Category Archives: Evolution

President Nixon declared the "War on Cancer" with the National Cancer Act of 1971, and in the decades since then cancer researchers have delivered new targeted therapies and immunotherapies that radically improved treatment. Even as more weapons are added to the medical arsenal, however, cancer cells find new ways to resist them.

In a provocative new book, Athena Aktipis director of the interdisciplinary cooperation initiative at Arizona State University who studies conflict and cooperation, in a whole range of systems from human societies to cancer cells argues that humanity may need to rethink our war on cancer by focusing not on eliminating it, but on transforming cancer from a set of deadly, acute diseases to chronic, manageable ones. She writes: "Cancer evolves, but we have the ability to anticipate that evolution and strategically plan our response. We can trick it, send it down a blind alley, sucker it into vulnerability, and shape it into something we can live with."

Aktipiss book, The Cheating Cell: How Evolution Helps Us Understand and Treat Cancer, came out earlier this spring and she tells Smithsonian how taking an ecological and evolutionary approach to cancer has led to novel treatment strategiesand why cancer is a lot like the mafia.

What was the impetus for writing this book?

There was a need for a book that would explain the origins of cancer. Why is cancer something that we face as humans, and why do other organisms get cancer? People think cancer is just a modern phenomenon, but it has been around since the beginning of multicellularity. I wanted to tell the story of how evolution operates within our bodiesamong our cells over the course of our lifetimeto give rise to cancer.

Cancer treatment traditionally uses high doses of toxic drugs to wipe out cancer cells. But some oncologists have started taking a different approach, inspired by integrated pest management, that seeks to control rather than eliminate. Tell us more about this approach to cancer treatment.

Imagine you have a field and youre trying to grow crops, but there are pests. If you use high doses of chemical pesticides, then you end up selecting for the pests that can survive despite the pesticide. In cancer treatment, the approach has been to use the highest dose that can be tolerated by the patient.

With integrated pest management, by contrast, you limit the use of pesticides to try to avoid selecting for resistance. You may not get rid of the pests completely, but you can keep their population under control so they do limited harm to the crops. Adaptive cancer therapy is based on the idea that resistance is going to evolve unless we manage the evolution of the resistance itself.

Adaptive therapy is an approach pioneered by Bob Gatenby at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, who was inspired by integrated pest management approaches. The idea of it is to try to keep the tumor a manageable size and to maintain the ability to treat it with the therapy that's being used. This is very different from hitting it with the highest dose that the patient can tolerate to make it go away, which is the traditional approach. With adaptive therapy, you're just trying to keep the tumor at a stable size and not use so much chemotherapy that you get the evolution of resistance. It is taking a long-term time perspective and thinking about not just what's the immediate effect of the treatment, but what's the long-term effect on the ability to keep the tumor under control.

There are some cancers that we know are curable with high-dose therapy, and so for those, we should continue doing what works. But when it comes to advanced metastatic cancer, that is cancer that has spread from the primary tumor to other organs in the body, it is often the case that you can't eradicate the cancer. You can't achieve a full cure at that point. So it makes sense to change the strategy in those cases to thinking about how the patient can most effectively live with the tumor and how we can keep it from becoming more aggressive. These are important approaches as we truly integrate this evolutionary and ecological cooperation theory for cancer biology.

You call cancer cells cheaters because they take advantage of healthy cells without offering any benefit to the body. Why do these harmful cellular cheaters exist across the tree of life?

There's an epic struggle between the way that evolution works on populations of organisms to help suppress cancer and then how evolution works within our bodies. In a population of organisms, the individuals that are the best at resisting cancer are favored. But within an individual body, the cells that are best at replicating and monopolizing resourcesand therefore more prone to cancerous behaviorare the ones that are selected. So you have two evolutionary processes in conflict.

A complicating factor is that there can be trade-offs between suppressing cancer and other traits that might enhance your fitness, like having more rapid reproduction and growth. Wound healing is a great example. It is very clear how the same cellular characteristics can both help you heal a wound quickly and lead to susceptibility to cancer. When a wound occurs, the nearby cells need to replicate and migrate to heal the wound. In that environment, the cells in the neighborhood are temporarily more tolerant of cells that replicate and move.

That creates a vulnerability to cancer. You have this possibility that cells will replicate more quickly and move, and that they also create the signaling environment that calls off the immune system. One of the oldest ways to refer to a cancer is actually the wound that will not heal.

What tricks have other species evolved to resist cancer that we might be able to use to treat cancer in people?

Cancer is extremely widespread across the tree of life. Some factors seem to predict having more cancer suppression mechanisms. For example, we can think of the cancer suppression gene TP53 as the cheater detector of the genome. It is part of this large network that takes in information that could indicate a cell has gone rogue. If the combination of signals is not right, then TP53 triggers a response such as stopping the cell cycle to repair DNA. If that doesnt work, it triggers cell suicide.

This gene is really important for cancer suppression in a lot of species. Elephants have 22 copies of this gene, while humans only have two. Its not clear if all the copies in elephants are functional, but elephant cells do have more cell death in response to radiation. The more copies of TP53 your cells have, the more likely they are to undergo programmed cell suicide if they are exposed to a carcinogenic situation. The fact that elephants have more copies of TP53 is an interesting example of how large size can select for having more cancer suppression mechanisms.

In addition to cheating healthy cells, cancer cells cooperate. How can cancer treatments take advantage of this?

Cooperation is not always good. The mafia is an amazing example of cooperation to cheat. There are many parallels in cancer with the way that organized crime uses cooperation within the organization to exploit a broader system. For example, during the 1920s, members of the mafia worked together to take advantage of prohibition and began procuring and selling illegal alcohol. The fortunes that factions made doing this allowed them to dominate organized crime in their cities.

There are several potential approaches involving cell cooperation that we should be exploring more in cancer treatment. Rather than trying to just kill the cancer cells, we can try to disrupt their communication and their adhesion to one another. Those are good targets for intervening in the processes that seem to require cell cooperation, like invasion and metastasis, which are the processes by which cancer cells leave the tumor of origin, circulate in the bloodstream, then invade the tissue of a distant organ. Those invasion events are the seeds of metastases: the spread of cancer throughout the body.

Visit link:

How Evolution Helps Us Understand and Treat Cancer - Smithsonian

PART III

VALDOSTA While Valdosta State led Alabama-Huntsville by as many as 14 points early on, they were unable to cool off the Chargers losing 91-82 on March 8.

Mike Chason has yet to cover a Gulf South Conference Championship win by the Blazers. The feat remains elusive, as the Blazers are 0-6 all-time in GSC Championship game, but Chason still relishes the Blazers' current status as a perennial powerhouse.

A love affair that started when Chason was only 10 years old has carried him into over four decades of radio broadcasting.

While a student at Valdosta State, Chason remembers the team playing at the old Rebel Fieldhouse. The gym only seated about 1,000 people, but students would pack out the building every night the Rebels took the floor.

Every home game, Chason sat in the front row. Even after graduating, Chason took in a golden era of Valdosta State basketball from the best seat in the house teams loaded with Hall of Fame players including the school's all-time leading scorer, Eddie Brown, who poured in 2,502 points for the Blazers from 1977-81.

Chason not only saw Valdosta State College become Valdosta State University. He saw the team become the Blazers after the 1971-72 season and move from the Rebel Fieldhouse into The Complex in 1983.

"When I was a student, all four years I was on the front row for every game," Chason said. "Seeing great players like Eddie Brown, the all-time leading scorer; Tim Dominey, Willie Oxford, Don Reason those were just some fantastic players and great basketball there right in front of us. And then we moved to The Complex...that was a different story. We hadn't packed out The Complex too many times for basketball, but watching the games there, it just raises it to another level.

"I just think we have one of the most first-class facilities in the Gulf South Conference and I've been to all of them and seen what they look like. No reflection on anybody else, but I think it does shine a light on us that we have a first-class facility, a professional atmosphere and to be able to go there and get courtside every night, I tell my wife often, 'When you get there, it just changes everything.'"

The atmosphere on The Complex has become a staple as the Blazers' home court advantage is almost unparalleled in Division II. In the last 15 seasons all under head coach Mike Helfer the Blazers have gone 186-41 at home.

From the introduction of the starting lineups traditionally done by former PA announcer and current assistant athletic director Matt Malone to the elaborate light show, smoke machines and music, a Valdosta state home game is the closest thing to an NBA arena experience a fan can get in South Georgia.

"I love the starting lineups, I love the way PA announcer calls it out and I love the fireworks and the lights out and the whole thing," Chason said. "That's come a long way since we started playing at The Complex. Of course, when we were at the old Fieldhouse, it was exciting with Red Cross announcing. He did a fantastic job for a long time as the PA announcer, but seeing Matt Malone and hearing all the PA announcers there now, it's just a fantastic atmosphere for college basketball. I tell you, I've been to a lot of college basketball places. Not everybody has that, so it's really something special."

According to Chason, nothing would be possible with his faith in God and his wife, Kris.

Chason met Kris in Dr. Trent Bush's English class at Valdosta State in 1973. In fact, the couple had their first date on Chason's birthday that year. On March 15, 1975, Mike and Kris were married.

This March 15th, Mike and Kris celebrated 45 years of marriage 41 of which, Mike has been on the radio.

"Her support has been very important," Chason said. "I told her early on, 'It's fun, but it's also an opportunity to do something that I really like and really love. She listens to every game, at least part of every game any way, and she's very supportive. Without her support, I never could've done it these 30 years.

"We've had a great life together. She occasionally comes to a game or two, but mostly, she'd rather be at home listening on the radio."

The couple has been all over the world, whether for travel or for work. Chason recalls having to fly to North Dakota to cover Valdosta State football. The two boarded a charter plane from Valdosta, stopping in New Orleans before landing and watching the Blazers play in North Dakota that night and then flew back after the game. Chason called the trip "slightly incredible."

Chason admits his wife's support has gotten him out of some engagements that he would've otherwise missed games for.

"Her support is very important. It's gotten me out of some things though because I had the standard line, 'I'd love to, but I have a game,'" Chason said solemnly. "Whether that was doing something around the house or going to some engagement, 'I'd love to, but I have a game.' I've missed some birthdays and not too many anniversaries."

The past few seasons, the Blazers have not played deep into the NCAA Tournament. The Blazers were set to face Palm Beach Atlantic in the first round of the NCAA South Region Tournament on March 14.

However, this season came close to jeopardizing Chason's wedding anniversary until COVID-19 forced an abrupt end to the season on March 12, three days before the milestone.

Chason briefly glanced out of the seventh floor window onto bustling downtown Birmingham before turning his attention back to the interview,"She's been very supportive the entire way and without her, I certainly wouldn't be in Birmingham this weekend."

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

Continue reading here:

Chason History: VSU basketball's evolution and meeting the love of his life - Valdosta Daily Times

My beautiful brood.

Mothers Day is a Hallmark holiday. Motherhood is a condition we never recover from.

Yes, I know the historical roots of how we got here from ancient Greek goddesses and Mothering Sunday in the UK to Anna Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe, who campaigned for mothers around the world to lobby for world peace women who sacrificed their sons in wartime knew that there had to be a better way to solve the worlds problems.

One way or another, its a day that forces us to confront our mothers. And think about our children.

When Jacques Florist delivery guy Craig left my spectacular Mothers Day bouquet on my front porch Saturday morning, I began thinking in earnest of what this day means to me.

The enclosed card came from three of my four offspring and read, simply: Though we cant be here, these flowers should make it al little bit better. Thanks for showing us how to grow. We love and miss you!! hope to see you sooner than later. Bill, Jules and Neil.

Thanks for showing us how to grow was, of course, the line that got caught in my throat and made me cry. Sort of happy tears, but to be honest, its a mix of emotion at this stage. They are fully-fledged at 25, 28 and 40.

My oldest child, Aime, has separated herself from the family, and that is a tough one. But Im still her mom. And so it hits me, every year, that motherhood is a difficult place to dwell. There are many joyful memories I carry with me, and there are what feel like failures along the way. Thats just the reality of being a mom.

Becoming a mother is something women always consider at some phase of life. It is our birthright.

Once I entered that sacred place I did my best to protect and love my children. I taught them everything I could think of that would prepare them for life in this big world. In the animal kingdom, there are mothers that have various instinctive duties. Some, like orangutans and elephants, make sure their little ones are cared for until they are really ready for surviving on their own. Others, like rabbits and seals, do the bare minimum and then they get back to being whoever they were before the babies came along.

We humans do our best. But there are wildly differing degrees of success, and success is ultimately defined by our kids.

Ive made peace with my own mother and our relationship. She is gone 15 years and, for all our ups and downs, there is nothing I wouldnt give for one more day to tell her that I love her and that I know she did her best by me.

Im at that phase in life where I hope my children understand that motherhood is a bit of a sacrifice. We women abandon some part of ourselves to be there for our children, putting their wellbeing and happiness before our own. Its not something that stops when they leave the nest. Only when I became a mother did I understand my own mothers struggles with her station in life as a mom.

But over time I have become philosophical about it all. I did the best I could, and I have plenty of regrets, but I cant go back in time.

Tonight my husband and I decided to celebrate Mothers Day with a date night. After all, without each other, there would be no children, and therefore, no Mothers Day.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Our first stop was the liquor store. We picked up bourbon, vermouth and bitters, to recreate our favorite date-night indulgence, Giorgios Manhattans.

Then we stopped by Stark Brewing to fill our old-school growler with some hefeweizen and picked up a pizza. From there we stopped at Kelsen Brewing in Derry for another pizza and a four-pack of porter. Then we parked at the Derryfield and feasted on pizza and beer waiting for a spectacular sunset that didnt quite materialize. Once home we shook up some Manhattans and listened to R&B.

If that doesnt sound like a traditional Mothers Day celebration, well, I guess it depends on how you break it down.

But from where Im sitting right now, my kids are living their lives. All of them are amazing people. Whatever I contributed to that, I am grateful for the opportunity to have loved them and raise them and impart some of my own wisdom to them. And for whatever time I have left on this earth, Im going to enjoy the ride.

Jim and I soul-search regularly. Parenting is on the back burner. We are contemplating the end years and wondering how to make the most of life as our careers wind down and our golden years become reality.

But being a mother has meant everything to me. Motherhood has made me who I am and, if I did anything right, it has made my children who they are strong, independent, capable, loving, and generous.

Happy Mothers Day to all of you to the moms out there with kids at home, be present knowing that this is a limited run; to those who, like me, have arrived on the other side of active duty, make peace with your kids. Love them for who they are and accept that for all your imperfection, you are loved and cherished even if a little misunderstood. In the end, you did the best you could

See the original post here:

Mother's Day reflections: Evolution of a woman - Manchester Ink Link

The internet and age of Covid-19

Which brings us to today. Spandex-clad actors in VHS tapes have been replaced with fitness influencers on social media platforms like Instagram, many of whom endorse the same kind of lose weight fast dietary supplements or exercise gadgets that the fitness industry always has.

Except now, we largely call it the wellness industry. Working out isnt just about staying in shape; the lines between fitness and the self-help movement have become blurred. We need exercise not just as a beauty regimen now, and not just as a heart and health situation, now we need to do it for our mental health. This is now a burden in all of our realms, says Hejtmanek.

And offerings have become even more complex, with cult-like group exercise phenomena like SoulCycle, mindfulness classes that mix yoga, aromatherapy and soundscapes, and luxury gyms like Equinox offering additional services like childcare and workspaces.

But that was pre-Covid. Now, with gyms closed and outings comprehensively curtailed, were all innovating; fitness instructors have been quick to move online, yoga classes have taken to Zoom, and sales of exercise equipment and downloads of fitness apps are all on the rise. Between January and March in the US, for example, sales of fitness equipment shot up 55% as lockdowns began to be activated. Some gyms are even introducing foster programmes for their equipment during the pandemic lending out machines to members for a fee.

Stark, the University of Leeds professor, thinks its too early to tell whether coronavirus could lead to a new home workout boom. He thinks the new online classes tap into something that didnt exist in home fitness before, but believes that the lure of the gym may prove stronger in the long term.

Gyms fulfil quite a different social role. They are places where exercises done by individuals can be communal and competitive, he says. When the lockdown is phased out and then ends, it is much more likely that people will flock back to gyms and sports fields to recapture the vital social, human contact which is also integral to exercise for so many.

Here is the original post:

The evolution of home fitness - BBC News

Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Sullivan, assigned to Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Medical Readiness Division, center, addresses the medical team while preparing for Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG-100) as part of the Navy response to the COVID-19 outbreak aboard the ship on April 28, 2020. US Navy Photo

When COVID-19 was first detected on guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG-100) late last month, the Navy put into action a new set of procedures to stem the spread of the virus.

The crew had departed Hawaii in late March after being detached from the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group while USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) was grappling with its own virus outbreak that left aircraft carrier pier-side in Guam.

Almost a month later, the first signs of an outbreak appeared when the destroyer was operating off the Pacific coast of South America. The crew hadnt left the ship since their Hawaii port call, about a month prior to when the first sailor showed symptoms of an influenza-like illness or ILI on April 22. That day, the sailor was evacuated off the ship to a military hospital in San Antonio, Texas, and on April 23 the sailor tested positive for COVID-19. That positive test started a process the Navy has cobbled together over the last two months to purge the virus from deployed ships.

Pretty quickly into the U.S. spread of the pandemic, the Navy realized that the only real way to keep the virus off hulls and keep sailors healthy was to craft and maintain a fragile, virus-free bubble on their warships, Vice Adm. Richard Brown, the commander of Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force Pacific, told USNI News in an interview on Friday.

USS Kidd (DDG-100) arrives in San Diego on April 28, 2020. US Navy Photo

When we started out this process, I started to say it was an algebra problem for us, he said.Then it became differential equations, and then it went to multivariable calculus, and in many respects now its almost theoretical physics trying to figure out what is the right thing to do.

For destroyers like Kidd, sailors are packed into tight crew quarters, and social distancing is an impossibility. Navy leadership has consistently updated procedures on the ship to slow the spread.

The things you should do in your galley, like theres no self-serve anymore. There are no community-use condiments, like the ketchup bottle. You get individual ketchup packages. Its all these little micro things you need to think about that you can provide guidance for in a general format that each individual commander can then apply, he said.When the Kidd got underway from Hawaii, they got our first email and they started the cleaning and the disinfecting and the social distancing as much as you can do on a destroyer. They stopped serving self-serve on the mess decks, they closed down their gyms and the classrooms.

However, the guts of a guided-missile destroyer are tailor-made to spread COVID-19. Narrow passageways, group heads and dozens of sailors crammed into three-bunk-high berthing spaces that would never pass a civilian fire marshals occupancy and safety inspections can quickly cause the virus to spread throughout a destroyer.

A sailor salutes the national ensign as he disembarks the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG-100) at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on April 28, 2020. US Navy Photo

If it gets on, its on the ship. And you can slow and arrest the spread, but at some point, you start losing the battle, and thats when you have to take more urgent and decisive action, and thats what we did with Kidd,If we had left her out there, I would say at some point the entire crew would have been infected in a number of weeks.

Once the virus was discovered aboard Kidd, operational commanders weighed the need for the ship to continue its mission versus the long-term health of the ship and the crew. In this instance, once the positive case was detected, U.S. 4th Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet and U.S. Southern Command agreed to pull Kidd from its counter-narcotics mission and send it back to shore to begin the process of isolating the crew and disinfecting the ship.

We have an enormous respect for this virus. Its insidious, and the reason why its insidious is the asymptomatic spread, Brown said.On a DDG, where youre really packed in, there can be asymptomatic spread that can go on for a while before your first sailor shows up thats displaying any symptoms. Its just a really hard problem to get after.

The problem gets easier with non-deployed ships. Brown said that, as of Friday, he had nine ships in port that had sailors infected with the virus, most in the single digits. Care for those sailors and disinfecting the ships is easier due to the proximity to shore.

For example, the yet-to-be-commissioned amphibious assault ship Tripoli (LHA-7) had an outbreak when the ship was pier side doing its final upfit in Mississippi in mid-March, Brown said. The Navy decided to clear the ship of its 630 sailors after only a few sailors tested positive. In the end, only about two dozen sailors tested positive for the virus without creating major headaches for the ships entrance into the fleet. When an outbreak on USS Coronado (LCS-4) occurred in March, the Navy tested the entire crew after the first case emerged and was able to stop a wider spread.

Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman Preston Rosiere, from Wichita, Kan., sanitizes a hand rail aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on April 19, 2020. US Navy Photo

For Brown and the rest of the Navy, the challenge becomes harder for deployed ships. The operational commanders have to weight the health of the crew with the need to complete the assigned mission. The Navy is keen to keep the numbers of infected ships as low as possible, given the service is still unsure how the virus got on Kidd and Theodore Roosevelt.

Two big tests of the Navys methodology are in the works now. This week, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) left its pier in Japan for sea trials ahead of its upcoming spring patrol. In San Diego, carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is gathering its strike group and air wing for a round of exercises ahead of a deployment later this year.

Both strike groups have instituted their own bubble procedures based on not only the lessons of Kidd and Theodore Roosevelt.

Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on April 7, 2020. US Navy Photo

From the study of outbreaks on Kidd and Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy has crafted new guidelines and testing procedures, Vice Adm. Phillip Sawyer, deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy (OPNAV N3/N5), and Navy Surgeon General Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham told reporters on Wednesday.

The Navy has expanded on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines from their experience with the Theodore Roosevelt outbreak to create stricter rules for the service.

On TR, we expanded the CDC guidelines to wait until 14 days after the onset of symptoms and required two consecutive negative tests before we would clear that person to return to duty, Sawyer said.

That comes on top of virtually eliminating port visits and keeping sailors aboard the ship from training into their deployment.

Vice Adm. Richard Brown, commander, Naval Surface Forces, delivers the keynote address at the Surface Navy Associations 21st annual West Coast symposium on Aug. 22, 2019. US Navy Photo

The Navy is also employing more portable testing machines like BioFire and Abbotts machines to quickly screen for COVID-19-like infections to assist in quickly diagnosing potential problems.

Were using the newest gear the nation is producing. Were using portable gear out on our ships, and we have actually gone more conservative than the CDC guidelines, Sawyer said.

One major change for the carriers will be new restrictions on the C-2A Greyhound carrier onboard delivery detachments assigned to the ship. COD detachments, typically based onshore at major airports as the carrier moves around the world, bring aboard mail, supplies and visitors in a steady hum aboard the carriers.

While the source of the infection for Theodore Roosevelt is still inconclusive, the COD flights are a suspected vector for bringing the virus aboard the ship. Sawyer said lessons from the COD detachment assigned to Harry S. Trumans deployment in the North Arabian Sea in U.S. 5th Fleet are playing into how carriers will operate in the Pacific.

If the flight crew detachment is staying ashore for any period of time, they are restricted from movement from plane to wherever theyre staying, Sawyer said.Were working toward keeping them aboard the ship. So far, far fewer COD flights. Weve been able to do this very successfully in 5th fleet. Theyve given us a pretty good model to minimize those vectors into the bubble and were replicating that across the force.

Related

Original post:

SWO Boss: 'Insidious' COVID-19 Spread on USS Kidd Shows Evolution of Navy Response to Pandemic - USNI News

file photo courtesy of EU NAVFOR

By Francois Morizur 05-10-2020 07:24:03

In two recent articles, Sea Piracy in 2025: Piracy 2.0? and Countering Gulf of Guinea Piracy Towards 2025 I tried to map out the possible evolution of piracy within Gulf of Guinea until 2025. Then I analyzed the different possible actions to reduce this threat. This analysis cannot be complete without integrating the main actor, the seafarer. This third article therefore concerns the how seafarers must adapt to the rapid evolution of pirate activities.

Its noticeable that this domain for seafarers is based on regulatory documentation that is low in volume and weak in practical guidance. The Ship Security Plan (SSP) is the basis for maritime security regulations. This document, established after the USS Cole, Limburg and September 11 attacks, was mainly focused on maritime terrorism. The content has been lightly modified since, integrating some requirements arising from the evolution of piracy.

The ISPS regulation does not go deeper on practical measures concerning vessel, crew members, equipment and procedures when looking at piracy. To cover the seafarers practical needs a group of associations published a document called Best Management Practices in early 2000. This document, dedicated to deter piracy and enhance maritime security in the Red sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Arabian sea has been reviewed several times since (Last review BMP 5 June 2018). To respond to the specific Gulf of Guinea environment, one document, Guideline for Owners, Operators and Masters for Protection against Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea Region has been established by the same structure.

Finally, as the piracy epicenter as moved from East Africa to West Africa, one new document BMP West Africa has been issued beginning 2020 to provide threat mitigation guidance on counter-piracy/armed robbery at sea and to help companies and mariners to risk assess voyages while operating along the West African coast.

Despite the evolution of communications at sea, the captain is an isolated leader. His or her job requires quick decisions concerning a wide variety of situations. If the situation allows, he can try to establish a telephone connection but, the handset hung up, he becomes again, isolated. A piracy attack is a dynamic event testing a captain's competency and reactivity. This situation can be illustrated by the Captain Phillips movie scene where Tom Hanks calls the MSCHOA. As with everything else, a captain must be informed, trained, prepared.

This readiness must not only apply to seafarers, it should be also concern the vessel. If you ignore both your enemy and yourself, you will only count your fights by your defeats. This citation should be a guide for a captain or ship security officer (SSO) operating within the Gulf of Guinea. The pirates' boarding rate within Gulf of Guinea is very high. As said in my previous article, there are several reasons for this. Some are linked to the combination of operational capacities of pirates and the lack of military responses (PMSC / escort vessel) but it is obvious that somet of the reasons are linked to another conjunction: ignorance of West Africa pirates, to their profiles and their modes of action.

As such, it would be interesting to test the captains/SSOs to make them draw Gulf of Guinea pirates. To help their sketches, we can try to characterize them by some elements:

Use of fiber speed boat, eight to 10 meters long, usually sporting colored flags (mainly red or white), usually motorized by two outboard engines, 150/200 Hp, more than six men onboard (usually eight to 10), men armed with AK 47, speed boat fitted with an aluminum ladder eight to 10 meters long. Pirates can operate on one sole speed boat, sometimes in pairs.

Its noteworthy that numerous specialized articles speaking about Gulf of Guinea piracy are illustrated by a very well-known picture showing a speed boat having a mounted Cal 50 machine gun and transportingMEND militants. If the picture is beautiful, its not related to real Gulf of Guinea pirates. Sometimes this picture is replaced by the view of one skiff transporting Somalian sea pirates. This pictorial materialization may disturb the initial perception of what a Gulf of Guinea pirate is.

The fiber vessels don't offer a strong Radar Cross Section, navigational radars have limited capacities. The pirates' speed boat emerges on the radar screen at about three nautical miles when the sea state is under three and the speed is high. Its highly recommended that one radar be set on short pulse/ short range, the AC SEA/AC RAIN setting in accordance. Its possible that watchkeepers will detect the approach by the noise before sight or radar screen. The approach axes can be various but the CPA (Closest Point of Approach) is 0.

The time of the attack varies too and is evolving regularly. In 2018, almost two thirds of the piracy attacks was conducted by daylight. Currently, piracy attacks within Gulf of Guinea are mainly conducted at night time and mainly at the beginning or end of the night.

The location is, of course, one of the important facts to analyze. My previous article, Sea Piracy in 2025 analyzed the current trend of attack attempts very deep offshore ..or within non protected anchorage areas along the West African coast from Luanda till Abidjan.

This first enemy analysis realized, and to remind on the Sun Tzu citation, it may be even more important to know yourself. Turning back to the Gulf of Guinea piracy data, one element is alarming: its the number of vessels boarded without alarm/alert: No VHF.M distress call, no SSAS (Ship Security Alert System) alert, no vessel internal alert. The personnel on bridge duty discover the pirates when one is directly pointing a gun at them on the other side of the bridge glass.

For at least two cases in the last few months, the pirates have used.the pilot ladder left along the hull by night. These observation led to at least two main reflections: the seafarers had misjudged the threat and, because of this error, had not applied the adapted basic security measures.

Reviewing the current trends, appreciating more precisely the Gulf of Guinea pirates' modus operandi, its obvious that the area located between San Pedro and Luanda and taking a range of 200 nautical from the shore must be considered as High Risk Area for piracy. (Conakry Anchorage is a specific bubble which should be considered too.) This area is globally characterized on the specific chart established by the MDAT-GOG. Within this area, as said before, the pirates are currently acting on two modes:

Piracy attack deep/very deep offshore: Action is characterized by a direct attack against a vessel en route day or night. The detection of the threat is facilitated by the sparse maritime traffic, but the vessel is usually alone, not protected.

Maritime criminality within anchorage area: The pirates operate in discretion, by night against vessels anchored or on stand by. The detection of the threat is complicated by the numerous speed boats/canoes fishing in the area, but the vessel can benefit from security support from navy assets protecting the area.

The objective of these two pirates process is the same: kidnapping of crew members.

This being posed, and as the threat is focused on abduction, it is interesting to revisit the maritime operators possible internal self responses in 10 main actions:

Secure the vessel as much as possible by a security escort vessel or an embarked military security team: The pirates are focusing on soft targets!

Optimize your detection means for locating pirates as early as possible: One speed boat sailing 30 knots is along board six minutes after detection at three nautical miles!

Be able to classify the threat as soon as possible, using the piracy criteria declined above: Personnel on duty on the bridge should be informed, trained and regularly refreshed about local pirates.Raise the alarm about the attack by all means available (VHF.M 16 / SSAS/ GMDSS/ PHONE / HORN-SIREN/LIGHT)

Optimize internal alert systems to ensure all crew members will be aware of the alert sent.Conduct regular anti-piracy drills: piracy attack / alert / immediate communication / mustering / lock down control / anti-boarding measures / move to safe haven.

As soon as you operate within a high risk area, lock your vessel. All external doors locked, all portholes secured. Try to slow down the pirates progression onboard the vessel after boarding by the use of specific items (wire rack or other) on external stairs.

Use the navigation lights only, no deck light, all portholes blinded. By night level 4 or 5, when navigation lights are off, after change of course /speed, the vessel targeted disappears for pirates sailing onboard speed boat without radar, AIS or night vision goggles.

Optimize the vessel's readiness by using simple and efficient systems. As the maritime industry is strongly impacted by the general economic situation, focus on low cost equipment rather than hoping for the use of means that are certainly effective but financially unaffordable. As an example, one general public autonomous sensor sending sound, light and possibly video, set up on the obliged path from deck to bridge, can efficiently alert the watchkeeping team in case of initial surveillance/detection failure.

Consider the first internal door from navigation bridge to accommodations and lower decks as one essential element of your safe haven. Reinforce this door, reinforce the frame, complete the hardening with a mobile forestay. This first internal door will create an emergency initial secured bubble allowing a short time to alert and gather the crew in emergency in case of a late alert, pirates being already onboard. The four or five minutes it will take pirates to destroy this door will allow you to secure the full crew within the real final citadel.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive. Its established on the analysis of hundred of maritime piracy acts within the Gulf of Guinea and is mainly dedicated to avoiding crewmembers being kidnapped. It can be completed and/or adapted depending of vessel configuration and the good sense.

Franois Morizur is a maritime security expert and former French Navy officer.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

Read more from the original source:

Seafarers Must Adapt to the Rapid Evolution of Piracy - The Maritime Executive

A parade of amazing designs from the living world has passed through these pages over the years, and it shows no sign of stopping. Here are some entertaining examples from recent news.

Flea beetles, or Alticini, are high-jump champions among the coleopterans (beetles) in the insect world. There are some 9,900 species of flea beetles, a hyper-diverse group that inhabits environments from deserts to rainforests all over the world. ThePensoftblogshows a picture of one, saying, Exceptional catapulting jump mechanism in a tiny beetle could be applied in robotic limbs.

Thefascinatingandhighly efficientjumping mechanism in flea beetles is described in a new research article in the open-access journalZookeys. Despite having been known since 1929, theexplosive jump which is also the reason behind the colloquial name of this group of leaf beetles has so far not been fully understood. [Emphasis added.]

Because flea beetles often rest on leaves, they are exposed to predators. They have no need to worry. They can disappear in an instant. It must have been fun to watch them perform in the lab and then watch the high-speed video recordings.

The apparatus responsible for this exceptional jump is hidden inside the beetles hind legs and is relatively simple. It contains only three sclerotised parts and a few muscles. Yet, it is, in reality, ahighly efficient catapult,able to propel the beetle at a distancehundreds of times its body length.

The mechanism stores elastic potential energy which, upon release, converts to kinetic energy when the trigger is released, attaining an extraordinarily high acceleration. Because the jump is done without muscles, the beetles are able to perform 30 jumps in succession, the researchers found. This simple yet efficient mechanism could find wide application. The team made a blueprint of a robotic limb design of a bionic limb inspired by the studied beetles. And what do they say about this design? Why of course; it is an evolutionary success!

Some of the biologists atLehigh Universitymay be mocking Behes views on intelligent design, but engineer Keith Moorad is using them. He is studying the tail motions of toothed whales, including dolphins, in hopes of building underwater swimming robots.

Such robots would need to befast, efficient, highly maneuverable, and acoustically stealthy.In other words, they would have to be very much like bottlenose dolphinsor killer whales.

He has no time for the evolution hypothesis; he is too focused on the fin-tastic design of dolphins.

This fish swimming problem is areally exciting problembecause its so complicated, he says. Itsfascinatingto take this chaos of variables andsee order in it, tosee the structure in it, and tounderstandwhats fundamentally happening.

Hes also having fun using a $7 million grant from the Navy to study this. Someday, he thinks, dolphin mimics that could fool both fish and humans will be able to roam among schools to monitor fish stocks. If he can get his robot to jump and retrieve fish from a tower,find fish under the sea floor with echoes, or make baby robots, hell really be onto something.

Human eyes are limited to the visible spectrum. We can feel heat on the skin and sense the general direction its coming from, but imaging the source requires infrared cameras or night vision goggles. A surprisingly diverse group of animals, though, have infrared cameras built in.The International Society for Photonics and Optics, or SPIE, writes about Natures Infrared Club

A handful of biological species can detect Infrared radiation. Envious ofthis evolution-honed sensory superpower, researchers with technological visions are working to emulate it.

There are shrimp that can see hydrothermal vents, for instance. To the shrimp, the hot plumes of water might appear like gaudy illuminated fountains in a background of profound blackness. Many diverse species of snakes belong to the infrared club, such as the pit vipers that have special organs for sensing prey. They work like pinhole cameras and probably enable a kind of IR imaging, one herpetologist says. In addition, some butterflies use infrared light to detect the host plants for egg-laying. Rounding out the club are ticks, and even vampire bats, which employ IR to locate their warm-blooded hosts.

How might biologists join the infrared club? Gang Han at the University of Massachusetts proposes a Bionic-Man solution, applying lab-made nanoparticles to retinas that can absorb infrared light. So far, he has only demonstrated this capability with super-mice, but eventually, the technology might extend human vision into the infrared. Francis Collins, head of the NIH, was impressed with this dramatic advance that brings together material science and the mammalian vision system. The SPIE adds:

Han acknowledged that the plan is to take necessary steps, through a series of primate studies and then by navigating relevant ethical and regulatory challenges, to develop asafetechnology thatwould modify peoples eyes to directly see IR without any bulky goggles or other optical gadgetry. Its the sort of superpower thatbrings soldiers and first-responders to the minds eye. If the researchers succeed in delivering this human vision-enhancement technology,then people will join what always has been a rarefied and enviable club of the living kingdomthat can see infrared (IR) radiation.

The article includes electron micrographs of the pit organs that give snakes this kind of vision. The organs look elaborate, pointing like miniature cones into the environment. These organs must not only detect infrared, but send it to the appropriate portions of the brain that know how to interpret the information and act on it. And now, for the commercial: The pit organs structural and material details embodythe engineering brilliance that evolutionary forces can yield.

For a final example, consider origami. Paper sculptures are fun, but static. What if you could make a paper flower that blooms? Thats what scientists in Singapore did. Their secret was to take natural pollen and integrate it into the paper fabric. When exposed to moisture, the petals of their paper flower opened up just like a bloom. In another test, they were able to make paper walk through the self-actuation of pollen-impregnated paper. How does this work? Theres evolution involved, but not the Darwinian kind:

We interpret this differential behavior by noting that the smoother and more compact bottom layers of pollen paper demonstrate a greater propensity to hinder the diffusion of water molecules compared with the top layers.The result is an acceleration in the establishment of moisture equilibriumthroughout the paper,which leads to larger differences in the degree of swelling and evolution of internal stress between the two sides of the paper.As a result, compared with the top surface, the bottom surface generally exhibitedincreased curvature, as shown in Fig. 6E.

Many plant materials exhibit the same sensitivity to moisture. For instance, dandelion parachutes fold up in the rain, as shown in Illustra Medias 2-Minute Wonders video,An Uplifting Story.

The Singapore team published their work inPNASwith video clips of the action. This was serious fun.

In summary, using eco-friendly treatment of naturally occurring pollen that is rendered nonallergenic through a simple fabrication process, we have created aneconomically viable soft actuatorwith ahighly sensitive response to watervapor. This pollen actuator demonstrates thepotential for developing a wide spectrum of smart and eco-friendly actuation systems with tunable propertiesthat dynamically respond to different functional needs.

To summarize: Design science is more fun than Darwinism, and does more good for humanity.

Photo: A flea beetle, by Beatriz Moisset / CC BY-SA.

More here:

In Biology, Intelligent Designs that Amaze, Amuse, and Entertain - Discovery Institute

Its no secret that Temple continues to develop ambitious plans to make the campus experience as rewarding as possible for visitors, students and faculty alike.

Over the past several years, undeniably big changes have swept across campus. But some might be more obvious than others, so to celebrate the end of the spring semester and to reflect back with our graduating seniors, weve rounded up some of the most rewarding renovation projects you may (or may not) have missed.

The updated OConnor Plaza and Founders Garden, one of the most photographed spots on campus. (PHOTO: Betsy Manning)

OConnor Plaza and Founders Garden

In September 2017, the newly renovated Founders Garden and OConnor Plaza made their debuts. OConnor Plaza, created in the center of campus, included updated landscaping, a water wall and, most notably, a new bronze owl statue (Temples beloved mascot). Take a few steps down into Founders Garden, where you can see fresh pavement with a large Temple T and new furniture, including tables and chairs for students to take advantage of the outdoor space.

The glass skywalk connects the renovated 1810 Liacouras Walk building to Speakman Hall for students to easily navigate both buildings.(PHOTO: Joseph V. Labolito)

1810 Liacouras Walk and skywalk

Fox School of Business has been home to an ever-growing student body, and therefore began plans for expansion in 2017. Additional classrooms were created in 1810 Liacouras Walk, directly across from Alter Hall, along with improvements to the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute. The historic facade of 1810 Liacouras has remained the same, however, preserving the buildings original look and feel. Additionally, an enclosed skywalk now connects the third floor of Speakman Hall to the fourth floor of 1810 Liacouras for easy access.

Charles Library, which opened in fall 2019, has become one of the hottest study spots on campus. (PHOTO: Ryan S. Brandenberg)

Charles Library

Perhaps the most obvious of the bunch, the highly anticipated Charles Library finally bedazzled campus in August 2019. The library boasts stunning architectural and design elements including tons of natural light, 2200 square feet of space, and meeting spaces for students to study and collaborate. Additionally, there is a makerspace, which includes a 3D printing farm with the ability to print several items at once, and a virtual reality studio. Added bonuses include one of the largest green roofs in Pennsylvania, Stellas Cafe serving fresh pastries and La Colombe coffee for brain fuel and, of course, the renowned BookBot to help you retrieve your books.

The first floor of the Science and Education Research Center (SERC) boasts plenty of natural light and lounging space.(PHOTO: Joseph V. Labolito)

Science and Education Research Center (SERC)

One of the most beautiful buildings on campus, the Science and Education Research Center (SERC) is dedicated to cutting-edge science and technology research. As home of the departments of Physics and Computer & Information Science and seven research centers, SERC provides one collaborative space for scientists and students from different fields to work side by side. The building started off as a vision in 2007 and, more than a decade later, has blossomed into reality.

The second floor of the Howard Gittis Student Center now has a variety of food options from your favorite chain restaurants, including Chick-fil-A and more. (PHOTO: Ryan S. Brandenberg)

New dining options

When you envision the overall college experience, the dining hall is probably one of the first pictures to come to mind. Temples new partnership with Aramark allowed for the renovation of the Howard Gittis Student Center food court and updated options at Morgan Hall, which both accept meal swipes. The Howard Gittis Food Center now has updated lighting, new finishes for floors and flows, and updated seating configurations to fit 750 students at a time. Options include popular chains such as BurgerFi, Chick-fil-A, Saladworks and more. And for all of the coffee addicts, you can grab Starbucks (located on the first floor) on your way to class.

The Student Training and Recreation (STAR) Complex allows space for many different workouts, including a free-weight room, track and turf.(PHOTO: Joseph V. Labolito)

Student Training and Recreation (STAR) Complex

The Aramark STAR Complex was unveiled in August 2017 as a multipurpose academic, athletics and recreation facility. The academic area features clinical training spaces for the College of Public Health, while the athletics area includes free-weight space, a climbing wall and turf field for intramural offerings and sports clubs. The best part? Treat yourself to a Jamba Juice after a grueling workout session, because youve definitely earned it.

Located behind the Bell Tower, all Owls are reminded every day that Perseverance Conquers. (PHOTO: Betsy Manning)

Perseverance Conquers

All of the additions above have inarguably improved the culture of campus, but maybe the most simple update is one of the most important. The grassy area behind the Bell Tower, that youd previously walk by without second thought, now has a new sign in place gently reminding all Owls that no matter what, perseverance always conquers.

Samara Grossel

Original post:

An extraordinary evolution: Temple's campus throughout the years - Temple University News

Biobanks are rich collections of data and biospecimens, specifically developed as resources for research.1 These repositories are needed in multiple sectors, including pharma, academia, animal breeding and charitable foundations, and are important for the progress of research into disease pathologies and population-based studies in the fields of epigenetics, preventative medical programs, rare diseases and epidemiology.2 Biospecimens can come from a variety of species, and range from samples of specific tumor types to umbilical cord, blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

Ever-increasing quantities of complex data from a large variety of biospecimens pose a challenge for biobanks that must effectively manage their data in order to facilitate collaboration and better advance research. Similarly, researchers across a complex network of partners need to be able to locate and procure the right biospecimens for their studies, from often large and diverse databases. Cloud-based laboratory information management systems (LIMS) are emerging as a better way to store, analyze and share biospecimens, offering an opportunity for biobanks looking to invest in effective data management solutions to support these interrelated goals.

Biobanks need to manage not only the physical storage of biospecimens, but also associate the patient demographic, disease, consent, assay results and other metadata with the sample. Information like how many times a sample has been frozen, thawed and refrozen impacts the specimen integrity, and biobanks need to track this information to determine if a specimen can or cannot be used for further testing.

Traditional sample tracking systems are not designed to effectively handle such large amounts of complex data, making it difficult to manage information in a way that is sufficiently dynamic, accessible and reliable. Inconsistency is also an issue, as storage time variability can result from different collection protocols3 and inconsistencies in data entry can occur in free text formats.4 As biospecimens can be shared across different clinics and studies, it is critical that specimens are of consistent quality.5 The increasingly collaborative nature of research means that the ability to share data with other groups is becoming essential yet not all systems offer the required flexibility with ease.

These inefficiencies have far-reaching consequences. In-house system maintenance can be demanding on resources, as well as a major source of frustration. Further afield, specimen misidentification can contribute to erroneous data and the reproducibility crisis. If biobanks are not easily searchable, researchers do not know what biospecimens and data might be accessible to them creating an R&D bottleneck.

Biobanking organizations have a lot to coordinate, from specimen preparation, shipping, storage and retrieval, to inventory management and reporting. Compliance with data privacy laws needs to be ensured (e.g., the HIPAA in the US: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) while continuing to distribute biological resources effectively.6 With the -omics revolution well underway, biobanks now need further support for their big data operations.

Data associated with stored biospecimens needs to be accessible both within an organization and to external partners, and organized in a way that allows researchers to find the high-quality specimens they require for their experiments. As biobanking workflows vary across organizations and change over time, biobanks now need data management support in a more personalized and long-term capacity. To meet this need, cloud-based platforms have been developed that can be tailored to specific requirements.

Rather than having an IT specialist develop a platform, more personalized cloud-based technology is available that incorporates a solid understanding of the end-users perspective. Using a more individualized approach to development enables the creation of streamlined systems that reflect the order of real-life workflows.

Cloud-based technology enables biobanks to scale quickly to demand, while providing the ability to capture all related data in one place. For example, information on reagents and instruments used, date and time of movement, and freeze/thaw processes can be stored with raw files detailing assay results, DNA sequencing and genotyping analysis files. This traceability makes it easy to see if other analyses have already been performed on a sample.

Data management software for biobanking now extends beyond managing biospecimens; cloud-based LIMS can be used to manage requests, track stock of standards and reagents, and streamline and prioritize analyses. Validated security parameters help to ensure adherence with HIPAA and data privacy rules. Unlike introducing new on-site solutions, shifting to new cloud platforms can happen quickly, critically avoiding gaps in database coverage.

Cloud-based technology can benefit biobanks on many levels from improving the efficiency of day-to-day operations to supporting long-term growth and change. With more streamlined and consistent processes, data entry and access are easier, and the potential for error is greatly reduced. An intuitive interface also helps in this respect, as it reduces the risk of someone forgetting to log critical details. Backup checks can further help improve accuracy, either by requesting that critical data elements are entered in duplicate, or by linking barcode scanners to the database.4Cloud-based technology can strengthen security by utilizing multiple encryption layers, making compliance with HIPAA and other privacy laws easier. Management of specimen chain-of-custody records is also simplified as aliquots and derivatives can be tracked with absolute certainty.4 Unlike many traditional systems, cloud computing employs automatic upgrades and data backups, ensuring no data loss.7 Another major benefit is that maintenance and overhead costs are reduced, as there is no need for physical on-site data servers.4 Importantly, cloud-based technology also provides the flexibility to scale up or down, according to the organizations growth.

Youre inundated with requests for access to your samples. However, accepting and rejecting access is straightforward. Your request forms are standardized so you can quickly access everything you need to make your decisions.

Your vital supplies and consumables never run out, because your team has a near-automated system for monitoring and ordering.

One patient withdraws consent. A system administrator triggers the destruction of those samples, so you do not need to manage the request.

An external research group requests access to a data set. You enable continuous sharing. Theres no second-guessing which files are the most recent. The researchers can see which reagents and equipment were used to attain the data they have in front of them.

One client asks if their request can be fast-tracked. You simply adjust the priority of assays to be run that week.

Your colleague inspects a system report, and identifies and corrects a workflow bottleneck, giving you more time to consider a new collaboration proposal.

Cloud storage is arguably the best solution for supporting the rapidly growing biobanking needs. Streamlined data management software extends beyond sample tracking to reduce costs, shorten timelines and provide an unprecedented level of security and flexibility. Biobanking teams can have room to grow and adapt, and the possibilities for customized data management solutions are endless.

Nicole Rose is a senior manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific

More here:

Biobanking Evolution Enabled by Cloud-based Technology - Technology Networks

Todays customers expect a constant stream of new applications and digital service experiences, and so companies everywhere are transforming into software businesses to meet those demands. This trend has an even greater importance now, as the world battles with the current crisis, with digital services the primary link many of us have with the outside world both professionally and as consumers. Innovating at the rapid speed needed to meet these demands requires agility within IT operations, and almost all organisations are using the cloud in some capacity to achieve this. However, the clouds dynamic nature has also led to a surge in complexity, with 76 per cent of IT professionals stating this as the biggest barrier to productivity among operations teams.

IT teams spend enormous amounts of their time piecing together metrics and alerts to keep the lights on, as they struggle to manually capture everything happening in their IT environment using traditional performance management approaches. This massively eats into the time IT teams could be spending developing and delivering new, value-added services to the end-user. Its also especially challenging in the current situation as the majority of business and IT teams work remotely and are stretched more than ever. However, an automated approach to IT operations, known as NoOps, offers an attractive alternative for IT leaders, enabling them to run IT operations autonomously, so remote IT teams can develop and deploy new functions and services much faster and with far less friction.

NoOps is the concept of an IT environment whereby the use of automation and AI-assistance radically reduces operations staff. While this is especially attractive in the current crisis, as it reduces the need for employees to be physically present, NoOps is also crucial to improving IT operations in the longer term. Essentially, its driven by looking at what could potentially go wrong, taking steps to proactively prevent that through automation. However, this can only be achieved if businesses have a solid CI/CD toolchain in place with AIOps fully integrated into their ecosystem. With this approach, AI is used to analyse and triage monitoring data at a higher volume and faster speed than could ever be achieved manually. This uncovers precise answers and detailed performance insights, in real-time, creating a stream of software intelligence that makes sense of the endless alerts. This can then be used to trigger the automated responses that are at the heart of NoOps.

However, baking in automation and self-healing to create a continuous delivery process has some including Mike Gualtieri, the Forrester analyst who coined the term NoOps speculating if this will spell the end for DevOps. Their argument is that NoOps eliminates the need for developers to collaborate with operations, which may lead to a decline in ideas that drive innovation and help to maintain seamless user experiences. Unsurprisingly, this theory can lead to resistance from DevOps teams to embrace the NoOps approach, as they worry they will become redundant.

Contrary to what its critics profess, NoOps is far from the end for DevOps and more akin to its next natural evolution. With DevOps, operations teams apply development practices such as version control, scripting and automation to address potential performance issues. With NoOps, its like the inverse, as developers begin to think like operations teams. The result is operations teams can work in tandem with developers towards the common goal of driving innovation for the business and its end-users. DevOps teams will therefore no longer find themselves working at half power towards the goal of creating new services, as the other half of their team is occupied with keeping the lights on.

For organisations that achieve NoOps, it will be the biggest transformation of software delivery processes since the emergence of DevOps. Well begin to see DevOps evolving to align closer to the needs of the modern business, as organisations embark on the journey to autonomous cloud operations. This is far more suited to the current climate, where stretched IT teams must achieve a faster pace of innovation, as problems are fixed automatically in the development phase, speeding up the delivery of new software experiences to the business and its customers.

While organisations may recognise the benefits NoOps can bring, it can still be difficult for them to get DevOps teams on board. However, having the full support and commitment from those who will be involved in the shift to NoOps is crucial to success as it requires a fundamental transformation in how teams think and operate. Giving DevOps teams a more concrete idea of how NoOps will benefit them can dispel concerns that there will be no more need for collaboration between developers and operations.

Businesses should therefore embark on an education process to ensure teams are clear about how their roles will evolve, theyre comfortable with the tools that will be available to them and are happy about working with a shared goal in mind. For developers, this involves informing them of how NoOps can remove bottlenecks, as they wont have to spend time in a cycle of debugging to figure out where things went wrong with their code. For operations teams, IT leaders should highlight how NoOps can help them elevate their role within the organisation and take a more active role in driving innovation. Operations teams will no longer have to spend time on tasks that simply keep the lights on, instead they will be focussing on value-added activities such as continuous deployment and innovation.

As the scale and complexity of the cloud continues to grow, and organisations are also now busy working through the unprecedented situation the current crisis has created, businesses need to find a way to help their DevOps teams sooner rather than later to make sense of their IT environment and NoOps is the key to this. Those who implement it successfully will be able to supercharge innovation and deliver new, high quality services to end-users much faster than ever before.

Michael Allen, VP & CTO EMEA, Dynatrace

Continued here:

Look mum, NoOps! How to empower the next evolution of IT operations - ITProPortal