Latest news with #UmeåUniversity
Gulf Insider
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Swedish PM Slammed After Admitting He Uses ChatGPT To Help Run Government
First we learn that doctors are using ChatGPT to treat patients. Now, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is taking a heaping ration of Lutfisk for admitting he's been using ChatGPT to help run the government. Speaking with a Nordic news site, Kristersson said that he sometimes asks ChatGPT for a 'second opinion' when it comes to governance strategies. 'I use it myself quite often,' he said, 'If for nothing else than for a second opinion. What have others done? And should we think the complete opposite? Those types of questions.' Kristersson's comments predictably came under fire. 'The more he relies on AI for simple things, the bigger the risk of overconfidence in the system,' Virginia Dignum, a professor of responsible artificial intelligence at Umeå University, told DiGITAL. 'It is a slippery slope. We must demand that reliability can be guaranteed. We didn't vote for ChatGPT.' 'Too bad for Sweden that AI mostly guesses,' wrote Aftonbladet's Signe Krantz. 'Chatbots would rather write what they think you want than what you need to hear.' 'You have to be very careful,' Simone Fischer-Hübner, a computer science researcher at Karlstad University, told Aftonbladet, noting that people shouldn't submit sensitive information to GPT. As Gizmodo opines; Krantz makes a good point, which is that chatbots can be incredibly sycophantic and delusional. If you have a leader asking a chatbot leading questions, you can imagine a scenario in which the software program's algorithms only serve to reinforce that leader's existing prerogatives (or to push them further over the edge into uncharted territory). Thankfully, it doesn't seem like a whole lot of politicians feel the need to use ChatGPT as a consigliere yet. Kristersson spokesman Tom Samuelsson 'clarified' that the PM doesn't take risks in his use of AI. 'Naturally it is not security sensitive information that ends up there. It is used more as a ballpark,' he said.
Euronews
05-07-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Hot European summers raise health risks from mosquito-borne diseases
Europe is in for a long, hot summer – and with it, a swarm of mosquitoes. The insects are more than just pesky. Some mosquito species carry illnesses such as Zika, West Nile virus, dengue, and chikungunya – and outbreaks of these diseases, typically found in tropical and subtropical climates, are becoming more common in Europe as a result of increased travel and warmer weather driven by climate change. Last year, there were 1,436 cases of West Nile virus and 304 dengue infections acquired in Europe, up from 201 the previous two years combined, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Italy made up 238 of those dengue cases, the largest outbreak the bloc has ever seen. This may be another record-breaking year. France already has seven active outbreaks of chikungunya this summer, which the ECDC said indicates the mosquito season started earlier than usual. 'It's an exponential curve,' Jan Semenza, an environmental epidemiologist at Umeå University in Sweden, told Euronews Health. Dengue can spread easily because most infected people have no or mild symptoms, but it can cause severe illness and death. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash. Chikungunya is rarely fatal, but it can cause similar symptoms to dengue as well as debilitating joint pain that can last months or even years. Semenza and other scientists believe these diseases could soon become endemic in Europe. One recent study found that if a new mosquito species arrived in a European country in the 1990s, it would take about 25 years for a major outbreak to occur. Now, it's under five years. 'That time span has collapsed dramatically,' Semenza said. Outbreaks in Europe are still small compared to the rest of the globe. So far in 2025, there have been more than three million dengue cases and 220,000 chikungunya cases worldwide. More than 1,400 people have died from dengue and there have been 80 chikungunya deaths worldwide. But other vector-borne diseases could soon emerge as public health threats, as well. The mosquito species that spreads yellow fever, once eliminated in Europe, has reappeared in Cyprus. 'We are very concerned that Europe could potentially be invaded by this aggressive mosquito,' Semenza said. What can be done to combat mosquito-borne diseases? Semenza said that while it's impossible to eliminate mosquitoes altogether, governments can do more to prevent them from spreading disease. They could, for example, boost surveillance in hotter southern European countries during the summer, particularly around airports and other transit hubs where people might unknowingly bring viruses in. 'We want to make sure that if a passenger arrives from a dengue-active area, that if that person has the virus in [their] blood, we would like to isolate that individual as quickly as possible to make sure that he or she doesn't get bitten by a mosquito, because then you have these larger outbreaks,' Semenza said. Spain is taking some steps to minimise the risks. People can submit photos of mosquitoes to an app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the species and issue an alert if it hasn't been detected in that area before. Regional health authorities can then take steps to prevent infections. This 'citizen science' programme has helped officials identify invasive Asian tiger mosquitoes, which can carry dengue and chikungunya viruses, in 156 municipalities since 2023, according to the Spanish health ministry. Meanwhile, the ECDC said people can take steps to minimise their own risks from mosquitoes , including using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and trousers at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. Travellers returning from countries where these viruses are endemic – most parts of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean – should maintain these precautions for at least three weeks after their return to Europe to prevent mosquitoes from biting them and spreading any viruses locally, the agency said. Other climate scientists say European countries grappling with the reemergence of mosquito-borne diseases should take lessons from regions where they have long been endemic, such as sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Americas. 'In Europe, it's definitely a seasonal disease,' Semenza said. 'But we see the season expanding, and we'll see more and more cases'.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers make game-changing breakthrough that could change how we heat our homes: 'Has great potential'
While photovoltaics convert the sun's rays into electricity, solar thermal collectors absorb its heat energy for home and industrial purposes. A researcher at Umeå University in Sweden recently developed new sustainable coatings for these collectors that can improve their efficiency and durability, according to a report from the school. "Solar thermal has great potential to contribute to the green transition, especially as a source of industrial process heat. But the technology needs to become even more competitive to gain broader traction," said Erik Zäll, a doctoral student in experimental physics at Umeå University. By leveraging more sustainable methods of heat or electricity generation, companies can reduce their carbon footprints, decrease their operating costs, and even pass on those savings to consumers. Zäll explained in his doctoral thesis how optical coatings could be tailored for two key components of solar thermal collectors: the cover glass, where light enters the system, and the receiver that absorbs the light and converts it into heat. An anti-reflective silica coating with small, hexagonally ordered pores helped improve light transmission through the cover glass while boosting the coating's resistance to environmental factors such as scratches, dirt, and moisture. For the receiver, two solutions were presented that helped absorb most of the sunlight while emitting little thermal radiation. Both can be manufactured using low-cost, environmentally friendly methods that can be scaled up for production. One option uses an electroplated cobalt-chromium coating that absorbs light and is more environmentally friendly than other types of chromium previously used. The second is a composite film made up of carbon nanotubes and silica, which the report said can be spray-coated onto annealed stainless steel using ultrasonic technology. The thermal treatment of the steel helps create a thin oxide layer that boosts optical properties and heat resistance. According to the World Economic Forum, heat accounts for half the world's energy consumption, from home space heaters to industrial applications. The processes used in creating this heat contribute more than 40% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. If you were to install home solar panels, which of these factors would be your primary motivation? Energy independence Lower power bills Helping the planet No chance I ever go solar Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Solar energy systems can use the sun's rays to heat water or air in buildings, with flat-plate collectors being the most common type for applications where temperatures of 200 degrees Fahrenheit are sufficient. Some industrial-scale solar thermal power plants use vast arrays of concentrating collectors that focus the sun's rays on a smaller absorber for heat generation. Zäll's research was done in collaboration with Absolicon Solar Collector and is specifically adapted to the Swedish solar energy company's designs, which have led to two patent applications for more efficient solar collectors. Absolicon's website details how its sustainable heat collector systems can work alongside solar photovoltaics to lighten the load on the electricity grid and boiler systems that use dirty fuels. Those systems include thermal energy storage in the form of heat batteries, which allow them to operate around the clock, even when the sun isn't shining, increasing the sustainability factor for the technology. "Our work shows that it's possible to combine sustainability, cost-effectiveness and high performance in optical coatings – a key to making solar heat a viable alternative to fossil fuels on a larger scale," Zäll concluded. 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.
Medscape
11-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Minor Increase in Stroke Risk After Anti-VEGF Eye Injections
Intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF were associated with a small but significant increase in the risk for stroke among patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The risk was higher with aflibercept and bevacizumab than with ranibizumab and declined 60 days after the last injection. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analyzed data from two Swedish national registries from 2007 to 2019 to investigate whether intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (ranibizumab, aflibercept, and bevacizumab) for age-related macular degeneration were associated with an increased risk for stroke. They identified patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration who developed stroke or transient ischemic attack within 90 days of receiving an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection and matched them with individuals who experienced stroke but did not receive such treatment. The number of days between the last injection and the occurrence of stroke was categorized into three intervals: 0-30 days, 31-60 days, and 61-90 days. TAKEAWAY: Among 33,585 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration receiving anti-VEGF injections, 936 (approximately 2.8%) experienced a stroke within 90 days of the last injection. Patients who received anti-VEGF injections were at a 27% higher risk for stroke within 90 days of the last injection than those who did not receive the treatment (risk ratio [RR], 1.27; 95% CI, 1.22-1.33). The risk for stroke was elevated in the first 0-30 days (RR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.15-1.66) and 31-60 days (RR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.09-1.79) after the last injection but declined thereafter. Aflibercept showed the highest risk (RR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.23-1.52), followed by bevacizumab (RR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.10-1.46), whereas ranibizumab demonstrated the lowest risk profile. IN PRACTICE: 'For patients with nAMD [neovascular age-related macular degeneration] in need of anti-VEGF treatment who have a history of cerebrovascular events, have atrial fibrillation or hypertension, and who are smokers, it seems prudent to try to reduce stroke risk factors,' the researchers reported. SOURCE: Inger Westborg, of the Department of Clinical Sciences/Ophthalmology at Umeå University in Umeå, Sweden, was the corresponding author of this study, which was published online on June 7, 2025, in Acta Ophthalmologica . LIMITATIONS: The variations in the risk for stroke between anti-VEGF agents should be interpreted with caution, as the data could not determine whether differences were caused by confounding by indication or actual differences in risk. Information on smoking status was only available for the patients who experienced stroke. DISCLOSURES: This study received support through a grant from Region Stockholm, Sweden. One author disclosed serving as an advisory board member for various pharmaceutical companies.
New York Post
26-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Researchers make ‘significant discovery' in treating prostate cancer — what it means for patients
Looks like Ozempic isn't the only diabetes drug that wound up having a secret side hustle. A team of Swedish researchers has discovered that a drug traditionally meant for Type 2 diabetes shows immense promise in keeping prostate cancer at bay. A team of Swedish researchers has discovered that a drug traditionally meant for type 2 diabetes shows promise in keeping prostate cancer at bay. Peakstock – Advertisement The research — which was published in the journal Molecular Cancer — was based on studies on mice, as well as a retrospective study of 69 prostate cancer patients with type 2 diabetes, all of whom experienced a lack of cancer recurrence while using the drug. 'This is a significant discovery,' Lukas Kenner, a visiting professor at Sweden's Umeå University, said in a press release. Advertisement 'For the first time, we have clinical observations showing that prostate cancer patients with diabetes who received drugs targeting the protein [PPARy] remained relapse-free during the period we followed them.' Pioglitazone — a common anti-diabetic drug — not only slowed down the growth of cancer cells but also hampered their ability to grow back. 'The findings are very promising, but further clinical studies are needed to both confirm the results and to investigate whether the treatment can also be used in patients with prostate cancer who do not have diabetes,' Kenner said. It's the latest in a series of advances targeting prostate cancer — the second most common cancer among men in the US, after skin cancer. Advertisement 'This is a significant discovery,' Lukas Kenner said. jarun011 – A UCLA study found that an AI tool identified prostate cancer with 84% accuracy, compared to 67% by physicians, highlighting the potential of AI in improving diagnostic precision. A new at-home saliva test analyzes DNA for genetic markers associated with prostate cancer, offering a more accurate alternative to traditional blood tests and aiding in earlier detection. Advertisement And — following the shocking news that former President Joe Biden has an 'aggressive' form of prostate cancer — one Manhattan doctor is offering free PSA blood tests at his Midtown East office through the end of June. While the overall five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is as high as 97%, studies have shown that men who avoid prostate cancer screening appointments are 45% more likely to die from the disease.
