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US Cities Suffer Job Loses As Trump Praises Sprint Deal

Reginald Edward
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US Cities Suffer Job Loses As Trump Praises Sprint Deal

As Donald Trump praises a deal with Sprint to create more jobs, U.S metropolitan cities face major job losses.

On Thursday, Donald Trump announced the creation of 5,000 new US jobs, after making a deal with Sprint.

Under President Obama’s administration, approximately 2.4 million jobs were added in the United States in 2016. Also, the unemployment rate fell from 5.0% to 4.9%. Overall, the 1.7% employment growth nationwide was scattered favoring some sectors over others.

It’s important to point out that most cities (areas with populations with 2,500 or more) added jobs during 2016. Consequently, many small cities saw employment rates increase. However, in many metropolitan areas there were fewer job opportunities.

It’s clear that people born and raised in densely populated areas are realizing that they must relocate to go where the jobs are. Furthermore, the cost of living in metro areas keeps going up. Meanwhile, public services keep going down.

New York City Jobs
Stock Photo: New York, NY – May 10, 2016: A homeless man sleeps while holding a sign for help, food, and money on the sidewalk as busy evening commuters walk by in midtown Manhattan. (BravoKiloVideo / Shutterstock.com)

For example, in New York State, the new census estimates the state had a net loss of 187,000 people to other states. This puts New York at the top of the census for what statisticians call “domestic migration loss.” The state’s population is considered stagnant at 20 million only because of new births and foreign immigrants. While the number one reason for moving to states like Florida is the weather, the number two and three reasons are taxes and jobs.

Investors, politicians and job seekers are interested in the loss of jobs, especially as it relates to different sectors of the economy. The hardest hit sectors in recent past years were construction, mining, manufacturing, information technology and oil/gas.

It is logical that these sectors were hit hard: construction has always pulled back when the economy is slowing down, mining has been a dying sector for years given it is a “dirty” source of energy, manufacturing has moved offshore where labor is cheaper, robots are replacing workers and oil/gas has suffered do to the unrest in the Middle East and South America.

Oil Industry
Stock Photo: Coalinga, California USA – April 29, 2011: Pumpjacks under amber sky in late afternoon at the Guijarral Hills oil fields ( B Christopher / Shutterstock.com)

However, the energy sector will continue to provide a large percentage of jobs considering that electricity in the United States is produced by a variety of ways.

For example, according to the US Energy Information Administration the United State’s power comes from various energy sectors including: coal (33%), natural gas (33%), nuclear (20%), hydro power (6%), renewables (solar, wind, etc.), petroleum (1%), other gases (1%).

Robots could put millions out of a job

But, the rise of artificial intelligence and robots may continue to hurt American jobs. Earlier this week, Amazon won a patent that would allow for drones to deliver packages from a flying warehouse. While, Amazon did not comment on the specifics, the company has been actively working on Artificial Intelligence to improve shipping and indirectly cut jobs. In addition, Amazon announced Amazon Go. Amazon Go is a retail shopping center that features cashier-less stores. This is a major tech disruption that could put over 3 million Americans out of a job.

In addition, Google announced their own self-driving car company called Waymo. The company’s CEO, Mark Fields, explained that the company plans on expanding their self-driving technology to the trucking industry. If self driving cars took over the trucking industry, then more than 8 million people could be out of a job.

Pentagon Warns Soldiers About Energy Drinks Health Risks

Brent Edward
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Pentagon Warns Soldiers About Energy Drinks Health Risks

US Department of Defense is warning soldiers to avoid drinking too many energy drinks.

While many soldiers are returning from the war on terrorism with PTSD, the US Department of Defense is asking for soldiers to cut back on too many energy drinks.

Posted on the official U.S. Defense Department Science blog, the U.S. Army provided warnings for soldiers to follow regarding energy drinks.

Some of the warnings included monitoring caffeine intake. For example, the Pentagon suggests for soldiers to add up the amount of caffeine they are consuming. In addition, to avoid consuming more than 200 mg every four hours.

The Army also warns soldiers that caffeinated drinks contains a lot of sugar and can cause weight gain. Furthermore, in the report the Army suggests that soldiers should avoid mixing alcohol and energy drinks.

Do energy drinks actually help soldiers perform better?

A 2010 CDC study found that approximately 6% of young men in the military consume energy drinks every day. However, service members who consumed more than three or more caffeinated drinks a day were more likely to fall asleep on the job.

Moreover, a 2016 study published in the “Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research” titled “Effects of energy drinks on economy and cardiovascular measures” explained how caffeinated drinks impacted the body. Researchers found “no performance benefits” in the study. In addition, subjects in the study did experience higher blood pressure rates.

Red Bull
Stock Photo:NEW YORK-OCTOBER 5: Red Bull van parked on the Broadway street on October 5, 2010 in New York, USA. Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 4.5 billion cans sold each year. (Laszlo Halasi / Shutterstock.com)

But, it is reasonable to believe that caffeinated drinks make soldiers feel better about themselves. A 2016 study published in the “Journal of Psychopharmacology” titled “Effects of the Red Bull® Energy Drink on cognitive function and mood in healthy young volunteers” examined the impact of Red Bull on the cognitive functions of young adults. The results of the study found Red Bull improved memory, accuracy and speed of working memory. In addition to improving alertness and reducing tiredness.

Facebook Will Face Several Challenges in 2017

Reginald Edward
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Facebook Will Face Several Challenges in 2017

What goes up, must come down. While Facebook was an investor favorite in 2015, the company has lagged the broader market this year. However, that has not stopped user growth which breached 1.2 billion active users in 2016. Even with the growth, there are some storm clouds on the horizon for the company.

From an investor standpoint part of the concern is about the sustainability of the company’s revenue growth. This includes fears of an advertising slowdown as well as inability to monetize the company’s assets. Another issue is trust, which has taken a hit in recent months given the rise of fake news which many believe impacted the U.S. election and ended the year with a false positive Safety Check alarm earlier this week.

Facebook Advertising

Regarding advertising, the company has been busy trying to jam ads into user’s feeds, but some analysts note that Facebook is running out of real estate. Granted they can shift to video adds, but the ‘ad load’ metric appears to be nearing maximum capacity. As such, the company needs to find a way to rebalance advertising while making sure that the users remain engaged with the Facebook on its multiple platforms.

Facebook Nasdaq
Stock Photo: NEW YORK – MAY 18: Sign announcing Facebook IPO is flashed on a screen outside the NASDAQ stock exchange at the opening bell in Times Square on May 18, 2012 in New York City. (lev radin / Shutterstock.com)

Then there is the constant dialogue on how to monetize Facebook. This has dogged the company since its founding and while post-IPO Facebook has largely proved its critics wrong, observers continue to remain concerned.

Some of these concerns may be well founded.  The company paid $19 billion for WhatsApp in 2019, but it would appear that the acquisition has done little to benefit Facebook’s bottom line.  This concern is not without merit. WhatsApp currently boasts more than 1 billion users, but to date, the company has resisted copying some of the methods adopted by other messaging services, such as Line Company of Japan.

Oculus Rift

Oculus VR
Stock Photo: SAN FRANCISCO – MARCH 20: Oculus VR unveiling the second version of The Rift, its Virtual Reality headset for PC just before being bought by Facebook at GDC 2014 on March 20, 2014 in San Francisco, CA (Barone Firenze / Shutterstock.com)

In addition, there is Oculus. While Virtual Reality (VR) holds great promise, the technology has yet to reach the mainstream. Furthermore, consumer VR is likely to become a battlefield as smartphone manufacturers move into the space. That being said, tremendous opportunity remains in the space – these include applications such as education, training, tourism, and healthcare.

The future of Facebook

The final challenge is the question of how Facebook will win back trust. In fairness, the company has become a victim of its own success.  The social media platform was never meant to be a source for news. But given the size of the platform, the news media had no choice to set up Facebook feeds. This opened the door for fake news, much of which is given credibility when it is shared by someone’s connections. Such news stories led to triggering the company’s Safety Check, as mentioned earlier.

Leaks Shed Some Light on the Next iPhone

Jonathan Antonio
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Leaks Shed Some Light on the Next iPhone

It is almost impossible for Apple to keep details of its upcoming iPhone under wraps. Part of the challenge is the global supply chain, which includes manufacturers in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. Another challenge is the ravenous interest in details on the iPhone by its fans – even after almost a decade on the market.

For instance, reports of leaked information on the upcoming iPhone 7S raised quite a few eyebrows on Friday. Granted the days before New Year’s tend to be a slow news period. But if you are a regular follower of Apple, then you know that entire careers have been built on tracking developments in the company’s iPhone platform.

As such, Friday’s DigiTimes report was viewed as confirmation that Apple will offer a ‘supersized’ iPhone model in 2017.  According to reports, the updated iPhone platform will include three phones – 4.7-inch, 5.5-inch, and a 5.8-inch version.  The latter is larger than the existing ‘Plus’ versions of the iPhone which were first introduced with the iPhone 6.

iPhone 7
Stock Photo: New York, USA – 22 September 2016: The Apple iPhone 7 launched this week with water resistance. (Luca Scarabottini / Shutterstock.com)

The reports of the larger iPhone 7S are more than just speculation. According to reports from DigiTime, shipments of a 5.8-inch TFT-LCF panels have been clocked from factories.  The report also claims that Samsung will be the exclusive manufacturer for the larger iPhone with capacity to deliver nearly 20 million panels per month.

This highlights the curious relationship between Apple and Samsung. While they are largely known for their competition in the smartphone space, Samsung is also one of the leading suppliers of OLED in the world. As such, it makes sense that Apple would tap Samsung as their supply chain partner for this project.

Steve Jobs iPhone
Stock Photo: LONDON – OCTOBER 9: Shrine to Steve Jobs outside the Regent Street Apple Store on October 9, 2011 in London. Jobs, former CEO of Apple, died on October 5, 2011 after battling Pancreatic cancer. (photocritical / Shutterstock.com)

Reports of a larger iPhone are a far cry from the direction taken by Apple when founder Steve Jobs was in charge. Mr. Jobs was known for his derision of the oversized screens, but customers tend to like the larger screens. This is evidenced by the success of larger phone sizes by companies such as Samsung, LG, and the Chinese headset maker, Huawei.

Even though Apple has begrudgingly added larger phones to its repertoire, critics note that the iOS experience has yet to be optimized for the bigger screens. While it is unclear how this would happen, some point to the need for the company to update its developer tools to offer support for the full range of Apple products – from Apple Watch to iPhones and iPads to Macs.  This does create challenges for the company and might explain why Apple has been slow to offer multiple screen options for its popular smart phone line.

Research May Explain Why Obese People Are Physically Inactive

Brent Edward
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Research May Explain Why Obese People Are Physically Inactive

Researchers have discovered a link between low dopamine levels and physical inactivity in obese mice.

Are people obese because they are not physically active? Or are people physically inactive because they are obese? The results of a new study may explain how the brain affects or affected by obesity in humans.

Danielle M. Friend and Kavya Devarakonda and their team of National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases researchers discovered a correlation between basal ganglia malfunctions and physical inactivity.

Published in the journal of “Cell Metabolism” Friend and Devarakonda explained that after examining obese mice they found dopamine levels were lower than regular mice.

Obesity is commonly linked to physical inactivity. Without moving around animals and humans are more likely to gain weight. However, Friend and Devarakonda hypothesized that low levels of dopamine in the brain is the reason why people are inactive and therefore, obese.

To test their hypothesis, researchers removed dopamine receptors in the brain of mice and found those mice exhibited less physical activity.

But, researchers found that physical inactivity did not actually lead to weight gain. In fact, even without the receptors they were not more likely to gain weight than the control group of mice. Furthermore, researchers argue that obesity causes physical inactivity and that physical inactivity does not cause people to become obese. In turn, diet has more of an impact on weight gain than physical activity.

Ultimately, researchers have discovered a biological connection between the basal ganglia in the brain and physical inactivity in individuals with obesity.

What is the basal ganglia?

The basal ganglia in the brain is responsible for movement, learning, and cognitive functions. Two major diseases associated with the basal ganglia include Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

In addition, research has also shown that basal ganglia plays a role in motivation. In 2008 Liane Schmidt published a study in the “Journal of Neurology”. Her team discovered damage to the basal ganglia affected the self-driving behavior associated with motivation.

Researchers Create Heat-Activated Penis Implant

Brent Edward
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Researchers Create Heat-Activated Penis Implant

Researchers have developed a new way to combat impotence by using a heat-activated penis implant.

Approximately 3 million people in the United States experience impotence. The disease primarily affects men 40 years and older. But in 1998, Viagra became a popular drug that could treat erectile dysfunction. However, for about a third of all men experiencing ED, Viagra does not work.

Viagra
Stock Photo: KUSADASI, TURKEY – JANUARY 20: Viagra was originally developed by Pfizer as an erectile dysfunction drug. (Sean Nel / Shutterstock.com)

Northwestern University researchers have developed a device that could help treat erectile dysfunction.

Published in “Oncology” Brian Le and his team of researchers have innovated a new way to help men gain an erection by using a heat-activated penis implant.

The Northwestern University research term explained that the device allows for patients to obtain an erection without the use of an inflatable pump or drugs like Viagra.

Patients interested in obtaining the device would simply need an operation to implant the device. The implant will then expand and become erect when heated. The penis implant expands once it becomes warmer than the normal body temperature.

Le and his team are currently working on a remote-control device to enlarge the penis implant. In addition, Le explained that he plans on continuing his research and in 5 to 10 years the device would become available to urologists and their patients.

Prosthesis Penile Surgery

Penile Prosthesis surgeries are not a novel surgical advancement. Developed in the 1970s penile prosthesis surgeries provided a safe solution for men who have exhausted all other treatment options. However, early penile prosthesis surgeries suffered from mechanical malfunctions and high infection rates. But, modern medicine has made improvements in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

A 2016 survey of Australians with penile prostheses found that most men were satisfied with their sex life. In fact, Brindha Pillay and his team of researchers found 80% of men did not report having any symptoms of depression. In addition, only 22% of men reported feeling mild anxiety.

President Obama Sanctions Russia Following the Election Hacks

Jonathan Antonio
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President Obama Sanctions Russia Following the Election Hacks

Just as President Obama promised, the U.S. sanctioned Russia following the election hacks.

President Obama fired back against Russia over election hacking. On Thursday afternoon, Obama announced that the U.S. will respond against Russia following “repeated private and public warnings” issued to the Russian government.

Russia Election Hacking
Stock Photo: PARIS, FRANCE – NOV 9, 2016: Barack Obama and Joe Biden on tv news on Channel with the result elections in the United States where Donald J Trump has become the 45th president of USA (Hadrian / Shutterstock.com)

Via an executive order, President Obama outlined a plan for additional authority against cyber activity threatening the democratic process. With this new authority, President Obama sanctioned nine groups including two Russian intelligence services, individual officers and companies that “provided material support” to Russian intelligence officials.

President Obama also explained the shutdown of two Russian compounds in Maryland and in New York, which were being used by Russian officials for intelligence-related purposes.

Russian Malicious Cyber Activity Report

In addition, the FBI and DHS issued a report to the public reviewing the Russia election hacking. The joint analysis report explains that there were to cyber attacks called Advanced Persistent Threat 28 (APT28) and Advanced Persistent Threat 29 (APT29).

Vladimir Putin
Stock Photo: KYIV – JUL 27: President of Russia Vladimir Putin attend a ceremony marking the 1,025th anniversary of the Christianization of Kievan Rus in Kiev, Ukraine. July 27, 2013. (Slavko Sereda / Shutterstock.com)

APT29 cyber threat first took place in the summer of 2015 and hacked a U.S. political party. Then, APT28 occurred in the spring of 2016. It is important to note that the report does not reveal which political party was compromised. Also, the report goes on to explain that political parties were not the only organizations targeted but, universities and corporations were also involved. Via APT29 hackers were able to gain email access to several government officials to “compromise” a U.S. political party.

The report goes on to reveal how hackers gained access. Hackers used spear phishing email attacks. Spear phishing cyber attacks is a hacking scheme that works by targeting someone by pretending to be a business or individual they would know.

The report also included directions and instructions on how to prevent future malicious cyber attacks.

Towards the end of the statement, President Obama also made sure to explain that the U.S. is also responding in ways that will not be revealed to the public.

Hackers are getting more advanced. Last week, it was revealed that Russian hackers were able to steal millions per day from video advertisers through program called “Methbot”. But, government agencies are not the only groups getting targeted, Yahoo!, Britney Spears, Netflix and adult websites have all become victims of hackers just in the last few weeks.

Amazon May Soon Release Floating Warehouses

Jonathan Antonio
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Amazon May Soon Release Floating Warehouses

Following news of an incredible holiday season, Amazon was awarded a patent that will allow for floating warehouses.

Amazon has won a patent that is will presumably decrease shipping times. Labeled as a “airborne fulfillment center (AFC),” the e-commerce giant will use airships to house products.

Basically, the AFC will flow in altitudes of 45,000 feet or higher. Amazon shoppers will then be able to receive the products through the airborne fulfillment center. This is a major advantage for Amazon. The company is constantly working on decreasing shipping times in order to remain competitive. With AFC, Amazon could supply the high flying warehouse to hold items and a drone will ship the products to customers.

Amazon Shipping
Stock Photo: PARIS, FRANCE – JAN 27, 2016: Customer hand taking the parcel as the UPS United Parcel Service from Amazon Prime (Hadrian / Shutterstock.com)

In the company’s patent description Amazon explains that the AFC can remain airborne for long periods of time. Moreover, the AFC is not limited to similar warehouses that are located in a facility. Furthermore, an AFC can travel to different areas depending upon demand making it an easier to transport products.

Amazon Drones

Amazon Prime Air
Amazon announces Prime Air – a drone delivery service. (Image Courtesy of Amazon.com)

This is not the first time Amazon has showed their interest in aviation. Amazon announced a plan to deliver packages in 30 minutes or less. The company plans on accomplishing this by using drone technology.

Then, earlier this month Amazon’s CEO announced the news via Twitter praising the shipping breakthrough for the company. Amazon was able to deliver a product to a consumer via a drone and the entire delivery process only took 13 minutes.

However, Amazon still faces strict Federal Aviation Administration rules that call for all drones to be operated by a human pilot. Consequently, this rules out algorithms or GPS technology.

Following Amazon’s patent, it is possible to believe that warehouses will be floating across the country delivering products in minutes rather than days.

Scientists Can Detect 17 Diseases Using Only a Patient’s Breath

Brent Edward
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Scientists Can Detect 17 Diseases Using Only a Patient’s Breath

Scientists have detected 17 diseases by examining someone’s breath and using artificial intelligent sensors.

Morad K. Nakhleh and his team of 56 researchers from five different countries, led by the Israel Institute of Technology, published their findings in the journal of “ACS Nano”.

Researchers explained that diseases have unique chemical properties and by analyzing someone’s breath they were able to identify “chemical signatures”. In turn, they discovered diseases that the person was experiencing. Scientists examined over 1,400 patients and detected 17 unique diseases including several different types of cancers, irritable bowel syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Scientists accomplished this study by using a type of chemical identification machine often used in chemical experiments called mass spectrometry and artificial intelligent sensors. From there they identified the unique chemical components and their composition and linked it to information associated with particular diseases.

Ultimately, researchers were able to detect the diseases with 86% accuracy in blind experiments. But, researchers argue this type of technology and medical intervention could lead to a more personalized diagnosis and classification of diseases without expensive or noninvasive procedures.

Artificial Intelligent Breath Sensors

Moreover, these new discoveries are predicated on new technology called “artificially intelligent nanoarray” developed by Hossam Haick, professor at the Israel Institute of Technology. It’s a fast and inexpensive piece of AI technology that analyzes the chemical compounds and matches them to select diseases.

This is not the first time researchers have used this type of technology to detect cancer or other diseases. In 2014, Haitham Amal and his team of researchers published a study in the International Journal of Cancer revealing their ability to detect ovarian cancer from an exhaled breath. By examining 182 females, the study was able to detect cancer with 89% accuracy.

Then in 2015, researchers published a study in the journal of “Oncotarget” scientistes revealed their ability to determine genetic differences in breast cancers among women using the same type of technology.

This news comes as Silicon Valley’s tech titans invest heavily into AI. In fact, Amazon’s popular Internet of Things product, Amazon Echo and Amazon Dot were among the most popular items sold and shipped by the e-commerce giant. The AI product was so popular that the company was unable to keep up with the number of orders.

Gastric Bypass Surgery Linked to Longterm Digestive Issues

Brent Edward
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0
Gastric Bypass Surgery Linked to Longterm Digestive Issues

A popular weight loss surgery, gastric bypass, is now linked to long term digestive issues.

Lead researcher Dr. Thomas Boerlage published the results of his study in the British Journal of Surgery. Boerlage discovered that Laparoscopic gastric bypasss surgery often causes gastrointestinal issues for patients. Boerlage examined 249 obese patients who under went the surgery and found that 70.7% of the patients in the study complained of indigestion, being unable to eat food with high fat or sugar content, and nor being able to eat red meat.

Boerlage explained that the results of the study illustrate the importance of communication between the physician and the patient. Moreover, patients considering undergoing the weight loss surgery need to understand the long-term implications of the procedure.

“With this study, physicians can better counsel their patients, both before and after surgery. It also helps patients considering a gastric bypass to make a more well-thought decision,” Boerlage explained in a statement.

What is Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Gastric Bypass Surgery Complications
Stock Photo:
ISTANBUL, TURKEY – January 11, 2016: Medical robot da vinci. Robotic surgery. (Master Video / Shutterstock.com)

Gastric Bypass surgery works by making the size of the human stomach smaller. Surgeons accomplish this through a myriad of different procedures. But, overall surgery has been able to treat morbid obesity, diabetes, and other diseases associated with weight gain.

In a 2016 study published in the ANZ Journal of Surgery researchers Benedict MacKay and his team found gastric bypass surgery to be a safe procedure. Researchers examined patients that underwentRoux-en-Y laparoscopic gastric bypass (LYRYGB) and found the weight loss surgery to be a safe procedure with a low complication rate. In addition, to a low mortality rate.

A 2014 study published in the journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism researchers found the death rate for gastric bypass surgery to be similar to knee surgery. In fact, scientists reported  the mortality rate for LYRYGB to be 0.3% or 3 deaths for every 1,000 surgeries.

However, the weight loss surgery does not come without risks. A 2016 study published in the International Journal of Obesity  by researchers from Louisiana State University found that mice that underwent gastric bypass surgery activated parts of the brain typically associated with anorexia.

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