Skip to main content

Record-breaking heat wave grips western United States

A record early heat wave striking the western United States on Friday is a one-in-500-year event and almost certainly the result of human-caused climate change, experts say. The heat has been toppling records this week and is set to continue into the weekend across western cities while expanding eastward. Four locations in the desert area near the California-Arizona border registered 44.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, a US national record for March. The readings were recorded near Yuma and Martinez Lake in Arizona, and around Winterhaven and Ogilby in California. Read: Intense heatwave grips US, triggering record-breaking temperatures Already, 65 cities have recorded new March highs, ranging from Arizona and California to Idaho, Weather.com reported. Death Valley reached 40°C on Thursday, while typically cool and foggy San Francisco tied its historic March record at 29°C. In Colorado, skiers were seen hitting the slopes shirtless. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warni...
Post a Comment

AI-powered tool predicts health risks in aged care

An AI-powered tool developed by Telstra Health and RMIT University is transforming the way aged care facilities monitor and manage residents' health by predicting risks such as falls, depression, and mortality. With nearly half a million older Australians relying on aged care services as of June 30, 2023, the sector faces immense pressure to provide high-quality care. In response, the collaboration between Telstra Health, RMIT University, and the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre has resulted in an AI-driven tool designed to predict health risks and improve care outcomes in aged care settings. Dr. Tabinda Sarwar, the project lead and data scientist from RMIT University, highlights the significance of the tool in alleviating the strain on nursing staff. "The tool is capable of automatically monitoring both structured and free-text electronic patient records for 36 evidence-based indicators of deterioration," Dr. Sarwar explains. "These indicators help predict various health risks, supporting nursing staff and improving resident care." Aged care nursing staff juggle numerous responsibilities, including daily caregiving and health monitoring. Given the heavy workload, manual screening tools are not always practical. The new digital health tool is designed to reduce this burden by predicting adverse health events before they occur, making it a game-changer for aged care facilities. The tool, which has won the 2024 Research Australia’s Digital & Data Health Innovation Award, analyzes daily operational data, including health-related notes and records. Using advanced natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning techniques, the tool generates predictive alerts for potential health risks like falls, depression, and even mortality. "By applying advanced data analysis to daily-collected information, we are able to predict signs of deterioration, giving care teams more time to respond," Dr. Sarwar says. "This includes assessing risks such as falls, depression, and mortality based on data extracted from geriatric assessments, observation charts, and progress notes." The collaboration leveraged Telstra Health’s Clinical Manager system, which is already deployed in over 360 facilities across Australia, ensuring a broad reach. The project also benefited from the expertise of nursing staff and the support of the Digital Health CRC, bridging the gap between academia and industry to create a highly effective solution. Developing a universal tool that could address diverse challenges faced by nursing staff across different aged care facilities was a significant hurdle. "We had to design a solution that could have a meaningful impact on a larger population," Dr. Sarwar explains. To ensure the tool’s usability, the team conducted independent studies, using statistical and machine learning techniques to validate its performance and clinical feasibility. The tool is currently being rolled out by Telstra Health, with several aged care homes already expressing interest in adopting it. While its potential for expansion is significant, including applications in hospitals and other healthcare settings, the next steps depend on Telstra Health’s future strategies. "This tool has the potential to extend to various healthcare settings and could play a key role in transforming the healthcare industry," Dr. Sarwar concludes, emphasizing the wide-reaching impact of this AI-driven solution in improving healthcare outcomes for vulnerable populations.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/Za2c8uX
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

US, Philippines kick off joint military drills in South China Sea with 16,000 troops

Some 16,000 US and Philippine troops kicked off the annual joint military drills on Monday in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), local media reported. WPS is the official designation by Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 US troops, making it the largest joint military drills between the two allies conducted in decades, local English daily Manila Times reported citing the military. A total of 14 nations, including Japan and India, will take part in the drills as observers amid mounting maritime tensions in the South China Sea. Contingents from the Australian Defence Force and the French Navy will also join the exercise as participants. Read also: China urges US to stop using Philippines as a pawn to destabilise South China Sea France will join the group sail but will only navigate on the edge of the Philippine E...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...
Post a Comment
Read more