Latest news with #Ke
Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Health
- Straits Times
AI chatbot will help SGH save money, time with pre-surgery assessments
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The AI chatbot was soft-launched in December 2024 for the benefit of doctors at SGH's Preoperative Assessment Clinic. SINGAPORE – An AI chatbot that helps doctors comprehensively assess a patient's health before an operation will save the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) up to 660 hours of doctors' time, which is equivalent to $200,000 in costs annually. Peach – short for Perioperative AI Chatbot – was soft-launched in December 2024 for the benefit of doctors at SGH's Preoperative Assessment Clinic. The large language model was developed by the hospital, making use of available resources by Open Government Products – an independent division of the Government Technology Agency (GovTech). The clinic sees about 120 patients a day, who all have to undergo medical evaluation of their past and current illnesses, medications and allergies, and previous anaesthesia reactions before being scheduled for surgery. According to a study published earlier in July in the medical journal npj Digital Medicine, which analysed 270 patient assessments done by the AI chatbot between January and February, it reduced documentation time by nearly 6 minutes per patient. In a media briefing held on July 30 at SGH, Dr Ke Yuhe, associate consultant at SGH's department of anaesthesiology, explained that prior to the roll-out of Peach, doctors had to pore over more than 400 pages of guidelines before coming up with a perioperative plan. This includes the care a patient will receive before, during, and after a procedure. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam Singapore Bukit Panjang LRT to shut on 2 Sundays to facilitate tests; some upgrading work nearing completion Singapore Jail, fine for man linked to case involving 3 bank accounts that received over $680m in total Singapore Provision shop owner who raped 11-year-old gets more than 14 years' jail Business S'pore's economic resilience will face headwinds in second half of 2025 from tariffs, trade conflicts: MAS Business S'pore's Q2 total employment rises but infocomm, professional services see more job cuts Singapore Fewer than 1 in 5 people noticed suspicious items during MHA's social experiments Asia Powerful 8.8-magnitude quake in Russia's far east causes tsunami; Japan, Hawaii order evacuations 'This can be very overwhelming, especially for new junior doctors. So we wanted to develop this chatbot to reduce their workload in the clinic, so they can focus more on actual clinical interactions with patients,' said Dr Ke, who led the development of Peach. Dr Ke and the team spent about a month in late 2024 integrating SGH's perioperative guidelines into an AI assistant created by Open Government Products. Peach is only accessible on hospital-issued encrypted laptops. With the chatbot, doctors can simply input relevant patient information from electronic health records, and Peach will be able to make suggestions as to what the patient's risk profile is, and what kind of anaesthetic to use in the operating theatre and for how long. In a study done on the AI chatbot in November 2024, 240 interactions were examined, and it was found that Peach demonstrated about 98 per cent accuracy in making pre-surgery recommendations. The chatbot can also assist with instructions for patients prior to a surgery, like the fasting time needed and medication instructions. It can also help with the drafting of referra l letters if needed. Associate Professor Hairil Rizal, senior consultant and clinician scientist at SGH'S department of anaesthesiology, said: 'When you're seeing thousands of pre-surgery patients annually, every minute saved on administrative tasks is a minute gained for patient care.' As Singapore's population ages, patients will increasingly come with multiple chronic conditions. Prof Hairil also pointed out that the chatbot is particularly useful in helping junior doctors make sense of more difficult and complex cases. When the chatbot gives its recommendations, it will also include justifications for its answers, as well as cite the protocols and guidelines it has referenced. 'It's like having a consultant at their fingertips guiding them,' said Prof Hairil, also stressing that doctors are still ultimately responsible for the clinical recommendations made to patients. SGH is in conversation with other hospitals in the SingHealth cluster – Sengkang General Hospital and KK Women's and Children's Hospital – to roll out the AI chatbot.
Perth Now
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
'It was mind-blowing': Jamie Lee Curtis cherished getting to sit in the front row at the Oscars
Jamie Lee Curtis "never thought" that she would get to sit in the front row at the Oscars. The 66-year-old star took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2023 for her part in the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once and recalled how the most exciting part of the ceremony was when she and her co-stars found out they would be sitting in prime position for the show. Jamie told AARP The Magazine: "As soon as Ke (Huy Quan) and Steph Hsu and Michelle Yeoh came and sat in the same row, I literally walked up to each one of them and I went, 'Ke, where are we?' And he said, 'We're at the Oscars.' 'And where are you sitting?' And he said, 'In the front row.' "(They) never, ever, ever thought that they would be sitting in the front row at the Academy Awards as nominees. That moment for me was the whole thing. It was mind-blowing. And still is." Jamie is the daughter of actors Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis and felt that her Oscars triumph was even more special as she had first-hand experience of the negative side of the industry. The Halloween actress said: "I was raised in show business, a business that is ageist, misogynist and pigeonholing. "I've watched the sad reality when show business no longer wants you. I watched it with my parents, who went from the height of their intense fame to nobody wanting them anymore." Jamie's latest movie is the body-swap sequel Freakier Friday with Lindsay Lohan and she credits her "constant curiosity" for allowing her acting career to flourish in her 60s. She said: "I am more alive today than I was when I was 37 years old. Or 47. Or 57. Way more alive." Jamie revealed recently that she isn't particularly picky about her career choices as she simply adores working in the movie industry. The True Lies star said: "I pretty much do the work that comes to me … I love my life. "I just love the fact that I get to be me, that I get to do what I do, that I get to do art and be a part of the art form that I get to be part of - entertainment. I love the combo platter of show business. I'm a marketing guru. I love marketing. And I just love the process of living a creating life. So I got no complaints."
New Paper
23-07-2025
- General
- New Paper
Father at 18, now a graduate with first-class honours
One afternoon in 2018, 18-year-old Ke Zhiteng (transliterated) and his then girlfriend, both polytechnic students, found out that they were about to become parents. Mr Ke told Shin Min Daily News that he was initially uncertain about whether he was ready to start a family. While his parents were angry at first, they ultimately supported the couple. "We knew that we did not have enough financial resources, so we are really grateful for their full help and support." This year, Mr Ke graduated from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) with first-class honours. Now a procurement executive, he has two children aged six and three with his wife. Balancing work and studies Mr Ke took on a part-time job as a waiter while a polytechnic student, and learnt day trading in university to supplement the family income and spend more time with his child. He did not do well academically as a polytechnic student. It wasn't until his wife became pregnant that he studied hard in hopes of providing his child with a better upbringing. Mr Ke ultimately obtained a cumulative grade point average (cGPA) of 3.55 and successfully entered the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in NTU. He told the Chinese daily that although he walked an unconventional path, he did not receive judgment from his classmates and colleagues. "Having a group of open-minded friends really gave me a lot of encouragement." Not everything was smooth sailing - his wife dropped out of school due to her pregnancy, and later attended a private school to obtain her degree. "She was initially very worried about what others would think, especially since we married young." "I spent a lot of time comforting her and assuring her that I would take good care of her and support her in her further studies," he added. Mr Ke said: "I made my experience public not to encourage everyone to get married and have children early, but to say that having children has greatly inspired me to grow, and given me the motivation to strive to work hard."
Asahi Shimbun
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Anxiety spreads in Japan over ‘spying' prison sentence in China
China is cracking down on suspected spies in the name of 'national security.' (Asahi Shimbun file photo) Japanese nationals are increasingly fearful about working in China after a court in Beijing sentenced a Japanese employee to prison over unexplained espionage charges, industry sources say. The suspect, who works for Astellas Pharma Inc., was handed a prison term of three years and six months on July 16 by the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court. It was the latest incident of a Japanese national being sentenced to prison in China over spying allegations. Espionage-related charges fall under the category of 'national security,' which has been prioritized by the administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Based on this category, trials of espionage suspects are not open to the public. Therefore, as the latest ruling shows, prison sentences can be issued without the public knowing what exactly the suspect is accused of doing. This uncertainty is the biggest reason that 'fewer Japanese people want to be posted to China,' said an expat of a Japanese company stationed in China. Scholars who specialize in Chinese politics or national security are also avoiding travel to China due to safety concerns. GREATER CAUTION URGED 'It is extremely regrettable that a guilty ruling has been issued,' said Kenji Kanasugi, Japan's ambassador to China, who attended the court session. He said the Astellas Pharma employee appeared calm in court. According to the Japanese Embassy, the man said he would 'consult with his lawyer' before deciding on whether to appeal the ruling. A different Japanese corporate employee said he was stationed in Beijing when the Astellas Pharma worker was taken into custody in March 2023, just before his planned return to Japan. 'The impact of the incident was huge,' he said. Ke Long, chief researcher at the policy research department of the Tokyo Foundation, said Japanese employees should be careful about their behavior in China. 'From the perspective of a businessperson, being sentenced to three and a half years without being shown any evidence is outrageous,' Ke said. 'The Chinese government's crackdown is intensifying, so Japanese nationals living in China must take this ruling seriously and exercise greater caution.' The statutory penalty under China's espionage law ranges from three years to life imprisonment. The three-and-a-half year sentence is considered 'relatively short compared with previous cases,' a senior official of Japan's Foreign Ministry said. Ke said the sentence indicates the Astellas Pharma employee did nothing serious enough to threaten China's national security. However, Ke also suggested that China may have imposed the near-minimum sentence to avoid worsening ties with Japan at a time when Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government is struggling in the Upper House election campaign. Japan-China relations have recently shown signs of improvement, including China's resumption of Japanese seafood imports. The ruling may also have been timed to prevent anti-Japanese sentiment from rising in China with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II nearing. China might have deliberately avoided ruling on sensitive dates like July 7, when the Marco Polo bridge incident occurred in 1937, and Aug. 15, the day the war ended in 1945. COUNTERMEASURES PLANNED Japanese companies have scrambled to take measures to protect workers in China from arrest by Chinese authorities. They have held training sessions for their overseas employees and tightened information management, such as reducing cross-border transfers of sensitive data. Some companies have also instructed employees to avoid bringing into China their regularly used laptops or smartphones. But is this any way to operate? 'Japanese companies cannot do business in China without worrying about the current situation,' Ken Kobayashi, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said after the July 16 ruling. 'We hope Chinese authorities will enforce laws in a way that eliminates the anxieties of Japanese expatriates and their families.' Although Chinese authorities usually encourage citizens to report suspected spies, the July 16 ruling was not reported by Chinese media. At a regular news conference on July 16, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said, 'As long as you act in accordance with the law, there's nothing to worry about.' (This article was written by Sotaro Hata, correspondent, and Masaki Hashida.)
Hans India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
UP to make record by planting over 37 crore saplings in a day
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that the state is set to create a new record by planting more than 37 crore saplings in a single day under the ongoing 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign. In a post on social media platform X, the chief minister said, 'Under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, Uttar Pradesh will create a new milestone today, July 9, 2025. 'Under the visionary leadership and inspiring guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state has successfully planted more than 204 crore trees in the last eight years, increasing forest cover by an additional five lakh acres.' 'In continuation of this effort, we aim to plant more than 37 crore saplings across the state in a single day,' the chief minister said, urging people to participate in the campaign and express gratitude to Mother Earth and their own mothers through environmental conservation. Using the campaign hashtag #Ek_Ped_Ma_Ke_Naam, Adityanath invited citizens to join the drive as a symbolic gesture of devotion to maternal figures and nature. In another post, the chief minister shared an article penned by him in a leading Hindi daily, titled 'Aaiye Karen Vasudha Ka Harit Shringaar' (Let us adorn the earth with greenery). Referring to the state's annual plantation campaign, he wrote, 'From July 9, the Plantation Campaign-2025 begins. We are not just planting saplings, we are planting the future, we are planting values.'
