Author: healthadmin
For more than 250 years, the stories of early explorers described crocodiles as a common sight along the Seychelles coast. However, with the arrival of settlers in 1770, the island’s population declined rapidly. Within about 50 years, crocodiles were completely extinct. Now, through new genetic analysis, scientists have finally uncovered the identity of these vanished reptiles. The study revealed that the Seychelles crocodile is not a separate species, as once suspected. Rather, they were the westernmost known population of saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), the world’s largest living reptile and one of the most capable ocean travelers. DNA reveals the origins…
CVS Health expands its partnership with Salesforce to power call center personalization with Agentforce Health, powered by agent AI. The companies announced Thursday morning that the platform will connect data across CVS, including Aetna and Caremark, making it easier for call center teams to address a member’s unique needs in a single interaction when possible. Agentforce tools provide call center teams with important insights upfront to better prepare them for conversations. The goal, the partners say, is to improve the experience for both members and employees through more streamlined interactions. Pushpendu Pal, CVS’ senior vice president and chief digital technology…
Recent research published in Journal of Social Psychology suggests that presenting people with exaggerated arguments in favor of a controversial topic may actually cause them to oppose that topic even more strongly. When researchers tested this persuasion technique on attitudes toward prostitution, they found that exposure to irrationally supportive messages tended to reduce favorable views of the issue and indirectly increase support for restrictive policies. These findings provide evidence that unconventional communication strategies can change opinions on moral and social issues. Changing deeply ingrained social beliefs remains a major challenge in psychology. Humans naturally process information defensively. When we encounter…
Teladoc Health is expanding its retail partnership with a new partnership with Walmart to provide virtual care services through the company’s Better Care Services platform. Walmart launched its digital health platform earlier this year as a one-stop hub to connect customers with third-party telehealth providers. In April, the retail giant expanded its platform’s weight management services to include access to GLP-1 medicines. For Teladoc, the partnership with Walmart will give the retailer’s customers access to virtual urgent care, dermatology and nutrition services with insurance benefits and cash payment options. This follows the January launch of Teladoc Health’s mental health service…
On her way to work at Cornell University’s entomology lab, Rachel Fordyce would park at Ithaca’s East Hill Plaza and walk through East Lawn Cemetery to save money. During one walk in the spring of 2022, she noticed something unusual. Bees were everywhere. She collected some in a jar and took it to her supervisor, Brian Danforth, a professor of entomology at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “These are all over the cemetery,” she told him. The confirmed insects are normal adrenalinecommonly referred to as the “common mining bee”, is a species of solitary wild bee that…
Get the health information and medications you need every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. good morning. To be honest, I’m a little late in reading The Odyssey. I got distracted by “East of Eden.” Send us news tips and reading material. (email protected) Uganda closes borders as Ebola virus surges Following the US and Rwanda, Uganda has also closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The decision was made by the local Ebola response team and goes against WHO guidance, according to the Associated Press. “No country should close its borders or impose…
data center Floodlight works with PBS to explore OpenAI’s flagship data center. Omayra Garcia, or OG as she prefers, stands on the border between her small ranch in Abilene, Texas, and OpenAI’s flagship Stargate data center. The on-site gas power plant is about 500 meters from her home. (Evan Simon/Floodlight) Texas is ground zero for the massive fossil fuel build-up of the AI industry happening across the country. Lured by rich gas reserves and an industry-friendly government, AI companies flocked to the Lone Star State in droves to build custom power plants capable of fueling entire cities. The state has…
Fragmented data systems and volatile funding hinder disease outbreak preparedness. Learn how integrated surveillance and AI analytics drive better population health outcomes in 2026.
For generations, pianists and music teachers have argued that the performer’s touch can change the character of a piano’s sound. Skeptics argued that when a piano hammer strikes a string, the resulting tone is determined almost entirely by the instrument itself. Now, a large-scale scientific study has provided the clearest evidence yet that pianists can actually shape the tone of a piano with just touch. Dr. Shinichi Furuya of the Neuro Piano Research Institute and researchers from Sony Computer Science Laboratories Inc. used ultra-high-speed sensing technology to uncover the hidden movements behind expressive piano playing. Their findings were; Proceedings of…
PharmaEssentia has hired Eric Vogel as its new head of U.S. commercialization as it looks to expand the label for rare blood cancer drug Besremi to a broader market. The drug was first approved by the FDA for polycythemia vera in 2021, and PharmaEssentia is currently awaiting the agency’s decision by August 30, with expected expansion to essential thrombocythemia (ET). Vogel will be working with us to support potential additional approvals in the summer and subsequent entry into this new and larger U.S. market. He has the right experience, most recently serving as Group Vice President of Sales and Marketing…