May, 2023

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How AI is Boosting the Customer Support Game

Smart Data Collective

Great customer support plays a central role in a company’s success and profitability. Businesses with an excellent reputation for customer service tend to do better overall and stay in business longer. Companies that miss the mark often lose customers and generate negative reviews online. Unfortunately, bad reviews can deter new customers. What makes some businesses fail to provide outstanding customer support?

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Scientists discover microbes in the Alps and Arctic that can digest plastic at low temperatures

Frontiers

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Image: Beat Stierli Scientists from Switzerland have identified 19 novel strains of cold-adapted specialist bacteria and fungi from the Alps and the Arctic region that can digest biodegradable plastics at 15°C. This ability, if upscaled to an industrial scale, will save money and energy during recycling Finding, cultivating, and bioengineering organisms that can digest plastic not only aids in the removal of pollution, but is now also big business.

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First X-ray of a single atom

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Scientists have taken the world's first X-ray SIGNAL (or SIGNATURE) of just one atom. This groundbreaking achievement could revolutionize the way scientists detect the materials.

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Self-Care A-Z: Accountability and Self-Care—When a 7-Year-Old Back-Seat Driver Schools Me

The New Social Worker

Self-care does not just happen. We need to be intentional about accountability that holds us to our commitments. As such, devising successful self-care plans requires intentionally considering what accountability measures/strategies to use.

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Rift Valley Fever Zoonotic Disease: All You Need to Know

Gideon

Rift Valley Fever is a significant viral infection that poses a threat to both human and animal health. RVFV, the virus causing Rift Valley Fever, is known to cause severe illness in humans as well as domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats in sub-Saharan Africa. In this blog, we will delve into the history of the Rift Valley Fever zoonotic disease and its epidemiology across the African continent.

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#WNTD Blog: Tobacco and Mental Health - Untangling the relationship and identifying opportunities to progress policy

Institute of Public Health

#WNTD Blog: Tobacco and Mental Health - Untangling the relationship and identifying opportunities to progress policy maresa.fagan@p… Tue, 30/05/2023 - 15:59 #WNTD Blog: Tobacco and Mental Health - Untangling the relationship and identifying opportunities to progress policy Mental Health Tobacco and Nicotine Products 31 May, 2023 The 9th European Conference on Tobacco or Health in Madrid attracted hundreds of delegates from far and wide to consider how a ‘Tobacco-Free Generation’ could be achieve

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Humans evolved to walk with an extra spring in our step

Frontiers

by Angharad Brewer Gillham, Frontiers science writer Image/Shutterstock.com Scientists have discovered that the recoil created by the flexible arch of human feet helps position our legs in the optimal posture for moving forward in bipedal walking. Understanding how our joints help modern humans walk upright could help us track the evolution of bipedalism and improve care for patients with foot problems.

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Multivitamin improves memory in older adults, study finds

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Taking a daily multivitamin may help slow age-related memory decline, a new study has found.

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Social Work Tech Talk: Free Speech, Organizing, Education, and TikTok

The New Social Worker

My feeling is that TikTok can and is being used in the service of free speech; organizing for social change; and providing valuable education to people who might not otherwise have access. That may be why it has been targeted for shutdown.

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Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever (OHF): A Rare Viral Disease

Gideon

Omsk hemorrhagic fever (OHF) is a rare viral disease primarily found in Western Siberia, Russia. The virus responsible for OHF belongs to the tick-borne flavivirus group and is transmitted through the bite of infected ticks ( Dermacentor reticulatus and Ixodes persulcatus ) or contact with sick muskrats. Although human cases are sporadic, notable outbreaks have occurred in 1945, 1953-54, and 1968.

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#WNTD Blog: Gaslighting, greenwashing and personal responsibility – old and new tropes in tobacco industry interference

Institute of Public Health

#WNTD Blog: Gaslighting, greenwashing and personal responsibility – old and new tropes in tobacco industry interference maresa.fagan@p… Tue, 30/05/2023 - 16:19 #WNTD Blog: Gaslighting, greenwashing and personal responsibility – old and new tropes in tobacco industry interference Tobacco and Nicotine Products 31 May, 2023 On the 20th anniversary of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, IPH Director of Policy Dr Helen McAvoy reflects on tobacco industry interfere

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Cloud Advances Make Record Keeping Compliance Easier Than Ever

Smart Data Collective

The advent of the digital age introduced a novel conundrum for businesses, and it is adhering to stringent government regulations related to record-keeping. This challenge becomes particularly pronounced for companies that manage extensive reservoirs of data. However, cloud computing has revolutionized how enterprises manage their records and make it easier for businesses to comply.

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Termite mounds reveal secret to creating ‘living and breathing’ buildings that use less energy

Frontiers

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Macrotermes termite mound in Namibia. Image credit: D. Andréen Scientists studied the ‘egress complex’ of Macrotermes michaelseni termites from Namibia, which appears to promote moisture regulation and gas exchange. They showed that the layout of this lattice-like network of tunnels can intercept wind around the termite mound to create turbulence inside, which can power ventilation and control the interior climate.

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Half of world's largest lakes losing water

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Fifty-three percent of the world's largest freshwater lakes are in decline, storing less water than they did three decades ago, according to a new study. The study analyzed satellite observations dating back decades to measure changes in water levels in nearly 2,000 of the world's biggest lakes and reservoirs. It found that climate change, human consumption and sedimentation are responsible.

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The Art of Rapport Building

The New Social Worker

When we meet a client or patient we are working with for the first time, we often subconsciously make judgments or assumptions. Admitting this is an important place to start.

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Brain Fever: Meningitis Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Gideon

Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes. The disease can be fatal and continues to be a significant health risk around the world. Although the highest number of cases are found in the sub-saharan ‘African meningitis belt,’ people around the world are susceptible to meningitis infections, including in the United States. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 10 people who get bacterial meningitis die, and 1 in 5 experience severe complications.

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Our Work

Institute of Public Health

Our Work admin Tue, 02/05/2023 - 17:38 Our Work We focus on promoting health and wellbeing, improving health equity, and reducing health inequalities throughout the life course. This covers a wide range of topics within the broad theme of public health which can be seen below. We work with a variety of stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, community organisations, and policymakers at local and national level to ensure that public health policies are equitable and based on the best av

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Cyber Attacks on Small Businesses: Understanding Risks and Prevention

Smart Data Collective

If you’re like most small business owners, cybersecurity is probably the last worry on your mind. Between growing a business and dealing with day-to-day tasks, it’s easy to let your cyber presence fade into the background of your thoughts. Unfortunately, as the world becomes more and more digital, cybersecurity risks are growing at a rapid pace. As a small business owner, this means that you and your business could be at risk of being attacked this very second.

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Secret behind Amazonian ‘dark earth’ could help speed up forest restoration across the globe

Frontiers

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Researchers from Brazil showed that Amazonian dark earth (ADE), soils enriched by Amerindian people thousands of years ago, increases the establishment and growth of seedlings of tree species important for reforestation. By copying the composition of ADE, especially its microbes, reforestation in Brazil and elsewhere could be sped up Between approximately 450 BCE and 950 CE, millions of Amerindian people living in today’s Amazonia transformed the orig

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Plants can distinguish when touch starts and stops, study suggests

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Even without nerves, plants can sense when something touches them and when it lets go, a study has found. In a set of experiments, individual plant cells responded to the touch of a very fine glass rod by sending slow waves of calcium signals to other plant cells, and when that pressure was released, they sent much more rapid waves. While scientists have known that plants can respond to touch, this study shows that plant cells send different signals when touch is initiated and ended.

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The Power Within: Networking And Collaboration In Social Work

The New Social Worker

Networking and collaboration are big terms heard throughout social work. That old adage of "it's not what you know but who you know" comes to mind.

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Kuru (Prions): Proteins That Kill, Cannibals, Nobel Prizes, and More

Gideon

Kuru means ‘to shiver’ It is a neurodegenerative disorder, a type of sickness where cells of the central nervous system stop working over time or die. Most neurodegenerative disorders worsen over time and have no cure. The disease is also known as the ‘laughing death’ because people often lost control over their emotions, displayed wild emotional swings, and could literally ‘laugh’ themselves to death.

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A path forward to build back better for public health infrastructure

Public Health Informatics Institute

PHII Director Vivian Singletary discusses using an equity lens to rethink a vision for US public health data and infrastructure. The post A path forward to build back better for public health infrastructure appeared first on PHII.

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AI In Marketing: Is It Worth the Hype?

Smart Data Collective

AI has been the latest controversy, as it may seem to eliminate the need for human working positions in most professions. Artists, especially, were vocal about their concerns about the technology, considering the system’s merging way of creating art. ChatGPT doesn’t seem to think about the importance of artists after it tells a writer they don’t exist but after citing their previous work.

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Frontiers ebook releases: May 2023

Frontiers

Download the top ebook releases from this month, including work on the biodiversity of the Philippine Seas , new insights into understanding emerging and reemerging viruses , findings on how big data can be used in health care applications , and research on what effects space flight has on human brains. All ebooks are free to download, share and distribute.

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Deep sea surveys detect over five thousand new species in future mining hotspot

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

There is a massive, mineral-rich region in the Pacific Ocean -- about twice the size of India -- called the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), which has already been divided up and assigned to companies for future deep-sea mining. To better understand what may be at risk once companies start mining, a team of biologists has built the first 'CCZ checklist' by compiling all the species records from previous research expeditions to the region.

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Self-Care A-Z: Self-Care Is a Big Deal

The New Social Worker

All of us have times in life that feel particularly like a “big deal.” But, we owe it to ourselves to honor our human nature, which includes navigating life’s highs and lows while taking care of ourselves.

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Infectious Diseases Conspiracy Theories: How to Fight Them?

Gideon

Infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics are a hotbed of conspiracy theories; the COVID pandemic is no exception. The threat of getting sick or dying, the fear of uncertainty, misinformation, and mistrust in vaccines or treatment methods are all factors that play a role in spreading infectious diseases conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, just like a highly contagious virus, the faster a conspiracy theory spreads and infects a community, the harder it is to correct or eliminate it.

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Podcast from Washington: Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process in Congress / Healthy People 2020

The NACCHO Podcast Series

In this week’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials ’ Government Affairs team members Kerry Allen and Lauren Mastroberardino provided an update on the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process in Congress, including how the debt ceiling negotiations may factor in, as well as ongoing congressional investigations into COVID-19 origins.

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Banks Merge Data Mining and CRM Tools to Boost Profitability

Smart Data Collective

The recent slew of bank failures have created a lot of concerns about the state of the global economy. The good news is that big data technology is helping banks meet their bottom line. Therefore, it should be no surprise that the market for data analytics is growing at a rate of nearly 23% a year after being worth $744 billion in 2020. Big data can help companies in the financial sector in many ways.

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Ill-fitting gear puts female firefighters at risk: Five Frontiers articles you won’t want to miss

Frontiers

By Deborah Pirchner, Frontiers science writer Image: CAL FIRE_Official /Flickr ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) At Frontiers, we bring some of the world’s best research to a global audience. But with tens of thousands of articles published each year, it’s impossible to cover all of them. Here are just five amazing papers you may have missed. Ill-fitting gear increases female firefighters’ risk on the job Over the past years, the number of female firefighters has been rising steadily.

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Engineers harvest abundant clean energy from thin air, 24/7

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

A team of engineers has recently shown that nearly any material can be turned into a device that continuously harvests electricity from humidity in the air. Researchers describe the 'generic Air-gen effect'-- nearly any material can be engineered with nanopores to harvest, cost effective, scalable, interruption-free electricity. The secret lies in being able to pepper the material with nanopores less than 100 nanometers in diameter.

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Book Review: The Way Up - Climbing the Corporate Mountain as a Professional of Color

The New Social Worker

Errol Pierre argues that achieving success in the corporate world is more akin to scaling a mountain than climbing up steps on a ladder, especially for professionals of color. Read our review.

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Benefits of AI-Driven Mobile App Development in E-Commerce

Smart Data Collective

Since the launch of Smart Data Collective, we have talked at length about the benefits of AI for mobile technology. AI has been invaluable for e-commerce brands. AI has also helped improve the performance of apps for a variety of mobile devices. Bhaval Patel of Space-O Technologies wrote a blog post about the growing importance of AI for mobile apps.

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