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☆ Researchers just tested ChatGPT on the same test questions as aspiring doctors – and found the AI was 'comfortably within the passing range'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

ChatGPT appeared capable of passing the US medical licensing examination in a research experiment. ChatGPT showed "moderate accuracy" and was "comfortably within the passing range," per the research. According to a new research experiment, ChatGPT showed "moderate accuracy" and was "comfortably within the passing range" in the exams. "ChatGPT performed at or near the passing threshold for all three exams without any specialized training or reinforcement," the researchers wrote in the paper. Another AI, developed by AI safety and research firm Anthropic, has passed a university-level law and economics exam, according to an academic at Virginia's George Mason University.

☆ Google to delay portion of staff bonus
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google is deferring a portion of its employees' year-end bonuses as part of a transition to a new performance management system, the search engine giant said on Thursday. The company will pay 80% advance bonus to eligible employees initially and the remainder in later months, a spokesperson told Reuters, adding that the move was communicated to staff last year. The development comes amid tech companies' attempts to limit spending amid a broader slowdown in demand and deteriorating economic conditions. The advance bonus will be paid in January and the remaining 20% in March or April, helping Google spread out costs to the next quarter, according to a CNBC, which first reported the story. Google typically paid full bonuses in the first month of the year.

☆ 'Concerning' map reveals where fish caught in the US are full of hazardous 'forever chemicals'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Fish in lakes and streams across the US are contaminated with hazardous "forever chemicals." Since their invention in the 1930s, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have multiplied and spread. They found PFOS — one of the most notorious substances — was the largest contributor to PFAS contamination in fish. Last year, the EPA lowered the level of PFOS in drinking water it considers safe to 0.02 parts per trillion. He said he's also seen PFAS contamination advisories for fishing spots in Sweden, where he lives.

☆ Google is delaying a portion of employee bonus checks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a panel at the CEO Summit of the Americas hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on June 09, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Google executives are deferring a portion of employees' year-end bonus checks, according to documents viewed by CNBC, as the company moves toward permanently pushing back payouts. However, Google will pay qualifying full-time employees 80% of their bonus checks this month and the remaining 20% in March or April, the documents say. The delayed payment comes as Google CEO Sundar Pichai seeks to reel in costs while still avoiding mass layoffs. The company recently released new details, showing a larger number of employees will more easily fall into lower-rated categories, CNBC reported last month.

☆ This biotech stock is up 10% in the last month — and analysts expect it to rise a further 118%
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wall Street is bullish on the California-headquartered company, which makes the enzymes for Pfizer's Covid-19 oral antiviral treatment ; all eight equity analysts covering the stock give it a buy rating. Their median price target points to a 118% potential upside over the 12 months, according to FactSet. "We believe that PRGN's R & D event will validate the key value propositions that underscore PRGN-2012," said Cantor Fitzgerald's analysts in a note to clients on Jan. 12. Other companies on the list include the London-listed stock of Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Genus , which analysts expect to rise by more than 40% over the next 12 months. Clinical diagnostics company Bio-Rad Lab and Sweden-headquartered IVF specialist Vitrolife are the other stocks expected to go up by analysts.

It came after Amazon said in November it was looking to cut staff, including in its devices and recruiting organizations. The company had 2,450 employees, according to PitchBook data, suggesting around 490 employees were laid off. In a letter to employees, CEO Logan Green and President John Zimmer pointed to "a probable recession sometime in the next year" and rising ride-share insurance costs. Shopify: 1,000 jobs cutIn July, Shopify announced it laid off 1,000 employees, which equals 10% of its global workforce. Tesla: 6,000 jobs cut

☆ Microsoft's major layoffs prove that no tech giant is safe from the market downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft is the latest tech giant to have major layoffs, with plans to cut 10,000 employees. It's a strategy that will help these tech giants weather the ongoing downturn and come out on top, he added. Microsoft's layoffs also bring attention to the fact that the only tech giants that have avoided significant layoffs this cycle are Google and Apple. In another note to clients, RBC analysts advised C-suite leaders to bring down their quarterly and yearly revenue estimates even more. Got a tip about tech layoffs?

☆ Two researchers aim to better understand L.A.’s homelessness crisis with smartphone surveys
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Jake Traylor | Jake Traylor Is An Associate Producer For Msnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Two California researchers aim to get a real-time understanding of homelessness using a perhaps unexpected resource found among unhoused people: smartphones. Larry Posey works in MacArthur Park to share information about the PATHS study. Amy Stein / USC/UCLAOnce a month, a growing number of PATHS participants in Los Angeles County are texted a link to a 15-minute survey. Recruiters for the PATHS study share information with participants via postcard and directly into a web-based interface. The PATHS study found that 90% of participants would be interested in some type of interim or permanent housing.

☆ Google Cloud's top U.S. sales executive departs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 12 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google promoted the head of its international cloud businesses, Adaire Fox-Martin, to take on a top sales role as part of an operating model rejig, a spokesperson said on Thursday. The head of Google Cloud unit in the Americas, Kirsten Kliphouse, has left the company, the spokesperson said. Fox-Martin's appointment aims at "unifying global go-to-market organization," the company said and the role will focus on all global sales as well as service and support. The company is also under pressure amid disappointing ad sales, with advertisers cutting back on their spending in the face of an economic slowdown. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta and Vansh Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Alphabet to cut staff of health sciences unit Verily by 15%
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In an email to employees on Wednesday, Verily CEO Stephen Gillett said the company will lay off 15% of its staff in a restructuring move, as it strives for financial independence from parent company Alphabet . Verily, which specializes in health sciences, is one of Google's sister companies, operating within Alphabet’s "Other Bets" category. It's the first known layoff to hit the Google parent company following a wave of industry layoffs and fears of a recession. Gillett’s note stated that it will be "reducing or sunsetting" some parts of the business while increasing investment in others. Those who work out of the U.S. will hear from their business leaders on Wednesday or Thursday, the note stated.

☆ Alphabet's health science unit cuts over 200 jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 11 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) health science unit, Verily Life Sciences, said on Wednesday it had laid off over 200 employees, or about 15% of its workforce, marking the first time in at least six years when Alphabet or its affiliate has announced job cuts. The move follows similar retrenchment exercises in corporate America, concentrated among technology firms and banks, as companies look to curtail spending in a tough economy. Verily, which was born out of the Google X research program in 2015, raised $1 billion from Alphabet in September last year. Access, an Alphabet unit that houses Google Fiber, laid off some employees in 2016. Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New York and L.A. meet CDC criteria for masking in public. How much will masks help this winter?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Aria-Bendix-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Aria Bendix | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The Philadelphia school district announced Wednesday that students and staff will be required to wear masks indoors for two weeks in January in an effort to slow transmission after the holidays. The New York City Department of Education issued a letter this week strongly encouraging students and staff to wear a well-fitting mask indoors. After three years of Covid, however, experts recognized that few people are inclined to wear masks as often as they had previously while in public spaces. But Luby said he still wears a mask in public, even when others around him do not. “I find myself in that situation a lot — I’m the only person in the room wearing a mask," he said.

☆ Fact Check-‘Catastrophic Contagion’ video is fictional and does not support claims about pandemic preparedness exercises
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Baseless claims that pandemic preparedness exercises are proof that disease outbreaks are “planned” by authorities have been a recurring narrative since the coronavirus pandemic broke out. These fictional scenarios go beyond infectious diseases, as such exercises also exist for natural disasters or nuclear events, for example. These rules, that are binding for WHO members, set out countries’ obligations when handling public health events and emergencies that could potentially cross borders (here) (here). Otherwise, we will be unprepared for the next infectious disease event. Experts told Reuters that preparedness exercises like “Catastrophic Contagion” have been a part of pandemic preparedness for at least the last two decades.

☆ Fact Check-A video of news headlines over time is not proof COVID-19 vaccines are ineffective or a ‘scam’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Users on social media are sharing a video of news headlines and portions of articles on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness over time without context to question whether the vaccines ever worked. Initial clinical trials for Pfizer’s vaccine showed 95% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 (here) while Moderna trials showed 94% efficacy (here). CONTEXT COUNTSEarly in the viral video, headlines touting 100% efficacy refer to small trials or specific outcomes. He added that these results are not indicative of vaccine effectiveness for all groups of people, which can vary. A video of news headlines is not proof the vaccines are ineffective or a scam.

☆ Long Covid's financial devastation: $8,000 in credit card debt, ruined retirement plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

More than a third of respondents said their income had gone down as a result of long Covid. "Long Covid is as much part of the pandemic as is the acute phase, during which the government went to great lengths to treat people and save lives," said Oved Amitay, president of the Long Covid Alliance, an advocacy group. Of the long Covid patients she has seen, only 2 out of 50 who have applied for SSDI have been approved so far, she said. Sharon Sunders long Covid patient"They may not have the resources to go through the process," Verduzco-Gutierrez said. 'There's a tidal wave of us coming'Sunders wishes the Biden administration would do more to help those financially struggling with long Covid.

watch nowMichael Bryand, 35, first got Covid in September 2020. And currently, as many as 23 million Americans have what's considered long Covid, according to recent estimates from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Long Covid is 'something invisible'Michael Bryand, here with his family, first got Covid in September 2020. Ramey was a nurse in San Antonio for 30 years before she got Covid in 2020. Verduzco-Gutierrez works primarily with Covid patients, including Ramey and Bryand, through the long Covid clinic she established in 2020.

☆ Daylight Saving Time debate sheds light on growing racial inequities in sleep health
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Sleep Research Society and other medical groups have advocated for ending the practice, calling for the adoption of a permanent standard time that would not involve shifting forward each spring and falling back each autumn. She authored a paper, published in September in the journal Sleep, detailing the potential health benefits of adopting a permanent standard time. Now, some sleep researchers worry about the potential effects that continuing to change standard time twice each year may have on sleep health inequities. “Fortunately, sleep health is largely modifiable.”As for the inequities seen in sleep health, it’s not that White adults don’t also experience a lack of sleep and its health consequences – but people of color appear to disproportionately experience them more, and that’s believed to be largely due to social systems in the United States. Improving sleep health has been a national objective in the federal government’s past two Healthy People programs, noted Caraballo-Cordovez, who is not involved in the programs.

Lee County suffered none of the state’s 123 Irma deaths. That experience influenced many people’s decisions not to flee Hurricane Ian. “Hurricane Ian is going to be the strongest outreach messaging for southwest Florida ever,” said Gleason, the Charlotte County spokesman. “When you live through it, then that message sinks in deep and forever.”A view of the Matanzas Pass side of Estero Island, home to Fort Myers Beach, Fla. Fort Myers Beach is expected to take years to rebuild. Thomas Simonetti for NBC NewsMichael Yost's two closest friends in Fort Myers Beach drowned in Hurricane Ian.

☆ They were diagnosed with uterine cancer and tumors. Now they're suing the makers of chemical hair straighteners.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Janelle Griffith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Three years ago, Rhonda Terrell was diagnosed with an aggressive form of uterine cancer that has since spread to her abdomen and liver. “And I want to hold them accountable because I have granddaughters.”Bernadette Gordon, who used chemical relaxers from around 1983 to 2015, believes they caused her to develop breast and uterine cancer. In 2021, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer and underwent a hysterectomy, followed by six months of chemotherapy and radiation. There was never anything on the products' packaging, they said and their lawsuits allege, indicating that normal use of the products could cause them to develop uterine fibroids or breast or uterine cancer. “This study is the first to show a possible link between frequent use of hair straightening products and uterine cancer,” she said.

☆ Palm oil is in almost everything, and it's devastating rainforests. This Bill Gates-backed company used microbes to create an alternative
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Palm oil grows best in the regions right around the equator, so palm oil producers chop down rainforest and clear that felled vegetation by burning it, making it a prime target of conservation organizations like the Rainforest Rescue and the World Wildlife Fund. Palm oil trees grow at the Cikasungka palm oil plantation, operated by PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII, in Bogor Regency in West Java, Indonesia, on Monday, June 20, 2022. To make its palm oil alternative, C16 Biosciences uses a wild yeast microbe that makes a functional equivalent to palm oil with a kind of fermentation process. Photo courtesy: Cat Clifford, CNBCChemically, the palm oil that C16 Biosciences makes is not identical to the palm oil that is grown in industrial agriculture farms. However, "it contains the same fatty acids, which are the molecular fingerprints of fats and oils, that palm oil does," Heller told CNBC.

☆ I'm a leg-lengthening surgeon. Most of my clients are men with confidence issues — here's what the procedure's like and why I do it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Natalie Rahhal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

The only field in medicine that uses all of these tools is orthopedic surgery, so it seemed like the right fit. I specialized in limb-lengthening surgery specifically because I wanted to do something that was different from everybody else. People that undergo limb-lengthening surgery are from all walks of life, and many used COVID lockdowns to recover post-surgery. I would say 80% to 85% of my cosmetic limb-lengthening patients are men and 15% to 20% are women. Even though I've done limb-lengthening surgeries hundreds of times, I still get a little nervous.

The project recently shared an updated list of the top Covid symptoms reported by the more than 4 million users of the ZOE Covid Study app, which has tracked virus symptoms based on daily user-entered data since 2020. Covid infections come with dozens of different potential symptoms, ranging from mild fatigue to strange ones like " Covid tongue ." Four of the five most commonly reported symptoms, including sore throat, runny nose, persistent cough and headache, appeared across all three groups — but their prevalence varied. The ZOE study did not account for which Covid variant caused the infections, how many infections were first-time Covid experiences, whether a user received booster doses, patient demographic information and the severity of people's symptoms. Including booster dose data could potentially change the study's list of symptoms, and their potential duration, for people who have completed their primary vaccine series.

☆ The US never banned asbestos. These workers are paying the price.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Kathleen Mcgrory | Neil Bedi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +39 min

But protocols failed to match reality at the Niagara Falls plant, according to more than a dozen workers. In addition to those signature diseases, which are rare even among asbestos workers, the tiny strands can harm the body in other ways. In the 15 years that followed, congressional attempts to ban asbestos would continue to fall short. OSHA declined to make an official available for an on-the-record interview or comment on ProPublica's findings at the Niagara Falls plant. At the OxyChem plant in Wichita, union president Keith Peacock said he was comfortable with the way asbestos was handled.

☆ Hair-straightening chemical products linked to increased uterine cancer risk in new study
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists are uncovering new details in the connection between using certain hair straightening products, such as chemical relaxers and pressing products, and an increased risk of cancer in women. The study, published Monday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, estimates that among women who did not use hair-straightening chemical products in the past 12 months, 1.6% developed uterine cancer by age 70, but about 4% of the women who frequently use such hair-straightening products developed uterine cancer by age 70. That finding “also communicates that uterine cancer is indeed rare. “In this study, women with frequent use in the past year had an over two-fold higher risk of uterine cancer,” she said. The researchers found a strong association between hair straightening products and uterine cancer cases but the use of other hair products – such as dyes and perms or body waves – was not associated with uterine cancer.

Women using chemical hair-straightening products are at a higher risk of uterine cancer than women who reported not using them, a new study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found. Researchers noted that Black women may have a higher risk because they are more likely to use those products more frequently. “Sixty percent of the participants who reported using straighteners were Black women. The bottom line is that the exposure burden appears to be higher among Black women,” Chandra Jackson, an NIEHS Earl Stadtman Investigator who co-authored the study, said. Advocates like Greene, one of the leading voices in the movement against Black hair discrimination, have highlighted that wearing natural hair isn’t easy or always safe for Black people.

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