Tag Archives: decision-making

15 ways drinking water can boost your health

Water is the essence of life. It makes up around 60% of the adult human body and is involved in nearly every vital function, from regulating body temperature to removing waste and transporting nutrients. While most of us know that staying hydrated is important, the full range of health benefits that water provides is often underestimated. This review explores 15 powerful ways drinking enough water can support your health, backed by science and explained in simple terms. Maintains the balance of body fluids Water plays a central role in digestion, absorption, circulation, saliva production, nutrient transport, and temperature regulation. When you are properly hydrated, these essential processes run more efficiently, helping your body stay in balance. Supports healthy weight management Drinking water can support weight management in several ways. It may help reduce appetite, boost metabolism, and increase feelings of fullness. Replacing sugary or high-calorie drinks with water is a simple yet effective way to reduce overall calorie intake. Boosts physical performance Water helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and prevents fatigue. When cells lose their fluid and electrolyte balance, muscles become weaker, leading to tiredness and reduced performance. Staying hydrated is especially important during physical activity. Improves skin health Your skin contains a significant amount of water and relies on hydration to maintain its elasticity and protective function. Dehydration can make your skin look dull, dry, and more prone to wrinkles. Drinking enough water can help your skin stay soft and healthy-looking. Supports kidney function The kidneys remove toxins and waste products from the body through urine. When you consume enough water, your urine flows more easily, remains light in colour, and is less likely to form crystals or kidney stones. Promotes regular bowel movements Water helps keep digestion moving smoothly through the intestines. When fluid intake is too low, the colon pulls water from stool, which can lead to constipation. Adequate hydration supports regular, healthy bowel function. Enhances exercise endurance Proper hydration improves stamina and heat tolerance during workouts or sports. It helps maintain blood volume and regulate body temperature, allowing you to exercise for longer with better efficiency. Lubricates and protects joints Water is a major component of cartilage and the fluid that cushions your joints. Staying hydrated helps keep joints flexible and may reduce stiffness and discomfort, especially during movement. Supports brain function The brain is made up of about 70-80% water. Even mild dehydration can affect focus, memory, alertness, and decision-making. Drinking enough water helps your brain perform at its best. Improves mood and mental wellbeing Dehydration has been linked to increased fatigue, confusion, irritability, and low mood. Maintaining good hydration can support emotional stability and overall mental wellbeing. Reduces the risk of headaches Lack of fluids is a common trigger for headaches and migraines. Increasing your daily water intake may help reduce the frequency and intensity of these painful episodes. Aids digestion and metabolism Water helps break down food so your body can absorb nutrients more efficiently. Drinking water before and during meals can support digestion and contribute to a healthy metabolic rate. Helps the body detox naturally Water enables the removal of waste and toxins through urination, sweating, and bowel movements. These natural detoxification processes rely on adequate hydration to function properly. Prevents bad breath A dry mouth encourages bacterial growth, which can cause unpleasant breath. Drinking water keeps your mouth moist, supports saliva production, and helps wash away food particles and bacteria. Regulates body temperature Water absorbs body heat and releases it through sweat on the skin’s surface. This cooling system is vital during exercise, fever, or exposure to hot environments and helps prevent overheating. How much water do you need? Water needs vary depending on age, body size, activity level, climate, and overall health. A common guideline is the “8×8 rule”, which suggests drinking eight 8-ounce (about 250 ml) glasses of water per day. However, some people may need more, especially if they are physically active or live in a hot climate. Listening to your body is just as important. Thirst, the colour of your urine (light yellow is ideal), and your energy levels are good indicators of your hydration status. Water is not just a simple drink it is a vital nutrient essential for survival and optimal health. From supporting brain function to keeping joints lubricated and regulating body temperature, proper hydration plays a key role in nearly every system in the body. Making a habit of drinking enough water each day is one of the simplest, most powerful choices you can make for your long-term health and wellbeing.
https://knowridge.com/2025/11/15-ways-drinking-water-can-boost-your-health/

Take AI seriously, or else

If there’s ever a time to get on the artificial intelligence (AI) hype train, that time is now. That’s the message that one emerging technologies expert is sending companies all over the world. As a former executive of both Facebook (NASDAQ: META) and SpaceX, Dex Hunter-Torricke has seen countless technologies rise and fall. And in his keynote address at the 10th Digital Conference (DigiCon) held in the Philippines, Hunter-Torricke explained that the last two decades in human history were transformed by the vast increase in access to software and analytics. Now, he says the age of AI has arrived, and there’s a steep price to pay for those who are too slow to adopt the technology. “Any company that doesn’t take AI seriously won’t exist 10 years from now,” Hunter-Torricke told reporters at DigiCon 2025. “Fundamentally, they can either get on board the train, or they’ll get run over by it.” Of course, AI technology is far from perfect. There’s a whole laundry list of limitations that humans must contend with just to use existing AI tools properly. These include reliance on possibly flawed data, the inability to engage in ethical decision-making, and a lack of genuine common sense and awareness, among others. However, developers are already working to address these limitations, and the world may soon see a level of AI that has only ever been seen in movies before. The rise of Artificial General Intelligence The goal for AI has always been to achieve human-level intelligence, now commonly referred to as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). And apparently, it’s no longer a matter of “if” but “when” this will happen. Hunter-Torricke says there is considerable debate about the expected timeline, but it may occur soon. “Most folks reckon we are less than a decade away,” he said. “We might be as close as three or four years, so it’s coming very quickly.” Factor in extra time to scale AGI technology, and this is expected to radically transform business all around the world. Having machines that can function on the same level cognitively as people would change workflows even more drastically than what is happening today, and this is expected to become both a boon and a challenge for societies globally. Hunter-Torricke himself has a slightly cynical outlook on just how the world will be able to handle such a technology: Back to the top ↑ The ethical challenges of AI It seems that more than most other modern technologies, AI poses massive ethical challenges. After all, when you have something as powerful as AI, you can create massive change for the better or for worse, depending on just how you use the technology. Content creation, for example, is one area that Hunter-Torricke believes can be significantly transformed by AI. Specifically, the technology can affect the pace at which content is generated, in turn making it faster and easier to strategize and reshape the way people think. “Are you using those technologies in ways that respect local culture, that reflect the right value systems that are working for clients who are going to deliver good for societies?” the former Facebook and SpaceX executive asked. These, he said, are challenges that industries are already struggling with right now, especially when there are people who do not care enough to meet the highest ethical standards. “In a future where you will just be able to scale and operate and build your business much faster with much greater global effects, doing the wrong things means you’ll be able to do the wrong thing a hundred times greater at a faster scale,” Hunter-Torricke explained. He added that this is genuinely very challenging for companies and for societies. Back to the top ↑ An important moment While it is impossible to predict precisely how AI will develop in the coming years, one thing that the world agrees on is that the technology will be a game-changer. Companies that are too slow to adopt AI risk lagging behind their competitors, and may even be dominated in their industry. Slowly but surely, AI is making its way into the everyday lives of the general public, and its continuous rise seems all but inevitable at this point. What remains to be seen is how companies will respond and who will ultimately emerge as the leader in the AI arms race. “There’s never been a more important moment as a CEO, I think, to pay attention to what is happening technologically,” he said. In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership-allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek’s coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI. Back to the top ↑ Watch | DigiCon 2025: The power of personalization in Digital Marketing.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/take-ai-seriously-or-else/

Should nursing contracts be more like prix fixe menus?

This is a preview of the November 20 edition of Access Health-Tap here to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Here in Chicago, we have a Restaurant Week each year has released a study discrediting “pediatric sex rejecting procedures” for the treatment of gender dysphoria in children and teens. The study found “significant, long-term, and too often ignored or inadequately tracked” health effects from gender affirming treatments given to pediatric patients, according to a Wednesday news release from HHS, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The report’s authors included physicians from Duke University, University of South Florida and Baylor College of Medicine. The American Psychiatric Association participated in the review, but the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society refused HHS’ invitation to partake, according to the report. Health systems around the country are caught in the medical and political crossfires. As of August, at least 21 hospitals had discontinued some or all of their gender-affirming care services for transgender patients amidst increased pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration, NBC reported. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association released a joint statement on Wednesday, saying, “We reject selective or politically motivated interpretations of data that ignore the totality of research and clinical outcomes.” Click here for the full statement. You can view HHS’ report here. UMass Memorial Health Care She’s also the primary CEO of three of the eight medical groups in the Federation: the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, the Permanente Medical Group in Northern California and the Northwest Permanente Medical Group in Oregon and part of Washington. Ansari oversees about 12, 000 physicians caring for a combined 6 million patients. We discussed how she’s preparing to support them into the future-especially as the Baby Boomer population ages, placing additional strain on an already-taxed health care system. Below, find some of her insights on how new care models and AI can lighten providers’ load. Editor’s Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. How is The Permanente Federation planning to care for an aging population? We’re using a lot of different care models to look at this population, because [our plan] depends on the state. As an example, in Oregon, the birth rate is really low, and so the growth is in the Medicare line of business. What’s true across [all of our] markets is that we’re aging faster than we’re growing [the workforce], and so we have to really invest in caring for this older population. We know that for people over 65, close to 90 percent of them have at least one chronic medical condition, and 60 percent have at least two chronic medical conditions. People are living longer and they are carrying more disease burden. And so what we’re looking at from a population perspective is, how do we keep them living their best lives? How do we keep them healthy? How do we support them in this? Because they all look different, right? If you’ve seen one 80-year-old, you’ve seen one 80-year-old, because one might be playing tennis, another might be bedridden, and there’s everything in between. We have a few different pilots going on, but the general approach is moving care more and more upstream so that they don’t get the late-stage manifestation of their disease. If they have hypertension, [we want to ensure] that it’s under tight control, or if they have diabetes, that we’re controlling it so well that they don’t get hospitalized, because nobody wants to be in the emergency department. Frictionless, convenient access to care and care management systems help keep them healthy at home. That’s a mainstay throughout The Permanente Federation and all of our medical groups: care managers for chronic conditions. What we are doing differently right now is using AI to [identify patients that are at] the highest risk to be admitted, to have a fall, to have a heart attack, and really put wraparound services around them. We’re calling that Care Plus. We’ve been using that in Northern California, and we’re trying to spread it to some of the other markets. But the Care Plus model is basically a care team that includes a nurse, a pharmacist, a physician, a social worker and a care navigator. There are multiple [of those] groups of five that care for a population of patients that are at risk for getting sicker, and the AI alerts us to get involved, and they direct the right type of person on the team to address it. So if it’s a transport issue or a food insecurity issue, it might be the social worker. If it’s they’re running out of meds, it might be the pharmacist. Did Kaiser Permanente develop that AI tool internally, or are you working with a vendor? We do work with vendors on some of our AI tools. This particular AI tool is our own in-house AI tool [that] we use our electronic medical record for. We actually have 12. 6 million members across our entire enterprise, and use a predictive analytics model to determine who is most likely to get re-hospitalized, who’s more likely to deteriorate, and then alert the care team on what the gap is in terms of the need so that we can match them to the right member of the care team. It’s almost like AI is part of the care team-so we have a team-based approach, and AI is just one that is trying to match the patient to the right care team member. For most of their lives, patients over the age of 65 have been receiving care face-to-face, without much technological intervention. Are you concerned about integrating more digital tools into their care journey? Personally, I am not worried about it. They are not a monolithic group, and many of them are wearing wearables and are very tech savvy. They want real-time feedback. They want to have what we consider asynchronous interactions with their care team, where they can just [ask], “What do you think of this mole?” We piloted a [dermatology] app and had people send in pictures of their moles, and the AI algorithm helped tell them [if they were] going to have to see a doctor or if this could be managed with over-the-counter treatment. We had just as many older patients engaged in that as younger. In fact, the older patients are more likely to have some lesions that they’re more concerned about. So I’m very optimistic about our seniors embracing AI. We use AI in most of our clinic visits because we use Abridge and supplementing by looking for the metaphorical sunshine. Health care professionals are confronted with a lot of problems in their day-to-day: ill patients, declining reimbursement rates, staffing shortages. Naturally, a lot of our conversations focus on these issues; you have to examine them closely to find the solutions. But lately, I’ve really enjoyed hearing what industry leaders are excited about-what they feel is going right. This week, I saw some of those bright spots in my conversation with Dr. Alexa Kimball, president and CEO of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians. Kimball told me that she sees progress when reflecting on her time in medicine, and that helps her keep a positive outlook. Here’s what she said: Editor’s Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. “It’s been an incredible journey of watching the progress that medicine has made over the past 25 years, and an amazing privilege to be able to have been a part of it. “There are diseases that were so common and so problematic years ago, and today, this next generation of physicians has never even really seen the disease because it almost doesn’t exist anymore. “It’s been extraordinary to watch that, so I am very optimistic about the care that we bring to patients. We have to figure out how we support the physician enterprise effectively to bring the best care to patients, and AI has also made me optimistic about reducing some of doctors’ burdens to make them more effective. But we’re all in this together at the end of the day, and we’re not going to optimize the health care system unless all parts of it are really pulling the same direction, which, at the end of the day, should be about the care of the patients.” CEO Circle Insights from health care thought leaders around the world “A quiet paradox is unfolding in health care,” according to Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, president and CEO of the Integrated Health & Social Sciences University Network for West-Central Montreal, and a member of Newsweek’s CEO Circle. Governments are focused on centralizing their health systems-but Rosenberg argues that they could become vulnerable to “intelligence bottlenecks” in the age of AI. Click here to read his thoughts.
https://www.newsweek.com/should-nursing-contracts-be-more-like-prix-fixe-menus-access-health-11084548

Historic Colorado River deal to conserve flows advances after winning key approval from state water board

A yearslong effort to purchase two of the most powerful water rights on the Colorado River has cleared another hurdle after the state water board agreed to manage the rights alongside Western Slope water officials. The Colorado Water Conservation Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to accept the two water rights tied to the Shoshone Power Plant into its environmental flow program. The approval is a critical piece in the Colorado River District’s $99 million deal with the owner of the aging plant in Glenwood Canyon Xcel Energy but the deal has faced pushback from Front Range water providers that fear the change could impact their supplies. Backers of the deal aim to make sure the water now used by the small hydroelectric plant and then put back in the river will always flow westward. “The importance of today’s vote cannot be overstated as a legacy decision for Colorado water and the Western Slope,” Andy Mueller, general manager of the Colorado River District, said in a news release. “It secures an essential foundation for the health of the Colorado River and the communities it sustains.” Colorado water officials hailed the decision as a monumental achievement for the state that will help protect the river and its ecosystem. The state’s instream flow program allows the Water Conservation Board to manage dedicated water rights for the health of rivers, streams and lakes. “Acquiring the Shoshone water rights for instream flow use is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve and improve the natural environment of the Colorado River,” Dan Gibbs, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, said in a news release. One of the main sticking points during the hourslong meeting Wednesday was whether the board should manage the water rights with the River District. That would include decisions on how and when to require upstream users like Front Range utilities to send more water downstream. Generally, the board is the sole manager of water rights in its instream flow program, which the Shoshone rights are now a part of. Several Western Slope entities said they would withdraw their financial support from the purchase if the Colorado River District was not allowed to co-manage the right with the board. Local governments and other organizations across the Western Slope promised more than $16 million toward the purchase. Front Range water providers argued that the statewide board is the sole authority that can manage such rights and should have final decision-making power. The water board instead approved the co-management strategy, which means that the two authorities will decide together how to act when there is not enough water to meet the right’s obligations. The Colorado River District a taxpayer-funded agency that works to protect Western Slope water wants to purchase the Shoshone rights to ensure that water will continue to flow west past the plant and downstream to the towns, farms and others who rely on the Colorado River, even if the century-old power plant were decommissioned. A stream of Western Slope elected officials, water managers and conservation groups testified in support of the deal and the rare opportunity it presented. “The Shoshone call is one of the great stabilizing forces on the river a heartbeat that has kept our valley farms alive, our communities whole and our economies steady even in lean years,” Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel said, urging the board to approve the plan. The meeting on Wednesday came after weeks of extensive mediation between the River District and Front Range entities. However, the representatives from opposite sides of the Continental Divide could not come to a consensus on a way forward. Representatives from Front Range utilities have said repeatedly that they supported the purchase as a whole, but they stated concerns about the purchase changing the status quo on the river. The water rights connected to the plant are the oldest major water rights on the main stem of the Colorado River, which means that they must be fulfilled before any rights established afterward. Those include more junior rights held by Front Range utilities to divert water from the river and bring it under the Continental Divide to their customers. The plant’s rights can command up to 1, 408 cubic feet of water per second year-round, or about 1 million acre-feet a year enough water for 2 million to 3 million households’ annual use. The Water Conservation Board’s approval is one of several that must be acquired by the River District. The deal now must go through the state’s water court and its Public Utilities Commission. Along with the $16 million coming from Western Slope entities, the district will pay $20 million and the Water Conservation Board allocated another $20 million. The financial plan also includes $40 million awarded under the federal Inflation Reduction Act by the Biden administration, but that money remains frozen as part of the Trump administration’s broad halt to spending by the previous president.
https://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/2025/11/20/colorado-river-shoshone-water-rights-vote/

Quarterly profit slide at Target hints at a challenging holiday season for the retailer

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO NEW YORK (AP) Target’s third-quarter profit tumbled as the retailer struggles to lure shoppers that are being pressed by stubbornly high inflation. The Minneapolis company said Wednesday that it expects its sales slump to extend through the critical holiday shopping season. The company also announced that it’s planning to invest another billion dollars next year to remodel stores, build new ones, increasing the total cost for the makeover to $5 billion. Investors have punished Target’s stock recently, sending it down 43% over the past year. Shares were essentially flat in early trading Wednesday. Turning around the 19% profit slide in the most recent quarter is the latest challenge for incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke, a 20-year company veteran who is replacing CEO Brian Cornell in February. The handover arrives as the retailer tries to reverse a persistent sales malaise and to revive its reputation as the place to go for affordable but stylish products. Comparable sales those from established physical stores and online channels dipped 2. 7% in its latest three-month period. That’s worse then the 1. 9% drop in the previous quarter and the third straight quarterly decline. Target’s troubles stand in stark contrast to rival Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, which is thriving. Walmart reports on its most recent quarterly performance Thursday. Target announced in October that it was eliminating about 1, 800 corporate positions to streamline decision-making and accelerate company initiatives. The cuts represent about 8% of Target’s corporate workforce. To pump up sales, Target is offering more than 20, 000 new items, twice as many as last year, and it has lowered prices on thousands of groceries and other essential items. “The environment around us continues to evolve, whether it’s shifting consumer demand, changing competitor dynamics, or broader macroeconomic pressures,” Fiddelke said on an earnings call Wednesday. ”But let me be clear. We are not waiting for conditions to improve. We are driving the change ourselves right now.” With about 1, 980 U. S. stores, Target has struggled to find its footing since inflation caused Americans to curtail much of their discretionary spending. At the same time, Target customers have complained of messy stores lacking the budget-priced niche that long ago earned the retailer the nickname “Tarzhay.” Consumer boycotts since late January, when Target joined rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back its corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, have compounded the predicament. Other, more recent macro headwinds, are buffeting the entire retail sector. For almost a year, retailers have struggled to navigate President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs on imports and his immigration crackdown that threatened to shrink the supply of workers available to U. S. companies. The just ended 43-day federal shutdown is expected to be another drag on an economy. Government contract awards have slowed and many food aid recipients have seen their benefits interrupted, both of which can cut into consumer spending at places like Target. Fiddelke told reporters that the company saw a weaker September but he said it was “tricky for us to isolate” the different factors behind that. The retailer’s profit fell to $689 million in the three-month period ended Nov. 1, or $1. 51 per share. Adjusted per share results added up to $1. 78. That is better than the $1. 71 that Wall Street was expecting, according to a poll by FactSet, but below the $1. 85 per share the company earned in the same period last year. Sales fell 1. 5% to $25. 27 billion, just shy of analyst projections. Sales gains in food and beverages were offset by continued weakness in discretionary goods, with anxious shoppers focused increasingly on buying essentials, even during the holidays. For example, customers this year customers bought candy and costumes for Halloween, but spent less on decorations, said Rick Gomez, chief commercial officer for Target. Gomez thinks they will make similar tradeoffs during the winter holiday season. “We think the consumer will prioritize what goes under the tree versus what goes on the tree,” he said. Target also announced a partnership with OpenAI on Wednesday that will let users browse Target items through the tech company’s app ChatGPT. When customers are ready to buy, they’ll be directed to the Target app. For the fourth quarter, Target expects that comparable sales will decline by low single digits. For the full year, it now expects earnings per share to be in the $7 per share to $8 per share range, down from its earlier forecast of $7 to $9.
https://www.courant.com/2025/11/19/target-results/

The Decisions You Don’t Know You’re Making: QCon Keynote Explores Hidden Choices in Engineering

Engineering teams make their most consequential decisions not in architecture reviews or sprint planning, but through invisible choices embedded in metrics, defaults, and everyday behaviors. In their QCon San Francisco 2025 keynote, Shawna Martell and Dan Fike challenged the industry’s focus on documented decision-making while the decisions that truly shape systems and culture go unrecognized. The talk invited engineering leaders to ask uncomfortable questions: What behaviors do our CI/CD pipeline speeds actually incentivize? Which defaults have we inherited without examination? What are we measuring, and what behaviors does that measurement reward? For organizations struggling with poor outcomes or culture issues that seem disconnected from technical choices, the hidden decision analysis offers a new lens. Rather than prescribing solutions, the speakers offered a diagnostic framework for recognizing hidden decisions. Their approach echoes broader industry conversations about Architecture Decision Records. The key insight: hidden decisions can be named and examined once teams learn to identify them. Hidden behaviors and choices have a broad impact on the engineering work we eventually see “Sometimes, as engineers, the right decision for us is not to build,” they said. The hidden decision to build implicitly accepts the costs and risks of building and maintaining something new. As developers, we often love to solve problems with code. But we never stop to ask ourselves, “Is this the correct solution?” when, many times, it isn’t. The problem, they explain, is that engineering organizations measure outcomes such as features shipped or system uptime but rarely examine the decision quality that produced those results. This phenomenon creates a dangerous blind spot where teams optimize for the wrong things without realizing it. Examples of metrics that, when measured, can drive the wrong behavior The speakers illustrated their thesis with CI/CD pipelines. When pipelines run slowly, engineers aren’t just waiting longer for builds to complete. They start exhibiting behaviours like bundling PRs together. As a result, instead of having small, manageable PRs, we have massive changes that are harder to review, rubber-stamped approvals, and deteriorating quality. Per the speakers, we should ask ourselves, “What behaviours do we want to incentivise, and how can our tooling support that?”. The speakers then termed “the default trap.” Teams accept defaults and act on them whether they consciously accept them or not. They cited an example of a team that decided to build its own platform instead of using an existing one within the organization, even though the existing one already solved a similar problem, simply because the default in that organization was for every team to own its own stack. In this case, team ownership became the “default” and was not challenged until Martell explicitly called it out. “We need to name the defaults to be able to explicitly accept or reject them as required”. The most insidious hidden decisions emerge from metric selection. The speakers described how, during an architectural change, measuring events sent to Kafka led to massive unnecessary traffic because teams optimized for the metric rather than the underlying need. “Most events were not even required,” they explained. Similarly, measuring career progress through title changes obscures the real decision about career strategy-whether engineers are actually making progress in a direction that makes sense for them. Engineers build skills that lead to specialization, which builds their reputation and the value they provide, which in turn determines their roles, until changing direction becomes risky. “Once you’re building that view of yourself, deciding to change is risky,” and so identifying these hidden decisions in real time is even more crucial.
https://www.infoq.com/news/2025/11/hidden-decisions/?utm_term=global

Tech, digital skills unlock UK’s manufacturing potential: Barclays

U.K. business leaders say that the country’s manufacturing potential remains strong, but significant investment in technology adoption and digital skills is essential to prevent further decline. This insight comes from a new report by Barclays Bank (NASDAQ: BCS) and The Manufacturer, titled **“Mind the Gap: Closing the productivity divide in UK manufacturing.”**

Released last week, the report is based on surveys and interviews with more than 100 U.K. manufacturers. It offers a cautiously optimistic view from the country’s manufacturing leaders, who largely agree that while productivity has been in decline, there is a path forward—one many manufacturers have already started to pursue.

### The Current State of U.K. Manufacturing Productivity

The latest data from the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that productivity, measured by output per hour, is 10% below the G7 average. Germany, a traditional manufacturing powerhouse, outperforms the U.K. by a full 16%. These figures align with industry leaders’ perceptions: more than half (56.4%) believe U.K. manufacturing productivity is declining, while 19% are unsure.

### Key Causes of Productivity Challenges

The report identifies several factors contributing to the productivity gap:

– **Skills and Workforce Challenges (56.5%)**
– **Slow Technology Adoption (40%)**
– **Supply Chain Inefficiencies (31.3%)**
– **Regulations (10%)**

A lack of digital skills is part of the workforce challenge, but the primary concern is the difficulty in finding workers willing to engage in manufacturing roles. The sluggish adoption of technology also remains a top concern. Cost is cited as the biggest barrier for smaller companies, with one CEO commenting that these firms often lack “financial headroom to trial new systems without guaranteed ROI.”

### Technology Adoption: A Critical Differentiator

The report highlights a wide disparity in digital transformation across manufacturers. Some have embraced integrated platforms to drive decision-making, while others rely on fragmented systems or even manual record-keeping. This gap directly affects their ability to identify inefficiencies and react in real time.

Interestingly, the report also notes a lack of a consistent, widely accepted definition of what “manufacturing productivity” actually means, which complicates benchmarking efforts. Despite these challenges, nearly half of respondents (49.6%) plan to increase their digital transformation efforts within the next 12 months—making it the top priority.

### Priorities for the Year Ahead

Following digital transformation, the next highest priorities for manufacturers over the coming year are:

– **Upskilling/Reskilling Staff (45%)**
– **Supply Chain Optimisation (29%)**
– **Enhanced Data Management (26%)**

### Conclusion

Overall, the research paints a mixed picture for the U.K. manufacturing sector. The report concludes:

> “The direction of travel is positive: manufacturers are investing, innovating and building momentum. Yet the challenge cannot be underestimated. Without continued focus on skills, technology adoption and process efficiency, the UK risks losing pace with global competitors.”

**Read the full report here.**

**Watch:** [What Drives Innovation in Frontier Tech?](#)
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/tech-digital-skills-unlock-uks-manufacturing-potential-barclays/

The Data Fog Envelopes Jobs, Prices And Tariffs

MV Financial
*1.03K Followers*

**Weekly Summary: Politics, Economy, and the Impact of Absences**

This week has been full of news spanning politics, the economy, and much more. However, it has also been a week where notable absences have loomed large. The ongoing data fog has already begun to affect the central bank’s traditionally smooth decision-making process, evidenced by dissenting votes in each of the last three FOMC sessions.

Additionally, the Supreme Court weighed in with what appeared to be a rather caustic critique of the Trump administration’s legal authority regarding the barrage of tariffs imposed since taking office. Over this period, the average tariff on goods entering the US has risen sharply—from 2.4 percent to 17.9 percent.

Typically, this week would have marked Jobs Friday, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases employment data, but the theme of absences remains prevalent as this important report was notably delayed.

**About MV Financial**
MV Financial is a Washington, DC-area asset manager offering investment advisory services through MV Capital Management, a Registered Investment Advisor. We specialize in deep research across a wide range of asset classes and investment vehicles, aiming to transform knowledge into actionable investment solutions tailored for individual, family, and institutional clients.

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https://seekingalpha.com/article/4840816-data-fog-envelopes-jobs-prices-tariffs?source=feed_all_articles

Blanket Informed Consent for Biologics Could Be Deadly. A Warning From Dr. Sherri Tenpenny

**Guest Post by Dr. Sherri TenPenny**

There’s a linguistic shift happening inside the walls of hospitals, surgical centers, and outpatient clinics—one that most people won’t notice until it’s too late. The word “vaccine” is vanishing from medical consent forms. In its place is a far broader, far murkier term being used: **biologics**.

### Let’s Clarify Some Definitions

**Biologics** refers specifically to a class of therapeutic drugs and medical products that are produced from living organisms or their components (e.g., made from proteins, organ cells, tissues, blood, tallow, gelatin, glycerol, etc.). Biologics are specifically regulated medical products that are made from or contain components of living organisms.

On the other hand, **biogenics** is a broader, more general term meaning produced by living organisms or biological processes. It could be anything made by a living organism—plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, etc.

**Examples of biogenics:**
– Tree resin (produced by plants)
– Coral or seashells (made by marine animals)
– Methane (from decaying organic matter)
– Alcohol (from yeast fermentation)

Therefore, all biological products are biogenic, but not all biogenic materials are biological products.

That means many new, modern medicines labeled “cutting-edge,” from mRNA injections to bioengineered cells, fall into the category of medically regulated biogenic products.

### The Redefinition of Medicine

At first glance, it may sound harmless. But buried in the word salad of admission paperwork is a seismic change you might be agreeing to without realizing it.

As a patient in a hospital, you could be injected, infused, or implanted with a biologic product you never specifically discussed with your treating physician—simply because the consent form used a broad term like “biologics” or “biogenics” and you didn’t fully understand the scope of that word.

It’s not that the hospital is secretly adding products; rather, the way the consent forms are worded gives them legal permission to use FDA-approved biologics or biologic materials when they are deemed medically necessary, without first discussing the pros and cons of the product.

You can view the full list of biologics on the FDA’s website. Vaccines are listed among the “approved biologics.” If you blindly sign a consent to receive a biologic, you’ve opened the door to a sweeping range of interventions that go far beyond what most would knowingly authorize.

### The Purpose and Erosion of Informed Consent

The purpose of requiring informed consent is to promote the autonomy of the individual in medical decision-making. It is a legal doctrine that supports many of our cherished American ideals about our rights as individuals.

For decades, medical care has been governed by the principle that patients must be fully informed, fully aware, and provide informed consent for every healthcare procedure. It was more than a legal requirement; it has long been an ethical cornerstone.

However, as PubMed’s 1996 article, *Legal and Ethical Myths About Informed Consent*, reminds us, even the foundation of informed consent came from a murky beginning. The phrase “informed consent” first appeared in a 1957 California case and was adopted verbatim, without attribution, from an amicus curiae brief submitted by the American College of Surgeons.

Over time, the standard for truly informed consent has quietly been eroded. In many hospitals and clinics, informed consent forms have become little more than a formality: a few checks in digital checkboxes and a scribbled signature on an iPad.

These consent forms are often buried within pages of fine print drafted by attorneys, intentionally dense and difficult to read. Even patients who try to understand the language find it nearly impossible to decipher.

Today, the forms no longer use plain language. Instead of asking, “Do you consent to receive the influenza vaccine or a COVID jab?”, the consent form may now ask if you consent to the use of **biologic agents**.

The assumption is that you, the patient, understand that vaccines are biological agents. This raises the question: **Is the confusing change in language intentional?**

### “Medically Necessary Biologics” – The Next Frontier

There is a push to categorize biologics as *medically necessary*. Once that phrase becomes standard, it reframes these products as non-optional. That’s a linguistic shift that carries enormous implications.

If something is medically necessary, then refusing it becomes extremely difficult.

Now imagine being prepped for surgery. You’re told you must sign a standard consent for “biologic products as necessary during the procedure.” You sign, thinking it refers to anesthesia, sutures, IV fluids, perhaps antibiotics.

But your body then becomes an open field for whatever the institution or your doctor regards as necessary: a flu shot, a pneumonia shot, a pertussis shot, a monoclonal antibody infusion, or plasma/blood (perhaps from a COVID-vaccinated donor).

You may never know what went into your body unless you ask for the record.

### What Do Biologics Include?

According to the FDA and Congressional Research Service documents, biologics encompass:

– Vaccines
– Monoclonal antibodies
– Gene therapy
– Whole blood and plasma
– Stem cells and T-cells
– Recombinant proteins
– Growth factors

The side effects of biologics vary depending on the specific product and how it is administered. Because these therapies are derived from living systems and often target the immune system, they can produce a wide range of reactions—from mild and localized to serious or life-threatening.

Examples of side effects include:

– Allergic or hypersensitivity reactions
– Injection site redness, swelling, or pain
– Infusion reactions such as flushing, shortness of breath, or a sudden drop in blood pressure
– Chills, weakness, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rash, itching, and high blood sugar
– More serious effects such as low blood pressure, anaphylaxis, serious infections, cancer, autoimmune reactions, blood clots, heart failure, bleeding disorders, and more

Each biologic drug has its own safety profile, and not all patients will experience these reactions. But because biologics act deeply within the body’s immune and cellular systems, their side effects can be complex, unpredictable, and sometimes severe.

These products are not something you should be given without knowing the risks!

### The Anesthesia Loophole

Anesthetized patients cannot give or withdraw consent in real-time. Hospitals know this, and legal teams have prepared for it.

That’s why pre-operative consent forms now carry generalized clauses authorizing “treatment using biologic materials.” The rationale sounds protective: “We need flexibility in case of complications.”

The reality is exploitative: “We can administer what we deem appropriate.”

Under this loophole, you could receive a biologic without your explicit approval. Once it’s in your body, it cannot be undone.

While this remains only a theoretical concern at this time, as AI increasingly takes over healthcare and personal options continue to be reduced, it is distinctly possible.

I found court cases where a patient received a biologic without specific consent. While I didn’t find a published U.S. case that squarely says: “Because of the single word biologics in a blanket consent, a sedated patient got a biologic they would have refused,” these cases demonstrate the core risk is real.

### What You Must Do

We are living in a time when words have become deceptive—from politics to healthcare. To protect yourself, you must re-establish your authority over your own body.

Here’s where to start:

– **Read every word.** Never sign a consent form that contains vague terms like “biologics,” “biogenics,” or “cell-based therapies” without a full explanation from your doctor(s).

– **Ask direct questions.** Ask out loud: “Does this include vaccines, gene therapies, or blood products?” Write their answers and whether you agree or disagree.

– **Refuse in writing.** On both digital and paper copies, clearly state: “I do not consent to the administration of vaccines, biologics, or other synthetic materials.”

– **Get a copy.** Always request a printed copy or photo of your signed form, especially if it was done on an iPad.

– **Have an advocate.** Assign a trusted person to reiterate your refusal verbally and in writing if you are incapacitated. If you don’t have a close friend or family member to help, hire someone from GraithCare.com—they are knowledgeable and worth every penny.

– **Document everything.** After discharge, review your medical record and confirm what was administered. Side effects or complications may not materialize for weeks or months.

This is not paranoia; this is precautionary and wise self-care. The same level of attention you’d give to a financial contract should apply even more importantly to your medical care.

### Bodily Autonomy Is a Spiritual Battle

At its heart, this is about sovereignty. The right to decide what enters your body—what merges with your cells—is not just a medical decision, it’s a moral and spiritual obligation.

Scripture says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, not laboratories for untested technologies. To surrender consent to vague, corporate-crafted terms like “biologics” is to give the keys away to your own temple.

I believe every human being deserves the dignity of true informed consent—not coerced compliance through deceptive wording.

### Closing Thoughts

We are a litigious society, and physicians are always concerned and on the defensive about avoiding lawsuits.

The timeless advice from that 1996 article on how you can best be perceived and help your patient’s decision-making process:

*“Treat patients like people, act sensitively and compassionately, and most of all, talk to patients. Have a conversation, have several; remember that this is a process. In this process, you will gradually come to know your patient’s decision-making style. Furthermore, do not press patients to decide quickly. Do not make them think that you do not have time for them. Because if you do, regardless of how much information they are given, they are going to be angry, and another name for an angry patient is plaintiff.”*

So please, **before you sign anything:**

– Stop.
– Read.
– Ask.
– Refuse if you must.
– Line out what you don’t agree with, initial it, and date it.

Your signature implies permission.

**About Dr. Sherri J. Tenpenny**
Dr. Tenpenny is the founder of Tenpenny Integrative Medical Center, a clinic providing integrative medicine throughout Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. She received her training as an osteopathic medical doctor at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri.

Widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and outspoken physicians on vaccine safety, Dr. Tenpenny has been featured on hundreds of radio and national television programs. She has authored several books and contributed chapters to many more. Her articles have been published in at least 14 languages.

Trained in Emergency Medicine, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and Integrative Medicine, she is also the founder of multiple businesses, including the nationally recognized Tenpenny Integrative Medical Center and the Tenpenny Health Restoration Centers.

*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for medical decisions.*
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/11/blanket-informed-consent-biologics-could-be-deadly-warning/

china Magnetic Stirrer Market Outlook 2025: Forecasting Growth in a Time of Economic and Policy Shifts

**Magnetic Stirrer Market Outlook**

**Base Year:** 2024
**Forecast Years:** 2025-2035

The primary aim of this report is to provide in-depth industry data to assist decision-makers in making critical investment decisions while identifying potential changes and gaps in the Magnetic Stirrer Market. To achieve this, the report examines the historical trends and forecasts future development across different geographical regions.

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### Top Key Companies in the Magnetic Stirrer Market

– DWK Life Sciences Inc.
– 2mag AG
– Scilogex LLC
– Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
– PAW Bioscience Products LLC
– IKA-Werke GmbH & Co. KG
– Thomas Scientific Inc.
– Yamato Scientific America Inc.
– Torrey Pines Scientific Inc.
– Labnet International Inc.

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This report provides detailed information on the commitments of key companies, supply and demand analyses, and the increase in market share for Magnetic Stirrers. The primary market players are analyzed thoroughly from various perspectives, including financial status, production volume, product descriptions, and company profiles.

Furthermore, the report covers companies’ trade objectives, SWOT analyses, revenue streams, product enhancements, and more. Leading organizations employ various strategies such as partnerships, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, and new product launches to maintain a substantial market share.

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To support strategic business decisions and new product launches, this report combines both primary and secondary research methods. It covers market trends, sales channel research, upstream raw material analysis, and downstream demand analysis.

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The market report offers a detailed analysis of segments, highlighting those with the largest market shares. Forecasts cover the period from 2025 to 2035, with 2024 serving as the base year.

**Segments include:**
– **By Product Type:** Regular Magnetic Stirrer, Hot-Plate Magnetic Stirrer, Multi-Position Magnetic Stirrer
– **By Display:** Analog, Digital
– **By Application:** Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Biotech Laboratories, Academic and Research Institutes
– **By Region:** North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa

### Market Trends, Analysis, and Forecast till 2032

Download the PDF report brochure to access a complete list of key players and in-depth regional analysis.

### Major Highlights of the Market

– Detailed coverage of all Magnetic Stirrer Market segments.
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Leading companies adopt a variety of business strategies, including product innovation, collaborations, and mergers & acquisitions, to strengthen their market position.

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This report answers critical questions such as:
– What is the size of the sales opportunity?
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### About Us

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https://www.prnewsreleaser.com/news/117674