October, 2023

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Humans are disrupting natural 'salt cycle' on a global scale, new study shows

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

A new paper revealed that human activities are making Earth's air, soil and freshwater saltier, which could pose an 'existential threat' if current trends continue. Geologic and hydrologic processes bring salts to Earth's surface over time, but human activities such as mining and land development are rapidly accelerating this natural 'salt cycle.

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The Art of Conversation: Enhancing Chatbots with Advanced AI Prompts

Smart Data Collective

In the vast realm of technology, chatbots have emerged as a revolutionary tool, bridging the gap between humans and machines. These digital assistants, initially designed to follow pre-set scripts, have now evolved into sophisticated entities capable of understanding and responding to complex human emotions and queries. But what’s the secret behind their enhanced conversational abilities?

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Our sense of smell changes the colors we see, show scientists

Frontiers

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Crossmodal associations occur when people make unconscious but stereotypical connections between two or more senses. Here, scientists showed that associations between odors and colors can be particularly strong: powerful enough to distort our perception of colors. Our five senses bombard us with environmental input 24/7.

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Mapping the Tech Landscape for Social Workers: Part 2

The New Social Worker

Lace up your hiking boots, and let’s go on a journey into exciting and complex technology terms and examples of extended reality (XR), mixed reality (MR), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), as they apply to social work.

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Gene Editing: How CRISPR Is Transforming the Fight Against Infectious Diseases

Gideon

CRISPR, the pathbreaking gene-editing technology, is revolutionizing the fight against infectious diseases in ways we never thought possible. From helping defeat malaria and other mosquito-borne illnesses to potentially finding a cure for HIV, CRISPR is paving the way for a healthier and disease-free future. In this blog, you will find five fascinating ways in which CRISPR is being used to combat infectious diseases.

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The State of State-level Public Health Advocacy

The Network for Public Health Law

What is the current state-level capacity for public health advocacy in the United States? How can it be strengthened? The State of State-level Public Health Advocacy: Findings and Implications from a 50-state Scan summarizes findings from research that looked at specific markers of advocacy capacity and interviews of key respondents in 50 states and the District of Columbia between March and June 2023.

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Managing Seasonal Fluctuations in Retail with Analytics

Smart Data Collective

Data analytics technology has helped retail companies optimize their business models in a number of ways. One of the biggest benefits of data analytics is that it helps companies improve stability during times of uncertainty. There are inevitable ups and downs that every industry experiences, and recognizing these ebbs and flows can fundamentally impact your business.

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Do humans get lazier when robots help with tasks?

Frontiers

by Angharad Brewer Gillham, Frontiers science writer Image/Shutterstock.com ‘Social loafing’ is a phenomenon which happens when members of a team start to put less effort in because they know others will cover for them. Scientists investigating whether this happens in teams which combine work by robots and humans found that humans carrying out quality assurance tasks spotted fewer errors when they had been told that robots had already checked a piece, suggesting they relied on the robots and pai

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A Byrd’s Eye View of Self-Care: Sometimes It’s Okay—And, Actually Necessary—To Be “Selfish” and “Lazy”

The New Social Worker

Why isn’t it okay for me to take a few minutes out of my day and focus solely on myself? Or, be completely disinclined to exert myself for one hour? Why am I expected to be excessively or exclusively concerned with others and constantly in motion?

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Successful Mass Vaccination Programs: From Smallpox to COVID-19

Gideon

We have a new vaccine against malaria. On October 2nd, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) approved R21, a vaccine that showed high efficacy in clinical trials. What’s equally important is that it is a low-cost vaccine that can be mass-manufactured. So, it’s easier to make the millions of doses required to fight malaria in endemic regions, particularly African nations.

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The Parent Ren XVI: You Owe Me Nothing

EpidemioLogical

A strange thing permeates the culture of my mother's side of my family tree. As long as I can remember, everyone seemed to keep tabs on what was owed by everyone else. To the cousins, aunts, and uncles who helped me in any way, their help for me was an investment. And they let me know.

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Instant evolution: AI designs new robot from scratch in seconds

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Researchers developed the first AI to date that can intelligently design robots from scratch by compressing billions of years of evolution into mere seconds. It's not only fast but also runs on a lightweight computer and designs wholly novel structures from scratch — without human-labeled, bias-filled datasets.

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RN Coders Can Improve Hospital Data Strategies

Smart Data Collective

Healthcare providers are investing more heavily in big data technology, as they strive to deal with growing challenges such as declining operating margins and an increasingly complex regulatory environment. However, many healthcare providers lack the technology or knowledge to use data prudently. One study found that 56% of hospitals do not have any data analytics or governance strategies.

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Our favorite bittersweet symphonies may help us deal better with physical pain

Frontiers

by Deborah Pirchner, Frontiers science writer Image: Shutterstock.com Even before it was found to reduce pain and anxiety in modern times, music has been used for centuries to relieve pain. Now, researchers in Canada have investigated which aspects of listening to music can lead to a decreased pain perception. They found that participants’ perception of pain intensity and unpleasantness was reduced when they listened to their favorite music compared to pre-selected relaxing music, which is commo

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Tech Advice for Incoming Online MSW Students: What You’ll Need, What You Can Skip

The New Social Worker

If you’re just starting your online MSW program, congratulations! As you start to plan where you’ll log into your classes and get your tech set up, we’d like to offer you some budget tips to save money and prioritize your spending.

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public health need to do more to prevent illness and is failing to control demand into acute care

Sheffield DPH

“public health need to do more to prevent illness and is failing to control demand into acute care” So a few have said to me recently, or similar. Probably true. But with caveats. Here are the things I often bring up in the conversation We talk about 25% cuts to budget. This is often a genuine surprise. See the HF analysis We talk about c50% cuts to spending power of local government- aka the determinants of health – and the impact this has probably had on population health, & thus NHS

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Improving Equitable Access to High-Quality Breast Cancer Screening, Treatment and Care

Fund for Public Health NYC

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women in NYC. Moreover, non-Hispanic Black women have the highest mortality rate and face higher rates of late-stage diagnosis and premature mortality when compared to women in other racial/ethnic groups. Addressing these inequities is a priority for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program.

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Ancient carbon in rocks releases as much carbon dioxide as the world's volcanoes

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

New research has overturned the traditional view that natural rock weathering acts as a carbon sink that removes CO2 from the atmosphere. Instead, this can also act as a large CO2 source, rivaling that of volcanoes.

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How Cloud Technology Can Be Integrating in Schools

Smart Data Collective

Cloud technology is starting to have a huge impact on the field of academia. Global academic institutions spent nearly $2.7 billion on cloud computing in 2021 and that figure is expected to be worth over $15 billion by 2030. Cloud technology has taken over all aspects of our lives, and schools are no exception. Increased connectivity and technology promote innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.

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Do people everywhere care less about their cats than their dogs?

Frontiers

by Angharad Brewer Gillham, Frontiers science writer Image/Shutterstock.com Previous studies have suggested that owners care more about dogs than cats — maybe because dogs are generally considered more affectionate and require more hands-on care. But these studies have used convenience samples and are only based in one country. Scientists surveyed representative samples from Denmark, Austria, and the UK, and found that people generally invest more emotionally and financially in their dogs than t

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Self-Care A-Z: Maybe It's Me?

The New Social Worker

"Maybe it’s me" can be a painful insight. It’s critical that we don’t internalize it as blame and shame. Explored compassionately, this insight can be empowering.

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IPH marks 25 years of shaping public health policy

Institute of Public Health

IPH marks 25 years of shaping public health policy maresa.fagan@p… Thu, 05/10/2023 - 11:17 IPH marks 25 years of shaping public health policy Commercial Determinants of Health Public Health Social Determinants of Health 19 Dec, 2023 2023 marked a significant milestone for the Institute of Public Health (IPH), which hosted a special event in October to mark it's 25th anniversary.

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Podcast From Washington: NACCHO Opposes Proposed Cuts to Public Health Fund and Local Health Departments Respond to the Overdose Crisis

The NACCHO Podcast Series

On this week’s podcast, the National Association of County and City Health Officials ’ Adriane Casalotti, Chief of Government and Public Affairs and Lauren Mastroberardino, Government Affairs Senior Specialist welcome Victoria Van de Vate, NACCHO’s new Director of Government Affairs. The team provided an update on government funding and the newly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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Report warns about risk tipping points with irreversible impacts on people and planet

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

A new report finds that drastic changes are approaching if risks to our fundamental socioecological systems are not addressed. The Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023 warns of six risk tipping points ahead of us: Accelerating extinctions; Groundwater depletion; Mountain glaciers melting; Space debris; Unbearable heat; and an Uninsurable future.

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Startups Use Data and Agile for Portfolio Management

Smart Data Collective

“Everybody needs data literacy, because data is everywhere. It’s the new currency, it’s the language of the business. We need to be able to speak that.” – Piyanka Jain. Data-driven business management has emerged as an invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large corporations. With a powerful suite of analytics tools available today – such as predictive analytics, prescriptive analysis, customer segmentation and lead scoring – organizations no

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Study of 1,000 selfies helps explain how we use them to communicate

Frontiers

by Angharad Brewer Gillham, Frontiers science writer Image/Shutterstock.com From a painting on the wall to a photo on your phone, selfies have always been a form of communication. But what are we trying to communicate with them and how are we doing it? To develop semantic profiles of this visual language, scientists asked people to look at a thousand selfies and describe their first impressions.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: How Social Workers Can Support Children and Families

The New Social Worker

By exploring thoughts about vaccine ambivalence and social barriers, then offering education, social workers can help parents make informed healthcare decisions for their children. Connect to End COVID-19 has resources for social workers.

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RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus): What You Need to Know About This Infection

Gideon

Respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, is a common seasonal illness that affects almost 97% of children by the age of two. While most children experience mild symptoms, it can be potentially dangerous for certain children and older adults. Unfortunately, so far, there is no way for medical professionals to predict which individuals may be most impacted by RSV.

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Supply Chain Tips for Software Companies to Avoid Data Breaches

Smart Data Collective

Data breaches are becoming much more common these days. PC Magazine reports that 422 million people were affected by data breaches last year. Preliminary research suggests data breaches are going to be even worse this year. A growing number of companies are recognizing that they need to take proactive measures to help bolster their data security. Software companies are among those most heavily affected, so they are taking dramatic measures.

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5 Benefits of Proxy Servers for Data-Driven Businesses

Smart Data Collective

Big data is more important for businesses than ever. Unfortunately, many are struggling to use data effectively. One study found that only 30% of companies have a well-articulated data strategy. Another survey showed only 13% of companies are meeting their data strategies’ goals. The good news is that data strategies can be more effective with the right tools.

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Incorporating Data Analytics in Fast Food Legal Cases

Smart Data Collective

Unraveling the intricacies of legal disputes in the fast food sector can be a formidable task. The inherent complexities often derive from manifold causes, ranging from personal injuries to employment law violations. In such a murky pool, the application of data analytics emerges as an invaluable tool. Harnessing the power of this technology can illuminate the path towards justice, bolstering the efforts of legal professionals.

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The Role of IT Consulting for Data-Driven Businesses

Smart Data Collective

Many businesses use big data technology to bolster efficiency. One study from Zappia found that 97.2% of companies say that they use data analytics in some capacity. While only 24% call themselves data-driven, the figure is growing significantly. Big data is changing the business models of many organizations. However, many companies are still struggling to figure out how to utilize data analytics and AI properly.

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Best Ways to Integrate Big Data into Your Business

Smart Data Collective

Nowadays, information consumption is skyrocketing. This information, dubbed Big Data, has grown too large and complex for typical data processing methods. Companies want to use Big Data to improve customer service, increase profit, cut expenses, and upgrade existing processes. The influence of Big Data on business is enormous. Where does big data come from?

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Can AI Help Make Social Media Healthier?

Smart Data Collective

We are continually surprised by all of the ways that AI technology is affecting our lives. One of the biggest changes is that artificial intelligence is helping change the state of social media. We are already aware of the fact that social media companies like Facebook are using AI to improve their products. Meta is using Facebook data to train its algorithms for a variety of purposes , including identifying harmful content to make the platform more holistic.

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