AllYouCanTech

North Carolina Facility Reinitiates Manufacturing During Continued IV Fluid Scarcity in Medical Facilities

### North Carolina IV Fluid Plant Resumes Production Following Hurricane Helene, Yet Shortages Remain

In a crucial move aimed at addressing the nationwide intravenous (IV) fluid deficit, Baxter Inc. has resumed operations at its primary manufacturing line at the North Cove facility in western North Carolina. This plant generates 60 percent of the IV fluid supply across the nation and was significantly affected by the flooding instigated by Hurricane Helene last month. Although this is an important achievement in the recovery journey, hospitals and healthcare providers are anticipated to face shortages for several additional weeks.

#### An Essential Facility for the Nation’s Healthcare System

The North Cove facility serves a vital role in the U.S. healthcare system by producing the majority of the IV fluids utilized in hospitals and clinics nationwide. These fluids are critical for various medical treatments, such as hydration, medication administration, and dialysis. The disruption caused by Hurricane Helene has intensified an already strained supply chain, causing healthcare providers to struggle with limited inventories.

Baxter Inc. announced on Thursday that the revived production line has the capacity to generate up to 25 percent of the plant’s overall production and around 50 percent of its one-liter IV solutions, which are the most frequently utilized products in medical settings. This development is encouraging; however, the company warned that the earliest batches of IV fluids might not be ready for shipment until late November.

#### The Journey to Recovery

Baxter’s CEO and President, José Almeida, conveyed optimism regarding the advancements made in restoring the plant. “The recovery progress at our North Cove site remains very promising,” Almeida stated. “In just a few weeks, our team has shifted from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s effects to restarting our highest-output manufacturing line. This represents a key milestone, but further efforts are essential as we aim to restore the plant to full production.”

Initially, Baxter had estimated that the facility would reach production levels of 90–100 percent for some products by the year’s end. Nonetheless, the company is now ahead of its expected timeline, partially due to the swift restoration of crucial infrastructure, including a temporary bridge that has facilitated the movement of over 885 truckloads of existing inventory from the plant. A second temporary bridge, slated for completion in early November, will enhance access to the site, allowing for the transportation of equipment and additional resources.

#### Federal Support and Regulatory Adaptability

The recovery initiative has gained momentum thanks to the assistance from federal and state organizations. The North Carolina Department of Transportation and the federal Administration of Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) have played essential roles in re-establishing access to the plant. Furthermore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided temporary regulatory leniency, enabling Baxter to import IV fluids from international sources to help mitigate the shortage.

Health Secretary Xavier Becerra commended the advancement in a recent statement, emphasizing that the output from the revived line would be carefully monitored to guarantee the quality and safety of the products. “This recent development advances us another step closer to ensuring that partners and patients have access to the necessary quality supplies,” Becerra remarked.

#### Hospitals Battling Shortages

Despite the progress at the North Cove facility, hospitals nationwide are still contending with serious IV fluid shortages. A recent survey indicated that over 86 percent of healthcare providers have been impacted by the deficit, leading to delays in surgeries and procedures, as well as the adoption of conservation measures.

In response, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been collaborating closely with healthcare providers to offer guidance on managing the shortage. Some of the suggested strategies include:

– **Oral Hydration**: For patients not needing IV fluids, oral hydration solutions such as Gatorade or Pedialyte can serve as alternatives.
– **Minimizing Unnecessary Usage**: Hospitals are being urged to restrict IV fluid use to only the most critical situations.
– **Inventory Oversight**: Healthcare facilities are encouraged to revise how they store and distribute IV fluids to ensure efficient utilization of supplies.

Some hospitals have also faced the necessity to cancel or postpone elective surgeries due to the shortage, further placing stress on the healthcare system.

#### Future Outlook

While the recommencement of production at the North Cove facility represents a positive development, the journey to complete recovery remains lengthy. Baxter’s initiatives, along with federal backing and regulatory flexibility, are assisting in alleviating the effects of the shortage, yet healthcare providers must persist in implementing conservation techniques for the foreseeable future.

This scenario highlights the vulnerability of essential healthcare supply chains to natural calamities and other disturbances. As climate change heightens the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, the healthcare industry may need to invest in more resilient infrastructure and diversified supply chains to avert similar crises in the future.

For the moment, the emphasis remains on reestablishing full production at the North Cove facility and ensuring that hospitals and clinics have access to the intravenous fluids essential for patient care.

“Starlink Enters National Radio Quiet Zone, Reportedly Limits Access for Some Users”

### Starlink’s Growth in the National Radio Quiet Zone: A Complex Issue

#### Introduction

Starlink, the satellite internet service from SpaceX, has broadened its network to include the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ), an area in the United States with stringent restrictions on radio transmissions to safeguard essential scientific research. Following a multi-year engineering partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), Starlink is now accessible to 99.5% of the residents in the NRQZ. Nevertheless, this growth has generated debate, especially for the remaining 0.5% of residents who have lost access to Starlink’s Roam service, which had been their internet lifeline.

#### Starlink’s Introduction to the NRQZ

The NRQZ, covering sections of Virginia and West Virginia, houses vital scientific institutions such as the Green Bank Observatory and an NSA facility at Sugar Grove Station. Since 1958, there have been stringent regulations that limit radio transmissions in this zone to avoid interference with radio telescopes and other sensitive equipment. Consequently, residents have faced challenges with limited internet options, given the frequent unavailability or unreliability of traditional broadband and cellular services.

The introduction of Starlink in the NRQZ results from a near three-year engineering collaboration between SpaceX, the NSF, and the NRAO. The aim was to deliver high-speed satellite internet to most residents while ensuring minimal interference with the observatories. As of October 25, 2024, Starlink’s home internet service reaches 99.5% of the NRQZ’s population, marking a noteworthy advancement in reducing the digital divide in this remote area.

#### The Roam Issue

While the growth of Starlink’s home internet service is a positive change for many residents, it has unfortunately left a small yet significant fraction of the population without service. Specifically, 0.5% of residents who had utilized Starlink’s Roam service—intended for travelers and RV users—have seen their access revoked. According to the Pendleton County Office of Emergency Management, these residents depended on Roam for two years, and its abrupt discontinuation has left them without acceptable internet alternatives.

Rick Gillespie, the Emergency Services Coordinator for Pendleton County, voiced his frustration regarding the situation, asserting that “in many instances, Starlink was the sole internet provider available to residents and emergency responders.” He described the lack of coverage as “unacceptable,” especially in areas devoid of other internet options.

#### Consequences for Public Safety and Communication

The withdrawal of Starlink Roam coverage has ignited worries about public safety and emergency communications within the NRQZ. Gillespie has actively highlighted the struggles faced by local communities, characterizing the restrictions as keeping parts of Pendleton and Pocahontas counties “in the dark ages of communication systems.” He stressed that Starlink had been an essential resource for both residents and emergency personnel, and its absence has created a notable void in the region’s communication framework.

Local leaders are now advocating for alterations to the NRQZ regulations to facilitate more robust communication systems. Ten counties in West Virginia and one in Virginia have formally articulated their need for changes through resolutions and letters of support. Representing over 262,000 residents, these counties are urging either the dismantling of the NRQZ or waivers that would authorize the adoption of modern communication technologies, including satellite internet and cellular networks.

#### Starlink’s Technical Approaches to Minimize Interference

In addressing the concerns of the NRAO and other scientific organizations, SpaceX has adopted sophisticated technical solutions to lessen interference from its satellites. Starlink’s phased array antenna technology enables the network to dynamically direct beams away from radio telescopes, ensuring that scientific research remains undisturbed. This system relies on real-time data sharing between Starlink and the observatories, allowing satellites to modify their transmissions according to the telescopes’ observation schedules and pointing directions.

Starlink claims this beam-steering technology can redirect satellite signals in milliseconds, safeguarding the telescopes’ observations while providing constant internet service for users located near the observatories. This method has been effectively employed not only in the NRQZ but also at the NRAO’s Very Large Array in New Mexico.

#### Demands for Modification of NRQZ Regulations

Despite these technical advancements, local leaders contend that the NRQZ regulations are outdated and require reform. The Pendleton County Commission has demanded either the abolition of the quiet zone or the issuance of waivers for public safety communications and commercial services like Starlink. Their resolution emphasizes the financial strain placed by the NRQZ, noting that the limitations have compelled the county to construct more communication towers than would be necessary otherwise.

Additionally, the Pocahontas County Commission has passed a resolution advocating for waivers or federal funding to help alleviate the expenses associated with developing public safety communication systems.

Research Shows AI Systems Display Bias Toward Black and Female Resumes

### The Bias of AI in Résumé Screening: A Comprehensive Analysis of Language Models Favoring White and Male Candidates

In recent times, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a vital component of various sectors, especially in human resources (HR). AI-powered tools, particularly large language models (LLMs), are progressively being utilized to streamline processes such as résumé evaluation and candidate assessment. Nevertheless, an expanding array of research indicates that these AI systems may not be as unbiased as we desire. A recent study has uncovered that language models frequently display preferences, favoring white and male candidates over others, even when qualifications are the same.

#### The Study: Unearthing AI Bias in Résumé Screening

A new paper, showcased at the AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society, underscores the prevalence of bias in AI-based résumé screening. Researchers from the University of Washington executed a study utilizing three different Massive Text Embedding (MTE) models, all derived from the Mistal-7B large language model (LLM). These models were refined with various datasets to enhance their efficacy in activities such as document retrieval, classification, and clustering.

The researchers processed hundreds of publicly accessible résumés and job postings through these MTE models. Rather than depending on straightforward keyword matching, the models produced “embedded relevance scores” for each résumé and job description combination. This enabled the researchers to evaluate how closely each résumé aligned with the job description based on the model’s text comprehension.

To assess bias, the researchers initially ran the résumés through the models without any names attached. Subsequently, they repeated the experiment using names with high scores for racial and gender distinctiveness, indicating that the names were strongly linked to specific racial or gender categories. The objective was to observe whether the models favored certain names over others in the résumé evaluations.

#### The Results: A Distinct Pattern of Bias

The results of the study were alarming. Across more than three million résumé and job description evaluations, the MTE models consistently showed a preference for white and male names. Specifically:

– **White names were selected in 85.1% of the evaluations**, compared to only 8.6% for Black names. The remaining evaluations displayed negligible differences.
– **Male names were chosen in 51.9% of the evaluations**, while just 11.1% were for female names.
– In intersectional comparisons (considering both race and gender), **Black male names were never favored over white male names** across any of the bias evaluations.

These patterns were apparent across a variety of job descriptions, regardless of the typical racial or gender demographics of the roles in reality. This implies that the bias does not mirror societal trends but is instead a product of the models’ intrinsic preferences.

#### Why Does This Occur? The “Default” Dilemma

The researchers suspect that the bias arises from the models’ treatment of certain identities as the “default.” In this situation, the models appear to consider “masculine and White concepts” as the standard, with other identities regarded as anomalies. This presents a serious concern, as it indicates that the models are not evaluating candidates solely based on qualifications, but rather are affected by the names linked to those candidates.

The inclination towards white and male names was often minor in individual tests, with the “percentage difference in screening advantage” being around 5% or lower in the majority of instances. However, the persistent nature of the bias across millions of evaluations accumulates, possibly resulting in substantial discrepancies in hiring outcomes.

#### Real-World Consequences: AI Bias in Recruitment

The findings of this study are troubling, particularly given the growing dependence on AI in recruitment. While the biases displayed by the MTE models in this controlled study may not precisely reflect how AI tools function in practice, they spotlight a significant issue: AI systems are susceptible to bias. In fact, they frequently mirror the biases present in the data utilized for training.

This isn’t the first instance of AI bias in recruitment coming to the forefront. In 2018, Amazon was compelled to abandon an internal AI recruiting tool after it was discovered to favor male candidates. The tool had been trained on résumés sent to the company over a decade, most of which were submitted by men. Consequently, the AI learned to prefer male candidates, even penalizing résumés that contained the term “women’s” (e.g., “women’s chess club”).

#### The Urgency for Bias Mitigation in AI

As AI continues to assume a more prominent role in hiring and other decision-making processes, it is essential to tackle these biases. Some firms, such as Salesforce, have enacted thorough testing for bias and toxicity in their AI models prior to their deployment in production. These organizations also incorporate safeguards and controls to avert harmful outcomes.

Nevertheless, further efforts are required to ensure that AI systems are just and equitable. This encompasses not