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Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SPbGASU Master’s Student Among Winners in Sirius

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Alexandra Polyanskaya (left of monitor) and her team at the project presentation

    A graduate student of the architecture faculty of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Alexandra Polyanskaya, took part in the School-Conference “The Future of Cities” in Sirius and became part of the team whose project for the development of the urban environment of the federal territory “Sirius” was recognized as the winner.

    The conference school was attended by senior undergraduate and specialist students, master’s and postgraduate students in architectural, urban planning, environmental, biological and IT fields, whose scientific and professional activities are related to urban planning and architecture, greening of populated areas, climate-resistant design, environmental development of territories and digitalization of urban management. The participants studied advanced approaches in the field of ecology and sustainable development, visited the largest laboratory complex in Russia at the Sirius University of Science and Technology, and got acquainted with the biodiversity of the urban landscapes of the Black Sea coast.

    In addition, the participants developed their own concepts for the development of Sirius as part of teams formed by drawing lots. The teams included representatives of various universities of various specialties, including architects.

    “The concept proposed by our team is based on the “Bio-Techno-Oasis”, which is a hybrid of nature, high technology and the idea of preserving cultural traditions. We see the city sections No. 1 and No. 2 of “Sirius” as part of the city, where nature and technology do not oppose, but rather reinforce each other. The architecture is inspired by biological forms, and the social structure is built on the principles of sustainable development and harmony with the environment, including through the use of green energy. We use self-healing materials based on mycelium or bacteria, vertical garden technology, innovative technology of green facades that generate electricity. Phytowalls filter the air and are used as a bioindicator of pollution. Wind turbines provide energy to part of the blocks,” explained Alexandra Polyanskaya.

    According to the master’s student, digital twins help optimize resources and scheduled maintenance of equipment. Thus, the team designed not just a “smart city”, but a living organism, where “technologies adapt to people and there is no division into digital and natural – they merge in symbiosis,” Alexandra emphasized.

    “Participation in the school-conference at Sirius gave me experience working on real tasks for the development of the urban environment, skills in interdisciplinary cooperation, and helped me improve my professional skills,” concluded Alexandra Polyanskaya.

    Strategic Development Concept “Sea”

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Global Neuro-Psychiatric Disorders & Treatment Market Projected to Reach $166 Billion by 2032

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Worldwide, there is a rising demand for neuropsychiatric disorder treatments which is expected to fuel the global markets for years to come. With expanding research and development efforts and a robust pipeline of novel medications, the neuropsychiatric disorders treatment landscape is evolving rapidly. Pharmaceutical companies are focusing on innovative drug therapies to meet the growing need for effective and affordable treatments. The market is primarily driven by the high incidence of mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety, and the rising awareness of these conditions. As a result, new treatment options are being developed, and drug-related activities such as clinical trials and drug approvals are intensifying. Recently an article on the 4th European Congress of Neurology and Neuropsychiatry website said that: “The global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market is on an upward trajectory, with a significant increase in demand for innovative solutions that cater to the growing burden of mental health conditions. In 2024, the market was valued at USD 130.5 billion, and by 2032, it is projected to reach USD 166.3 billion, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.20% from 2023 to 2032. This growth is fueled by continuous research, advancements in treatment, and heightened awareness of neuropsychiatric disorders.”   Active Companies active today in markets include: Cybin Inc. (NYSE: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN), COMPASS Pathways plc (NASDAQ: CMPS), Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAGE), Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. (NASDAQ: MNMD) (NEO: MMED), atai Life Sciences (NASDAQ: ATAI).

    The article continued: “The growing global burden of neuropsychiatric disorders is a critical driver for the treatment market. With over 9.1 million annual deaths attributed to neurological diseases and an additional 8 million caused by neuropsychiatric conditions, this category represents a substantial public health challenge. These disorders contribute significantly to disability globally, with an estimated 461 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost each year. Moreover, rising awareness through public education, media coverage, and advocacy organizations is encouraging more individuals to seek early diagnosis and treatment, ultimately improving outcomes for patients. Social media and celebrity-led campaigns have also played a pivotal role in removing the stigma surrounding mental health, further boosting the demand for treatments. Drug treatments continue to be the fastest-growing segment in the neuropsychiatric disorders market, driven by ongoing advancements in pharmacology. New medications are being developed with fewer side effects and increased efficacy in managing conditions like depression, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease.”

    Cybin Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: CYBN) (Cboe Canada: CYBN) Announces Financing of up to US$500 Million Aggregate Principal Amount of Convertible Debentures – Funding agreement contemplates a conversion formula with a potential 30% premium upon conversion and positions the Company for growth, and accelerated advancement of its clinical pipeline programs, CYB003 and CYB004 –   Cybin Inc. (“Cybin” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage breakthrough neuropsychiatry company committed to revolutionizing mental healthcare by developing new and innovative next-generation treatment options, is pleased to announce the Company has entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with High Trail Special Situations LLC (“High Trail”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell and issue to High Trail up to US$500,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of unsecured convertible debentures (the “Convertible Debentures”). The sale and issue of US$50,000,000 principal amount of Convertible Debentures was completed on June 30, 2025 (the “Private Placement”). The sale and issue of US$450,000,000 of the principal amount of Convertible Debentures will be determined at a future date, upon mutual agreement of the parties.

    “This financing represents a major inflection point for Cybin and supports our position as a leader within our sector,” said Doug Drysdale, Chief Executive Officer of Cybin. “High Trail Capital is an experienced investor, and its confidence and appreciation of our breakthrough clinical data and intellectual property portfolio recognize the potential of the Company. This financing comes at an opportune time for Cybin, as we advance our lead programs, CYB003 and CYB004, in Phase 3 and Phase 2, respectively. CYB003 demonstrated over 70% remission rates and continued durability over 12 months for patients with uncontrolled depression. We await the conclusion of our CYB004 Phase 2 proof-of-concept study, in patients with generalized anxiety disorder,” said Drysdale.

    Joseph Gunnar & Co., LLC acted as the sole placement agent in connection with this transaction.

    Pipeline Acceleration Drives Multiple Value Creation Catalysts

    The funding will accelerate Cybin’s clinical-stage programs across multiple high-value indications:

    CYB003 Program Achievements:

    • Breakthrough Clinical Results: Unprecedented 71% remission rate in major depressive disorder at 12 months after two 16 mg doses in Phase 2 study
    • Durability advantage: 12-month sustained efficacy demonstrating long-term therapeutic benefit
    • FDA Recognition: Breakthrough Therapy Designation received, expediting regulatory pathway
    • Multinational Phase 3 PARADIGM program underway

    CYB004 Program Momentum:

    • Dual Indication Strategy: Expanding addressable market opportunity
    • Phase 2 GAD study expected to complete around mid-year 2025 1

    Commercialization Infrastructure:

    • Manufacturing Scale-Up: Finalizing production capabilities for market launch
    • IP Portfolio Expansion: Strengthening competitive moat with more than 90 patents issued and over 230 applications pending
    • Strategic Partnerships: Developing market access and pre-commercialization alliances

    Value Catalysts Drive Sustained Momentum

    Near-Term Catalysts:

    • CYB004 Phase 2 GAD study expected to complete around mid-2025 1
    • Initiation of second CYB003 pivotal study, EMBRACE, around mid-2025 1
    • EXTEND study initiation imminent 1

    Medium-Term Catalysts (2025-2026):

    • Phase 3 top line readout for CYB003 2H 2026 1
    • Regulatory submission preparations
    • Commercial manufacturing readiness
    • International market expansion planning

    CONTINUED… Read the Transaction Terms and full Press Release for Cybin at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-cybn/      NOTES: 1.There is no assurance that timelines will be met. Anticipated timelines regarding the initiation, advancement and results of clinical trials are based on reasonable assumptions informed by current knowledge and information available to the Company. See “Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements in the Full Press Release”.

    In other active company biotech news in the markets:

    atai Life Sciences (NASDAQ: ATAI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company on a mission to develop highly effective mental health treatments to transform patient outcomes, and Beckley Psytech Limited (“Beckley”), a private clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the next generation of mental health treatments, recently announced a definitive agreement under which atai and Beckley plan to combine in an all-share transaction subject to pre-agreed BPL-003 (mebufotenin benzoate) Phase 2b success criteria.

    “The strategic combination marks a transformational moment, solidifying us as a leader in rapid-acting and accessible psychedelic treatments for mental health conditions with a pipeline of potential first-in-class and best-in-class assets,” stated Srinivas Rao, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of atai. “With a unified vision and a synergistic pipeline, we believe we are well-positioned to unlock the strategic value of our clinical development programs for both patients and shareholders. Together, we plan to move confidently towards our goal of bringing innovative interventional psychiatry therapies to patients in need of new treatments.”

    Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. (NASDAQ: MNMD), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company developing novel product candidates to treat brain health disorders, recently announced the issuance of inducement grants to four newly hired non-executive employees consisting of options to purchase an aggregate of 128,750 common shares of the Company (the “Options”), with effective grant dates of June 2, 2025 and June 9, 2025, depending on the applicable employee’s respective start date. The Options have an exercise price equal to the closing price of MindMed’s common shares on the last trading day on which MindMed’s common shares traded prior to the date of the respective grant, and will vest over a four-year period with 25% vesting on the first anniversary of the date of the grant and the remaining 75% vesting in substantially equal monthly increments over the three-year period thereafter, subject to each employee’s continued employment.

    Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SUPN) and Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAGE) recently announced a definitive agreement for Supernus to acquire Sage through a tender offer for $8.50 per share in cash (or an aggregate of approximately $561 million), payable at closing, plus one non-tradable contingent value right (CVR) collectively worth up to $3.50 per share in cash (or an aggregate of approximately $234 million), for total consideration of $12.00 per share in cash (or an aggregate of up to approximately $795 million). The CVR is payable upon achieving certain net sales and commercial milestones. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025.

    The transaction will provide Supernus with an innovative marketed product: ZURZUVAE® (zuranolone) capsules CIV, the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved oral medicine indicated for the treatment of adults with postpartum depression. Through a collaboration agreement with Biogen, Inc., Supernus will report collaboration revenue that is 50% of total net revenue Biogen records for ZURZUVAE in the U.S.

    Compass Pathways plc (NASDAQ: CMPS), a biotechnology company dedicated to accelerating patient access to evidence-based innovation, recently announced the successful achievement of the primary endpoint in the ongoing Phase 3 COMP005 trial, the first of two Phase 3 trials evaluating COMP360, a synthetic, proprietary formulation of psilocybin, for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The primary endpoint is the difference in change from baseline in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores between the active treatment group and the placebo group at week 6. A single dose of COMP360 25 mg versus placebo demonstrated a highly statistically significant reduction in symptom severity with a p-value of <0.001 and a clinically meaningful difference of -3.6 in change at the primary endpoint. The Company plans to discuss these preliminary COMP005 data with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has not yet reviewed the data.

    The ongoing Phase 3 COMP005 trial is the first study of an investigational, synthetic psilocybin, and the first classic psychedelic to report Phase 3 efficacy data. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, which dosed 258 participants with TRD across 32 sites in the United States, aims to assess the efficacy and safety of a single dose of COMP360 25 mg versus placebo for reducing symptom severity in TRD.

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates Financialnewsmedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third-party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM was compensated forty two hundred dollars for news coverage of current press release issued by Cybin Inc. by the Company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: E Ink Utilizes Intel® Smart Base to Launch Innovative ePaper with Touch-Enabled Application, Ushering in a New Interactive AI PC Experience

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BILLERICA, Mass., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — E Ink (8069.TWO), the originator, pioneer, and global commercial leader in ePaper technology, announced the launch of a groundbreaking ePaper touchpad solution for laptops, developed through the integration of Intel® Smart Base, Intel® Innovation Platform Framework (Intel® IPF), and Intel® AI Assistant Builder technologies. This innovative solution combines color ePaper with traditional laptop touchpads, creating a visual, AI-assisted human-machine interface (HMI) that enhances user interaction and brings a whole new dimension of functionality to Intel-based AI PCs.

    “Driven by our mission, ‘We Make Surfaces Smart and Green,’ E Ink continues to explore innovative applications across industries through ePaper technology,” stated JM Hung, the Vice President of Business Center of E Ink Holdings. “With the development tools and reference architecture provided by the Intel® Smart Base ecosystem, we’ve created ultra-slim, energy-efficient modules optimized for AI PC designs. These modules enable seamless integration of ePaper displays into laptop touchpad areas—delivering crisp visuals, low power consumption, and a novel interactive experience.”

    ePaper’s core advantages—paper-like readability, ultra-low power consumption, and excellent sunlight visibility—make it ideally suited for auxiliary displays in mobile computing devices. By integrating ePaper into the touchpad, E Ink not only preserves the intuitive functionality of touch interactions but also unlocks new second-screen capabilities. With support from Intel® Smart Base, Intel® IPF, and Intel® AI Assistant Builder, the system is empowered to perform real-time edge AI applications such as frequently used shortcuts and system notifications and GenAI contents like text/image summaries, gaming tactics, or custom AI tasks displayed on the interactive C-cover. Users can also view weather updates, take notes, display meeting transcripts, or showcase personalized cover art—even when the device is powered off.

    Additionally, because ePaper consumes power only when content is updated and remains static otherwise, it significantly reduces overall system power consumption compared to emissive displays. Its non-emissive, reflective and flicker-free nature also reduces eye strain, making this touchpad design a uniquely ergonomic and eco-friendly innovation.

    Leveraging Intel’s platform and ecosystem, E Ink enhances the laptop user experience through:

    • Visual Interaction Innovation: Employing ePaper as a next-gen touch display medium, enabling low-power visual interactivity for intuitive HMI design.
    • AI-Powered Personalization: Supporting AI-driven content generation to elevate functionality and user engagement.
    • Design-Driven Integration: Tailored for the aesthetics and performance requirements of new-generation AI PCs.
    • UX Redefined: Reinventing the user experience with the comfort, clarity, and adaptability of ePaper displays.
    • Scalable Possibilities: Establishing a solid foundation for future AI hardware applications by integrating Intel’s reference designs and solutions.

    This touch enabled application highlights the versatility and forward-looking potential of ePaper technology in next-generation computing. E Ink will continue to expand the boundaries of interactive design by exploring innovative ePaper scenarios in the AI era—delivering sustainable, personalized, and cutting-edge user experiences.

    About E Ink
    E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TWO), based on technology from MIT’s Media Lab, provides an ideal display medium for applications spanning eReaders and eNotes, retail, home, hospital, transportation, logistics, and more, enabling customers to put displays in locations previously impossible. E Ink’s electrophoretic display products make it the worldwide leader for ePaper. Its low power displays enable customers to reach their sustainability goals, and E Ink has pledged using 100% renewable energy in 2030 and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. E Ink has been recognized for their efforts by receiving validation from Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and is listed in both the DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Indexes. Listed in Taiwan’s Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and the Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world’s largest supplier of ePaper displays. For more information, please visit www.eink.com. E Ink. We Make Surfaces Smart and Green.

    Contact:
    V2 Communications for E Ink
    eink@v2comms.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/03bb1c16-3c39-4c54-b2b6-7bb8a7b78d3a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Technology and Energy Secretaries chair second AI Energy Council meeting

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Technology and Energy Secretaries chair second AI Energy Council meeting

    The Technology and Energy Secretaries have chaired the second round of discussions, with a focus on compute and the energy demands of AI.

    The Technology and Energy Secretaries chairing the second meeting of the AI Energy Council.

    Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle and Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband led the second meeting of the AI Energy Council in London this week (Monday 30 June).

    Joined by regulators and representatives of the energy and tech sectors, the latest round of talks centred on the energy demands which will be needed to power the UK’s compute ambitions, and the future energy needs of the sector as a whole.

    The government has set the ambition of ramping up the UK’s public compute capacity – the building block of AI development – 20 fold in the next 5 years, with talks focused on how the country’s energy grid can meet that goal.

    Presentations from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the National Energy System Operator (NESO) on energy demands for AI kicked off the session, with the Energy Secretary reflecting on the work being undertaken by the council’s dedicated working group on forecasting energy demand.

    With the energy demands of data centres – key drivers of AI development and growth – expected to double in the coming years, attendees also reiterated the importance of ensuring they can be connected to the power grid as swiftly as possible.

    This was further highlighted by the Technology Secretary’s reflections on the importance of growth and increasing the UK’s sovereign AI capabilities as central pillars of the AI Energy Council’s work, noting its role as a vital forum for answering key questions and unlocking opportunity. 

    At the conclusion of the meeting, those in attendance reflected on the shared mission across the energy and tech sectors and the urgency of the council’s work in the coming years as the government powers both its AI and clean energy superpower ambitions. This also included an agreement to work together to forecast future trends support the government’s broader work on grid connections.

    The council will next meet in Autumn.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Test Boost Max: This Legal Testosterone Supplement For Men Now Available in USA

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In an era where men’s health is at the forefront of the wellness conversation, Test Boost Max by Sculpt Nation has rapidly emerged as one of the most talked-about natural testosterone support supplements in the U.S. market. With consumers increasingly seeking solutions that enhance vitality, energy, and hormonal balance without synthetic ingredients, the growing momentum behind Test Boost Max marks a significant shift in how testosterone support is being approached.

    Positioned as a plant-powered formula that targets the body’s natural testosterone production, Test Boost Max has gained traction not through hype, but by aligning its formulation with scientific findings and time-tested herbal components. The supplement’s blend of botanicals, adaptogens, and minerals has drawn attention not only from fitness-minded consumers, but also from physicians, wellness professionals, and clinical nutritionists who are witnessing increased demand for natural alternatives to hormone therapy.

    Addressing a Quiet Epidemic: The Testosterone Decline in Modern Men

    According to the official product website (https:://sculptnation.com/) Testosterone levels in men have been gradually declining over the past few decades. While aging remains a natural factor, modern lifestyle stressors—ranging from chronic sleep deprivation and poor dietary habits to environmental toxins and sedentary routines—have exacerbated hormonal imbalances across age groups. According to recent data published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, men today produce significantly less testosterone than men of the same age just 30 years ago.

    In this context, Test Boost Max is not marketed as a quick fix, but as part of a larger wellness framework that prioritizes stress management, movement, and nutritional support. Sculpt Nation emphasizes that the product was never designed to mimic synthetic testosterone or replace hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Instead, the supplement supports endocrine function by addressing the upstream mechanisms that influence testosterone levels.

    Inside the Formula: A Science-Grounded Approach

    The proprietary blend behind Test Boost Max is built around a core belief: the body’s hormonal systems respond best to natural compounds that have evolved alongside human biology. The formulation includes ingredients such as Ashwagandha root extract (KSM-66), Longjack (Tongkat Ali), Tribulus Terrestris, Epimedium, American Ginseng, Cordyceps, and Hawthorn Berry.

    Each ingredient was selected based on peer-reviewed research that supports its individual ability to affect stress, energy, libido, muscle performance, or hormonal signaling. For example, Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce cortisol levels—a known antagonist of testosterone—while also increasing serum testosterone in male subjects undergoing strength training. Tongkat Ali, meanwhile, has earned recognition in both Western and Southeast Asian medical communities for its potential to increase free testosterone and enhance energy metabolism.

    “What’s unique about Test Boost Max is the synergy,” explained Dr. Brandon Carr, an integrative health specialist not affiliated with the company. “These ingredients don’t just operate in isolation. Together, they create a broader effect—lowering stress, improving sleep quality, optimizing metabolic function—that all converge on hormonal health.”

    Sculpt Nation’s research and development team worked with clinical advisors to calibrate dosages to align with those tested in human trials. The aim, they say, was to balance safety with physiological efficacy—something often overlooked in overcrowded supplement categories where ingredient stuffing is more common than scientific restraint.

    View official website for latest pricing and promotions

    Natural Doesn’t Mean Passive: Results Without the Risks

    One of the reasons Test Boost Max has attracted attention in 2025 is because it operates within a unique space in men’s health: powerful enough to support results, yet gentle enough to respect the body’s own regulatory systems. With no synthetic hormones, banned substances, or pharmaceutical additives, it avoids many of the risks associated with testosterone replacement therapy, which can include fertility disruption, acne, mood instability, and cardiovascular strain.

    Early consumer data collected by Sculpt Nation suggests a favorable profile:

    • Men using the supplement for 60 days or more reported noticeable improvements in energy, sexual performance, strength, and lean muscle development.
    • Anecdotal feedback has highlighted a sense of renewed motivation and physical resilience, particularly in individuals aged 35 and above.

    Still, the company remains cautious not to overpromise. “We’re not here to sell magic pills,” said Dimond. “Test Boost Max is most effective when combined with movement, nutrition, and lifestyle adjustments. It’s a catalyst—not a cure-all.”

    Navigating a Crowded Market

    The U.S. supplement industry surpassed $60 billion in annual revenue in 2024, with male performance and hormonal health categories among the fastest growing segments. With competition from legacy brands and newer digital-first startups, it’s difficult for any one product to cut through the noise.

    However, Test Boost Max appears to be achieving just that—not by reinventing the wheel, but by refining it. The formula doesn’t overwhelm with dozens of unproven ingredients. It doesn’t rely on influencer gimmicks. It doesn’t bombard the body with megadoses. Instead, it does something rare: it respects the intelligence of the modern consumer.

    Its rising success may also be partially due to Sculpt Nation’s larger ecosystem. As the supplement arm of V Shred, a digital fitness brand known for personalized training programs, Sculpt Nation has access to an existing audience of millions already tuned into strength, performance, and transformation. For many of these customers, Test Boost Max serves as a natural extension of the lifestyle changes they’ve already adopted.

    No Gimmicks, Just Guarantees

    Perhaps the most striking move by Sculpt Nation was its decision to back Test Boost Max with a 100% lifetime money-back guarantee. Unlike the standard 30- or 60-day windows, this policy removes the pressure for immediate results and encourages long-term use, which aligns with how natural supplements often work.

    “We’re confident in what we’ve built,” said CEO Vinnie Fisher in a previous statement. “If someone doesn’t feel a meaningful difference, even after months or years, they deserve a refund. It’s that simple.”

    The gesture has been well received across industry forums, with many seeing it as a bold but welcome pivot toward accountability in the wellness supplement space.

    How Does Test Boost Max Work?

    According to the official product website, Test Boost Max is formulated to support the body’s endogenous testosterone production by enhancing the signaling pathways and physiological conditions that naturally encourage hormone synthesis. Instead of introducing synthetic testosterone, the product seeks to optimize the environment in which the body produces its own.
    The formula primarily works through several complementary mechanisms:
    Reducing Cortisol and Stress Load: Ingredients like Ashwagandha have been clinically shown to lower cortisol levels. Since cortisol has an inverse relationship with testosterone, reducing stress hormones helps preserve and potentially elevate testosterone levels.
    Improving Sleep Quality and Recovery: Many users of Test Boost Max report better sleep. Since testosterone is primarily produced during deep sleep, improving sleep quality can have a measurable effect on hormonal output.
    Stimulating Leydig Cell Activity: Longjack and Tribulus Terrestris are thought to stimulate the Leydig cells in the testes—the very cells responsible for testosterone synthesis—thereby nudging the body to produce more testosterone naturally.
    Supporting Circulation and Nutrient Delivery: With adaptogens like Epimedium and circulation-enhancing herbs like Hawthorn Berry, the formula helps improve blood flow, ensuring key nutrients are effectively delivered to the endocrine system.
    Enhancing Free Testosterone Availability: Some ingredients work by reducing the action of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), a protein that binds to testosterone and makes it unavailable. By reducing SHBG’s effects, more testosterone remains bioavailable.
    Together, these mechanisms enable Test Boost Max to create an internal environment conducive to hormonal balance and performance, rather than forcing an artificial response.

    View official website for more information

    Consumer Caution & Professional Guidance

    Despite its natural composition, Test Boost Max isn’t designed for everyone. Men with hormone-sensitive conditions, those on medication, or individuals with a history of endocrine disorders should consult a medical professional before using any testosterone-related supplement. Sculpt Nation includes this guidance on its packaging and insists that responsible supplementation starts with awareness.

    “We always recommend people consult their doctors—not because we doubt our product, but because every person’s health landscape is different,” said Dimond.

    Healthcare professionals, including naturopaths and performance dietitians, have echoed this stance. Some practitioners are beginning to integrate products like Test Boost Max into broader protocols, particularly in cases where patients seek natural alternatives to traditional hormone therapies.

    Looking to the Future

    With a growing body of data, increasing consumer awareness, and positive early outcomes, Test Boost Max seems well positioned for longevity in an otherwise trend-heavy market. Sculpt Nation has hinted at possible clinical collaborations in 2026 to study the supplement’s long-term effects in controlled populations—a move that could further solidify its credibility and differentiate it from opportunistic copycats.

    As wellness trends evolve in the post-pandemic era, the importance of hormone health is being redefined. Where testosterone was once whispered about behind closed doors, it is now part of a larger conversation about mood, motivation, metabolic resilience, and quality of life. Products like Test Boost Max are stepping into that conversation not as magic bullets, but as tools—respectful of science, rooted in nature, and oriented around sustainable results.

    About Sculpt Nation

    Sculpt Nation is a premium supplement brand founded by the creators of V Shred, a digital fitness platform with over 10 million users globally. Focused on science-driven formulations and high-quality ingredients, Sculpt Nation develops performance supplements that support fat loss, muscle building, hormonal balance, and total wellness. All products are manufactured in the USA and third-party tested for purity and safety. With a mission to bring transparency, accountability, and real results to the supplement space, Sculpt Nation is redefining the way people approach performance nutrition.

    For more information, educational content, and direct purchasing, visit the official Test Boost Max website.

    Contact:

    https:://sculptnation.com/
    V Shred
    4530 S Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89103
    support@vshred.com

    Disclaimer The information provided in this review is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your physician or another qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new supplement, dietary change, or health program—especially if you are pregnant, nursing, have existing health conditions, or are taking medications. Results may vary among individuals.
    The statements made regarding Test Boost Max have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Test Boost Max is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Any claims made within this article about symptom relief, hearing improvement, or related health benefits are based on the product’s formulation and individual testimonials and not on conclusive clinical evidence. 
    This content does not constitute professional health or medical advice and should not be interpreted as such. Readers should always perform their own due diligence and consult medical professionals before making decisions related to health products.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Toxic fungus from King Tutankhamun’s tomb yields cancer-fighting compounds – new study

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

    Miro Varcek / Shutterstock.com

    In November 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter peered through a small hole into the sealed tomb of King Tutankhamun. When asked if he could see anything, he replied: “Yes, wonderful things.” Within months, however, Carter’s financial backer Lord Carnarvon was dead from a mysterious illness. Over the following years, several other members of the excavation team would meet similar fates, fuelling legends of the “pharaoh’s curse” that have captivated the public imagination for just over a century.

    For decades, these mysterious deaths were attributed to supernatural forces. But modern science has revealed a more likely culprit: a toxic fungus known as Aspergillus flavus. Now, in an unexpected twist, this same deadly organism is being transformed into a powerful new weapon in the fight against cancer.

    Aspergillus flavus is a common mould found in soil, decaying vegetation and stored grains. It is infamous for its ability to survive in harsh environments, including the sealed chambers of ancient tombs, where it can lie dormant for thousands of years.

    When disturbed, the fungus releases spores that can cause severe respiratory infections, particularly in people with weakened immune systems. This may explain the so-called “curse” of King Tutankhamun and similar incidents, such as the deaths of several scientists who entered the tomb of Casimir IV in Poland in the 1970s. In both cases, investigations later found that A flavus was present, and its toxins were probably responsible for the illnesses and deaths.

    Despite its deadly reputation, Aspergillus flavus is now at the centre of a remarkable scientific finding. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that this fungus produces a unique class of molecules with the potential to fight cancer.

    These molecules belong to a group called ribosomally synthesised and post-translationally modified peptides, or RiPPs. RiPPs are made by the ribosome – the cell’s protein factory – and are later chemically altered to enhance their function.

    While thousands of RiPPs have been identified in bacteria, only a handful have been found in fungi – until now.

    The process of finding these fungal RiPPs was far from simple. The research team screened a dozen different strains or types of aspergillus, searching for chemical clues that might indicate the presence of these promising molecules. Aspergillus flavus quickly stood out as a prime candidate.

    The researchers compared the chemicals from different fungal strains to known RiPP compounds and found promising matches. To confirm their discovery, they switched off the relevant genes and, sure enough, the target chemicals vanished, proving they had found the source.

    Purifying these chemicals proved to be a significant challenge. However, this complexity is also what gives fungal RiPPs their remarkable biological activity.

    The team eventually succeeded in isolating four different RiPPs from Aspergillus flavus. These molecules shared a unique structure of interlocking rings, a feature that had never been described before. The researchers named these new compounds “asperigimycins”, after the fungus in which they were found.

    The next step was to test these asperigimycins against human cancer cells. In some cases, they stopped the growth of cancer cells, suggesting that asperigimycins could one day become a new treatment for certain types of cancer.

    The team also worked out how these chemicals get inside cancer cells. This discovery is significant because many chemicals, like asperigimycins, have medicinal properties but struggle to enter cells in large enough quantities to be useful. Knowing that particular fats (lipids) can enhance this process gives scientists a new tool for drug development.

    Further experiments revealed that asperigimycins probably disrupt the process of cell division in cancer cells. Cancer cells divide uncontrollably, and these compounds appear to block the formation of microtubules, the scaffolding inside cells that are essential for cell division.

    Tremendous untapped potential

    This disruption is specific to certain types of cells, so this may in turn reduce the risk of side-effects. But the discovery of asperigimycins is just the beginning. The researchers also identified similar clusters of genes in other fungi, suggesting that many more fungal RiPPs remain to be discovered.

    Almost all the fungal RiPPs found so far have strong biological activity, making this an area with tremendous untapped potential. The next step is to test asperigimycins in other systems and models, with the hope of eventually moving to human clinical trials. If successful, these molecules could join the ranks of other fungal-derived medicines, such as penicillin, which revolutionised modern medicine.

    The story of Aspergillus flavus is a powerful example of how nature can be both a source of danger and a wellspring of healing. For centuries, this fungus was feared as a silent killer lurking in ancient tombs, responsible for mysterious deaths and the legend of the pharaoh’s curse. Today, scientists are turning that fear into hope, harnessing the same deadly spores to create life-saving medicines.

    This transformation, from curse to cure, highlights the importance of continued exploration and innovation in the natural world. Nature has in fact provided us with an incredible pharmacy, filled with compounds that can heal as well as harm. It is up to scientists and engineers to uncover these secrets, using the latest technologies to identify, modify and test new molecules for their potential to treat disease.

    The discovery of asperigimycins is a reminder that even the most unlikely sources – such as a toxic tomb fungus – can hold the key to revolutionary new treatments. As researchers continue to explore the hidden world of fungi, who knows what other medical breakthroughs may lie just beneath the surface?

    Justin Stebbing 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. Toxic fungus from King Tutankhamun’s tomb yields cancer-fighting compounds – new study – https://theconversation.com/toxic-fungus-from-king-tutankhamuns-tomb-yields-cancer-fighting-compounds-new-study-259706

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: When do we first feel pain?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laurenz Casser, Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow, University of Sheffield

    Alina Troeva/Shutterstock.com

    At some point between conception and early childhood, pain makes its debut. But when exactly that happens remains one of medicine’s most challenging questions.

    Some have claimed that foetuses as young as twelve weeks can already be seen wincing in agony, while others have flat-out denied that even infants show any true signs of pain until long after birth.

    New research from University College London offers fresh insights into this puzzle. By mapping the development of pain-processing networks in the brain – what researchers call the “pain connectome” – scientists have begun to trace exactly when and how our capacity for pain emerges. What they discovered challenges simple answers about when pain “begins”.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    The researchers used advanced brain imaging to compare the neural networks of foetuses and infants with those of adults, tracking how different components of pain processing mature over time. Until about 32 weeks after conception, all pain-related brain networks remain significantly underdeveloped compared with adult brains. But then development accelerates dramatically.

    The sensory aspects of pain – the basic detection of harmful stimuli – mature first, becoming functional around 34 to 36 weeks of pregnancy. The emotional components that make pain distressing follow shortly after, developing between 36 and 38 weeks. However, the cognitive centres responsible for consciously interpreting and evaluating pain lag far behind, and remain largely immature by the time of birth, about 40 weeks after conception.

    This staged development suggests that while late-term foetuses and newborns can detect and respond to harmful stimuli, they probably experience pain very differently from older children and adults. Most significantly, newborns probably can’t consciously evaluate their pain – they can’t form the thought: “This hurts and it’s bad!”

    Does it hurt?
    Martin Valigursky/Shutterstock.com

    A history of changing views

    These findings represent the latest chapter in a long-running scientific debate that has swung dramatically over the centuries, often with profound consequences for medical practice.

    For most physiologists in the 18th and 19th centuries, the perceived delicacy of the infant’s body meant that it must be exquisitely sensitive to pain, so much so that some have had their doubts if infants ever felt anything else. Birth, in particular, was imagined to be an extremely painful event for a newborn.

    However, advances in embryology during the 1870s reversed this thinking. As scientists discovered that infant brains and nervous systems were far less developed than adult versions, many began questioning whether babies could truly feel pain at all. If the neural machinery wasn’t fully formed, how could genuine pain experiences exist?

    This scepticism had troubling practical consequences. For nearly a century, many doctors performed surgery on infants without anaesthesia, convinced that their patients were essentially immune to suffering. The practice continued well into the 1980s in some medical centres.

    Towards the end of the 20th century, public outrage about the medical treatment of infants and new scientific results turned the tables yet again. It was found that newborns exhibited many of the signs (neurological, physiological and behavioural) of pain after all, and that, if anything, pain in infants had probably been underestimated.

    The ambiguous brain

    The reason why there has been endless disagreement about infant pain is that we cannot access their experiences directly.

    Sure, we can observe their behaviour and study their brains, but these are not the same thing. Pain is an experience, something that’s felt in the privacy of a person’s own mind, and that’s inaccessible to anyone but the person whose pain it is.

    Of course, pain experiences are typically accompanied by telltale signs: be it the retraction of a body part from a sharp object or the increased activity of certain brain regions. Those we can measure. But the trouble is that no one behaviour or brain event is ever unambiguous.

    The fact that an infant pulls back their hand from a pin prick may mean that it experiences the pricking as painful, but it may also just be an unconscious reflex. Similarly, the fact that the brain is simultaneously showing pain-related activity may be a sign of pain, but it may also be that the processing unfolds entirely unconsciously. We simply don’t know.

    Perhaps the infant knows. But even if they do, they can’t tell us about their experiences yet, and until they can, scientists are left guessing. Fortunately, their guesses are becoming increasingly well informed, but for now, that is all they can be – guesses.

    What would it take to get certainty? Well, it would require an explanation that connects our brains and behaviour to our conscious experiences. But so far, no scientifically respectable explanation of this kind has been forthcoming.

    Laurenz Casser receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust.

    – ref. When do we first feel pain? – https://theconversation.com/when-do-we-first-feel-pain-259588

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From Roman drains to ancient filters, these artefacts show how solutions to water contamination have evolved

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rosa Busquets, Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University

    Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, an exhibition at Wellcome Collection. Benjamin Gilbert., CC BY-NC-ND

    A new exhibition in London (open until February 2026) called Thirst: In search of freshwater highlights how civilisations have treasured – and been intrinsically linked to – safe, clean water.

    As a chemist, I research how freshwater is polluted by modern civilisation. Common contaminants in rivers include pharmaceuticals,
    microplastics
    (which degrade further when exposed to sunlight and wave power), and forever chemicals or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (some of which are carcinogenic).

    Synthetic toxic chemicals are introduced into the environment from the products we make, use and dispose of. This wasn’t a problem centuries ago, where we had a totally different manufacturing industry and technologies.

    Some, such as PFAS from stain-resistant textiles or nonstick materials such as cookware, can be particularly difficult to remove from wastewater. PFAS don’t degrade easily, they resist conventional heat treatments and can easily pass through wastewater treatments, so they contaminate rivers or lakes that are sources of our drinking water.

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    Testing for pollutants is even more critical in developing nations that lack sanitation and face drought or flooding.
    Having to protect and conserve drinking water and its sources is as relevant today as it always has been.

    For this exhibition, curator at the Wellcome Collection in London, Janice Li, has selected 125 historical objects, photographs and feats of engineering that link to drought, rain, glaciers, rivers and lakes. These three artefacts from Thirst illustrate how our relationship with water contamination has evolved:

    1. Ancient water filters

    Made from natural materials such as clay, water jug filters have been used for hundreds of years in every continent by ancient civilisations. They show that purifying water for drinking was commonplace. The sand and soil particles that naturally get suspended in water and removed by these filters would have carried microbes.

    Water jug filters with Arabic inscription, found in Egypt, dating back to 900-1,200.
    Victoria and Albert Museum London/Wellcome Collection, CC BY-NC-ND

    But in ancient times, pharmaceuticals and other drugs, pesticides, forever chemicals and microplastics would not have been a problem. Those filters could work relatively well despite being made of simple materials with wide pores.

    Today, those ancient filters would no longer be effective. Modern water filters are made using more advanced materials which typically have small pores (called micropores and mesopores). For example, filters often include activated carbon (a highly porous type of carbon that can be manufactured to capture contaminants) or membranes that filter water. Only then is it safe for people to drink.



    Read more:
    Forever chemicals are in our drinking water – here’s how to reduce them

    2. Roman water pipes

    Lead water pipes (known as fistulae) were useful parts of a relatively advanced plumbing system that distributed drinking water throughout Roman cities. They are still common in water systems in our cities today. In the US, there are about 9.2 million lead service lines in use. Exposure to lead causes severe human health problems. Lead exposure, not necessarily from drinking water only, was attributed to more than 1.5 million deaths in 2021.

    A Roman lead water pipe that dates back to 1-300CE.
    Courtesy of Wellcome Collection/Science Museum Group., CC BY-NC-ND

    It’s now understood that lead is neurotoxic and it can diffuse or spread from the pipes to drinking water. Lead from paints and batteries, including car batteries, can also contaminate drinking water.

    To protect us from lead leaching or flaking off from pipes, some government agencies are calling for the replacement of lead pipes with copper or plastic pipes. Water companies routinely add phosphates (mined powder that contains phosphorus) to drinking water to help capture potential lead contamination and make it safe to drink.

    3. The horror of unhealthy water

    One caricature titled The Monster Soup by artist William Heath (1828) is part of the Wellcome Trust’s permanent collection. The graphics read “microcosms dedicated to the London Water companies” and “Monster soup, commonly called Thames Water being a correct representation of the precious stuff doled out to us”. The cartoon shows a lady so terrified at the sight of microbes in river water from the Thames that she drops her cup of tea.

    Monster Soup by William Heath.
    Courtesy of the Wellcome Collection., CC BY-NC-ND

    Even today, many people remain shocked at the toxic contamination in rivers and sewage pollution prevents people from swimming.

    By 2030, 2 billion people will still not have safely managed drinking water and 1.2 billion will lack basic hygiene services. Drinking water will still be contaminated by bacteria such as E. coli and other dangerous pathogens that cause waterborne diseases. So advancing technologies to filter out contamination will be just as crucial in the future as it has been in the past.

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

    Get a 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 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Rosa Busquets receives funding from UKRI/ EU Horizons MSCA Staff exchanges Clean Water project 101131182, DASA, project ACC6093561. She is affiliated with Kingston University, UCL, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, UNEP EEAP.

    – ref. From Roman drains to ancient filters, these artefacts show how solutions to water contamination have evolved – https://theconversation.com/from-roman-drains-to-ancient-filters-these-artefacts-show-how-solutions-to-water-contamination-have-evolved-253876

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump plays with new media says a lot about him – as it did with FDR, Kennedy and Obama

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sara Polak, University Lecturer in American Studies, Leiden University

    There is a strange and worrying parallel between the breakneck speed at which Donald Trump has operated in the first few months of his presidency and the ever-accelerating pace at which information moves on social media platforms. Where in his first term he used Twitter, now, the 47th US president is using his own platform, TruthSocial, to announce changes of direction that are sometimes so fundamental that they change decades of US policy.

    Social media has become a key tool of governing for Trump’s administration. He uses it both to make announcements and to drum up support for those announcements. His social media posts can move the markets and make or break careers. They can even, it seems, stop wars.

    So when he used TruthSocial to announce a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 23, giving the two countries a deadline to stop firing missiles, it appears that neither of the antagonists were fully aware of the situation, given they carried on attacking each other. So an all-caps message followed: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS,” he posted. “BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” – adding, just in case anyone had any doubt he was serious: “DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.”

    Trump’s use of his TruthSocial platform began as he sought to re-establish himself from the political wilderness after the insurrection of January 6 2021. It has now become a tool of his extreme power and his willingness to use (and abuse) it – globally as well as domestically.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    He’s the latest in a string of US presidents known for their adroit use of whichever is the medium most guaranteed to connect with the greatest number of people. From Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt’s adept cultivation of print journalists in the early 20th century through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s comforting use of radio as it gained popularity and John F. Kennedy’s mastery of the rising medium of television, presidents have expanded their reach and influence through adept use of media.

    FDR’s “fireside chats”, broadcast on the radio throughout the US in the 1930s, reached an estimated 80% of the population, showing he understood the key media principle of reach. Roosevelt would address his listeners as “my friends” and Americans came to understand them as seemingly intimate conversations with their president.

    FDR dominated the airwaves at a time when many Americans hardly understood the important role that the federal government played in their own lives – and millions of households were only just getting mains electricity (thanks to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936). But radios were becoming a common mass medium and FDR perfectly understood how to use it. If you listen to the fireside chats, FDR may sound patrician – and at times formal – but his tone is also friendly, thoughtful and reassuring.

    In Germany at around the same time, Adolf Hitler’s massive stadium speeches were very effective for people who were in the stadium and being lifted by the intensity of the crowd and all the carefully thought out visual cues. But when broadcast on radio, Hitler had nothing like Roosevelt’s ability to connect with people on a personal level.

    Roosevelt was hardly the first leader – or even the first US president – to speak on the radio. But he was the first to master the medium. He figured out how to use its potential to deliver a key implicit message: that his government should and did take on a central role in people’s lives.

    Equally, John F. Kennedy can be said to have “discovered” political television. Not just as a medium for political campaigns, debates and speeches – but also for putting across to a mass audience his role as the embodiment of American decency, beauty and masculinity: JFK’s White House as Camelot.

    JFK was considered a master of the fast-growing medium of television.

    Both Roosevelt and Kennedy were in several ways physically disabled and lived with chronic illness, yet through the “new medium” of their time were able to project an image of quintessentially American strength and trustworthiness. In part this was their own doing – but it’s also a testament to the power of the media they used for their time.

    Mastering the medium

    These possibilities of a medium used to its best advantage – for example, to be heard around the US, but still to project a sense of intimacy – have become known as the “affordances” of a medium. The medium afforded Roosevelt space to be authentic without showing his disability. Kennedy appeared young, fit and handsome – even when dependent on painkillers.

    When a new medium is introduced, people start to play around with its affordances – and this applies to politicians too. Political leaders who develop a special aptitude for using the new medium to emphasise their unique style can become particularly successful, as has Donald Trump with his use of social media.

    The US president rose to power helped by his adept use of many of Twitter’s attributes – the imposed brevity of his messages, the ease of retweeting, the tendency for other users to “pile on” (and the user anonymity, which tends to encourage pile-ons) to polarise American public debate.

    Trump was forced off Twitter after the Capitol Hill insurrection of January 6 2021. So he came back with his own platform, TruthSocial, where he can also make the rules. And now he uses the platform to make foreign policy, trumpeting his positions (which can change with bewildering speed) on TruthSocial well before they can be announced by the White House press team, which often has to scramble to catch up.

    When Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan penned his famous phrase: “The medium is the message” in his groundbreaking 1964 study, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, he meant to say that media form and content are not as distinct from one another as one might think and that the form of a medium of communication can shape society as much as its content. In Donald Trump’s use of social media, we are seeing this idea at work.

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

    – ref. How Trump plays with new media says a lot about him – as it did with FDR, Kennedy and Obama – https://theconversation.com/how-trump-plays-with-new-media-says-a-lot-about-him-as-it-did-with-fdr-kennedy-and-obama-248923

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Asos should be wary of banning customers returning unwanted goods

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nic Sanders, Senior Lecturer in Management and Marketing, University of Westminster

    ‘Now where’s that returns label?’ Cast of Thousands.Shutterstock

    Shopping for clothes online is a risky business. How do you know if that top will be a good fit, or those shoes will definitely be the right colour? One popular solution to this predicament is to order lots of tops and lots of shoes, try them on at home, and send back all the ones you don’t want – often at no cost.

    But that tactic can be expensive for the fashion retailer, which needs to pay for all those deliveries and returns. And now Asos, which sends millions of shipments every month, has started banning some customers for over-returning items – prompting something of a backlash.

    The response by the retail giant, which says it wants to maintain a “commitment to offering free returns to all customers across all core markets”, also raises questions about the sustainability of the online fashion business model which Asos helped to create.

    Many online retailers rely on the emotional highs of shopping. The excitement of placing an order, the anticipation of delivery, and the dopamine hit of unpacking a purchase is central to its popular customer experience.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Online shopping generally has thrived on impulsive buying, with the option of returning items treated as a normal part of the process. Of course, even in the days before online shopping there would be customers who routinely returned items.

    But by digitising and simplifying the process, the likes of Asos have helped this to happen on a massive scale. Shoppers have become completely used to ordering multiple sizes or styles with the express intention of returning most of the items they receive. Their homes effectively become fitting rooms.

    And those customers could reasonably argue that online retailers often use digital strategies which encourage multi-item purchases.

    Some sites remind shoppers of recently viewed products and provide suggestions of similar items, for example. There may be are prompts and nudges towards clothes which are frequently bought together.

    Items are then sometimes temporarily reserved in a shopper’s basket for 60 minutes, creating a sense of urgency. Targeted emails and limited time offers drive bulging shopping baskets, encouraging more risk purchases and returns.

    Yet returned items carry a significant cost. They may be unfit for resale and ultimately disposed of, which beyond the financial burden, has an environmental price.

    In addition to creating landfill, each delivery and return has a carbon footprint. And although many younger consumers express support for sustainable practices, their buying behaviour continues to prioritise price and convenience.

    But free returns have become part of the online fashion industry landscape. Research suggests that customers are simply more likely to buy something if returns are free.

    And today’s tricky financial climate, marked by inflation and rising living costs will surely have made consumers even more cautious. Many will be reluctant to buy items that incur delivery and return costs.

    Shopping around

    Frustrations can then arise from unclear return policies, often buried in lengthy terms and conditions documents. Some of those banned by Asos say they were confused about the rules.

    Automated customer service systems offering generic responses may then leave shoppers with no clear way to challenge these decisions.

    Perhaps the wider issue here is that online shopping cannot fully replicate the benefits of shopping in store. In physical shops, customers can try on items before deciding.

    But online, this can’t happen, so returns become fundamental to the decision-making process. For cost-conscious shoppers, avoiding unnecessary spending is essential. But if returns policies become harder to access, they may turn to other retailers which offer more certainty.

    Return to sender?
    A08/Shutterstock

    For example, retailers such as Zara and H&M, with a business model which mixes online convenience with a high street (or shopping mall) presence, offer the option to order online and then return in person.

    This hybrid (or “omni-channel”) model appears to be driving consumers to physical shops for a blended experience which provides convenience and helps reduce return costs.

    For Asos, doing something similar would require major investment (in bricks and mortar) and increased operational costs – so is perhaps an unlikely solution for the company.

    But to balance sustainability, cost and customer satisfaction, Asos could explore other options. These might include clearer, more visible communication regarding “fair use” policies and their consequences. It could aim for more human interactions and better dialogue with customers it plans to ban.

    Offering physical retail locations or return collection points to simplify the process and reduce the environmental impact and costs will provide customer flexibility. Overall, these areas will help create a better customer service experience.

    Ultimately, Asos and other similar online clothing retailers must evolve. With changing consumer expectations, a challenging economic climate and rising operational costs, the model that defined these retailers’ early success cannot remain unchanged.

    If they make adjustments, they may emerge stronger. If they do not, they risk sparking a customer exodus that would be hard to reverse.

    Nic Sanders 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. Why Asos should be wary of banning customers returning unwanted goods – https://theconversation.com/why-asos-should-be-wary-of-banning-customers-returning-unwanted-goods-259952

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: John Snow Labs Launches Martlet.ai, Setting New Standards for Risk Adjustment with Healthcare Large Language Models

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The first of several new spinoff companies, Martlet.ai reimagines how payers and providers approach HCC coding with an on-premise, secure, AI-based solution

    LEWES, Del., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — John Snow Labs, the AI for healthcare company, today announced the launch of Martlet.ai, a healthcare AI company focused on redefining how payers and providers approach Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) Coding. Founded by engineers and payment experts from John Snow Labs, this is the first of several planned spinoff companies that will address specific, high-impact, healthcare industry challenges with AI.

    HCC coding plays a vital role in patient risk adjustment, directly influencing reimbursement structures and ensuring the financial sustainability of value-based care models. This is becoming even more crucial in light of the CMS Medicare Advantage rate hikes announced for 2026, which will further tie reimbursement to precise documentation and coding.

    Martlet.ai’s state-of-the-art HCC engine is the answer to this challenge. Co-founded by CTO Hasham Ul Haq and CRO Ritwik Jain, this venture was born from years of hands-on success delivering AI solutions to leading healthcare enterprises. Run fully behind the customers’ firewalls, models are trained directly on patient charts to deliver unmatched accuracy, auditability, and speed. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, Martlet.ai was built for clinical documentation, making it highly effective for powering coding workflows.

    West Virginia University (WVU) Medicine is already realizing the value of Martlet.ai to uncover missed HCC codes, improve risk adjustment factor (RAF) scoring, and streamline physician workflows. The implementation includes seamless two-way integration into the electronic health record (EHR) system with full compliance. As shared in their NLP Summit session “Maximizing Patient Care through AI-Enhanced HCC Code Discovery,” WVU experienced a notable increase in HCC code accuracy and a significant reduction in manual review time.

    “Martlet.ai gives healthcare organizations the power to take HCC coding into their own hands with a level of customization and compliance that is unmatched,” said David Talby, CEO, John Snow Labs. “The combination of state-of-the-art, healthcare-specific, proprietary medical language models, an optimized human-in-the-loop workflow, and enterprise-grade validation layers, Martel.ai was engineered by industry leaders to be compliant, effective, and production-ready from day one.”

    To learn more or schedule a demo, visit Martlet.ai.

    About John Snow Labs
    John Snow Labs, the AI for healthcare company, provides state-of-the-art software, models, and data to help healthcare and life science organizations put AI to good use. Developer of Medical LLMs, Healthcare NLP, Spark NLP, the Generative AI Lab No-Code Platform, and the Medical Chatbot, John Snow Labs’ award-winning medical AI software powers the world’s leading pharmaceuticals, academic medical centers, and health technology companies. Creator and host of The NLP Summit, the company is committed to further educating and advancing the global AI community.

    About Martlet.ai
    Martlet.ai is an AI platform created to automate Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) coding and streamline risk-adjustment workflows for high-compliance environments. Medicare Advantage and Medicaid MCOs, commercial insurers, ACOs, provider organizations, and revenue-cycle management (RCM) firms trust Martlet.ai for its secure, on-premise coding engine, ensuring accuracy, auditability, and transparency at every step. Made possible with domain-specific LLMs, Martlet.ai optimizes reimbursement while maintaining regulatory alignment.

    Contact
    Gina Devine
    Head of Communications
    John Snow Labs
    gina@johnsnowlabs.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: John Snow Labs Launches Martlet.ai, Setting New Standards for Risk Adjustment with Healthcare Large Language Models

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The first of several new spinoff companies, Martlet.ai reimagines how payers and providers approach HCC coding with an on-premise, secure, AI-based solution

    LEWES, Del., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — John Snow Labs, the AI for healthcare company, today announced the launch of Martlet.ai, a healthcare AI company focused on redefining how payers and providers approach Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) Coding. Founded by engineers and payment experts from John Snow Labs, this is the first of several planned spinoff companies that will address specific, high-impact, healthcare industry challenges with AI.

    HCC coding plays a vital role in patient risk adjustment, directly influencing reimbursement structures and ensuring the financial sustainability of value-based care models. This is becoming even more crucial in light of the CMS Medicare Advantage rate hikes announced for 2026, which will further tie reimbursement to precise documentation and coding.

    Martlet.ai’s state-of-the-art HCC engine is the answer to this challenge. Co-founded by CTO Hasham Ul Haq and CRO Ritwik Jain, this venture was born from years of hands-on success delivering AI solutions to leading healthcare enterprises. Run fully behind the customers’ firewalls, models are trained directly on patient charts to deliver unmatched accuracy, auditability, and speed. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, Martlet.ai was built for clinical documentation, making it highly effective for powering coding workflows.

    West Virginia University (WVU) Medicine is already realizing the value of Martlet.ai to uncover missed HCC codes, improve risk adjustment factor (RAF) scoring, and streamline physician workflows. The implementation includes seamless two-way integration into the electronic health record (EHR) system with full compliance. As shared in their NLP Summit session “Maximizing Patient Care through AI-Enhanced HCC Code Discovery,” WVU experienced a notable increase in HCC code accuracy and a significant reduction in manual review time.

    “Martlet.ai gives healthcare organizations the power to take HCC coding into their own hands with a level of customization and compliance that is unmatched,” said David Talby, CEO, John Snow Labs. “The combination of state-of-the-art, healthcare-specific, proprietary medical language models, an optimized human-in-the-loop workflow, and enterprise-grade validation layers, Martel.ai was engineered by industry leaders to be compliant, effective, and production-ready from day one.”

    To learn more or schedule a demo, visit Martlet.ai.

    About John Snow Labs
    John Snow Labs, the AI for healthcare company, provides state-of-the-art software, models, and data to help healthcare and life science organizations put AI to good use. Developer of Medical LLMs, Healthcare NLP, Spark NLP, the Generative AI Lab No-Code Platform, and the Medical Chatbot, John Snow Labs’ award-winning medical AI software powers the world’s leading pharmaceuticals, academic medical centers, and health technology companies. Creator and host of The NLP Summit, the company is committed to further educating and advancing the global AI community.

    About Martlet.ai
    Martlet.ai is an AI platform created to automate Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) coding and streamline risk-adjustment workflows for high-compliance environments. Medicare Advantage and Medicaid MCOs, commercial insurers, ACOs, provider organizations, and revenue-cycle management (RCM) firms trust Martlet.ai for its secure, on-premise coding engine, ensuring accuracy, auditability, and transparency at every step. Made possible with domain-specific LLMs, Martlet.ai optimizes reimbursement while maintaining regulatory alignment.

    Contact
    Gina Devine
    Head of Communications
    John Snow Labs
    gina@johnsnowlabs.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Doddridge, Senior Research Associate in Physical Oceanography, University of Tasmania

    An icebreaker approaches Denman Glacier in March, when there was 70% less Antarctic sea ice than usual. Pete Harmsen AAD

    On her first dedicated scientific voyage to Antarctica in March, the Australian icebreaker RSV Nuyina found the area sea-ice free. Scientists were able to reach places never sampled before.

    Over the past four summers, Antarctic sea ice extent has hit new lows.

    I’m part of a large group of scientists who set out to explore the consequences of summer sea ice loss after the record lows of 2022 and 2023. Together we rounded up the latest publications, then gathered new evidence using satellites, computer modelling, and robotic ocean sampling devices. Today we can finally reveal what we found.

    It’s bad news on many levels, because Antarctic sea ice is vital for the world’s climate and ecosystems. But we need to get a grip on what’s happening – and use this concerning data to prompt faster action on climate change.

    Sea ice around Antarctica waxes and wanes with the seasons, growing in the cold months and melting in warm ones. But this rhythmic cycle is changing.

    What we did and what we found

    Our team used a huge range of approaches to study the consequences of sea ice loss.

    We used satellites to understand sea ice loss over summer, measuring everything from ice thickness and extent to the length of time each year when sea ice is absent.

    Satellite data was also used to calculate how much of the Antarctic coast was exposed to open ocean waves. We were then able to quantify the relationship between sea ice loss and iceberg calving.

    Data from free-drifting ocean robots was used to understand how sea ice loss affects the tiny plants that support the marine food web.

    Every other kind of available data was then harnessed to explore the full impact of sea ice changes on ecosystems.

    Voyage reports from international colleagues came in handy when studying how sea ice loss affected Antarctic resupply missions.

    We also used computer models to simulate the impact of dramatic summer sea ice loss on the ocean.

    In summary, our extensive research reveals four key consequences of summer sea ice loss in Antarctica.

    1. Ocean warming is compounding

    Bright white sea ice reflects about 90% of the incoming energy from sunlight, while the darker ocean absorbs about 90%. So if there’s less summer sea ice, the ocean absorbs much more heat.

    This means the ocean surface warms more in an extreme low sea ice year, such as 2016 – when everything changed.

    Until recently, the Southern Ocean would reset over winter. If there was a summer with low sea ice cover, the ocean would warm a bit. But over winter, the extra heat would shift into the atmosphere.

    That’s not working anymore. We know this from measuring sea surface temperatures, but we have also confirmed this relationship using computer models.

    What’s happening instead is when summer sea ice is very low, as in 2016, it triggers ocean warming that persists. It takes about three years for the system to fully recover. But recovery is becoming less and less likely, given warming is building from year to year.

    Comparing an average sea ice summer (a) to an extreme low sea ice summer (b) in which there is less sea ice for wildlife and more sunlight is absorbed by the ocean. The ice shelf is more exposed to ocean waves, calving more icebergs. The ocean is also less productive and tourist vessels can make a closer approach.
    Doddridge, E., W., et al. (2025) PNAS Nexus., CC BY-NC-ND

    2. More icebergs are forming

    Sea ice protects Antarctica’s coast from ocean waves.

    On average, about a third of the continent’s coastline is exposed over summer. But this is changing. In 2022 and 2023, more than half of the Antarctic coast was exposed.

    Our research shows more icebergs break away from Antarctic ice sheets in years with less sea ice. During an average summer, about 100 icebergs break away. Summers with low sea ice produce about twice as many icebergs.

    Antarctic ice sheets without sea ice are more exposed to waves.
    Pete Harmsen AAD

    3. Wildlife squeezed off the ice

    Many species of seals and penguins rely on sea ice, especially for breeding and moulting.

    Entire colonies of emperor penguins experienced “catastrophic breeding failure” in 2022, when sea ice melted before chicks were ready to go to sea.

    After giving birth, crabeater seals need large, stable sea ice platforms for 2–3 weeks until their pups are weaned. The ice provides shelter and protection from predators. Less summer sea-ice cover makes large platforms harder to find.

    Many seal and penguin species also take refuge on the sea ice when moulting. These species must avoid the icy water while their new feathers or fur grows, or risk dying of hypothermia.

    4. Logistical challenges at the end of the world

    Low summer sea ice makes it harder for people working in Antarctica. Shrinking summer sea ice will narrow the time window during which Antarctic bases can be resupplied over the ice. These bases may soon need to be resupplied from different locations, or using more difficult methods such as small boats.

    Supply ships typically unload their cargo directly onto the sea ice, but that may have to change.
    Jared McGhie, Australian Antarctic Division

    No longer safe

    Anarctic sea ice began to change rapidly in 2015 and 2016. Since then it has remained well below the long-term average.

    The dataset we use relies on measurements from US Department of Defense satellites. Late last month, the department announced it would no longer provide this data to the scientific community. While this has since been delayed to July 31, significant uncertainty remains.

    One of the biggest challenges in climate science is gathering and maintaining consistent long-term datasets. Without these, we don’t accurately know how much our climate is changing. Observing the entire Earth is hard enough when we all work together. It’s going to be almost impossible if we don’t share our data.

    Antarctic sea ice extent anomalies (the difference between the long-term average and the measurement) for the entire satellite record since the late 1970s.
    Edward Doddridge, using data from the US NSIDC Sea Ice Index, version 3., CC BY

    Recent low sea ice summers present a scientific challenge. The system is currently changing faster than our scientific community can study it.

    But vanishing sea ice also presents a challenge to society. The only way to prevent even more drastic changes in the future is to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and reach net zero emissions.

    Edward Doddridge receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us – https://theconversation.com/antarctic-summer-sea-ice-is-at-record-lows-heres-how-it-will-harm-the-planet-and-us-256104

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Doddridge, Senior Research Associate in Physical Oceanography, University of Tasmania

    An icebreaker approaches Denman Glacier in March, when there was 70% less Antarctic sea ice than usual. Pete Harmsen AAD

    On her first dedicated scientific voyage to Antarctica in March, the Australian icebreaker RSV Nuyina found the area sea-ice free. Scientists were able to reach places never sampled before.

    Over the past four summers, Antarctic sea ice extent has hit new lows.

    I’m part of a large group of scientists who set out to explore the consequences of summer sea ice loss after the record lows of 2022 and 2023. Together we rounded up the latest publications, then gathered new evidence using satellites, computer modelling, and robotic ocean sampling devices. Today we can finally reveal what we found.

    It’s bad news on many levels, because Antarctic sea ice is vital for the world’s climate and ecosystems. But we need to get a grip on what’s happening – and use this concerning data to prompt faster action on climate change.

    Sea ice around Antarctica waxes and wanes with the seasons, growing in the cold months and melting in warm ones. But this rhythmic cycle is changing.

    What we did and what we found

    Our team used a huge range of approaches to study the consequences of sea ice loss.

    We used satellites to understand sea ice loss over summer, measuring everything from ice thickness and extent to the length of time each year when sea ice is absent.

    Satellite data was also used to calculate how much of the Antarctic coast was exposed to open ocean waves. We were then able to quantify the relationship between sea ice loss and iceberg calving.

    Data from free-drifting ocean robots was used to understand how sea ice loss affects the tiny plants that support the marine food web.

    Every other kind of available data was then harnessed to explore the full impact of sea ice changes on ecosystems.

    Voyage reports from international colleagues came in handy when studying how sea ice loss affected Antarctic resupply missions.

    We also used computer models to simulate the impact of dramatic summer sea ice loss on the ocean.

    In summary, our extensive research reveals four key consequences of summer sea ice loss in Antarctica.

    1. Ocean warming is compounding

    Bright white sea ice reflects about 90% of the incoming energy from sunlight, while the darker ocean absorbs about 90%. So if there’s less summer sea ice, the ocean absorbs much more heat.

    This means the ocean surface warms more in an extreme low sea ice year, such as 2016 – when everything changed.

    Until recently, the Southern Ocean would reset over winter. If there was a summer with low sea ice cover, the ocean would warm a bit. But over winter, the extra heat would shift into the atmosphere.

    That’s not working anymore. We know this from measuring sea surface temperatures, but we have also confirmed this relationship using computer models.

    What’s happening instead is when summer sea ice is very low, as in 2016, it triggers ocean warming that persists. It takes about three years for the system to fully recover. But recovery is becoming less and less likely, given warming is building from year to year.

    Comparing an average sea ice summer (a) to an extreme low sea ice summer (b) in which there is less sea ice for wildlife and more sunlight is absorbed by the ocean. The ice shelf is more exposed to ocean waves, calving more icebergs. The ocean is also less productive and tourist vessels can make a closer approach.
    Doddridge, E., W., et al. (2025) PNAS Nexus., CC BY-NC-ND

    2. More icebergs are forming

    Sea ice protects Antarctica’s coast from ocean waves.

    On average, about a third of the continent’s coastline is exposed over summer. But this is changing. In 2022 and 2023, more than half of the Antarctic coast was exposed.

    Our research shows more icebergs break away from Antarctic ice sheets in years with less sea ice. During an average summer, about 100 icebergs break away. Summers with low sea ice produce about twice as many icebergs.

    Antarctic ice sheets without sea ice are more exposed to waves.
    Pete Harmsen AAD

    3. Wildlife squeezed off the ice

    Many species of seals and penguins rely on sea ice, especially for breeding and moulting.

    Entire colonies of emperor penguins experienced “catastrophic breeding failure” in 2022, when sea ice melted before chicks were ready to go to sea.

    After giving birth, crabeater seals need large, stable sea ice platforms for 2–3 weeks until their pups are weaned. The ice provides shelter and protection from predators. Less summer sea-ice cover makes large platforms harder to find.

    Many seal and penguin species also take refuge on the sea ice when moulting. These species must avoid the icy water while their new feathers or fur grows, or risk dying of hypothermia.

    4. Logistical challenges at the end of the world

    Low summer sea ice makes it harder for people working in Antarctica. Shrinking summer sea ice will narrow the time window during which Antarctic bases can be resupplied over the ice. These bases may soon need to be resupplied from different locations, or using more difficult methods such as small boats.

    Supply ships typically unload their cargo directly onto the sea ice, but that may have to change.
    Jared McGhie, Australian Antarctic Division

    No longer safe

    Anarctic sea ice began to change rapidly in 2015 and 2016. Since then it has remained well below the long-term average.

    The dataset we use relies on measurements from US Department of Defense satellites. Late last month, the department announced it would no longer provide this data to the scientific community. While this has since been delayed to July 31, significant uncertainty remains.

    One of the biggest challenges in climate science is gathering and maintaining consistent long-term datasets. Without these, we don’t accurately know how much our climate is changing. Observing the entire Earth is hard enough when we all work together. It’s going to be almost impossible if we don’t share our data.

    Antarctic sea ice extent anomalies (the difference between the long-term average and the measurement) for the entire satellite record since the late 1970s.
    Edward Doddridge, using data from the US NSIDC Sea Ice Index, version 3., CC BY

    Recent low sea ice summers present a scientific challenge. The system is currently changing faster than our scientific community can study it.

    But vanishing sea ice also presents a challenge to society. The only way to prevent even more drastic changes in the future is to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and reach net zero emissions.

    Edward Doddridge receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us – https://theconversation.com/antarctic-summer-sea-ice-is-at-record-lows-heres-how-it-will-harm-the-planet-and-us-256104

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Peter Kyle’s speech at CityWeek 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Peter Kyle’s speech at CityWeek 2025

    Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle, delivered a speech at the CityWeek 2025 on Tuesday 1 July 2025.

    Last week, I represented the British government on a trip to Singapore.

    I was there to celebrate 60 years of partnership between our 2 countries.

    And drum up investment into British technology.

    It was my first time in Singapore.

    And it struck me that it’s a place that has mastered the art of reinvention.

    From traditional fishing village to global financial centre.

    Small trading post to one of the most competitive economies in the world.

    An economy that, like ours, knows that the key to staying competitive is being squarely focussed on the future.

    It’s a similar idea that brings us together today.

    Because this is a sector that’s also defined by an ability to reinvent itself.

    Where centuries-old banks have had to rip up the playbook.

    To compete with nimble, digital-first firms.

    And where new technologies have made the way you work unrecognisable from how it once was.

    One of my first proper jobs was in a finance team.

    It was 1989, and I worked in the purchase ledger at The Body Shop – a hero of the British high street at the time.

    I matched goods that came in with invoices.

    And inputted all of that into an arcane mainframe computer.

    I’m sure quite a few of you will remember those days.

    And the change after change you’ve seen your institutions through since.

    Because before PIN codes, there was paper.

    Before blockchain, there were books of accounts that landed with a thud on the desk.

    Before cashless, there was ‘Cashier number 3 please’.

    These are changes that financial services firms have not just weathered, but pioneered.

    To keep this sector as the engine of economic growth it truly is.

    And to keep creating products that improve the lives of working people.

    Over the past few years, another change has rippled through the sector:

    AI has reshaped what’s possible.

    And there’s not a sector of our economy it will leave untouched.

    There’s a simple difference between this change and those that came before:

    Sheer speed.

    In past waves of transformation, industry and the state alike could afford to dip a toe in.

    To spend a few years seeing how the water feels.

    This time, we need to jump.

    Since joining government, I’ve been clear that the UK will not be swept along as others lead the AI revolution.

    We’ll shape that revolution here.

    6 months ago, we launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

    Setting out how the UK will seize the massive potential for economic growth that AI offers us.

    Growth that’s at the heart of our Plan for Change.

    Since that launch, we’ve opened up applications for areas in the UK to become AI Growth Zones – hotspots of AI infrastructure and investment.

    And had over 200 responses.

    The full weight of government is behind the plan.

    With the Chancellor announcing £2 billion to deliver it, as part of the Spending Review.

    And a Modern Industrial Strategy that doubles down on our commitment to AI…

    …as one of the 6 frontier technologies our digital and tech sector plan focusses on.

    Crucial to that plan is adoption.

    Because talking about the power of AI to grow the economy is all well and good.

    But unless companies use it, that growth only exists in theory.

    Not in practice.

    Financial services is at the front of the pack here.

    Around 3 quarters of firms surveyed by the Bank of England the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) already use AI.

    That’s the 3rd highest rate of adoption across the economy.

    That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.

    The UK led the world in open banking.

    We led the world in near-instant digital payments.

    And our reputation in fintech is second-to-none.

    The most valuable private tech company in Europe is Revolut, a British fintech.

    Our fintech crown is one I’m infinitely proud of.

    If we’re to hold on to it, you need a government that continues to back you.

    That doesn’t just call for you to keep exploring new technologies.

    But actively enables you to do it.

    When I talk to firms about adoption, they tell me about 2 barriers more than any other.

    A lack of skills.

    And finding their way through a web of complex regulation.

    On skills, we’re partnering with 11 major tech companies to train 7.5 million workers in the UK with essential AI skills by the end of this decade.

    So that a lack of expertise will never put a ceiling on what you can do.

    Regulation shouldn’t be that ceiling, either.

    In her Mansion House speech last year, the Chancellor set out a vision:

    For a regulatory environment that cares about managing the burden we put on businesses.

    Since then, she’s launched a radical action plan on regulation to kickstart growth.

    My part in that is making sure we ease the burden on businesses when it comes to adopting emerging tech.

    About 9 months ago, I launched the Regulatory Innovation Office.

    A dedicated unit to curb red tape.

    And get game-changing tech into the public’s hands quickly and safely.

    It’s already delivered results.

    Apian, a British start-up founded by NHS doctors, is now freed up to use drones to take blood samples from Guy’s Hospital in London Bridge, over to a lab in St. Thomas’ for testing.

    Before the NHS had the okay to work with them, those samples were carted over in vans.

    The journey took around half an hour.

    More if they were snarled up in traffic.

    After support from Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), each delivery now takes just 2 minutes.

    Beds are freed up faster.

    NHS waiting lists go down.

    And a crucial difference is made for patients where every second counts.

    Thanks to RIO’s close work with regulators, companies have made advances like these in fields like space or engineering biology, too.

    But I want more sectors to benefit from the breath of fresh air it offers.

    Instead of being stifled by a blanket of bureaucracy.

    So, today, I can announce that RIO is joining forces with digital regulators.

    To consolidate a labyrinth of regulation, and make it easier for innovators to bring AI products to market quickly and easily.

    This marks a significant boost for fintechs.

    Right now, your efforts to use emerging tech can get mired in a lack of clarity.

    Because there’s no single port of call on what you can do with AI.

    You’re left going from regulator to regulator, picking your way through different sets of rules.

    For start-ups and scale-ups without big legal teams, that’s nigh-on impossible to navigate.

    And for bigger banks and firms, it’s days of productivity sunk.

    Now, RIO is teaming up to the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF).

    To bring all of that guidance together into a one-stop shop.

    A digital library that lets you quickly search for answers.

    These are changes that firms of all shapes and sizes can take advantage of.

    Up-and-coming fintechs to household-name banks will go from idea to impact faster:

    Using AI to spot credit card fraud hours before humans can alone.

    To get instant answers to your customers.

    To analyse stocks, so people can get more out of their investments.

    We’re clearing the path for you to harness AI to stay ahead of the game.

    And to make people’s lives fundamentally better.

    Because I know this is a sector that will keep reinventing itself.

    Just as I know that AI will continue to bring profound, positive change to the UK.

    With the right backing on adoption…

    Access to skills…

    And clarity on regulation…

    We’ll make sure that this isn’t just a change that fintechs and banks are part of.

    But a change that you lead.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Jobs boost as UK and Kenya bolster economic and security partnership

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Press release

    Jobs boost as UK and Kenya bolster economic and security partnership

    The UK and Kenya have agreed new deals to bolster the economic and security partnership between the two countries.

    • Trade and investment deals agreed during the visit will contribute over £1bn to the UK economy and create UK jobs in engineering, defence industries, technical and advisory services, and financial services 
    • The UK and Kenya will also increase collaboration to tackle organised crime, human trafficking and illicit finance through the UK-Kenya Security Compact 
    • The UK and Kenya will commit to a new Strategic Partnership as Kenyan President Ruto visits London

    The UK and Kenya will commit to working together to drive economic growth, protect climate and nature, foster collaboration in science and technology and strengthen regional security. 

    During a visit to the UK by the President of Kenya, a pipeline of trade and investment deals worth over £1bn to the UK economy were agreed which will deliver on this government’s commitment to boost jobs and prosperity back in the UK, as part of the government’s Plan for Change. 

    This includes the launch of a tender for a major urban redevelopment project in Nairobi which has been inspired by the regeneration of London’s Kings Cross.

    The Nairobi Railway City project has already provided opportunities to UK businesses with British architecture firm Atkins UK chosen to design the central rail station and public square.

    The Government of Kenya is exploring funding the project through finance mobilised by the UK’s Export Credit Agency, UK Export Finance, which will create UK jobs in engineering, technical and legal services. 

    Both countries also agreed stronger cooperation to disrupt the air, land and sea routes used by organised crime groups to prevent illegal migrants transiting through Kenya in attempts to reach Libya and other countries before travelling on to Europe. Four of the top ten countries for Small Boat arrivals in the UK are near neighbours of Kenya (Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia).

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:

    Through our shared history and values the UK and Kenya have always had a close connection.

    Now we are building a shared future; a modern, innovative and respectful partnership which is delivering real benefits – boosting growth and creating jobs for both Kenyans and the British people. We’re going far, together.

    The UK and Kenya have also committed to increased defence and counter terrorism collaboration, including joint training and the creation of a new counter insurgency, terrorism and stability operations centre.

    Defence sales worth over £70m were agreed during the visit supporting manufacturing jobs in County Durham, Northamptonshire and Surrey. Kenya hosts the UK’s most significant military footprint in Africa, including a facility that trains 3,000 UK troops a year. 

    The UK’s world leading financial services sector will also benefit; Lloyd’s of London will announce today that they will be joining the Nairobi International Finance Centre, which will deepen the partnership between two leading financial centres providing access to up to £500m of insurance market potential in Kenya and the East Africa region. 

    The two countries also committed to explore the potential of a bilateral digital trade agreement. Dubbed ‘Silicon Savannah’, the value of Kenya’s tech sector is projected to reach £11.5bn by 2032.

    A digital trade agreement will open up opportunities in the sector for UK Plc.

    Notes to Editors 

    • The projects quoted are examples of a pipeline of projects that both governments will be working towards.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Email the FCDO Newsdesk (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pop, soda or coke? The fizzy history behind America’s favorite linguistic debate

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Valerie M. Fridland, Professor of Linguistics, University of Nevada, Reno

    ‘I’ll have a coke – no, not Coca-Cola, Sprite.’ Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    With burgers sizzling and classic rock thumping, many Americans revel in summer cookouts – at least until that wayward cousin asks for a “pop” in soda country, or even worse, a “coke” when they actually want a Sprite.

    Few American linguistic debates have bubbled quite as long and effervescently as the one over whether a generic soft drink should be called a soda, pop or coke.

    The word you use generally boils down to where you’re from: Midwesterners enjoy a good pop, while soda is tops in the North and far West. Southerners, long the cultural mavericks, don’t bat an eyelash asking for coke – lowercase – before homing in on exactly the type they want: Perhaps a root beer or a Coke, uppercase.

    As a linguist who studies American dialects, I’m less interested in this regional divide and far more fascinated by the unexpected history behind how a fizzy “health” drink from the early 1800s spawned the modern soft drink’s many names and iterations.

    Bubbles, anyone?

    Foods and drinks with wellness benefits might seem like a modern phenomenon, but the urge to create drinks with medicinal properties inspired what might be called a soda revolution in the 1800s.

    An 1878 engraving of a soda fountain.
    Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images

    The process of carbonating water was first discovered in the late 1700s. By the early 1800s, this carbonated water had become popular as a health drink and was often referred to as “soda water.” The word “soda” likely came from “sodium,” since these drinks often contained salts, which were then believed to have healing properties.

    Given its alleged curative effects for health issues such as indigestion, pharmacists sold soda water at soda fountains, innovative devices that created carbonated water to be sold by the glass. A chemistry professor, Benjamin Stillman, set up the first such device in a drugstore in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1806. Its eventual success inspired a boom of soda fountains in drugstores and health spas.

    By the mid-1800s, pharmacists were creating unique root-, fruit- and herb-infused concoctions, such as sassafras-based root beer, at their soda fountains, often marketing them as cures for everything from fatigue to foul moods.

    These flavored, sweetened versions gave rise to the linking of the word “soda” with a sweetened carbonated beverage, as opposed to simple, carbonated water.

    Seltzer – today’s popular term for such sparkling water – was around, too. But it was used only for the naturally carbonated mineral water from the German town Nieder-Selters. Unlike Perrier, sourced similarly from a specific spring in France, seltzer made the leap to becoming a generic term for fizzy water.

    Many late-19th-century and early 20th-century drugstores contained soda fountains – a nod to the original belief that the sugary, bubbly drink possessed medicinal qualities.
    Hall of Electrical History Foundation/Corbis via Getty Images

    Regional naming patterns

    So how did “soda” come to be called so many different things in different places?

    It all stems from a mix of economic enterprise and linguistic ingenuity.

    The popularity of “soda” in the Northeast likely reflects the soda fountain’s longer history in the region. Since a lot of Americans living in the Northeast migrated to California in the mid-to-late 1800s, the name likely traveled west with them.

    As for the Midwestern preference for “pop” – well, the earliest American use of the term to refer to a sparkling beverage appeared in the 1840s in the name of a flavored version called “ginger pop.” Such ginger-flavored pop, though, was around in Britain by 1816, since a Newcastle songbook is where you can first see it used in text. The “pop” seems to be onomatopoeic for the noise made when the cork was released from the bottle before drinking.

    A jingle for Faygo touts the company’s ‘red pop.’

    Linguists don’t fully know why “pop” became so popular in the Midwest. But one theory links it to a Michigan bottling company, Feigenson Brothers Bottling Works – today known as Faygo Beverages – that used “pop” in the name of the sodas they marketed and sold. Another theory suggests that because bottles were more common in the region, soda drinkers were more likely to hear the “pop” sound than in the Northeast, where soda fountains reigned.

    As for using coke generically, the first Coca-Cola was served in 1886 by Dr. John Pemberton, a pharmacist at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in Atlanta and the founder of the company. In the 1900s, the Coca-Cola company tried to stamp out the use of “Coke” for “Coca-Cola.” But that ship had already sailed. Since Coca-Cola originated and was overwhelmingly popular in the South, its generic use grew out of the fact that people almost always asked for “Coke.”

    No alcohol means not ‘hard’ but ‘soft.’
    Nostalgic Collections/eBay

    As with Jell-O, Kleenex, Band-Aids and seltzer, it became a generic term.

    What’s soft about it?

    Speaking of soft drinks, what’s up with that term?

    It was originally used to distinguish all nonalcoholic drinks from “hard drinks,” or beverages containing spirits.

    Interestingly, the original Coca-Cola formula included wine – resembling a type of alcoholic “health” drink popular overseas, Vin Mariani. But Pemberton went on to develop a “soft” version a few years later to be sold as a medicinal drink.

    Due to the growing popularity of soda water concoctions, eventually “soft drink” came to mean only such sweetened carbonated beverages, a linguistic testament to America’s enduring love affair with sugar and bubbles.

    With the average American guzzling almost 40 gallons per year, you can call it whatever you what. Just don’t call it healthy.

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

    – ref. Pop, soda or coke? The fizzy history behind America’s favorite linguistic debate – https://theconversation.com/pop-soda-or-coke-the-fizzy-history-behind-americas-favorite-linguistic-debate-259114

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: 1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By William Trollinger, Professor of History, University of Dayton

    The 1925 Scopes trial, in which a Dayton, Tennessee, teacher was charged with violating state law by teaching biological evolution, was one of the earliest and most iconic conflicts in America’s ongoing culture war.

    Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species,” published in 1859, and subsequent scientific research made the case that humans and other animals evolved from earlier species over millions of years. Many late-19th-century American Protestants had little problem accommodating Darwin’s ideas – which became mainstream biology – with their religious commitments.

    But that was not the case with all Christians, especially conservative evangelicals, who held that the Bible is inerrant – without error – and factually accurate in all that it has to say, including when it speaks on history and science.

    The Scopes trial occurred July 10-21, 1925. Between 150 and 200 reporters swooped into the small town. Broadcast on Chicago’s WGN, it was the first trial to be aired live over radio in the United States.

    One hundred years after the trial, and as we have documented in our scholarly work, the culture war over evolution and creationism remains strong – and yet, when it comes to creationism, much has also changed.

    The trial

    In May 1919, over 6,000 conservative Protestants gathered in Philadelphia to create, under the leadership of Baptist firebrand William Bell Riley, the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association, or WCFA.

    Holding to biblical inerrancy, these “fundamentalists” believed in the creation account detailed in chapter 1 of Genesis, in which God brought all life into being in six days. But most of these fundamentalists also accepted mainstream geology, which held that the Earth was millions of years old. Squaring a literal understanding of Genesis with an old Earth, they embraced either the “day-age theory” – that each Genesis day was actually a long period of time – or the “gap theory,” in which there was a huge gap of time before the six 24-hour days of creation.

    This nascent fundamentalist movement initiated a campaign to pressure state legislatures to prohibit public schools from teaching evolution. One of these states was Tennessee, which in 1925 passed the Butler Act. This law made it illegal for public schoolteachers “to teach any theory that denies the story of divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.”

    The American Civil Liberties Union persuaded John Thomas Scopes, a young science teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, to challenge the law in court. The WCFA sprang into action, successfully persuading William Jennings Bryan – populist politician and outspoken fundamentalist – to assist the prosecution. In response, the ACLU hired famous attorney Clarence Darrow to serve on the defense team.

    A huge crowd attending the Scopes trial.
    Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images

    When the trial started, Dayton civic leaders were thrilled with the opportunity to boost their town. Outside the courtroom there was a carnivalesque atmosphere, with musicians, preachers, concession stands and even monkeys.

    Inside the courtroom, the trial became a verbal duel between Bryan and Darrow regarding science and religion. But as the judge narrowed the proceedings to whether or not Scopes violated the law – a point that the defense readily admitted – it seemed clear that Scopes would be found guilty. Many of the reporters thus went home.

    But the trial’s most memorable episode was yet to come. On July 20, Darrow successfully provoked Bryan to take the witness stand as a Bible expert. Due to the huge crowd and suffocating heat, the judge moved the trial outdoors.

    The 3,000 or so spectators witnessed Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan, which was primarily intended to make Bryan and fundamentalism appear foolish and ignorant. Most significant, Darrow’s questions revealed that, despite Bryan’s’ assertion that he read the Bible literally, Bryan actually understood the six days of Genesis not as 24-hour days, but as six long and indeterminate periods of time.

    American lawyer and politician William Jennings Bryan during the Scopes trial in Dayton, Tenn.
    Hulton Archive/Getty Image

    The very next day, the jury found Scopes guilty and fined him US$100. Riley and the fundamentalists cheered the verdict as a triumph for the Bible and morality.

    The fundamentalists and ‘The Genesis Flood’

    But very soon that sense of triumph faded, partly because of news stories that portrayed fundamentalists as ignorant rural bigots. In one such example, a prominent journalist, H. L. Mencken, wrote in a Baltimore Sun column that the Scopes trial “serves notice on the country that Neanderthal man is organizing in these forlorn backwaters of the land.”

    The media ridicule encouraged many scholars and journalists to conclude that creationism and fundamentalism would soon disappear from American culture. But that prediction did not come to pass.

    Instead, fundamentalists, including WCFA leader Riley, seemed all the more determined to redouble their efforts at the grassroots level.

    But as Darrow’s interrogation of Bryan made obvious, it was not easy to square a literal reading of the Bible – including the six-day creation outlined in Genesis – with a scientific belief in an old Earth. What fundamentalists needed was a science that supported the idea of a young Earth.

    In their 1961 book, “The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications, fundamentalists John Whitcomb, a theologian, and Henry Morris, a hydraulic engineer, provided just such a scientific explanation. Making use, without attribution, of the writings of Seventh-day Adventist geologist George McCready Price, Whitcomb and Morris made the case that Noah’s global flood lasted one year and created the geological strata and mountain ranges that made the Earth seem ancient.

    “The Genesis Flood” and its version of flood geology remains ubiquitous among fundamentalists and other conservative Protestants.

    Young Earth creationism

    Today, opinion polls reveal that roughly one-quarter of all Americans are adherents of this newer strand of creationism, which rejects both mainstream geology as well as mainstream biology.

    Replica of Noah’s Ark at the Ark Encounter, near Williamstown, Ky.
    Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    This popular embrace of young Earth creationism also explains the success of Answers in Genesis – AiG – which is the world’s largest creationist organization, with a website that attracts millions of visitors every year.

    AiG’s tourist sites – the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky – have attracted millions of visitors since their opening in 2007 and 2016. Additional AiG sites are planned for Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

    Presented as a replica of Noah’s Ark, the Ark Encounter is a gigantic structure – 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, 51 feet high. It includes representations of animal cages as well as plush living quarters for the eight human beings who, according to Genesis chapters 6-8, survived the global flood. Hundreds of placards in the Ark make the case for a young Earth and a global flood that created the geological strata and formations we see today.

    Ark Encounter has been the beneficiary of millions of dollars from state and local governments.

    Besides AiG tourist sites, there is also an ever-expanding network of fundamentalist schools and homeschools that present young Earth creationism as true science. These schools use textbooks from publishers such as Abeka Books, Accelerated Christian Education and Bob Jones University Press.

    The Scopes trial involved what could and could not be taught in public schools regarding creation and evolution. Today, this discussion also involves private schools, given that there are now at least 15 states that have universal private school choice programs, in which families can use taxpayer-funded education money to pay for private schooling and homeschooling.

    In 1921, William Bell Riley admonished his opponents that they should “cease from shoveling in dirt on living men,” for the fundamentalists “refuse to be buried.” A century later, the funeral for fundamentalism and creationism seems a long way off.

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

    – ref. 1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion – https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-americans-reject-evolution-a-century-after-the-scopes-monkey-trial-spotlighted-the-clash-between-science-and-religion-258163

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The hidden cost of convenience: How your data pulls in hundreds of billions of dollars for app and social media companies

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kassem Fawaz, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Many apps and social media platforms collect detailed information about you as you use them, and sometimes even when you’re not using them. Malte Mueller/fStop via Getty images

    You wake up in the morning and, first thing, you open your weather app. You close that pesky ad that opens first and check the forecast. You like your weather app, which shows hourly weather forecasts for your location. And the app is free!

    But do you know why it’s free? Look at the app’s privacy settings. You help keep it free by allowing it to collect your information, including:

    • What devices you use and their IP and Media Access Control addresses.
    • Information you provide when signing up, such as your name, email address and home address.
    • App settings, such as whether you choose Celsius or Fahrenheit.
    • Your interactions with the app, including what content you view and what ads you click.
    • Inferences based on your interactions with the app.
    • Your location at a given time, including, depending on your settings, continuous tracking.
    • What websites or apps that you interact with after you use the weather app.
    • Information you give to ad vendors.
    • Information gleaned by analytics vendors that analyze and optimize the app.

    This type of data collection is standard fare. The app company can use this to customize ads and content. The more customized and personalized an ad is, the more money it generates for the app owner. The owner might also sell your data to other companies.

    Many apps, including the weather channel app, send you targeted advertising and sell your personal data by default.
    Jack West, CC BY-ND

    You might also check a social media account like Instagram. The subtle price that you pay is, again, your data. Many “free” mobile apps gather information about you as you interact with them.

    As an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and a doctoral student in computer science, we follow the ways software collects information about people. Your data allows companies to learn about your habits and exploit them.

    It’s no secret that social media and mobile applications collect information about you. Meta’s business model depends on it. The company, which operates Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is worth US$1.48 trillion. Just under 98% of its profits come from advertising, which leverages user data from more than 7 billion monthly users.



    Read more:
    How Internet of Things devices affect your privacy – even when they’re not yours

    What your data is worth

    Before mobile phones gained apps and social media became ubiquitous, companies conducted large-scale demographic surveys to assess how well a product performed and to get information about the best places to sell it. They used the information to create coarsely targeted ads that they placed on billboards, print ads and TV spots.

    Mobile apps and social media platforms now let companies gather much more fine-grained information about people at a lower cost. Through apps and social media, people willingly trade personal information for convenience. In 2007 – a year after the introduction of targeted ads – Facebook made over $153 million, triple the previous year’s revenue. In the past 17 years, that number has increased by more than 1,000 times.

    Five ways to leave your data

    App and social media companies collect your data in many ways. Meta is a representative case. The company’s privacy policy highlights five ways it gathers your data:

    First, it collects the profile information you fill in. Second, it collects the actions you take on its social media platforms. Third, it collects the people you follow and friend. Fourth, it keeps track of each phone, tablet and computer you use to access its platforms. And fifth, it collects information about how you interact with apps that corporate partners connect to its platforms. Many apps and social media platforms follow similar privacy practices.

    Your data and activity

    When you create an account on an app or social media platform, you provide the company that owns it with information like your age, birth date, identified sex, location and workplace. In the early years of Facebook, selling profile information to advertisers was that company’s main source of revenue. This information is valuable because it allows advertisers to target specific demographics like age, identified gender and location.

    And once you start using an app or social media platform, the company behind it can collect data about how you use the app or social media. Social media keeps you engaged as you interact with other people’s posts by liking, commenting or sharing them. Meanwhile, the social media company gains information about what content you view and how you communicate with other people.

    Advertisers can find out how much time you spent reading a Facebook post or that you spent a few more seconds on a particular TikTok video. This activity information tells advertisers about your interests. Modern algorithms can quickly pick up subtleties and automatically change the content to engage you in a sponsored post, a targeted advertisement or general content.

    Your devices and applications

    Companies can also note what devices, including mobile phones, tablets and computers, you use to access their apps and social media platforms. This shows advertisers your brand loyalty, how old your devices are and how much they’re worth.

    Because mobile devices travel with you, they have access to information about where you’re going, what you’re doing and who you’re near. In a lawsuit against Kochava Inc., the Federal Trade Commission called out the company for selling customer geolocation data in August 2022, shortly after Roe v Wade was overruled. The company’s customers, including people who had abortions after the ruling was overturned, often didn’t know that data tracking their movements was being collected, according to the commission. The FTC alleged that the data could be used to identify households.

    Kochava has denied the FTC’s allegations.

    Information that apps can gain from your mobile devices includes anything you have given an app permission to have, such as your location, who you have in your contact list or photos in your gallery.

    If you give an app permission to see where you are while the app is running, for instance, the platform can access your location anytime the app is running. Providing access to contacts may provide an app with the phone numbers, names and emails of all the people that you know.

    Cross-application data collection

    Companies can also gain information about what you do across different apps by acquiring information collected by other apps and platforms.

    The settings on an Android phone show that Meta uses information it collects about you to target ads it shows you in its apps – and also in other apps and on other platforms – by default.
    Jack West, CC BY-ND

    This is common with social media companies. This allows companies to, for example, show you ads based on what you like or recently looked at on other apps. If you’ve searched for something on Amazon and then noticed an ad for it on Instagram, it’s probably because Amazon shared that information with Instagram.

    This combined data collection has made targeted advertising so accurate that people have reported that they feel like their devices are listening to them.

    Companies, including Google, Meta, X, TikTok and Snapchat, can build detailed user profiles based on collected information from all the apps and social media platforms you use. They use the profiles to show you ads and posts that match your interests to keep you engaged. They also sell the profile information to advertisers.

    Meanwhile, researchers have found that Meta and Yandex, a Russian search engine, have overcome controls in mobile operating system software that ordinarily keep people’s web-browsing data anonymous. Each company puts code on its webpages that used local IPs to pass a person’s browsing history, which is supposed to remain private, to mobile apps installed on that person’s phone, de-anonymizing the data. Yandex has been conducting this tracking since 2017, while Meta began in September 2024, according to the researchers.

    What you can do about it

    If you use apps that collect your data in some way, including those that give you directions, track your workouts or help you contact someone, or if you use social media platforms, your privacy is at risk.

    Aside from entirely abandoning modern technology, there are several steps you can take to limit access – at least in part – to your private information.

    Read the privacy policy of each app or social media platform you use. Although privacy policy documents can be long, tedious and sometimes hard to read, they explain how social media platforms collect, process, store and share your data.

    Check a policy by making sure it can answer three questions: what data does the app collect, how does it collect the data, and what is the data used for. If you can’t answer all three questions by reading the policy, or if any of the answers don’t sit well with you, consider skipping the app until there’s a change in its data practices.

    Remove unnecessary permissions from mobile apps to limit the amount of information that applications can gather from you.

    Be aware of the privacy settings that might be offered by the apps or social media platforms you use, including any setting that allows your personal data to affect your experience or shares information about you with other users or applications.

    These privacy settings can give you some control. We recommend that you disable “off-app activity” and “personalization” settings. “Off-app activity” allows an app to record which other apps are installed on your phone and what you do on them. Personalization settings allow an app to use your data to tailor what it shows you, including advertisements.

    Review and update these settings regularly because permissions sometimes change when apps or your phone update. App updates may also add new features that can collect your data. Phone updates may also give apps new ways to collect your data or add new ways to preserve your privacy.

    Use private browser windows or reputable virtual private networks software, commonly referred to as VPNs, when using apps that connect to the internet and social media platforms. Private browsers don’t store any account information, which limits the information that can be collected. VPNs change the IP address of your machine so that apps and platforms can’t discover your location.

    Finally, ask yourself whether you really need every app that’s on your phone. And when using social media, consider how much information you want to reveal about yourself in liking and commenting on posts, sharing updates about your life, revealing locations you visited and following celebrities you like.

    This article is part of a series on data privacy that explores who collects your data, what and how they collect, who sells and buys your data, what they all do with it, and what you can do about it.

    Kassem Fawaz receives funding from the National Science Foundation. In the past, his research group has received unrestricted gifts from Meta and Google.

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

    – ref. The hidden cost of convenience: How your data pulls in hundreds of billions of dollars for app and social media companies – https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-cost-of-convenience-how-your-data-pulls-in-hundreds-of-billions-of-dollars-for-app-and-social-media-companies-251698

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • From Ghana to Brazil: PM Modi’s five-nation tour to cement South-South cooperation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    rime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a five-nation tour on Tuesday covering Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia, marking an important push to strengthen India’s ties with Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

    First Indian PM visit to Ghana in three decades

    Prime Minister Modi will begin his tour with an official visit to Ghana on July 2 and 3- the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the West African nation in 30 years.

    The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the visit holds special significance as Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama recently assumed office after a decisive electoral victory. PM Modi and President Mahama, who share a history of engagement since the India-Africa Forum Summit in 2015, will discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties.

    Key areas on the agenda include agriculture, defence cooperation, critical minerals, and a possible vaccine hub to serve West Africa. India’s capacity-building initiatives like the ITEC programme have long contributed to Ghana’s human resource development. Officials expect the two sides to sign MoUs in areas such as traditional medicine, standards and cultural exchange.

    Trinidad and Tobago: marking 180 years of Indian arrival

    From July 3 to 4, PM Modi will visit Trinidad and Tobago, marking the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister since 1999. The visit coincides with the 180th anniversary of the arrival of Indian immigrants to the island nation, which hosts one of the largest Indian-origin communities in the Caribbean.

    In Port of Spain, PM Modi will hold wide-ranging discussions with President Christine Carla Kangaloo, and Prime Minister Kamala Prasad Bisessar, both of whom are of Indian origin. Talks will cover cooperation in pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, digital public infrastructure, agriculture, disaster resilience, education and culture.

    Highlighting the shared heritage, PM Modi will address a joint session of the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament and interact with the vibrant Indian diaspora.

    Argentina visit: tapping new opportunities

    PM Modi’s next stop will be Argentina on July 4 and 5 – the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian PM to Argentina in nearly six decades.

    Officials said the visit is timely as Argentina pursues major economic reforms and offers new avenues for partnership. PM Modi will hold talks with President Javier Milei, focusing on boosting cooperation in defence manufacturing, digital technology, telemedicine, mining and renewable energy.

    Argentina’s vast reserves of lithium, copper and rare earths align with India’s push for secure and sustainable critical mineral supplies. India’s KABIL has already secured mining concessions in Argentina this year. Discussions will also cover food security, green energy, infrastructure, science and technology.

    Brazil: BRICS summit and bilateral talks

    PM Modi will then travel to Brazil to attend the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6 and 7. The theme for this year’s summit — “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Governance” — aligns with India’s foreign policy priorities.

    Leaders will deliberate on reforming global governance, peace and security, climate change and artificial intelligence. India expects key outcomes including a Leaders’ Declaration and frameworks for climate finance and socially determined diseases.

    On July 8, PM Modi will pay a state visit to Brasilia for bilateral talks with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. India and Brazil will review trade ties, currently valued at $12.2 billion, and aim to push the target to $20 billion. Cooperation in oil and gas, renewable energy, critical minerals, defence, agriculture, traditional medicine, and digital public infrastructure are expected to feature prominently.

    Namibia: energy, minerals, digital pay on radar

    PM Modi will conclude his tour with a landmark visit to Namibia on July 9- the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 27 years.

    India has long supported Namibia’s independence struggle and has maintained strong economic ties. Trade stands at around $600 million, with Indian investments of nearly $800 million, mostly in minerals like zinc and diamonds.

    During the visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and address Namibia’s Parliament. A key highlight will be a technology agreement enabling unified payment interoperability between the two countries — deepening fintech and digital cooperation.

    Namibia’s reserves of uranium, copper, cobalt and rare earths, and recent oil discoveries make it an attractive partner as India diversifies its energy and mineral supplies. The Cheetah translocation project from Namibia to India’s Kuno National Park remains a symbol of trust and collaboration.

  • Cabinet clears ₹1 lakh crore RDI Scheme to boost private sector-led innovation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a move aimed at strengthening India’s research and innovation ecosystem, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, with a total outlay of ₹1 lakh crore. The scheme is designed to encourage greater private sector participation in research and innovation, particularly in strategic and sunrise sectors.

    The RDI Scheme seeks to provide long-term financing or refinancing to private companies at low or nil interest rates. Officials said the scheme addresses the persistent funding constraints faced by the private sector in taking up research projects, and aims to provide growth and risk capital for critical and emerging technologies. The government hopes this will promote technological adoption, enhance global competitiveness, and contribute to economic security and self-reliance.

    Under the scheme, projects at higher levels of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) will receive funding, and support will also be extended for the acquisition of critical or strategically important technologies. The scheme will also facilitate the creation of a Deep-Tech Fund of Funds to back technology-focused ventures.

    The Research Development and Innovation Scheme will operate through a two-tier funding structure. At the first level, a Special Purpose Fund (SPF) will be set up within the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which will act as the custodian of the corpus. Funds from the SPF will then be allocated to various second-level fund managers, which will provide long-term concessional loans or, in some cases, equity funding—particularly for startups.

    The overarching strategic direction of the scheme will be provided by the Governing Board of the ANRF, chaired by the Prime Minister. The Executive Council of the ANRF will be responsible for approving guidelines and identifying second-level fund managers and projects in sunrise sectors. An Empowered Group of Secretaries, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, will oversee the scheme’s implementation, review its performance, and make decisions on sectors, project types, and fund managers. The Department of Science and Technology will serve as the nodal department for executing the scheme.

     

  • Cabinet clears ₹1 lakh crore RDI Scheme to boost private sector-led innovation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a move aimed at strengthening India’s research and innovation ecosystem, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, with a total outlay of ₹1 lakh crore. The scheme is designed to encourage greater private sector participation in research and innovation, particularly in strategic and sunrise sectors.

    The RDI Scheme seeks to provide long-term financing or refinancing to private companies at low or nil interest rates. Officials said the scheme addresses the persistent funding constraints faced by the private sector in taking up research projects, and aims to provide growth and risk capital for critical and emerging technologies. The government hopes this will promote technological adoption, enhance global competitiveness, and contribute to economic security and self-reliance.

    Under the scheme, projects at higher levels of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) will receive funding, and support will also be extended for the acquisition of critical or strategically important technologies. The scheme will also facilitate the creation of a Deep-Tech Fund of Funds to back technology-focused ventures.

    The Research Development and Innovation Scheme will operate through a two-tier funding structure. At the first level, a Special Purpose Fund (SPF) will be set up within the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which will act as the custodian of the corpus. Funds from the SPF will then be allocated to various second-level fund managers, which will provide long-term concessional loans or, in some cases, equity funding—particularly for startups.

    The overarching strategic direction of the scheme will be provided by the Governing Board of the ANRF, chaired by the Prime Minister. The Executive Council of the ANRF will be responsible for approving guidelines and identifying second-level fund managers and projects in sunrise sectors. An Empowered Group of Secretaries, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, will oversee the scheme’s implementation, review its performance, and make decisions on sectors, project types, and fund managers. The Department of Science and Technology will serve as the nodal department for executing the scheme.

     

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Students Combat Opioid Crisis in CT through Adopt a Health District Program

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The Adopt a Health District (ADOPHD) Program provides students with internship experiences that directly support Connecticut communities fighting the opioid epidemic.

    “It empowers the students to feel like they count, that they can make a difference in the world,” says Peaches Udoma, ADOPHD program coordinator and adjunct professor of pharmacy practice.

    The program’s design began in 2021, when Nathaniel Rickles, project director and associate dean for admissions and student affairs in the School of Pharmacy, received a grant from the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

    Since the first year, when the program included just two interns, it has grown substantially. During the 2024-25 academic year, 10 students participated. Next year, the program will expand to include the Stamford Health District, the Housatonic Valley Health District, and a total of 14 interns.

    “The program is a great example of life-transformative education, as it bridges classroom learning with real-world application that can change the lives of those in our communities with the greatest needs for support and care,” says Rickles.

    Students participate in a variety of activities related to the opioid crisis, including receiving and providing training to use Narcan, a medicine that can rapidly reverse an overdose, providing information about recognizing fake pills and general information about opioids, and assisting in the safe disposal of medication.

    Two interns work in collaboration at each health district. Interns have worked in districts which include the towns of New London, Groton, East Hartford, West Hartford, Stratford, Bristol, Burlington, Cheshire, Prospect, and Wolcott.

    “The health districts get new ideas from people who are reading the research, who are on the cutting edge, who are excited and idealistic about changing the world,” Udoma says. “The benefits of the relationship are endless, on both sides.”

    While the program is administered through the School of Pharmacy, students have also come from the UConn MPH program, and more MPH students are applying this year. The majority of the interns, however, have come from the allied health sciences (AHS) program in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.

    “Our students are really trying to get experience in different areas of healthcare and health promotion, so this is a perfect opportunity for them to get out into the community and put their knowledge to use,” says Jill Skowrenski, AHS administrative lead for student placement and engagement. “It’s so vital for the students to experiment in different paths in healthcare. It’s a great mix, this program led by the School of Pharmacy connecting with allied health students.”

    Eva-LaRue Barber ‘25 (CAHNR) was one of the AHS students who participated in the program last year.

    Barber works as an EMT and firefighter in New Haven, and already had experience administering Narcan.

    “I was really curious about how larger prevention techniques could be employed by a community,” Barber says.

    Barber interned in the Chesprocott Health District, which includes Cheshire, Prospect, and Wolcott.

    There, she and the other intern assigned to the district analyzed data to identify what groups were experiencing overdoses and how that compared to the district’s demographics.

    Because the population in the Chesprocott district is older, the interns went to senior centers and provided information about pill sorting and how to prevent accidental overdoses.

    They also hosted Narcan trainings at a school and participated in Drug Takeback Day.

    Barber made a video for the program’s YouTube channel, based on the in-person trainings.

    “I thought that was a really accessible way for people who couldn’t make it in for the trainings, and also to share with their friends and families,” Barber says.

    Barber will be working as a researcher at the Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology in the fall, before eventually attending medical school. She will continue to work with ADOPHD as a student coordinator.

    “I’m really interested in communities and how you can educate communities, especially with targeted approaches for their specific challenges,” Barber says. “For me, that’s something that was really important – recognizing communities and creating things for them.”

    Baber says she appreciates how she was able to tailor the experience to fit her interests.

    “You can really customize it to fulfill your needs,” Barber says. “You get out of it what you put into it.”

    Throughout the year-long program, students also collaborate on different teams to organize the program’s marketing, data, resources, and social events.

    “It’s not just academics, it’s not just what you learn in the classroom that is crucial to your success out in the world, it’s also your ability to work with others effectively and consider other opinions,” Udoma says. “So that’s why we put so much focus on the team-based approach.”

    Udoma says she and Rickles hope the program can become a national model.

    “If we could get students as boots on the ground all over the country bringing their ideas, their passion, and their openness to learning, we could really make a difference in the opioid crisis,” Udoma says.

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

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ‘The Ability to Give and Receive Love’: Researchers Look at Effects of Acceptance, Rejection

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Even at 90 years old, Ronald P. Rohner still works 365 days a year.

    That’s holidays, weekends, sick days, and everything in between, he says. But the professor emeritus and director of the Center for the Study of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection knows he’s not going to be able to keep pace forever – no matter how much he wants.

    He’s picked Sumbleen Ali ’21 Ph.D., a research scientist at the Center and an assistant professor at SUNY Oneonta, to carry on the Center’s global mission, as they seek to advance research on Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory, known as IPARTheory, and continue to expand its reach worldwide.

    It’s part of what the two have put into their latest book, “Global Perspectives on Parental Acceptance and Rejection: Lessons Learned from IPARTheory,” published this spring.

    Rohner and Ali sat with UConn Today recently to talk about interpersonal acceptance and rejection, what started Rohner’s study of it, and what their advice is for lay people.

    IPARTheory, short for Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory, has a global reach with thousands of downloads from people worldwide. This map from late May shows the latest reach. (Contributed art)

    How did you get started with this research?

    Rohner: It all came from a passage in this 1956 book that was my favorite textbook when I was an undergraduate. The author said that, in general, rejected children tend to be fearful, insecure, attention seeking, jealous, hostile, and lonely. Because of some previous experiences I’d had working in Morocco, I thought that wouldn’t be true. That may be true for Americans, but that’s not true for people all over the world – especially the people I’d encountered in Morocco in the 1950s. One of my first assignments in graduate school was to use the cross-cultural survey method, that’s when you draw a sample of societies from around the world and code them in a certain way to see what’s true and not true for people worldwide. When I did the analysis, I discovered that some of what was said in my undergraduate book was true and some of it wasn’t. That completely captured my attention. Every class thereafter during my graduate career if I could possibly fit it in, I built on that initial cross-cultural study, and when I came to UConn in 1964, I continued doing these kinds of cross-cultural studies to find out what we’re really like as human beings.

    What are some of the things you’ve found?

     
    Rohner: We’ve worked with several hundred thousand people over the past 60-some-odd years on every continent except Antarctica, and while doing that, we’ve learned many lessons about what we’re like and not like as human beings. The beauty of the work we do is that we can now empirically document three things, among others. First, humans everywhere – in any place in the world that we’ve found so far – understand themselves to be cared about or not cared about in the same four ways. So far, no exceptions. Second, if you feel the person or people who are most important to you – these are usually parents when we’re kids and intimate partners when we’re adults, but there could be others like teachers or coaches – if you feel that person doesn’t really want you, appreciate you, care about you, love you, if you feel rejected by that person, most people will respond in exactly the same way. A cluster of 10 things start to happen. We get anxious, insecure. We have anger problems. Our self-esteem is impaired. Children can have issues of cognitive distortions, in which they start to think about themselves in distorted ways. The third important lesson comes from Sumbleen’s work.

    Ali: I came to UConn as a psychology student and enjoyed working with Ron so much that I decided to pursue a graduate degree in human development and family sciences. In conversations about IPARTheory, we developed an argument that parental acceptance and rejection might be rooted in our shared biocultural evolution, and I wanted to investigate how that shows up in the brain. This became the focus of my dissertation – the first in affective neuroscience at UConn – under the guidance of my Ph.D. advisors, Preston Britner and Ron Rohner. The research examined how early parental experiences shape emotional regulation. We scanned the brains of students who reported either parental acceptance or rejection while they played a simulated ball-tossing game designed to mimic social exclusion. Those with rejection histories showed more activity in areas linked to emotion and memory, suggesting they were re-experiencing past rejection. Participants who felt loved showed more activation in regions tied to rational thinking, possibly reframing the experience. Now, we’re analyzing resting-state brain data to see whether differences in brain connectivity appear even without an external task.

    Why is this research so important?

     
    Rohner: If you bang your thumb, it’s going to hurt. Two weeks from now you’re going to remember that when you did that, it hurt – but you’re probably not going to feel the pain. With rejection, though, every time you think about it for the rest of your life, it can light up your brain in the same way it did when it was happening. I sometimes say the childhood of rejected kids can bully them for the rest of their lives. A rejected child who as an adult gets into an intimate relationship with a partner who is patient and has other supportive traits can help the rejected person to start feeling cared about, maybe for the first time in her or his life. That can go a long way, but we haven’t found anything yet that completely erases those experiences of early childhood.

    Really, there aren’t any exceptions?

     
    Ali: IPARTheory does identify a group of people we call ‘affective copers.’ These are individuals who might have experienced rejection from their parents or one parent, but they don’t show psychological maladjustment to the same degree that other rejected individuals do because they had a buffer in their life, like a grandparent, an intimate partner, a friend, or a sibling who provided them with love and shelter and protection.

    Rohner: We’re exploring this theory of ‘affective copers’ because if we can find out what helps some people then maybe clinicians and other professionals can use that information with their clients to help them overcome their feelings of rejection. We have clinical partners all over the world – in the courts, schools, clinical settings. IPARTheory is being applied everywhere to help people with custody issues, parental alienation, etcetera. The reason this has become so widespread around the world is because it works for people everywhere.

    People experience rejection all the time. How do how do some get through these situations better than others?

     
    Rohner: Someone like a bus driver, for instance, you don’t really care about them, so if they’re snotty to you, you’re going to get irritated, but it will roll off easier. If you’re ostracized from a peer group, that hurts too, and it’ll light up the brain but it’s not going to have the same long-term effects as being hurt by an attachment figure. We have an adage in IPARTheory that we call the ‘emotional moon phenomenon’ that says: ‘Sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m blue. My mood all day depends on my relationship with you.’ An attachment figure for us in IPARTheory is someone with whom your feelings of happiness and welfare are to some extent dependent on your relationship with that other person. When things are going well between you and them, times are great. When things start going out of whack, you get upset and stay that way. That’s an attachment figure. The bus driver is not an attachment figure. The breakup of even a bad intimate relationship is painful and will have an enduring effect for many people for a long time, but if you come from a loving family when that relationship ends there will be a period of upset, but you’ll tap the resilience from your prior background to get you through the hard times.

    Do you have any advice for lay people?

    Rohner: There’s no single experience in human life that’s more important, that has greater impact over the entire course of your life than the experience of being cared about by the people who are most important to you. That’s the fundamental lesson behind all of this. I don’t care what somebody says about what’s going on in a relationship, it’s what you feel is going on that makes the difference in your life.

    Ali: Early experiences of parental love, acceptance, or rejection leave children with far more than just memories. They fundamentally shape how children, and the adults they become, perceive themselves, relate to others, and make sense of the world. To that end, we have to keep working to understand why some parents love their children versus why others don’t, the ability to give and receive love. Our goal is for people to better understand themselves and understand those around them. Through our research and advocacy, we want to build a better community and foster healthy interpersonal relationships by improving our understanding of one another.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Union Cabinet approves National Sports Policy 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a move aimed at transforming India’s sporting ecosystem, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025. The policy replaces the National Sports Policy of 2001 and sets a comprehensive roadmap to establish India as a leading sporting nation, with a particular focus on preparing for the 2036 Olympic Games.

    The National Sports Policy 2025 is the culmination of extensive consultations involving Central Ministries, NITI Aayog, State Governments, National Sports Federations, athletes, experts, and public stakeholders. It lays out a strategic framework for developing sports in the country across multiple dimensions, including excellence, economic growth, social development, mass participation, and educational integration.

    The policy aims to strengthen India’s sports ecosystem from grassroots to elite levels, focusing on early talent identification, building competitive leagues, expanding infrastructure in rural and urban areas, and enhancing training, coaching, and athlete support systems. It also seeks to modernize governance within National Sports Federations and promote the use of sports science, medicine, and technology to boost performance.

    Recognizing the economic potential of sports, the policy promotes sports tourism, international event hosting, and the development of a robust sports manufacturing and startup ecosystem. It calls for greater private sector participation through Public-Private Partnerships, Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, and innovative financing mechanisms.

    Social inclusion is another key pillar, with targeted programs to increase sports participation among women, tribal communities, economically weaker sections, and persons with disabilities. The policy also aims to revive indigenous and traditional games, promote dual-career pathways, and engage the Indian diaspora through sports.

    To foster a culture of fitness and make sports a mass movement, National Sports Policy 2025 proposes nationwide campaigns, the introduction of fitness indices in schools and workplaces, and improved access to sports facilities. In line with the National Education Policy 2020, it emphasizes integrating sports into school curricula and equipping educators with specialized training.

    The policy outlines a robust implementation strategy, including a national monitoring framework with defined performance benchmarks and timelines. It will serve as a model for states and union territories to align their sports policies with national goals. The “whole-of-government” approach aims to mainstream sports across various departments and schemes, ensuring a unified and impactful strategy.

    With this ambitious and forward-looking policy, the government aims to position India not only as a global sporting powerhouse but also to promote healthier, more inclusive, and empowered citizens through sports.

  • Union Cabinet approves National Sports Policy 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a move aimed at transforming India’s sporting ecosystem, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025. The policy replaces the National Sports Policy of 2001 and sets a comprehensive roadmap to establish India as a leading sporting nation, with a particular focus on preparing for the 2036 Olympic Games.

    The National Sports Policy 2025 is the culmination of extensive consultations involving Central Ministries, NITI Aayog, State Governments, National Sports Federations, athletes, experts, and public stakeholders. It lays out a strategic framework for developing sports in the country across multiple dimensions, including excellence, economic growth, social development, mass participation, and educational integration.

    The policy aims to strengthen India’s sports ecosystem from grassroots to elite levels, focusing on early talent identification, building competitive leagues, expanding infrastructure in rural and urban areas, and enhancing training, coaching, and athlete support systems. It also seeks to modernize governance within National Sports Federations and promote the use of sports science, medicine, and technology to boost performance.

    Recognizing the economic potential of sports, the policy promotes sports tourism, international event hosting, and the development of a robust sports manufacturing and startup ecosystem. It calls for greater private sector participation through Public-Private Partnerships, Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, and innovative financing mechanisms.

    Social inclusion is another key pillar, with targeted programs to increase sports participation among women, tribal communities, economically weaker sections, and persons with disabilities. The policy also aims to revive indigenous and traditional games, promote dual-career pathways, and engage the Indian diaspora through sports.

    To foster a culture of fitness and make sports a mass movement, National Sports Policy 2025 proposes nationwide campaigns, the introduction of fitness indices in schools and workplaces, and improved access to sports facilities. In line with the National Education Policy 2020, it emphasizes integrating sports into school curricula and equipping educators with specialized training.

    The policy outlines a robust implementation strategy, including a national monitoring framework with defined performance benchmarks and timelines. It will serve as a model for states and union territories to align their sports policies with national goals. The “whole-of-government” approach aims to mainstream sports across various departments and schemes, ensuring a unified and impactful strategy.

    With this ambitious and forward-looking policy, the government aims to position India not only as a global sporting powerhouse but also to promote healthier, more inclusive, and empowered citizens through sports.

  • MIL-OSI: Close-Up International Appoints Jim Barone as Executive Vice President of Business Solutions to Continue Launch into US Pharma CRM Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PRINCETON, N.J., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Close-Up International, a global leading provider of CRM and data technology solutions for the life sciences industry is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Barone as Executive Vice President of Business Solutions. In this role, Jim will lead efforts to expand Close-Up’s footprint across the U.S. CRM market and drive strategic growth initiatives.

    Jim brings over 30 years of experience in the life sciences sector, with a strong background in pharmaceuticals, data, and emerging technologies. Throughout his career, Jim has been at the forefront of innovation in CRM strategy and advanced analytics solutions. Prior to joining Close-Up, Jim held key leadership roles which included Senior Director of Product Strategy at Veeva Systems and Area VP of Sales at Komodo Health, where he led strategic initiatives to align CRM product development with the needs of key accounts teams and the launch of a market access and claims integration platform tailored for emerging and mid-size pharmaceutical companies, respectively. He was also President and CEO of BusinessOne Technologies for 15+ years and successfully led teams to develop and implement data-driven CRM platforms, delivering scalable and impactful solutions to the pharmaceutical industry.

    “Jim’s proven record and deep industry expertise make him an invaluable addition to our executive team,” said Robert Thomas, CCO of Close-Up. “His vision and leadership will be key as we continue to grow our CRM presence in the United States and deliver market-leading solutions to pharmaceutical companies.” With the current Salesforce and Veeva CRM disruption, we have a tremendous opportunity to provide Pharma companies a proven AI CRM solution with over 245 active CRM clients in over 50 Counties.”

    “I’m excited to join Close-Up at such a transformative moment for our industry,” said Jim Barone. “Close-Up has an exceptional CRM platform and is the only 5-star peer reviewed pharma CRM solution on Gartner in 2025. I look forward to collaborating with the team to further enhance our solutions and support clients in achieving commercial excellence.” Jim’s appointment reflects Close-Up’s continued commitment to innovation, client success, and further expansion in the US pharma CRM technology landscape.

    About Close-Up Intl.,
    Close-Up International is a leading provider of AI-powered CRM, data analytics and business intelligence solutions for the global life sciences industry. With 55+ years in the market, we serve 650+ healthcare clients in over 50 countries with 47,000+ active CRM users and top 3 global pharma CRM providers. Our AI-powered CRM platform enhances engagement with healthcare professionals, identifies real-time opportunities and threats, while boosting overall productivity. Designed for seamless adoption, it offers an intuitive user interface, flexible data integration, and long-term cost benefits to pharmaceutical companies. For more information, visit www.closeupus.com or email us at info@closeupus.com
    Contact:
    Robert Thomas | Close-Up Intl,
    rthomas@closeupus.com
    closeupus.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Air quality isn’t just bad in cities – here’s why and how we’re tracking pollution from upland fires

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rebecca Brownlow, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science, Sheffield Hallam University

    Peatland burns over the reservoir in Langsett, a village in South Yorkshire. Wendy Birks, CC BY-NC-ND

    Early one October afternoon in 2023, thick grey smoke drifted across Sheffield’s western skyline. As much of the city became blanketed, residents turned to social media to complain about “bonfire smoke”, while others were forced to leave the city due to breathing difficulties.

    However, this smoke did not originate within the city. It was drifting in from the Peak District, more than nine miles away, where controlled heather burning was taking place on the moorlands. For around six hours, levels of fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5), tiny airborne pollutants known to harm human health, exceeded 40 micrograms per cubic metre of air (µg/m³) and peaked at 70µg/m³, well above the guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization.

    This single incident points to the wider and largely invisible problem of the routine burning of the UK’s uplands. This can be a serious source of air pollution, but because most official air pollution monitoring concentrates on urban areas, the effects are overlooked. This is why we have started monitoring upland fires and the pollution they cause.

    Prescribed burning is a longstanding land management practice often used to control vegetation for grouse shooting or livestock grazing. It happens across a range of upland landscapes. Many of the areas being burned sit on deep peat, an organic-rich soil made from layers of slowly decomposed plant material formed over thousands of years in waterlogged conditions.

    Peatlands are incredibly important. They are one of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet. In the UK, they cover around 12% of the land area and store an estimated 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon. This is equivalent to all the forests of Germany, France and the UK combined. Most of the UK’s peat is found in Scotland, but notable areas in England include the Peak District and North York Moors. However, their value goes well beyond carbon.

    Around 70% of Britain’s drinking water comes from upland areas that are largely peatland, and healthy peatlands help reduce flooding by slowing the flow of water from hills to towns and cities. They also provide vital habitats for birds, insects and rare plants, forming the UK’s largest area of semi-natural habitat.



    Read more:
    Wildfire smoke can harm human health, even when the fire is burning hundreds of miles away – a toxicologist explains why

    Despite their ecological importance, more than 80% of English peatlands are classified as degraded, often through historic air pollution, draining, overgrazing and, importantly, repeated burning.

    One hidden consequence of that burning is air pollution. These burns are often viewed as isolated rural events, but their effect on regional air quality can be substantial. On that day in Sheffield, pollution levels briefly rivalled those seen across the city during bonfire night, a well-known peak in urban air pollution.

    In response to that October event, our research team launched a new pilot monitoring network across part of the Peak District national park. This FireUp project combines air quality sensors, satellite data and community observations to detect and measure pollution from upland fires.

    Planned burning event in the Peak District captured via Copernicus Sentinel-2 data (2024), retrieved from Copernicus SciHub and processed by European Space Agency.
    CC BY

    By using a mix of technologies and local reporting, we have documented spikes in PM2.5 pollution that would have otherwise been missed. Our system offers a clearer picture of when and where fires occur, and how far their smoke spreads, opening the door for better planning and stronger protections for public health. But the problem is not just a lack of data, it is also a failure of regulation. England’s current upland burning regulations are limited on four fronts.

    Heather and grass burning regulations introduced in 2021 prohibit burning only on peat deeper than 40cm inside designated sites. That means 60% of upland peat is excluded from these protections.

    With more than 95% of PM2.5 monitors located in urban areas, smoke from moorland fires in remote rural locations is rarely registered on official networks.

    The resources for organisations responsible for enforcing regulations have shrunk over the last decade. Natural England, one of the government’s statutory bodies responsible for environmental protection, has experienced a 4% decrease in funding for 2024-25 compared to the previous year.

    Prosecutions for illegal burning are exceptionally rare, with satellite analyses pointing to a higher level of unlicensed activity than official records suggest.

    In short, narrow legal scope, limited monitoring coverage and under-resourced enforcement leave many prescribed burns undetected and unaccounted for, along with the health and environmental risks they carry.

    Our FireUp system improves fire detections and helps quantify the effects of air pollution from these burns. As the UK government reviews regulations as part of the 2025 heather and grass burning consultation for England, and as upland fire risk increases, this kind of evidence is essential, not just to track what is happening, but to help shape a healthier and better future for the UK’s uplands.

    Our next step is to develop a citizen science app that makes it easier for people to report peatland fire incidents and upland burning to help improve regulation and log the effects of changes in air quality.

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

    Get a 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 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    James is a member of the Welsh Government Clean Air Advisory Panel, and Promoting Awareness of Air Quality Delivery Group. James also sits on the Scottish Government’s Air Quality Advisory Group.

    Maria Val Martin receives funding from UKRI and is a member of the DEFRA Air Quality Expert Group.

    Rebecca Brownlow 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. Air quality isn’t just bad in cities – here’s why and how we’re tracking pollution from upland fires – https://theconversation.com/air-quality-isnt-just-bad-in-cities-heres-why-and-how-were-tracking-pollution-from-upland-fires-258034

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: From sore muscles to smartwatches and stubborn belly fat: answers to six of the most common fitness questions

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Hough, Lecturer Sport & Exercise Physiology , University of Westminster

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    In a world flooded with fitness fads and “quick-fix” workout plans, solid evidence can often get drowned out. Yet the science is clear: jogging for just five to ten minutes a day can lower your risk of dying from heart disease and even reduce your overall risk of dying from any cause. This kind of research rarely gets the attention it deserves.

    As a sport and exercise scientist, I’ve been asked hundreds of fitness questions over the years by athletes, clients and on social media. Many of these questions are rooted in persistent myths or internet misinformation. Here are six of the most common ones, starting with one of the most popular:

    1. What exercise is best for fat loss?

    No specific exercise can reduce fat in one area, despite what ads or fitness influencers might promise.

    Instead, losing body fat comes down to maintaining a caloric deficit over time: burning more calories than you consume. If you eat more than you burn, even the most intense workouts won’t shift body fat.

    That said, exercise plays a key role in fat loss. Combining a healthy diet with physical activity is the most effective strategy for fat loss and long-term weight maintenance. Exercise helps by burning calories, improving sleep regulation, increasing confidence, and promoting metabolic adaptations like improved insulin sensitivity.

    Resistance training is especially important. It helps preserve muscle during calorie restriction, meaning the weight you lose is more likely to come from fat rather than lean tissue.



    Read more:
    Weight loss: why you don’t just lose fat when you’re on a diet

    2. Does fasting before exercise help you burn more fat?

    Fasted exercise (working out on an empty stomach, typically in the morning) increases fat oxidation, the metabolic process where fatty acids are broken down to produce energy due to low blood glucose and insulin levels, paired with elevated cortisol.

    But does it lead to greater fat loss overall? Not really.
    Studies comparing fasted versus fed exercise show no significant differences in long-term fat loss when total calories are matched. In short: fasted workouts might burn more fat during the session, but it doesn’t translate into greater weight loss over time.

    3. Why do my muscles feel sore two days after training?

    That ache you feel 24 to 48 hours after an intense or unfamiliar workout is called delayed onset muscle soreness (Doms). The delay in soreness is caused by inflammation, which takes time to fully develop. The inflammation is beneficial because it signals your body to rebuild stronger tissue by breaking down damaged proteins and building new ones. In response to the inflammation, the muscle and connective tissues release “protein messengers” that sensitise pain receptors in the connective tissues, which can make even basic movements feel uncomfortable.

    Doms often peaks two days after exercise. But the good news? Your body adapts quickly. Doms is a normal part of muscle adaptation that enables you to experience less soreness when you next perform the same activity.

    4. Should I train if my muscles are sore?

    If your muscles feel sore after exercise, they are temporarily weakened and it’s best to avoid high-intensity exercise.

    Mild Doms? Low-intensity, low impact activities like swimming or cycling can help improve blood flow and reduce stiffness, easing the sensation of soreness. However, light activity won’t necessarily speed up the recovery process. Another option is to train different muscle groups, such as the upper body if your legs are sore.

    5. Is running bad for your knees?

    This myth is surprisingly persistent but the evidence says otherwise. A 2023 study found no higher rates of knee osteoarthritis among runners compared to non-runners. In fact, running may even strengthen cartilage by stimulating collagen production.

    That said, certain risk factors, such as previous knee injury, excess body weight, or ramping up mileage too quickly, can raise your risk of knee pain or injury. But with smart training, including resistance work and gradual progression, running can be safe and beneficial for your knees.

    6. Do smartwatches accurately track calories burned?

    Not quite. While wearables can give a rough estimate of your energy expenditure, they’re not precise enough to rely on for dietary or fitness planning.

    A 2022 study found that smartwatches significantly miscalculated calories burned across different activities like walking, cycling and resistance training. These findings align with a wider systematic review that concluded most fitness trackers are inaccurate for energy expenditure.

    These devices can still be helpful for tracking heart rate trends, daily step counts and staying motivated but if you’re planning your diet or workouts around the calorie numbers they give you, it’s time to think again.



    Read more:
    Wearable fitness trackers can make you seven times more likely to stick to your workouts – new research

    When it comes to exercise and fat loss, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution – and no shortcut. The basics still matter: eat well, move often and listen to your body. And when in doubt, stick with exercise and nutrition advice supported by science – not what’s trending online.

    Paul Hough 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. From sore muscles to smartwatches and stubborn belly fat: answers to six of the most common fitness questions – https://theconversation.com/from-sore-muscles-to-smartwatches-and-stubborn-belly-fat-answers-to-six-of-the-most-common-fitness-questions-259305

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Radical listening: two big ideas and six core skills that could help you connect more deeply with others

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

    brizmaker/Shutterstock

    Even though we live in a constantly connected world, more people feel lonely than ever before. According to public polling company Gallup, nearly a quarter of the world’s population reports feeling lonely.

    At the same time, we’re overwhelmed by distractions: 80% of desk-based workers admit to losing concentration during meetings. And with just a scroll through our newsfeeds, we see growing polarisation and political division on a global scale.

    In such uncertain times, the practice of radical listening – listening with greater intention – offers a way to reconnect and to foster a deeper sense of empathy, engagement and hope.

    In our book, Radical listening: the art of true connection, which I co-authored with positive psychology expert Dr Robert Biswas-Diener, we explore how radical listening can improve motivation, wellbeing and meaningful connection. To become a radical listener, you’ll need to embrace two core ideas and develop six essential skills.

    The first idea is about clarifying your intention when listening. At the heart of radical listening is the belief that we always listen with a purpose — even if we’re not fully aware of it. For example, we might listen to a podcast with the intention of learning something, or attend a comedy show with the goal of being entertained.

    When we set a clear intention, we become more attuned to what matters. If your aim is to show appreciation during a conversation, you’ll naturally tune in to the qualities you value in the other person — a thoughtful comment, a kind gesture. If you want to elevate your listening, enter conversations with a positive, deliberate intention.

    The second idea is about matching your listening intention to what will be most helpful for your conversation partner. This is grounded in the principle of optimal matching of social support. Biswas-Diener explains it well here: meaningful conversations happen when there’s alignment between what the speaker needs and what the listener offers.

    This may sound obvious, but we often miss the mark. Say your partner has had a tough day. Should you offer advice? Reassure them with a personal story? Just listen and empathise? Change the subject to distract them? The most effective response might be asking: “What do you need from me right now?” When you get the match right, you’ll feel the connection.

    Six core skills

    We all have our own listening styles: empathetic, animated, quiet, curious. The good news is that everyone can improve their listening by practising these six core skills:

    1. Noticing: This means scanning for subtle but relevant cues: body language, facial expressions, changes in tone, or unusual word choices. Noticing shows you’re fully present. For example: “I noticed you lit up when you talked about your previous job.”

    2. Quieting: Managing distractions, both external and internal. Great listeners reduce interruptions by putting away their phones or turning off notifications – but also by calming their internal chatter. Being rested and mentally present makes quieting possible.

    3. Accepting: Respecting others’ right to their views – even when you disagree. Acceptance doesn’t mean agreement. It means acknowledging that others have a valid perspective. Try practising this by listening to someone whose views challenge your own.

    4. Acknowledging: Validating your conversation partner’s experiences and contributions. Look for opportunities to highlight their strengths, reflect their feelings and show empathy through both your words and expressions.

    5. Questioning: Curiosity is a cornerstone of radical listening. Ask questions that express genuine interest and invite deeper sharing. Try: “What was it about that moment that made it so special for you?”

    6. Interjecting: Jump in (briefly) with minimal encouragers to show you’re engaged – then jump back out. Minimal encouragers are short verbal or nonverbal cues used during a conversation to show you’re engaged without interrupting or taking over. They’re a key skill in radical listening because they let the speaker know you’re present and responsive while keeping the focus on them. Think of it as offering small bursts of energy, like “That’s amazing!” or “Wow, I didn’t know that.” It shows you’re actively listening, not passively absorbing.

    Radical listening is a hyper-intentional, purposeful and proactive approach to connection. It’s about helping others feel seen, valued and heard. The benefits for your conversation partner are clear — but there are also real advantages for you. You’ll build deeper relationships, experience more satisfying interactions, and be able to create trust quickly.

    In a world of loneliness, distraction, and division, radical listening isn’t just a nice idea – it’s a powerful tool for human connection.

    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Christian van Nieuwerburgh 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. Radical listening: two big ideas and six core skills that could help you connect more deeply with others – https://theconversation.com/radical-listening-two-big-ideas-and-six-core-skills-that-could-help-you-connect-more-deeply-with-others-256289

    MIL OSI Analysis –