Latest news with #StanfordReport
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New vaccine offers hope in fight against disease that threatens half of world's population: 'Ensuring a sufficient vaccine supply is critical'
India's high burden of dengue cases may soon see some relief thanks to a new vaccine from Japanese company Takeda, The Times of India reported. Dengue fever is transmitted through mosquito bites that cause flu-like symptoms such as a high fever, rash, vomiting, and joint, bone, or muscle pain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Those symptoms can also become more severe during reinfection. Thankfully, the QDENGA® dengue vaccine will be available in India by 2026. However, it's not the first-ever dengue fever vaccine to reach the market. The vaccine Dengvaxia® was approved in 2019 by the FDA but is no longer available in the United States, even in endemic areas like Puerto Rico. That same vaccine wasn't useful for those without a past dengue infection, either. In contrast, Qdenga will have better availability to prevent outbreaks. "Our vaccine has been approved in 40 countries, and we anticipate the vaccine will be licensed in India in 2026," Derek Wallace, Takeda's global vaccine business unit president, told The Times of India. "Given that dengue threatens half the world's population, ensuring a sufficient vaccine supply is critical," Wallace said. This vaccine isn't the only way to fight this disease, as a warming climate — an issue directly caused by human behavior — has already fostered an environment for the disease to thrive. According to the World Health Organization, rising atmospheric heat and humidity have increased outbreak numbers in recent years. Mosquitos are increasingly spreading the disease as the overheating planet makes it easier for them to survive and reproduce more. Massive storms and flooding can produce lots of standing water where one mosquito can lay as many as 50 to 200 eggs at one time. Poor sanitation, such as "garbage lasagnas," can give off heat or maintain standing water, providing breeding grounds for them to thrive. The Stanford Report discusses the link between mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria and trash in Kenya. However, reducing landfill material and heat-trapping carbon exhaust is within human reach to solve through recycling, home/vehicle electrification, and solar conversion. Working toward a cooler and cleaner planet also helps maintain safe vaccine storage. Disasters can shut down facilities that keep vaccines cool and make access hard for those in remote areas. Therefore, communities, stakeholders, and vaccine producers working together are essential to world health. Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home? Yes — often Yes — but only sometimes Only when it's bad outside No — I never do Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Leading Universities Are Building The Future Of AI
ANN ARBOR, MI - JANUARY 17: Students walk across the University of Michigan campus January 17, 2003 ... More in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The university's admissions policy is the subject of a U.S. Supreme Court case. U.S. President George W. Bush opposes the university's affirmative action program. (Photo by) According to Inside Higher Ed's 2025 Survey of Campus Chief Technology/Information Officers, just 9% of college and university tech leaders feel their institutions are ready for AI. While many are still figuring out their next steps, a handful of universities are rethinking how AI can reshape instruction, research, and day-to-day campus operations from the ground up. Their experiences offer practical models for colleges and universities still formulating their AI strategies. Stanford's approach to AI implementation stands out for its emphasis on balancing innovation with responsibility. In early 2025, the university's AI at Stanford Advisory Committee released a comprehensive framework specifically designed to address AI's role in three critical domains: administration, education, and research. What makes Stanford's approach particularly instructive is its rejection of rigid policies that might hamper experimentation. As Committee Chair Russ Altman explained in the Stanford Report, "We wanted to first encourage experimentation in safe spaces to learn what it can do and how it might help us pursue our mission." This philosophy acknowledges that institutions must create environments where faculty and students can explore AI's potential while establishing guardrails to prevent misuse. Rather than mandating university-wide rules about AI use in coursework, Stanford provides adaptable frameworks that professors can tailor to different disciplines and course contexts. While many institutions focus primarily on administrative applications of AI, the University of Michigan has prioritized developing tools that directly enhance the student experience. Their MiMaizey AI assistant, released in beta in 2024, represents a thoughtful approach to student-facing AI implementation. MiMaizey connects to Michigan's learning management system, allowing students to access course materials, clarify assignment dates, and generate study guides specific to their enrolled classes. The system draws intelligence from multiple information sources including Michigan News, the University Record, Michigan Daily, and campus event calendars to provide students with updated information about university life. Through the tool, Michigan established clear feedback mechanisms, enabling students to help shape its ongoing development—a practice that builds both better technology and greater student buy-in. This student-centered approach demonstrates how AI can enhance students' educational experiences. Emory University's Initiative offers an exemplary model for how institutions can rapidly build AI capabilities through strategic faculty hiring and interdisciplinary collaboration. Rather than limiting AI development to computer science or IT departments, Emory has deliberately fostered cross-disciplinary connections. Within a single year, Emory hired 19 AI-focused faculty across multiple schools and departments, creating critical mass for AI research and teaching. The university is systematically revising curricula to embed AI across disciplines, recognizing both student demand and workforce needs. In addition, Emory collaborates with Georgia Tech through their Seed Grant Program. This initiative provides $100,000 in funding to spur new research collaborations and expand existing partnerships that leverage artificial intelligence to improve society and the quality of human life. The program supports interdisciplinary projects that address ethical considerations, social justice, health disparities, and bias in AI data. Its Center for AI Learning, which serves as a community hub for AI literacy and integration, has expanded to offer statewide educational initiatives in partnership with the Rowen Foundation and Georgia Chamber of Commerce. The State University of New York demonstrates how large, multi-campus systems can implement coordinated AI strategies while allowing for local adaptation. SUNY's Responsible AI framework provides system-wide guidance while empowering individual campuses to develop specialized approaches. SUNY emphasizes fairness by design, addressing potential biases in data and algorithms to prevent discriminatory outcomes. Their framework requires AI systems to provide understandable explanations of decision-making processes, implements robust security measures to protect sensitive information, and establishes governance structures that clearly define responsibilities for AI deployment. As the nation's largest integrated public university system, SUNY is particularly well-positioned to demonstrate how AI can serve the public good—a priority they have explicitly built into their approach. Based on these successful models, I have developed a roadmap for institutions seeking to accelerate their AI readiness. This framework synthesizes best practices from leading universities while remaining adaptable to different institutional contexts. First, institutions should consider hiring for dedicated AI leadership positions with direct reporting lines to senior leadership. Stanford found, in its analysis of federal AI implementation, that the 'dual-hat' approach—where AI leadership is an add-on responsibility to existing roles such as Chief Information Officer or Chief Data Officer—often limits strategic development. In addition, to assure representation across constituencies, institutions can develop formal governance structures with cross-functional committees representing faculty, administration, IT, legal counsel, and students. These groups meet regularly to develop policies, address emerging issues, and ensure alignment with institutional values. They also create explicit ethical guidelines for AI use across teaching, research, and operations, addressing issues including bias, transparency, privacy, and academic integrity. Another important element to successful AI integration is data and security infrastructure. For example, the State University of New York (SUNY) system has developed a Responsible AI framework emphasizing data governance, fairness by design, and strong security protocols to ensure data quality and privacy across its campuses. Stanford University fosters 'sandboxed' environments that enable faculty and students to safely experiment with AI tools without exposing sensitive data, supporting innovation within controlled settings. Student and faculty literacy also must be prioritized. Comprehensive AI literacy programs are offered at institutions like Case Western Reserve University and Ohio University, where faculty and staff participate in tiered workshops ranging from basic AI awareness to advanced applications, equipping the campus community with essential knowledge and skills. Integrating AI into teaching and learning is the third critical element of successful AI adoption. Institutions should conduct systematic curriculum reviews that combine teaching technical AI skills with cultivating critical thinking about AI's societal and ethical implications across disciplines, as is present at Arizona State University. Collaborating with faculty to develop flexible, discipline-specific guidelines for AI use in coursework fosters innovation while safeguarding academic integrity. Targeted, integrated implementations prioritize clear educational objectives, employ rigorous assessment of outcomes, and scale proven approaches to maximize impact. Cross-institutional collaboration completes the framework for effective AI integration. Leading universities actively form partnerships to share resources, expertise, and best practices. For instance, Emory University's collaboration with Georgia Tech through the Seed Grant Program exemplifies how joint efforts can spur interdisciplinary research addressing societal challenges. Additionally, building strong relationships with AI companies and major employers helps align academic programs with evolving workforce demands, for examples, as Carnegie Mellon University has. According to EDUCAUSE's 2025 AI Landscape study, most higher education institutions are still in the early stages of AI adoption and face the critical challenge of moving beyond experimentation toward strategic, institution-wide integration. Global organizations like the World Economic Forum and UNESCO emphasize the importance of embedding ethical, equitable, and human-centric principles into AI deployment in education. This transformation demands alignment with educational missions that prioritize human-centered values. For higher education leaders, the question is no longer whether to embrace AI but how to do so in ways that advance their core missions while preparing students to thrive in an increasingly AI-infused world. The pioneering institutions featured here offer valuable roadmaps for that journey.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Stanford study makes surprising discovery about electric vehicle batteries — here's what it means for EV owners
Scientists out of Stanford University's SLAC-Stanford Battery Center have found that electric vehicle batteries may last much longer than previously thought. In their new study, published this December in the journal Nature Energy, researchers found that the common way EV batteries have been tested — by quickly repeating a cycle of steady battery drain, followed by immediate recharging — may underestimate these batteries' lifespans. For this study, the researchers tested a number of batteries under real-world driving conditions, such as heavy traffic, freeway driving, and long stretches of being parked. They found that the more a test mimicked real-world situations, the longer a battery lasted. In fact, these tests showed some batteries "could last about a third longer than researchers have generally forecast," according to the Stanford Report. "We've not been testing EV batteries the right way," Stanford professor and study author Simona Onori told the Stanford Report. "To our surprise, real driving with frequent acceleration, braking that charges the batteries a bit, stopping to pop into a store, and letting the batteries rest for hours at a time, helps batteries last longer than we had thought based on industry standard lab tests." This is encouraging news for the growing number of drivers who use EVs for daily commuting. EV use has increased dramatically in recent years. In 2023, for the first time, more than 1 million battery EVs were sold in the United States. Globally, according to a report from the International Energy Agency, about 18% of all cars sold in 2023 were electric. The longer an EV battery lasts, the more benefits drivers can enjoy. For some, additional battery life means they will be able to own and drive the car for several more years. For others, it means they'll likely see higher resale values when they decide to move on from their current EV. Selling an EV involves some steps that are a little bit different from selling a gas-powered car. Common maintenance records for things like oil changes aren't relevant, but battery life absolutely is. A service like Recurrent can make that process easier and more lucrative for sellers. Not only does Recurrent connect sellers with dealers across the country, but it also monitors an EV's battery life, providing valuable information when selling your car. In fact, those who use Recurrent sell their EVs for an average of $1,400 more than those who don't. You can even compare your battery life to that of similar cars, which could give you another leg up when selling."It's not a competition — it's more like seeing, how's your battery doing compared to what it should be?" Recurrent CEO Scott Case told The Cool Down. "And if there are big problems, we can alert you and say, something's up with your battery." If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists make breakthrough in controlling mosquito populations: 'This approach has ... important implications'
Genetically engineered mosquito-killing fungi delivered from males to females during mating could soon be a promising ally in the fight against malaria. A team of scientists from Burkina Faso and the United States exposed a group of adult male Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes — a major malaria vector in West Central Africa — to fungal spores. Some males were exposed to a wild-type fungal strain, while others were infected with a transgenic strain expressing insect-specific toxins. News Medical Life Sciences summarized the study, explaining that up to 89.33% of the females died within two weeks after mating with a male that had been treated with the transgenic fungi. Meanwhile, around 68% of the females died after mating with a male treated with the wild-type fungi. But the males didn't remain infectious forever; scientists found that the effects started wearing off after about 24 hours. Do you worry about getting diseases from bug bites? Absolutely Only when I'm camping or hiking Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The new research could serve as an important tool in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, which killed over half a million people in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that an estimated 400 million people are infected with dengue virus each year, with 21,000 dying. According to a number of scientists, these statistics are only expected to increase as our planet continues to overheat. For instance, the Stanford Report asserted that warmer temperatures, changes in rainfall, and human activity are enabling the spread of mosquitoes to new locations. The publication pointed out that in 2023, Florida and Texas experienced their first locally transmitted malaria cases in 20 years. And European health officials recently announced at least 19 cases of Oropouche, a mosquito-borne virus that had previously never been recorded on that continent. The new fungi study is far from the only breakthrough when it comes to controlling disease-carrying mosquito populations. For example, one team of American scientists recently discovered that adding soap to certain mosquito-killing pesticides made the formulations 10 times stronger. And a recent analysis of the world's first malaria vaccine found that it reduced death among young children by 13% over the course of a four-year pilot program. Nor is this the first time that scientists have experimented with fungi to kill mosquitoes. However, the authors noted that the traditional application method has been via direct contact of spores with indoor resting mosquitoes, which has its limitations. "Many malaria-transmitting mosquitoes feed and rest outdoors," the researchers stated. "To target these, we have developed an alternative application method that exploits the lethality of transgenic fungi as a sexually transmitted mosquito disease. This approach has both a wider interdisciplinary significance and important implications for preventing mosquito-borne diseases." Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
