Latest news with #Figueiro
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
White House blames 'formatting' for errors in RFK Jr.'s MAHA report. Authors push back.
Citation errors and phantom research used as scientific evidence to bolster Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s landmark 'Make America Healthy Again' commission report were apparently due to 'formatting issues,' according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a commission that was tasked with investigating chronic illnesses and childhood diseases, which culminated in the 'Make Our Children Healthy Again' assessment that was published May 22. However, researchers listed in the report have since come forward saying the articles cited don't exist or were used to support facts that were inconsistent with their research. The errors were first reported by NOTUS. 'I understand there were some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated,' Leavitt told reporters May 29. 'But it does not negate the substance of the report.' She also didn't say whether the report was generated by artificial intelligence, or AI, as some have questioned. Although it's difficult to determine whether scientific articles are generated or 'touched up' by AI, there are telling signs, said Yuan Luo, professor and chief AI officer at Northwestern University's clinical and translational sciences institute. Some of those signs may include citation gaps, factual inconsistencies and irrelevant conclusions derived from random research. MAHA report: RFK slams processed foods, pesticides, vaccines as harmful to kids The MAHA report erroneously said an article on the impact of light from computer monitors was published in the journal Pediatrics when it wasn't, according to the study's author Mariana Figueiro, a professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The report also cited Figueiro's research as evidence that electronic devices in children's bedrooms disrupted sleep onset. However, she said the study was on college students and researchers measured melatonin suppression, not sleep. 'The study is ours, but unfortunately, the conclusions in the report are not accurate and the journal reference is incorrect,' Figueiro told USA TODAY via email. 'We have other papers on the topic… but again, none of them were performed with children.' The MAHA report also cited Columbia University epidemiologist Katherine Keyes as first author of a study on anxiety in adolescents. As first reported by NOTUS and confirmed by USA TODAY, Keyes said she did not write the paper cited by the MAHA report. 'I was surprised to see what seems to be an error in the citation of my work in the report, and it does make me concerned given that citation practices are an important part of conducting and reporting rigorous science,' Keyes told USA TODAY via email. Keyes has studied the topic and published a recent study in JAMA Network Open that adolescent girls had higher levels of depressive symptoms than boys, but her study's figures did not match what the MAHA report cited. She said her earlier research on depression and anxiety symptoms yielded results 'that are generally in the ballpark of the MAHA report, although I'm not sure where their exact ranges are drawn from.' Keyes said she would be happy to send information to the MAHA committee to correct the report, but she doesn't know where to reach the report's authors. Ivan Oransky, co-founder of Retraction Watch, a site that tracks retractions in scientific journals and research, said the MAHA report seemed to share characteristics similar to other AI-generated work. AI papers 'tend to hallucinate references,' he said. 'They come up with references that share a lot of words and authors and even journals, journal names, but they're not real." HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the report has been updated to correct "minor citation and formatting errors." "But the substance of the MAHA report remains the same - a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation's children," he said. "Under President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, our federal government is no longer ignoring this crisis, and it's time for the media to also focus on what matters." Oransky noted the MAHA report comes as Kennedy said he may prohibit government scientists from publishing research in major peer-reviewed medical journals such as JAMA, Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine 'because they're all corrupt.' Kennedy proposed an HHS publication where government scientists could publish research findings. "When scientific reform is weaponized to only denigrate science and scientists whose studies contradict your beliefs or your wishes, we get to a very dark place,' Oransky said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK Jr.'s MAHA report errors: Was it AI or 'formatting issues?'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr.'s error-filled MAHA report sparks speculation it was written by AI
Last week, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proudly boasted about the findings of a 73-page report from the Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy Again that took what was supposed to be an unvarnished look at the health of the nation's children. 'We will end the childhood chronic disease crisis by attacking its root causes head-on—not just managing its symptoms,' Kennedy said in a statement. 'We will follow the truth wherever it leads, uphold rigorous science, and drive bold policies that put the health, development, and future of every child first,' he continued. 'I'm grateful to President [Donald] Trump for his leadership—and for trusting me to lead this fight to root out corruption, restore scientific integrity, and reclaim the health of our children.' But new reporting suggests that the document misinterprets some of the studies that underpin it, and cites others that don't even exist, the authors told NOTUS, a nonprofit news website that covers national politics and government. For instance, epidemiologist Katherien Keyes is listed in the report as the first author of a study on how anxiety affects adolescents. When NOTUS contacted her for comment, she was 'surprised' to hear about the citation, the website reported. Whiley Keyes does study mental health and substance use, she didn't write the paper, according to NOTUS. 'The paper cited is not a real paper that I or my colleagues were involved with,' Keyes told NOTUS via email. 'We've certainly done research on this topic, but did not publish a paper in JAMA Pediatrics on this topic with that co-author group, or with that title.' Separate reporting by USA TODAY found that the report had misinterpreted a cited article written by Mariana Figueiro, a professor at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine. The government's report had cited Figuerio's study as evidence of the harmful effects that electronic devices can have on children's sleep, NYMag's Intelligencer reported. But according to Figueiro herself, the study had focused on college students. And it measured 'melatonin suppression,' according to USA TODAY. 'The study is ours, but unfortunately, the conclusions in the report are not accurate and the journal reference is incorrect,' Figueiro told USA TODAY in an email. 'We have other papers on the topic… but again, none of them were performed with children.' During a Thursday news conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly downplayed NOTUS's findings on the MAHA report and stood behind it. Still, The New York Times reported that the original version of the report had been taken down and replaced with an updated one, according to NYMag's Intelligencer. The pratfalls, in turn, sparked speculation that RFK Jr.'s team at HHS had used AI to compile the document. New York University expert Ivan Oransky told the Times that he couldn't say for sure that AI had been used for the report, but it did remind him of instances where it had been employed elsewhere. 'We've seen this particular movie before, and it's unfortunately much more common in scientific literature than people would like or than really it should be,' he told the newspaper. Leavitt punted to RFK Jr. when she was asked whether AI had been used to compile the report. 'I can't speak to that,' she said, according to NYMag. Supreme Court lets Trump admin. strip protections for people from 4 countries Tainted by state's drug lab scandal, seized property hangs in balance as US high court weighs taking up case Why the fight over foreign students at Harvard has some US students leaving, too The piece of the Mass. budget that passes all understanding | John L. Micek Quincy residents sue mayor over controversial statues for new public safety building Read the original article on MassLive.
The Herald Scotland
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
RFK Jr.'s MAHA report errors: Was it AI or 'formatting issues?'
However, researchers listed in the report have since come forward saying the articles cited don't exist or were used to support facts that were inconsistent with their research. The errors were first reported by NOTUS. "I understand there were some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated," Leavitt told reporters May 29. "But it does negate the substance of the report." She also didn't say whether the report was generated by artificial intelligence, or AI, as some have questioned. Although it's difficult to determine whether scientific articles are generated or "touched up" by AI, there are telling signs, said Yuan Luo, professor and chief AI officer at Northwestern University's clinical and translational sciences institute. Some of those signs may include citation gaps, factual inconsistencies and irrelevant conclusions derived from random research. MAHA report: RFK slams processed foods, pesticides, vaccines as harmful to kids The MAHA report erroneously said an article on the impact of light from computer monitors was published in the journal Pediatrics when it wasn't, according to the study's author Mariana Figueiro, a professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The report also cited Figueiro's research as evidence that electronic devices in children's bedrooms disrupted sleep onset. However, she said the study was on college students and researchers measured melatonin suppression, not sleep. "The study is ours, but unfortunately, the conclusions in the report are not accurate and the journal reference is incorrect," Figueiro told USA TODAY via email. "We have other papers on the topic... but again, none of them were performed with children." The MAHA report also cited Columbia University epidemiologist Katherine Keyes as first author of a study on anxiety in adolescents. As first reported by NOTUS and confirmed by USA TODAY, Keyes said she did not write the paper cited by the MAHA report. "I was surprised to see what seems to be an error in the citation of my work in the report, and it does make me concerned given that citation practices are an important part of conducting and reporting rigorous science," Keyes told USA TODAY via email. Keyes has studied the topic and published a recent study in JAMA Network Open that adolescent girls had higher levels of depressive symptoms than boys, but her study's figures did not match what the MAHA report cited. She said her earlier research on depression and anxiety symptoms yielded results "that are generally in the ballpark of the MAHA report, although I'm not sure where their exact ranges are drawn from." Keyes said she would be happy to send information to the MAHA committee to correct the report, but she doesn't know where to reach the report's authors. Ivan Oransky, co-founder of Retraction Watch, a site that tracks retractions in scientific journals and research, said the MAHA report seemed to share characteristics similar to other AI-generated work. AI papers "tend to hallucinate references," he said. "They come up with references that share a lot of words and authors and even journals, journal names, but they're not real." HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the report has been updated to correct "minor citation and formatting errors." "But the substance of the MAHA report remains the same - a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation's children," he said. "Under President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, our federal government is no longer ignoring this crisis, and it's time for the media to also focus on what matters." Oransky noted the MAHA report comes as Kennedy said he may prohibit government scientists from publishing research in major peer-reviewed medical journals such as JAMA, Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine "because they're all corrupt." Kennedy proposed an HHS publication where government scientists could publish research findings. "When scientific reform is weaponized to only denigrate science and scientists whose studies contradict your beliefs or your wishes, we get to a very dark place," Oransky said.
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
White House blames 'formatting' for errors in RFK Jr.'s MAHA report. Authors push back.
White House blames 'formatting' for errors in RFK Jr.'s MAHA report. Authors push back. Show Caption Hide Caption First 'Make America Healthy Again' commission report released President Donald Trump attended the "Make America Healthy Again" event where the MAHA commission released its report. Citation errors and phantom research used as scientific evidence to bolster Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s landmark 'Make America Healthy Again' commission report were apparently due to 'formatting issues,' according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a commission that was tasked with investigating chronic illnesses and childhood diseases, which culminated in the 'Make Our Children Healthy Again' assessment that was published May 22. However, researchers listed in the report have since come forward saying the articles cited don't exist or were used to support facts that were inconsistent with their research. The errors were first reported by NOTUS. 'I understand there were some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated,' Leavitt told reporters May 29. 'But it does negate the substance of the report.' She also didn't say whether the report was generated by artificial intelligence, or AI, as some have questioned. Although it's difficult to determine whether scientific articles are generated or 'touched up' by AI, there are telling signs, said Yuan Luo, professor and chief AI officer at Northwestern University's clinical and translational sciences institute. Some of those signs may include citation gaps, factual inconsistencies and irrelevant conclusions derived from random research. MAHA report: RFK slams processed foods, pesticides, vaccines as harmful to kids The MAHA report erroneously said an article on the impact of light from computer monitors was published in the journal Pediatrics when it wasn't, according to the study's author Mariana Figueiro, a professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The report also cited Figueiro's research as evidence that electronic devices in children's bedrooms disrupted sleep onset. However, she said the study was on college students and researchers measured melatonin suppression, not sleep. 'The study is ours, but unfortunately, the conclusions in the report are not accurate and the journal reference is incorrect,' Figueiro told USA TODAY via email. 'We have other papers on the topic… but again, none of them were performed with children.' The MAHA report also cited Columbia University epidemiologist Katherine Keyes as first author of a study on anxiety in adolescents. As first reported by NOTUS and confirmed by USA TODAY, Keyes said she did not write the paper cited by the MAHA report. 'I was surprised to see what seems to be an error in the citation of my work in the report, and it does make me concerned given that citation practices are an important part of conducting and reporting rigorous science,' Keyes told USA TODAY via email. Keyes has studied the topic and published a recent study in JAMA Network Open that adolescent girls had higher levels of depressive symptoms than boys, but her study's figures did not match what the MAHA report cited. She said her earlier research on depression and anxiety symptoms yielded results 'that are generally in the ballpark of the MAHA report, although I'm not sure where their exact ranges are drawn from.' Keyes said she would be happy to send information to the MAHA committee to correct the report, but she doesn't know where to reach the report's authors. Ivan Oransky, co-founder of Retraction Watch, a site that tracks retractions in scientific journals and research, said the MAHA report seemed to share characteristics similar to other AI-generated work. AI papers 'tend to hallucinate references,' he said. 'They come up with references that share a lot of words and authors and even journals, journal names, but they're not real." HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the report has been updated to correct "minor citation and formatting errors." "But the substance of the MAHA report remains the same - a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation's children," he said. "Under President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, our federal government is no longer ignoring this crisis, and it's time for the media to also focus on what matters." Oransky noted the MAHA report comes as Kennedy said he may prohibit government scientists from publishing research in major peer-reviewed medical journals such as JAMA, Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine 'because they're all corrupt.' Kennedy proposed an HHS publication where government scientists could publish research findings. "When scientific reform is weaponized to only denigrate science and scientists whose studies contradict your beliefs or your wishes, we get to a very dark place,' Oransky said.
Fox News
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Team Brazil coach gives high praise to Caitlin Clark: 'You've changed the history in basketball'
The Carver-Hawkeye Arena sold-out crowd got to see Caitlin Clark in action once more, but this time, she was wearing an Indiana Fever jersey instead of her black and yellow Iowa threads. The Fever's second WNBA preseason game was a special one, as the Brazil National Team traveled to Iowa City to take on Indiana in an exhibition game. During the 108-44 rout by the Fever, Team Brazil head coach Leo Figueiro shared a nice moment with Clark during the second quarter when he went over to her in between whistles. Clark was mic'd up for the game, so that moment was shared for the world to hear. "You're an amazing player, congratulations," Figueiro said to Clark, who went up to him to see how he was. "You've changed the history in basketball." Clark gave a very professional answer. "I appreciate it," she said. "Thanks for coming here and playing us." Clark switched the conversation from her to Team Brazil. "Most people you've played in front of?" Clark asked, to which Figueiro responded, "Yeah." It might have been a blowout, but Team Brazil was not mad after the game. One could tell they enjoyed the crowd and interacting with players, while showcasing their own skill. Clark and others took pictures and spoke with the players after the game. After the game, Clark was asked about the crowd that poured into the arena to see her play in her old stomping grounds. "I certainly give the fans something to cheer about. That's my goal," Clark said, per HawkCentral. "Get them involved. Get them loud. Because, I told my teammates, it's going to be the loudest arena you've ever played in. So, I've got to make a few shots and be able to get them on their feet." Clark looked just as she did for the Hawkeyes, pulling up at the logo for a deep three-pointer, which had the crowd roaring. She finished with 14 points in just over 18 minutes of play, her first of the 2025 season, as she sat out against the Washington Mystics in the Fever's first preseason game. The 2024 Rookie of the Year is ready to take the next step in year two in the WNBA, but this matchup against Team Brazil is yet another reminder of how Clark is playing an enormous role in changing the game of basketball and women's sports as a whole. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
