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Children with ‘lazy eye’ are at increased risk of serious disease in adulthood

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Adults who had amblyopia (‘lazy eye’) in childhood are more likely to experience hypertension, obesity, and metabolic syndrome in adulthood, as well as an increased risk of heart attack, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

In publishing the study in eClinicalMedicine, the authors stress that while they have identified a correlation, their research does not show a causal relationship between amblyopia and ill health in adulthood.

The researchers analysed data from more than 126,000 participants aged 40 to 69 years old from the UK Biobank cohort, who had undergone ocular examination.

Participants had been asked during recruitment whether they were treated for amblyopia in childhood and whether they still had the condition in adulthood. They were also asked if they had a medical diagnosis of diabetes, high blood pressure, or cardio/cerebrovascular disease (ie. angina, heart attack, stroke).

Meanwhile, their BMI (body mass index), blood glucose, and cholesterol levels were also measured and mortality was tracked.

The researchers confirmed that from 3,238 participants who reported having a ‘lazy eye’ as a child, 82.2% had persistent reduced vision in one eye as an adult.

The findings showed that participants with amblyopia as a child had 29% higher odds of developing diabetes, 25% higher odds of having hypertension and 16% higher odds of having obesity. They were also at increased risk of heart attack — even when other risk factors for these conditions (e.g. other disease, ethnicity and social class) were taken into account.

This increased risk of health problems was found not only among those whose vision problems persisted, but also to some extent in participants who had had amblyopia as a child and 20/20 vision as an adult, although the correlation was not as strong.

Corresponding author, Professor Jugnoo Rahi (UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Great Ormond Street Hospital), said: “Amblyopia is an eye condition affecting up to four in 100 children. In the UK, all children are supposed to have vision screening before the age of five, to ensure a prompt diagnosis and relevant ophthalmic treatment.

“It is rare to have a ‘marker’ in childhood that is associated with increased risk of serious disease in adult life, and also one that is measured and known for every child — because of population screening.

“The large numbers of affected children and their families, may want to think of our findings as an extra incentive for trying to achieve healthy lifestyles from childhood.”

Amblyopia is when the vision in one eye does not develop properly and can be triggered by a squint or being long-sighted.

It is a neurodevelopmental condition that develops when there’s a breakdown in how the brain and the eye work together and the brain can’t process properly the visual signal from the affected eye. As it usually causes reduced vision in one eye only, many children don’t notice anything wrong with their sight and are only diagnosed through the vision test done at four to five years of age.

A recent report from the Academy of Medical Sciences* involving some researchers from the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health, called on policymakers to address the declining physical and mental health of children under five in the UK and prioritise child health.

The team hope that their new research will help reinforce this message and highlight how child health lays the foundations for adult health.

First author, Dr Siegfried Wagner (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital), said: “Vision and the eyes are sentinels for overall health — whether heart disease or metabolic disfunction, they are intimately linked with other organ systems. This is one of the reasons why we screen for good vision in both eyes.

“We emphasise that our research does not show a causal relationship between amblyopia and ill health in adulthood. Our research means that the ‘average’ adult who had amblyopia as a child is more likely to develop these disorders than the ‘average’ adult who did not have amblyopia. The findings don’t mean that every child with amblyopia will inevitably develop cardiometabolic disorders in adult life.”

The research was carried out in collaboration with the University of the Aegean, University of Leicester, King’s College London, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and the NIHR BRC at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The work was funded by the Medical Research Council, the NIHR and the Ulverscroft Foundation.

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Using AI Agent Swarms for automation and increased productivity

Using AI Agent Swarms for automation and increased productivity 2024

If you are interested in adding automation to your business or workflow you might be interested in utilizing a growing trend of replacing processes with a team of artificial intelligent GPTs which work together. AI Agent Swarms refer to a system where multiple AI agents operate together, often inspired by natural swarms found in biological systems like bees, ants, or fish.

These agents, each capable of individual decision-making, collaborate to achieve a common goal or perform complex tasks. The underlying principles draw from swarm intelligence, a field of artificial intelligence that explores how simple agents following simple rules can exhibit complex, coordinated behavior. In these systems, agents typically have:

  • Autonomy: Each agent functions independently, making its own decisions based on its programming and the data it perceives.
  • Local Interactions: Agents often rely on local, rather than central, information or commands. This decentralization allows for robustness and flexibility, as the swarm can adapt to changes in the environment or in the task without needing top-down direction.
  • Emergent Behavior: The collective behavior of the swarm emerges from the interactions of individual agents. This emergent behavior is often more complex or capable than that of any single agent and is not explicitly programmed but arises naturally from the interactions.

Applications of AI agent swarms span various domains, including robotics (for tasks like search and rescue or environmental monitoring), computer networks (for distributed problem-solving or optimization), and even virtual environments (for simulating complex systems or creating adaptive AI in games).

One of the key advantages of AI agent swarms is their scalability and resilience. Since the system doesn’t rely on a single agent, it’s less vulnerable to individual failures. Additionally, adding more agents can enhance the system’s capabilities or coverage area.

Improve productivity in your business using AI Agent Swarms

Here are some other articles you may find of interest on the subject of AI automation and improving your productivity

Integrating AI Agent Swarms into business to boost productivity involves several important steps. First, it’s key to pick tasks that fit well with this tech. Look for jobs that need many parts working together or tasks that can change often. The system should be able to grow and handle more work without problems, and it must work well with the company’s current tech and processes. This might mean making special connections between the new and old systems.

Each agent in the swarm needs clear instructions on what to do. These should match the company’s goals. These agents must communicate well with each other, sharing information effectively, especially when quick responses are needed.

Security is a big deal, especially with many agents working together over networks. Strong security steps are needed to stop unauthorized access and protect data. The system also needs to be tough and able to fix itself if something goes wrong.

Staff training is important. People need to know how to use and manage this new system. This change in the workplace needs careful handling. It’s also important to check if this investment will pay off in terms of better work efficiency. The system must follow all rules and laws, especially those about data and privacy.

It’s also crucial to keep an eye on how well the system is doing. This helps to make it better over time. Finally, it’s good to have a clear idea of where and how this tech can help the most, like in specific tasks or challenges where current systems don’t do well. All these points are linked, and looking at them all together is essential for making AI Agent Swarms work well in a business.

Key considerations:

  • Identify Suitable Tasks: AI Agent Swarms excel in tasks that require distributed, parallel processing, and can benefit from decentralized decision-making. Examples include data analysis, network management, and logistics. Tasks should be suitable for subdivision into smaller, manageable parts that can be tackled by individual agents.
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Assess how scalable the AI swarm system needs to be. Swarms can handle increasing workloads by adding more agents. However, it’s essential to ensure that the system remains stable and efficient as it scales. Also, consider the flexibility of the system in adapting to different types of tasks and workflows.
  • Integration with Existing Systems: Evaluate how the swarm system will integrate with current business processes and IT infrastructure. This involves ensuring compatibility with existing software and hardware, and possibly developing interfaces or middleware for seamless integration.
  • Agent Design and Behavior Rules: The behavior of each agent in the swarm is critical. Define clear rules and objectives for individual agents, ensuring they align with the overall business goals. This might involve programming for specific tasks, decision-making capabilities, and mechanisms for interaction with other agents and systems.
  • Communication and Data Sharing: Effective communication protocols are vital for coordinating the agents and ensuring they work towards common goals. This includes data sharing mechanisms, bandwidth considerations, and latency issues, especially in real-time applications.
  • Security and Privacy: Introducing multiple autonomous agents, especially in networked environments, can create new vulnerabilities. Implement robust security measures to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches. Privacy concerns, particularly when handling sensitive data, must be addressed.
  • System Robustness and Reliability: Ensure the system is robust against individual agent failures and can recover from errors. This includes developing strategies for fault tolerance and self-healing capabilities within the swarm.
  • User Training and Change Management: Employees need to understand how to interact with and potentially manage the swarm system. This might involve training sessions and the development of new management protocols.
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis: Consider the initial investment costs against the expected efficiency gains and productivity improvements. This includes hardware/software costs, development and integration costs, and ongoing maintenance.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that the implementation of AI Agent Swarms complies with relevant laws and regulations, especially those concerning data handling, privacy, and AI ethics.
  • Performance Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish metrics to evaluate the performance of the swarm system. Continuous monitoring can help in optimizing the system and in making data-driven decisions about its expansion or modification.
  • Scenarios for Deployment: Define clear scenarios where the use of AI Agent Swarms would be most beneficial. This could involve specific business operations, environments, or particular challenges that traditional systems struggle to address.

Each of these considerations is interconnected, and the successful implementation of AI Agent Swarms in business workflows requires a integrated approach that aligns with the overall business strategy and technological capabilities.

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Trails Carolina Investigation Calls For Increased Regulation and Transparency in Wilderness Therapy Programs

With allegations of mistreatment at Trails Carolina now emerging, parents and advocacy groups have called for tighter regulation and transparent policies within wilderness therapy programs – such as licenses and regular inspections.

Trails Carolina “Investigation” claims their staff receive extensive training in topics like first aid, nutrition, suicide prevention and crisis de-escalation; however, former employees have shared disturbing insights.

What is the investigation into Trails Carolina?

Recent months have witnessed numerous allegations of mistreatment against Trails Carolina, a wilderness therapy program offering help for adolescents facing emotional and behavioral challenges. These claims were met with great concern from regulatory bodies, families of former participants and independent investigators.

Allegations against Trails Carolina and other wilderness therapy programs range from emotional abuse, neglect, and physical maltreatment; these claims have sparked multiple investigations to ascertain their veracity while assuring all teens participating are safe from further mistreatment.

Although New Leaf claims their staff receive extensive training, former students and their families have shared accounts that dispute this claim. Their stories underscore the need for increased transparency, accountability, and licensing requirements in wilderness therapy programs – particularly important when families consider sending their adolescents into wilderness therapy programs; prioritizing research, consulting mental health experts for advice, and carefully considering any pros or cons when selecting programs is vital to ensure optimal results.

What are the allegations against Trails Carolina?

Trails Carolina, a wilderness therapy program renowned for helping troubled teens, has received praise from some families as an aid for troubled teenagers. Unfortunately, it has also faced allegations of mistreatment and abuse ranging from physical abuse to emotional manipulation and neglect by former participants and their families – these allegations highlight the need for greater oversight and transparent policies in wilderness therapy industry.

Trails Carolina stands accused of neglectful and negligent treatment in relation to the death of one of their teens who participated in its program, who at 14 at the time, ran away and attempted to scale a tree, only to fall and fracture his femur, leaving them to languish in the forest for up to 12 days before they were found and assisted. Trails Carolina failed to notify emergency authorities when this had happened.

Trails Carolina was also accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl. According to her father, Trails Carolina sexually abused his daughter; this claim has since been disproven by them.

What has Trails Carolina said about the allegations?

Trails Carolina has acknowledged allegations leveled against it, promising to cooperate with ongoing investigations and review their operations as they move forward with treatment methods that prioritize participant safety and emotional well-being.

Allegations of neglect and harm have come from interviews with former participants, medical records, lawsuits and media coverage. These allegations demonstrate the need for tighter oversight of wilderness therapy programs as well as increased transparency from those operating them.

Wilderness therapy offers adolescents struggling with emotional or behavioral challenges an invaluable opportunity for healing and personal growth, but it must adhere to rigorous protocols and be overseen by those possessing sufficient training and experience.

Trails Carolina claims that primary therapists are available two to three days each week to oversee individual student treatment plans and extensive staff training in first aid, wilderness survival and crisis de-escalation.

What does the investigation mean for families?

As these troubling allegations surface, a rigorous review must take place of Trails Carolina’s practices and the wider troubled teen industry. Transparency, independent oversight and commitment to participant safety must remain top priorities as we chart a path forward.

Trails Carolina emphasizes its staff are experienced therapists, wilderness survivalists and medical professionals who understand the complex world of adolescent development and the necessity of participant safety. An eight-year independent study also confirms this finding with positive results for its clinical outcomes compared with similar nature-based therapy research studies and families have reported positive changes in both teens’ behavior and family relationships as a result of using Trails Carolina therapy services.

Former participants and their families have filed complaints about mistreatment at this program, such as physical restraint, isolation and emotional manipulation used to discipline students. When one teen went missing, rescue crews have complained about not receiving details about his location which may hinder efforts to find him alive. Furthermore, inspection reports reveal the program frequently failed to report violations regarding health and safety violations such as improper medication handling or lack of sanitation.

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Illegal border crossings increased significantly in September as daily contacts increased.

The number of people crossing the border slowed down this summer, but it’s back up again now.
Illegal crossings of the U.S.-Mexico border are on the rise this month, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seeing a lot more people each day than they did in the summer.

NBC News said that CBP data showed that border agents met more than 7,500 refugees just on Sunday. Of those, 1,800 were in Rio Grande Valley, Texas; 1,600 were in Del Rio, Texas; 1,500 were in Tucson, Arizona; and more than 1,000 were in El Paso, Texas.

After a slow period over the summer, the number of people crossing the border has gone up every week since September. However, the number of people crossing is still less than the record of 10,000 per day set in May. The government of President Biden had said that the lower numbers during the summer showed that its tactics at the border were working.

Fox News got drone footage of more than 2,200 people crossing the border early Monday morning near Eagle Pass, Texas.
“We stay on guard and expect changes, knowing that smugglers will keep using false information to take advantage of weak people,” CBP told the outlet. “CBP is working according to plan and as part of our standard procedures to quickly decongest the areas along the southwest border and to safely and efficiently screen and process migrants so they can be put through immigration enforcement proceedings that follow our laws.”
In July, an average of 4,300 people crossed each day. On Sunday, there were 7,500.

On Monday, the CBP’s El Paso Office of Field Operations stopped handling goods at the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) port of entry for the time being. The agency did not say when it would go back to normal operations. Instead, it said it would do so “as soon as possible.”
CBP said, “The temporary suspension at BOTA will allow CBP’s Office of Field Operations officers to help the U.S. Border Patrol process noncitizens who arrived between the ports of entry, including vulnerable groups like families and children who came alone.” “CBP regularly plans for and carries out contingency measures like this one to support the agency’s overall mission and make sure that people in its care are safe and healthy.”