#Predictive Modeling in Healthcare

[vuelitics1]

The importance of predictive analytics in healthcare using big data can enhance patient care and address chronic diseases efficiently.

As someone deeply immersed in the healthcare industry, I’ve witnessed a profound transformation driven by the integration of predictive analytics and big data. The importance of predictive analytics in healthcare using big data cannot be overstated, as it offers unprecedented opportunities to improve patient care, optimize operations, and advance medical research. The vast amounts of data generated daily in healthcare settings provide the foundation for predictive analytics, enabling us to forecast future events based on historical and current data. In this blog, I’ll explore the significance of predictive analytics in healthcare, its benefits, practical applications, and the future of this technology.

[truetechreview]

How DeepSeek AI Revolutionizes Data Analysis

1. Introduction: The Data Analysis Crisis and AI’s Role2. What Is DeepSeek AI?3. Key Features of DeepSeek AI for Data Analysis4. How DeepSeek AI Outperforms Traditional Tools5. Real-World Applications Across Industries6. Step-by-Step: Implementing DeepSeek AI in Your Workflow7. FAQs About DeepSeek AI8. Conclusion 1. Introduction: The Data Analysis Crisis and AI’s Role Businesses today generate…

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

Why I Believe AlphaFold 3 is a Powerful Tool for the Future of Healthcare

Insights on a groundbreaking artificial intelligence tool for health sciences research Dear science and technology readers, Thanks for subscribing to Health Science Research By Dr Mike Broadly, where I curate important public health content. A few months ago, I wrote about AlphaFold 3, a groundbreaking AI tool that helps scientists understand protein structures, which are essential for…

[techtoio]

How Big Data Analytics is Changing Scientific Discoveries

Introduction

In the contemporary world of the prevailing sciences and technologies, big data analytics becomes a powerful agent in such a way that scientific discoveries are being orchestrated. At Techtovio, we explore this renewed approach to reshaping research methodologies for better data interpretation and new insights into its hastening process. Read to continue

[healthcaretechnologynews]

Predictive Modelling in Pharma Sales: Charting Market Trends with Data Analytics

The pharmaceutical industry has undergone significant transformations in recent years, with advancements in data analytics playing a pivotal role in decision-making processes. Predictive modelling, a branch of data analytics, has emerged as a powerful tool for pharmaceutical sales teams to anticipate market trends and make informed decisions. In this blog, we will delve into the world of predictive modelling in pharmaceutical sales, exploring its applications, benefits, and how it can revolutionize the industry's approach to forecasting and marketing.

Read Full Blog Here: https://www.anervea.com/predictive-modeling-in-pharmaceutical-sales-anticipating-market-trends-with-data-analytics-2

Applications of Predictive Modelling in Pharmaceutical Sales

Demand Forecasting: Predictive models analyze past sales data, seasonality, market fluctuations, and other relevant factors to forecast the demand for pharmaceutical products.

Customer Segmentation: Pharmaceutical companies can use predictive modelling to segment their customer base based on various criteria, such as demographics, purchasing behavior, and prescription patterns

Market Trend Analysis: By analyzing historical market data and external variables like healthcare policies, economic conditions, and public health trends, predictive models can help identify emerging market trends.

Competitor Analysis: By tracking competitors' product launches, pricing strategies, and market share fluctuations, pharmaceutical companies can gain a competitive edge and respond proactively.

Benefits of Predictive Modelling in Pharmaceutical Sales

Improved Sales and Revenue: Anticipating market trends and understanding customer behavior allows pharmaceutical companies to align their sales strategies with market demand, leading to increased sales and revenue.

Cost Reduction: Effective demand forecasting and inventory management can reduce wastage due to overstocking or shortages, leading to cost savings.

Enhanced Marketing ROI: Targeted marketing efforts, based on customer segmentation and trend analysis, result in a higher return on investment (ROI) for marketing campaigns.

Better Product Development: Predictive models can guide research and development efforts by identifying potential blockbuster drugs or areas of high demand.

Competitive Advantage: Pharmaceutical companies that leverage predictive modeling gain a competitive edge by being more agile and responsive to market changes.

Challenges and Considerations

While predictive modelling offers numerous benefits, it comes with its own set of challenges. Ensuring data accuracy, privacy compliance (such as GDPR and HIPAA), and model interpretability are crucial considerations. Additionally, ongoing model validation and refinement are necessary to maintain predictive accuracy as market conditions evolve.

Conclusion

Predictive modelling has revolutionized pharmaceutical sales by enabling companies to anticipate market trends, optimize sales strategies, and make data-driven decisions. In an industry driven by innovation and competition, harnessing the power of data analytics is essential for staying ahead. By embracing predictive modelling, pharmaceutical companies can enhance their sales and marketing efforts, reduce costs, and ultimately improve patient access to vital medications, thus advancing the industry as a whole. As technology continues to evolve, the role of predictive modelling in pharmaceutical sales will only become more critical in shaping the future of healthcare.

Visit our website now: https://www.anervea.com/

[ayeonz]

not enough people talking about the new Black Mirror episode Common People that shit was nauseating

the endlessly increasing subscription model just to have control of your life, paralleling obviously the greed-induced enshittification of all subscription-based services lately but also the healthcare system's price-gouging on medications so many disabled people rely on to live

constantly teetering over the edge of total poverty because of it, the husband literally defiling himself to make ends meet all for it to backfire and come crashing down on their heads, just for a $500 tip they so desperately needed

the wife never even having a say in the procedure, or the upgrades her husband bought her, her life completely upended by something that was never her fault and she had no control over. destroying her happiness, her livelihood, her sleep, her relationships, her finances. spending hundreds of dollars every month just to be normal

the total existential horror of happiness never being within reach for long, trapping you into paying more and more money for something that was never truly worth it — but without it everything is worse. and at the end of it they had nothing left. there was no way forward but to die.

i can't even continue the season i just keep thinking about this episode. the plot may have been predictable but the message is too close to home

[covid-safer-hotties]

Predicted risk of heart failure pandemic due to persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection using a three-dimensional cardiac model - Published Jan 19, 2024

"Just a cold" that will likely result in a post-pandemic "heart failure pandemic." You *really* want to ignore that.

Highlights • Persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection model of human cardiac tissue was established • Hypoxic stress to the persistent infection model led to cardiac dysfunction • ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 S protein expression were elevated after the hypoxic stress • This research may predict a “heart failure pandemic” in the post COVID-19 era

Summary Patients with chronic cardiomyopathy may have persistent viral infections in their hearts, particularly with SARS-CoV-2, which targets the ACE2 receptor highly expressed in human hearts. This raises concerns about a potential global heart failure pandemic stemming from COVID-19, an SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in near future. Although faced with this healthcare caveat, there is limited research on persistent viral heart infections, and no models have been established. In this study, we created an SARS-CoV-2 persistent infection model using human iPS cell-derived cardiac microtissues (CMTs). Mild infections sustained viral presence without significant dysfunction for a month, indicating persistent infection. However, when exposed to hypoxic conditions mimicking ischemic heart diseases, cardiac function deteriorated alongside intracellular SARS-CoV-2 reactivation in cardiomyocytes and disrupted vascular network formation. This study demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 persistently infects the heart opportunistically causing cardiac dysfunction triggered by detrimental stimuli such as ischemia, potentially predicting a post COVID-19 era heart failure pandemic.

[queeranarchism]

https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2024-16010-001.html

Do Gender Assessments Prevent Regret in Transgender Healthcare? A Narrative Review

Florence Ashley, Neeki Parsa, til kus, Kinnon R. MacKinnon

Ashley, F., Parsa, N., kus, t., & MacKinnon, K. R. (2023). Do gender assessments prevent regret in transgender healthcare? A narrative review.Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000672

Abstract

Gender assessments are traditionally required before accessing gender-affirming interventions such as hormone therapy and transition-related surgeries. Gender assessments are presented as a way of preventing regret experienced by some people who reidentify with the gender they were assigned at birth after medically transitioning. This article reviews the theoretical and empirical foundations of commonly used methods and predictors for assessing trans patients’ gender identity and/or dysphoria as a condition of eligibility for gender-affirming interventions. We find that the DSM-5 diagnosis, taking gender history, standardized questionnaires, and regret correlates rely on stereotyping, arbitrary, and unproven considerations and, as a result, do not offer reliable ways of predicting future regret over-and-above self-reported gender identity and embodiment goals. This finding is corroborated by empirical data suggesting that individuals who circumvent gender assessments or pursue care under an informed consent model do not present heightened rates of regret. The article concludes that there is no evidence that gender assessments can reliably predict or prevent regret better than self-reported gender identity and embodiment goals. This conclusion provides additional support for informed consent models of care, which deemphasize gender assessments in favor of supporting patient decision making.

read more

[goblincow]

In light of the news that disabled people in the UK will soon be finding out if our right to access the payments that make us able to work and/or be alive at any given time will be stopped in a blatant human rights violation and escalation of class warfare, I wrote something.

I am keen to learn how bad my personal human rights violation is going to be.

A reminder that benefits fraud has been less than 0.001% (DWP record it as "statistically insignificant") for over two decades.

It feels unresolvably strange to know that even if I call it a human rights violation (it is) or class warfare (it is) or an unprecedented escalation of the stochastic mass murder of disabled people (it is) there are many members of my family & friends who will not be able to stop themselves from dismissing me as over-reacting or be willing to take any action on my behalf, who will certainly not do as I say or as I do: the "model retard" speaks out of turn.

While I predicted this move happening roughly now in 2020 (consistent across several governments, I wonder why) nobody believed me because disabled people who speak for ourselves are not to be listened to, even by our "advocates" – I'm conscious that this experience of active marginalisation is one that I have heard many people express, most notably trans folx in my spaces, in part because a significant part of the disabling effect is not in Impairment itself* but Dis-Ability as a verb, an active process, as in: "what are you Dis-Abled of?"

The answer to that question is always ACCESS: to spaces, to support, to healthcare, to quality of life, to agency, to basic necessities, to community, to advocacy, to our own bodies and minds.

No wonder I hear experiences from trans folx that read to me as explicitly Disabled experiences, and it's no coincidence that our shared enemies who scapegoat the lot of us use the same tactics and violences across the board – profit invented eugenics, so the two go hand in hand.

*I have also seen many physically disabled people rightly express their frustration in people like myself speaking over them on this topic, so I want to explicitly point out that people who experience "direct" disability more prominently as compared to those of us who could become functionally Abled in a context that is not hostile to our existence will always experience "Impairment" that is disabling in itself – not all Disability, not all Disabled people.

If you aren't aware of our history (and why would you be, they bury it with us), there is a great episode of 99% Invisible on the Rolling Quads, guerilla curb cuts & the early emergence of the disability rights movement in the US.

I struggle to tell this story myself because I get extremely emotional when I do, these people are heroes to me & we have legacies we owe to live up to.

People died for our rights – we must be willing to die to keep them or we will die without them.

[inthemaelstrom]

So we're about six weeks out from another "most important election of my lifetime" and it's predictably making me literally sick to my stomach. When Trumpacabra got elected in 2016, I threw myself into politics in a way I never had in my lifetime and it almost wrecked me. I was one of those people who never voted for religious reasons (long, separate story) and I felt I had to make up for lost time. By the time 2020 rolled around, I was an unhealthy mess. I had stopped reading. Everything. When I wasn't watching MSNBC and political commentators obsessively, I started consuming absolute junk TV: home improvement shows, crack paranormal ghost hunter crap, etc. Things with no plot, no emotional investment, no danger. No fear.

Right before the 2020 election, old fanfic friends from my days in the Master and Apprentice Star Wars listserv found me and saved me.

They dragged me back into fandom, introduced me to Discord, and got me writing again. I updated a story I hadn't touched in 5 years. I made new friends online and in RL. I got some great fiction and fic recs from those friends and discovered a subgenre called Hopepunk—low stakes fiction with very little if any violence and fear and with happy endings. (Becky Chambers writes a lot of what I read, and Amy Crook has also become a favorite.)

One morning, I had one of those really vivid, realistic, linear plot dreams that literally dragged me out of bed to the keyboard. It was a meet-cute modern au of The Phantom Menace's characters, set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I cranked out about 2000 words the first day. Then another 2000. Then another 2000. Then another 2000. And so on every damn day for the next four years until I had four novels, about 668k words, several timestamps written by three other collaborators who've come on board, some beautiful art I've been allowed to use, and now a fifth book in the works.

This is the Yooperverse.

It's not just The Fic That Saved Me, it's the place where I'm writing a vision of what the world could be like into being. A place where people with fucking obscene amounts of money don't spend it on themselves, or hoard it, or exploit other people to get more, but use it to help other people. It's a place where people who are bigoted dicks either get their comeuppance and crawl back under their rocks, or learn better and do better. It's a place where abused kids get rescued, everybody gets therapy and healthcare and is paid a living wage, people learn to value themselves and each other, and protect each other and defend each other. It's kinky and queer (although I'm neither) and above all, if not entirely safe to be both, I'm trying to write both things as just being another setting on the dryer. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's not a utopia, by any means, because there are still assholes and the government is still ... the government, and capitalism is still a thing. There's some danger, especially in the first book, and there are accidents and illnesses and the vagaries of life. In the middle of the series, I had spinal surgery and was out of commission for a few months and that made me start thinking more about my main character dealing with aging and the limitations thereof. There's a LOT of mental health issues and the working through thereof, and a lot of ongoing process. Nobody's perfect. The world outside is still pretty much what it is. But in the little corners where my characters dwell, life is pretty dang good, sometimes great.

It's a vision of a life we all deserve. It's the thing I loved about Star Trek's universe, where people's basic needs are cared for and the obstacles to them developing their best selves removed. It's what I've loved about science fiction in general, especially Ursula LeGuin's: that opportunity to explore possibilities that are better than the present. It's modeled on the MacArthur Genius grants, but you don't have to prove your worthiness first. My main character invests in people's potential, young or old, with scholarships and grants and a steadying hand. His partner builds low or no-cost housing for people in need. There's an informal network of queer and straight kid rescuing going on under the noses of unfriendly governments and failed social service safety nets. The main characters build refuges, literal and emotional. They love each other fiercely and respectfully.

Right now, we're living in a country that is almost the antithesis of these ideas, for far too many of us. People are being manipulated by their fears, which are stoked by unscrupulous, lying shitbag politicians whose all too real evil would never make it past the pitch if you were going to try to sell it as a TV show or movie. They're consciously turning us on each other with lies about our common humanity, about the state of our country, about who and what's responsible for many of its faults, sewing suspicion and hate. And though the Yooperverse started as my personal comfort fic, I'm trying in my very small way to counteract what's happening in the world right now.

I've always believed in the power of story to change people's minds and lives, and I've experienced it myself. When I talk about story, I don't just mean fiction, though. I mean the narratives we tell ourselves and others about our own lives as a whole and day by day or moment by moment. I mean the stories we tell about each other when we're together, at the bar, at wakes, at a party. I mean the stories we invest in as fans in whatever kind of media we consume. I mean the stories we spin for ourselves and others to explain what the everloving fuck is wrong with the world.

Stories aren't separate from the world, they are the world. They tell it into being. They give it shape and purpose and meaning and a sense of possibility. Whatever stories we tell ourselves or each other about how things should be or how we should act as human beings (also called our "beliefs" or "morals" or "ethics"), they shape us, and we shape society. We are society, both together and as individuals. One person with a big voice and a story can tip a mass of people into either violence or solidarity.

I have no illusions that the Yooperverse will ever have that kind of power. It has a tiny audience on AO3 and Discord and it's mostly written for me to explore the things I feel deeply about, and wish I could do, and to teach myself to be a better person and live up to my own ideals. It's a world I'd like to manifest, to call into being, even in a small way. Even if it's just a story.

[calicofurball3]

Hello! I saw your astrology game 😆 here is my vedic chart. I wish you all luck with your blog ✨️Thank you sooo much 💕✨️

Heyy there, tysm for the well wishes!🥺💗 Just to let you know, the particular chart that you’ve sent is in the placidus and not the whole sign system, although I’ve considered it in the latter aspect while making these predictions😊

I also did notice that the Asc, Dsc, IC and MC in the chart is quite close to the cusp of the houses. Since this isn’t quite common, I’ve read somewhere that if it were the case, one should confirm that the time of birth is as accurate as possible. This is because even tiny difference in minutes/seconds could change you’re ascendant and hence the whole chart. It may end up feeling like you don’t resonate with the reading at all. So I just wanted to clarify that as well😅

(Do note that asteroids, Pluto, Uranus and Neptune aren’t considered in sidereal astrology, so I wouldn’t be considering them)

Ascendant in Scorpio, in the Anuradha nakshatra could mean that you have a well structured, defined face, with sharp features. It’s also possible that ppl might’ve obsessed over your looks, or wanted to have similar features as the ones you have😭

This along with other placement in the chart is giving a lot of model vibes🎀✨ 

With mars aspecting the first house, you could have a slightly reddish undertone to ur skin, or MAYBE ginger hair? You may possibly have scars or acne as well perhaps. You’re likely to be a physically active person, who enjoy working out, sports or other physical activities. 

With Sun in 9th in pushya nakshatra, you’re father could’ve been quite supportive and close to you, probably more closer than you’re mother. With Ketu in the 9th with the Sun, that too in cancer, it MAY be that you’re dad sometimes could have fulfilled the role of your mother as well? Or she could’ve been not present in ur life often, probably quite busy with work or so. It could also be that you and your mother have different ideologies that there’s a lack of understanding of one another perhaps. 

Sun conjunct Ketu in 9th vibes lots of karmic vibe with the father. Sun being the 10th house lord in 9th could suggest luck from career in ur life. It’s also possible that you may be working in the same field as your mother perhaps. 

Mrcury in the 9th with Sun and Ketu suggest that you could be extremely curious. You may love to dig deep abt stuff that you find interesting, knowledge that’s hidden (like esoteric subjects, or even secrets for instance) and spiritual knowledge. 

You could also be extremely smart, and may enjoy activities like solving puzzles, mysteries, escape rooms and so on. With mercury being the 11th house lord, you could potentially earn from these interests of yours as well if you’ve wanted to.

A Leo Saturn in 10th house suggests you could have karma to serve others. You may work in government related organizations, or ur job could have something linked to the government. It’s also likely that you MIGHT have faced some sort of defamation in workspace, career or public. 

Saturn being the 3rd house lord here could mean that you may have trouble with communication in ur workspace, it’s possible that you could be in an authoritative position and ppl may find your words quite bossy? This may also suggest u need to put in efforts into career in order to climb the professional ladder but it gets better as years pass on. All ur achievements that recieve recognition would be through your sheer hard work. 

I do get the vibe that you may be involved in the healthcare/ teaching/ government/ beauty industry in the professional sphere. Saturn being 4th house lord as well, work place may feel like ur second home lol. In the literal sense of it, you could even be doing a remote, work at home job. If not this, it may be possible that you might lack time to spend at home cuz you’re too busy at work.��

Rahu in the 3rd house suggests that you may be able to speak or learn multiple languages easily. It is considered a pretty good placement in astrology, and amplifies the courage in you. You could have lot of siblings too perhaps. This might sound a little random but, with this placement, you may come up with great clap back to insults (esp since it’s in Capricorn)😭😭

9th house moon in 12th could very well indicate higher education abroad, infact you could get lucky and attract more opportunities in foreign lands. With moon in the nakshatra of Vishaka here, you may find yourself at the crossroad of choices often in ur life. You could also worry a lot about your purpose in life, that you MAY have anxiety or such as well. 

Moon in the 12th, you restrict ur emotions a lot, holding it in. You may feel embarrassed to showcase ur emotions, or fear being emotionally vulnerable in front of people. You may love the finer luxury in life, since it’s in libra, but you could have a tendency to overindulge in them as well. This is a highly intuitive placement, you could possibly have vivid or prophetic dreams as well. I am getting the vibe that you’re mom may be quite distant from this placement.

7th lord Jupiter in 4th indicate that your FS maybe from the same hometown, or somebody that you could meet through family, or family functions. You could feel at home with your FS. Since 7th lord is in Aquarius, they may be someone who questions traditional practices. It’s possible that you’re meeting or union may be unconventional lowkey. 

Jupiter being in Danishta also suggest that you or your FS may know how to sing or play an instrument, possibly taught from a young age. Jupiter being the 5th lord could also suggest that you love kids and could make a great mom as well (if you’re a woman). It’s possible that you may date ur FS for a long time before getting married.

Ascendant lord Mars in 7th, especially in a moon nakshatra, people could find you quite hot. You may have a physical physique that lot of ppl desire to have. Although mars is in Taurus here, you or ur FS might be quite stubborn as well😅 

Mars in the 7th is considered Manglik (unfavorable) in Vedic astrology. It’s believed to cause obstacles and delay for marriage. But do note that this placement alone won’t determine ur entire marriage life (need to check D9 chart as well). You’re FS could also be quite attractive. 

Since mars is in Taurus, you could be someone who puts a lot of effort or energy into maintaining your physical appearance and attaining the finer things in life.

If you’re into starting a business or getting into any legal contract, you may get into conflicts involving those ppl. Since 7th house lord Venus is in 8th, business partnerships and relationships could undergo lots of up and downs. 

You may undergo lots of transformation through relationships. It’s also possible that you or your FS may not express love/ feelings openly? You could be someone who hesitate to get into relationships or confess ur feelings without analyzing it thoroughly (perhaps cuz of hurtful experiences in the past). Venus in the 8th suggest that ur FS could be well off financially as well.

Since Venus is in Gemini here, you may love to hear gossip or exclusive tea abt others😭😭

Venus in the nakshatra of Mrigashira makes you a very curious person. This along with mercury conjunct sun in 9th makes you someone who loves to explore different subjects, you could be really into occult/healing as well.

Thats about it! I hope you found it useful💗🌸

Feel free to leave a feedback and let me know how accurate the reading was!

[probablyasocialecologist]

AI can turn some impressive party tricks, but it's unsuited for solving serious problems in the real world. This is true of predictive AI, whose correlations are data-driven conspiracy theories, and of large language models like ChatGPT, whose plausible waffle is always trying to pull free of the facts. The real issue is not only that AI doesn't work as advertised, but the impact it will have before this becomes painfully obvious to everyone. AI is being used as form of 'shock doctrine', where the sense of urgency generated by an allegedly world-transforming technology is used as an opportunity to transform social systems without democratic debate. Faced with social structures whose foundations have been eaten away by decades of privatisation and austerity, the political response is to pump money into 'frontier AI' while hyping it up as the most awe-inspiring technology since the Manhattan Project. The Prime Minister says he will "harness the incredible potential of AI to transform our hospitals and schools" while ignoring leaking roofs in the NHS and the literally collapsing ceilings in local schools. This focus on the immaterial fantasies of AI is a deliberate diversion. When large language models are touted as passing basic medical exams, it's because they've absorbed answers from across the internet. They are incapable of the embodied understanding and common sense that underpin medicine, education or any other form of care. One thing that these models definitely do, though, is transfer control to large corporations. The amount of computing power and data required is so incomprehensibly vast that very few companies in the world have the wherewithal to train them. To promote large language models anywhere is privatisation by the back door. The evidence so far suggests that this will be accompanied by extensive job losses, as employers take AI's shoddy emulation of real tasks as an excuse to trim their workforce. The goal isn't to "support" teachers and healthcare workers but to plug the gaps with AI instead of with the desperately needed staff and resources. Real AI isn't sci-fi but the precaritisation of jobs, the continued privatisation of everything and the erasure of actual social relations. AI is Thatcherism in computational form. Like Thatcher herself, real world AI boosts bureaucratic cruelty towards the most vulnerable. Case after case, from Australia to the Netherlands, has proven that unleashing machine learning in welfare systems amplifies injustice and the punishment of the poor. AI doesn't provide insights as it's just a giant statistical guessing game. What it does do is amplify thoughtlessness, a lack of care, and a distancing from actual consequences. The logics of ranking and superiority are buried deep in the make up of artificial intelligence; married to populist politics, it becomes another vector for deciding who is disposable.

[friendofthew0rld]

Blog Post #2 - due 2/6/25

1. How do digital security measures reinforce existing power structures, particularly in terms of class, race, and access to resources? Although we are typically unphased by the prevalence of security cameras and data-collection systems that we come in contact with on a day-to-day basis, we don’t realize how much more prevalent they are in low-income neighborhoods, as crime is much more likely to be reported there. One fact that stuck out to me was how digital security guards are “so deeply woven into the fabric of social life that, most of the time, we don’t even notice we are being watched and analyzed” (V. Eubanks, 2018, p.16). In my own experience, I have worked a few sales jobs where we have only about 1 or 2 cameras that surveillance the exterior of the shop, where customers frequent. However, when I need to drop cash in the safe located in the office, I am usually overwhelmed by the number of cameras on the monitor, which monitors every corner of the employees' workspace. There are about 5 separate cameras that locate various angles of one single space. For one, this heightened surveillance serves as a tool to monitor productivity and compliance with policies, but also to reinforce power imbalances between employers and their employees. These cameras may also be used to target and monitor specific racial groups, as an employer may monitor a Black or Latino worker far more than a White or Asian worker holding the same job position/status.    

2. Nicole Brown poses a significant question: “Do we really understand the far-reaching implications of algorithms, specifically related to anti-Black racism, social justice, and institutionalized surveillance and policing?” (Brown, 0:14). The answer is, in many ways, complex. However, Brown brings up a very important point. Many algorithms are trained with the potential to improve many areas of our lives, however, they can prove damaging in terms of predictive policing as well as perpetuating biases and inequalities. According to Christina Swarns in an article titled “When Artificial Intelligence Gets it Wrong,” “facial recognition software is significantly less reliable for Black and Asian people, who, according to a study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, were 10 to 100 times more likely to be misidentified than white people,” further emphasizing how algorithms may lead to false identifications, caused by a lack in diversity–highlighting the need for improvements in algorithmic technology to mitigate the harm caused for marginalized communities. In regards to predictive policing, algorithms that are trained to predict crimes utilize historical crime data, which may result in higher policing rates for those areas, when the historical data may just reflect biased policing as opposed to true criminal activity. 

3. How do surveillance and algorithms affect healthcare outcomes for minorities? In a video titled “Race and Technology,” Nicole Brown explains that since White people are recorded to make up a majority of healthcare consumers, the healthcare system’s algorithm deems White individuals more likely to require healthcare than their non-White counterparts (Brown, 2:12). Although we are typically used to having our information and activity utilized by certain social media platforms to generate user-centered content, I think the connection between algorithms and healthcare outcomes is an interesting topic to unpack, as I never have thought about this connection. “Doctors and other health care providers are increasingly using healthcare algorithms (a computation, often based on statistical or mathematical models, that helps medical practitioners make diagnoses and decisions for treatments” (Colón-Rodríguez, 2023). Colón-Rodríguez uses a case study of a woman who gave birth via c-section in 2017, and how the database was later updated to reflect a false prediction that Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino women were more likely to need c-sections, and were less likely to naturally give birth successfully as opposed to White women. For one, this prediction was false, and it further caused doctors to perform more c-sections on Latino and Black women than White women. C-sections are known to be generally safe but are known to cause infections, blood clots, emotional difficulties, and more. This case study reflects how healthcare databases will often profile individuals based on race and may make generally false predictions which oftentimes result in unnecessary–and sometimes–life-threatening outcomes for minorities (in this case, minorities with vaginas).  

4. In what ways does the normalization of surveillance threaten democratic values like free speech, freedom of assembly, and the right to privacy? Similar to feelings of surveillance that I expressed to question 1, the normalization of such surveillance in many aspects of our society may cause instances of self-censorship, suppression of dissent or negative feelings towards individuals of higher status, and the exploitation and misuse of personal data. Workers in a workplace may censor the topics they speak about for fear of customers or employers hearing such issues. People may also censor themselves when in a crowd, where phones may be utilized to monitor activity. Fear of reprisal may cause individuals to refrain from speaking out about injustices and dissent for people, policies, or events. The misuse of personal data threatens our right to privacy because we as consumers are unaware of what exactly is being utilized–and even if we do, we are not made aware of how long such data is being held and utilized. 

References

Brown, N. (2020, September 18). Race and Technology. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8uiAjigKy8

Colón-Rodríguez, C. (2023, July 12). Shedding Light on Healthcare Algorithmic and Artificial Intelligence Bias | Office of Minority Health. Minorityhealth.hhs.gov. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/news/shedding-light-healthcare-algorithmic-and-artificial-intelligence-bias

Eubanks, V. (2018). Automating Inequality: how high-tech tools profile, police, and punish the poor. St. Martin’s Press.

‌ Swarns, C. (2023, September 19). When Artificial Intelligence Gets It Wrong. Innocence Project. https://innocenceproject.org/when-artificial-intelligence-gets-it-wrong/

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: SEGM

Published: Jun 11, 2023

A new peer-reviewed article, “Transition Regret and Detransition: Meaning and Uncertainties,” published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, reviews clinical and research issues related to transition regret and detransition. The article emphasizes that “although recent data have shed light on a complex range of experiences that lead people to detransition, research remains very much in its infancy,” and there is currently “no guidance on best practices for clinicians involved in their care.”   

The author, Dr. Jorgensen, notes that the term “detransition” can hold a wide array of possible meanings for transgender-identifying people, detransitioners, and researchers, leading to inconsistencies in its usage. Although regret and detransition overlap in many people, not everyone who regrets their transition takes steps to detransition and conversely, not all of those who detransition regret their transition. Proponents of the “gender-affirming care” model typically focus on the latter group who are driven to detransition by external forces such as discrimination, lack of support from family and friends, or difficulty accessing health care. Euphemisms such as “gender-identity journey” and “dynamic desires for gender-affirming medical interventions” have been used to describe this process.

But the author highlights studies and personal testimonies of detransitioners who do deeply regret their transition, mourn the physical changes made to their bodies, and feel betrayed by the clinicians and medical institutions that offered hormones and surgery as antidotes to their gender confusion and distress. For this group of young people, internal factors such as “worsening mental health or the realization that gender dysphoria was a maladaptive response to trauma, misogyny, internalized homophobia, or pressure from social media and online communities,” were the primary drivers of their decision to detransition.

As the author highlights, a consistent theme in studies and personal testimonies of detransitioners is that there are major gaps in the quality and accessibility of medical and mental healthcare: “Many detransitioners reported not feeling properly informed about health implications of treatments before undergoing them (Gribble et al., 2023; Littman, 2021; Pullen Sansfaçon et al., 2023; Vandenbussche, 2022). Likewise, many felt that they did not receive sufficient exploration of preexisting psychological and emotional problems and continued to struggle post-transition when they realized gender transition was not a panacea (Littman, 2021; Pullen Sansfaçon et al., 2023; Respaut et al., 2022; Sanders et al., 2023; Vandenbussche, 2022). Despite ongoing medical needs, most patients did not maintain contact with their gender clinic during their detransition.” Detransitioners report wanting more information about how to safely stop hormonal therapies and surgical reversal or restorative options, but few clinicians are sufficiently knowledgeable about these issues to manage their care.

The author notes that our ability to predict who will be helped by transition-related medical interventions and who will be harmed by them is limited and we currently have no idea how many of the young people transitioning today will eventually come to regret their decision: “no one is systematically tracking how many young people regret transition or, for that matter, how many are helped by it.” However, the increasing number of detransitioners publicly sharing their experiences suggest that historical studies citing low rates of regret are no longer applicable. Moreover, these studies suffered serious methodological flaws that would tend to underestimate the true rates of regret including high rates of attrition and narrow definitions of regret.

More recent studies that have included the current case mix of predominantly adolescent-onset gender dysphoria suggest that up to 30% of those who undergo medical transition may discontinue it within only a few years (Roberts et al., 2022). It is likely that a number of them will experience significant regret over lost opportunities and permanent physical changes.

So how did we get here?

The author suggests that less restrictive eligibility criteria for accessing transition-related medical interventions under the gender-affirmation and informed consent models, coupled with the rapid rise of adolescents and young adults presenting to gender clinics, many of whom suffer from complex mental health problems and neurodiversity, has important implications for the incidence of transition regret and detransition. Under these models of care, standard processes of differential diagnosis and clinical assessment are seen as “burdensome, intrusive, and impinging on patient autonomy.”  Moreover, the author points out that hormonal therapies and surgery are now conceptualized as a “means of realizing fundamental aspects of personal identity or ‘embodiment goals,’ in contrast to conventional medical care, which is pursued with the objective of treating an underlying illness or injury to restore health and functioning.” 

Furthermore, adolescents and young adults might not be mature enough to appreciate the long-term consequences of their decisions about the irreversible medical interventions used to achieve “embodiment goals,” and/or their capacity to give informed consent may be limited by comorbid mental health problems or neurodevelopmental challenges. Additionally, “feelings of profound grief about lost opportunities and negative repercussions of transition might not be fully captured by framing the emotional experience in terms of regret” because “regret is an emotion that is unique in its relation to personal agency (Zeelenberg & Pieters, 2007), but the exercise of personal agency in the transition process might have been limited for people who began transition as minors, whose decision-making capacity was compromised by mental illness, or who were not fully informed of known and potential adverse health implications.” 

The author offers some suggestions for how detransition may be prevented and inappropriate transitions avoided:

Improving the process of informed consent.

Prioritizing treatment of co-occurring social, developmental and psychological problems.

Using precise language about medical interventions.

Helping young people expand their understanding of what it means to be a man or woman.

Being transparent about the quality of evidence supporting medical interventions and the uncertainty about long-term harms.

The author ends by emphasizing that when clinical cases are complicated by a lack of knowledge about the natural trajectory of the condition and a paucity of evidence supporting treatment options, “minimizing iatrogenic harm requires application of cautious, thoughtful clinical judgement, meticulous examination of the data that are available, as well as a willingness to change practice in the face of new evidence.”

Jorgensen calls on the gender medicine community to “commit to conducting robust research, challenging fundamental assumptions, scrutinizing their practice patterns, and embracing debate.”

--

Read more about the phenomenon of detransition:

Boyd I, Hackett T, Bewley S. Care of Transgender Patients: A General Practice Quality Improvement Approach. Healthcare. 2022; 10(1):121. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10010121

D’Angelo, R. (2020). The man I am trying to be is not me. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 101(5), 951–970. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207578.2020.1810049

Entwistle, K. (2020). Debate: Reality check – Detransitioner’s testimonies require us to rethink gender dysphoria. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, camh.12380. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12380

Expósito-Campos, P. (2021). A Typology of Gender Detransition and Its Implications for Healthcare Providers. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0092623X.2020.1869126

Hall, R., Mitchell, L., & Sachdeva, J. (2021). Access to care and frequency of detransition among a cohort discharged by a UK national adult gender identity clinic: Retrospective case-note review. BJPsych Open, 7(6), e184. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2021.1022

Littman, L. (2021). Individuals Treated for Gender Dysphoria with Medical and/or Surgical Transition Who Subsequently Detransitioned: A Survey of 100 Detransitioners. Archives of Sexual Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02163-w

Marchiano, L. (2021). Gender detransition: A case study. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 66(4), 813–832. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12711

Roberts, C. M., Klein, D. A., Adirim, T. A., Schvey, N. A., & Hisle-Gorman, E. (2022). Continuation of Gender-affirming Hormones Among Transgender Adolescents and Adults. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 107(9), e3937–e3943. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgac251

Vandenbussche, E. (2021). Detransition-Related Needs and Support: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey. Journal of Homosexuality, 20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2021.1919479

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Genderists often say things like "detransition/regret is rare" and "detransition is only due to discrimination." These run in the opposite direction to genderist assertions, as this means "detransition/regret due to discrimination is rare."

Most of the numbers they cite are either poorly sourced as mentioned above, or worse, from the days of "watchful waiting," where transition only came at the end of a comprehensive care process; a completely different model.

Not only is it dishonest, given they regard watchful waiting, or anything else as "harmful" and "gatekeeping," but the low regret rate actually supports that more cautious, thoughtful process.

And besides, claiming to know the success rate under the "affirming"/"informed consent" models is itself dishonest too. Detransitioners are not going to rush back to the same doctors who facilitated their mistake. Especially in a climate where they'll be blamed or vilified.

[eaglesnick]

“It is health that is real wealth. And not pieces of gold and silver.” – Ghandi

We all know that the NHS had its funding severely cut during the Tory years of Austerity. We also know that NHS staff suffered seven years of having their wages frozen and then capped at 1%. Bursaries for trainee nurses were abolished, and all health students had to take out loans to fund their medical training.

“Britain’s National Health Service is in crisis, with sky-high and still-rising waiting lists and huge delays in emergency services. It’s the predictable result of over a decade of Tory-imposed austerity.” JACOBIN:01/11/23)

The British public are supposed to love the NHS yet we repeatedly vote for individuals and political parties that want to see its destruction. We cheered, we clapped, we banged saucepans every Thursday evening outside our doors in appreciation of the selfless work of all NHS staff during the pandemic, many of those health workers loosing their own lives in their attempt to save others.

Yet just a few years later more and more of us are turning to Reform UK  whose policy it is to privatise health care provision. Reform UK's 2024 Manifesto called for tax relief of 20% for all private healthcare and insurance. In other words, Nigel Farage and Reform UK want the British taxpayer to subsidise those paying for private health care. Put crudely, under Reform UK the poor are expected to pay the medical bills of the wealthy.

Farage has also said he is open to the NHS being replaced by “an insurance-based model". We only have to look to America, which we know Farage often does, to see what an insurance based model of healthcare provision can lead too.

“America ranks worst in the world for health care – despite spending trillions"  (Yahoo/finance: 02/10/24)

Not only have Reform UK and Nigel Farage proposed that the poor subsidise   the private medical bills of the well-off, they are also proposing a health care system that has the worst of all possible outcomes – a system even more costly than the NHS yet delivering worse medical care.

The British public really must be careful of who they vote for if they want to save the NHS.

[psychicxenomorphscourge]

Unlocking the Future: How Intel is Shaping Tomorrow's Technology Landscape

Introduction

In a world that is increasingly defined by technological advancements, few companies have had as profound an impact as Intel. Founded in 1968, Intel Corporation has been at the forefront of semiconductor innovation, shaping not just computing but various facets of modern life. From personal computers to cloud computing and artificial intelligence, Intel’s influence permeates every layer of technology today. The question is—how does Intel continue to unlock the future? In this article, we will explore how Intel is shaping tomorrow's technology landscape through innovation, research, sustainability efforts, and strategic partnerships.

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To truly grasp how Intel shapes technology today, it's important to understand the evolution of semiconductors. Initially Learn more here developed in the 1950s and '60s, semiconductors revolutionized electronics by allowing devices to become smaller and more efficient. Intel’s introduction of the first microprocessor in 1971 marked a significant turning point in computing history.

Current Trends in Semiconductor Technology

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AI solutions offered by Intel can be seen in applications ranging from predictive analytics in healthcare to autonomous vehicles. These advancements not only improve efficiency but also pave the way for new business models.

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As businesses migrate to cloud-based solutions, Intel plays a crucial role by providing powerful processors designed specifically for cloud environments. Their Xeon processors enable data centers to run efficiently and scale dramatically.

Benefits for Businesses Adopting Cloud Solutions

Companies adopting cloud solutions with Intel technologies benefit from improved security features and reduced operational costs. This shift allows businesses to focus on innovation rather than infrastructure management.

Sustainability Initiatives at Intel Commitment to Green Technology