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  • MIL-OSI USA: A Final Farewell to Landsat 7

    Source: US Geological Survey

    However, Landsat 7’s imagery will remain everlasting. The data collected by the satellite’s sensor from 1999 to 2024 is a key part of Landsat’s 50-plus year record of imaging our planet’s surface and are preserved in the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center archive.

    Landsat 7’s active science mission ended in early 2024, with its final images downlinked that May. The satellite’s 25 years of continuous data collection will remain a valuable tool, supporting resource management, scientific discovery and related decision-making for years to come.

    Lowering the Orbit

    In its final year, the USGS Landsat 7 Flight Operations Team at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the ground station crew at EROS closely monitored Landsat 7 while carefully planning for its “passivation”—moving the satellite from an active to a passive state. Once passivated, Landsat 7 will no longer be able to maneuver or send and receive signals from USGS personnel or any other entity. 

    Landsat 7 Orbit Lowering Approach

    The first step in this process was to lower the satellite’s orbit, which was completed through two sets of controlled burns on April 8 and April 15, 2025. “With sadness, I am informing you that Landsat 7 has performed its last maneuver and depleted all of its useable fuel. For all planning purposes, Landsat 7 has now become a non-maneuverable satellite,” said Joe Blahovec, USGS Chief of the Satellite & Ground Systems Operations Branch at EROS. He is also responsible for the Landsat Flight Operations Team and Mission Operations Center at GSFC.

    Landsat 7 had already been flying in a lower orbit since 2022, when it dropped to an altitude of 697 kilometers (433 miles), making room for Landsat 9 to join Landsat 8 at 705 km (438 miles). Due to increased solar activity in recent years, Landsat 7 had dropped another 5 km to an orbit of about 692 km (430 miles). Following the latest maneuvers, Landsat 7 now orbits at 688 km (427.5 miles), farther away from other satellites in low-Earth orbit and reducing the likelihood of collision concerns.

    To further reduce the risk of interfering with future missions, Landsat 7 was shifted from an elliptical to a circular orbit. This adjustment helps minimize the chance of collision with Landsat Next—currently planned to launch in the early 2030s. By the time Landsat Next is operating at a similar altitude, Landsat 7’s circular path will limit how long their orbits overlap, making it less likely that future satellites will need to maneuver around it.

     

    Shutting Down the Satellite

    From May 27 through June 4, 2025, mission control has been shutting down systems no longer needed for Landsat 7. Steps include bleeding off the battery charge, disconnecting the battery’s charging circuits, disabling the fuel-line heaters, repositioning the solar array to minimize charging, and turning off the instruments that control the satellite’s “attitude,” or orientation in space. 

    The final systems to go are those responsible for attitude control. The very last command will shut off the S-band, permanently ending communication between the satellite and the ground. 

    After that, Landsat 7 will remain silent, drifting in orbit for approximately 55 years before reentering Earth’s atmosphere. Although its mission is over, one final safeguard remains. An internal loop command that manages power, ensuring the satellite remains safely dormant. This system prevents the solar array from generating enough charge to reactivate the satellite, even if it accidentally shifts toward the Sun.

    An engineering model of the Landsat 7 ETM+ (Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus) sensor 

     

    Looking Toward the Future

    Landsat 7’s long watch over Earth leaves a legacy that will continue to support science and society for decades to come. Today, Landsat 8 (launched in 2013) and Landsat 9 (launched in 2021) work together to create a complete snapshot of Earth every 8 days. The next generation—Landsat Next—is currently planned to launch in the early 2030s and will offer even greater coverage and detail.

    Tim Newman, Program Coordinator for the USGS National Land Imaging Program called Landsat 7 “a transformational bridge between the past and the future of Earth observation.” He added, “Landsat 7 sustained decades of continuity by evolving satellite observations and data products to meet changing priorities and national needs. Its unqualified value to the Nation in science and operational applications helped ensure the future of the long-running Landsat program, inspiring even more capable operational missions like Landsat 8 and 9 and the revolutionary new Landsat Next, now in development. Cheers to all who worked on Landsat 7, and especially the USGS Flight Operations Team for a quarter century of outstanding service to the Nation and the world!”

    As the program moves forward, Landsat 7 is remembered fondly by the personnel who spent years commanding the satellite and monitoring its health. They feel a connection to the program’s many accomplishments and future capabilities. 

    Blahovec reflected: “The Landsat 7 mission stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication and ingenuity of the team that has operated and safeguarded it. Their relentless efforts have enabled the satellite to deliver invaluable Earth observation data to the nation and the global community for over 20 years beyond its original design lifespan. While this moment is bittersweet, the team should take great pride in their remarkable efforts and accomplishments throughout the years.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Loyal to the oil’ – how religion and striking it rich shape Canada’s hockey fandom

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cody Musselman, Preceptor, College Writing Program, Harvard University

    Some Edmonton Oilers fans are pinning their Stanley Cup hopes on captain Connor McDavid. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

    Déjà vu is a common occurrence in the world of sports, and the Edmonton Oilers are no strangers to repeat matchups. The Canadian team faced off against the New York Islanders in both 1983 and ’84 for hockey’s biggest prize, the Stanley Cup. In this year’s National Hockey League finals, the Oilers will try to avenge their Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in 2024.

    Edmontonians who have been “loyal to the oil,” as fans say, have been waiting for redemption ever since. The Trump administration’s threats toward its northern neighbor has fueled a wave of nationalism, making even more fans eager for a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup – which has not happened since 1993. With hopes pinned to Edmonton, the finals also brings renewed attention to some of Canada’s biggest exports: hockey and oil.

    Novelist Leslie McFarlane once observed that for Canadians, “hockey is more than a game; it is almost a religion.” Prayers and superstitions abound, from wearing special clothing to fans averting their eyes during penalty shots.

    The Oilers also evoke another aspect of Canadian society that, for some, has almost religious importance: resource extraction. In American and Canadian culture, oil has long been entangled with religion. It’s a national blessing from God, in some people’s eyes, and a means to the “good life” for those who persevere to find it. For many people in communities whose economies center around resource extraction, the possibility of success is valued above its environmental risks.

    We are scholars of religion who study sports and how oil shapes society, or petro-cultures. The Edmonton Oilers showcase a worldview in which triumph, luck and rugged work pay off – beliefs at home on the ice or in the oil field. The Stanley Cup Final offers a glimpse into how the oil industry has helped shaped the religious fervor around Canada’s favorite sport.

    Edmonton Oilers fan Dale Steil’s boots before the team’s playoff game against the Los Angeles Kings on April 26, 2024.
    AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

    Boomtown

    Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, a province known for its massive oil, gas and oil sands reserves. With five refineries producing an average of 3.8 million barrels a day, oil and gas is Alberta’s biggest industry – and a way of life.

    This is especially true in Edmonton, known as the “Oil Capital of Canada.” Here, oil not only structures the local economy, but it also shapes identities, architecture and everyday experiences.

    Visit the West Edmonton Mall, for example, and you’ll see a statue of three oil workers drilling, reminding shoppers that petroleum is the bedrock of their commerce. Visit the Canadian Energy Museum to learn how oil and gas have remade the region since the late 1940s, and glimpse items such as engraved hard hats and the “Oil Patch Kid,” a spin on the iconic “Cabbage Patch Kids” toys. Tour the Greater Edmonton area and see how pump jacks dot the horizon. Oil is everywhere, shaping futures, fortunes and possibility.

    Pump jacks near Acme, Alberta – a regular sight.
    Michael Interisano/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    Set against this backdrop, the Oilers’ name is unsurprising. It is not uncommon, after all, to name teams after local industries. Football’s Pittsburgh Steelers pay homage to the steel mills that once employed much of the team’s fan base. The Tennessee Oilers were originally the Houston Oilers, prompting other Texas teams such as the XFL’s Roughnecks to follow suit. Further north, the name of basketball’s Detroit Pistons references car manufacturing.

    Teams with industry-inspired names play double duty, venerating both a place and a trade. Some fans are not only cheering for the home team, but also cheering for themselves – affirming that their industry and their labor matter.

    Ales Hemsky of the Edmonton Oilers skates out from under the oil derrick for a game at Rexall Place in 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta.
    Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images

    In a TikTok video from last year’s Stanley Cups playoffs, a man overcome with joy at the Oilers’ victory over the Dallas Stars claps his hands and hops around his living room. The caption reads, “My first-generation immigrant oil rig working Filipino father who has never played a second of hockey in his life … happily cheering for the Oilers advancing in the playoffs. Better Bring that cup home for him oily boys.” He appears to be cheering for the Oilers not because they are a hockey team, but because they are an oil team.

    And indeed, the Oilers are an oily team. The Oilers’ Oilfield Network, for example, describes itself as “exclusively promot[ing] companies in the Oil and Gas industry,” allowing leaders to connect “through the power of Oilers hockey.”

    The Oilers’ connection with industry is further underscored by their logos. The current one features a simple drop of oil, but past designs featured machinery gears and an oil worker pulling a lever shaped like a hockey stick.

    Simply put, “Edmonton is all oil,” Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner shared after defeating the Dallas Stars to win the 2025 Western Conference Final.

    Liquid gold

    There is a long tradition of pairing hockey with oil – and with Canada itself.

    After the British North America Act founded Canada in 1867, the new nation searched for a distinctive identity through sport and other cultural forms.

    Enter hockey. The winter game evolved in Canada from the Gaelic game of “shinty” and the First Nations’ game of lacrosse and soon became part of the glue holding the nation together.

    Ever since, media, politicians, sports groups and major industries have helped fuel fan fervor and promoted hockey as integral to Canada’s rugged frontiersman character.

    The Montreal Amateur Athletic Association posing with the first Stanley Cup in 1893.
    Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images

    In 1936, Imperial Oil, one of Canada’s largest petroleum companies, began sponsoring Hockey Night in Canada, a national radio show that reached millions each week. Several years later, Imperial Oil played a major role in bringing the show to television, where the Imperial Oil Choir sang the theme song. Imperial Oil and its gas stations, Esso, also sponsored youth hockey programs across the nation. In 2019, Imperial inked a deal to be the NHL’s “official retail fuel” in Canada.

    Striking it rich

    Connections between hockey and industry in Alberta’s oil country aren’t just about sponsorships. Central to both cultures is the idea of luck – historically, one of the many things it takes to extract fossil fuels. “Striking it rich” in the oil fields has become entangled with the idea of divine providence, especially among the many Christian laborers.

    Philosopher Terra Schwerin Rowe has written about North America’s “petro-theology,” explaining how many perceive oil as a free-flowing gift from God meant to be taken from the Earth – if you can find it.

    A Canadian oil worker kisses his wife and daughter goodbye as he sets off to work in northern Alberta in the 1950s.
    John Chillingworth/Getty Images

    Oil represents fortune, and who wouldn’t want to borrow a bit of that for their team? Sports are thrilling because sometimes talent, team chemistry and the home-field advantage still lose to a stroke of good luck. Oil culture pairs the idea of divine favor with an insistence on rough-and-tumble endurance, similar to hockey.

    Sometimes if you don’t strike it rich the first time, you have to keep on drilling. The next well may be the one to bring wealth. Oil prospectors know this, but so do sports fans who maintain hope season to season.

    Soon fans from around the world will join Edmonton locals in rooting for the Oilers. They’ll throw their hands up in despair if captain Connor McDavid enters the “sin bin” – the penalty box – or dance in celebration to the Oilers’ theme, “La Bamba.” Some of them will be cheering, too, for oil.

    This is an updated version of an article originally published on June 19, 2024.

    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. ‘Loyal to the oil’ – how religion and striking it rich shape Canada’s hockey fandom – https://theconversation.com/loyal-to-the-oil-how-religion-and-striking-it-rich-shape-canadas-hockey-fandom-258024

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: 1 in 4 children suffers from chronic pain − school nurses could be key to helping them manage it

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Natoshia R. Cunningham, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Michigan State University

    Mental heath approaches beat medication in treating children’s chronic pain. andresr/E+ via Getty Images

    Joint pain, headaches, stomachaches, fibromyalgia – the list sounds like an inventory of ailments that might plague people as they age. Yet these are chronic, painful conditions that frequently affect children.

    People often imagine childhood as a time when the body functions at its best, but about 25% of children experience chronic pain. I was one of them: Starting in elementary school, migraines incapacitated me for hours at a stretch with excruciating pain that made it impossible to go to school, much less talk to friends or have fun.

    As a licensed pediatric pain psychologist, I develop and test psychological care strategies for children who experience chronic pain. Effective treatments exist, but they are often not accessible, particularly for families that don’t live near major medical centers or have adequate health insurance. My colleagues and I are working to change that by training school nurses and other community health providers to deliver such care.

    More than growing pains

    Chronic pain in children is not only widespread but also persistent. Many continue to experience symptoms for years on end. For example, one-third of children with abdominal pain experience symptoms that last into adulthood. Children with chronic pain are also more likely to come from families that have less income, have greater health care barriers, report more safety concerns about their environment and experience greater exposure to violence than those without chronic pain.

    These conditions interfere with daily life. Children with chronic pain miss about 1 in 5 days of school. Consequently, their academics suffer and they are less likely to graduate from high school. Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are common.

    Experiencing chronic pain in childhood also puts people at an increased risk for opioid use in adulthood, signaling a major public health concern.

    Chronic pain can derail a child’s daily life.

    Behavioral therapy for pain

    Many adults think nothing of taking medicines such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen for minor aches and pains, but there’s little evidence that pharmacologic treatments work best for children’s chronic pain. Research suggests that such medicines are insufficient for helping children get back to their routines and activities, such as school, sports and hanging out with friends.

    The most studied and perhaps most effective approach for treating chronic pain in children is cognitive behavioral therapy. This modality involves teaching children how pain works in the brain, and also training them on problem solving, relaxation methods such as deep breathing, challenging negative thoughts about pain, and pacing activities to avoid pain flares. Unlike pain medications, which wear off after a few hours, research suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy can have a lasting effect. Kids can get back to doing things they need and want to do, and they often feel better too over the long term.

    My colleagues and I – along with other researchers – have developed and tested cognitive behavioral approaches for children with chronic painful conditions such as functional abdominal pain and childhood-onset lupus. These interventions not only get kids back to their daily lives but also reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression that often accompany children’s pain syndromes.

    To be sure, providing interventions in the form of web-based tools or apps can improve access for children who can’t see a provider. However, we have found that children and their families are more likely to complete the course of treatment with a provider, and that automated self-management tools can complement but not replace care delivered by a provider. In fact, when cognitive behavioral therapy for children’s chronic pain is delivered exclusively through an online tool, only a third of children complete treatment.

    How community providers can fill the gap

    Despite the proven benefits of psychological therapies for children’s pain, few providers are trained to use them. That’s one of the most common barriers to care.

    One potentially untapped resource is school nurses and other specialists who are often the first point of contact for a child with chronic pain, such as social workers and school counselors. Programs already exist to train school providers, including school nurses, in managing children’s mental health, but few of them address chronic pain.

    To fill this gap, my colleagues and I have developed a program to train school nurses and other community health experts to teach children cognitive and behavioral strategies to manage their chronic pain. So far, we have trained approximately 100 school providers across Michigan, who report that the training improves pain symptoms and helps keep children in school. We are also expanding the project to address trauma and other mental health symptoms that commonly occur with chronic pain, and to support providers in discouraging substance use to manage pain in these children.

    Our work suggests that this approach can empower providers to reach children in rural communities and other settings that lack access to care. By training more boots on the ground, we hope to provide children with the pain management tools they need to grow into healthy and thriving adults.

    Natoshia R. Cunningham receives grant funding from the US Department of Defense, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance-Arthritis Foundation. She was previously funded by the National Institutes of Health, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Michigan.

    – ref. 1 in 4 children suffers from chronic pain − school nurses could be key to helping them manage it – https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-children-suffers-from-chronic-pain-school-nurses-could-be-key-to-helping-them-manage-it-251220

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What is vibe coding? A computer scientist explains what it means to have AI write computer code − and what risks that can entail

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Chetan Jaiswal, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Quinnipiac University

    Large language model AIs can generate software code based on your prompts. J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images

    Whether you’re streaming a show, paying bills online or sending an email, each of these actions relies on computer programs that run behind the scenes. The process of writing computer programs is known as coding. Until recently, most computer code was written, at least originally, by human beings. But with the advent of generative artificial intelligence, that has begun to change.

    Now, just as you can ask ChatGPT to spin up a recipe for a favorite dish or write a sonnet in the style of Lord Byron, you can now ask generative AI tools to write computer code for you. Andrej Karpathy, an OpenAI co-founder who previously led AI efforts at Tesla, recently termed this “vibe coding.”

    For complete beginners or nontechnical dreamers, writing code based on vibes – feelings rather than explicitly defined information – could feel like a superpower. You don’t need to master programming languages or complex data structures. A simple natural language prompt will do the trick.

    How it works

    Vibe coding leans on standard patterns of technical language, which AI systems use to piece together original code from their training data. Any beginner can use an AI assistant such as GitHub Copilot or Cursor Chat, put in a few prompts, and let the system get to work. Here’s an example:

    “Create a lively and interactive visual experience that reacts to music, user interaction or real-time data. Your animation should include smooth transitions and colorful and lively visuals with an engaging flow in the experience. The animation should feel organic and responsive to the music, user interaction or live data and facilitate an experience that is immersive and captivating. Complete this project using JavaScript or React, and allow for easy customization to set the mood for other experiences.”

    But AI tools do this without any real grasp of specific rules, edge cases or security requirements for the software in question. This is a far cry from the processes behind developing production-grade software, which must balance trade-offs between product requirements, speed, scalability, sustainability and security. Skilled engineers write and review the code, run tests and establish safety barriers before going live.

    But while the lack of a structured process saves time and lowers the skills required to code, there are trade-offs. With vibe coding, most of these stress-testing practices go out the window, leaving systems vulnerable to malicious attacks and leaks of personal data.

    And there’s no easy fix: If you don’t understand every – or any – line of code that your AI agent writes, you can’t repair the code when it breaks. Or worse, as some experts have pointed out, you won’t notice when it’s silently failing.

    The AI itself is not equipped to carry out this analysis either. It recognizes what “working” code usually looks like, but it cannot necessarily diagnose or fix deeper problems that the code might cause or exacerbate.

    IBM computer scientist Martin Keen explains the difference between AI programming and traditional programming.

    Why it matters

    Vibe coding could be just a flash-in-the-pan phenomenon that will fizzle before long, but it may also find deeper applications with seasoned programmers. The practice could help skilled software engineers and developers more quickly turn an idea into a viable prototype. It could also enable novice programmers or even amateur coders to experience the power of AI, perhaps motivating them to pursue the discipline more deeply.

    Vibe coding also may signal a shift that could make natural language a more viable tool for developing some computer programs. If so, it would echo early website editing systems known as WYSIWYG editors that promised designers “what you see is what you get,” or “drag-and-drop” website builders that made it easy for anyone with basic computer skills to launch a blog.

    For now, I don’t believe that vibe coding will replace experienced software engineers, developers or computer scientists. The discipline and the art are much more nuanced than what AI can handle, and the risks of passing off “vibe code” as legitimate software are too great.

    But as AI models improve and become more adept at incorporating context and accounting for risk, practices like vibe coding might cause the boundary between AI and human programmer to blur further.

    Chetan Jaiswal 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. What is vibe coding? A computer scientist explains what it means to have AI write computer code − and what risks that can entail – https://theconversation.com/what-is-vibe-coding-a-computer-scientist-explains-what-it-means-to-have-ai-write-computer-code-and-what-risks-that-can-entail-257172

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Memories of the good parts of using drugs can keep people hooked − altering the neurons that store them could help treat addiction

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ana Clara Bobadilla, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University

    Your memories are likely stored in ensembles of neurons that fire together. PASIEKA/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

    Everyday human behavior is guided and shaped by the search for rewards. This includes eating tasty meals, drinking something refreshing, sexual activity and nurturing children. Many of these behaviors are needed for survival. But in some instances, this search for rewards can pose a significant threat to survival.

    People rely on memories of rewards to function and survive. Associated with positive experiences, these memories provide context for evaluating present and future choices. For example, if foods high in sugar are associated with a positive experience, this can reinforce the behavior of eating the food that provided the reward. Similarly, a flavorful meal at a specific restaurant increases the likelihood you’ll become a returning costumer.

    A deeper understanding of how reward memories work and interact with each other is critical to informing the choices you make and to treating disorders where seeking rewards has become problematic. Eliminating all reward seeking would negatively affect behaviors essential for survival, such as eating and reproducing. But if you can specifically target reward memories linked to different drugs, this could help reduce their abuse.

    I am a behavioral neuroscientist studying addiction, and my team is interested in how reward memories are formed and processed in the brain. We study how memories linked to natural rewards such as food, water and sex differ from those linked with rewards from drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine.

    Understanding the differences between these types of rewards and how memories of different drugs interact may lead to more effective treatments for addiction.

    What is memory?

    To study reward memories, it is important to understand the neurobiology of memory, or how the brain remembers things.

    In 1904, evolutionary zoologist Richard Semon introduced the term engram to describe the physical representation of a memory – also called its trace – that forms in the brain after an experience. Later, psychologist Donald Hebb hypothesized that interconnected brain cells that are active at the same time during an experience form a physical ensemble that make up a memory.

    In the past decade, neuroscientists have developed new tools that support the idea that neuronal ensembles, or small populations of brain cells that are activated at the same time, are likely the physical representation of memory. How new memories recruit neurons into ensembles is not fully understood, but the plasticity of neurons – their ability to change their connections with each other – seems to play a major role.

    Memories are physically stored in your brain.

    Research on neuronal ensembles has transformed how scientists understand learning and memory. Researchers can now create artificial memories, activate positive memories to counteract negative feelings, and alter how memories are linked. All these experiments on altering memory have been conducted on animal models, since the technology required to apply these techniques to humans is not yet available.

    To create artificial memories, for instance, researchers can mark a neuronal ensemble associated with a specific environment A in genetically modified mice. They can then activate those neurons when exposing the mice to a foot shock in a different environment B. Later, the mice showed increased freezing behavior in environment A, though they never received a shock in that space. By activating the memory of environment A during the foot shock, mice created a false memory that the foot shock was associated with that space.

    Treating substance use disorders

    Neuronal ensembles hold untapped promise for the study and treatment of substance use disorders and other reward-related disorders. These include those involving a deficit in their ability to experience reward, such as gambling disorder, eating disorders and depression.

    Natural rewards – food, water, sex and nurturing – induce pleasurable feelings that reinforce the behavior that elicits that reward. This is known as positive reinforcement, a strategy often used in everyday life; think training a dog with treats, or using sticker charts for potty training.

    Research has linked positive and negative experiences with neuronal ensembles: exploratory and social behaviors, fear, and feeding. In substance use disorders, a drug can induce both pleasant and unpleasant feelings. For example, cocaine induces an intense rush or high, but the crash induced by the drug wearing off causes irritability and lethargy. These feelings reinforce drug use at the expense of essential behaviors that ensure survival, such as eating, sleeping or maintaining social networks and relationships.

    Neuronal ensembles may also play a causal role in the development of multiple aspects of substance use disorders, including drug taking, drug craving and seeking behaviors, increased sensitivity to certain drugs and relapse.

    How drug memory changes the brain

    Similarly to how any memory is stored in the brain as a neuronal ensemble, drug memories are carried in specific neuronal ensembles and activated during drug-related behaviors.

    Fundamental questions remain about how neuronal ensembles encode drug-related memories. Because the processing centers for drug rewards and natural rewards mostly overlap in the brain, it is challenging to develop treatments that target only drug reward seeking. Emerging treatments for addiction, such as certain types of brain stimulation, are not specific enough to differentiate between drug or natural reward pathways.

    Discovering how particular drugs of abuse affect genes, cells and neuronal circuits can help researchers develop new treatments for substance use disorders without altering the natural reward-seeking behaviors essential for survival.

    The reward of drug use can be hard to disentangle from the rewards of eating, drinking and other activities necessary for survivial.
    Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Moment via Getty Images

    For example, about 72% of people suffering from substance use disorders report using multiple substances, frequently together. To better understand how polysubstance use affects the brain, my team tags neurons active during drug-related behaviors in genetically modified mice. This allows us to map and compare the neurons carrying reward-related memories for one drug with the neurons associated with another drug. In this way, we can study how the brain represents and stores memories when mice are exposed to cocaine and fentanyl – two substances people in the U.S. are increasingly taking together – and how different brain regions communicate this information with each other.

    To dissect exactly how drugs of abuse hijack the brain’s natural reward system, my team is comparing how seeking different types of rewards changes the neurons carrying reward memories. For example, we have previously shown that the network of cells carrying the memory of seeking cocaine are mostly distinct from those linked to seeking sugar.

    Based on this work, we are currently using fruit fly models to analyze the genetic activity of the neuronal ensemble linked to seeking cocaine. This will allow us to better identify which genes could be potential targets to reduce the activity of that neuronal ensemble and treat substance use disorder.

    Psychedelics and addiction

    Drug-related intrusive thoughts and fixed behavioral patterns – meaning actions that are repeatedly taken regardless of negative consequences – are common symptoms of substance abuse that lead to the formation of harmful neural pathways in the brain. Psychedelics may be able to help reform these pathways by triggering an overall “system reboot” of the brain.

    Several clinical trials point to the potential of psychedelics to treat tobacco, alcohol and opioid use disorders, with early results showing increased abstinence and reduced drug cravings.

    My lab is currently examining how psilocin – the active metabolite of the psychedelic psilocybin – affects the drug-related memories of mice. Our research focuses on two questions. First, can psilocin alter drug seeking and intake in fentanyl addiction? And second, what type of memory does psilocin create in the brain, and could it alter prior cocaine memories?

    Reward memories both help people survive and lead to substance use disorders. Delving into the intricate mechanisms of how the brain remembers rewards at the cellular and genetic levels can help researchers and doctors better treat addiction without altering the reward pathways needed for survival.

    Ana Clara Bobadilla receives funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.

    – ref. Memories of the good parts of using drugs can keep people hooked − altering the neurons that store them could help treat addiction – https://theconversation.com/memories-of-the-good-parts-of-using-drugs-can-keep-people-hooked-altering-the-neurons-that-store-them-could-help-treat-addiction-245529

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme development consent decision announced

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme development consent decision announced

    The M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme application has today been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Transport.

    M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme

    The application includes the following: (1) Improvements to Junction 10 on the M5; (2) A new road linking Junction 10 to west Cheltenham; (3) Widening of the A4019, east of Junction 10; and (4) Provision of separate, dedicated footways and cycle lanes for non-motorised traffic along the local roads within scheme limits. 

    The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration by Gloucestershire County Council on 19 December 2023 and accepted for examination on 16 January 2024.  

    Following an examination during which the public, statutory consultees and interested parties were given the opportunity to give evidence to the Examining Authority, recommendations were made to the Secretary of State on 4th March 2025.   

    This is the 58th transport application out of 157 applications examined to date and was again completed by the Planning Inspectorate within the statutory timescale laid down in the Planning Act 2008.   

    Local communities continue to be given the opportunity of being involved in the examination of projects that may affect them. Local people, the local authority and other interested parties were able to participate in this six-month examination.   

    The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to all local views and the evidence gathered during the examination before making its recommendation to the Secretary of State.  

    The decision, the recommendation made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State for Transport and the evidence considered by the Examining Authority in reaching its recommendation are publicly available on the project pages of the National Infrastructure Planning website.  

    Journalists wanting further information should contact the Planning Inspectorate Press Office, on 0303 444 5004 or 0303 444 5005 or email:   

    Press.office@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Collision between a train and an agricultural trailer at Nordan Farm user worked level crossing

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Collision between a train and an agricultural trailer at Nordan Farm user worked level crossing

    Investigation into a collision between a passenger train and an agricultural trailer at Nordan Farm user worked level crossing, near Leominster, Herefordshire, 22 May 2025.

    The train and trailer involved.

    At around 10:37 on 22 May 2025, the 08:30 Transport for Wales passenger service from Manchester to Cardiff struck a loaded agricultural trailer which was being hauled by a tractor across Nordan Farm user worked level crossing, near to Leominster. RAIB’s initial analysis indicates that the train was travelling at around  80 mph (129 km/h) when it struck the trailer. As a result of the collision, the trailer parted from the tractor and became wedged on the front of the train. The train then ran for around 500 metres under braking before it came to a stand.

    The train did not derail as a result of the accident but its leading vehicle, a driving van trailer, and some of the leading passenger coaches suffered damage. Of the 66 passengers and 8 staff on board, 6 passengers were reportedly treated for minor injuries. The tractor driver was uninjured. Damage was also caused to the trailer that was struck by the train and to track, lineside equipment and a second level crossing located beyond Nordan Farm.

    Nordan Farm user worked crossing is fitted with telephones. Users are directed by signs at the crossing to use the telephones to obtain permission from the signaller before opening the crossing gates and crossing the railway. The evidence available to RAIB shows that the driver of the tractor involved in this accident telephoned the signaller before using the crossing. 

    Our investigation will determine the sequence of events that led to the accident and will include consideration of:

    • the actions of those involved and any factors that may have influenced them
    • any previous incidents at Nordan Farm user worked crossing and how these may be relevant to this accident
    • the management of risk at this crossing and Network Rail’s wider strategy for assessing and mitigating risks at user worked crossings
    • any relevant underlying factors.

    Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

    We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.

    You can subscribe to automated emails notifying you when we publish our reports.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. renewable diesel production and biodiesel production declined in 1Q25

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    June 4, 2025

    U.S. production of renewable diesel and biodiesel fell sharply in the first quarter of 2025 (1Q25) because of uncertainty related to federal biofuel tax credits and negative profit margins. We forecast production of both fuels to increase as the year progresses but biodiesel production to remain less than in 2024.

    Renewable diesel and biodiesel are biomass-based diesel fuels that can replace petroleum-based distillate and be used to comply with renewable volume obligations in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Renewable diesel can be used in diesel engines in any concentration because it is chemically equivalent to petroleum-based distillate fuel, and biodiesel is typically blended with petroleum distillate at concentrations of 20% or less for vehicle consumption because of some chemical differences.

    In January 2025, U.S. production of biodiesel fell to 60,000 barrels per day (b/d), the least since January 2015, and about 40% less than in January 2024. U.S. biodiesel producers only partially ramped up production in February and March, bringing the quarterly production to about 70,000 b/d, a decrease of more than 30% from 1Q24.

    U.S. renewable diesel production averaged about 170,000 b/d in 1Q25, down 12% from 1Q24. The decrease in renewable diesel production was not as large on a percentage basis as the decrease in biodiesel production, mostly because renewable diesel production increased at a greater rate than biodiesel production in 2024. Reduced output at renewable diesel plants was partially offset by the nearly 20% increase in renewable diesel production capacity since 1Q24. However, compared with 4Q24, when renewable diesel production capacity was comparable to current levels, 1Q25 production was down almost 25%.

    Poor profitability in 1Q25 contributed to production declines. Diamond Green Diesel, Phillips 66, and Marathon all reported operating losses from renewable diesel in the quarter. In addition, trade press has suggested negative margins for biodiesel.

    Another reason U.S. production of biomass-based diesels declined in 1Q25 was uncertainty about federal biofuel tax credits. Before 2025, producers and importers of biomass-based diesel received a $1 per gallon (gal) blender’s tax credit (BTC) for each gallon blended with petroleum diesel. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the BTC was slated to be replaced with the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit in 2025. This new credit would change the flat $1/gal tax credit to a value based on the carbon intensity of the feedstocks used. However, delays in releasing final guidance for the tax credit has left biofuel producers unsure about their profitability, causing some producers to idle operations.

    We forecast production of renewable diesel and biodiesel to increase as the year progresses to meet existing RFS mandates. In our May Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast 2025 annual renewable diesel production to increase about 5% from 2024 because of increased capacity. We forecast 2025 annual biodiesel production to be 15% lower than in 2024 because of low production early in the year and an assumption that some biodiesel plants with less favorable economics may close.

    Principal contributor: Jimmy Troderman

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortinet Unveils New AI-Powered Workspace Security Suite to Protect the Modern Enterprise

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    News Summary

    Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced enhancements to its data and productivity security portfolio, expanding FortiMail with the launch of the FortiMail Workspace Security suite. These new capabilities establish FortiMail as the broadest and most customizable email security platform and extend protection beyond email to include browser and collaboration security. These advancements, combined with new features in FortiDLP, Fortinet’s next-generation data loss prevention (DLP) and insider risk management solution, deliver a unified, AI-powered approach to safeguarding users and sensitive data across today’s dynamic work environments.

    “In today’s evolving threat landscape, securing user productivity and sensitive data requires a unified strategy that considers both outsider threats and insider risks,” said Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions at Fortinet. “Cybercriminals are aiming their efforts right at users and increasingly leveraging tools like FraudGPT, BlackmailerV3, and ElevenLabs to automate the creation of malware, deepfake videos, phishing websites, and synthetic voices—making attacks more scalable, convincing, and difficult to detect. With our expanded AI-powered FortiMail Workspace Security suite and FortiDLP solutions, Fortinet empowers organizations to stay ahead of threat actors and insider risks while ensuring users, data, and productivity remain secure.”

    AI-Powered Defense for Communication, Collaboration, and Data Security

    Today’s hybrid workforce relies heavily on SaaS and collaboration tools, increasing both productivity and the attack surface. As users interact with sensitive data across these platforms, organizations must address threats to both users and data in tandem. The 2025 Fortinet Global Threat Landscape Report highlights the rise of AI-enabled cybercrime, with attackers using automation to launch more convincing phishing, impersonation, and account takeover campaigns.

    Fortinet’s enhanced workspace security solutions meet this challenge head-on with AI-powered protection across email, browsers, and collaboration environments, defending against external and internal threats wherever work happens. This spans the full spectrum of user interactions and data movement across the digital workspace:

    Email security, evolved: With the acquisition and integration of Perception Point—recognized as a Visionary in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Email Security1—Fortinet has significantly expanded the capabilities of the FortiMail email security platform, establishing it as the industry’s broadest and most customizable solution. FortiMail can address any email security needs, including inbound, outbound (including relays), and internal mail protection, with flexible deployment options across appliances, virtual machines, hosted services, and SaaS. It offers multiple operating modes—gateway, server, ICES, and hybrid—and features both a highly configurable UI and a streamlined SaaS experience.

    Extending security to collaboration tools: The FortiMail Workspace Security suite expands protection beyond email to web browsers and collaboration tools, enabling organizations to stop sophisticated threats across platforms like Microsoft 365 and Teams, Google Workspace, and Slack. It blocks evasive web-based attacks, hidden malware in shared files, and malicious links sent through chat and collaboration apps. The platform also enhances visibility into user activity across cloud environments, helping security teams detect and prevent account takeovers before they escalate. A built-in, 24×7 managed incident response service supports rapid threat analysis and containment to reduce operational load on SOC teams.

    Smarter defense for critical data: FortiDLP strengthens this offering by adding advanced capabilities like secure data flow with data lineage and sequence detection, providing security and insider risk teams with detailed tracking of sensitive data from its source, capturing how that data is used and manipulated by users, and automatically correlating user activities to detect high-risk behavior that warrants further investigation. Whether monitoring for unauthorized sharing of confidential information through cloud drives or preventing the exposure of sensitive data to unsanctioned SaaS and GenAI platforms, FortiDLP delivers the context and control needed to protect sensitive data, including intellectual property.

    Unified Protection for a Hybrid World

    With these latest enhancements, Fortinet redefines the way organizations protect users and data in the modern workspace. By combining the power of AI with integrated email, browser, collaboration, and data security, Fortinet delivers the visibility, control, and response speed security teams need, turning complexity into clarity and threats into just another task handled.

    Additional Resources

    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

    1Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Email Security Platforms, By Max Taggett, Nikul Patel, Franz Hinner, Deepak Mishra, 16 December 2024

    About Fortinet
    Fortinet (Nasdaq: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including Computer Emergency Response Teams (“CERTS”), government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

    Copyright © 2025 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAgent, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiCNP, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCSPM, FortiCWP, FortiDAST, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiDLP, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFlex FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiGuest, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPAM, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPoint, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiScanner, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSRA, FortiStack, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM, FortiXDR and Lacework FortiCNAPP. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Martha Stewart to Keynote Applied Net 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Chicago, IL., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Systems® and Applied Client Network today announced that entrepreneur, best-selling author of 101 books, and Emmy Award-winner Martha Stewart will be the featured keynote speaker at Applied Net 2025. The lifestyle expert founded Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, the first multi-channel company, which today reaches more than 100 million devoted fans on a monthly basis through her magazines, television shows, books, and products for the home. Martha will share her incredible journey of building a media empire from the ground up.

    “The insurance industry is built on entrepreneurial professionals who have turned their passion for helping people and communities safeguard and protect what matters most into a career, much like Martha Stewart has done with her passions for all things style and elegance,” said Brian Langerman, chief executive officer, Applied Client Network. “This year’s keynote will inspire our guests from across the insurance industry to continue turning their passion into new ways to serve their clients and build their businesses.”

    “Martha Stewart is one of the most successful and iconic business leaders of our time, with so many experiences to share that will inspire and motivate our Applied Net guests to dream big and turn their passions into great experiences for their teams and their clients,” said Taylor Rhodes, chief executive officer, Applied Systems. “Personally, I can’t wait for the Applied Net community to be inspired by her wisdom, wit and the many successes she’s accomplished in the business world and beyond.” 

    # # #

    The Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

    About Applied Systems
    Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Flywire Named to PCI Security Standards Council 2025-2027 Board of Advisors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    For the second consecutive term, Flywire joins other leading organizations to help shape the future of security standards and protocols

    David King, Flywire’s CTO, and Barbara Cousins, Flywire’s CIO & CISO, leverage their extensive security and payment experience to represent Flywire on the prestigious Board

    BOSTON, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Flywire Corporation (NASDAQ: FLYW) (Flywire), a global payments enablement and software company, today announced that it has been named to the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) 2025-2027 Board of Advisors. Flywire’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David King, and Chief Information Officer / Chief Information Security Officer (CIO / CISO), Barbara Cousins, will represent Flywire on the PCI SSC Board of Advisors and provide their expertise to help shape the future of payment security.

    Flywire’s second consecutive appointment to the PCI SSC Board of Advisors builds on the Company’s longstanding relationship with the PCI SSC. Flywire’s CTO David King has regularly been Flywire’s representative as a Participation Organization on the PCI SSC. Additionally, King was part of the original team in 2003-2004 that helped to draft the initial version of PCI DSS 1.0. King will now bring his technical insights, expertise, perspectives and ideas to help shape the development of forthcoming security standards and programs.

    “We are incredibly proud to join the PCI SSC Board of Advisors and continue the important work designed to create more secure, compliant payment solutions across industries,” said David King, Flywire CTO. “It is a very dynamic landscape for payments security, and we are excited to apply our unique expertise working in highly regulated industries to help solve the most pressing payments challenges of our time.”

    The appointment also validates Flywire’s commitment to maintaining the security and integrity of the payments it delivers across the industries it serves. Flywire prioritizes robust security and compliance, demonstrating this commitment through rigorous internal controls and adherence to the highest industry standards. Flywire is PCI DSS Level 1 certified, the most stringent level for credit card data security, and undergoes annual SOC II Type II audits, attesting to their strong information management processes. Beyond these foundational certifications, Flywire proactively manages global regulatory requirements, maintaining comprehensive Anti-Money Laundering (AML) / Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) programs and complying with various data protection laws like GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, HIPAA and FERPA.

    Flywire’s security capabilities are a key differentiator for many of the company’s global clients. For Nordic Visitor, one of the largest tour operators in Scandinavia, Flywire’s robust security and compliance features were paramount in its decision to select Flywire to be its international payments provider:

    “Flywire’s solutions are much more modernized and capable of handling new technology. Security was a main driver for choosing Flywire, along with the cost savings,” said Magnús Freyr Erlingsson, Chief Operating Officer at TravelConnect, which oversees operations of Nordic Visitor.

    “At Flywire, being a leader in security and compliance isn’t just about meeting regulatory checkboxes; it’s about building and preserving the fundamental trust our clients and their customers place in us,” says Barbara Cousins, CISO of Flywire. “We have always maintained proactive and superior security protocols to protect sensitive data and ensure seamless, secure transactions. We are thrilled to help apply our knowledge and expertise to help contribute to a more secure and reliable financial future for everyone.”

    “The Board of Advisors provides industry expertise and perspectives that influence and shape the development of PCI security standards and programs,” said PCI SSC Executive Director Gina Gobeyn. “We look forward to working with Flywire in our efforts to help organizations secure payment data globally.”

    About the PCI Security Standards Council

    The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) leads a global, cross-industry effort to increase payment security by providing industry-driven, flexible and effective data security standards and programs that help businesses detect, mitigate and prevent cyberattacks and breaches. Connect with PCI SSC on LinkedIn. Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter) @PCISSC. Subscribe to the PCI Perspectives Blog. Listen to the Coffee with the Council podcast.

    About Flywire

    Flywire is a global payments enablement and software company. We combine our proprietary global payments network, next-gen payments platform and vertical-specific software to deliver the most important and complex payments for our clients and their customers.

    Flywire leverages its vertical-specific software and payments technology to deeply embed within the existing A/R workflows for its clients across the education, healthcare and travel vertical markets, as well as in key B2B industries. Flywire also integrates with leading ERP systems, such as NetSuite, so organizations can optimize the payment experience for their customers while eliminating operational challenges.

    Flywire supports more than 4,600 clients with diverse payment methods in more than 140 currencies across more than 240 countries and territories around the world. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA, USA with global offices. For more information, visit www.flywire.com. Follow Flywire on X, LinkedIn and Facebook.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Flywire’s expectations of its security and data privacy policies. Flywire intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as, but not limited to, “believe,” “may,” “will,” “potentially,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “target,” “plan,” “expect,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations that involve risks, changes in circumstances, assumptions, and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in Flywire’s forward-looking statements include, among others, the factors that are described in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Flywire’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and available on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov/. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and Flywire undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Media Contacts:

    Sarah King
    Flywire
    Media@Flywire.com 

    Investor Contacts:

    Masha Kahn
    IR@Flywire.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Onfolio Holdings Launches Pace Generative to Help Brands Dominate AI-Generated Search Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WILMINGTON, Del., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onfolio Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ONFO, ONFOW) (OTC: ONFOP) (“Onfolio” or the “Company”) today announced the launch of Pace Generative LLC, a dedicated Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) agency created to help brands appear in AI-generated answers – a rapidly emerging opportunity in digital discovery and trust-building.

    As AI assistants start to replace traditional search engines as the primary way people discover and evaluate services, GEO has emerged as a mission-critical strategy. It ensures that a brand’s insights and authority are embedded in the answers delivered by AI tools – positioning businesses at the point of decision-making, not just after the fact.

    Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) helps businesses become part of the answers AI platforms generate, by embedding their expertise directly in real-time, conversational responses.

    When a user asks an AI assistant, “Who’s the top cosmetic surgeon near me?”, “What wealth management firm should I trust with my portfolio?”, or “Which estate planning attorney is most experienced in my area?”, GEO helps to determine which businesses are cited in the answer. These moments often shape high-value decisions, before a search engine is ever consulted. For example, a law firm that appears in ChatGPT’s response to “best estate attorney in Miami” could earn immediate trust and consideration well before a potential client sees competing websites.

    AI-driven discovery is accelerating. A recent Elon University study found that 52% of U.S. adults already use AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, and Copilot. ChatGPT alone now serves 400 million weekly active users globally, including nearly 68 million in the U.S. With platforms like Perplexity gaining traction, AI assistants are becoming the default source for trusted, real-time answers. According to McKinsey, generative AI could add as much as $4.4 trillion in annual economic value, with marketing and sales among the most directly impacted sectors.

    This shift is transforming how brands are discovered, evaluated, and chosen.

    As traditional search becomes a fallback rather than the starting point, GEO has emerged as a critical strategy for relevance. Unlike SEO, which helps websites rank in search results, GEO ensures a brand’s insights, authority, and offerings are embedded directly in AI-generated answers.

    SEO earns clicks. GEO earns trust, by making brands part of the answer, not just part of the results. Today’s search engines send users to websites. AI platforms deliver the answer itself. If a brand isn’t cited, it may be invisible at the moment of decision.

    Onfolio brings deep experience in SEO, having led successful campaigns across multiple agencies and industries. With a strong foundation in content strategy, technical optimization, and performance publishing, the Company is now applying that expertise to the next era of online visibility: GEO.

    The launch of Pace Generative marks a strategic evolution. Purpose-built for the AI era, with proprietary frameworks, scalable systems, and specialized processes designed to help brands be recognized and cited by AI platforms.

    Our core services are designed to help brands become part of the answers AI platforms deliver and not just compete for placement in crowded search results:

    • Question-Driven Content CreationWe craft authoritative content; articles, guides, FAQs, that mirrors how real people ask questions in tools like ChatGPT and Gemini.
    • AI-Optimized Site StructureWe organize websites so that AI models can easily understand, access, and reference key information – ensuring important expertise isn’t overlooked.
    • Language and Topic AlignmentWe align messaging with the terms and topics AI platforms associate with credibility – positioning content to be cited accurately and confidently.
    • Strategic Publishing and DistributionWe publish and distribute content in formats, channels, and timelines that signal trust- improving the likelihood of being included in AI-generated answers.

    These services improve the chances that a brand will be surfaced in the moment a customer asks for a trusted recommendation and will help position that brand as part of the decision-making conversation.

    “AI is where decisions are being made,” said Dominic Wells, CEO of Onfolio Holdings Inc. “If a brand isn’t part of the answers, it’s not in the market. GEO isn’t just the next evolution of search, it’s the new standard for being found.”

    Pace Generative is built for businesses and professionals in industries where trust, expertise, and timing drive customer decisions – including healthcare, finance, law, education, consulting, B2B services, and high-end consumer markets.

    Onfolio anticipates strong demand for Pace Generative’s GEO service as more organizations adapt their marketing strategies for AI-native visibility.

    As artificial intelligence continues to reshape how the world seeks and selects solutions, Pace Generative is helping forward-thinking companies lead the AI-powered conversations that define tomorrow’s market leaders.

    For more information, visit www.pacegenerative.com or contact Mike at mike@pacegenerative.com.

    About Onfolio Holdings Inc.

    Onfolio acquires, operates, and scales a diversified portfolio of digital companies. The Company focuses on businesses with strong cash flows, long-term growth potential, and experienced leadership—or those that can be effectively managed by Onfolio’s in-house team. By targeting under-optimized businesses with untapped potential, Onfolio adds value through operational expertise, strategic guidance, and advanced technologies. For more information, visit www.onfolio.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “plans,” “explores,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “continues,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” and similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding expected operating results, such as revenue growth and earnings, and strategy for growth and financial results. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing new customer offerings, changes in customer order patterns, changes in customer offering mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, delays due to issues with outsourced service providers, those events and factors described by us in Item 1.A “Risk Factors” in our most recent Form 10-K and other risks to which our Company is subject, and various other factors beyond the Company’s control. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    Company Contact:
    Investor Communications
    Onfolio Holdings Inc.
    Investors@Onfolio.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IGNITE 2025: How Samsung’s Internship Programme Became a Launchpad for India’s Brightest Young Minds

    Source: Samsung

     
    One name that consistently rises to the top when it comes to career aspirations of some of India’s brightest minds is Samsung.
     
    This summer, as the IGNITE Internship 2025 drew to a close, a new generation of change makers walked out of Samsung’s offices with more than just project experience. They left with the spark of transformation in their hearts — a fire ignited by an immersive journey that redefined the way they saw themselves, their careers, and the world of innovation.
     
    These were not just interns. They were explorers. Listeners. Builders. Dreamers.
     
    Where Potential Met Purpose
    “I was a different person two months ago,” says Shanya Goyal from NMIMS Mumbai, reflecting on her journey. “As a fresher, getting firsthand insight into market dynamics and witnessing how Samsung uniquely caters to every Indian — from premium 8K TVs to flagship smartphones — was eye-opening. It’s not just a tech brand; it’s a brand that speaks the language of India.”
     
    Her words echo the experiences of many others who entered Samsung as students and emerged as future leaders.
     
    From Market Floors to Boardrooms: A Real-World MBA
    Samsung’s internship programme is not about presentations. It’s about plunging into the real world, understanding consumer behavior, navigating markets, and learning to lead from the ground up.
     
    For Nenavathu Divya from IIM Indore, the internship was anything but routine. “From day one, I was out in the field, discovering market insights, dodging Gurgaon traffic, and even unearthing the best street food spots on market duty! But what truly inspired me were the stories from Samsung leaders — people who began their journey as field executives and are now leading national teams. Their grit and growth mindset made me believe no role is ever too small.”
     
    Building the Future, Together
    Interns didn’t just learn from their managers; they belonged to their teams. For Ashmi Jain from IIM Ahmedabad, the Samsung experience was a testament to how culture and collaboration go hand in hand.
     
    “These two months have been unforgettable. The support I received from my mentors and teammates helped me push past my own limits. This wasn’t just a summer internship — it felt like joining a family.”
     
    And it wasn’t just about learning the ‘what’ — it was about understanding the ‘why.’ Whether in sales, marketing, or HR, interns saw firsthand what makes Samsung tick.
     
    “I interned with the People team,” says Garvika Agarwal from XLRI Jamshedpur. “It gave me real exposure to HR operations at scale. The warmth, mentorship, and real-world complexity helped me grow not just as a student of business, but as a professional ready to contribute from day one.”
     
    A Mentorship Model Like No Other
    At the heart of IGNITE lies Samsung’s belief: great mentorship changes lives.
     
    Every intern had direct access to leaders who didn’t just supervise — they coached, encouraged, and empowered. Whether it was one-on-one check-ins, leadership stories, or project reviews, each moment was a masterclass in excellence, empathy, and execution.
     
    And as the programme ends, one thing is clear — the real success of IGNITE isn’t measured by deliverables or deck submissions. It’s measured by confidence built, curiosity sparked, and careers kickstarted.
     
     
    A Legacy of Learning. A Future of Possibilities.
    As the IGNITE 2025 cohort turns the page to their next chapter, they carry with them not just the Samsung name on their resume, but the Samsung philosophy in their hearts: to do what can’t be done.
     
    Because when you work with a brand that dares to push boundaries, you begin to believe that you can, too.
     
    And that’s the true power of an internship at Samsung — it doesn’t just prepare you for the future. It transforms you into someone who’s ready to create it.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Plastic-Free Living: Small Changes, Big Impact

    Source: Samsung

    On this year’s World Environment Day, we’re focusing on one of the most pressing environmental challenges: plastic pollution. While reducing plastic use may seem daunting, small changes in our daily routines can make a significant impact.
    At Samsung, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword – since 2009, we’ve reused over 567,000 tons of recycled plastics globally in our products, surpassing our 2030 goal of 500,000 tons. Our latest flagship Galaxy Smartphones also include ocean-bound plastics in certain parts of their design and components, helping reduce what winds up in our shared waters.
    From switching to the Less Microfiber Filter on your Samsung appliances to opting for eco-conscious devices, here are four practical ways you can reduce plastic waste with Samsung.
    1. Extending the Life of Your Devices
    Repairing what’s broken before buying new is still one of the best things you can do if you want to reduce your impact on the planet. That’s especially true when it comes to plastic use, which is used in the production and packaging of almost everything we buy.
    Samsung’s Mobile eXperience (MX) Customer Care has been ranked #1 in the 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey for customer satisfaction, service quality, and ease of arranging service. That means Samsung’s customers can make their phones and tablets last longer in order to avoid buying new. After all, our devices are an investment, but so is our care for the planet.

    2. Explore Sustainable, Certified Re-Newed Options
    With mobile phones being an essential part of modern life, choosing sustainable options can create significant environmental impact. While keeping your current device longer is ideal, Samsung’s Certified Re-Newed program offers expertly refurbished phones when an upgrade is needed. The selection now includes the sleek, powerful Galaxy S24 series, so you can keep up with the latest tech. Plus, the Galaxy S24 series was created using recycled materials. Not only has our engineering team come up with a way to use recycled plastic fishing net material in Galaxy devices’ construction, but there are certain other recycled plastics, glass, and aluminum applied to internal and external components.

    The Galaxy S25 takes this further, recently winning the 2025 ReMA Design for Recycling ® Award from the Recycled Materials Association. Its packaging is 100% recycled paper, completely eliminating single-use plastics. The phone also features recycled cobalt through Samsung’s innovative Circular Battery Supply Chain.1
    This World Environment Day, we’re here to help you trade-in and trade-up. Visit Samsung.com to save $300 toward your purchase of a Certified Re-Newed device when you trade in select and eligible devices.2
    3. Transform Your Laundry Routine
    Every load of laundry can contribute to plastic pollution through microfiber release. Samsung’s Bespoke Al Laundry Vented Combo addresses this with its Less Microfiber cycle setting, reducing microfiber release by 39% – helping prevent these plastic particles from entering our oceans3. The Less Microfiber Filter takes this a step further, preventing up to 98%4 of microplastics released during laundry from escaping into the sea – which is equivalent to eight 500ml plastic bottles per year when used four times a week.

    4. Make the Switch to Eco-Conscious Technology
    Here at Samsung, we’re taking our own steps where we can: our Solar Cell Remote, which was developed to combat the environmental impact of discarding used batteries, is made with 24% recycled plastic. This rechargeable remote control also features a solar panel (solar cell) that can be charged by sunlight or indoor lighting, or USB-C cable.

    We’re also cutting plastic packaging out for cell phones completely by the end of this year. Choosing the right technology can help reduce plastic waste without sacrificing performance or convenience – there’s still a long way to go, but every little bit along the way helps.
    For more ways to reduce plastic use and beyond, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube and download SmartThings Energy to make the most sustainable use out of your appliances and devices.
    Visit Samsung.com for more on sustainability at Samsung.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ​Bundeswehr and Lufthansa Group agree on partnership for the Heimatschutz​

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    The Landeskommando Hessen of the Bundeswehr and the Lufthansa Group have agreed on a partnership for reserve duty. The Lufthansa Group supports employees who decide to volunteer for the Heimatschutz – including by granting them time off for training and further education, as well as for possible deployments. With this partnership, the Lufthansa Group draws attention to the integral role of volunteers in the Heimatschutz and enables its employees to actively contribute to the security and protection of society.

    On June 4, Michael Niggemann, member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and responsible for Human Resources & Legal Affairs, accepted the partnership certificate from Brigadier General Holger Radmann. In his role as Labor Director, he says: 

    “We are looking forward to actively contributing to Germany’s security architecture as a new partner for Heimatschutz. In view of the current security policy situation and the often cited ‘Zeitenwende’, it is particularly important to us to sensitize our employees to the importance of the Heimatschutz.” 

    The Lufthansa Group informs its employees specifically about the new offer and works closely with the Landeskommando Hessen to ensure the best possible preparation and integration into the reserve service. The offer is open to all Lufthansa Group employees with a German passport. Whether leave of absence can be granted will be examined on a case-by-case basis. Due to the large number of Lufthansa Group employees in the Rhine-Main region, the Heimatschutzregiment 5 in Hesse in particular will be supported. This means that the Lufthansa Group joins around 250 employers in Hesse who are already partners for the Heimatschutz. 2,400 volunteers from Hesse have already signed up for the Heimatschutzregiment 5 in Hesse. Their tasks include protecting critical infrastructure, securing transport routes and providing regional assistance in disaster situations. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Google searches for information about cancer lead to targeted ads from alternative clinics

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Alessandro Marcon, Senior Research Associate at the Health Law Institute, University of Alberta

    Online searches for health information can pull up misleading ads. (S. Ghassimi), CC BY

    More than 80 per cent of online searches are now performed with Google. But there’s an insidious element to the world’s most popular search engine. As companies compete for the advertising spaces that accompany search query results, users seeking critical health information can be exposed to dangerous and exploitative misinformation.



    Read more:
    Why we fall for fake health information – and how it spreads faster than facts

    In 2024, North Americans overwhelmingly used Google for news and information on politics, celebrities, entertainment and topical events like natural disasters. Health-related queries are also popular: nearly 70 per cent of the Canadian public use online searches for health information.

    Google is the world’s most popular search engine.
    (Shutterstock)

    Online searches

    The phrases or questions contained in online searches serve as valuable data. They can inform epidemiological surveillance and provide insight into popular global and regional trends.

    These data also hold immense value for online marketing teams, tracking who is searching for what, where and when. In addition to search tracking, however, queries now are used for online advertising. It’s a reality that raises serious ethical, regulatory and public health issues.

    Before the internet, key advertising spaces existed in magazines and newspapers, on highway billboards and time slots between radio and television programming. Advertising is so lucrative that a 30-second time slot during the Super Bowl now costs upwards of US$8 million.

    Online, fixed slots have now been replaced by targeted advertisements to accompany search results, determined by search queries entered by users.

    Highly coveted spots

    Like a Super Bowl ad, advertising on Google’s first page results is highly coveted.

    Obtaining the rights to these space requires companies to outbid one another to win the ads spaces determined by search terms — an advertiser can purchase ad space from Google associated with a specific phrase or keyword.

    Companies with snack products, for example, may compete for their sponsored content to appear when individuals search for “Super Bowl party snacks,” “new chip flavours” or “chip and dip ideas.”

    As harmless and obvious — and perhaps even inevitable — as this marketing approach may seem, the practice is problematic when industry targets personal, sensitive and critical health terms — which is exactly what our research uncovered.

    Searches for cancer, exploitative ads

    Using the AI-driven marketing platform SemRush, we analyzed the search terms purchased for advertising by notorious alternative cancer clinics in Tijuana, Mexico and Arizona. We determined what queries were targeted and how much was spent on acquiring the advertising space matching these queries.

    We also assessed whether this spending increased traffic to their clinic websites. Our results showed that over roughly one decade, these clinics paid over an estimated US$15 million to purchase the ad spaces for thousands of search words and phrases.

    These search queries related to cancer prognosis and diagnosis, treatment options including alternative treatments and cancer types including late-stage cancer. In sum, the advertising strategy generated more than 6.5 million website visits for alternative cancer clinics.

    Alternative cancer treatments can interfere with the success of medical treatments.
    (Shutterstock)

    Negative health impacts

    Unfortunately, the success of these alternative clinics’ marketing strategies is nothing short of a disaster for the public’s health and well-being. Alternative cancer treatments are associated with an increased risk of death and offer false hope for those suffering from end-stage cancer.

    These ineffective and oftentimes dangerous treatments can financially exploit patients, disrupt end-of-life planning and interfere with evidence-based cancer or palliative treatments.

    Google is therefore enabling an advertising option that contributes to the harmful spread of inaccurate and damaging cancer misinformation that can directly lead to detrimental health-related actions.

    Protection from deception

    Our research focused entirely on the cancer context and analyzed the targeted search query approach of problematic clinics in two specific locations. It is imaginable — indeed very probable — that this approach is deployed in other health contexts and beyond.

    Google does have and enforce policies to protect users from deceptive advertising content. But there is little oversight regarding how advertisers may exploit its keyword ad matching features.

    It’s imperative that Google take action to restrict its ads mechanism from being used in this exploitative manner. Search results could give prominence only to websites supported by accurate scientific evidence. Google could prohibit the advertising purchase of ostensibly controversial search terms. This would include personal, sensitive queries from vulnerable groups, including patients suffering from cancer and other life-threatening ailments.

    Google and other social media platforms benefit financially from misinformation. It is up to these companies to decide if human health and well-being is more valuable than these financial gains. It is up to all of us to advocate for those harmed by dangerous misinformation.

    Alessandro Marcon works at the University of Alberta’s Health Law Institute, which has received funding related to this project from CIHR.

    Marco Zenone is the recipient of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

    – ref. Google searches for information about cancer lead to targeted ads from alternative clinics – https://theconversation.com/google-searches-for-information-about-cancer-lead-to-targeted-ads-from-alternative-clinics-255372

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio remarks at the American Compass Fifth Anniversary Gala

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio remarks at the American Compass Fifth Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2025.

    Transcript: https://www.state.gov/releases/2025/06/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-at-the-american-compass-fifth-anniversary-gala/?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=hero&utm_campaign=s_remarks

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
    X: https://x.com/StateDept
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
    Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
    Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/StateDept
    Substack: https://statedept.substack.com

    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USSTATEBPA/signup/32562

    State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
    Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
    White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
    Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKqMlVPAhdk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: TOP Ships Inc. Announces Intention to Spin Off a New Nasdaq-Listed Suezmax Tanker Company

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATHENS, Greece, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TOP Ships Inc. (the “Company” or “TOP Ships”) (NYSE American: TOPS), an international owner and operator of modern, fuel-efficient “ECO” tanker vessels, announced today that it intends to effect a spin-off of two of its Suezmax tanker vessels.

    Rubico Inc. (“Rubico”), currently a subsidiary of TOP Ships, would become an independent publicly-traded company listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market as a result of the planned spin-off. The initial assets of Rubico will be the M/T Eco Malibu and M/T Eco West Coast, each a modern, high specification, scrubber-fitted and fuel-efficient 157,000 dwt Suezmax tanker.

    As part of the spin-off transaction, TOP Ships intends to distribute 100% of the common shares of Rubico to its securityholders of record as of June 16, 2025. The distribution of common shares of Rubico is expected to be made on or around June 30, 2025. Following the spin-off, there are expected to be no overlapping board members or executive officers between Rubico and TOP Ships.

    In the spin-off distribution, TOP Ships intends to distribute 100% of the common shares of Rubico pro rata to the common shareholders of TOP Ships and to all holders of outstanding common stock purchase warrants of TOP Ships on an as-exercised basis.

    TOP Ships securityholders do not need to take any action to receive Rubico shares to which they are entitled, and do not need to pay any consideration or surrender or exchange TOP Ships common shares. TOP Ships common shareholders (and warrantholders on an as-exercised basis) will receive one Rubico common share for every two TOP Ships common shares held at the close of business on June 16, 2025, the record date for the distribution. Fractional common shares of Rubico will not be distributed. Instead, the distribution agent will aggregate fractional common shares into whole shares, sell such whole shares in the open market at prevailing rates promptly after Rubico’s common shares commence trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, and distribute the net cash proceeds from the sales pro rata to each holder who would otherwise have been entitled to receive fractional common shares in the distribution.

    In connection with the spin-off transaction, Rubico expects to raise $1.5 million in a private placement of its common shares at a purchase price of $20.00 per share. The private placement will be conditioned on and is expected to close concurrently with the spin-off distribution.

    Rubico will file a registration statement on Form 20-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the proposed spin-off. The transaction remains subject to such registration statement being declared effective and the approval of the listing of Rubico’s common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market. There can be no assurance that the transaction will occur or, if it does occur, of its terms or timing. TOP Ships may, at any time, decide to abandon the spin-off. A copy of the registration statement on Form 20-F filed by Rubico will be available at www.sec.gov.

    About TOP Ships Inc.

    TOP Ships Inc. is an international owner and operator of ocean-going vessels focusing on modern, fuel-efficient eco tanker vessels transporting crude oil, petroleum products (clean and dirty) and bulk liquid chemicals. For more information about TOP Ships Inc., visit its website: www.topships.org.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding the proposed spin-off and the prospects and strategies of TOP Ships and Rubico following the spin-off, the valuation of the shares of Rubico and TOP Ships following the spin-off, and the listing of Rubico’s common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

    The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “intends,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including, without limitation, our management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records, and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs, or projections. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward‐looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.

    For further information please contact:

    Alexandros Tsirikos
    Chief Financial Officer
    TOP Ships Inc.
    Tel: +30 210 812 8107
    Email: atsirikos@topships.org

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Real Matters Appoints Mortgage Market Industry Veteran John Walsh to its Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real Matters Inc. (“Real Matters” or the “Company”), a leading network management services provider for the mortgage lending and insurance industries, today announced the appointment of John Walsh to its Board of Directors, effective June 4, 2025. Mr. Walsh will serve on the Company’s Compensation, Nomination, Governance and Sustainability Committee. Following the appointment of Mr. Walsh, the Board will comprise seven directors, six of whom are independent.

    “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome John as a new director,” said Real Matters Chairman Garry Foster. “With more than four decades of mortgage market experience, John is a seasoned industry veteran whose extensive background and expertise in financial services, data and technology will be an invaluable asset to our Board and to the Company as it continues to pursue its long-term growth strategy.”

    John Walsh is a corporate director with more than four decades of experience in the mortgage, real estate and financial services industry, including leading technology and data firms. Mr. Walsh is currently a director and the former CEO of California-based LERETA LLC (2015 to 2025), a leading provider of real estate tax services. Prior to joining LERETA, Mr. Walsh was the CEO of DataQuick, a nationwide provider of real estate property information, analytics and mortgage settlement services from 2008 to 2015. Previously, he was president of Del Mar Database, a provider of technology solutions to residential lenders. He is also the former president of RF/Spectrum Decision Science Corp. and chairman and CEO at PureCarbon, Inc. (now Workstream, Inc.). Earlier in his career, Mr. Walsh held senior management positions at several mortgage companies and banks. 

    “I am truly excited to be joining the Real Matters Board and am eager to bring my experience to the table in support of the Company’s continued growth and innovation,” said John Walsh. “I look forward to contributing to the Company’s success as it strengthens its position as a leader in mortgage technology and drives forward-thinking solutions in an ever-evolving industry.”

    Mr. Walsh was an independent director of DocuTech Inc. from 2013 to 2018, serving on its Compensation Committee. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science Degree from California Lutheran College. He is also a recipient of the PROGRESS in Lending Association Lending Luminary Award™.

    About Real Matters
    Real Matters is a leading network management services provider for the mortgage lending and insurance industries. Real Matters’ platform combines its proprietary technology and network management capabilities with tens of thousands of independent qualified field professionals to create an efficient marketplace for the provision of mortgage lending and insurance industry services. Our clients include top 100 mortgage lenders in the U.S. and some of the largest banks and insurance companies in Canada. We are a leading independent provider of residential real estate appraisals to the mortgage market and a leading independent provider of title and mortgage closing services in the U.S. Headquartered in Markham (ON), Real Matters has principal offices in Buffalo (NY) and Middletown (RI). Real Matters is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol REAL. For more information, visit www.realmatters.com.

    For more information:
    Lyne Beauregard
    Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
    Real Matters
    lbeauregard@realmatters.com
    416.994.5930

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf814742-972f-45dc-ab64-69bb92179659

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Beeline taps Crypto Ecosystem to Unlock Real Estate Liquidity for consumers through a Stablecoin Funding

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Beta closings begin in June; full-scale launch hits late July

    Homeowners unlock equity for cash—no debt, no interest, no monthly payments

    PROVIDENCE, RI, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beeline Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: BLNE) the fast-growing digital mortgage platform that shortens the path to homeownership, today announced the upcoming launch of a new home equity access product that allows homeowners to convert a portion of their home equity into immediate cash—without incurring debt or monthly payments.

    Beeline has partnered with a company (“RealCo”), which is co-owned by Beeline’s principal shareholder and CEO. RealCo will issue stablecoins to access capital to purchase equity from homeowners seeking liquidity. RealCo is engaging with Beeline, which will source consumers and provide services. Beeline Title will provide title and escrow services.  

    This innovative product will be funded through a stablecoin-backed model, offering homeowners a fast and flexible alternative to traditional refinancing or HELOCs. The hard launch is scheduled for late July, with beta transactions beginning in June. The coins will be backed by ownership through a fractional deed on the property. RealCo will acquire a minority ownership in homes (up to 49%) as a nominee for the funders who will receive the stablecoins. Homeowners selling equity can opt to receive RealCo-issued stablecoins or US dollars.

    Unlike conventional lending products, this is not a loan transaction, tied to interest rates, or a buy-back obligation, allowing Beeline to generate consistent revenue in any rate environment. The company expects this to drive faster percentage-based revenue growth than traditional mortgage lenders, and with the fees, it expects to be well-positioned to reach operational profitability beginning in Q4 2025. Early market feedback indicates strong demand from equity-rich homeowners seeking liquidity without selling their property or incurring additional monthly obligations. RealCo will initially launch in approximately ten thousand US zip codes and will only enter into equity purchases on homes with a value of $ 1 million or more.

    “Provided there’s equity in the home, RealCo will mint coins at closing, which may then be converted into U.S. dollars,” said Nick Liuzza, CEO of Beeline Holdings. “This model enables us to provide homeowners with liquidity quickly, with an unprecedented model. The stablecoin mechanism becomes the catalyst for funding, and the stablecoin is secured by property recorded in 1:1 in the blockchain and in the public record.”   

    As the crypto ecosystem continues to gain mainstream adoption, with Bitcoin reaching new levels of institutional recognition, Beeline’s use of blockchain-native funding infrastructure represents a first-of-its-kind application in real estate finance. While Bitcoin itself is not used directly in these transactions, the overall architecture reflects the increasing integration of traditional asset classes with blockchain-backed liquidity models.

    Participating homeowners will receive cash at closing and won’t be required to repay the funds until the property is sold. Upon sale, RealCo, as nominee for the token holders, will receive its pro rata percentage of the net proceeds. All ownership privileges remain intact, provided property taxes are kept current.

    “As we enter discussions with new investors, it’s critical to provide transparency about this expansion,” added Liuzza. “This product represents a major opportunity.”

    Beeline’s existing product suite includes both conventional mortgage offerings and a range of non-QM loan programs, many of which are optimized for 1099 earners, self-employed borrowers, and younger homeowners. The company emphasized that this new product is an addition, not a pivot, from its core model.

    “We’re not shifting focus,” said Jess Kennedy, COO of Beeline. “We’re simply adding more firepower to our arsenal that meets the evolving needs of today’s homeowners.”

    The product is expected to benefit individuals who don’t qualify for traditional cash-out refinancing or HELOCs but have meaningful equity. Beeline anticipates additional use cases to emerge as the product rolls out to a wider audience in the months ahead.

    About Beeline https://makeabeeline.com/

    Beeline Financial Holdings, Inc. is a trailblazing mortgage fintech transforming the way people access property financing. Through its fully digital, AI-powered platform, Beeline delivers a faster, smarter path to home loans—whether for primary residences or investment properties. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Beeline is reshaping mortgage origination with speed, simplicity, and transparency at its core. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beeline Holdings and also operates Beeline Labs, its innovation arm focused on next-generation lending solutions.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company’s prospective new home equity access product, the timing, features, and demand for such product, and the benefits thereof including revenue growth and the potential to achieve profitability in Q4 2025. Forward-looking statements are prefaced by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “intend,” “seem,” “potential,” “appear,” “continue,” “future,” believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” and similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, the ultimate interest of homeowners in unlocking liquidity and Beeline’s ability to attract homeowners, its reliance on RealCo to raise capital to fund the real estate transactions, and the Risk Factors contained in our Form 10-K filed April 15, 2025. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this presentation speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

    Contact
    ir@makeabeeline.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Green Impact Exchange (GIX) Appoints Paul Bauccio as Chief Operating Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Paul Bauccio has joined the Green Impact Exchange (GIX) as Chief Operating Officer, the company announced today. In this role, Bauccio will help bring GIX’s vision to life, overseeing the development of the trading platform and leading critical operational functions, including compliance, market operations, and member support. As a member of the GIX Leadership Team, he will also help shape the company’s culture by fostering a collaborative, results-oriented environment.

    “We’re thrilled to welcome Paul to the leadership team,” said Dan Labovitz, CEO of GIX. “As we build a marketplace that rewards sustainability performance and long-term value creation, Paul’s experience and leadership will be essential to delivering on our mission.”

    Bauccio brings more than 25 years of experience in technology, operations, and regulatory leadership within the exchange industry. Most recently, he served as Chief Risk Officer at IEX Group, where he oversaw information security, enterprise risk, and vendor management. Earlier in his career, Bauccio served as Senior Vice President of Market Operations for the New York Stock Exchange’s cash equities business, where he led key technology and market structure initiatives and managed the daily operations of the historic New York Stock Exchange trading floor.

    During his tenure at IEX, Bauccio held increasingly senior leadership roles, including Head of Market Operations, Head of Listings and Issuer Services, and Advisor to IEX Digital Assets. His track record of building operational excellence and leading high-performance teams positions him well to guide GIX through its next phase of growth.

    “I’m honored to be joining GIX at such a pivotal moment,” said Bauccio. “This is an exciting opportunity to help build a regulated exchange platform that serves the evolving needs of both issuers and investors in the sustainability economy.”

    About The Green Impact Exchange:

    The Green Impact Exchange (GIX) will be the first national securities exchange in the US dedicated to the emerging $35+ trillion sustainability economy. GIX will be a dual listing and trading venue for US registered securities and will seek to improve capital formation and the quality of disclosures around sustainability. GIX was founded by a team of financial services professionals with decades of deep experience in global exchanges, market & trade operations, corporate governance, and sustainability.

    To learn more, please visit our website at https://www.tradegix.com/ or reach out to us at info@tradegix.com. 

    Tomorrow’s Blue Chips will be green!

    Contact
    Deborah Kostroun
    Zito Partners
    +1 201-403-8185
    deborah@zitopartners.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Wedbush Fund Advisers Launches IVES AI Revolution ETF Built on Dan Ives’ Proprietary Research

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wedbush Fund Advisers has launched the Dan IVES Wedbush AI Revolution ETF (Ticker: IVES). The ETF will provide investors with transparent, cost-effective access to 30 names at the heart of the AI Revolution.

    Built around the proprietary research framework of Dan Ives, Wedbush Securities Managing Director and Global Head of Technology Research, the ETF targets companies driving AI’s infrastructure and deployment across semiconductors, hyperscalers, cybersecurity, consumer platforms, robotics, and cloud infrastructure. These companies form the backbone of a multi trillion-dollar investment cycle transforming global industries and accelerating enterprise and consumer adoption.

    Key Features of IVES ETF:

    • Research-Driven Selection: Constituents are drawn directly from Dan Ives’ proprietary research behind “The AI Revolution Theme,” a multi-year analysis identifying 30 public companies at the core of the AI spending cycle;
    • Cross-Sector Exposure: Covers the full spectrum of industries powering the AI economy — from infrastructure to implementation;
    • Balanced Construction: Strategically weighted to reduce concentration risk while maintaining high-conviction thematic exposure;
    • Future-Focused Positioning: Targets companies with both established momentum and long-term potential to lead in enterprise and consumer AI adoption.

    “We’re incredibly excited to bring Dan Ives’ research on the AI Revolution to life through this ETF,” said Cullen Rogers, Chief Investment Officer of Wedbush Fund Advisers. “It’s a response to what investors have been asking for—direct, meaningful exposure to the companies powering the next major economic transformation: artificial intelligence.”

    Wedbush entered the rapidly growing ETF market earlier this year through its new Investment Management division, marking the firm’s commitment to cutting-edge investment solutions and highly curated product development for our Global Family Office, Wealth Management and RIA clients.

    “AI is the most transformational force in the global economy in our lifetime,” said Gary Wedbush, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wedbush Securities. “Dan’s track record speaks for itself. He’s been identifying the drivers of tech disruption for years, and the IVES ETF gives investors a chance to follow that insight in a disciplined, transparent way. We are proud to offer investors exposure to the AI Revolution through the IVES ETF.”

    About Wedbush Fund Advisers, LLC

    Wedbush Fund Advisers launched in 2024 to build on Wedbush’s 70-year legacy of market insight, innovation, and client trust. Our mission is to design forward-thinking investment strategies that reflect the evolving nature of markets and investor priorities. Backed by a seasoned team with decades of asset management experience, we’re committed to building a trusted platform that expands Wedbush’s tradition of excellence into the next era of investment innovation.

    Media Inquiries
    Deborah Kostroun
    Phone: +1 201 403-8185
    Email: deborah@zitopartners.com

    Important Information

    Shares of ETFs are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.

    Carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risk factors, and charges and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Funds’ prospectuses or, if available, the summary prospectuses which may be obtained by visiting www.wedbushfunds.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

    AI Technology Risk. AI technology is generally highly reliant on the collection and analysis of large amounts of data, and it is not possible or practicable to incorporate all relevant data into the model that such AI utilizes to operate. Certain data in such models will inevitably contain a degree of inaccuracy and error – potentially materially so – and could otherwise be inadequate or flawed, which would be likely to degrade the effectiveness of the AI technology. Companies involved in, or exposed to, artificial intelligence-related businesses may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. These companies face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence, and many depend significantly on retaining and growing the consumer base of their respective products and services. Many of these companies are also reliant on the end-user demand of products and services in various industries that may in part utilize artificial intelligence. Further, many companies involved in, or exposed to, artificial intelligence-related businesses may be substantially exposed to the market and business risks of other industries or sectors, and the Fund may be adversely affected by negative developments impacting those companies, industries or sectors.

    Calculation Methodology Risk. The Index relies directly or indirectly on various sources of information to assess the criteria of issuers included in the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser can offer assurances that the Index’s calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers or a correct valuation of securities, nor can they guarantee the availability or timeliness of the production of the Index.

    Concentration Risk. The Fund’s investments will be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index is so concentrated. In such event, the value of the Shares may rise and fall more than the value of shares of a fund that invests in securities of companies in a broader range of industries.

    Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Narrowly focused thematic investments will be more susceptible to factors affecting that sector and subject to more volatility.

    The Wedbush Funds are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Wedbush Fund Advisers, LLC and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, are not affiliated.

    Investment products are not insured by the FDIC or any federal government agency, may lose value, and are not a deposit of or guaranteed by any bank or any bank affiliate.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Innovations in Imaging, such as AI-Enhanced Retinal & Fundus Camera Systems are Booming Along with Revenue Opportunities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – The Retinal and Fundis Camera market has shown growth in the recent years and is expected to continue for years to come. Fundus cameras are sophisticated instruments utilized in ophthalmology for capturing detailed images of the retina. They employ a specialized optical design akin to an indirect ophthalmoscope, with the angle of view being a key parameter defining their functionality… Fundus photography enables physicians to meticulously examine retinal changes over time, facilitating collaboration among colleagues and enhancing patient care. A recent report from Precedence Research said: “The fundus cameras market experiences growth driven by the evolving landscape of imaging technologies, particularly in diagnosing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Traditionally, fundus photography with film-based cameras, preferably through pharmacologically dilated pupils, has been pivotal in documenting AMD severity. The emergence of high-resolution digital cameras presents new opportunities in the market. Comparisons among different imaging systems, including nonstereoscopic color retinal images taken with digital cameras through dark-adapted and dilated pupils, as well as stereoscopic images captured with standard film cameras, highlight the expanding applications of fundus cameras. Such comparisons underscore the need for versatile imaging solutions to accommodate diverse clinical scenarios, thus fueling the growth in the fundus cameras market.” Active healthcare/tech companies active in the markets include: Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI), Outlook Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OTLK), Eyenovia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYEN), Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE: BLCO), Biomea Fusion, Inc. (NASDAQ: BMEA).

    Precedence Research continued: “The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into fundus cameras presents a significant opportunity for market growth. AI algorithms demonstrate high accuracy in detecting diseases like diabetic retinopathy (DR), offering improved diagnostic capabilities. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms utilizing preoperative fundus photography alongside other data parameters have shown promise in identifying at-risk eyes for postoperative complications after refractive surgery. Deep learning algorithms applied to fundus photographs have been successful in predicting cerebral white matter hyperintensity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and detecting DR with remarkable precision. Studies exploring AI’s role in correlating fundus photos, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and external eye photography with systemic diseases exhibit promising results. Particularly, AI-driven screening for DR holds significant potential. These advancements highlight the prospective role of AI-integrated fundus imaging in screening, diagnosing, and managing various retinal diseases, thus creating substantial opportunities for growth in the fundus cameras market.” The report added: “The global fundus cameras market size accounted for USD $676.46 Million in 2025 and is forecasted to hit around USD $943.12 Million by 2034, representing a CAGR of 3.80% from 2025 to 2034.”

    Avant Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI) and Partner, Ainnova, Finalizing Automated Retinal Camera Prototype Ahead of Full-Scale Development – Avant Technologies, Inc. (“Avant” or the “Company”) and its JV partner, Ainnova Tech, Inc., (Ainnova), a leading healthcare technology company focused on revolutionizing early disease detection using artificial intelligence (AI), today announced the Company is in the final stages of prototyping its proprietary automated retinal camera. Ainnova’s new device will offer users a low cost, easier to use camera that captures images automatically and then uploads those images to the Company’s Vision AI software platform, which then produces a “risk report” in mere seconds.

    Vinicio Vargas, Chief Executive Officer at Ainnova and member of the Board of Directors of the joint venture company, Ai-nova Acquisition Corp., said, “The cost of a fundus camera has always been a barrier to entry into in this market, so our low-cost camera, which is a fraction of the cost of currently available cameras on the market, should allow us to not only enter the market, but to capture a large share of the market.

    “Another significant advantage will be that our camera will be seamlessly packaged together with our Vision AI platform, allowing us to refer more patients in less time and accurately to medical specialists. Also, one of our objectives is to integrate other technologies to this preventive screening, expanding the scope from only diabetic patients to patients who have other risk factors and want to prevent other diseases from a more complete approach.”

    Vision AI is a powerful cutting-edge, AI-driven platform that can quickly and accurately detect the early markers of a host of diseases by applying AI models to examine imaging data from the eye to expedite earlier detection and allow patients to better manage their disease. The diseases that Vision AI can detect, include diabetic retinopathy, other retinopathies, such as glaucoma, macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, and other anomalies, as well as other diseases that do not require retinal images, and instead, use other datapoints that Ainnova has integrated into the software like the detection of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, liver fibrosis, and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

    Currently, Ainnova’s Vision AI software works well with any fundus camera on the market; however, Ainnova and Avant are aiming for exclusivity by developing a lower-cost, easier to use camera.

    Ai-nova Acquisition Corp. (AAC), the company formed by the partnership between Avant and Ainnova, will develop the retinal cameras as part of the joint venture and licensing deal to facilitate the development of Ainnova’s technology portfolio. AAC owns the global licensing rights to develop, maintain, and market Ainnova’s technology portfolio. CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Avant Technologies at:   https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-avai/

    In other developments and happenings in the biotech market recently include:

    Outlook Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OTLK), a biopharmaceutical company focused on enhancing the standard of care for bevacizumab for the treatment of retina diseases, recently announced that LYTENAVA™ (bevacizumab gamma) is now commercially available in Germany and the UK for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). LYTENAVA™ (bevacizumab gamma) is the first and only authorized ophthalmic formulation of bevacizumab for use in treating wet AMD in adults in the European Union and UK.

    “We are excited to have launched LYTENAVA™ (bevacizumab gamma) for patients with wet AMD in Germany and the UK. I would like to extend sincere gratitude to the Outlook team and our partners for their commitment and dedication that helped to get us to this major milestone. Going forward, we remain laser focused on ensuring success in Germany and the UK as well as preparing for additional launches across the region later this year and throughout 2026,” commented Jedd Comiskey, Senior Vice President, Head of Europe at Outlook Therapeutics.

    Eyenovia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYEN), an ophthalmic technology company developing the proprietary Optejet® topical ophthalmic medication dispensing platform, recently provided updates on its potential merger with Betaliq and the ongoing development of its novel Optejet user filled device (UFD), and reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    Negotiations continue towards a binding merger agreement with Betaliq, a clinical-stage private pharmaceutical company focused on glaucoma with access to Eyesol®, a non-aqueous technology that may address many of the needs of these patients. We have agreed to extend the binding exclusivity period set forth in the Letter of Intent until June 7, 2025, to allow more time to complete and execute the anticipated merger agreement.

    Progress in the development of the Optejet user-filled device (UFD) continues and remains on track to file for U.S. regulatory approval in September of this year. An approval would provide for potential multiple commercial opportunities either directly with consumers or through eye care practitioner offices as well as potential and existing license partners, including Arctic Vision in China and Korea.

    Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE: BLCO), a leading global eye health company dedicated to helping people see better to live better, recently announced the U.S. launch of LUMIFY Preservative Free redness reliever eye drops, the first and only preservative-free over-the-counter eye drops with low-dose brimonidine tartrate 0.025% that relieve redness of the eye due to minor eye irritations.

    “Consumers often say how amazed they are at the difference our original LUMIFY makes to their eyes, with over 50,000 five-star reviews as proof,” said John Ferris, president, Consumer, Bausch + Lomb. “LUMIFY Preservative Free brings that same fast-acting formula to those with sensitive eyes — delivering a visibly brighter, whiter look in just 60 seconds.”

    Biomea Fusion, Inc. (NASDAQ: BMEA), recently announced that preliminary clinical data from the Phase I COVALENT-103 trial of BMF-500 in adults with acute leukemia (AL) were selected for a poster presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2025 Congress, taking place June 12–15 in Milan, Italy.

    The presentation will highlight emerging safety, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), and clinical activity of BMF-500, a covalent FLT3 inhibitor, in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) AL, including those with FLT3 mutations (FLT3m) who have previously received FLT3 inhibitors such as gilteritinib (gilt).

    About FN Media Group:

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    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Fearful of reaching your next milestone age? A psychologist’s tips to combat the ‘birthday blues’

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jolanta Burke, Associate Professor, Centre for Positive Health Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

    DavideAngelini/Shutterstock

    Birthdays are typically seen as joyful events, filled with celebration, laughter and gifts. Yet it’s not uncommon, particularly if you are approaching a milestone age, to feel sad on your birthday.

    Birthdays can trigger painful emotions for anyone who may feel neglected, lonely, or disappointed about how their lives turned out to be. They are also reminders of ageing and mortality, and may bring feelings of grief for lost time or fear about the future.

    Milestone birthdays, such as turning 30 or 40, are even associated with particularly high instances of suicide, according to research from Japan. More people also die of stroke and a heart attack around their birthdays than on other days.

    All of these negative feelings, whether extreme depression or just feeling a bit disappointed, make up what’s sometimes known as the “birthday blues”.



    Read more:
    Fear of ageing is really a fear of the unknown – and modern society is making things worse

    One important factor influencing whether you will get the birthday blues is how satisfied you are with your life. Life satisfaction is the degree to which you feel your life aligns with your expectations, and whether you have met, exceeded or fallen short of your life goals.

    If you’re approaching a big birthday, you may feel susceptible to the comparison trap of social media, or feel self-conscious about where you are in life. Birthdays are an often unwelcome benchmark by which to measure how well we are doing at any given age.

    No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

    Read more from Quarter Life:

    Another important factor is whether you have a clear sense of meaning in your life. A clear sense of meaning is associated with greater wellbeing, while ongoing search for meaning is associated with mental health challenges.

    Milestone birthdays often prompt people to re-evaluate their meaning in life. This introspection may result in emotional distress, a decline in wellbeing or even suicidal thoughts – or, it can be a positive step into a new decade.

    Rewriting your birthday

    You might imagine what you would like your milestone birthday celebration to look like, but sometimes reality does not match up. Perhaps you imagined a big party, only to realise you don’t have the social circle to make it happen, or that friends are busy with work and other commitments. You may long for a quiet birthday with a partner and children, yet find yourself still living with your parents, or without a partner or family of your own.

    Here are some practical steps you can take to have a more positive approach to your birthday.

    1. Envision your best possible self

    My colleague and I once worked with a small group of women aged over 55 who struggled to look forward to their retirement. For many, their future felt uncertain, even frightening. To help them shift their mindset, we introduced an activity “Best Possible Self”.

    We encouraged participants to re-imagine their future, focusing on what could go well for them and setting up goals to make their vision come true. After three months, even those who dreaded talking about the future noted a significant increase in hopefulness. The activity reminded them that good times could still come.

    Writing about your best possible self for just 20 minutes a day over a few days, especially around your birthday, could help you re-imagine your future and nurture a sense of hope, no matter what stage of life you are in.

    It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to.
    India Picture/Shutterstock

    2. Pick an alternative birthday setting or an activity

    Birthdays don’t have to be a big night out. Plan an activity or visit a place you genuinely enjoy and which brings you happiness or comfort. This could be a walk in a park, attending a theatre performance, or a cosy day at home.

    Instead of just going through the motions, focus on enhancing the emotional quality of the experience. Pick a park that holds a special meaning or memories for you, or plan some home-based activities that energise you, such as cooking your favourite meal, creating art or watching a movie you love.

    3. Practice mindful awareness

    Notice the sounds, smells and other sensations as you go through your day. Pay attention to the emotions that arise, whether it is joy, nostalgia or hope.

    Reflect on how your thoughts have changed as a result of this experience. Perhaps think about what you are grateful for, what you’ve achieved in the last year, how far you have come from more challenging times in the past or what your hopeful vision is towards the future.

    4. Express and reinforce your positive experiences

    Find meaningful ways to express yourself and record your birthday. This might be by writing an entry in a journal, calling someone and sharing your insights, or creating something, like a playlist, photo collage, or drawing to capture this moment.

    Fear of ageing is also about fear of the unknown. We can combat this by cultivating hope – recognising what is going well for us in life and believing in the possibility of better days ahead.

    To ease the pressure of having a “happy birthday”, it might help to aim instead for a more compassionate “hopeful birthday”. This mindset acknowledges the complexity of ageing, and leaves room for both celebration and vulnerability. In a world that demands constant positivity, where we’re expected to keep smiling, stay positive and suppress discomfort, it offers us a break to be ourselves.

    The risk of suicide around birthdays is particularly high for those who have depression or autism. If you are feeling upset about your birthday or belong to a vulnerable group, reach out to a helpline, counsellor, therapist, family member or a friend and ask for support during this challenging time. It is easier to tackle the birthday blues together, than do it on your own.

    In the UK: Samaritans are available by phone, for free, at 116 123, or by email at jo@samaritans.org. Further resources can also be found here.

    Jolanta Burke 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. Fearful of reaching your next milestone age? A psychologist’s tips to combat the ‘birthday blues’ – https://theconversation.com/fearful-of-reaching-your-next-milestone-age-a-psychologists-tips-to-combat-the-birthday-blues-255799

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why climate is an everyday story – but media coverage still spikes around special environment days and UN summits

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sanam Mahoozi, PhD Candidate in Journalism, City St George’s, University of London

    Lake Urmia, Iran. Sebastian Castelier/Shutterstock

    Climate change is already happening. But 36% of the world’s population still disputes the realities of its origins and impacts. When the science is clear but public understanding lags, more lives and livelihoods are put at risk.

    The media can act as a bridge between climate solutions and public understanding. A global analysis by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that the news media remain the primary source of climate change information, with 31% of people getting it from television and 24% from websites and social media platforms.

    Despite all of this, the mainstream media around the world is not doing enough to shoulder the responsibility of preparing the public for the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. Research indicates that climate change coverage spikes around UN climate summits (Cops) and events like World Water Day, but drops off in between.

    That means the stories being told about the environment get the most attention during certain months and consistently less coverage throughout the rest of the year.

    I study how the media reports on climate change in authoritarian countries like Iran and across the Middle East and north Africa, a region where heat indices surpass 55°C and severe water shortages persist.

    As part of my PhD research, I found that international media reporting of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations is sporadic, with coverage often increasing around political and environmental events.

    Reporting on environmental issues in countries facing conflict, war and political tensions is challenging, as the topic often falls low on the media’s list of priorities.

    Climate stories tend to peak around special environment days or UN climate summits.
    arda savasciogullari/Shutterstock

    When it comes to Iran, most of the news making headlines is focused on its nuclear development programme, problems with the west and violations of human rights. The fact that thousands of Iranians die each year from thirst, air pollution and heatwaves rarely makes it into international media, and when it does, it’s usually tied to a political event like protests or US economic sanctions.

    For the past few years, I have been researching and writing for news outlets about the Iranian government’s failure to take action towards mitigating climate change. While discussing the issue with climate scientists, I learned that Iran is among the top ten countries globally contributing to carbon emissions.

    I also learned that, along with Yemen and Libya, Iran is the only country left to ratify the Paris agreement, a treaty that aims to keep global temperatures to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial times.

    However, when I analysed the media coverage, there was not nearly enough mention of this throughout the year. Most articles were published in November, around the time the UN usually holds its annual climate summits, like the UN climate summit, Cop29, hosted by Azerbaijan last year.

    This is a trend I’ve realised through my research and reporting. When the media only covers environmental issues in countries like Iran during political upheavals or climate summits, the world remains largely unaware of these ongoing challenges the rest of the time.

    Here’s the problem: just in the past few months, millions of Iranians across the country have been suffering through crippling sand and dust storms, drought and land subsidence, issues that have been exacerbated by climate change.

    My PhD research into how the media covers the environment in authoritarian regimes is supported by other studies. I found that articles about water and climate issues in Iran and the Middle East tend to peak around environmental protests and UN climate change summits.

    My study shows that Iran received the highest amount of environmental coverage during the 2021 protests in the southwestern province of Khuzestan concerning the lack of water and drought.

    The bigger picture

    When journalists, editors and media outlets delay reporting on the impact of climate change in countries like Iran, we miss the full scale of the damage. As a result, there’s less pressure on authorities to change policies or prepare the public for the growing environmental challenges like forced migration, hunger, and conflict.

    If these countries are more vulnerable to climate change and their governments are doing little to solve the problem, this urgency must be reflected in the media.

    This can be achieved if news organisations publish more stories that explore the root causes of environmental problems and include insights from experts who can offer solutions.

    If even one story can help save a lake, river or wetland from drying up, that’s a pretty powerful effect.

    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.

    Sanam Mahoozi 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 climate is an everyday story – but media coverage still spikes around special environment days and UN summits – https://theconversation.com/why-climate-is-an-everyday-story-but-media-coverage-still-spikes-around-special-environment-days-and-un-summits-256286

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Three ways to make dental care kinder for anxious patients

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Isabel Olegário, Senior Lecturer, Dentistry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

    Impact Photography/Shutterstock

    For many, a visit to the dentist brings fear, anxiety, or memories of uncomfortable experiences. But dentistry is changing – and it’s becoming much kinder.

    Today, needle-free and drill-free approaches are helping manage tooth decay in ways that are more comfortable, especially for children, anxious patients and those with special healthcare needs. Three of the most promising techniques are silver diamine fluoride (SDF), atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) and the Hall technique.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, many dental clinics sought out non-aerosol-generating procedures (those that don’t spray water or create mist), to reduce viral transmission. SDF and ART became essential treatment approaches during that period – and their popularity has continued to grow. These techniques don’t just make dentistry more acceptable – they challenge the traditional belief that every cavity needs to be drilled and filled.

    Tooth decay is caused by bacteria in dental plaque that feed on sugars and produce acids, gradually wearing away the tooth’s surface when tooth brushing isn’t good.



    Read more:
    Over half of UK adults will have dental disease by 2050, according to our research

    Traditional treatment ordinarily involves numbing a tooth by injection of local anaesthetic followed by removal of the decayed part of the tooth with a drill. The hole (or cavity) left is then then restored or “filled” with a filling material, for example dental composite. While effective, this method can be painful or frightening, especially for younger or vulnerable patients.

    But we now understand that not all cavities need to be restored immediately, and that stabilising disease and preventing progression can be just as important.

    Parents are often surprised – and relieved – to learn that their child’s cavity might not need an injection or a filling at all. Sometimes, especially for small cavities in baby teeth close to falling out naturally, just monitoring or applying SDF may be enough.

    Equally, there’s a growing recognition that patient comfort and trust are essential parts of long-term oral health and quality of life. A traumatic dental experience early in life can deter someone from seeking care for years, making problems worse down the line.



    Read more:
    Fear of the dentist: what is dental phobia and dental anxiety?

    Radically different approach

    Silver diamine fluoride offers a radically different approach. It is a clear liquid applied directly into a cavity using a small brush. It takes only seconds and requires no drilling, no needles or costly, complicated equipment.

    SDF works in two ways. The silver has antibacterial properties that kill the bacteria causing the decay, while the fluoride helps harden the remaining tooth structure. It’s particularly effective for shallow cavities and can stop decay in its tracks. Several studies have found that SDF stopped decay in about 80% of treated cases.

    Silver diamine fluoride application.

    It’s not a perfect solution. One side effect is that the treated area turns black, which can be an aesthetic concern, especially for front teeth. But for back teeth, or for children who cannot tolerate other options, this may be an acceptable alternative for avoiding needles and drilling or costly treatment under general anaesthetic.

    Filling teeth with hand tools, not drills

    Atraumatic restorative treatment is another gentle approach. Originally developed for use in areas with limited access to dental equipment, it’s now widely used as a patient-friendly option.

    ART involves removing soft, decayed tooth tissue using hand instruments – no noisy drills or anaesthetic injections needed. Once the decay tissue is removed, the cavity is filled with a material called glass ionomer cement. This special material sticks to the tooth, releases fluoride over time, and helps prevent further decay.

    The process is quiet, minimally invasive and usually takes less time than conventional treatments. It can often be done with the patient sitting upright, which is particularly helpful for very young children or those with special needs. This treatment doesn’t require a dental chair or power source so it can be done anywhere – from schools to nursing homes.

    Crowns without drilling

    Another gentle and increasingly popular option for managing decay in children’s teeth is the Hall technique.

    Unlike traditional treatments that involve drilling or removing decay, the Hall technique works by sealing the decayed tissue in, rather than taking it out. It uses a preformed metal crown – often called a “stainless steel crown” – that is simply placed over the decayed baby tooth without any drilling, injections, or removal of tooth tissue.

    The Hall technique.

    Here’s how it works: after checking that the tooth is suitable (usually with an x-ray), the dentist uses small orthodontic separators between the child’s teeth for a few days to create space. Then, in a quick and painless appointment, the crown is gently pushed onto the tooth and held in place with special dental cement. That’s it – no needles, no drill and no discomfort.

    By sealing the cavity in this way, the bacteria inside are cut off from the sugars they need to keep causing damage. Over time, the decay becomes inactive, and the crown protects the baby tooth until it naturally falls out.

    Parents are often amazed by how well children cope with this approach. In fact, studies show that children who have had the Hall technique often experience less discomfort, fewer dental visits, and better long-term outcomes than those who undergo traditional drilling and
    filling.

    The future of kinder dentistry

    Of course, the best (and kindest) way to avoid needles, drilling and filling is to prevent tooth decay in the first place. But when treatment is needed, the options above are changing the game – and they’re here to stay.

    Silver diamine fluoride, atraumatic restorative treatment and the Hall technique aren’t right for every situation, but they’re safe, backed by evidence and a powerful reminder that dental care doesn’t have to be painful to be effective.

    For anxious patients, nervous kids, or anyone who’s put off going to the dentist because of fear, these gentler approaches can be the difference between avoiding care and finally getting it.

    Dentistry is changing – and it’s time our expectations caught up.

    Paul Leavy is currently undertaking his PhD at the Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Centre for Health Policy and Management. Paul Leavy receives funding from the Health Research Board (HRB) as a PhD Scholar under the SPHeRE Programme (2018-1).

    Isabel Olegário 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. Three ways to make dental care kinder for anxious patients – https://theconversation.com/three-ways-to-make-dental-care-kinder-for-anxious-patients-256925

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: South Korea election: Lee Jae-myung takes over a country split by gender politics

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ming Gao, Research Scholar of East Asia Studies, Lund University

    Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung has won South Korea’s snap presidential election with a clear lead. With all of the ballots counted, Lee won almost 50% of the vote, ahead of his conservative rival Kim Moon-soo on 41%. He takes over a country that is deeply divided along gender lines.

    Lee’s campaign effectively channelled voter anger. He focused on resetting South Korea’s politics after impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was from the same party as Kim, unleashed chaos by declaring martial law in December 2024.

    However, gender conflict has continued, subtly but powerfully, to shape voter behaviour, campaign strategies and the national debate about who is to blame for the lack of opportunities in South Korea for young men.

    The election took place three years after Yoon pipped Lee to the presidency by just a quarter of a million votes – the closest margin in the country’s history. Yoon’s victory was, as has been noted by researcher Kyungja Jung, “the epitome of the utilisation of gender wars”.

    A key part of Yoon’s strategy was fostering a sense among young Korean men that it was now them, rather than women, who were the victims of discrimination. He secured 59% of the vote from men in their 20s and 53% from men in their 30s. Just 34% of women in their 20s supported him.

    In the latest election, gender was everywhere and nowhere all at once. On the one hand, not a single candidate put forward a meaningful policy to address structural gender discrimination in the workplace, domestic violence or public sexual harassment.

    None even mentioned the gaping absence of women candidates, despite thousands of mostly young women having filled the streets demanding democracy after Yoon’s martial law declaration. It was the first time in nearly 20 years that not a single woman stood among the contenders for the highest role in the country.

    Lee, positioning himself as the consensus candidate, attempted to neutralise gender as a campaign issue. When reporters asked him whether he would announce any women-related pledges, he said: “Why do you keep dividing men and women? They are all Koreans.”

    His remark may sound inclusive. But it signals a strategy to declare the gender issue off-limits for the sake of the greater good, thus sidestepping the specific inequalities that continue to divide the country. It’s a form of unity by erasure.

    Lee Jun-seok of the right-wing Reform party, on the other hand, tried to resurrect the same playbook that delivered Yoon to power in 2022. He attempted to provoke, polarise and win the loyalty of disaffected young men.

    As Yoon had done three years ago, he called for the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. And during a televised debate, he asked: “If someone says they want to stick chopsticks into women’s genitals, would that count as misogyny?” The question was a nod to a controversial online remark Lee Jae-myung’s son had made years earlier.

    Lee Jun-seok’s comment drew widespread condemnation and, ultimately, he only scraped about 7.7% of the total vote. This included over 37% of men in their 20s, while 58% of women in the same age group backed Lee Jae-myung. Gender is a highly political matter in South Korea whichever way you look at it.

    Gender wars

    This gender divide is now one of the most consistent features of South Korean politics. Women are vocal and visible in public to safeguard not just their own rights, but also South Korea’s democracy.

    Yet populist politicians have cultivated a perception among young men – squeezed by stagnant wages, fierce competition over jobs and social expectations – that their diminishing opportunities are due to policies they see as favouring women.

    This has resulted in many young South Korean men seeing feminism not as a movement for equality but as an obstacle to their own progress. In reality, their struggle has less to do with gender and more to do with structural inequalities in income and opportunity for all young Koreans.

    As Kyungja Jung observed in a paper from 2024: “Misogyny becomes an outlet for their [South Korean men’s] frustration and masculinity crisis as they search for a scapegoat for their struggles in neoliberal society. They blame women rather than the neoliberal economy.”

    Young people even from the best universities in Korea feel they cannot compete in the job market no matter what they do. South Korea now has one of the highest rates of young people not in education, employment or training among the OECD countries. This has given rise to the so-called “N-Po” generation, who feel so disadvantaged that they have given up on all future dreams of marriage, family and a career.

    South Korea isn’t alone in mobilising backlash against feminism and gender equality. Around the globe, gender has become one of the major fault lines in politics. In the November 2024 US election, Donald Trump led among young men by 14 points, while Kamala Harris had an 18-point edge with young women.

    Meanwhile, self-described misogynist Andrew Tate continues to shape young male attitudes online. And in Italy, Giorgia Meloni rose to power on a far-right platform that, despite being a woman herself, reduces women to their roles as mothers and homemakers.

    Young women played a key role in the protests against Yoon’s martial law declaration.
    Icelander / Shutterstock

    One model for change in South Korea could be to introduce quotas for women in politics to make their voices heard. Women only occupy around 20% of the 300 seats in South Korea’s National Assembly, trailing well behind the global (27.2%) and Asian (22.1%) averages. If women are not in politics making decisions about themselves, then their voices will not be heard beyond the streets.

    Lee Jae-myung’s win has given South Korea a moment to breathe. But the fault lines remain. When an entire demographic, be it young men or women, feels systematically unheard or structurally discriminated against, opportunistic voices can move in to fill the void.

    Gender is political. Ignoring it may be just as risky as confronting it head-on.

    Ming Gao receives funding from the Swedish Research Council. This research was produced with support from the Swedish Research Council grant “Moved Apart” (nr. 2022-01864). Ming Gao is a member of Lund University Profile Area: Human Rights.

    Joanna Elfving-Hwang receives funding from the Academy of Korean Studies. This research was supported by the Core University Program for Korean Studies through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and Korean Studies Promotion Service of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2022-OLU-2250005).

    – ref. South Korea election: Lee Jae-myung takes over a country split by gender politics – https://theconversation.com/south-korea-election-lee-jae-myung-takes-over-a-country-split-by-gender-politics-257923

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Netflix to remake Pride and Prejudice – why Jane Austen novels make perfect period adaptations

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Shelley Galpin, Lecturer in Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King’s College London

    Announcing its new six-part adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Netflix quoted screenwriter Dolly Alderton as saying: “Once in a generation, a group of people get to retell this wonderful story.” In the 250th anniversary of her birth, it would seem that every new generation wants its own adaptation of Jane Austen’s perennial classic.

    It’s 30 years since Colin Firth’s Darcy decided that the only remedy for unrequited love was a dip in a muddy lake. And 20 since Matthew Macfadyen’s Darcy strode across a chilly field at sunrise to declare that Keira Knightley’s Lizzie had “bewitched me body and soul”. And, erm, almost 10 years since Lily James’s Lizzie fell for Darcy while simultaneously battling zombie hordes in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

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    Netflix’s (zombie-free) adaptation has, at time of writing, announced that Emma Corrin will play Lizzie opposite Jack Lowden’s Darcy, with Olivia Colman set to play Lizzie’s mother, Mrs Bennet. So with another retelling of the iconic love story on the horizon, what makes it such a attractive novel to adapt for screen?

    The clue is partly in the name. The characters are deeply flawed; Darcy is proud, Lizzie is prejudiced against him after she feels slighted at their first meeting. Both need to learn to “get over themselves” to achieve their happy ending. This makes for a highly satisfying character arc. It is difficult to imagine the love story between Lizzie’s “oh-so-perfect” sister Jane and the amiable Mr Bingley having quite the same draw.

    It is satisfying when these two destined-to-be-together characters finally find their happy ending. But the scheming of Bingley’s snobbish sister and the misguided loyalty of Darcy that interrupt the progress of their budding romance do not present the same dramatic tension as Lizzie and Darcy’s own internal battles.

    In one of the most iconic lines, upon learning of an error of judgement, Austen’s Lizzie ruefully acknowledges that, “Till this moment I never knew myself”. It is this internalised process of self-reflection and growth that makes for such compelling and relatable characterisation.

    While creating flawed characters, though, Austen reserved her most acidic barbs for the more powerful members of society. Recently, White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood called out her cruel portrayal in a Saturday Night Live skit, wisely drawing attention to the difference between punching up at the more powerful and punching down at easy targets with less social capital.

    Austen’s work is defined by her keen sense of class hierarchies, and she skilfully maintains a warmly humorous tone by gently mocking the human foibles of her characters, while never treating them with contempt.

    However, in the same way that the hit show Succession delighted audiences with the opportunity to recoil at the vulgarities of the rich, in Pride and Prejudice Austen punches up by reserving her most mocking behaviour for the privileged.

    Rich matriarch Lady Catherine de Bourgh delights in lecturing others about the correct way to behave, only to turn up at the Bennet household in the middle of the night with the sole intention of berating Lizzie. And the ridiculous Mr Collins, heir apparent to the Bennet family home, appears almost delusional in his belief that he is God’s gift to the Bennet sisters.

    These supporting roles have given a range of great actors the chance to lean into Austen’s social satire by emphasising the abhorrent nature of the characters, and by extension, revealing the stifling nature of the social system that the characters exist within.

    Society isn’t the only thing stifling the characters however. Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of Pride and Prejudice is its situating of Lizzie within the best and the worst of what family has to offer, allowing for a colourful cast of supporting characters.

    Embarrassing family members such as the meddling mother and the no-filter youngest sister have a universal relatability that can be easily moulded to contemporary sensibilities.

    Mrs Bennet in particular, played for laughs with exaggerated hysteria by Alison Steadman for the BBC in 1995, was reimagined in a rather more sympathetic light in Joe Wright’s 2005 film adaptation, when the very real perils facing her and her daughters upon the death of her husband were more sensitively explored.

    With the highly acclaimed Olivia Colman – so skilled at conveying emotional complexities – now cast in the role, it is likely that this more nuanced take on the character will continue, particularly in the light of more recent high-profile explorations of gendered power dynamics.

    Family life is not all bad for Lizzie though. In Jane Bennet, Austen creates the perfect older sister. Not only does she provide adaptations with an ideal subplot through her romance with Bingley, but the intimacy between the sisters also allows for useful scenes in which the characters discuss their innermost feelings.

    Through their private conversations, the sisters confide in each other, while also lying to each other and themselves about their true feelings, as the audience holds its breath through the highs and lows and waits for the inevitable happy ending to arrive.

    Because, ultimately, it’s all about the love story. While many literary critics have observed the fallacy of ending a romance with marriage, when this is really just the beginning, the fairytale structure of Austen’s novel, with its movement through burgeoning emotions, frustration and despair, arriving finally at self-knowledge and love, has proven a winning formula for centuries.

    Lizzie and Darcy will keep finding each other, generation after generation. Wet shirts and zombies, optional.

    Shelley Galpin 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. Netflix to remake Pride and Prejudice – why Jane Austen novels make perfect period adaptations – https://theconversation.com/netflix-to-remake-pride-and-prejudice-why-jane-austen-novels-make-perfect-period-adaptations-256649

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How remembering railway accidents from 100 years ago can make the industry safer today

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mike Esbester, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Portsmouth

    APChanel/Shutterstock

    According to a recent report, the UK rail industry is a relatively safe environment for both passengers and workers. The findings, from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, came from data on railway accidents for 2024.

    But it also showed that there remain areas of concern in the industry. Specifically, it found examples of “not learning” from accidents and incidents. And alarmingly, there has also been a “lack or loss” of learning from historic tragedies.

    So how and where can the sector recover that experience and insight in order to learn the lessons? The report findings imply the knowledge exists, but has been forgotten. It may be that, rather than looking back over the previous 12 months, the industry should cast its gaze back 100 or 150 years.

    For the rail workforce, a major new historical dataset is being released that might offer some answers. The Railway Work, Life & Death project has added nearly 70,000 cases of worker accidents in England and Wales to its database of staff accidents from before 1939.

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    Until now the records have been available only in hard copy. But digital access via the project website will mean insights from accidents – some dating to the 1850s – can be used to improve rail workforce safety in the present day.

    Examples from the project include the case of North Eastern Railway office cleaner Mary Ramsey. She was run over by a train in 1859 at South Shields while taking out the ashes from the station fireplaces. Ivor Richards, who worked for the Rhymney Railway in Cardiff, was just 14 when he was killed crossing the lines in 1916.

    These, and the tens of thousands of other historic cases, can be used to explore issues that resonate today. The online dataset offers a platform for people to access knowledge freely and learn from the past. No living person or current organisation is singled out. This means people in the rail industry now can use the records to draw parallels between past and present, and use it as a way into frank discussions about safety today.

    The utility of this approach and the value of the data is recognised by the industry. From within the rail sector, accident investigators, health and safety managers and trade union officers will be attending the dataset launch on June 5, at The National Archives of the UK, at Kew, London.

    Though the industry has changed radically over the last 200 years, some issues still exist that would have been equally recognisable to workers more than 100 years ago. From working at height, through slips, trips and falls, to working on and around railway lines, the essence of some railway work – and the dangers – remain consistent.

    Lessons from the past

    Last year the Railway Work, Life & Death project collaborated with independent research body the Rail Safety and Standards Board and the Infrastructure Safety Leadership Group to produce a workshop for safety leaders and a track worker safety digest.

    Both used historic examples to address contemporary issues – demonstrating the value of a “useable past” and the potential for this new dataset.

    The examples of Mary Ramsey and Ivor Richards might be used to discuss things like safe walking routes, or safety training and certification for going on or near working railway lines. They can start conversations about the mitigations that might have been put in place to prevent an accident, or “safe systems of work”. Even though concepts like safety certification and safe walking routes are anachronistic, they allow a space in which discussion can borrow from the past to focus on the present.

    The records come from The National Archives of the UK, where a team of volunteers has spent seven years transcribing them to make them more easily accessible. They were then added into the Railway Work, Life & Death project, a collaboration between the University of Portsmouth, National Railway Museum and the Modern Records Centre at the University of Warwick, working with the RMT union.

    The dataset also has benefits for people beyond the rail industry. This year is being marked as Railway 200 – 200 years since the Stockton and Darlington Railway was launched. This is seen as the birth of the modern system. For historians, we can use the dataset to see the people who kept the railway system running.

    There’s a risk that the version of the past that is portrayed is a straightforward one, and railways (particularly steam railways) are seen through rose-tinted spectacles. That view obscures how hard, dirty and dangerous working on the railways was for many people.

    Narratives about the railways’ past should challenge people – and acknowledge the difficult bits. This newly released dataset can do exactly that. It documents working conditions, wages, practices and, of course, dangers from working on the railways. It allows anyone to find out more about the past, making research easier and more accessible.

    And the dataset lets people tell more diverse stories about who was included in the rail industry.

    For example, we can see how disability as a result of a workplace accident was experienced and managed. William Parry was employed as a signalman in south Wales following a 1907 accident on the railways that cost him his leg.

    Giving more prominence to under-represented groups – while showing their long-standing presence in the rail industry – has significant social value. It can help support those currently in the industry, as well as show those contemplating a railway career that the workplace is for them. It meshes with the work of groups like Women in Rail and Ethnicity and Race in Rail to encourage greater representation in the industry.

    Having spent nearly ten years co-leading the Railway Work, Life & Death project, I sometimes ask myself why I do it – not least given the inherent sadness in many of the cases. But then I see the people behind the statistics, their wider lives, their families and communities, and the window the records gives into life on the railways. That personal connection drives me – alongside the conviction that it can make a difference to today’s industry.

    Railway workers from the past and the accidents they often suffered have been largely forgotten, precisely because the industry is now relatively safe. Employee accidents are nowhere near as commonplace or visible as they once were. But there is room for improvement. Remembering the people of the early railway era and learning from their experiences is once again possible through the Railway Work, Life & Death project.

    Mike Esbester 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 remembering railway accidents from 100 years ago can make the industry safer today – https://theconversation.com/how-remembering-railway-accidents-from-100-years-ago-can-make-the-industry-safer-today-257487

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Changes made to parking following community feedback

    Source: City of York

    Published Wednesday, 4 June 2025

    Executive members have listened to representations from local communities and agreed to several changes to car parking charges in the city.

    The changes come after traders expressed significant concerns at the cost to park in areas that previously had very low parking charges. The new pricing model introduces lower pricing in community shopping and residential areas outside of the inner ring road, whilst maintaining existing charges in the heart of the city. This forms part of an evidence led approach to tackle traffic congestion and improve travel options for everybody.

    Councillor Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council said:

    We are a council that listens. This year’s budget was the result of the most extensive budget consultation in years. We promised when setting the budget we would monitor the impact of any changes and continue to listen.

    “While making these changes now, we remain committed to tackling congestion in the city centre. We share the frustrations of those who are sat in traffic day in, day out. We are getting on with delivering our plans for a healthier, better connected and more sustainable city by taking steps to make it easier and quicker for everyone to get around.”

    Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport:

    We are grateful for those who have worked with us to explore solutions.

    “While we remain committed to tackling congestion and making it easier for everyone to get around, it is clear that some of the changes introduced were too much, too soon.

    “We’ve listened and will now get on with implementing these new arrangements”

    At a meeting tonight/last night (3 June) Executive agreed a range of changes to parking charges. At the same time Executive accepted a challenge under the Traffic Management Act, to carry out a review into the impact of the car parking charges at Bishopthorpe Road car park.

    The changes include:

    • approving an increase in the discount for the Minster Badge to 30% of the standard parking charge, from the current 24% to reduce the impact of increased parking charges on residents
    • maintaining existing charging at all city centre car parks
    • introducing an “outside the inner ring road” lower parking rate including Bishopthorpe Road, which it’s proposed is moved in line with charges approved for community car parks at East Parade and Rowntree Park in the council’s 2025-26 Budget. This would mean Bishopthorpe Road car park would become £3 per hour with a maximum stay of three hours, it would be £2.10 per hour for Minster Badge holders. It will also mean no Friday, Saturday or event uplift and no evening charge in these car parks
    • approving the adjustment of charges in the Micklegate and Priory Street area to the ‘outside the inner ring road’ on-street parking rate, rather than its existing higher city centre rate. This will be reviewed in the future. City centre evening parking rates for this area will still apply.
    • approving that East Parade Car Park should remain matched to the ‘outer’ on-street local parking rate to ensure consistency across out of city centre parking and reflect the different nature of local shopping areas outside of the immediate city centre.
    • removing the proposed charges for dedicated motorcycle bays. to recognise that the motorcycle bays are generally in locations where a car space is not possible. 
    • increase the discount for Low Emission vehicle permits to 20%, from the current 16% discount to set a discount that better reflects the contribution of all types of vehicles to congestion and takes in account the land-use impact of vehicle parking 
    • approve that Contract Parking permits are no longer linked to Season Tickets, and will be set at last year’s prices, plus circa 5% increase, with a 20% discount for low emission vehicles to recognise the unique circumstances of the small number of residents who live within the city walls without access to Resident parking schemes.
    • to undertake a review and develop a policy position around travel to places of worship.
    • accept the challenge to review parking charges under the Traffic Management Act 2004, this will include consultation with businesses and residents and community groups.

    The new charges will be advertised in accordance with legislation, meaning these charges will come into effect around Early July – after the statutory 21 day notice period and the necessary changes to the parking software.

    Now that Executive has approved a change to the reduction for the low vehicle emission discount, Contract, Season and ResPark permit holders will be refunded the difference. The council will automatically apply these refunds and will share more information on the refunds process as soon as possible.

    The papers from the Executive meeting are available to view at https://democracy.york.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1 and the meeting is available to view online at https://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –