments for industry”. Within the framework of the second session, developments of NSU and scientific organizations of Akademgorodok, which may be of interest to industrial partners, will be presented.

    The forum will have 8 sections: Aviation; Unmanned systems; Mechanical engineering. Instrument making; Artificial intelligence in industry and robotics; Energy; Smart city technologies. Construction; Agriculture; Medicine; and a round table “Personnel for industry” will also be held.

    Among the key speakers from government and business: Sergey Semka, Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Region; Vadim Vasiliev, Minister of Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region; Sergey Tsukar, Minister of Digital Development and Communications of the Novosibirsk Region; Anna Korotchenkova, Vice President for Technology at AFK Sistema; Viktor Slavyantsev, Head of Highest Category Innovative Development Projects at Rostec State Corporation; Evgeny Pavlov, Head of Innovative Development Department at United Engine Corporation; Konstantin Kotlyarov, Head of R&D at AvtoVAZ, etc.

    On behalf of the scientific community: Aleksandr Rumyantsev, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, State Duma Deputy; Sergey Alekseenko, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Director of the Institute of Thermophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Mikhail Voevoda, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Chairman of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine; Aleksandr Latyshev, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute of Semiconductor Physics; Dmitry Markovich, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, First Deputy Chairman of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute of Thermophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Sergey Netyosov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Virology, NSU Natural Sciences Department; Sergey Abin, Director of the Institute of Automation and Electrometry, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Dmitry Kudlai, Vice President for the Implementation of New Medical Technologies at Generium JSC, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and others.

    This year, the forum program will be expanded with satellite events. This is primarily a technology exhibition, where NSU will present its developments, as well as a tour of the university’s innovation centers and laboratories. Also, over the course of three days, the NSU career forum will be held, which will bring together major employers interested in collaborating with the university.

    The Golden Valley will host strategic sessions on the following topics: “Digital Transformation: Artificial Intelligence in Solving Public Sector Problems”, which will be chaired by Sergey Tsukar, Minister of Digital Development and Communications of the Novosibirsk Region; “Chemical Technologies and Deep Processing of Raw Materials” (organized by the Interregional Association “Siberian Agreement”); “Development of Entrepreneurship Technologies in Universities in the Interests of Industry”.

    The forum is expected to see the signing of a number of agreements between NSU and industrial partners on joint developments, the implementation of projects in the field of introducing new technologies, including artificial intelligence, and the creation of consortiums and associations to solve industry problems.

    We remind you that the forum is held with the support of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District, the Interregional Association “Siberian Agreement”, the Government of the Novosibirsk Region, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Council of Rectors of Universities of the City of Novosibirsk and the Technopark of the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok.

    The Forum’s Program Committee is headed by the Rector of NSU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences M.P. Fedoruk. It includes the Chairman of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician V.N. Parmon, ministers of the Novosibirsk Region government, heads of leading institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, directors of industrial enterprises, the Chairman of the Council of Rectors of Universities, representatives of the largest state corporations – Rostec, Rosatom, UEC, government bodies, academic institutes, development institutes of Novosibirsk and other Russian cities.

    All information about the forum, current program, news are presented on the website: http://zd.nsu.ru/

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/science/ngu-presented-the-program-of-the-upcoming-scientific-production-forum-golden-valley-in-press-ts/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnicians at the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Last week, the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum 2024 (SPIGF-2024) was held at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, in the exhibition and scientific-business programme of which the Polytechnic University traditionally takes an active part.

    The forum visitors were able to get to know the university better in the Polytechnic’s unified catalogue. More than eight pages were devoted to the main areas of activity of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport.

    SPIGF is one of the key global events in the gas industry. The participation of Polytechnic divisions in the exhibition program of the forum opened up a wide range of opportunities for meeting potential customers and exchanging experience, says Anatoly Popovich, Director of IMMiT.

    Specialists from the Laser and Additive Technologies Research Laboratory (LIAT) at IMMiT presented their developments at the Polytechnic stand: components of the hot tract of gas turbine engines repaired by laser cladding, 7 and 10 mm thick samples welded in one pass without edge preparation using laser welding and hybrid laser-arc welding, and the mobile laser cladding complex “Nomad”, designed to restore large-sized products on the customer’s premises.

    If for some reason the enterprise cannot bring the product to the laboratory, then its specialists go to the site with a mobile complex. At the moment, they have already restored four rotors of the GTK-10-4 gas pumping units. In the laboratory itself, the “Nomad” is also used for laser welding and restoration of smaller products.

    The forum’s rich program brought together all the most advanced and significant areas of the industry. The opportunity to present the developments of the research laboratory at the forum made a significant contribution to determining the optimal scenarios for the further development vector of the division, – shared Mikhail Kuznetsov, head of the Scientific Research Laboratory “LiAT” of IMMIT SPbPU.

    The Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade presented educational programs created and implemented in partnership with PJSC Gazprom and its subsidiaries at the SPbPU exhibition stand: two master’s programs and two programs of additional professional education. The master’s program “IT Economics and Business Analysis” is a corporate master’s program of the university and Gazprom Neft, aimed at training specialists in the field of business analysis. This master’s program is reinforced by modules of specialized focus and project activities within the framework of research work built on business cases of Gazprom Neft. At the forum, we productively discussed with our partners strategic plans for the development of new corporate educational programs and other areas of joint activity taking into account current changes in the economy, – said Irina Rudskaya, Director of the Scientific and Educational Center for Information Technology and Business Analysis of Gazprom Neft.

    The Master’s program “Human Resources Management and Organizational Development”, created and implemented jointly with Gazprom Gazifikatsiya with the information and status support of the presidential platform of the ANO “Russia – Country of Opportunities”, was presented by the Higher School of Industrial Management of IPMEiT. The program was developed based on practical tasks and requests of the university’s corporate partners and is aimed at training specialists capable of implementing organizational design at all stages of the company’s life cycle, forming the company’s HR brand, developing and implementing a human resource management strategy based on building individual personnel development trajectories.

    This year, together with our partners Gazprom Gazifikatsiya, Gazprom Pitanie and the Russia — Land of Opportunities platform, with grant support from Gazprom, we created six online courses that we modularly integrated into the program’s curriculum, explained Olga Kalinina, Director of the Higher School of Industrial Management.

    Based on the created online courses, IPMEiT also presented two continuing education programs on motivation, personnel selection and personnel branding, developed for specialists in the field of HR management and heads of structural divisions of the oil and gas and energy industries. The presentation of the continuing education programs was attended by a student of the master’s program “Digital Business Management”, specialist of the personnel efficiency support group of Gazprom Neft exploration and production Ekaterina Khodarkevich, and a student of the bachelor’s program “Oil and Gas Enterprise Management”, an employee of the marketing department of Gazpromneft-SM Daniil Guryev.

    Professor of the Higher School of Industrial Management Alexander Ilyinsky took part in the round table of the Energy Initiative “International Business Congress” on the topic “Promising technologies for monetizing natural gas and ensuring energy security”. Alexander Ilyinsky also held business negotiations with the General Director of Gazprom Flot Yuri Shamalov, where they discussed promising areas of cooperation in the field of educational and scientific activities.

    Aleksandr Volkov, a practicing teacher, associate professor at the Higher School of Industrial Management, and CEO of the Grand Media Service communications agency, moderated the conference “Gas Industry Companies in New Realities: How to Be Most Effective in PR and Digital Communications?” and gave a presentation on a proven tool for comprehensive promotion in the gas industry, Public Performance. Among the audience were students from the Higher School of Industrial Management studying in the educational programs “Marketing” and “Oil and Gas Enterprise Management”.

    Students of the Higher School of Engineering and Economics took part in the round table “Distributed generation as a solution to the problems of energy-deficient regions”, where the prospects for implementing innovative solutions for distributed generation were discussed: own generation of electricity and heat supply.

    Students of the Higher School of Administrative Management, led by the head of the IPMEiT Directorate, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Administrative Management Maxim Ivanov, attended the conference “New Technologies for the Oil and Gas Industry”, the panel session “Technological Leadership: New Horizons” and the round table “Current Issues of Legislative Support for the Oil and Gas Industry”. They got acquainted with samples of modern equipment and advanced technologies at the RosGazExpo exhibition, an exposition of the subjects of the Russian Federation, which presented projects demonstrating their potential in the oil and gas sector.

    Such forums captivate with their scale and friendly, but at the same time businesslike atmosphere. The stand of the Polytechnic University stood out from the rest and attracted many visitors, it was impressive. We went around the stands that were related not only to the oil and gas industry, but also to the agricultural, transport industry and to the specialization of various regions of Russia. We learned that many representatives of large companies are graduates of the Polytechnic University, and, of course, they were happy to tell us about their work, – the students of the Higher School of Economics shared their impressions.

    Students of the Higher School of Industrial Management of the educational programs “Industrial Management (Energy)” and “Management of Oil and Gas Enterprises” together with teachers Olga Konovalova and Vyacheslav Melekhin participated in the round table “Union of Science and Industry in the Transformation of the World Energy Market”, where current issues and trends in the development of the international energy market, transformation of the gas market, the role of international cooperation and joint educational programs were discussed.

    The Gas Forum is certainly a large-scale event that has become a platform for demonstrating the technological and innovative capabilities of the domestic industry. For our students, this is an invaluable experience of participating in one of the most important events in the Russian economy, says Olga Konovalova, associate professor at the Higher School of Management and Management.

    Students of IPMEiT demonstrated significant results in the Virtual Academy from Gazprom. From June 3 to July 15, as part of the preparation for the SPIGF-2024 Youth Day, an educational program and selection round of the Virtual Academy project were held. This year, more than 130 candidates from 30 countries representing 45 universities participated in it. The Virtual Academy program included lectures in English by leading experts and scientists in the field of energy and information technology. Participants completed individual tasks and submitted them for expert assessment. As a result of the competitive selection, only 30 candidates with the best results received an invitation to the Youth Day. Among them, three students of the Higher School of Industrial Management: Nikita Kuznetsov and Leonid Alkhimovich (Bachelor’s program “International Business”) and Arab Yusof Abad Mohammad (international program “Development of International Business”). Moreover, Nikita Kuznetsov’s team, where he was the captain, took first place based on the results of participation in the case.

    This year, our institute made its small contribution to the work of the Polytechnic University at the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum. We prepared for individual events in advance, planned the participation of both adult colleagues-teachers and students. We paid special attention to the preparation of those students who already work in oil and gas and energy companies, undergo practical training or internships there, – noted the director of IPMEiT Vladimir Shchepinin.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://vvv.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/partnership/polytechnics-at-the-Petersburg-international-gas-forum/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: NAMRU San Antonio highlights Olivia Cruz during National Hispanic Heritage Month

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON – (Oct. 15, 2024) – National Hispanic Heritage Month marks a time to showcase and honor the many contributions Hispanic Americans have made to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the nation.

    Possessing a diverse workforce is important to NAMRU San Antonio as it acknowledges individual strengths of each Sailor, Soldier, civilian and contractor, and the potential they bring to accomplishing the command’s mission.

    Olivia Cruz, a budget analyst lead assigned to the command’s Resource Management and Acquisitions Directorate (DRMA), is a representation of the highly professional and diverse civilian workforce within Navy Medicine.

    A 2014 graduate of Texas A&M University at San Antonio, Cruz directly supports the allocation and execution of all Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) funding received by NAMRU San Antonio. This includes performing or advising on work in any of the phases or systems of budget administration of funds required for command programs. Additionally, she serves as the command’s Time and Attendance clerk.

    A San Antonio native, Cruz began her Navy civilian career in 2021 with Naval Medical Forces Development Command serving as the regional labor and budget analyst.

    “At my previous command, I was the only person on board who was born and raised in San Antonio,” said Cruz. “Most of the times, the comptroller would refer newly arriving personnel to me for places in the city to visit and eat. Eventually, I joked with telling people that I was the unofficial San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.”

    According to Cruz, who has been maintaining and executing government budgets for 15 years, there are countless opportunities to serve locally, out of state and even overseas within Navy Medicine.

    “Working for NAMRU San Antonio has provide me with insight on the numerous opportunities available for my son in science research as he begins his journey in biology,” said Cruz, whose goal is to complete her career at the federal level. “When I initially came on board with the command, I didn’t realize that I would be working directly with some of the Navy’s smartest research scientists.”

    “As analysts, we don’t see the type of research that is being conducted. Usually, all we see is the money side,” added Cruz. “Is there funding? Are the funds committed? The list goes on, but we never see the scientists at work.”

    Cruz feels that being able to observe some of the work being done at NAMRU San Antonio enables her to understand how important her role is in the command.

    “Being able to know how my job directly supports research has motivated me to be a more knowledgeable analyst which allows our scientists to efficiently research projects that will essentially save countless lives,” said Cruz. “Our DRMA team doesn’t allow setbacks and limited staff to stop us from hindering our scientists from their research mission.”

    Perseverance is one of Cruz’s strengths.

    “I have always persevered; however, working for the Navy has instilled in me the motivations to keep going even if I feel that I am not performing to my personal standards,” said Cruz. “However, I have the great opportunity of working with so many diverse personalities and professionals from whom I continue to learn from. They have shown me that there is more for me to learn and how to overcome challenges.”

    Continuing to listen, learn, and apply shared knowledge from others has enhanced Cruz’s importance of her role as an analyst with NAMRU San Antonio. In the future, she wants to share her knowledge with others to guide and help make them better in their profession.

    NAMRU San Antonio’s mission is to conduct gap driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research to improve survival, operational readiness, and safety of DoD personnel engaged in routine and expeditionary operations.

    NAMRU San Antonio is one of the leading research and development laboratories for the U.S. Navy under the DoD and is one of eight subordinate research commands in the global network of laboratories operating under the Naval Medical Research Command in Silver Spring, Md.

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: High-potency cannabis use leaves a distinct mark on DNA – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Marta Di Forti, Clinician Scientist MRC Research Fellow, King’s College London

    People who use cannabis with THC of 10% or more are five times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder compared to those who don’t use the drug. Canna Obscura/ Shutterstock

    Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Yet there’s still much we don’t know about it and what effects it has on the brain – including why cannabis triggers psychosis in some people who use the drug. But our recent study has just brought us closer to understanding the biological impact of high-potency cannabis use.

    Published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, our study demonstrates that high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA. We also found that these DNA changes were different in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis compared to users who’d never experienced psychosis. This suggests looking at how cannabis use modifies DNA could help identify those most at risk of developing psychosis.

    The amount of THC (Delta-9_tetrahydrocannabinol), the main ingredient in cannabis that makes people feel “high”, has been steadily increasing since the 1990s in the UK and US. In Colorado, where the drug is legal, it’s possible to buy cannabis with 90% THC. While THC is one of over 144 other chemicals found in the cannabis plant, it’s the primary compound used to estimate the potency of cannabis.

    Many studies have shown that the greater the THC concentration, the stronger the effects on the user. For example, research has found that people who use high-potency cannabis (with THC of 10% or more) daily are five times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder compared to people who have never used cannabis.

    Psychotic disorders associated with daily use of high-potency cannabis often manifest through a range of symptoms. These can include auditory hallucinations (hearing voices that others cannot hear), delusions of persecution (feeling the target of a conspiracy without evidence) and paranoia (perceiving the environment as hostile and interpreting interactions suspiciously). These are all very distressing and disabling experiences.



    Read more:
    Cannabis: how it affects our cognition and psychology – new research

    Our study aimed the explore the mark that current cannabis use leaves on the DNA. We also wanted to understand if this mark is specific to high-potency cannabis use – and if this might help to identify those users at greater risk of experiencing psychosis.

    To do this, we examined the effects of cannabis use on an molecular process called DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a chemical process that regulates gene activity by turning genes on or off and controlling how genes are expressed without changing the structure of the DNA itself. DNA methylation is just one of the many mechanisms that regulate gene activity and are part of an important biological process known as epigenetics. Epigenetics underpin the interplay between our environment, the lifestyle choices we make (such as using cannabis or exercising) and our physical and mental health.

    While previous studies have investigated the impact of lifetime cannabis use on DNA methylation, they haven’t explored what effect regular use of different cannabis potencies has on this process. Nor have they explored how this affects with people who have psychosis.

    Our study combined data from two large first case-control studies: the Genetic and Psychosis study, which was conducted in south London, and the EU-GEI study, which included participants from England, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Brazil. Both of these studies collected data on people experiencing their first episode of psychosis and participants who had no health problems and represented the local population.

    High-potency cannabis use alters DNA methylation in genes related to energy and immune system functions.
    Oleksandrum/ Shutterstock

    In total, we looked at 239 people who were experiencing their first episode of psychosis and 443 healthy volunteers. Around 65% of participants were male. Participants ranged in age 16-72. All participants provided information on their cannabis use, as well as DNA samples from their blood.

    Around 38% of participants were using cannabis more than once a week. Of those who had used cannabis, the majority had been using high-potency cannabis more than once a week – and had started when they were around 16 years old.

    Analyses of DNA methylation were then performed across multiple parts of the whole genome. The analysis took into account the potential impact of several biological and environmental confounders that may have affected the results – such as age, gender, ethnicity, tobacco smoking and the cellular makeup of each blood sample.

    DNA signature

    Our findings revealed that using high-potency cannabis alters DNA methylation – particularly in genes related to energy and immune system functions. This was true for participants who had used high-potency cannabis. However, people who had experienced psychosis had a different signature of alteration in their DNA.

    These epigenetic changes show how external factors (like drug use) can alter how genes work. Very importantly, these changes were not explained by tobacco – which is usually mixed into joints by many cannabis users, and is known to alter DNA methylation.

    This finding also highlights epigenetic changes as a potential link between high-potency cannabis and psychosis. DNA methylation, which bridges the gap between genetics and environmental factors, is a key mechanism that allows external influences (such as substance use) to impact gene activity. By studying epigenetic changes, researchers may be able to develop a greater understanding on how cannabis use – particularly high-potency types – can influence specific biological pathways. This may in turn help us understand why some cannabis users are at increased risk of psychosis.

    We hope that our findings will help scientists to better understand how cannabis use can affect the body’s biology. Future research should now investigate whether the DNA methylation patterns associated with cannabis use can serve as biomarkers to identify users at higher risk of developing psychosis. This could lead to more targeted prevention strategies and inform safer cannabis use practices.

    Emma Dempster receives funding from MRC, NIHR, ARUK.

    Marta Di Forti 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. High-potency cannabis use leaves a distinct mark on DNA – new research – https://theconversation.com/high-potency-cannabis-use-leaves-a-distinct-mark-on-dna-new-research-241384

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Agricultural Research Service Develops Long-Term Roadmap for PFAS in U.S. Agriculture

    Source: US Agriculture Research Service

    Agricultural Research Service Develops Long-Term Roadmap for PFAS in U.S. Agriculture

    Multi-Agency Workshop Forms Solutions to Chemical’s Most Complex Challenges

    Contact: Autumn Canaday
    Email: Autumn Canaday

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2024 —The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) today announced several key outcomes from a workshop to develop a research roadmap that would lead to short and long-term science-based solutions to meet the emerging challenges posed by the discovery of Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural soils and waters. PFAS have become increasingly found in the environment, posing significant challenges for producers, and farming communities, highlighting the need for agricultural researchers to develop innovative and practical solutions.

    ARS, its Center of Excellence for Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation, and the University Maine, collaborated recently during a three-day workshop to bring together more than 150 interagency researchers, state partners, university partners and other subject matter experts to engage in discussion and identify key research and innovative solutions that address the top challenges PFAS poses to agriculture, agroecosystems, food systems, and farming communities.

    Many within the agricultural community are facing new challenges when PFAS chemicals are detected within their farms, resulting in this being a new challenge to farmers’ continued capacity to sustain healthy soil and water on their farms, as well as continued capacity to provide safe and dependable food and fiber supplies to our nation and the world. The suggested long-term roadmap solutions for improving these circumstances include finding new means of detecting when PFAS contamination is a problem, better understanding of how it moves through the agricultural system, and innovating new ways to interrupt that movement or remove the chemicals before they can do harm.

    Other topics of discussion at the workshop included a strategy for data standardization and integration, how to develop scientific solutions to management of municipal biosolids, and ways of effectively removing existing PFAS chemicals from the production environment.

    “The meeting’s focus on the gap between PFAS challenges and solutions has empowered and offered hope to ARS, its partners and sister agencies – to address and resolve agriculture-centric problems arising from the use of PFAS in our communities and everyday consumer products,” said ARS Senior Management Advisor, Dr. David Knaebel. “The workshop’s overarching impact will assist the U.S. agricultural research community and stakeholders to find creative and innovative ways to mitigate and remediate a rapidly growing PFAS challenge in U.S. agriculture and food systems.”

    PFAS is a class of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States, since the 1940s. The chemical has been placed in the category of “forever chemicals’ because they bioaccumulate in animals and plants and do not breakdown naturally in the animals or plants or in the environment. These chemicals in agricultural landscapes can cause food producers numerous challenges that require innovative scientific solutions from agriculture research, research and developments, and strategic partnerships.

    “Currently, our data shows that PFAS is an environmental hazard that does not come from agriculture,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Marlen Eve. “But, producers need efficient, cost-effective ways to deal with the challenges when it is detected in our agricultural soils and waters.”

    Federal and stakeholder workshop attendees plan to move forward with next steps by crafting documents that will communicate solutions to the ag research community – especially in locations where PFAS has critical impacts on agriculture – and to engage in partnerships to realize those research solutions into impactful tools and practices for producers and the agricultural community.

    “The University of Maine is pleased to expand our partnership with USDA ARS to find solutions to this national environmental crisis. With our collective expertise — supported by the ingenuity and resolve of our researchers and students — we can accelerate breakthroughs in basic and applied science that will result in new tools and strategies for protecting food systems in Maine and beyond.” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation for the University of Maine System and President of the University of Maine.  “Together, we will also expand each other’s research capacities, grant funding efforts and infrastructure, all of which will be essential for mitigating the spread of PFAS and other toxic compounds like it. Thank you to U.S. Senator Susan Collins for securing funding for the Center and for her ongoing support of research informing practical solutions for rural farmers and communities.”

    ARS will continue to expand its PFAS research to address its impact on U.S. agriculture. Future research will ensure that the nation maintains a safe and abundant high quality food supply that is undergirded by sustainable natural resources.

    The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Blue Mountain Announces Launch of Blue Mountain University: A Premier e-Learning Experience for RAM Software Users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Mountain, the standard in Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) for life sciences manufacturers, is excited to announce the launch of Blue Mountain University (BMU), an interactive e-Learning platform designed to empower users of its RAM software. This comprehensive learning environment offers users an adaptable and self-paced way to master the complexities of Blue Mountain’s powerful RAM platform, providing both a Help Center for on-the-go reinforcement and a Learning Center for in-depth education.

    Why Blue Mountain University?

    As Blue Mountain’s ecosystem has rapidly expanded to include more than 450 biotech, cell and gene therapy, pharmaceutical, medtech, CDMO organizations, and service partners, it became evident that users required more than just support—they needed a robust and flexible learning experience. Blue Mountain University was built to fulfill this need, ensuring users can navigate the intricate landscape of regulatory asset management with ease and confidence.

    “Blue Mountain University was created to empower our customers by providing them with comprehensive, accessible, and high-quality training resources,” said David Rode, CEO of Blue Mountain. “We recognize that our RAM software plays a mission-critical role in many organizations. With this e-Learning offering, we’re delivering on our commitment to help users optimize their operational efficiency, reduce onboarding time, and elevate their GXP compliance capabilities.”

    Key Features and Benefits

    Blue Mountain University offers a range of unique benefits, including:

    1. Tailored Learning Experiences: Courses are designed to be adaptable and flexible, catering to users at every stage of their journey—from new learners to seasoned experts.
    2. Ease of Navigation: User-friendly design BMU ensures that users can quickly locate relevant content, understand their learning objectives, and track their progress effortlessly.
    3. Enhanced Knowledge Retention: Through deep-dive course materials and practical applications, learners can apply their new knowledge directly to their job roles, improving knowledge retention and execution.
    4. Certification and Expertise: Blue Mountain University offers certification opportunities, allowing individuals to become certified RAM experts. This certification enhances professional value and strengthens organizational capability.

    “We built Blue Mountain University to give our customers the ability to self-serve and master the full potential of our RAM platform. This doesn’t replace our live, analyst-led trainings, rather it offers another mechanism to help our customers grow and learn at their own pace. Our goal is for every organization to have at least one certified RAM expert,” said Ginny Lee, Chief Customer Officer of Blue Mountain. “The Blue Mountain University experience doesn’t just deliver training; it fosters a community where users can share insights, offer feedback, and engage in discussions that will shape future product innovations.”

    Who Will Benefit from Blue Mountain University?

    Blue Mountain University has been designed with all RAM users in mind, providing tailored resources to different personas within an organization:

    • RAM Administrators: Experts responsible for the RAM platform, training, and onboarding others.
    • New Users: Individuals who need foundational training to quickly get up to speed.
    • Experienced Users: Seasoned professionals looking to deepen their knowledge or learn about new features.
    • Organizational Leaders: Decision-makers focused on ensuring their teams are proficient and certified in RAM software.

    About Blue Mountain

    Leading Life Sciences in asset management for 35 years, Blue Mountain has a unique position in the life sciences industry backed by a proven legacy. Founded in 1989, Blue Mountain offers a complete, integrated solution, helping hundreds of pharmaceutical, biotech, cell and gene therapy, medical device, and contract manufacturing companies. From set-up to installation and from training to validation, our company helps life sciences manufacturing master GMP asset management by implementing our best-in-class software – enabling them to leverage the cloud, drive paperless processes, and ensure regulatory compliance. Blue Mountain is backed by Accel-KKR and based in the greater Philadelphia, PA region. For more information, please visit http://www.coolblue.com.

    For more information about Blue Mountain University, visit http://www.coolblue.com.

    Media Contact:

    Jessica Brown
    Head of Global Marketing
    Blue Mountain
    marketing@coolblue.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Applied Artificial intelligence (AI) and Deep Tech Innovations Take Centre Stage on Day Three of Expand North Star 2024

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 16, 2024/APO Group/ –With global participation continuing to flourish, the spotlight also turned towards Africa, where burgeoning tech ecosystems are paving the way for a new wave of entrepreneurs and innovators. H.E. Savannah Maziya, Minister, Ministry of Information, Communications & Technology, Eswatini, alongside other thought leaders, emphasised the importance of structured development to tackle unique market challenges and unlock Africa’s economic potential.   

    Celina Lee, CEO & Co-Founder, Zindi, South Africa, highlighted the trend of talent returning to Africa to start companies and create ecosystems that foster innovation and attract global corporations like Microsoft to set up labs in Ghana and Nairobi.   

    Speaking on the challenges facing Africa, Olatunbosun Alake, Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Lagos State Government, Nigeria, said, “The greatest challenge in Africa is education. In Nigeria, if you look at the most educated parts, they show economic value, whereas in the north, where education levels are not as high, economic productivity is lower. There needs to be an African Renaissance of education funding across the board because if you drive education, educate, and enlighten people, people will change the environment.” 

    Across its four-day span, Expand North Star continues to shed light on the future of industries through defining events such as GITEX Impact, Fintech Surge, Future Blockchain Summit, and Marketing Mania. These events underscore how emerging technologies are transforming the way we live and are also playing a pivotal role in reshaping the future.  

    MIL OSI Africa –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: The ‘bully cats’ bred to resemble American bully dogs and how fashion is creating mutant pet breeds

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Grace Carroll, Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast

    Sphynx cats were used to create the bully cat mutant. New Africa/Shutterstock

    Pedigree cat breeding has long had its controversies but a new trend for cats bred to look like American bully XL dogs could be one of the most worrying fads yet.

    So-called “bully cats” originated in the US and are a result of mutant breeding. Unlike pedigree breeding, which focuses on keeping animals purebred, mutant breeding involves intentionally combining genetic mutations to create cats with a specific look. In this case, they mix the gene that causes hairlessness in sphynx cats with the gene responsible for the short legs of munchkin cats, making bully cats a munchkin-sphynx cross.

    These cats share a close resemblance to bully dogs, a group of breeds characterised by a solid build, wide body and short coat. American XL bully dogs were banned in the UK in 2023. Recently, bully cats have made their way to the UK, where social media accounts promoting this new mutant breed have emerged.

    YouTube users criticised this video for “making it normal” to breed animals with genetic health problems.

    According to Marjan van Hagen and Jeffrey de Gier, animal welfare and reproduction experts at Utrecht University in The Netherlands, these mutations can have serious health consequences for the cats and limit their freedom of movement. Kittens already have a limited ability to regulate their body temperature and this is made even more difficult by hairlessness and makes them more suspectible to respiratory infections.

    A lack of fur can also lead to sunburn and skin cancer in hairless cats. Like the sphynx, bully cats also lack whiskers, which cats depend on for communication, navigating their environment and gauging spatial dimensions.

    Short-legged cats also face problems. Short legs limit their ability to jump, can put cats at a disadvantage in fights and can lead to painful health conditions. Although breeders claim that bully cats are healthy and long-lived, it’s still too early to determine their long-term health and welfare.

    Some breeders also say they are screening the cats they breed from for conditions such as heart disease. This can help prevent health problems, but it can’t overcome all of the health and welfare issues with mutant breeding.

    A May 2024 study by veterinary epidemiologist Kendy Tzu-Yun Teng and colleagues assessed annual life expectancy in UK cats and found that the average cat lives nearly 12 years, but sphynx cats have the shortest lifespan — just 6.7 years. Bully cats, being both hairless and short-legged, may face twice the number of challenges encountered by sphynx and munchkin breeds.

    In the wild, unrelated species that face comparable environmental challenges often develop similar traits, a process known as “convergent evolution”. Despite coming from different evolutionary paths, these species evolve to look and behave in similar ways.

    Take the sugar glider from Australia, for example. It looks and behaves much like the US flying squirrel, yet one is a marsupial and one is a mammal. Both animals faced the problem of how to move efficiently in a forest canopy, and evolved the same solution.

    Sugar gliders are not related to flying squirrels.
    I Wayan Sumatika/Shutterstock

    In a similar way, many domesticated animals share common traits, collectively known as “domestication syndrome” including increased tameness, juvenile behaviour, floppy ears and smaller teeth. Traits that helped them adjust to life with humans. However, the resemblance between bully cats and dogs doesn’t come from this gradual, natural process. Instead, it’s the result of selective breeding based on aesthetics.

    Veterinarian and animal welfare scientist Wenche Farstad summarises this as breeding for “curiosity or cuteness” in their 2018 paper on ethical breeding. While people normally find traits like round eyes and short nose length to be particularly cute, breeding for hairlessness and shorter legs is better aligned with the concept of breeding for curiosity.

    In this case, the resemblance between bully cats and dogs is more about human-driven design, where appearance is prioritised. The bully cat seems to have been intentionally bred to resemble the bully dog, perhaps due to their perception among young men as a kind of status symbol.

    Could bully cats survive without humans?

    Mutations that hinder survival and reproduction typically become rare in nature. However, humans bypass natural selection by choosing which animals breed, allowing traits that would be disadvantageous in the wild to persist.

    Examples of this can be seen across a number of domestic species. For example, due to the muscularity of their calves, Belgian Blue cattle require caesarean sections in more than 90% of births.

    Another farm animal, the modern broiler chicken, has been bred to grow much faster than its wild counterparts. If allowed to live longer than their usual slaughter age, many would not survive. Bully cats would probably also struggle to survive in the wild, without humans to care for them.

    Crossbreeding programs can help increase genetic diversity and reduce harmful traits in many breeds. However, for mutant breeds like the bully cat – where hairlessness and short legs are defining traits – this isn’t a realistic solution.

    Prospective pet owners need to be aware of the risks associated with owning mutant and experimental breeds. Consumers hold purchasing power. We can discourage breeders from prioritising aesthetics over the health and welfare of the animals by refusing to buy breeds with extreme traits.

    A fashion toward ethical breeding could ensure future cats are healthier, happier and free to enjoy natural feline behaviour like climbing, jumping and lounging in the sun. We should let cats be cats.

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

    – ref. The ‘bully cats’ bred to resemble American bully dogs and how fashion is creating mutant pet breeds – https://theconversation.com/the-bully-cats-bred-to-resemble-american-bully-dogs-and-how-fashion-is-creating-mutant-pet-breeds-240729

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Prison education is vital – but it is neglected and failing

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Glazzard, Rosalind Hollis Professor of Education for Social Justice, University of Hull

    Dontree_M/Shutterstock

    The quality of education in young offender institutions (YOIs) in England has seriously declined, according to a recent report from Ofsted and the prisons inspectorate.

    The report into these institutions, whose offenders are aged 15 to 18, referred to “steadily declining educational opportunities”. Among the failings listed were a lack of time allocated to education, lack of proper staff training, staff shortages and poor behaviour of learners.

    It claimed that the curriculum is narrow, fragmented, and poorly resourced due to lack of investment in technology. Prison leaders do not accurately pinpoint what students need to learn, while learners with special educational needs and disabilities do not always get the support that they need. According to data from 2022, only 8.6% of young people who received custodial sentences passed five GCSEs, compared to 58.3% of those without convictions.

    Indeed, there are similar issues across the prison system. The quality of education in too many prisons is not good enough. Research suggests prisoners are often disengaged in classes and education lacks challenge and purpose.

    This is especially disheartening when research also shows that participation in education within prisons can improve learners’ self-esteem and reduce prison violence, as well as increasing the chances of getting a job once offenders are released.

    Teaching reading

    Many adults in prison, as well as children in YOIs, struggle to read. English education inspectorate Ofsted and its prisons counterpart have published two reviews on the teaching of reading in prisons. The first report, published in 2022, highlighted that many teaching staff did not know how to teach reading.

    Inspectors found that reading teachers did not have suitable resources. There was not enough time for learners to practise reading, and weak assessment resulted in teachers not fully understanding why some learners were struggling to learn to read. Some prisons were over-relying on reading skills being taught by peer mentors, who are only supposed to support learners individually or in small groups.

    The second report, from 2023, highlighted that although some progress had been made a year later, it was too slow. Inspectors found that teachers still did not know how to improve reading skills. They also found that teachers did not monitor students’ progress, and interventions to support reading, particularly for non-English speakers, were not adequate.

    Special educational needs

    Too many pupils with special educational needs are excluded from schools and data shows that exclusion rates are higher for this group compared to those who do not have special educational needs. Many young people who are excluded from schools end up in prison, resulting in a high proportion of prisoners who have some form of learning difficulty or disability.

    According to a House of Commons report from 2022, over 30% of prisoners have a learning difficulty or experience learning challenges.

    In 2016 the Coates review of prison education made several recommendations to improve the quality of education in prisons. These included a focus on special educational needs – improving the assessment of educational needs on entry and more rigorous screening for prisoners with learning difficulties or disabilities.

    The review recommended that all prisoners should have a personal learning plan. Also, better quality teachers were needed and prisons needed to find ways of improving attendance in education classes

    Coates recommended that learners with special educational needs and disabilities needed better quality support and that prisoners needed to be able to continue their courses when they moved prisons. Unfortunately, evidence shows that in many prisons these recommendations have not been addressed.

    Making changes

    Another problem is that the growing prison population has led to overcrowding, resulting in poor conditions which make studying difficult.

    Work with prisoners by charities such as the Prison Reform Trust and the Prisoners’ Education Trust highlights some important recommendations which will improve the quality of education in prisons. These include widening the curriculum in prisons so that prisoners can select options from a wider range of courses.

    One recommendation is to provide better incentives to prisoners to encourage them to study. This could be done by paying them the same weekly “wage” as prisoners who choose work-related activities. Increasing the number of learning mentors will help ensure that prisoners get the support they need.

    Finally, introducing flexible education timetables would mean that education classes can also run in the evenings as well as during the day. This will mean that more prisoners can take part in education classes, because more classes can be timetabled across the day. Prisoners who work during the day will be able to take part in education in the evenings.

    According to the Prison Education Trust digital technology “remains the essential ingredient that would revolutionise prison education”. And prisoners need to be supported and encouraged if they are going to achieve their full educational potential.

    Jonathan Glazzard 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. Prison education is vital – but it is neglected and failing – https://theconversation.com/prison-education-is-vital-but-it-is-neglected-and-failing-240482

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: In despair about Earth’s future? Look for green shoots

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Heather Alberro, Lecturer in Sustainability, University of Manchester

    A white stork nesting in the city. Dr.MYM/Shutterstock

    As species go extinct and a habitable climate teeters, it’s understandable to feel despair.

    Some of the world’s top climate scientists have expressed their mounting hopelessness at the prospect of reaching 3°C by 2100. This hellish scenario, well in excess of the 1.5°C countries agreed to aim for when they signed the 2015 Paris agreement, would indeed spell disaster for much of life on Earth.

    As a lecturer in sustainability, I often hear my anxious students bemoan the impossibility of building a way out of ecological collapse. However, the greatest danger is fatalism, and assuming, as Margaret Thatcher claimed, that “there is no alternative”.

    There is a vast ocean of possibility for transforming the planet. Increasingly, cities are in the vanguard of forging more sustainable worlds.

    Car-free futures

    Since the early 1900s, the car has afforded a sense of freedom for some while infringing on the freedoms of others.

    Cars, particularly SUVs, are a major source of air pollution and CO₂ emissions globally. Motorways and car parking spaces have transformed Earth’s terrain and monopolised public space. For those of us in industrialised societies, it is difficult to imagine life without cars.

    Global sales of electric vehicles are projected to continue rising. Yet even these supposed solutions to an unsustainable transport sector require a lot of space and materials to make and maintain.

    With cities set to host nearly 70% of all people by 2050, space and livability are key concerns. As such, cities across Europe and beyond are beginning to reclaim their streets.

    Between 2019 and 2022, the number of low-emissions zones, areas that regulate the most polluting vehicles in order to improve air quality and help to protect public health, expanded by 40% in European cities. Research suggests that policies to restrict car use such as congestion charges and raised parking fees can further discourage their use. However, providing viable and accessible alternatives is also crucial: as such, many cities are also widening walkways, building bike lanes and making public transport cheaper and easier to access.

    An estimated 80,000 cars used to pass daily through the centre of Pontevedra, a city in north-west Spain. Mayor Miguel Anxo Fernandez Lores instituted a ban on cars in 1999 and removed on-street parking spaces. The city has since drastically reduced air pollution and hasn’t had a vehicular death in over a decade.

    Civic life in Pontevedra has benefited from the absence of cars.
    Trabantos/Shutterstock

    Living cities

    Cement and concrete are widely used to make major infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings and dams. The cement industry accounts for up to 9% of global emissions. Moreover, the open-pit quarrying of limestone, a key ingredient in cement, involves removing topsoil and vegetation which rips up ecosystems and biodiversity and increases flooding risks.

    A burgeoning “depaving” movement originated in Portland, Oregon in 2008 and has removed concrete and asphalt from cities including Chicago, London and several cities across Canada, replacing it with plants and soil.

    Depaving is an example of the wider urban rewilding movement which aims to restore natural habitats and expand green spaces in cities for social and ecological wellbeing.

    Multispecies coexistence

    A new report by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has documented an average 73% decline in the abundance of monitored wildlife populations globally since 1970. Despite such unfathomable losses, many cities are being transformed into oases of multispecies life.

    Prized for their fur, beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK by the 16th century. Their water damming activities create homes for other species such as birds and invertebrates and help prevent flooding. Eurasian beavers have been thriving in Sweden, Norway and Germany since their reintroduction in the 1920s and 1960s, respectively.

    In 2022, beavers were designated a protected species in England. In October 2023, London saw its first baby beaver in over 400 years.

    Melbourne has launched a project to create a 18,000 square-metre garden in the city by 2028, with at least 20 local plant species for each square metre. An 8-kilometre long pollinator corridor is also being created to allow wildlife to travel between 200 interconnected gardens and further help local pollinators flourish.

    Living alongside larger predators brings unique challenges. However, as with any functional relationship, respect is key for coexistence. Los Angeles and Mumbai are two major cities that are learning to live alongside mountain lions and leopards. Local officials have launched public education initiatives urging people to, for instance, maintain a safe distance from the animals and not walk alone outside at night. In cases where wildlife conflicts occur, such as between wolves and farmers who have lost livestock, non-lethal methods such as wolf-proof fences and guard dogs have been found to be more effective solutions than culls.

    India’s leopard population appears to be rising.
    Nedla/Shutterstock

    Environmental justice now

    Cities, particularly in wealthy countries, are only a small part of the story.

    At just over 500 years old, the modern capitalist system, imposed globally through European colonialism, is a relatively recent development. Despite its influence, the visionary author Ursula K. Le Guin reminded us that “any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings”.

    Indigenous peoples numbering 476 million across 90 countries represent thousands of distinct cultures that persist as living proof of the enduring possibilities of radically different ways of living.

    An online database tracks 4,189 environmental justice movements worldwide. From multi-tribe Indigenous Amazonian alliances keeping illegal miners at bay, to countless local communities and activist groups resisting the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Over the last few years, these place-based struggles have either stopped, stalled or forced the suspension of at least one-quarter of planned extractive projects.

    These examples demonstrate hope in action, and suggest that the radical changes required to avert climate and ecological breakdown are often a simple question of will and collective resolve.

    Reality, like the future, is never fixed. Whether the world is 2, 3 or 4-degrees warmer by 2100 depends on actions taken today. The terrain ahead will be full of challenges. But, glimmers of a better world are already here.


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

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Heather Alberro 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. In despair about Earth’s future? Look for green shoots – https://theconversation.com/in-despair-about-earths-future-look-for-green-shoots-232114

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Overcoming analysis paralysis: the Niaxo ACE supplier story

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Bringing data science to bear on everything from the national covid response to synthetic data and countering online grooming.

    Niaxo brings a wealth of experience in data platforms and analytics, with its founders having clocked up “something ridiculous” like 60 years’ worth of contracting into government as independent consultants between them.

    They saw a niche, with experience of both working independently within government as well as working with government clients, to do something different and get technical projects off the ground faster – avoiding the so-called analysis paralysis which can afflict larger organisations.

    And so Niaxo was born in September 2019.

    The team is now significantly larger, with the initial team joined by ten staff, but retains a core focus on bring novel techniques to other people’s data problems.

    An area the company is increasingly excited about, says Ed Puddicombe, Niaxo’s director of strategy and business engagement, is using artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic data to generate simulated scenarios. These could be used for interviews, for example, or for training materials in areas such as law enforcement.

    For one Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) customer, the company used large language models to find examples of the types of text it wanted to replicate synthetically and then designed a wrapper to make an initial version of a template, which has been well received as a starting point. Technology and applications such as this could be a game-changer in terms of speeding up project timelines.

    Puddicombe said: “It was a project for ACE that was the genesis of starting to do some really cool stuff with synthetic data and we enjoy being part of interesting work and working on novel challenges.”

    The Niaxo team heard about ACE from contacts and, intrigued, set up a meeting to find out more. They signed up, and completed their first project in early 2020, exploring data-driven decision-making at a key point of the criminal justice system.

    Puddicombe said: “We took an initial data-processing idea, and within six weeks revamped it into more of an enterprise tool.”

    One of the major ACE commissions Niaxo has been part of was the covid response for the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which was set up to provide evidence-based insight to aid local and national decision-making.

    The company designed and built the data science platform which calculated the ‘r’ value – the measure of how quickly infections were growing across the UK. A rough design on a piece of paper evolved into a platform where every data output could be reversed, to understand the data feeding into it.

    Niaxo built a demonstrator in five days, had the first user live in five weeks, and within five months was told it was the biggest data science platform in government, with hundreds of data scientists working on it. The company also ran and continued to develop it for a number of months, before it was migrated “overnight, seamlessly” to the Department of Health and Social Care.

    Another project Niaxo worked on for a law enforcement body was around understanding the mathematical principles of how online grooming in chats could be detected, and how pattern matching could help, no matter which language was being used.

    Puddicombe added: “I think working with ACE illuminates problem spaces we may have overlooked, so we’ve got a skill that we didn’t know we could grow, from a seed that wouldn’t otherwise have been sown.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: School subjects’ weighting optimised

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Education Bureau today announced the optimised arrangements on the weighting of subjects in the Internal Assessments (IA) for the Secondary School Places Allocation System.

     

    The enhanced weighting will be implemented from the second term of Primary 5 starting from the 2026-27 school year, the bureau explained, adding that the aim of the arrangements is to further promote whole-person development, balanced learning and the healthy growth of students.

     

    Primary Science and Primary Humanities will be implemented, in lieu of General Studies, in Primary 1 and Primary 4 in all primary schools from the 2025-26 school year and progressively extended to all grades. In light of this, the two subjects will be incorporated into the IA.

     

    Additionally, to further promote students’ healthy lifestyle and help them develop a habit of joining sports activities from a young age for strengthening their physique, the bureau considers it desirable to include Physical Education (PE) in the IA.

     

    It has therefore reviewed the weighting of IA subjects, and collected views from different stakeholders, including principals, teachers, and PE and medical-related professionals. After thorough deliberation and consolidation of their views, the total weighting of IA subjects will remain unchanged.

     

    The related optimised arrangements include adjusting the weighting across subjects appropriately to better cater for learner diversity and to reflect students’ performance more comprehensively, and slightly adjusting the weighting of Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics Education to release space for the learning and teaching of students and teachers.

     

    Such arrangements also involve having equal weighting for Primary Science and Primary Humanities to nurture students’ balanced development of scientific literacy and humanistic qualities, and adding PE with a weighting equal to that of Visual Arts and Music to promote students’ whole-person development.

      

    Click here for the current and optimised weighting of IA subjects.

     

    The bureau pointed out that the modes of assessment of PE in the IA are consistent with the existing assessment modes adopted by schools, both of which include physical fitness, attitudes, sports skills and knowledge as assessment domains.

     

    Schools can plan their PE curriculum according to the requirements of the Physical Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide, school characteristics, school environment and facilities, and teachers’ experience for providing diversified PE learning experiences for students as well as catering for their varied abilities and needs, it added.

     

    Apart from organising briefing sessions for schools and parents on the optimised arrangements, the bureau said that it will offer related professional training for teachers.

     

    For details of the optimised arrangements, please visit the bureau’s designated webpage.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Christine Knudson Uses Earthly Experience to Study Martian Geology

    Source: NASA

    Geologist Christine Knudson works with the Curiosity rover to explore Mars — from about 250 million miles away.

    Name: Christine KnudsonTitle: GeologistFormal Job Classification: Research AssistantOrganization: Planetary Environments Laboratory, Science Directorate (Code 699)

    What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard?
    I am a geologist doing both laboratory and field work, primarily focusing on Mars analog research. I work on the Curiosity rover as part of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument team.
    Why did you become a geologist?
    As a child, I always loved being outside and I was really interested in all things related to the Earth. In college, I figured out that I wanted to be a geologist after taking an introduction to geology course. I wanted to learn more about the Earth and its interior, specifically volcanism.
    What is your educational background?
    In 2012, I received a B.S. in geology and environmental geoscience from Northern Illinois University. In August 2012, the same month that Curiosity landed on Mars, I started graduate school and in December 2014, I received a M.S. in geology from the same university. I focused on igneous geochemistry, investigating the pre-eruptive water contents of a Guatemalan volcano.
    Why did you come to Goddard?
    I came to Goddard in February 2015 to perform laboratory analyses of Mars analog materials, rock and mineral samples, from Earth, that the Curiosity rover and spectral orbiters have also identified on Mars. It is very exciting to be part of the rover team and to be involved in an active Mars mission.
    What is a highlight of your work as a laboratory geologist doing Mars analog research?
    Using laboratory analyses to interpret data we are getting back from Curiosity is incredibly exciting! I perform evolved gas analysis to replicate the analyses that the SAM instrument does on the rover. Curiosity scoops sand or drills into the rocks at stops along its drive through Gale Crater on Mars, then dumps the material into a small cup within the SAM instrument inside the rover. The rock is heated in a small oven to about 900 C [about 1650 F], and the instrument captures the gases that are released from the sample as it is heated. SAM uses a mass spectrometer to identify the different gases, and that tells us about the minerals that make up the rock.
    We do the same analyses on rocks and minerals in our lab to compare to the SAM analyses. The other instruments on Curiosity also aid in the identification of the rocks, minerals, and elements present in this location on the Martian surface.
    I also serve as a payload downlink lead for the SAM instrument. I check on the science and engineering data after we perform an experiment on Mars. On the days I’m on shift, I check to make sure that our science experiments finish without any problems, and that the instrument is “healthy,” so that the rover can continue driving and begin the science that is planned for the next sol.
    On days when we’re downlinking science data and I’m on shift, I am one of the first people to see data from an experiment done on Mars!
    What is some of the coolest field work you have done?
    I have done Mars analog field work in New Mexico, Hawaii, and Iceland. The field work in Hawaii is exciting because one of our field sites was inside a lava tube on Mauna Loa. We expect that there are lava tubes on Mars, and we know that the interior of the tubes would likely be better shielded from solar radiation, which might allow for the preservation of organic markers. Scientifically, we’re interested in characterizing the rocks and minerals inside lava tubes to understand how the interior differs from the surface over time and to investigate differences in elemental availability as an accessible resource for potential life. Learning about these processes on Earth helps us understand what might be possible on Mars too.

    I use handheld versions of laboratory instruments, some of which were miniaturized and made to fit on the Curiosity rover, to take in situ geochemical measurements — to learn what elements are present in the rocks and in what quantities. We also collect samples to analyze in the laboratory.
    I also love Hawaii because the island is volcanically active. Hawaii Volcano National Park is incredible! A couple years ago, I was able to see the lava lake from an ongoing eruption within the crater of Kīlauea volcano. The best time to see the lava lake is at night because the glowing lava is visible from multiple park overlooks.
    As a Mars geologist, what most fascinates you about the Curiosity rover?
    When Curiosity landed, it was the largest rover NASA had ever sent to Mars: It’s about the size of a small SUV, so landing it safely was quite the feat! Curiosity also has some of the first science instruments ever made to operate on another planet, and we’ve learned SO much from those analyses.
    Curiosity and the other rovers are sort of like robotic geologists exploring Mars.  Working with the Curiosity rover allows scientists to do geology on Mars — from about 250 million miles away! Earth analogs help us to understand what we are seeing on Mars, since that “field site” is so incredibly far away and inaccessible to humans at this time.  
    What do you do for fun?
    I spend most of my free time with my husband and two small children. We enjoy family hikes, gardening, and both my boys love being outside as much as I do.
    I also enjoy yoga, and I crochet: I make hats, blankets, and I’m starting a sweater soon.
    What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.
    Nature-lover. Mom. Geologist. Cat-enthusiast. Curious. Snack-fiend.
    By Elizabeth M. JarrellNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

    Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Hubble Sees a Stellar Volcano

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has provided a dramatic and colorful close-up look at one of the most rambunctious stars in our galaxy, weaving a huge spiral pattern among the stars.

    Located approximately 700 light-years away, a binary star system called R Aquarii undergoes violent eruptions that blast out huge filaments of glowing gas. The twisted stellar outflows make the region look like a lawn sprinkler gone berserk. This dramatically demonstrates how the universe redistributes the products of nuclear energy that form deep inside stars and jet back into space.

    R Aquarii belongs to a class of double stars called symbiotic stars. The primary star is an aging red giant and its companion is a compact burned-out star known as a white dwarf. The red giant primary star is classified as a Mira variable that is over 400 times larger than our Sun. The bloated monster star pulsates, changes temperature, and varies in brightness by a factor of 750 times over a roughly 390-day period. At its peak the star is blinding at nearly 5,000 times our Sun’s brightness.

    When the white dwarf star swings closest to the red giant along its 44-year orbital period, it gravitationally siphons off hydrogen gas. This material accumulates on the dwarf star’s surface until it undergoes spontaneous nuclear fusion, making that surface explode like a gigantic hydrogen bomb. After the outburst, the fueling cycle begins again.

    This outburst ejects geyser-like filaments shooting out from the core, forming weird loops and trails as the plasma emerges in streamers. The plasma is twisted by the force of the explosion and channeled upwards and outwards by strong magnetic fields. The outflow appears to bend back on itself into a spiral pattern. The plasma is shooting into space over 1 million miles per hour – fast enough to travel from Earth to the Moon in 15 minutes! The filaments are glowing in visible light because they are energized by blistering radiation from the stellar duo.

    Hubble first observed the star in 1990. R Aquarii was resolved into two very bright stars separated by about 1.6 billion miles. The ESA/Hubble team now has made a unique timelapse of R Aquarii’s dynamic behavior, from observations spanning from 2014 to 2023. Across the five images, the rapid and dramatic evolution of the binary star and its surrounding nebula can be seen. The binary star dims and brightens due to strong pulsations in the red giant star.

    The scale of the event is extraordinary even in astronomical terms. Space-blasted material can be traced out to at least 248 billion miles from the stars, or 24 times our solar system’s diameter. Images like these and more from Hubble are expected to revolutionize our ideas about such unique stellar “volcanoes” as R Aquarii.

    The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, Colorado, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.

    Media Contact:

    Claire AndreoliNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MDclaire.andreoli@nasa.gov

    Ray VillardSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD

    Bethany DownerESA/Hubble

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada strengthens protection of freshwater with launch of standalone Canada Water Agency

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, officially announced the establishment of the Canada Water Agency as a standalone federal entity headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    October 16, 2024 – Winnipeg, Manitoba

    Fresh water is our most precious natural resource, needed for drinking, cleaning and sanitation, recreation, industry, agriculture, and ecosystem health. Water is also sacred to many Indigenous peoples and honoured as a giver of life. Yet, fresh water in Canada is under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution, and other threats. Canadians recognize the importance of fresh water and have called for action.

    Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, officially announced the establishment of the Canada Water Agency as a standalone federal entity headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Previously within Environment and Climate Change Canada for an interim period, the new independent Agency will strengthen freshwater management in Canada by providing leadership and improved coordination and collaboration federally and with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples. As a standalone entity, the Canada Water Agency will work closely with partners to deliver major elements of the Freshwater Action Plan, build a strong approach to freshwater protection, and help address transboundary freshwater challenges and opportunities.

    The Agency also will provide freshwater policy expertise and lead the development of a national freshwater data strategy, which will make it easier for Canadians to make informed decisions impacting their environment, economy, health, and safety. It will also work closely with Environment and Climate Change Canada and other federal departments and agencies to support and leverage freshwater science.

    The Canada Water Agency will administer freshwater funding programs in eight waterbodies of national significance: the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, Lake Simcoe, the St. Lawrence River, the Mackenzie River, the Fraser River, and the Wolastoq/Saint John River. Over the coming years, the Canada Water Agency will provide grants and contributions to hundreds of projects supporting the restoration and protection of fresh water in Canada funded by the historic $650 million investment outlined in Budget 2023.

    The Agency will be based in Winnipeg, a historical gathering place for Indigenous peoples and home to Lake Winnipeg—one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes and a priority Canada Water Agency waterbody. The Agency will also have five regional offices across Canada to ensure responsiveness to local freshwater issues. It is clear that the creation of the Canada Water Agency as a standalone marks an important step for Canada in protecting and restoring freshwater resources. Through its efforts, the Agency will help safeguard freshwater for generations of Canadians, which in turn improves upon the environment, economy, health, and safety of Canada.

    Quotes

    “Canadians value fresh water and understand its importance for health, prosperity, and cultural practices. Given pollution, land-use, and other stressors, we must take action now to safeguard fresh water. The creation of the Canada Water Agency is a key step in strengthening freshwater management, protection, and stewardship in Canada.”

    – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

    “Tackling today’s freshwater challenges will require strong collaboration among governments, Indigenous partners, non-government organizations, academia, industry, and others. The Canada Water Agency will provide the leadership to foster the partnerships that we need to protect fresh water. I think that it is fitting that Winnipeg, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers which flow into Lake Winnipeg, is home to this important federal agency.”

    – Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water

    “Manitoba is so proud to be the home of the new Canada Water Agency. With over 100,000 lakes, Manitobans value our fresh water and care deeply about the health of our waterways. Our government is proud to have recently established Manitoba’s first-ever formal Nutrient Targets Regulation for Lake Winnipeg and its tributaries to reduce nutrient loading and restore the health of this important lake. We look forward to the increased opportunities for collaboration that will come from having the Canada Water Agency here in Manitoba, and our government is pleased to work together with the federal government, Indigenous communities, other freshwater experts, and all stakeholders to ensure the health of our waterways for generations to come.”

    – The Honourable Tracy Schmidt, Manitoba Minister of Environment and Climate Change

    Quick facts

    • In Budget 2023, the Government of Canada provided $650 million over ten years for the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, as well as $85.1 million over five years (and $21 million ongoing thereafter), for the creation of the Canada Water Agency. It also committed to introducing legislation to fully establish the Agency as a standalone entity.

    • Working with Indigenous peoples to seek their perspectives and support their participation is a central part of the mandate of the Canada Water Agency.

    • The Canada Water Agency was first established as a branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada in June 2023.

    • On June 20, 2024, Bill C-59 (which included the Canada Water Agency Act), received Royal Assent, paving the way for the creation of the standalone Canada Water Agency.

    Related products

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Hermine Landry
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    873-455-3714
    Hermine.Landry@ec.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Environment and Climate Change Canada
    819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
    media@ec.gc.ca

    Canada Water Agency’s X (Twitter) page

    Canada Water Agency’s LinkedIn page

    Environment and Natural Resources in Canada Facebook page

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Standalone Canada Water Agency launches

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Canada Water Agency is a Government of Canada agency under the Minister of Environment and Climate Change portfolio.

    The Canada Water Agency is a Government of Canada agency under the Minister of Environment and Climate Change portfolio. Its mandate is to improve freshwater management in Canada by providing leadership, effective collaboration federally, and improved coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples to address transboundary freshwater challenges and opportunities.

    The Canada Water Agency (the Agency) is headquartered in Winnipeg and has five regional offices across Canada to ensure responsiveness to regional freshwater issues. Once fully staffed, the Agency will have approximately 220 employees nationwide.

    Creation of the Canada Water Agency

    In 2019, the Prime Minister directed the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to “Create a new Canada Water Agency to work together with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists, and others to find the best ways to keep our water safe, clean, and well-managed.” Over the following three years, Environment and Climate Change Canada engaged with partners and stakeholders to shape the mandate, activities, and structure of the Agency.

    In Budget 2023, the Government of Canada announced funding for the Canada Water Agency and committed to introducing legislation to make the Agency a standalone entity reporting directly to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Soon thereafter, in June 2023, the Canada Water Agency launched as a branch within Environment and Climate Change Canada, delivering key elements of the Freshwater Action Plan and advancing efforts to establish the standalone entity. Starting in 2024, the Canada Water Agency has committed to providing more than $90 million in grants and contributions to 175 different projects across the country to strengthen freshwater management in Canada. Lastly, several other key accomplishments of the past year have included launching pre-engagement with First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and provincial and territorial governments on the review of the Canada Water Act, convening partners from across Canada to support development of a National Freshwater Data Strategy, and supporting partners to advance protection in several freshwater ecosystems across Canada.

    Later in 2023, the legislation to create the standalone Canada Water Agency (the Canada Water Agency Act) was introduced in Parliament as part of Bill C-59. The legislation received Royal Assent on June 20, 2024, and came into force on October 15, 2024.

    The Canada Water Agency’s current initiatives

    Freshwater ecosystem initiatives

    The Canada Water Agency leads the delivery of Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives in eight waterbodies of national significance across Canada: the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, the St. Lawrence River, the Wolastoq/Saint John River, the Fraser River, the Mackenzie River, and Lake Simcoe.  

    The goals of the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives are to:

    • take action to restore and protect water quality and aquatic ecosystem health
    • advance science, monitoring (including community-based monitoring) and the application of Indigenous knowledge in cooperation with Indigenous peoples to support decision-making and effective action 
    • enhance governance to improve collaboration with Indigenous partners, provinces and territories, and stakeholders 
    • mobilize knowledge and reporting to measure progress towards results 
    • improve climate change resiliency through on the-ground-action

    Review of the Canada Water Act

    Proclaimed in 1970, the Canada Water Act is federal legislation administered by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. It provides a legal framework for cooperation among federal, provincial, and territorial governments in the conservation, development, and use of water resources.

    In his 2021 mandate letter, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change was directed to advance the modernization of the Canada Water Act to reflect Canada’s freshwater reality, including climate change and Indigenous rights. This commitment was reaffirmed in the 2023–2028 Action Plan for implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

    As an initial step, the Canada Water Agency led pre-engagement with partners to understand how they would like to be involved in the review of the Canada Water Act. The Canada Water Agency will use this information to develop engagement plans for the subsequent engagement phase, which is expected to begin in 2025.

    National freshwater data strategy

    The Canada Water Agency is developing a National Freshwater Data Strategy with partners and stakeholders. The Strategy will establish guidelines and principles for how freshwater information should be organized, stored, and shared in Canada. The Canada Water Agency published a discussion paper on the creation of a National Freshwater Data Strategy on July 26, 2024, and accepted comments until September 15, 2024. It also hosted a workshop on September 25–26, 2024, to develop an outline and path forward for the Strategy.

    Once implemented, the Strategy will make it easier for Canadians to find and access freshwater data and use and combine data from various sources. This, in turn, will support more informed decision-making and will help keep fresh water safe, clean, and well-managed.

    The Strategy will build on existing data systems, data science, and analytics expertise. It will also align with broader federal data efforts, including the Government of Canada’s Digital Ambition and the 2023–2026 Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service.

    Supporting freshwater science

    Freshwater science is critical to freshwater management and protection.

    For these reasons, Canada’s strengthened Freshwater Action Plan includes significant funding to support freshwater science. Environment and Climate Change Canada will continue to lead on freshwater science, including the National Freshwater Science Agenda, as well as freshwater monitoring. The Canada Water Agency will support and leverage science efforts to inform the Freshwater Ecosystems Initiatives and promote coordination among government and non-government freshwater science partners.

    Partnering with Indigenous peoples

    • The Canada Water Agency Act underscores the centrality of respectful and trusting partnerships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit and strengthens their role in the development and implementation of the Canada Water Agency’s freshwater programs. The Act says that the Canada Water Agency will:
      • respect the rights of Indigenous people and support implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act
      • honour existing treaties and agreements
      • recognize Indigenous knowledge systems and data sovereignty
      • work to advance reconciliation

    As part of the pre-engagement phase of the Canada Water Act review, the Canada Water Agency spoke with and supported First Nations, Métis, and Inuit partners to facilitate effective, meaningful and relevant dialogues from the start. As part of the review, the Canada Water Agency piloted an Indigenous Grassroots Water Circle to create an accessible, safe, Indigenous-centered space to engage directly with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit grassroots individuals (for example, Elders, youth, women as water carriers, parents, academics, people with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+).

    Lastly, the Canada Water Agency is working to develop a deeper understanding of the various freshwater data interests of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to better inform the Canada Water Agency’s work while advancing the conversation to strengthen relationships; honour agreements; and respect Indigenous rights, interests, cultures, and Indigenous knowledge systems.   

    Collaboration with provinces, territories, partners and stakeholders

    The Government of Canada has more than 20 departments and agencies with freshwater-related responsibilities. The Canada Water Agency promotes coordination, collaboration, and information exchange among these entities. In addition, central to its mandate, the Canada Water Agency is committed to working with provinces, territories, and stakeholders to improve freshwater management, protection, and stewardship in Canada.

    The Canada Water Agency is collaborating closely with stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations and academia, to implement the Government of Canada’s freshwater agenda. The Canada Water Agency has also held information sessions with stakeholders in French and English to provide updates on the Canada Water Agency Act and continues to value their input and involvement in the review of the Act.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Minister Champagne and Minister Holland on the release of the engagement report on modernizing Canada’s research support system

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Statement

    Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, made the following statement: “As scientists and researchers work to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, … “

    October 16, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario

    Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, made the following statement:

    “As scientists and researchers work to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, their work becomes increasingly complex and interdisciplinary. To keep pace with this evolution, Canada must ensure its research support system also evolves and becomes more collaborative to best meet the needs of our diverse science and research communities. That is why in Budget 2024, our government announced that it will establish a new capstone research funding organization, within which the granting councils—the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research—will continue to exist and support excellence in investigator-driven research, including a clear and direct linkage with the Health Portfolio. This new organization will allow Canada to leverage the best parts of the current system, while also modernizing it to bring more coordination, cohesion and agility.

    “In June 2024, we asked the federal granting councils to jointly undertake engagement with the research community to help inform the government’s ongoing work to create the new capstone organization. We would like to thank the granting councils and all who participated in the engagement for their valuable input that will help shape the future of the Canadian science and research support system.

    “The granting councils have jointly submitted to us their summary report: What We Heard: Tri-agency engagement with the research community on modernization of the federal research support system. The government has reviewed the report and is taking it under consideration to advance the design and implementation of the capstone organization and a truly modernized, collaborative, inclusive and responsive research support system. We will continue to seek the perspectives of the science and research community, including Indigenous partners, researchers and communities, to ensure the strength of the new organization.

    Quick facts

    • Since 2016, including initiatives proposed in Budget 2024, the federal government has invested over $22 billion in science and research initiatives, including infrastructure and emerging talent, as well as other science and technology support measures.
    • Budget 2024’s investments include providing $825 million over five years, and $199.8 million per year ongoing, to increase support for master’s and doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows, as well as $1.8 billion over five years, and $748.3 million per year ongoing, to the federal granting councils to increase core research grant funding and support Canadian researchers.
    • The government’s work to modernize the research ecosystem is informed by the findings of the independent Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System.

    Contacts

    Audrey Milette
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
    audrey.milette@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 
    media@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Matthew Kronberg
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Health
    343-552-5654

    Media Relations
    Health Canada
    613-957-2983
    media@hc-sc.gc.ca

    Stay connected

    Find more services and information on the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website.

    Follow Canadian Science on social media.
    Facebook: Canadian Science | Instagram: @cdnscience

    Follow the department on social media.
    X (Twitter): @ISED_CA | LinkedIn: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The University acted as a regional platform for the All-Russian Economic Dictation

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    On October 15, the eighth annual event “All-Russian Economic Dictation” took place, the motto of which is “Strong Economy – Prosperous Russia!” The goal of this event is economic education and development of economic culture of citizens. Residents of Russia in all regions of the country, as well as citizens of neighboring countries, participate in writing the economic dictation. This year, 1,340 regional sites were registered for holding the event: interest in the economic dictation is growing every year.

    SPbGASU annually acts as a regional venue for the event, and students of the Faculty of Economics and Management become active participants in the event. Third- and fourth-year students managed to successfully answer questions, some of which were interdisciplinary in nature in connection with such sciences as history, social science, and jurisprudence.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://www.spbgasu.ru/nevs-and-events/nevs/university-acted-as-a-regional-platform-for-all-Russian-economic-dictation/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fostering security-related scientific cooperation with Romania through NATO’s SPS Programme

    Source: NATO

    On Wednesday (16 October 2024), members of NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) team were in Bucharest to announce an upcoming call for proposals on security-related scientific cooperation. The new call invites researchers from Romania, as well as other NATO and partner nations, to submit proposals for collaborative research activities.

    The information day was also an opportunity to mark Romania’s twentieth anniversary in NATO and highlight how Romania’s scientific community has contributed to NATO over the years. Dignitaries and researchers alike gathered to mark past and current successes of cooperation through the Science for Peace and Security Programme.

    Thanks to one project, medical specialists have been able to use telemedicine to remotely assist during major disasters, and another SPS project helped build operational capabilities for civil protection in Mauritania. One of the current SPS activities involving Romania helps strengthen the Republic of Moldova’s capacity to respond to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) incidents.

    The SPS information day was co-organized with the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization and the Military Technical Academy of the Ministry of Defence of Romania. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nuer people have a sacred connection to birds – it can guide conservation in Ethiopia and South Sudan

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Abebayehu Aticho, PhD student, researcher and conservationist, Jimma University

    The Nuer are a large pastoralist community living in western Ethiopia and South Sudan in east Africa. They rely on livestock keeping and have special beliefs and customs about how to live with nature. These are passed down from parents to children through the telling of stories.

    Uncommonly for east African pastoralists, the Nuer live in an expansive, low-lying floodplain. This Gambella region is shaped by the convergence of several rivers originating in the Ethiopian highlands. Its wetlands and lush greenery offer a unique habitat that supports both the Nuer and a wide variety of birds and other wildlife. The people have a centuries-old cultural connection with the local biodiversity.

    The Nuer are cattle herders who live in a region with many rivers. Peter Martell/AFP/Getty Images

    Our collaborative study involved Ethiopian and European scientists from diverse fields (such as ornithology, ethno-ornithology, biodiversity and nature conservation). We conducted interviews and 15 group discussions with Nuer people to understand their interaction with and knowledge of birds. The study included two districts and 400 households. We found a significant and seldom studied relationship with birds, which serve a range of purposes in Nuer life.

    Our study not only highlights the deep spiritual and cultural ties between the Nuer people and the avian world. It also underscores the importance of incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into contemporary conservation efforts.

    The Nuer’s relationship to birds can be a valuable model for sustainable human-wildlife interactions. It can contribute to the conservation of bird diversity and promote a more harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

    The role of birds in Nuer life

    Ethiopia, known for its rich biodiversity, is home to 821 bird species and over 80 indigenous ethnic groups. Among these, the Nuer community stands out for its unique admiration of birds, viewing them as sacred beings.

    The Nuer use three interchangeable names for birds: gaatkuoth (sacred children of God), kuoth (bearers of spirit), and diit (symbols of human twins). These terms reflect spiritual beliefs and also influence cultural practices, such as naming twins after birds. This Nuer tradition connects the prolific nature of birds to human fertility.

    In our study, participants recognised 71 bird species as having unique cultural roles. The birds that live near Nuer villages have seven distinct uses. Ten species are used as bushmeat. Five are for traditional medicine. Eight are fish indicators – by meticulously observing species like the African fish eagle, African pygmy kingfisher, pied kingfisher or malachite kingfisher, people can identify areas with high fish populations.

    A flock of birds fly from the branches of trees in South Sudan. Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty Images

    Seven birds serve as omens – they signal potential dangers like the presence of wild animals. Three are used to create protective amulets. Three are used to indicate the change of seasons – for instance the return of migratory western yellow wagtails is a reliable sign that the sunny, dry season will be replacing the rainy, wet season. And 45 are hailed for their aesthetic beauty, often linked with a sense of place. The vibrant plumage, melodious songs and elegant flight patterns of birds like the black-crowned crane, blue-naped mousebird and purple heron create a spectacle that significantly enhances Nuer life.

    This intricate knowledge of birds is communal: over 90% of participants agreed on the uses of these bird species.

    Indigenous knowledge and sustainability

    One of the most striking things about the Nuer community is the sustainable practice embedded within their traditional systems. When birds are used as amulets, for example, only small, non-invasive parts of the bird, like feathers, are utilised. These are fashioned into necklaces or bracelets believed to offer protection from dangers like diseases. The birds are not killed or significantly harmed, which preserves their populations.

    A Nuer village. fabio lamanna/Getty

    There are strict limits on when and how birds can be used in Nuer society. The use of birds as bushmeat or for making traditional medicine is carefully controlled by elders and within family structures. Hunting is typically allowed only during severe food shortages. It’s often restricted to those in dire need, such as impoverished households. Families with a history of twins, who hold birds in special reverence, are not allowed to hunt them.

    These cultural practices help prevent overexploitation of bird species, conserving them for future generations. They ensure that the use of natural resources remains sustainable.

    It’s important to raise awareness about the conservation of birds, which are used for various purposes across Africa. Traditional medicine, bushmeat and the making of amulets has a direct impact on bird populations.

    Nuer traditions balance human needs with the preservation of bird life. Our study therefore offers a compelling case and model for the conservation of avian and indigenous cultural diversity in Africa.

    Why this matters

    It is, however, essential to acknowledge that the Nuer’s cultural practices are not immune to the pressures of modern society. As globalisation and development continue to encroach on traditional lands, the Nuer people will face increasing challenges in maintaining their sustainable practices.

    Threats such as habitat loss, climate change and illegal wildlife trading could jeopardise bird populations. In recent decades, the expansion of large-scale agriculture in the Gambella region has emerged as a driver of habitat loss and wildlife decline.

    A Nuer boy watches a flock of migrating birds. Peter Martell/AFP/Getty Images

    This makes the Nuer people’s traditional conservation practices even more relevant to future generations. By recognising and valuing their knowledge and practices, we can learn valuable lessons for broader conservation efforts.

    Indigenous territories, despite their relatively small size, often harbour extraordinary biodiversity. Recognising this, the United Nations’ Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework places indigenous-occupied areas among conservation priority areas at the forefront of biodiversity preservation strategies.

    It is crucial to help the Nuer community adapt to changing circumstances while preserving their cultural heritage and ensuring the sustainability of bird biodiversity.

    Changkuoth Puok Diet, a lecturer at Gambella University in Ethiopia, contributed to this article.

    – Nuer people have a sacred connection to birds – it can guide conservation in Ethiopia and South Sudan
    – https://theconversation.com/nuer-people-have-a-sacred-connection-to-birds-it-can-guide-conservation-in-ethiopia-and-south-sudan-239420

    MIL OSI Africa –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Results of the Canadian Grain Commission’s 2024 fee review

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Fees for grain inspected and weighed at export are the main source of revenue for the Canadian Grain Commission. These revenues have been lower than expected since the fees were last updated in 2021, as grain export volumes have been lower than expected. At the same time, the Canadian Grain Commission has experienced rising operating costs related to its program delivery.

    Funding structure

    The Canadian Grain Commission operates as a revolving fund, charging service fees to fund most of its operations. The Canadian Grain Commission funds approximately 90% of its operating budget through service and licence fees, with the balance coming from parliamentary appropriation. The majority of Canadian Grain Commission fee revenues come from official inspection and official weighing of grain exports. The costs of delivering these services includes both direct and supporting work. Most of these costs are fixed and must be recovered even when grain exports are lower than usual.

    Through the Canada Grain Regulations, the Canadian Grain Commission adjusts fees automatically for inflation on April 1 each year in line with the Consumer Price Index. These automatic adjustments are meant to keep fees in pace with inflation, not to cover new or significantly increased costs, or compensate for lower-than-expected grain export volumes.

    Fee review

    In 2024, the Canadian Grain Commission completed a review of its revenues, costs, grain volume forecasting model and service standards. The review found that service fees do not reflect the costs of providing the organization’s services and licences. This is due to a combination of lower-than-expected grain volume exports, outdated service fee alignment, and rising costs for labour and digital service development.

    The review found that in order to be cost recovered, the Canadian Grain Commission would have to reduce its forecasted grain volumes and adjust its fees. It also showed that the existing cost framework (originally set in 2013) is less than required to sustain the Canadian Grain Commission’s current operations, modernize its services, and position the Canadian Grain Commission as a global leader in grain science. Instead of changing its fee formula to increase fees, the Canadian Grain Commission will use its accumulated surplus to cover anticipated shortfalls this year and for the next two fiscal years.

    Grain volume forecasting

    Following a record high of more than 50 million metric tonnes inspected and weighed in the 2020-21 fiscal year, the CGC projected grain volumes of 48.1 million metric tonnes for calculating its fees starting in 2021. This amount was based on an assumption that major infrastructure investments in the grain sector would increase the overall amount of grain that the Canadian Grain Commission would inspect and weigh. However, these investments have not contributed to increased grain exports as expected. At the same time, crop production was also lower due to drought conditions in Western Canada. Together this resulted in an average grain volume of 36.48 million metric tonnes inspected and weighed for fiscal years 2021-22 to 2023-24, falling well short of the projection used for the fee calculations.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The forum “Advanced digital and production technologies” has started at the Polytechnic University

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    On October 15, SPbPU opened the VI International Forum “Advanced Digital and Manufacturing Technologies”. The key topic of the forum is the development and application of advanced digital and manufacturing technologies as the basis for Russia’s technological leadership. The business program includes events dedicated to the most pressing topics of the national technological agenda.

    Over the course of two days, leading experts will discuss the specifics of the development of the unmanned aircraft systems industry in Russia, trends and potential of domestic engineering software, the use of digital twin technology and new materials in industry, the advantages of seamless engineering education: “school — college — university — industry”, the possibilities of university technological entrepreneurship, as well as the specifics of ensuring legal protection and use of intellectual property and many other issues.

    The organizers of the annual expert event are the structural divisions of the country’s leading technical university, which are the basis of the university’s technological development ecosystem. The forum is held with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation within the framework of the national project “Science and Universities”, the federal project “Advanced Engineering Schools”.

    The central event of the first day was the plenary session. It was attended by representatives of government agencies, development institutes, universities and leading enterprises in the high-tech industry.

    First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Economic Policy Denis Kravchenko, Rector of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI Vladimir Shevchenko, Deputy Chairman of the Council for the Development of the Digital Economy under the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Artem Sheikin, Director for Innovative Development of PJSC UEC-Saturn Dmitry Ivanov, Director of Science of PJSC Gazprom Neft Mars Khasanov became speakers of the session. The moderator of the event was Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Knyaginin.

    A video address by the Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov opened the welcoming part. Valery Nikolaevich emphasized the importance of the forum as a platform for discussing the current agenda for the development of advanced digital and production technologies: The forum has acquired special significance in the context of solving the problems of achieving technological leadership in Russia. In order for these problems to be solved as quickly and efficiently as possible, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education is launching new projects for more effective interaction between universities and businesses. One of these projects is the Advanced Engineering School. It has proven its effectiveness precisely due to the close interaction of universities with companies. We are pleased to inform you that you will be presented with the positive experience and developments of one of the best advanced engineering schools – the school of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University “Digital Engineering”. Specialists will tell you about new effective solutions and experience in the development and implementation of breakthrough technologies, as well as how to prepare a new generation of engineers.

    On behalf of the Polytechnic University, the Rector of SPbPU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy welcomed the forum participants: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University has always implemented a practice-oriented educational model aimed at fast and effective results for industry. We interact very closely with the industry. St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is a flagship university of PJSC Gazprom Neft, and among the university’s strategic partners are the state corporations Rosatom and Rostec, PJSC Severstal and other major enterprises that are systemically important for their industries. Representatives of many of them will participate in our forum as experts and speakers. The forum “Advanced Digital and Manufacturing Technologies” is a unique opportunity for direct communication, discussion of the most pressing issues on the educational, industrial, and technological agenda.

    After this, the Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Knyaginin moved on to the main issues on the agenda of the plenary session.

    Over the five years of its existence, the International Forum “Advanced Digital and Manufacturing Technologies” has become an authoritative platform for discussing current challenges and tasks. It is important that the organizer of this large-scale event is the Polytechnic University, which is one of the leaders in technical education and engineering sciences, not only in Russia, but also in the world. On the basis of the university, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia and the Government of St. Petersburg, significant initiatives are being implemented aimed at the innovative development of our state and achieving its technological leadership, – Vladimir Nikolaevich emphasized.

    Elena Druzhinina, Managing Director for Science and Business Cooperation at the Rostec State Corporation, presented the view of a participant in the real sector of the economy on the scientific, technological and educational agenda of the forum.

    The St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and Rostec enterprises have been building various forms of interaction for a long time. We are ready to go further and create new forms of cooperation between science and business with the university. For example, the creation of a research and production association is a topic that is currently being actively discussed in this context. Also, the head of the Rostec State Corporation Sergey Chemezov supported the idea of creating an industrial postgraduate program, – concluded Elena Druzhinina.

    First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy Denis Kravchenko supported the thesis on the need to expand cooperation between educational institutions and high-tech enterprises: I would like to emphasize the importance of close work on the part of the management of educational institutions and future employers in terms of equipping educational institutions and training students in working with domestic application software on real production equipment.

    Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation of SPbPU Alexey Borovkov highlighted the approaches applied to the transformation of engineering education in his report and noted the dynamic growth of interest in advanced digital and production technologies, in particular, in the technology of digital twins. As well as in modern cross-industry platform solutions from industrial enterprises and government agencies: Digital twin technology is at the forefront, meeting the goal of achieving technological leadership, which consists in the superiority of technologies and products in key parameters over foreign analogues. The focus on technological leadership has pushed industries and the state to standardize and regulate those areas that were previously very cautiously discussed by the expert community. In recent years, we have seen how almost the same notes of our lectures with the terminology of advanced digital and production technologies are approved in regulatory documents, consolidating the scientific and technological groundwork formed by the ecosystem of technological development of SPbPU over many years.

    Thus, the speaker noted the adoption of the national standard GOST R 57700.37-2021 “Computer models and modeling. DIGITAL DOUBLES OF PRODUCTS. General provisions” in Russia and in the international arena.

    In 2023, the global digital twin market was valued at $10 billion, and by 2028, experts estimate it will reach $110 billion with an unprecedented annual CAGR growth of 61%. World leaders recognize digital twins as one of the technologies of the future, the speaker explained.

    Alexey Ivanovich presented the ecosystem of technological development of SPbPU, which forms the “gold standard” of interaction between various federal structures, organized based on the results of victories in prestigious competitions of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia with the aim of developing, replicating and expanding the scope of application of advanced digital and production technologies in industry and education.

    Alexey Borovkov spoke about the key results of R&D of the SPbPU technological development ecosystem, carried out on the Digital Platform for the Development and Application of Digital Twins CML-Bench® in 2024.

    In conclusion, Aleksey Borovkov noted the flagship role of the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” in the ecosystem of technological development of the Polytechnic University and emphasized the growing interest in it from applicants and partner companies: Following the results of the admissions campaign in 2023, students were recruited to the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” for 72 budget places. This year, the number of budget places and open educational programs has almost doubled, but we managed to maintain a high competition for admission, which is 4 people per place. The geography of admission covers almost all regions of our country, – Aleksey Ivanovich summed up.

    Based on the methodology of the federal project “Advanced Engineering Schools”, the rector of the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI Vladimir Shevchenko identified common patterns in organizing cooperation between partner companies and advanced engineering schools in the context of transforming approaches to engineering education and developing a system for training highly qualified personnel.

    The education of a modern engineer should, from the very beginning, assume an understanding that modern engineering and production activities occur in parallel in two worlds: physical and digital. I would like to emphasize the benefits of conducting early career guidance activities with applicants, which over the past year has made it possible to equalize the number of graduates taking the Unified State Exam in physics and computer science. For a modern engineer, these two disciplines should be in tandem, concluded Vladimir Igorevich.

    Deputy Chairman of the Council for the Development of the Digital Economy under the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Artem Sheikin spoke in detail about the main barriers to the introduction of artificial intelligence in real sectors of the economy in order to automate business processes, reduce costs and increase the efficiency of enterprises, and also spoke about the cybersecurity of processes for handling large volumes of industrial data.

    Director of Innovative Development of PJSC UEC-Saturn, Honorary Doctor of SPbPU Dmitry Ivanov shared his practical experience in developing digital twin of marine gas turbine engine gearbox as part of the unit within the framework of research work of national importance, carried out jointly with SPbPU, and highlighted a number of aspects.

    Everyone perceives digital twin technology differently. Very often, the technology is presented to enterprises as another calculation tool, work with which should be transferred down the hierarchy of engineering teams. This is a mistake. The digital twin changes the ideology of product design and production, including changes in the system of division of labor, business processes at the enterprise level, – Dmitry Stanislavovich emphasized to the audience.

    Director of Science at Gazprom Neft PJSC, Honorary Doctor of SPbPU Mars Khasanov presented an expert opinion on the implementation of system digital engineering technology, including digital twin technology, and considered the possibilities of combining it with neurosymbolic artificial intelligence to solve the company’s problems. Mars Magnavievich emphasized the need for practice-oriented training of personnel and highlighted various formats of project interaction at Gazprom Neft PJSC to form the required set of competencies of a future specialist.

    At the plenary session, representatives of research centers, leading universities and industrial enterprises exchanged experience in the application of new technologies, assessed the dynamics of their development and the speed of implementation in real production practice, held a discussion on the main trends in the development of domestic engineering software and discussed current issues in engineering education. More details about the plenary session read here.

    The business forum program traditionally consists of discussions, scientific and educational debates, pitch sessions, presentations. The full program of the forum can be found atevent website.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://vvv.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/science_and_innovations/forum-advanced-digital-and-production-technologies has started at the Polytechnic University/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA to Embrace Commercial Sector, Fly Out Legacy Relay Fleet 

    Source: NASA

    NASA is one step closer on its transition to using commercially owned and operated satellite communications services to provide future near-Earth space missions with increased service coverage, availability, and accelerated science and data delivery.     
    As of Friday, Nov. 8, the agency’s legacy TDRS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite) system, as part of the Near Space Network, will support only existing missions while new missions will be supported by future commercial services.    
    “There have been tremendous advancements in commercial innovation since NASA launched its first TDRS satellite more than 40 years ago,” said Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program. “TDRS will continue to provide critical support for at least the next decade, but now is the time to embrace commercial services that could enhance science objectives, expand experimentation, and ultimately provide greater opportunities for discovery.”    

    Kevin Coggins
    Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA’s SCaN

    Just as NASA has adopted commercial crew, commercial landers, and commercial transport services, the Near Space Network, managed by NASA’s SCaN, will leverage private industry’s vast investment in the Earth-based satellite communications market, which includes communications on airplanes, ships, satellite dish television, and more. Now, industry is developing a new space-based market for these services, where NASA plans to become one of many customers, bolstering the domestic space industry.    
    NASA’s Communications Services Project is working with industry through funded Space Act Agreements to develop and demonstrate commercial satellite communications services that meet the agency’s mission needs, and the needs of other potential users.   
    In 2022, NASA provided $278.5 million in funding to six domestic partners so they could develop and demonstrate space relay communication capabilities.  

    A successful space-based commercial service demonstration would encompass end-to-end testing with a user spacecraft for one or more of the following use cases: launch support, launch and early operations phase, low and high data rate routine missions, terrestrial support, and contingency services. Once a demonstration has been completed, it is expected that the commercial company would be able to offer their services to government and commercial users.    
    NASA also is formulating non-reimbursable Space Act Agreements with members of industry to exchange capability information as a means of growing the domestic satellite communications market. The Communications Services Project currently is partnered with Kepler Communications US Inc. through a non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement.    
    As the agency and the aerospace community expand their exploration efforts and increase mission complexity, the ability to communicate science, tracking, and telemetry data to and from space quickly and securely will become more critical than ever before. The goal is to validate and deliver space-based commercial communications services to the Near Space Network by 2031, to support future NASA missions.   

    While TDRS will not be accepting new missions, it won’t be retiring immediately. Current TDRS users, like the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, and many other Earth- and universe-observing missions, will still rely on TDRS until the mid-2030s. Each TDRS spacecraft’s retirement will be driven by individual health factors, as the seven active TDRS satellites are expected to decline at variable rates.     

    The TDRS fleet began in 1983 and consists of three generations of satellites, launching over the course of 40 years. Each successive generation of TDRS improved upon the previous model, with additional radio frequency band support and increased automation.    
    The first TDRS was designed for a mission life of 10 years, but lasted 26 years before it was decommissioned in 2009. The last in the third generation – TDRS-13 –was launched Aug. 18, 2017.   

    DAve Israel
    Near Space Network Chief Architect

    “Each astronaut conversation from the International Space Station, every picture you’ve seen from Hubble Space Telescope, Nobel Prize-winning science data from the COBE satellite, and much more has flowed through TDRS,” said Dave Israel, Near Space Network chief architect. “The TDRS constellation has been a workhorse for the agency, enabling significant data transfer and discoveries.”   

    The Near Space Network and the Communications Services Project are funded by NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program office at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The network is operated out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the Communications Services Project is managed out of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sols 4334-4335: Planning with Popsicles — A Clipper Celebration!

    Source: NASA

    3 min read

    Earth planning date: Monday, Oct. 14, 2024

    Today was an unusually exciting day during tactical planning on the Curiosity mission because it intersected with a momentous event in space exploration: the launch of Europa Clipper from Kennedy Space Center. Even though the launch window occurred right in the middle of our morning planning meetings, at 9:06 a.m. PDT to be specific, today’s Tactical Uplink Lead and Science Operations Working Group Chair agreed it would be OK for the entire tactical team to take a 15-minute pause to turn on NASA TV and watch the launch together. Down the hall the Perseverance rover tactical team had decided the same, and for a few moments, the two teams paused their planning and watched together in anticipation as the countdown ticked down to T-0. Many of my close friends and co-workers had worked for years — some for decades — to make this mission a reality, and it was amazing to watch the enormous rocket carrying the Clipper spacecraft leap off the pad knowing how hard it was to get to this point. I cannot wait for the mission’s discoveries once it reaches Jupiter’s watery moon Europa!

    In true JPL tradition, we of course had to commemorate the event with some sweet frozen treats on-lab. Back when Curiosity landed, we had a full fridge of ice cream that was kept stocked for the first 90 sols of the mission. (Eating ice cream cones at 2 in the morning is a core memory of mine from those early days in our mission.) Today, in a clever nod to Europa’s icy surface, we celebrated with some even icier sweets: fruit and coffee popsicles to anyone on-lab. I chose coffee of course; the caffeine was great to help me get through a busy day of planning for Curiosity!

    On Mars, things with our rover are going well. We completed our mega ~50-meter drive (about 164 feet) over the weekend, which took Curiosity further north along the western side of Gediz Vallis channel. Our plan today is a “touch and go,” which means we’ll do contact science with APXS and MAHLI on a block in front of us named “Dollar Lake,” some remote sensing, including ChemCam LIBS of a target named “Cape Horn” and a couple Mastcam mosaics, followed by a drive to the north. We’ll continue to follow the western side of Gediz Vallis channel as we descend slightly down Mount Sharp, until we reach a location where we are able to head west towards a more easily traversable valley, and then restart our ascent.

    What a fun day of planning today. Congratulations to everyone involved helping Europa Clipper reach this incredible milestone, and go Clipper go!

    Written by Abigail Fraeman, Planetary Geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Explore what’s new for Copilot and Dynamics 365 at Oct. 29 virtual launch event

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Explore what’s new for Copilot and Dynamics 365 at Oct. 29 virtual launch event

    As Microsoft Copilot features continue to roll out across Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and lose track of critical new capabilities. Thankfully, the Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event is just around the corner.  

    Register today for the virtual launch event on Tuesday, October 29, 2024—a showcase of new and enhanced capabilities releasing between October 2024 and March 2025. Packed with demos and a live Q&A chat with Microsoft experts, you’ll get a sneak peek at innovation that can empower your workforce, optimize business processes, and enhance customer engagement.   

    Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event

    Explore the future of your business.

    Explore the future of business with Copilot

    Microsoft product leaders and engineers will be live at the event to give you an in-depth look at the latest Copilot capabilities for Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform, including new ways to automate business process across your organization and scale your team. Our team will also showcase organizations across industries using new Copilot and Dynamics 365 features to drive transformation.

    Top 4 reasons to attend the launch event

    Twice a year, the Business Applications Launch Event gives you a sneak peek at product news, demos and insights into upcoming features and capabilities across Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, and Copilot. Here are four top reasons to attend the October 2024 event:  

    1. Get a sneak peek at highlights from the 2024 release wave 2. Discover what’s new and improved in Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform. Hear from Charles Lamanna, Microsoft Corporate Vice President Business and Industry Copilot, and other leaders as they guide you through dozens of new Copilot and core platform capabilities releasing over the next six months.  
    2. Personalize sales and service experiences. Learn how to elevate customer experiences with demonstrations of new capabilities across Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales. You’ll also discover how Sweden-based automotive company, Lynk & Co, is using Dynamics 365 to drive highly personalized experiences.
    3. Transform business operations with AI-enabled enterprise resource planning (ERP) processes. Get a sneak peek at the enhancements that improve both core functionality and autonomous capabilities across ERP applications like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central through the lens of our customer Lifetime Products, as well as the latest features for Business Central.  
    4. Exploring the future of Microsoft Power Platform. Learn how Copilot is transforming how you build, what you build, how you automate, and get a first-hand look at how Applied Information Sciences is innovating business solutions using the newest capabilities for Microsoft Power Apps, Microsoft Power Automate, and Microsoft Copilot Studio.

    That’s not all. You’ll also hear from other Microsoft leaders about their roadmap for the future of AI, customer service, and operations and how to use these new technologies to take on your organization’s most time-consuming tasks.  

    The Business Applications Launch Event streams live on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 starting at 9:00 AM Pacific Time and then available on-demand. Be sure to register for updates and reminders as the event day approaches. We’ll see you there!    

    Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event 

    Tuesday, October 29, 2024 
    9:00 AM-10:00 AM Pacific Time (UTC-7)  

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sorensen Joins South Pekin Leaders to Announce Funding Request for Clean Drinking Water

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    PEORIA, IL – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) joined local leaders in South Pekin to provide updates on funding he requested from the federal government to fix the village’s water system and provide clean drinking water to families. 

    “In South Pekin, we are seeing what happens when our communities don’t have the resources to repair broken infrastructure,” said Sorensen. “The water mains need to be replaced, and we need to make sure South Pekin has a new manganese filter, so dangerous chemicals stay out of the water and out of glasses that my neighbors use to drink. That is why I have requested millions from Congress for South Pekin to replace its water mains and ensure everyone has access to safe drinking water. I will continue working across the aisle, with Republicans and Democrats to get this passed so we can deliver this funding to my neighbors here at home.” 

    “The Village of South Pekin is greatly appreciative of Representative Sorensen and the House Appropriations Committee for taking up our request for funding, which will go a long way to help South Pekin achieve the goal of installing filtering, replacing water mains, and replacing the lead pipes and/or fixtures from the curb to the resident’s dwelling. The Village of South Pekin and its residents extend their thanks,” said Eric Stout, Mayor, Village of South Pekin.  

    Photos of the event are available for use by the media here.  

    Sorensen’s request comes as the Village of South Pekin looks to overhaul its water system that has been found to have levels of manganese levels that exceed the allowable limit, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. 

    Sorensen requested federal funds for South Pekin as part of the Community Project Funding process, which allows members of Congress to secure funds in spending legislation for critical initiatives in their communities. 

    In the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies House Appropriations bill, Sorensen fought to include $1,105,800 in investments for South Pekin. This legislation has passed the House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate. 

    Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nuer people have a sacred connection to birds – it can guide conservation in Ethiopia and South Sudan

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Abebayehu Aticho, PhD student, researcher and conservationist, Jimma University

    The pied kingfisher helps the Nuer to find parts of the river where there’s an abundance of fish. Henrik Karlsson/Getty Images

    The Nuer are a large pastoralist community living in western Ethiopia and South Sudan in east Africa. They rely on livestock keeping and have special beliefs and customs about how to live with nature. These are passed down from parents to children through the telling of stories.

    Uncommonly for east African pastoralists, the Nuer live in an expansive, low-lying floodplain. This Gambella region is shaped by the convergence of several rivers originating in the Ethiopian highlands. Its wetlands and lush greenery offer a unique habitat that supports both the Nuer and a wide variety of birds and other wildlife. The people have a centuries-old cultural connection with the local biodiversity.

    Our collaborative study involved Ethiopian and European scientists from diverse fields (such as ornithology, ethno-ornithology, biodiversity and nature conservation). We conducted interviews and 15 group discussions with Nuer people to understand their interaction with and knowledge of birds. The study included two districts and 400 households. We found a significant and seldom studied relationship with birds, which serve a range of purposes in Nuer life.

    Our study not only highlights the deep spiritual and cultural ties between the Nuer people and the avian world. It also underscores the importance of incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into contemporary conservation efforts.

    The Nuer’s relationship to birds can be a valuable model for sustainable human-wildlife interactions. It can contribute to the conservation of bird diversity and promote a more harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

    The role of birds in Nuer life

    Ethiopia, known for its rich biodiversity, is home to 821 bird species and over 80 indigenous ethnic groups. Among these, the Nuer community stands out for its unique admiration of birds, viewing them as sacred beings.

    The Nuer use three interchangeable names for birds: gaatkuoth (sacred children of God), kuoth (bearers of spirit), and diit (symbols of human twins). These terms reflect spiritual beliefs and also influence cultural practices, such as naming twins after birds. This Nuer tradition connects the prolific nature of birds to human fertility.

    In our study, participants recognised 71 bird species as having unique cultural roles. The birds that live near Nuer villages have seven distinct uses. Ten species are used as bushmeat. Five are for traditional medicine. Eight are fish indicators – by meticulously observing species like the African fish eagle, African pygmy kingfisher, pied kingfisher or malachite kingfisher, people can identify areas with high fish populations.

    Seven birds serve as omens – they signal potential dangers like the presence of wild animals. Three are used to create protective amulets. Three are used to indicate the change of seasons – for instance the return of migratory western yellow wagtails is a reliable sign that the sunny, dry season will be replacing the rainy, wet season. And 45 are hailed for their aesthetic beauty, often linked with a sense of place. The vibrant plumage, melodious songs and elegant flight patterns of birds like the black-crowned crane, blue-naped mousebird and purple heron create a spectacle that significantly enhances Nuer life.

    This intricate knowledge of birds is communal: over 90% of participants agreed on the uses of these bird species.

    Indigenous knowledge and sustainability

    One of the most striking things about the Nuer community is the sustainable practice embedded within their traditional systems. When birds are used as amulets, for example, only small, non-invasive parts of the bird, like feathers, are utilised. These are fashioned into necklaces or bracelets believed to offer protection from dangers like diseases. The birds are not killed or significantly harmed, which preserves their populations.

    A Nuer village.
    fabio lamanna/Getty

    There are strict limits on when and how birds can be used in Nuer society. The use of birds as bushmeat or for making traditional medicine is carefully controlled by elders and within family structures. Hunting is typically allowed only during severe food shortages. It’s often restricted to those in dire need, such as impoverished households. Families with a history of twins, who hold birds in special reverence, are not allowed to hunt them.

    These cultural practices help prevent overexploitation of bird species, conserving them for future generations. They ensure that the use of natural resources remains sustainable.

    It’s important to raise awareness about the conservation of birds, which are used for various purposes across Africa. Traditional medicine, bushmeat and the making of amulets has a direct impact on bird populations.

    Nuer traditions balance human needs with the preservation of bird life. Our study therefore offers a compelling case and model for the conservation of avian and indigenous cultural diversity in Africa.

    Why this matters

    It is, however, essential to acknowledge that the Nuer’s cultural practices are not immune to the pressures of modern society. As globalisation and development continue to encroach on traditional lands, the Nuer people will face increasing challenges in maintaining their sustainable practices.

    Threats such as habitat loss, climate change and illegal wildlife trading could jeopardise bird populations. In recent decades, the expansion of large-scale agriculture in the Gambella region has emerged as a driver of habitat loss and wildlife decline.

    This makes the Nuer people’s traditional conservation practices even more relevant to future generations. By recognising and valuing their knowledge and practices, we can learn valuable lessons for broader conservation efforts.

    Indigenous territories, despite their relatively small size, often harbour extraordinary biodiversity. Recognising this, the United Nations’ Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework places indigenous-occupied areas among conservation priority areas at the forefront of biodiversity preservation strategies.

    It is crucial to help the Nuer community adapt to changing circumstances while preserving their cultural heritage and ensuring the sustainability of bird biodiversity.

    Changkuoth Puok Diet, a lecturer at Gambella University in Ethiopia, contributed to this article.

    Abebayehu Aticho works for both Jimma University and the Threatened Species Conservation Organisation (a small local NGO). He got funding for this study from the International Crane Foundation and Jimma University.

    Andrew Gosler has received grant funding in the past from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for the Ethno-ornithology World Atlas.

    Abebe Beyene, Desalegn Chala, Nils Christian Stenseth, and Shimelis Aynalem Zelelew do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Nuer people have a sacred connection to birds – it can guide conservation in Ethiopia and South Sudan – https://theconversation.com/nuer-people-have-a-sacred-connection-to-birds-it-can-guide-conservation-in-ethiopia-and-south-sudan-239420

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: USGS Celebrates New Office with Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

    Source: US Geological Survey

    The urban-serving institution of higher education hosted the official ribbon cutting for the office in East Hartford, on Friday, October 4. USGS cooperators, town officials, and agency and university staff came out to learn about the new building. Attendees toured the modern facility and spoke to USGS staff to better understand the agency’s mission and the hydrologic science conducted at the center.

    The ceremony included remarks by representatives from USGS, Goodwin University, and local, state, and federal officials, including U.S. Representative John Larson, Connecticut State Representatives Henry Genga and Jason Rojas, and East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin. East Hartford Town Council members Don Bell and Awet Tsegai were also present. 

    “Since the late 1990s when the USGS moved from Hartford to East Hartford we have been a proud member of the East Hartford community,” USGS New England Water Science Center Deputy Director Marcel Belaval said at the event. “Today, thanks our partnership with Goodwin University, we are working to facilitate scientific learning in the community by extending our expertise to Goodwin’s students and the broader East Hartford community.” 

    USGS first became involved with Goodwin when the Connecticut River Academy, a magnet high school of Goodwin, opened. USGS assisted the school with their environmental science curriculum.  

    “Our partnership with USGS is very deep and this is only the latest chapter of it,” said Goodwin University President Mark Scheinberg. “In this chapter, instead of USGS being spread around the area, we were able to entice them to consolidate what they were doing right on our campus.”

    USGS is currently working with Goodwin and the Connecticut River Academy to set up water science lectures in the classroom and demonstrations out in the field.

    Mayor Martin, who worked for Goodwin University for 15 years and attended the school, credited Goodwin for reviving East Hartford with new and modern facilities in recent years.

    “I always campaigned on the promise that I would revitalize Main Street, and everything Goodwin has done here with USGS … is all contributing to moving East Hartford forward,” said Martin. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Expansion of the emerald ash borer regulated area into the city of Burnaby

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has updated its regulated areas for emerald ash borer (EAB – Agrilus planipennis) to include the City of Burnaby, in an effort to slow the insect’s spread.

    Oct. 16, 2024 – Canadian Food Inspection Agency

    The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has updated its regulated areas for emerald ash borer (EAB – Agrilus planipennis) to include the City of Burnaby, in an effort to slow the insect’s spread.

    The regulated area in British-Columbia now includes the City of Burnaby along with the City of Vancouver, the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus, and the University Endowment Lands (UEL).

    EAB is commonly spread through the movement of firewood and other infested ash wood products, although it can also spread on its own by flying up to 10 kilometers.

    Effective immediately, ash material (such as logs, branches and woodchips) and all species of firewood cannot be moved outside of the regulated area without permission from the CFIA. If you need to move ash material, please contact your local CFIA office to request written authorization.

    Although the EAB poses no threat to human health, it is highly destructive to ash trees. It has already killed millions of ash trees in regulated areas in Canada and the United States and poses a major economic and environmental threat to urban and forested areas of North America.

    The CFIA will continue to survey and monitor the spread of this pest in British Columbia and will continue to work with federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations partners and organizations to slow its spread.

    If you spot EAB outside regulated areas, report it to the CFIA to help stop the spread.

    The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) touches the lives of all Canadians in so many positive ways. Each day, hard-working CFIA employees – including inspectors, veterinarians and scientists – inspect food for safety risks, protect plants from pests and invasive species, and respond to animal diseases that could threaten Canada’s national herd and human health. Guided by science-based decision-making and modern regulations, the Agency works tirelessly to ensure access to safe and healthy food in Canada, and support access to international markets for our high-quality agricultural products. To learn more, visit inspection.canada.ca.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: VR developments, game design, online communities: the gaming industry festival took place at the HSE

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    The festival “I want to go to gamedev!” has ended at the business school. It was organized by a team of teachers and graduates of the “Game Project Management” program. More than 220 representatives of the gaming industry gathered at the HSE campus on Shabolovka: from beginners to developers, scriptwriters and other gamedev professionals. The initiators of the project offered a vibrant program so that participants could immediately immerse themselves in showcase projects, master classes and discussions, lectures from industry gurus – neither theoretical nor practical aspects of game development were forgotten. The festival partner is the company “Virtual Glasses”.

    The showcase zone became a special highlight of the event – students of the Game Project Management program launched their projects here. One of them was the game Twilight Wars, created by graduates and teacher Sergey Golubkin, which was recently released in early access on the VK Play platform. Participants were lucky to see the premiere from the Terrabyte Games team and blogger Daria Ostrovskaya – the game Run Away from Me: Alexandra – and many other promising projects. The children’s development project KnigaKit, developed by a graduate of the program and winner of the All-Russian competition Start the Game, the stand of the Vengeance Games studio with their projects Azrael: Herald of the Death and Shadows of Vengeance, the cooperative shooter Ironwaste from the team of a 21games graduate.

    A separate area of the festival was dedicated to virtual and augmented reality technologies. The latest VR developments were tested here, such as the role-playing VR shooter “Dixotomia” and the new VR game “Smasher VR” from the BHS team.

    A special guest of the festival was Anastasia Shalunkova with the team of one of the largest communities of independent developers – “Gamedev Schrödinger”. They held a master class on creating mascots and organizing online communities and discussed with the participants the future of “Gamedev Schrödinger” and cooperation with regional developers. Together with them, partners from the All-Russian competition “Start the game” took part in the event, which became a social lift for many developers. They held many activities and presented branded gifts.

    The lecture part of the festival started with a greeting from Vyacheslav Utochkin, head of the Game Project Management program. The first speaker, Konstantin Sakhnov, producer and founder of Vengeance Games, talked about how to become a game designer, what skills are needed for this and how to prepare for work in the industry. Oleg Dobroshtan picked up the topic of project management and talked about the importance of assembling the right team and keeping it motivated. Sergey Chekmaev, writer, screenwriter, literary producer, member of the Board of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation, and Nikolay Kalinichenko, Chairman of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation, announced the release of books on game franchises. Vyacheslav Utochkin and Sergey Zykov, teachers of the Game Project Management program, together with representatives and members of the Union of Writers, presented a book in the RealRPG genre about a game designer who finds himself in the world of a game. The series of announcements was completed by the news about the opening of the Dzen Games Studio, created by future students of the “Game Project Management” program with the support of teachers.

    Ilya Boytsov, another speaker at the festival, founder of the Midhard studio, also a graduate and teacher of the HSB program, shared his experience of working in the gaming industry, spoke about the risks and successes of his path. The speech by Andrey Malakhov, game director of Mensa Studio, was devoted to pitching projects and evaluating ideas at the early stages of development.

    The final chord of the event was a round table, where invited experts and guests discussed current trends in game design. The discussion was attended by famous figures in the gaming industry: Konstantin Sakhnov, game producer and founder of the Vengeance Games studio, Vladimir Agarev, creative director of the Jay-Joy studio, Olga Maksimenkova, associate professor of the Faculty of Computer Science at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, and Denis Pozdnyakov, co-owner of the Vintorog and Contrast Games studios. The speakers discussed artificial intelligence in game development, the growth of indie projects, and new opportunities for developers through government funds and grants.

    The “I Want to Be in Gamedev!” festival at the Higher School of Business of the National Research University Higher School of Economics has become a landmark event for everyone interested in the gaming industry.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://gsb.hse.ru/nevs/975637470.html

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    January 23, 2025
←Previous Page
1 … 486 487 488 489 490 … 542
Next Page→
NewzIntel.com

NewzIntel.com

MIL Open Source Intelligence

  • Blog
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Authors
  • Events
  • Shop
  • Patterns
  • Themes

Twenty Twenty-Five

Designed with WordPress