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How Teleradiology Improves ER Efficiency & Patient Care
Is your ER efficiency where you need it to be? Learn how radiology collaboration services from RealTime Medical have improved ER efficiency and patient care from Tabitha Kearney, VP Clinical Services, Deep River & District Hospital. Learn how radiology collaboration services have improved ER efficiency and patient experience from Tabitha Kearney, VP Clinical Services, Deep River & District Hospital. Learn more here: https://realtimemedical.com/radiology-services/ #radiology #teleradiology #diagnosticimaging
Why I Begin My Day with AICloudQA?
What benefits would make you want to start every day with a certain piece of software? Learn what makes Dr. Karen Finlay and the team at Hamilton Health Sciences and Hamilton St. Joseph’s want to start their day with AICloudQA and how it contributes to the working environment for radiologists. Learn more here: https://realtimemedical.com/software-solutions/ #radiology #teleradiology #diagnosticimaging
Professor James Wolffsohn and Dr Sònia Travé Huarte in collaboration with NuVision won the Medilink Business Award 2023 for a Partnership between Academia and Business The optometry researchers were recognised with an award for their partnership with a company that develops treatments for ocular diseases The collaboration has directly benefitted patients and enhanced global research knowledge. Researchers in the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences at Aston University have been recognised with an award for their partnership work with NuVision, a company that develops treatments for ocular diseases Professor James Wolffsohn and Dr Sònia Travé Huarte recieved the Medilink Business Award 2023 for a Partnership between Academia and Business at a prestigious ceremony held on 16 March in the Great Hall at the University of Birmingham. Professor Wolffsohn, who is also the head of the School of Optometry at Aston University, said: “We are delighted to have won this Medilink award in partnership with NuVision. This collaboration has directly benefitted our patients with this common chronic, debilitating disease, has enhanced global research knowledge in dry eye management and enhanced the local economy. The team at NuVision are exceptional and it is a pleasure to continue to innovate with them.” NuVision has an expert team of scientific, clinical and industry professionals dedicated to building innovative ocular biotherapies. It was founded in 2015 based on 15 years of translational research at the University of Nottingham. The company develops ocular biotherapies through research and innovation. The Medilink Midlands Business Awards 2023 are sponsored by the University of Birmingham and the Precision Health Technologies Accelerator Ltd. The awards event saw 13 life science companies based in the East and West Midlands receive awards from Start-Up to Outstanding Achievement. A further six companies received Highly Commended certificates. For more information about the School of Optometry and the Vision Sciences Research Group please visit our website.
Cyber threats have become one of the leading issues for corporations, governments, and public institutions across America. With ransomware attacks, hackers, and other nefarious threats, the issue is becoming a daily occurrence and leading news story. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s James Hendler, director of the Future of Computing Institute, Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web, and Cognitive Sciences, and director of the RPI-IBM Artificial Intelligence Research Collaboration, weighs in on what we should all know about cybersecurity. Overview Think about cybersecurity the way you think about home security – the more valuables you have, the more security you need. A normal user needs the equivalent of a lock on the door, which most of our computers provide out of the box. However, a user with a fair amount of personal information, who keeps financial records or runs a small business, probably wants a firewall or other additional protection. We used to tell people to protect their computers with firewalls, malware detectors, and the like, but now it is much more important to protect your web access, be wary of external sites, and keep your passwords secure and not easily guessed. Use of a password manager program can be really helpful for people who use a lot of different accounts. Threats The biggest threat facing individuals is identity theft caused by someone getting into an account that you don’t control. Most malware or password stealing comes via a phishing attack (a fake email that convinces you to click a bad link), so if you see an offer that looks too good to be true, don’t believe it. Never give out a password or personal information without confirming that it is legitimate. We also recommend not using major accounts (like Google, Facebook, etc.) to log in to new apps where you aren’t completely sure of the reliability – you’re safer if you use a separate password. It’s also worth noting that these kinds of attacks are now happening on cell phones – if you get a text saying your Amazon, Netflix, or other services have been shut off, be very careful. These companies almost never send out such messages, and if they do, they come via email, not text. For businesses, ransomware is becoming an increasing challenge. Frequent backups and dual authentication are absolute musts for small businesses. Large businesses, and especially those with cyber-physical connections such as a manufacturing device, must have someone on the team who understands internet technology. Outside audits done annually, at least, are also highly recommended. The biggest danger in cybersecurity is that people, especially in businesses, think that the software industry will fix things and that they don’t have to worry. That’s like expecting auto manufacturers to stop car theft, or the government to prevent all crime – these organizations certainly need to help, but they cannot be perfect. So while there definitely needs to be a role for manufacturers and government, people need to understand that the threats are now coming from social interactions such as phishing, or serious criminal enterprises such as ransomware attackers, and not just maladjusted teenagers. They must be ready to pay for some security if they have things on their network that need protection. The Cloud Cloud-based services are a major boon to cybersecurity for individuals and small businesses if, and only if, people protect their access. If a breach is reported to you by a company, don’t ignore it, change your password, and, whenever possible, use dual authentication. The cloud companies can afford to spend more on security than you can and thus your information stored in these services tends to be quite secure. However, people need to be careful in using the cloud. Just as you may trust a bank with your money, you want to be sure not to be robbed on your way there. Future Computing Systems and Cybersecurity New technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are arising all the time in today’s fast-moving cyber world. As these technologies arise, they can create new opportunities for cybersecurity, but can also create new challenges. Cybercrime will never disappear, and each new capability comes with a price. Increased education and awareness of emerging computing technologies (blockchain, quantum, etc.) are important not just for the expert, but also for the general public. It is important to stay informed and pay attention to what is being reported. Just as buying a new appliance can be a great advantage at home (I love my new air-fryer), you also have to be sure to be using it appropriately (used wrong, it can cause fires). Looking to learn more or connect with an expert for your questions and coverage? James Hendler is the director of the Rensselaer Future of Computing Institute, Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web, and Cognitive Sciences, and director of the RPI-IBM Artificial Intelligence Research Collaboration. Hendler has authored over 400 books, technical papers, and articles in the areas of Semantic Web, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and high-performance processing. Hendler is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Expert Q&A: The Summer of Sargassum?
A 5,000-mile-wide mass of sargassum seaweed is drifting toward Florida's beaches. It could arrive, with its brown, slick leaves and rotten eggs smell, around July as the state's Atlantic beaches are filled with locals and tourists. Florida Tech oceanographer Kevin Johnson offered his insights into this looming arrival. Is it dangerous? Will it spoil the beaches? Here are his answers to some key questions. QUESTION: Is this situation really a big deal? Kevin Johnson: I wouldn’t say it is being overhyped, but it is yet to be determined whether this year will have greater amounts of sargassum in the Atlantic offshore, (visible by satellite) or coming ashore and covering the beaches, a connected but separate phenomenon requiring the cooperation of onshore winds. 2018 was a record-setting year, and this year could exceed what was seen in both locations in 2018. If the winds contribute strongly to sargassum coming ashore, it could make it smelly and hard to find an area of clean sand to set up on the beaches. QUESTION: Is there a health risk if we head to a beach where sargassum is present? Kevin Johnson: Sargassum doesn’t produce aerosolized organic toxins, but as it rots on the beach, it will smell and give off hydrogen sulfide gas, or H2S. That's the stuff that smells like rotten eggs. When concentrated in enclosed areas, this gas is toxic and can be harmful. However, in the open air, diluted on an exposed beach, it is more of a smelly nuisance than a genuine health hazard for most people. But there could be a minor irritation, like itching, after coming into contact with sargassum. There are symbiotic species living in and amongst this seaweed when it is healthy and floating at sea. (These intricate relationships are part of what makes sargassum ecologically significant as a food source, nursery and habitat for many populations.) One of the symbionts is a tiny branching colonial hydroid, related to corals. it grows on sargassum fronds. Hydroid colonies have a sting like corals and jellyfish, but it is generally not severe. Some people may experience itching around their feet or ankles (or any body part that contacts the sargassum hydroids) if they brush up against sargassum in waves or swash, or step on freshly deposited sargassum on the sand. Many people will not be bothered or only mildly troubled by this, but some people may be more sensitive to the hydroids. QUESTION: I was planning to visit the beach. Should I reconsider now? Kevin Johnson: If the winds collude with the large bloom already underway to deliver huge mats to the beach, it could be hard for beachgoers to find a place to sit on the sand, and the smells could make the beach untenable. I emphasize “could” with the hydrogen sulfide smell because it depends on how the sargassum is deposited and how wet it is as it breaks down. In some cases, beached Sargassum can be very dry and in such cases it may not smell too bad. People who are more sensitive to the hydrogen sulfide or to the hydroids on the fresh sargassum may find the experience even more unpleasant. Westerly winds would be helpful from the perspective of keeping sargassum away from beaches, but unfortunately easterlies are pretty common this time of year. If you're a reporter looking to know more about this topic, let us help with your coverage. Dr. Johnson can be available for phone, Zoom or, depending on scheduling, in-person interviews.
Infant seating devices may reduce language exposure
When a parent needs to cook dinner or take a shower, often they will place their baby in a bouncy seat, swing, exersaucer, or similar seating device intended to protect the baby and grant a degree of independence to both the parent and infant. For many parents, these devices represent a helpful extra set of hands; for babies, the freedom to safely explore their immediate surroundings. As useful as these devices are to both parents and infants, they may present trade-offs regarding their effect on infants’ exposure to adult language, which is critical for language development. That’s according to a new study by researchers at the Stress and Early Adversity Lab at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. Within infants’ natural environments and daily routines, the study explored interactions between their exposure to adult language and their placement in seating devices, which support posture and promote the infant’s ability to play with objects or observe their surroundings without direct support from a caregiver. The researchers found that infants were exposed to fewer words when spending time in seating devices compared to when spending time in other placements. They also found that infants who spent the most time in seating devices heard nearly 40 percent fewer daily words compared to infants who spent the least amount of time in seating devices. Infants with more, compared to less, seating device use also had less consistent exposure to adult language throughout the day. Sixty mothers and their 4- to 6-month-old infants participated in this study. For three days, a Language Environment Analysis audio recording device (i.e. “talk pedometer”) captured language exposure. The mothers inserted the audio recorder into the pocket of a vest their babies wore. Automated software estimated from the recordings the total number of adult words spoken to or near the infant over the course of a day. To record real-time behaviors of infant placement, the mothers responded to 12 brief surveys per day about their infant’s current location and use of seating devices. Caregiver reports of their child’s placement in seating devices accounted for 10 percent of an infant’s daily exposure to adult words, which the researchers say is a striking finding due to the complex nature of language exposure and how many other factors may influence children’s exposure to speech (e.g. caregiver’s talkativeness, presence of other siblings). Kathryn Humphreys, assistant professor of psychology and human development and expert in infant and early childhood mental health, is the senior author of the study. She notes that infant seating devices can provide a convenient way to keep infants safely contained while caregivers attend to other tasks. However, given the potential for frequent and prolonged use of these devices, she says that parents may want to be intentional about interactive opportunities while the infant explores their surroundings as well as consider wearing or otherwise carrying their infant on their body as much as possible to create more opportunities for engagement through speech. “While we need more research to be certain that seating devices reduce the richness of infants’ language environments, these findings are influencing my own decisions about intentional placement with my 6-month-old." - Kathryn Humphreys Kathryn Humphreys She suggests that safe and convenient places are a boon for both infants and their caregivers, but that there is a risk for reduced levels of interactions when infants are stationary and not moving to where their caregivers are active.
UCI expert: federal standards of chemicals in country's waterways
The Biden Administration announced today that they are prepared to finally set federal standards on the amount of PFAS chemicals in the country’s waterways. This is long overdue oversight into regulating chemicals, specifically perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which when exposed to can cause debilitating, deadly diseases, and conditions such as cancer, liver damage, fertility and thyroid problems, asthma and more. For an expert source on this breaking news, Scott Bartell, MS, PhD, UC Irvine professor of environmental and occupational health, is available for interviews. For the past 25 years, Bartell has dedicated his research to quantifying human exposures and health effects caused by environmental contaminants such as PFAS – specifically the presence and epidemiology of PFAS in U.S. water sources. He is also the lead researcher on a study surveying Orange County, Calif. residents to find a link between PFAS and adverse health effects. To reach Prof. Bartell, reach out to Brianna Aldrich at brianna.aldrich@uci.edu or 760-809-5193.
Innovative virtual practice offers continuous, coordinated and connected care ChristianaCare has launched Virtual Primary Care, a new health solution that offers the benefits of a long-term relationship with your primary care team, with the convenience of virtual care that can be accessed at home, at work or on the go, using a smartphone, tablet or other digital device. The practice is an offering of ChristianaCare’s Center for Virtual Health. “Virtual primary care in most markets does not establish an ongoing relationship between the patient and the provider — it’s on-demand care with the next available provider,” said Sarah Schenck, M.D., medical director of Virtualist Medicine at ChristianaCare. “ChristianaCare Virtual Primary Care is different. We offer a personalized approach in which patients have the attention of their care team who are all focused on their specific needs and health goals. Each care team knows their patients and is actively working to help them reach their personal health goals. And when patients need specialized care or services, our providers have access to ChristianaCare’s network and the ability to refer to the trusted services and specialists a patient might need outside of primary care.” The practice is accessible to residents of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey, New York and Florida and available by monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription. Plans are available for people ages 5 and older and start as low as $35 per month. The subscription provides full access to virtual primary care services — with no additional fees or copays — including same-day appointments, extended hours on nights and weekends, secure text-messaging and the convenience of always-on care. Services that are not a part of primary care, such as emergency room visits, lab tests, diagnostic imaging and specialist referrals, are not included in the subscription and would be subject to the patient’s existing health insurance coverage. “At ChristianaCare we are reimagining health care by making it radically convenient and accessible, and by creating a unique and personal experience,” said Sharon Anderson, MS, RN, FACHE, ChristianaCare’s chief virtual health officer and president of ChristianaCare’s Center for Virtual Health. “The Virtual Primary Care practice goes beyond simply offering video visits to patients. We’ve transformed care so it no longer revolves around waiting for an appointment — it’s immediate, coordinated, continuous. Patients can now access virtual primary care 24/7 as well as a host of other health services — all through their computer, tablet or smartphone.” When individuals sign up, they’ll choose their care team of experts including a primary care provider, nurse and a patient digital ambassador (PDA). The patient digital ambassador serves as a personal health guide to assist individuals with registration and technology set-up for their virtual visits. As a care team member, the PDA is available as a personal health guide, while the primary care provider supports patients with their clinical care needs. Once enrolled, individuals will receive a welcome kit tailored to their needs with tools to assist in their care, such as monitoring blood pressure, weight and temperature. Benefits of ChristianaCare Virtual Primary Care: Schedule a virtual checkup, communicate using video, send photos through secure text messaging and discuss health concerns and treatment options. Schedule same-day appointments and enjoy extended hours on weekends. Get quick referrals to specialists. Create a personalized Working on Wellness Plan (also known as WOW plan) to help achieve healthy goals around stress management, exercise, nutrition, sleep and more. For more information, visit the ChristianaCare Center for Virtual Health or call 302-428-2400.
Is America's banking system in trouble once again?
Nerves are rattled and many are worried as the markets opened Monday to news of another US bank collapse, making that two large banks shuttered in less than a week. It's news that's rocking the financial world on a massive scale. Federal regulators announced on Sunday that another bank had been closed and that the government would ensure that all depositors of Silicon Valley Bank — which failed Friday — would be paid back in full as Washington rushed to keep fallout from the collapse of the large institution from sweeping through the financial system. The Federal Reserve, Treasury and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announced in a joint statement that “depositors will have access to all of their money starting Monday, March 13.” In an attempt to assuage concerns about who would bear the costs, the agencies said that “no losses associated with the resolution of Silicon Valley Bank will be borne by the taxpayer.” March 12 - New York Times With an economy already on edge as Americans feel the grip of inflation and worries of recession - this is frightening news and media are scrambling for answers. What is causing the closures of these big banks and how many more will follow? How much money is lost and how much has been protected? Is this 2008 all over again? Is the federal government doing enough to stop the damage from spreading? What measures need to be put in place by government to assure citizens that their savings, retirement plans and mortgages aren't at risk? And will anyone be held accountable for the billions already lost? There's a lot to explain - and that's where our experts can help. Rebel Cole, Ph.D., a Lynn Eminent Scholar Chaired Professor of Finance, has expertise in global financial institutions, commercial banking and small business finance. He spent 10 years working in the Federal Reserve System and has experience at the the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Cole has been interviewed by numerous national media outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Fox Business. Rebel is available to speak to media regarding the current state of banking and what Americans need to watch for or worry about. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
How Colorism Impacts Professional Achievement
Melissa J. Williams is associate professor of organization and management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. She investigates what happens when social identities collide with workplace hierarchies, and the consequences of putting people in positions of power and leadership. Here she looks at something less documented: the extent to which our appearance is stereotypically Black or white. And what that means for our prospects. Rosa Parks made history on December 1, 1955, when she refused to relinquish her bus seat to a white passenger. Her simple gesture of defiance ignited a city-wide bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, and has gone down in the annals as a pivotal moment for the social justice movement in the United States. However, Parks was not the only African American to make a stand against racial segregation. Nor was she the first. In March of the same year in the same city, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin also refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a Montgomery bus. So why isn’t she a household name? In part, Colvin’s age was a factor. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other Black civil rights groups got behind Parks, reasoning that an older woman would be better equipped to withstand the controversy. But as Colvin herself stated, there were other factors at play. There was something about Parks’ appearance that gave her more leverage, reasons Colvin explained in Philip Hoose’s award-winning book on the civil rights movement. She had the “right hair and the right look.” Not only that, but her appearance “was the kind that people associate with the middle class. She fit that profile.” Success isn’t black or white. It’s shades of…white. Colorism has long been documented in the U.S. and elsewhere. Discrimination against human beings on the basis of their facial features, hair, and skin color transcends race—it is prevalent even within groups that share the same ethnic identity, where lighter skin tones are perceived to be more valuable than dark. Research over the years has shed light on the nefarious effects of colorism or shadeism in terms of equity and access to opportunity. But a new landmark study by Associate Professor of Organization & Management Melissa Williams, and Goizueta colleagues, PhD student Tosen Nwadei and Roberto C. Goizueta Chair of Organization & Management Anand Swaminathan, looks at just how Black or white someone appears—and how this shapes the way others see their potential; as well as the kinds of professional outcomes they can expect. What Williams and her co-authors, who also include James B. Wade from George Washington University and C. Keith Harrison and Scott Bukstein of University of Central Florida, find in their studies, is that Black professionals are less likely to be promoted to leadership roles. What’s more, for Black professionals whose physical appearance is more Black-stereotypical, their chances drop from 12 percent to a mere seven percent. For white professionals, on the other hand, having a more white-stereotypical appearance is an advantage for leadership – looking more stereotypical as a white person increased their chances of holding a leadership role from 32 percent to 43 percent. Williams and colleagues ran both an archival study and a lab experiment with volunteers to discover the extent to which degrees of ethnicity in appearance influence perceptions of a person’s potential for leadership and actually predict their likelihood of success in an industry. While the science unequivocally shows that white people enjoy advantages over Black people in opportunity and outcome across the board, Williams et al. were also interested in exploring what she calls the “continuum of race:” the more nuanced racial characteristics and differences that shape how the world sees us. There’s an assumption that everyone within the same ethnic group—Black or white—will experience the same degree of bias and prejudice, or acceptance and success. And we wanted to push back on that idea to really explore how degrees of whiteness or Blackness play out in people’s minds and shape how they read you physically. -Associate Professor of Organization & Management Melissa Williams Previous research shows the link between persisting in STEM-based majors in college and how much students are perceived to look “like their race,” she says. Those who are perceived to look less typically Black tend to make more friends outside their ethnic group—a boundary-crossing behavior that can help drive careers. To test these ideas, Williams and co-authors ran two studies. First, they accessed publicly available data including photographs, professional background, and positions from one large industry within the U.S.: American college football. College football is really rich in data. You can access job titles, photos, leadership, and non-leadership roles; and you can separate individuals out into head coaches and position coaches who have overseeing roles but who are not leaders per se. Separately, Williams et al. recruited a group of volunteers to look at the images of the football coaches: a mix of Black and white head and position coaches. These volunteers were asked to rate how typical they perceived each individual’s appearance to be of European or white Americans, or of Black Americans, ascribing each person a score out of five based on features such as their skin color, hair, eyes, nose, cheeks, and lips. These scores were then regressed—or cross-referenced—with the position held by the individuals in the photos to determine the relationship between their racial stereotypicality and their leadership role. Crunching the numbers, Williams found a direct correlation between the degree of perceived whiteness or Blackness of the coaches and how likely they actually were to be successful leaders. “We do find a kind of consensus in people’s view of what it means to be Black or white straight off,” says Williams. “So we do all seem to agree on the physical attributes of race. But it gets really interesting when you regress the scores that these photos get and compare them with the actual jobs these guys hold.” What we see is that, controlling for their age, attractiveness, and professional experience, the white guys who look less stereotypically white are 32 percent likely to occupy leadership roles. This rises to 43 percent with the men who look more like a stereotypical white guy. For Black professionals, the inverse is true, she notes. The more typically Black an individual looks, the less probability there is that he occupies a leadership job. Specifically, that figure drops from 12 to seven percent. So benchmark leadership probability is not only already lower for Black individuals, but drops even further when people are deemed to look “more typically Black,” says Williams. A follow-up experiment invited volunteer football fans to compare how they saw the potential future success of two same-race college football players—one more stereotypical in appearance than the other. The results confirm what Williams et al. suspect: 70 percent of the time, participants chose the more-typical white individual over the less-typical white individual as having greater leadership potential. In other words, the more white a white person looks, the more they are seen as leadership material. These findings should translate into an imperative, says Williams; and that is to think more broadly about race and how it impacts life outcomes. Because race is not a uniform experience, she says. “Organizations might want to look beyond just ticking the box when it comes to diversity and inclusion, and give deeper thought to who they want to recruit, support and push forward in representation. For white people, paying attention to whiteness—the types of white people who enjoy advantages in leadership—can be useful in reframing certain questions. A good place to start might be for leaders to ask: do I want to support people who look like me? Because the face you choose can ultimately help disrupt, or reinforce, the stereotype.” Interested in learning more or connecting with Melissa J. Williams, associate professor of organization and management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School? She's available to speak about this subject - Simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
