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Dirty Deepfakes
I saw an article about the unreliable ability of humans to detect digital deepfakes in audio and video productions (Mai KT, Bray S, Davies T, Griffin LD. Warning: Humans cannot reliably detect speech deepfakes. PLoS One. 2023 Aug 2;18(8):e0285333. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285333. PMID: 37531336; PMCID: PMC10395974.). I was a little surprised. I thought I was pretty…
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How Does Sponge Bob Get Involved with Wendy’s Pineapple Frosty?
So, today we tried the new Wendy’s Pineapple Mango Frosty. Right off the top, I’ll tell you I couldn’t taste the pineapple mango flavor. It’s an OK vanilla. There are no bits of pineapple, mango, or Sponge Bob SquarePants in it. That’s right, I said Sponge Bob SquarePants as in the cartoon guy who lives…
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CDC Meeting Results in Recommending a 2nd Covid-19 Vaccine Dose for Those 65yr and Older and for the Immunocompromised
I missed the October CDC meeting which resulted in a decision to recommend a 2nd dose of the Covid-19 vaccine for those 65 years and older and for the immunocompromised. The Evidence to Recommendations (EtR) slides by Roper indicated Covid-19 circulates year round, peaking in late summer and winter. The recommendation that those in the…
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University of Iowa Psychiatrists Publish Huntington Disease Study Results
I ran across a fascinating story about a study on Huntington’s disease published by members of the University of Iowa Health Care. The study examined how the Huntington’s disease gene might enhance brain development and function early in life prior to the onset of the devastating disease. It was published in The Annals of Neurology:…
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AI Does Your Laundry
Recently we had somebody from the appliance store check our brand-new washing machine. The tech said “the noises are normal”—and then told us that many of the functions of the washer are run by Artificial Intelligence (AI). That was a new one on us. Don’t get me wrong. The washer works. What sticks in the…
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People Remember Hurricane Edna
The hurricane season this year continues to be deadly, and they are not named after women anymore. That stopped in 1979; how and why it stopped is quite a story in itself. The latest one is named Milton, which is a benign sounding name, but the storm is anything but that. I was reminded of…
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U.S. News & World Report Ranks Iowa City Hospital in 9 Specialties
The University of Iowa Stead Family Childrens Hospital in Iowa City has ranked in 9 pediatric specialties, including pediatric behavioral health by U.S. News & World Report!
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Should Everyone Download and Install the Windows Preview Updates?
The short answer to the question above is “No, especially if you’re not tech savvy.” I’m not tech savvy by any means and I quit downloading Windows preview updates long ago when I read web articles saying they could be buggy and lead to a lot of frustrating computer problems. The latest Windows preview update…
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FDA Approves Antipsychotic with New Mechanism of Action for Treatment of Schizophrenia
I just noticed the FDA announcment of the approval of an antipsychotic with a new mechanism of action for the treatment of schizophrenia. The drug is Cobenfy and it interacts with cholinergic rather than dopaminergic receptors. It has a number of side effects which are anticholinergic. This could lead to psychotic symptoms that consultation-liaison psychiatrists…
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University of Iowa Writing Programs Get High Ranking from U.S. News & World Report
The University of Iowa ranks No. 9 across all universities in the country for its power in the writing disciplines., according to the 2024 U.S. News & World Report. The school is well known for its writing programs of which the The Writers Workshop is the best known. The University of Iowa also gives medical…
Go Retire Psychiatrist 