Anna Garraway

SC Dismisses Kerala ‘s Plea Over Adani’s Takeover Of Thiruvananthapuram Airport – Hindustan Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/sc-dismisses-kerala-s-plea-over-adanis-takeover-of-thiruvananthapuram-airport-hindustan-times/ Live Updated on Oct 17, 2022 03:13 PM IST Breaking news October 17, 2022, Live Updates: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. Follow all the updates here: Oct 17, 2022 03:13 PM IST DGCA asked SpiceJet to oil samples in every 15 days after emergency landing at Hyderabad The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday asked SpiceJet to send oil samples to engine maker Pratt & Whitney in every 15 days in the wake of an emergency landing in Hyderabad earlier this month due to smoke in cabin from oil leakage in AC.  Read more Oct 17, 2022 02:48 PM IST SC dismisses Kerala govt’s plea challenging Adani Group’s takeover of Thiruvananthapuram Airport Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Kerala government’s petition against take over of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport by Adani Group Oct 17, 2022 02:26 PM IST AAP MP Sanjay Singh detained outside CBI headquarters  Delhi Police on Monday detained Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh outside CBI headquarters for alleged violation of prohibitory orders, according to PTI reports. Oct 17, 2022 02:14 PM IST Shiva Sena MP Sanjay Raut bail hearing adjourned for tomorrow Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s bail hearing adjourned for tomorrow, according to news agency ANI. After his judicial custody ended, he in the PMLA court. Sanjay Raut has been arrested by the ED in the Patra Wala Chawl case. Oct 17, 2022 01:44 PM IST ‘Natural farming has led to multi-fold increase in production’: PM Modi addresses Kisan Sammelan 2022 “We’re giving importance to drip irrigation & use of sprinklers to conserve water and maintain soil health. We have also given utter importance to natural farming which has led to a multi-fold increase in production,” PM Modi said in Kisan Sammelan on Monday. Oct 17, 2022 01:16 PM IST Korean-pop boy band BTS members to serve mandatory military service: Agency HYBE K-pop boy band BTS members will serve mandatory military service, starting with its oldest member Jin, their agency said on Monday. “All other members will also serve mandatory military duty according to their plans,” their management group HYBE said in a regulatory filing. Oct 17, 2022 12:51 PM IST BJP withdraws candidate for crucial Andheri bypoll amid appeals BJP has withdrawn its candidate for crucial Andheri bypoll amid appeals, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced in Nagpur on Monday. Oct 17, 2022 12:39 PM IST Supreme Court issues notice on HC judgement allowing minor Muslim girl to marry after attaining puberty Supreme Court issues notice on a judgment by the Punjab & Haryana HC that held that a minor Muslim girl is free under the personal law to marry after she attains puberty. “This matter will have to be considered,” says SC, appointing Sr advocate Rajshekhar Rao as amicus curiae. Oct 17, 2022 11:58 AM IST SC junks BJP’S Manoj Tiwari’s appeal against summons in 2019 defamation case filed by Manish Sisodia Supreme Court junks appeal by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari against summons issued against him in November 2019 in a defamation case filed by Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia. SC, however, allows the similar plea by BJP MLA Vijender Gupta. Oct 17, 2022 11:51 AM IST Bombay HC refuses to grant bail to Elgar Parishad accused Jyoti Jagtap Bombay high court refused to grant bail to Elgar Parishad accused Jyoti Jagtap who had appealed against a special court order which rejected her bail application in February this year. Oct 17, 2022 11:24 AM IST SC issues notice to RBI, CBI on Subramanian Swamy’s plea seeking probe into RBI’s nominee director’s role in loan fraud, reports ANI Supreme Court has issued notice to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a plea filed by BJP member Subramanian Swamy seeking a CBI probe into the alleged role of RBI’s nominee director in bank loan fraud cases, reported news agency ANI. Oct 17, 2022 10:52 AM IST Ukraine’s capital Kyiv rocked by blasts 2nd time in a week Ukraine’s capital Kyiv was rocked by blasts early on Monday for the second time in a week as several residential buildings were damaged in the central Shevchenkivskyi district, mayor Vitalii Klitshchko said. Oct 17, 2022 10:22 AM IST Mamata Banerjee on a four-day visit to northern districts in Bengal from today West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to embark on a four-day visit to the northern districts of the state on Monday, during which she is likely to meet industrialists and take part in administration meetings, officials said. Oct 17, 2022 09:50 AM IST CBI to question Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in excise policy case today Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia sought the blessings of his mother on Monday morning as he geared up to face CBI officials. Oct 17, 2022 09:27 AM IST Sikh community objects to CM Eknath Shinde’s new party symbol Disputes over the newly allotted election symbols to the two factions of the Shiv Sena continue as the Sikh community leaders have now objected to two swords and shield – the symbol allotted to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena. Oct 17, 2022 08:46 AM IST At 2,060 fresh cases, India sees yet another dip in daily Covid tally At 2,060 fresh cases, India sees yet another dip in daily Covid tally; active count stands at 26,834 Oct 17, 2022 08:39 AM IST PM wishes Punjab CM Mann on birthday Birthday wishes to Punjab CM Shri @BhagwantMann Ji. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 17, 2022 Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on his birthday and wished for a “long and healthy life.” Oct 17, 2022 07:50 AM IST Japan PM orders probe into Unification Church Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered on Monday a government probe into the Unification Church, after the assassination of former premier Shinzo Abe renewed scrutiny of the sect. Oct 17, 2022 07:30 AM IST Asian stocks drop; major currencies make gains at start of trade Asian equities fell while major currencies made gains against the dollar in a cautious open to the week following further weakness on Wall Street and a defiant message to the world from China’s Communist Party congress. Oct 17, 2022 06:54 AM IST PM Modi to inaugurate PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 today Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 on Monday. It is a 2-day event dedicated to meeting the “needs of farmers and transforming agriculture sector,” a government statement read. PM is also expected to release PM-KISAN Funds worth ₹16,000 crores. Oct 17, 2022 06:23 AM IST NASA’s Lucy spacecraft successfully passes at JUST 350 km above Earth’s surface Oct 17, 2022 06:01 AM IST Kerala ‘human sacrifice’ case: Kin of more missing women reach out to police As probe into the alleged human sacrifice case in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district continued, relatives of more missing women have approached the police fearing main accused Mohammad Shafi alias Rasheed might have been behind their disappearances.  Oct 17, 2022 05:42 AM IST Death toll rises to 600 in Nigeria’s worst floods in a decade More than 600 people are now known to have perished in the worst floods in a decade in Nigeria, according to a new toll released Sunday. The disaster had also forced more than 1.3 million from their homes, said a statement by Nigeria’s ministry of humanitarian affairs, released on Twitter. Subscribe to our best newsletters Shocked, says Mamata on Ganguly’s BCCI exit; TMC boss has an appeal for PM Modi Published on Oct 17, 2022 03:21 PM IST The Trinamool Congress surpemo requested the BJP-led Centre to not take a decision on Ganguly with any politics in mind, but for the sake of cricket and sports. Mamata Benerjee spekaing to reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for a trip to north Bengal on Monday.(ANI) Congress MP’s suggestion for Rahul Gandhi on Bharat Jodo Yatra: ‘I want him to…’ Published on Oct 17, 2022 03:16 PM IST Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi cast his vote to elect the new Congress president at a campsite of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Karnataka. The 3,500-km yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir is observing a “rest day” on the 40th day of the march at Sanganakallu since its commencement on September 7. AP police restrict Pawan Kalyan to Vizag hotel for 2 days; Party workers protest Updated on Oct 17, 2022 02:35 PM IST The Andhra Pradesh police have restricted Pawan Kalyan to the Novotel Hotel in Visakhapatnam since Saturday evening as his supporters allegedly attacked ministers, civilians and police officials at the local airport India Covid cases: At 2,060 new infections, daily tally sees yet another decline Published on Oct 17, 2022 02:20 PM IST The active cases increased to 26,834 and comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections, according to data updated by the ministry at 8am. ‘Despite bravado…no Kejriwal to tutor’: Malviya on Sisodia’s show of strength Updated on Oct 17, 2022 02:34 PM IST Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia claimed that a fake case has been slapped on him despite the CBI not finding anything from his home and bank locker the last the agency had raided those. Galwan clash clip shown at key China meet singles India as military adversary Updated on Oct 17, 2022 01:31 PM IST By playing the June 15, 2020 Galwan clash clip at the opening of 20th Congress of...

Effects Of Lifestyle Risk Behaviour Clustering On Cardiovascular Disease Among UK Adults: Latent Class Analysis With Distal Outcomes | Scientific Reports – Nature.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/effects-of-lifestyle-risk-behaviour-clustering-on-cardiovascular-disease-among-uk-adults-latent-class-analysis-with-distal-outcomes-scientific-reports-nature-com/ Abstract Lifestyle risk behaviours such as smoking, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet account for a considerable disease burden globally. These risk behaviours tend to cluster within an individual, which could have detrimental health effects. In this study, we aimed to examine the clustering effect of lifestyle risk behaviours on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk among adults in the United Kingdom (UK). We performed a latent class (LC) analysis with distal outcomes using the UK Biobank baseline (2006–2010) data. First, we estimated LC measurement models, followed by an auxiliary model conditional on LC variables. We reported continuous (mean difference—MD) and binary (odds ratio—OR) outcomes with 95% confidence intervals. We included 283,172 and 174,030 UK adults who had data on CVD and CVD risk, respectively. Multiple lifestyle risk behaviour clustering (physically inactive, poor fruit & vegetable intake, high alcohol intake, and prolonged sitting) had a 3.29 mean increase in CVD risk compared to high alcohol intake. In addition, adults with three risk behaviours (physically inactive, poor fruit & vegetable intake, and high alcohol intake) had 25.18 higher odds of having CVD than those with two risk behaviours (physically inactive, and poor fruit and vegetable intake). Social deprivation, gender and age were also associated with CVD. Individuals’ LC membership with two or more lifestyle risk behaviours negatively affects CVD. Interventions targeting multiple lifestyle behaviours and social circumstances should be prioritized to reduce the CVD burden. Introduction Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for 71% of all deaths worldwide1. Lifestyle risk behaviours such as smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, and unhealthy diet increase the risk of dying from NCD1. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)1,2,3 account for most NCD deaths globally. In the UK, 11% of the population live with CVD, and CVD accounts for 25% of all deaths4. In 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended seven cardiovascular health behaviours (Life’s Simple 7) to reduce CVD morbidity and mortality in the general population, including smoking, diet, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting glucose5. The 2019 AHA guideline on the primary prevention of CVD recommends that people engage in a healthy lifestyle throughout their life6. Lifestyle risk behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet and physical inactivity are major risk factors for the development of CVD7,8. Physical inactivity and increased sedentary time are important modifiable risk factors for cardiometabolic disease9,10. Physical inactivity is also the fourth leading cause of disease and disability in the UK11. Sleeping too much or too little is also strongly associated with CVD12,13,14. People engaging in multiple risk behaviours tend to have poor health outcomes compared to those engaging in one risk behaviour15. Thus, identifying people with multiple risk behaviours provides insight into where policies should target to reduce inequalities in health16,17. While previous studies have investigated the clustering of lifestyle behaviours for people with CVD18,19 and the general population20, most did not include all major lifestyle behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol intake, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, sitting behaviour, and sleep. To analyse the co-occurrence of multiple health-related behaviours, different statistical approaches have been proposed in the literature21. However, these approaches are mainly focused on identifying clustering of risk behaviours and not estimating their effect on a distal outcome. Latent class (LC) analysis with a distal outcome is important for identifying how different lifestyle risk behaviours occur together among participants based on indicator variables, and to estimate the effect of LC membership on a distal outcome22,23,24. The effects of LC membership (clustering of lifestyle risk behaviours) on CVD and the risk of developing CVD have not yet been investigated. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of six lifestyle risk behaviours (smoking, poor fruit and vegetable consumption, alcohol intake, physical inactivity, prolonged sitting, and poor sleep), and clustering patterns of these lifestyle risk behaviours. In addition, we aimed to identify and estimate the effect of socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender), Townsend deprivation index and LC membership on CVD, and CVD risk. Methods UK Biobank has ethics approval from the North West Multi-centre Research Ethics Committee25. According to this approval, researchers do not require separate ethics applications. All participants provided written informed consent. This study was carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. Study population We analysed data from the UK Biobank study that included more than 500,000 middle-aged (38–73 years) adults recruited from 22 sites across England, Wales, and Scotland. We used baseline data collected between 2006 and 201026,27. Socio-demographic, lifestyle (smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary intake, physical activity, sitting time and sleep duration) and medical history were collected using the touchscreen questionnaire27. Disease categories The UK Biobank collected self-reported medical information, such as CVD based on physician diagnosis. To define participants’ CVD status, we used data on vascular/heart problems diagnosed by a doctor (Field ID = 6150). Under this Field ID, four CVDs were reported: heart attack, angina, stroke, and high blood pressure. For this analysis, participants who were reported to have at least one of these diseases were classified as having CVD, not otherwise. A total of 283,172 participants without missing data were included. For the 174,030 participants without CVD, we computed a 10-year CVD risk score28 using the Framingham risk score function from the CVrisk package29 in R30. The variables included in the 10-year CVD risk calculation were age, gender, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, blood pressure medication, smoking and diabetes status28. Lifestyle behaviours This analysis used six lifestyle behaviours: smoking, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, alcohol intake, screen and driving time, and sleep duration. Physical activity The UK Biobank collected data on physical activity using adapted questions from the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)31 that includes the frequency, intensity and duration of walking, moderate and vigorous activity. UK Biobank data on time spent on moderate and vigorous activity was added and converted to a metabolic equivalent of task (MET) score. Participants were classified as active if they had ≥ 750 MET min/week or inactive (� 750 MET min/week), based on the 2019 AHA guideline6. Fruit and vegetable intake The UK Biobank collected data on dietary intake using the Food Frequency Questionnaire32. The NHS guideline recommends every individual to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day33,34. Data on fresh fruit (pieces), dried fruit (pieces), salad/raw vegetable (heaped tablespoons) and cooked vegetable (heaped tablespoons) were combined to calculate portions. Participants consuming at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day were considered to have adequate fruit and vegetable intake. Alcohol intake Participants were asked for the number of pints of beer, glasses of wine, and measures of spirit consumed in the last week. Since alcoholic drinks differ in the amount of alcohol content, we converted each drink into equivalent standard units (1 unit contains 10 ml of ethyl alcohol)35. We calculated total weekly units of alcohol consumption by adding the units of beer, wine, and spirits. Based on the NHS guidelines35, we grouped participants as low-risk drinkers (≤ 14 units per week) or high-risk drinkers ( 14 units per week). Smoking To measure smoking status, participants were asked, “Do you smoke tobacco now?”. Response options were “Yes, on most or all days”, “Only occasionally” and “No”. Those who responded “yes” or “smoke occasionally” were coded as 1, current smoker, while those who responded as “no” were coded as 0, not a current smoker. Prolonged sitting Total sitting time was calculated from the sum of self-reported hours spent watching television, using the computer, and driving during a typical day. Based on the estimated total sitting time, participants were categorized as low risk sitting (� 8 h/day) or prolonged sitting (≥ 8 h/day)36,37. This was based on the evidence of greater mortality risk for each increased sitting time category compared with � 8 h/day36,37. Sleep duration To measure sleep duration, the UK Biobank asked participants ‘About how many hours sleep do you get in every 24 h? (please include naps)’. Sleep duration was split using predefined thresholds from the literature; � 7 h, 7–8 h and  8 h13. Based on these cut points, participants were grouped as having ‘poor sleep’ (� 7 or  8 h/night) and ‘good sleep’ (7–8 h/night). Socio-demographic variables Socio-demographic characteristics (age and gender), and Townsend deprivation index (TSDI) were included in the latent class analysis (LCA) model. TSDI was used to measure participants’ deprivation38. The index combines information on housing, employment, car availability and social class, with higher values indicating greater deprivation38. Statistical analysis Descriptive statistics...

October 17, 2022 | Daily News Brief | Teacher Hit By Car At Drop-Off. Election Silliness And Candidate Forums. 37 Bus Routes. Sports News. FB Contest – Eye On Annapolis – Eye On Annapolis https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/october-17-2022-daily-news-brief-teacher-hit-by-car-at-drop-off-election-silliness-and-candidate-forums-37-bus-routes-sports-news-fb-contest-eye-on-annapolis-eye-on-annapolis/ Give us about ten minutes a day, and we will give you all the local news, local sports, local weather, and local events you can handle. SPONSORS: Many thanks to our sponsors… Solar Energy Services because solar should be in your future! The Kristi Neidhardt Team. If you are looking to buy or sell your home, give Kristi a call at 888-860-7369! And- Scout & Molly’s  Today… An Anne Arundel County Police officer was arrested in Baltimore City for second-degree assault. A Teacher was struck by a car during morning drop-off. AACPS is putting 37 more bus routes in service this morning. A citizens group says they will manually recount ballots after the election. County Executive debate tomorrow at Maryland Hall, and Candidate Forum on Wednesday in Pasadena. Navy and Ravens lost, and a pony pooped. But we do have a contest over on our Facebook page! And, of course, some pod news! Ann Alsina from CovingtonAlsina is here with your Monday Money Report! And as usual, George from DCMDVA Weather is here with your local weather forecast! Please download their APP so you can keep on top of the local weather scene! The Eye On Annapolis Daily News Brief is produced every Monday through Friday at 6:00 am and available wherever you get your podcasts and also on our social media platforms–All Annapolis and Eye On Annapolis (FB) and @eyeonannapolis (TW) NOTE: For hearing impaired subscribers, a full transcript is available on Eye On Annapolis CONNECT WITH US!  LOTS OF WAYS:  http://bit.ly/EOAConnect The Eye On Annapolis Daily News Brief is produced every Monday through Friday at 6:00 am. Subscribing is free and the easiest way to ensure you get your news delivered to your device daily. All the links you need are below! All content ©2022, JVE Group, Inc. | Eye On Annapolis TRANSCRIPT: Good morning; it is Monday, October 17th, 2022, and THIS is your Eye On Annapolis Daily News Brief. Spectacular weekend. A visit with the kid from North Carolina, a trip to the sailboat show–open until 5 pm today, and a day at the Renn Fest–sold out for the rest of the season! I’ll take it!   OK, we have some news,  so let’s get into it, shall we? An Anne Arundel County Police officer has had his police powers suspended after he was arrested in Baltimore for second-degree assault. Because this is Baltimore City, we do not have much information. Still, we learned from County police that they became aware of the arrest on Thursday and that Officer T. Thomas, who is assigned to the community services bureau, has had police powers suspended and has been reassigned to an administrative capacity while this all gets resolved. Officer Thomas is a 2-year veteran of the force. A teacher was hit by a car during the morning drop-off at the Monarch Academy on Capital Drive in Annapolis on Friday. A parent dropped off their child when they accidentally struck the teacher assisting with the process. She was taken to Shock Trauma and released later on in the day. Obviously, the school sent home a letter advising parents to use extra caution while dropping off or picking up and said they would have counselors available to anyone that needs to speak to one. And speaking of schools. Fingers crossed this morning for Dr. Bedell’s partial solution to the bus shortage situation. Somehow this tube of toothpaste is being squeezed, and they have found a way to serve 37 bus routes that had not been served before without new buses or new drivers. Things can change, of course, so please check aacps.org/buses for the latest. And if Dr. Bedell legitimately was able to find 37 routes in the first six weeks of school that the entire transportation department could not find for two years–one has to wonder how fouled up it really is. Some silly election news. A group aligned with the Dan Cox Campaign, calling themselves the Maryland Voter Integrity Group, says they will want to examine all ballots and do their own manual count to ensure the machines are reading votes correctly and there are no hidden algorithms. Governor Hogan and Democratic Candidate Wes Moore have said they have the utmost confidence in the machines and system. Meanwhile, Republican Dan Cox has refused to say he would accept the results of the election More election news…and this is purely to make sure you are informed. Tomorrow at 7 pm at Maryland Hall, there will be a County Executive Debate by The Capital and the Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce. It’s free, but they would like you to register, and you can do it at marylandhall.org. And on Wednesday, up in the Dena at the Our Lady of the Chesapeake Church on Ventnor Road, the Greater Pasadena Council will host a candidate forum for Congressional District 3, District 31 for both Delegate and State Senator, County Executive, and Sheriff. It gets underway at 7 pm and will last for 2 hours. Sports news. Let’s just not. Suffice it to say that the Ravens and the Midshipmen figured out ways to snatch defeat from the hands of victory. However, the star of that Navy SMU game was probably the SMU mascot pony that caused a 15-minute delay of game because he pooped on the field. Up next for the Mids–Houston this Saturday at noon. We’ll be there! I hope you caught the Local Business Spotlight on Saturday with Parry and Lucky Bird Tattoo.  Coming up on Saturday is Betsy from Scout and Molly’s.  And if you want to get in on some tickets to see either Crystal Bowersox tomorrow or Firefall (in their trio form) on Thursday–we have a contest on the All Annapolis Facebook page that closes at 6 pm tonight! OK, that’s a wrap– thank YOU first and foremost, and also a quick thank you to our sponsors for today’s Daily News Brief– Solar Energy Services, Scout & Molly’s, and the Kristi Neidhardt Team of Northrop Realty, a Long and Foster Company. And now,   Ann Alsina from Covington Alsina is here with your Monday Money Report–and of course,  we have George Young from DCMDVA Weather with your locally forecast weather.  All that coming up in just a bit! Wondering where the comments are? We encourage you to use the share buttons below and start the conversation on your own! Related Tags: Annapolis Makerspace, Covington Alsina, Daily News Brief, DCMDVA Weather, DNB, Eye On Annapolis Category: Daily News Brief, Local News, NEWS, Podcast

Get Ready For The Metaverse – InfoWorld https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/get-ready-for-the-metaverse-infoworld/ Whether companies want to leap or tiptoe into the metaverse, they should decide which of these key technologies aligns with their business strategies. Will we see growth in the metaverse similar to the World Wide Web back in the 1990s? One source shows that there were fewer than 3,000 websites in 1994, but just five years later, there were more than 3 million, and being “on the web” was essential to many businesses. The internet’s growth in the 1990s was fueled by rapid technological changes, growing customer expectations, and evolving business models, among other factors. It required a radical shift in IT functions, and during the past two decades just about all businesses came to need software development, integration, data, analytics, customer experience, automation, and e-commerce capabilities to remain solvent. The question is, which businesses will require a similar transformation to support the metaverse? Which will need to leverage underlying technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and nonfungible tokens (NFTs)? And over what timeframe? If you’re a cloud or tech company or have a large-scale e-commerce or entertainment business, chances are you already have teams building or innovating technologies needed for the metaverse. But even industries slower to adopt new technologies, including healthcare, manufacturing, construction, or education, will have to consider their strategies and timing to be metaverse-ready. That begs the question of what technologies will help businesses get ready to support the metaverse. The choices will depend on business objectives. Many tech, e-commerce, entertainment, and industrial companies will create the infrastructure and experiences to support a metaverse and will need infrastructure, user devices, software, and an AI stack to achieve these goals. Others will be content creators or participants in one or more metaverses and will need flexible content, commerce, and data strategies. Scalable infrastructure and networks Organizations developing metaverse technology and platforms must consider the infrastructure and network performance, scalability, and security requirements. For example, a 4K virtual reality stream requires a 500Mbps download speed, and metaverse services will need to scale their networks to support the number of active users. Industrial applications and others impacting human safety must also consider latency factors. How can businesses plan for this scale? Ram Mallikarjuna, chief strategist at Akamai, says, “Distributed platforms with highly scalable and secure edge computing technology will be a critical need for businesses looking to leverage metaverses, as the edge already plays a role in processing and delivering high rates of personalized content in real time at extremely low latency.” Nadir Ali, CEO of Inpixon, agrees and adds, ”Device-centric and edge computing capabilities not reliant on on-prem or cloud servers will make it possible for new applications to be created in the metaverse. Another example is the technology enabling wireless connectivity. High-bandwidth, high-speed, secure wired and wireless network infrastructure will also be required for many metaverse applications.” AR, VR, and emerging devices The metaverse is synonymous with AR and VR experiences. But any devices connecting the physical and digital worlds with sensory inputs and visual outputs are possibilities. Other technologies include optical finger navigation, watches for the metaverse, and other wearable fashions. New devices will require advances in software, data processing, and machine learning to improve visual, auditory, and physical sensory inputs. “The metaverse presents an opportunity to more fully transcend our physical limitations,” says Anand Srivatsa, CEO of Tobii. “Technologies like eye tracking will play a critical role in helping reduce the need for compute and networking power, which are required to deliver lifelike, immersive virtual environments. Eye tracking will also help users express their attention and intent in more realistic ways when they’re in the digital universe.” Ofir Zuk, cofounder and CEO of Datagen, adds, “With AR/VR as its foundational medium, most of the innovation we’re going to see in the metaverse will come from the field of computer vision. It will depend upon large volumes of photorealistic, targeted training data.” So, developing applications and content for the metaverse will require a review of AR, VR, and other emerging device technologies and go beyond today’s web and mobile experiences. Strong dataops and integration capabilities If human-digital devices enable the experience, and infrastructure supports metaverse-scale interactivity, then it’s how real the experience feels to users that will be the primary innovation and differentiator. To start, organizations will need strong dataops capabilities, and machine learning models will likely require synthetic data generation. Zuk continues, “Businesses looking to make waves in the metaverse usually begin by establishing a robust data pipeline—with synthetic data as the primary resource driving the development life cycle.” Bart Schouw, chief evangelist at Software AG, agrees. “This year and beyond, leaders will begin to realize the value of the metaverse, but first, they should invest in real-time data ingestion and analytics now, as both are paramount to the success of the metaverse and its overall accuracy.” Creating enticing metaverses and virtual worlds With data coming in, developers, data scientists, and user experience specialists must create a virtual world that captivates users. Remember the early web experiences before CSS and JavaScript? Even though video game, Hollywood, and the entertainment industries have generations of experience using technology to create experiences, developing highly interactive and scalable worlds requires ongoing innovation. Virtual experiences to support office collaboration may not require the same level of sophistication as entertainment but may be more important for long-term hybrid work programs. Virtual conferences and higher education metaverses have more UX complexities and will likely see rapid evolution during the next few years. Companies like Gather, Teamflow, Virbela, and others compete in the virtual office technologies space, and they definitely see competition from Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple, Zoom, and other big tech companies. Manufacturing, construction, smart city, and other industrial applications of metaverse technologies may be the most technically challenging but offer significant opportunities. These metaverses will require real-time Internet of Things data streaming, digital twins, and advanced machine learning models to connect virtual and physical systems. Gopikrishnan Konnanath, Infosys senior vice president and global head of engineering services and blockchain, says, “As the environment that gathers and disseminates data from the physical world to represent it in the virtual one, IoT is the backbone connecting both the worlds. Developers must understand IoT’s ecosystem of connected objects and how it captures data to create ‘real-like’ sensations—visual, auditory, experiential—in metaverse avatars.” Schouw adds that “metaverse applications can be transformational for the enterprise, particularly with IoT and digital twins that are digital representations of real-world entities.” Cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and blockchain Virtual worlds will need to support identity resolution, financial transactions, smart contracts, and material ownership. That’s where cryptocurrencies, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), and blockchain are key technologies. More broadly, Yan Ketelers, CMO at Venly, identifies several Web 3.0 technologies, including creating decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), Web3 profiles, and the importance of social platforms. “Every business will need either a centralized or decentralized wallet provider and an NFT strategy,” he says. That’s a lot of tech jargon, but these technologies are key for retail industries to create storefronts and other trusted commerce in virtual worlds. The metaverse and NFTs already provide revolutionary capabilities for content creators, the arts, and the distribution of other intellectual property. Jeremy Howell, vice president of strategic accounts at Rightsline, says, “The tech embedded in the metaverse encourages experimentation in areas such as financing, production, distribution, and exploitation of branded content for businesses. While the metaverse will mimic aspects of the physical world, businesses will shine by leading with innovation and using novel engagement points.” Managing multiple metaverses There’s effectively one internet even though multiple devices, browsers, programming languages, data formats, and other technologies create interoperability challenges. It’s less likely we’ll see one virtual world unanimously branded “the metaverse,” but hopefully, we won’t end up with walled-off worlds and experiences.  Mallikarjuna believes that “businesses need to prepare to provide a seamless experience for consumers across multiple metaverses, not just ‘the metaverse.’ ” That’s largely how video game worlds operate today. For the most part, you can’t port your video game avatar and gaming wealth across competing gaming worlds, but for the metaverse to have massive adoption, it will require creating standards across many technologies. The question is, how will businesses choose to invest in metaverse technologies as many of the platforms continue to evolve? Prasad Joshi, senior vice president at the Infosys Center for Emerging Technology Solutions, says, “Companies need to adopt AR, VR, and AI/ML technologies, along with strong 5G networks into their company processes, which will enable them to...

Upgrade To Your Dream Device This Festive Season With Samsung’s No Mo’ FOMO Sale – Gadgets Now https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/upgrade-to-your-dream-device-this-festive-season-with-samsungs-no-mo-fomo-sale-gadgets-now/ It’s the festive season, and during this auspicious time of the year, everyone wants to splurge on something new and upgrade their gadgets. People today are using their smartphones to express their creativity, and expand their network. Your smartphone is an expression of who you are. This year, Samsung’s No Mo’ FOMO Sale is the ultimate destination to level up! With some exciting discounts, offers and benefits, this is a sale you do not want to miss. Avoid the hustle and bustle of street shopping this festive season, and shop from the comfort of your home on Samsung Shop app. Shopping is a lot more fun when it is equally rewarding, and Samsung has taken it a notch above with some cool benefits. Not only is the tech giant giving you massive discounts, but also vouchers worth Rs. 5000 just for signing up! You also get 2% loyalty points with Smart Club membership on each purchase, instant cashback, free gifts, and so much more. If you have been waiting to get a new smartphone, look no further. After all, one does need those amazing low-light pictures with ‘diyas’ and ‘fuljhadis’. And what best than the Galaxy S22 Ultra? Its pro-grade camera, whose Super Night Solution intuitively brightens up the scene so you can get those portrait mode shots at night without losing any details. At the No Mo’ FOMO sale on the Samsung Shop App, get this phone at ₹ 92,999, and along with it, you also get the Galaxy Watch4 worth ₹ 26,999 at ₹2,999. The No Mo’ FOMO Sale has various offers on all your favourite gadgets. You could also type ‘offers’ in this Whatsapp chat to learn more about upcoming exciting offers. This season of festivities, if you have moved into a new home and want to add to the artsy vibe of your living room, bring home The Frame QLED 4K TV. It is available on EMIs starting at ₹ 6,909, and you also get bezels worth ₹ 7,690 free of cost. When not in use, beautiful pieces of art are displayed. Togetherness looks different for many people. So, while you may be home with your parents, enjoying sumptuous Diwali delicacies, connect with your siblings away from home with the Galaxy M13. Its 6000mAh battery will ensure that your conversations and stories can go on and on because the battery will not give up on you. Get the Galaxy M13 at Samsung’s No Mo’ FOMO Sale for only ₹8,499. And when the family is together, after a long time, selfies are a must. But rather than hoping that the family member with the longest arm will be able to cover everyone in the frame, make the most of the FlexCam. This is a versatile hands-free camera experience – on the Galaxy Z Flip 4. With this feature, utilise your phone’s agile angles to capture group selfies from various perspectives. Buy this must-have smartphone at the No Mo’ Fomo Sale and get Galaxy Watch4 Classic worth ₹31,999 at only ₹2,999. Shopping on the Samsung Shop App is a one-of-a-kind experience due to its unique benefits and offers. With services like free priority delivery, get the gadgets you love and make it a Diwali to remember with your close ones. Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of Samsung by Times Internet’s Spotlight team. FacebookTwitterLinkedin

Crypto Traders Hit By Chat App Outage: Upbit Investors Fume As They Are Frozen Out – Cryptonews https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/crypto-traders-hit-by-chat-app-outage-upbit-investors-fume-as-they-are-frozen-out-cryptonews/ Source: yurolaitsalbert/Adobe Thousands of South Korea crypto traders say they have been left out of pocket due to a near-blackout of services operated by the chat app giant Kakao – which operates login functions for users of Upbit, the nation’s biggest crypto exchange. Kakao was hit with massive outages on Saturday afternoon (KST), following the outbreak of a fire at Kakao’s server center – which is operated by SK C&C. The fire blazed for some hours in the center, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Partial functionality was restored some 10 hours after the blaze was first reported, but at the time of writing, a number of the app’s functions are still not operational. The blaze appears to have hit at least half of the 32,000 servers stored in the building, with the firm’s Vice President Yang Hyun-seo quoted as stating that the company had experienced a “simultaneous shutdown” of its servers in an even that “rarely occurs in the IT industry.” Upbit trading volumes. (Source: CoinGecko) For crypto traders, the fallout was felt immediately. Upbit uses a Kakao-powered KakaoTalk login system and its customer service staff communicate with customers via Kakao. On social media, news outlets shared images of firefighters tackling the blaze. While iPhone and Apple PC owners can use their Apple IDs to login to Upbit, Android users can only use KakaoTalk to login to their wallets, Yonhap reported. Upbit is unique in using Kakao logins – other South Korean exchanges use their own login solutions. And Upbit stated, per Yonhap, that it had been planning to roll out its own independent login solution to run parallel to its Apple and Kakao login system “from October 31.” The media outlet quoted unnamed Upbit customers as claiming they had been unable to make key trades, and had suffered losses or missed out on gains as a result. Some called for the exchange to compensate its customers, but Upbit explained that “nothing has yet been decided” on this front. Hankook Ilbo quoted a 30-year-old trader surnamed Yoon as claiming that they could not execute 18 trading orders as a result of the outage – and lost some $557 as a result. What Is Chat App Kakao’s Upbit Connection? Some 44 million South Koreans use KakaoTalk, as well as a range of other Kakao services, and the firm operates banking, taxi, and e-payment arms. The Upbit-Kakao link goes yet deeper than this, however: Kakao was one of the earliest investors in Upbit, and still retains a reported stake of almost 11% of the crypto company’s shares. A number of Upbit’s founding executives are former Kakao employees. In the past, South Korean outlets have claimed that Kakao’s ownership of Upbit could be as high as 23%. Kakao’s banking arm has recently struck a banking deal with Coinone, one of Upbit’s biggest rivals. A number of other firms – including SK Rental Car, the supermarket chain Home Plus, the e-commerce Market Kurly, the beauty retailer Olive Young, and Starbucks Korea – were forced to shut down some of their services that also make use of Kakao features for billing, Korea Joongang Daily reported.

Lower-Cost U.S. Hearing Aids Go On Sale Monday – Reuters https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/lower-cost-u-s-hearing-aids-go-on-sale-monday-reuters/ WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Major U.S. retailers will begin selling lower-cost hearing aids without a prescription or medical exam under final Biden administration rules that take effect Monday. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August approved the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids, allowing millions of Americans to buy hearing aids without seeing an audiologist and potentially saving individuals thousands of dollars. The rules apply to hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The aids will be available directly from stores or online without medical exams, a prescription or audiologist fitting adjustment. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The White House touted announcements of major retailers that they would begin offering the lower-priced hearing aids including from Walgreens (WBA.O) and Walmart (WMT.N) starting on Monday. CVS (CVS.N) will start selling lower-cost hearing aids online Monday and in some stores in November, the White House said. Best Buy (BBY.N) will start selling lower-priced hearing aids online this week and in stores by the end of October, the White House added. White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese said in August the government estimated the rule will save consumers about $2,800 per pair of hearing aids and could help “tens of millions of Americans.” In 2017, Congress passed legislation requiring the FDA to create a category of over-the-counter hearing aids, but it was not fully implemented. In June 2021, President Joe Biden signed a broad competition executive order that instructed the Health and Human Services Department to “promote the wide availability of low-cost hearing aids.” Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Christian Schmollinger Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

RECOM Technologies LION HJT PV Module Series With Power Output Over 700Wp & Life Expectancy Over 30 Years USA – English – USA – English – PR Newswire https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/recom-technologies-lion-hjt-pv-module-series-with-power-output-over-700wp-life-expectancy-over-30-years-usa-english-usa-english-pr-newswire/ New HJT LION 390 Wp module available in European warehouses LANNION, France, Oct. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — RECOM Technologies, α leading renewable energy company and the only European Bloomberg Tier 1 PV module manufacturer, launches the new LION 390Wp Bifacial HJT Mono Crystalline Double Glass Module. Allowing more energy to be harvested, due to the Heterojunction technology (HJT), the LION 390Wp promises great performance in small and large-scale ground or rooftop solar applications. RECOM Technologies LION HJT PV Module Series with power output over 700Wp & life expectancy over 30 years Lion series modules with power output over 700Wp are based on Heterojunction (HJT) technology. Heterojunction (HJT) photovoltaic module is a ground breaking technology as it guarantees high performance and low degradation of the PV module, substantially improving the results and the yield in the time. Heterojunction solar cells combine two different technologies into one cell: a mono thin crystalline silicon wafer surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers. This allows an increase in the efficiency of the panels and more energy to be harvested easily when compared to conventional silicon solar panels.  With bifaciality factor up to 90% (compared to 70% industry standard modules), Lion modules gain up to 20% more energy yield, in low-light conditions, in the morning an evening hours and with cloudy skies. Owing to N-type technology the power losses are considerably decreased and there are No PID & No LID effects delivering lowest LCOE. RECOM Technologies Lion series range is available from 375Wp and goes above 700Wp.   Product Specifications Bifacial HJT Mono Crystalline Double Glass Module 30 Years Product Warranty & Output Warranty Low Temperature Coefficient -0,24%/Celsius 91,25% performance output after 30 years 10-35% Power Generation Gain Module efficiency over 22,5% High Bifaciality / High Energy Yield / Low Degradation No LID & PID RECOM’s power plants are certified to ISO 9001 and 14001 standards and Lion series is fully certified to IEC61215 & 61730 standards. Lion series is also certified to withstand extreme wind Testing [2400 Pascal] and snow loads [5400 Pascal). RECOM supports fast and reliable deliveries ensuring product availability at European warehouses. For more information on RECOM’s solar solutions, please visit https://recom-tech.com. For sales and technical inquiries please send email to [email protected]. About us RECOM Technologies is a France based renewable energy company with notable presence in the global solar industry. RECOM is a module, cell, inverters, hybrid storage systems, batteries and electrical vehicle chargers (EV) manufacturer, an innovative company integrating R&D, manufacturing and distribution. RECOM is a leading and the only Bloomberg Tier 1 PV module manufacturer in Europe with above 1,1GW annual production capacity and with sales of over 2GW solar modules in 95 countries. Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1921301/RECOM_LION_HJT_PV.jpg Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1902016/RECOM_Technologies_Logo.jpg Media Contact: Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33255030861 SOURCE RECOM Technologies

Gamers Seek Crackdown On Estimated $300 Billion Illegal Gambling Market – The Nevada Independent – The Nevada Independent https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/gamers-seek-crackdown-on-estimated-300-billion-illegal-gambling-market-the-nevada-independent-the-nevada-independent/ Reports of a growing illegal gambling market consisting of unregulated slot machines in several states concerned Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden enough to look into it. The regional casino operator has 43 properties in 20 states, including the M Resort in Henderson. Seven of those licensed gaming locations are in its home state of Pennsylvania, one of the jurisdictions cited as having tens of thousands of unlicensed gambling machines, according to state gaming regulators. Snowden sent members of his management team into Pennsylvania communities to visit convenience stores, bars and taverns to investigate reports of illegal gambling. He wasn’t happy with the findings. “We have photos of children playing these games and families engaging on these games,” Snowden told attendees at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas last week during an executive keynote session moderated by CNBC journalist Contessa Brewer. “We saw online lottery products that are supposed to be scratch tickets that have the look, sound and feel of a spinning real (slot) machine,” he added. Snowden then sent a warning message to the G2E audience at the Venetian Expo. “In several states where we operate, this is a catastrophe in the making,” Snowden said. “This is an existential issue for the industry. It’s a reputational issue for our industry.” In April, the American Gaming Association asked the U.S. Department of Justice to crack down on illegal, online sportsbooks and casinos and unregulated “skill game” slot machines. Bill Miller, President and CEO of the American Gaming Association, speaks at G2E on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent) AGA CEO Bill Miller said the trade organization will double down on those efforts. In his opening remarks at G2E, Miller said the group would release new research next month showing Americans wagered more than $300 billion annually through illegal and unregulated websites and slot machines. He said the figure translated into $15 billion of lost gaming revenue to legal casino markets. “It’s not about us,” Miller said to a room of gaming industry executives and gaming employees. “It’s about the broader impact. Illegal gambling costs communities an estimated $4 billion in taxes annually.” Taking on the illegal gambling market is one of three initiatives Miller outlined for the industry over the next 12 months. He also cited the continued advancement and embrace of a digital future through iGaming expansion and cashless payment technology as well as the modernization of responsible gaming programs. In his April letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Miller said legal sports betting expansion has cut into illegal markets, but not enough. He cited AGA research that showed 74 percent of sports gamblers believed it was important to only wager with legal providers. However, 52 percent continued to patronize illegal bookmakers. Most of the sports bettors – 63 percent – told researchers they were surprised to learn the sites they were using were unregulated and illegal sportsbooks. “The availability of these illegal sites is driving confusion,” Miller wrote in the letter. He told the G2E audience that the AGA “earned a seat at the table” through the organization’s efforts to build the trust of state and national leaders. Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden during a keynote interview moderated by CNBC’s Contessa Brewer during G2E on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent) Eliminating the illegal market Snowden, in response to a question from Brewer, agreed that regulators and lawmakers need to be engaged with the gaming industry in squashing illegal operators. “We need help putting these people behind bars if that’s what it takes,” Snowden said. “It’s a real issue.” In March, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board began a $2 million annual grant program to help fund law enforcement efforts to infiltrate underground casinos and other illegal gaming operations. Penn offers online sports betting in the Canadian province of Ontario, which had a large gray market of unregulated Internet wagering operators before the activity was legalized in April. Snowden said the Ontario government gave the gray market a grace period to transition to become licensed and regulated, or face being shut down by law enforcement. “It’s an example of lawmakers and regulators doing what is needed to be done,” Snowden said. “We need to do that at the state level across the country here in the U.S.” Miller’s remarks indicated the gaming industry is ready for a fight. In the letter to Garland, he called out well-known off-shore sports betting brands, including Bovada, MyBookie and BetOnline. “They’ve responded by harassing and attempting to intimidate us,” Miller said. “Our answer? Bring it on. They can’t stand up to scrutiny in the court of public opinion, and they won’t stand up to scrutiny in a court of law.” Miller suggested law enforcement get aggressive with illegal gambling, force businesses to remove unregulated gaming machines, and ask technology companies to cut off access to illegal gaming platforms. Policymakers, he said, need to strengthen laws and close loopholes. “They prey on customers, especially the vulnerable and the underage,” Miller said. “They don’t provide any consumer protections or invest a dime in responsible gaming. Illegal and unregulated websites and machines pose a direct threat to our industry’s hard-earned social and regulatory license to operate.”

Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 10.17.22 – Florida Politics https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/sunburn-the-morning-read-of-whats-hot-in-florida-politics-10-17-22-florida-politics/ Heat up your day with a dose of Sunburn, the premier first read of Florida politics and policy. Good Monday morning. Stephanie Smith, a veteran of AT&T, Uber and Simply — and an all-around incredible person — is joining TECO Energy as vice president of State and Regional Affairs. After taking the summer to contemplate her next move, Smith begins today. She’ll oversee government affairs for Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas and will manage external affairs and community investment. Congrats to all-around great person Steph Smith. “Stephanie Smith’s strategic counsel and extensive experience will guide our outreach efforts to government officials, community leaders and other key stakeholders,” said David Nicholson, vice president of Legal, General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas. “We have a great story to tell. We’re well on our way to achieving our vision of a net-zero carbon future, and we’re excited to have Stephanie as part of the team to help us communicate our progress to stakeholders.” Smith has nearly 20 years of experience in public affairs, government relations and communications. Smith has worked in Florida, Washington D.C. and the United Kingdom on public affairs strategies, advancing regulation and navigating complex regulatory issues for Fortune 500 companies, the experience she’ll bring with her to TECO. “I’m inspired to join the TECO Energy team,” Smith said. “Utilities are not only essential to Floridians’ quality of life, but they also power Florida’s economy. TECO Energy plays such an important role in preparing and responding to disasters, while shaping the future of energy for our state and nation. I look forward to taking on the opportunities and challenges that come with this new role.” Smith previously worked in the Executive Office of the Governor for two administrations: Govs. Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush. Smith currently serves as chair of CareerSource Florida as a Gov. Ron DeSantis appointee. She is also an active member of the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors and the Florida Alliance Against Human Trafficking Board of Directors. ___ U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar leads challenger Annette Taddeo in Florida’s 27th Congressional District 50% to 44%, according to a recent poll from Republican polling firm Cygnal, commissioned by Salazar’s Leadership for a Strong America PAC. Salazar’s lead is within the poll’s margin of error and includes 6% of voters who are still undecided. The poll, taken Oct. 9-11 among 300 CD 27 voters, comes as the Republican Salazar fights to keep her seat against Taddeo, a former Crist running mate, and as Republicans battle to regain a majority in the U.S. House. Maria Salazar leads Annette Taddeo in a new poll but within the margin of error. Salazar’s lead comes despite her Democratic challenger maintaining stronger favorability numbers in the district. Salazar is split at 39% favorable and unfavorable, while Taddeo is above water at 35% favorable to 28% unfavorable, according to the survey. But she may benefit from an unpopular President. Joe Biden is underwater among CD 27 voters, with 51% of surveyed voters holding an unfavorable opinion and 47% favorable. Likewise, just 33% of voters said the country was headed in the right direction, while 59% said it was heading in the wrong direction. The race is likely to be tight. A previous poll from SEA Polling and Strategic Design taken Oct. 3-5 showed Taddeo in a statistical tie with Salazar, with a less than 1 percentage point advantage. Still, Republicans are hopeful with the latest polling results. “The rightward shift of the district has Salazar performing very well across the board. Her base is larger, and those left undecided are most focused on the economy, inflation, and national security — all issues that will push these voters Salazar’s way,” Cygnal President and Founder Brent Buchanan said. ___ With her eye on protecting reproductive freedom in Florida, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is using her newly formed political committee, “Won’t Back Down,” to support an inaugural slate of 20 pro-choice female candidates. Fried launched the Won’t Back Down Political Committee last month. As of Oct. 7, the committee raised $35,000, including $25,000 from Fried’s committee, Florida Consumers first. Nikki Fried wants to ensure qualified female candidates are not left behind. Image via AP. The endorsements include federal, state and local candidates. Each will receive financial and earned media support from the newly created political committee, according to a news release from the group. “When I ran in 2018, I made a promise that I would never back down from a fight. Over the last four years, I’ve been doing exactly that — defending our rights and fighting for our freedoms. Won’t Back Down will work tirelessly to ensure that the next line of qualified candidates aren’t left behind, and that they have the organizational support willing to step up and make sure that they are competitive and successful,” Fried said in a statement. Endorsed candidates include: — U.S. Rep. Val Demings — U.S. Senate — Aramis Ayala — Attorney General — Naomi Blemur — Agriculture Commissioner — Loranne Ausley — State Senate District 3 — Sen. Janet Cruz — State Senate District 14 — Eunic Ortiz — State Senate District 18 — Raquel Pacheco — State Senate District 36 — Janelle Perez — State Senate District 38 — Rep. Kristen Arrington — State House District 46 — Lindsay Cross — State House District 60 — Janet Varnell Warwick — State House District 61 — Rep. Michele Rayner Goolsby — State House District 62 — Rep. Kelly Skidmore — State House District 92 — Hillary Cassel — State House District 101 — Rep. Marie Woodson — State House District 105 — Donna Deegan — Mayor, Jacksonville — Allison Miller — State Attorney, 6th Judicial Circuit — Donna Korn — Broward School Board, Seat 8 — Yvette DuBose — Ft. Lauderdale City Commission, District 3 — Michelle McGovern — Palm Beach County Commission, District 6 ___ Richard Corcoran holds court this weekend at the 25th Annual Phil Galvano Golf Classic at The Resort at Longboat Key Club. — SITUATIONAL AWARENESS — —@FEMA_Deanne: This afternoon I saw firsthand the critical work our team is doing to help jump-start Floridian’s recovery at a Disaster Recovery Center in Sarasota County. Over 41,000 survivors have registered for disaster assistance in this county alone. Tweet, tweet: Glad to see that Two Meatballs in the Kitchen — Cape Coral is back open for business after #HurricaneIan. Make sure to stop by: https://t.co/muQFTxduGO pic.twitter.com/qXu5GyX1Dz — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 15, 2022 —@MarkGlaeser4: Nine active 2020 voter fraud cases in five FL counties have hearings this week. —@ESPNStatsInfo: The New York Yankees were 167-0 in postseason history when leading by multiple runs entering the ninth inning — until tonight. —@SteveLemongello: I’m starting to think giving baseball teams byes and having them sit around for a week was a bad idea — DAYS UNTIL — NBA season tips off — 1; Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ release — 4; the Gubernatorial General Election debate — 7; Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum — 98; Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Passenger’ releases — 8; Jon Meacham’s ‘And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle’ releases — 8; City & State Florida Digital Summit — 10; Early voting begins for General Election — 12; 2022 General Election — 22; ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ premieres — 25; ‘Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 25; FITCon 2022 begins — 31; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 31; The World Cup kicks off in Qatar — 35; The U.S. World Cup Soccer Team begins play — 38; Florida TaxWatch’s Annual Meeting begins — 47; ‘Willow’ premieres on Disney+ — 47; 2022 Florida Chamber Annual Insurance Summit — 49; McCarthy’s ‘Stella Maris’ releases — 50; ‘Avatar 2’ premieres — 60; final Broadway performance of ‘The Music Man’ with Hugh Jackman — 76; Bruce Springsteen launches his 2023 tour in Tampa — 107; ‘Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 123; final performance of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Broadway — 124; 2023 Legislative Session convenes — 141; ‘John Wick: Chapter 4′ premieres — 158; American Association of Political Consultants Pollies ’23 conference begins — 183; 2023 Session Sine Die — 200; ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ premieres — 200; ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ premieres — 228; Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ premieres — 277; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 382; ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Part 2 premieres — 529; ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ premieres — 585; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 648; ‘Thunderbolts’ premieres — 648; ‘Blade’ reboot premieres — 690; ‘Deadpool 3’ premieres — 753; ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot premieres — 851; ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ premieres — 928. ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ premieres — 1,117. — TOP STORY — “‘You have my full support’: Top Ron DeSantis aides played key roles in migrant flights” via Nicholas Nehamas, Sarah Blaskey and Mary Ellen Klas — New public records show top DeSantis aides played key roles in planning and executing Florida’s controversial migrant flight program. While the program was carried out by a private contractor, the new records show the deep involvement of Larry Keefe, DeSantis’ public safety czar, and James Uthmeier, his chief of staff, in an operation that has led to at least one criminal investigation and several lawsuits. The records suggest Keefe traveled to Texas to oversee the program. Operatives working for the state recruited migrants in San Antonio, offering them free flights to Martha’s Vineyard with misleading promises, sayin...

Afterpay-Backed Touch Ventures Appoints WhiteGREY As Lead Agency For Planpay | LBBOnline – Little Black Book – LBBonline https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/afterpay-backed-touch-ventures-appoints-whitegrey-as-lead-agency-for-planpay-lbbonline-little-black-book-lbbonline/ Creative technology agency, whiteGREY today announces it has been appointed by Paytech brand Planpay as its creative and media agency of record. Planpay is part of the Afterpay-backed ASX-listed Touch Ventures Ltd portfolio.  whiteGREY is charged with carving clear space in the market for Planpay and fuelling international growth by highlighting the brand proposition. whiteGREY’s remit includes all strategy, creative and planning for the innovative Paytech platform, initially launching in the travel sector with rapid expansion to follow. Lee Simpson, CEO of whiteGREY, said: “Planpay is an ambitious and innovative business, not shy of backing bold thinking. We can’t wait to work with the team to realise the brand’s potential on the local and global stage.” Gary Burrows, CEO Planpay, added: “whiteGREY has extensive expertise within the brand experience space, alongside an impressive understanding of our sector. The agency’s expertise and full-service offering makes the team the perfect partner for us as we revitalise the lay-by model globally.”  Planpay unlocks a world of travel experiences by splitting future purchases into flexible instalments, allowing customers to use their own money rather than credit facilities. Whether it’s a weekend getaway, a family vacation or even a life changing bucket list experience, Planpay makes it all possible.  Work commences immediately.

Cape Ann Business Briefcase | News | Gloucestertimes.com – Gloucester Daily Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/cape-ann-business-briefcase-news-gloucestertimes-com-gloucester-daily-times-2/ Chamber hosts $25K game The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is selling tickets for its annual $25,000 Game. The October cash give-way offers 12 chance to win; grand prize is $10,000, second prize, $5,000, third prize, $2,500; six prizes of $1,000 each; and three prizes of $500 each. Tickets are $100 each, with a limit of 500 tickets. Each includes admittance to a ticket-pulling ceremony to be held in person at the Gloucester Elks on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. Attendance to the ceremony is limited so registration with the chamber is required to attend. Game tickets as well as 50/50 raffle tickets ( a body length is $20 and an arm length is $10) are available at the chamber, 24 Harbor Loop, or by calling 978-283-1601. BCNE honored by BostInno BCNE and the other honorees were selected for demonstrating their success in raising funds, launching new products, bringing in new customers, growing their Boston footprint, and supporting the local community and innovation ecosystem. BCNE was one of five organizations nominated in the Ecosystem Supporters category, which highlights the groups supporting the success of impressive startups. Other categories include Cleantech and Greentech, Consumer Goods, Fintech, Software Companies (Later State — Series C and Later), Software Companies (Earlier Stage — Stage B and Earlier), Life Sciences, Medtech and Healthtech, and Robotics. Later this fall, BostInno will announce their Inno Blazers, in which a single winner from each category will be chosen by their panel of industry judges. “We are honored to be recognized for our work in building a biomanufacturing cluster here in New England,” said Jared Auclair, associate dean at Northeastern University, director of their Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Lab, and co-lead of BCNE. “We’re in tremendous company, and are encouraged and inspired by the other organizations who were noticed for their innovative and exciting work and ideas.” BioConnects New England aims to create a robust biomanufacturing industry in the Northeast to address the bottlenecks experienced in drug production. It will also boost the region’s economy by increasing access to well-paying jobs and engaging marginalized communities. Massachusetts-based Northeastern University leads the coalition, which includes Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, The Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Laboratory at Northeastern University, The Roux Institute at Northeastern University in Portland, Maine, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Rhode Island Commerce, the I-195 Design & Innovation District in Providence, Rhode Island, the University of Rhode Island, and FocusMaine. Donations NeedyMeds thanks Beth Israel Lahey Health Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals as well as Cape Ann Savings Bank for their sponsorship of the 37th Annual BeMedWise Talk About Your Medicines Month about medication safety and aging. Visit BeMedWise.org for resources, info, and tools on helping older patients stay med-safe.

SCAD: Challenging, Under-Recognised Form Of Heart Attack – MJA Insight https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/scad-challenging-under-recognised-form-of-heart-attack-mja-insight/ WHEN we think of a patient with a heart attack, we typically think of a middle-aged man, moderately overweight, with a sedentary lifestyle. Or an older woman, with elevated blood pressure, a former smoker perhaps. These stereotypes of the usual heart attack candidate might explain why spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, and why patients with SCAD feel so confused, anxious, misunderstood, and abandoned by the health system. Findings of our qualitative study of survivors of SCAD, published last month in the international journal PLOS ONE, outline these and other psychosocial impacts of this challenging condition. What is SCAD? SCAD is an increasingly recognised cause of acute coronary syndrome and sudden cardiac death in people without classic cardiac risk factors. Unlike acute myocardial infarction (AMI) due to atherosclerosis, SCAD-AMI is non-atherosclerotic and occurs when a coronary vessel develops a tear or haematoma causing coronary artery obstruction. This arterial obstruction results in heart attack, arrhythmias, or sudden death. SCAD is a relatively rare condition, accounting for 1-4% of cases of acute coronary syndrome overall. SCAD predominantly affects younger women, accounting for up to 35% of AMIs in women aged 50 years and under. It is the most common cause of pregnancy-related AMI, most often occurring in the peripartum period. SCAD is also associated with underlying systemic vasculopathies such as fibromuscular dysplasia, connective tissue disorders, migraine, and inflammatory disorders. Emotional stress and physical exertion often precipitate acute SCAD events. Hospital readmission and recurrence are more common after SCAD than following typical AMI. Due to its relative rarity and propensity to occur in younger healthy women, SCAD is commonly misdiagnosed or dismissed. Due to its sudden onset and high re-event rate, SCAD carries a large psychosocial burden, which is exacerbated by health professionals’ lack of awareness of the condition and its management. Psychosocial impacts of SCAD Our qualitative study involved 30 SCAD survivors, mostly women (n = 27), with an average age of 52 years, although some participants were in their early 30s. All had had their SCAD in the preceding 12 months. They participated in focus group discussions about how they coped during their SCAD diagnosis, hospitalisation and early treatment, and during the first year of recovery. “Lack of information” emerged as the overriding theme, highlighting the way in which health professionals’ lack of knowledge about and understanding of SCAD results in insufficient provision of information and support to SCAD survivors. Among the most challenging emotional impacts for SCAD survivors was “confusion and uncertainty” about the condition, including its diagnosis, causes, treatment options, guidelines regarding return to daily living and physical activity, prognosis, and risk of re-events. Emotionally, SCAD survivors felt anxiety, fear and vulnerability; loss and grief; isolation and loneliness; invalidation and abandonment; and frustration and depression. Lack of awareness and understanding of SCAD in the medical profession Study participants talked extensively about how their treating health professionals lacked clear knowledge and understanding of SCAD. This included those working in hospitals, as well as the cardiologists and GPs who managed them after discharge. As we noted in our article: “Participants stated that many health professionals ‘had never heard of SCAD’ and often ‘knew nothing about it’, and … that health professionals were not aware of differences between SCAD-related heart attack and typical atherosclerotic heart attack.” SCAD survivors were surprised and frustrated about this lack of clarity about SCAD: “The people in the emergency department (ED), even the ED physicians and senior nurses, they had not heard of it before. I was surprised about the knowledge deficits.” “There’s a lot of uncertainty, in what should happen, what shouldn’t happen, what is or isn’t the treatment. There seems to be no continuity … My GP didn’t even know what a SCAD was.” “The advice they give you is geared towards normal heart attacks, about improving lifestyle. The information is not targeted well at all.” Due to medical professionals’ knowledge deficits, SCAD survivors are often left feeling unsupported, invalidated and abandoned, and wondering whether they are receiving the best care possible: “The medical profession knows so little about it. So, when you have a SCAD, you’re not treated right. You want to know what happened, what to do next, and there’s no-one there to give you the information. You have to go and look for it yourself.” “My GP said: ‘what’s a SCAD?’ and I had to explain it to him. And he said: ‘Oh, it’s not a proper heart attack is it? You didn’t really have a heart attack, did you?’ You don’t feel like you’re getting the best care, or the best advice.” “It’s the feeling that the medical people who you’re talking to aren’t across what SCAD is and what its effects are. I’m not blaming them for that because obviously it hasn’t been greatly researched until recently, but it does add to the anxiety for sure.” Why is SCAD so difficult for patients? There are several features of SCAD that make it a particularly challenging and stressful condition for SCAD survivors. It occurs “out of the blue”. Most SCAD patients have few traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and few have any prior warning about the possibility of SCAD. They and their families are not prepared for what follows. It is relatively rare. SCAD accounts for only 1–4% of acute coronary syndrome cases overall and can be regarded as an uncommon condition. This means that SCAD survivors are isolated and lack opportunities for contact with and support from others in the same position. It is poorly understood. The lack of understanding of SCAD means survivors are left to navigate their recovery alone with relatively little professional support. They often receive contradictory advice from their treating health professionals. Its optimal management differs from that of traditional AMI. In general, typical medical treatments such as statins and interventions such as percutaneous coronary intervention are either not required or are contraindicated. In the absence of atherosclerosis and traditional CVD risk factors, SCAD is not suited to traditional CVD lifestyle management approaches. Despite this, “SCAD continues to be … managed as atherosclerotic acute coronary syndrome, which may harm patients with SCAD”. There is a lack of evidence for benefit or harm of physical activity. As physical exertion is a documented trigger for SCAD, there is a lack of clear guidelines for or limits to physical activity. This leaves many previously active SCAD survivors frustrated and confused about returning to previous levels of activity. It has a high recurrence rate. Major adverse cardiac events occur in 10–30% of SCAD survivors within 2–3 years, mostly due to recurrent SCAD-AMI. The recurrence rate reaches up to 37% by 5–7 years, and approximately 50% by 10 years. This high recurrence is of great concern to both patients and their health care providers. Want to find out more about SCAD? Further results from our study on the psychosocial impacts of SCAD are presented in Murphy and colleagues (2022). More information about the causes, correlates and consequences of SCAD are available in our earlier publications: Graham and colleagues (2018), McGrath-Cadell and colleagues (2016), Iismaa and colleagues (2021), and Tarr and colleagues (2022). Information from the American Heart Association on the causes, clinical course, treatment options, and outcomes of SCAD are outlined in Hayes and colleagues (2018). To find out more about SCAD, go to the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute website at https://www.victorchang.edu.au/scad Dr Barbara Murphy is from the Australian Centre for Heart Health in Melbourne, and the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Professor Robert Graham is from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney, and St Vincent’s Clinical School at the University of New South Wales. Dr Michelle Rogerson is from the Australian Centre for Heart Health in Melbourne. Dr Stephanie Hesselson is from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney. Dr Siiri Iismaa is from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney, and St Vincent’s Clinical School at the University of New South Wales. Professor Alun Jackson is from the Australian Centre for Heart Health in Melbourne, and the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne. The statements or opinions expressed in this article reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy of the AMA, the MJA or InSight+ unless so stated. Subscribe to the free InSight+ weekly newsletter here. It is available to all readers, not just registered medical practitioners. If you would like to submit an article for consideration, send a Word version to mjainsight-editor@ampco.com.au.

Here Is The Latest Big 12 Conference Sports News From The Associated Press – Beckley Register-Herald https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/here-is-the-latest-big-12-conference-sports-news-from-the-associated-press-beckley-register-herald-2/ UNDATED (AP) — Tennessee has moved to No. 3 in The Associated Press college football poll behind No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Ohio State. It comes after the Volunteers knocked off Alabama, one of five unbeaten teams to fall during a wild weekend. The Crimson Tide dropped three to No. 6 and swapped places with the Vols after Tennessee kicked a field goal as time expired Saturday. Alabama is out of the top-five for the first time since 2019. Georgia is still No. 1 and received 31 first-place votes and No. 2 Ohio State had 17 first-place votes. NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Dillon Gabriel passed for 403 yards and Oklahoma defeated No. 19 Kansas 52-42 to end its losing skid at three games. Eric Gray ran for 176 yards, Marvin Mims had a career-high nine catches for 106 yards and Brayden Willis had five catches for a career-best 102 yards for the Sooners.  It was Oklahoma’s 18th straight win over Kansas. The Sooners haven’t lost to the Jayhawks since 1997. Jason Bean passed for 265 yards and four touchdowns for Kansas. Lawrence Arnold had 113 yards and two touchdowns receiving and Mason Fairchild had 106 yards and two touchdowns receiving for the Jayhawks. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Quinn Ewers threw for three touchdowns including the go-ahead score with less than five minutes remaining as No. 22 Texas rallied to defeat Iowa State 24-21 on Saturday. The Longhorns trailed 21-17 when Ewers connected with Xavier Worthy to put Texas up for good. The Cyclones drove to the Texas 28 before linebacker Jaylan Ford recovered a fumble by quarterback Hunter Dekkers with 2:28 to play. Moments earlier, it looked like Iowa State might go back in front but receiver Xavier Hutchinson dropped a pass inside the Texas 10. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Casey Legg kicked a 22-yard field goal with 33 seconds left to lift West Virginia to a 43-40 victory over Baylor. West Virginia’s Tony Mathis scored on a 34-yard run with 7:05 left and set up the winning field goal with a 37-yard run to the Baylor 8. Mathis finished with a career-high 163 rushing yards Thursday night. Baylor had one last chance starting from its 23-yard line. But backup quarterback Kyron Drones threw two incompletions and he was tackled near midfield on a scramble as time ran out. Drones came on in relief of Blake Shapen, who was injured on a helmet-to-helmet hit in the third quarter and did not return. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Kendre Miller scored on a 2-yard run in the second overtime and 13th-ranked TCU beat No. 8 Oklahoma State 43-40 in a matchup of the Big 12′s last remaining undefeated teams. Fans stormed the field after Miller got into the end zone for the 6-0 Horned Frogs, who had gone into the fourth quarter trailing by two touchdowns. The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime. Oklahoma State got the ball to start the second overtime, but after a holding penalty and three incomplete passes in a row, the Cowboys had to settle for Tanner Brown’s fourth field goal, a 52-yarder. NEW YORK (AP) — The Big 12 Conference has come back from the brink. Last summer, it was sent reeling when Oklahoma and Texas said they will be leaving for the Southeastern Conference. New Commissioner Brett Yormark is trying to rebuild the Big 12’s brand. He wants to set a new narrative for a league known for years of instability. For now, things are going well: Half of the Big 12’s football teams are ranked the AP Top 25. It has also had a team in the men’s Final Four every year since 2018 — and won the national title two years in a row. NEW YORK (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark says he has had “meaningful” conversations with ESPN and Fox as the conference explores striking a media rights deal almost two years before the current contract expires. The Big 12 announced in late August it planned to engage ESPN and Fox, even though the exclusive negotiating window between the conference and the networks does not open until February 2024. The Big 12′s deals with the networks expire in June of that year. Yormark says there is no timetable for the discussions to produce a deal. He says ESPN and Fox would be the two best partners to boost the Big 12 brand. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Max Duggan has gone from losing his job as TCU’s starting quarterback to being one of the nation’s best passers. He is exceling in coach Sonny Dykes’ system after the new coaching staff initially went with a different starter than the guy who started most of the past three seasons. Duggan has thrown for 1,305 yards and a Big 12-best 14 touchdowns with one interception. Redshirt freshman Chandler Morris started the opener before getting hurt. Dykes says he has been impressed with how Duggan has handled the entire situation. Duggan says he was initially disappointed but never felt sorry for himself. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cage-Fighting In The Metaverse – CDOTrends https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/cage-fighting-in-the-metaverse-cdotrends/ Proponents of VR (Virtual Reality) say that the technology offers training opportunities unparalleled in meatspace. “Over the past few years, the cost to deploy VR has plummeted,” noted a Harvard Business Review article. “The technology has expanded into more general use at Fortune 500 corporations, where employees working in industries such as retail, logistics, and customer service are practicing in VR headsets to get better at their jobs.” But detractors are myriad. The bulky vision-occluding headsets currently used in VR are often cited as an inhibiting factor to widespread adoption. Corporate training utilizing VR technology takes a backseat to recent headline grabs by Meta — the artist formerly known as Facebook. Born of cyberpunk The term “metaverse” seems so irresistible that, in 2021, “Facebook was renamed Meta Platforms and its chairman Mark Zuckerberg declared a company commitment to developing a metaverse. Many of the virtual reality technologies advertised by Meta Platforms remain to be developed.” The concept didn’t begin with Facebook, but rather a seminal cyberpunk novel by science fiction author Neal Stephenson. The 1992 tome presents a dystopian future where some choose to spend their existence plugged into an alternate reality. Gamers and techies are already familiar with competing VR platforms “Users of the Metaverse gain access to it through personal terminals that project a high-quality virtual reality display onto goggles worn by the user, or from low-quality public terminals in booths (with the penalty of presenting a grainy black-and-white appearance),” says Wikipedia. “Stephenson also describes a subculture of people choosing to remain continuously connected to the Metaverse by wearing portable terminals, goggles and other equipment; they are nicknamed ‘gargoyles’ due to their grotesque appearance.” Comparisons to video games are inevitable, and gamers as a tribe are more conversant with technologies average users might find unwieldy. But instead of pitching to gamers, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg chose a more feral pastime. Enter the cage-fighter The Meta CEO garners flak from all sides nowadays, often for trivial reasons. But Zuckerberg was smiling when he perched cage-side at a recent UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) event. The promotion features mixed martial arts fights by men (and, since 2013, women) in an eight-sided octagonal cage. The October 1 event in Las Vegas was purged of fans and media before Zuckerberg arrived, which didn’t sit well with many UFC fans. Will screaming UFC fans sport occlusive VR headgear? But some are excited about the VR possibilities for consumption of future events. On October 13, the UFC declared their First Live Combat Sports Event in Meta’s Horizon Worlds. It’s worth noting that competing combat sports promotion Singapore-based One Championship offers VR MMA fights on their website. Market leader UFC promises: “Fans will enter an immersive environment in Meta Horizon Worlds where they can see and speak with other fans in real time while enjoying unprecedented VR views of all the thrilling action…including strikes, takedowns, grappling, and more.” It remains to be seen if the stands will feature rows of screaming fans sporting occlusive VR headgear. Catchweight bout Many UFC fans, including Zuckerberg, practice mixed martial arts themselves. Internet forums bristle with salty comments predicting mythic bouts between the Meta chief and various opponents, often referencing the difficult art of weight-cutting (if mandated weight is missed, sometimes a “catchweight” bout with an interim agreed-upon weight is the solution — the show must go on). If Meta thought they’d find a receptive audience, they’re mistaken: MMA fans tend to be vocal and opinionated. There’s no shortage of advice on how to slice the VR pie among the UFC faithful — many scorn the technology, while others laud the efforts of One Championship in the VR space. Some are contemptuous of anything Zuckerberg-related while others applaud the efforts of Meta to promote the technology. The coolness factor When it comes to the coolness factor, Meta seems fragile. A recent story by Allison Morrow on CNN Business titled “Meta’s big problem: Everything about VR looks supremely uncool” highlights the issue. “Here’s the deal: Zuck is betting the future of his half-a-trillion-dollar company, Meta, on a vision of the future in which all of us spend more time in a virtual space known as the metaverse, repped by digital alter egos created in our own image,” writes Morrow. “The trouble is, everything we’ve seen of that future so far looks lame as hell.” The imagery coming from Meta isn’t encouraging. “2022, where Zuckerberg’s avatar is a legless knock-off of a Nintendo Mii with some really weird buttons and the eyes of a corpse,” writes Kotaku staff writer Zack Zwiezen. “And this isn’t just how Zuckerberg looks, this is the way all avatars appear in Horizon Worlds…I can find Nintendo DS and Sony PS Vita games with better, nicer-looking art and models than what we’ve been shown so far in Facebook’s metaverse.” This is a distinct problem for Meta Platforms: gamers and techies who might become early adopters are already familiar with competing platforms. Comparisons with avatar-driven online multimedia platform Second Life are inevitable, and there’s little inkling of how Meta plans to deal with the technical and sociological challenges SL has incurred since its launch in 2003. Skittish investors “Horizon Worlds, Meta’s flagship metaverse for consumers, is failing to meet internal performance expectations, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reviewed internal company documents,” saysCNBC. “Meta initially aimed to reach 500,000 monthly active users in Horizon Worlds by the end of the year, but the current figure is less than 200,000, according to the report.” More worrying: investors are not thrilled with Meta’s R&D costs. “Meta has spent more than USD15 billion on its Reality Labs metaverse venture since the beginning of last year, but so far, the company hasn’t shared on what, precisely, money is being spent,” says a Business Insider article. “The problem is that they spend the money, but the transparency with investors has been a disaster,” Dan Ives, a tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, said. ”This continues to be a risky bet by Zuckerberg and the team because, for now, they’re betting money on the future while they continue to have massive headwinds on their core business,” he added. And there are reports that those tasked with developing the platform aren’t keen on it either. “Meta’s VR social network Horizon Worlds — the company’s flagship “metaverse” app — is suffering from too many quality issues and even the team building it isn’t using it very much,” according to internal memos obtained by The Verge. “In one of the memos to employees dated September 15th, Meta’s VP of Metaverse, Vishal Shah, said the team would remain in a ‘quality lockdown’ for the rest of the year to ‘ensure that we fix our quality gaps and performance issues before we open up Horizon to more users’.” A puncher’s chance Pioneering new technology is always a perilous exercise — no one’s clamoring for a Power Glove (80s-era VR mitt) nowadays. It seems that for Zuckerberg to advance forward in the VR arena, he’s going to have to lace up his fighting gloves and bite down on his mouthpiece, as the MMA guys say. Time will tell if Meta is setting up for a spectacular knockout in the VR space or punching above their weight. Stefan Hammond is a contributing editor to CDOTrends. Best practices, the IoT, payment gateways, robotics, and the ongoing battle against cyberpirates pique his interest. You can reach him at [email protected] Image credit: iStockphoto/g-stockstudio

Amazfit Falcon Goes Official With Titanium Design, Dual-Band GPS, And 20ATM Water Resistance – Comments – GSMArena.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/amazfit-falcon-goes-official-with-titanium-design-dual-band-gps-and-20atm-water-resistance-comments-gsmarena-com/ A Anonym Lc1 5 minutes ago Unless this crap already supports Visa/Mastercard/Amex/GPay NFC payments and can finally run user apps like a proper smartwatch, it is just a very expensive glorified Mi Band in watch format. Reply ? Anonymous Xqa 7 hours ago KungYii1994, 16 Oct 2022Amazfit suck because overprice low quality material gt3 gt4 still use aluminum and normal glas… moreStill much better than the “girly looking” pixel watch Reply ? Anonymous fr% 19 hours ago fix those inaccurate sensors first! Reply K KungYii1994 ibe 16 Oct 2022 Amazfit suck because overprice low quality material gt3 gt4 still use aluminum and normal glass. Now falcon use goos quality price get x2. Better off buy huawei gt3 pro instead Reply A Anonymous U@G 16 Oct 2022 HeykelHD, 15 Oct 2022This sport watch is DOA (dead on arrival). It’s just a sport watch and not a smart watch … moreThis was exactly my point after seeing the price Reply ? Anonymous 7vY 16 Oct 2022 A new competitor for the Apple Watch Ultra Reply ? Anonymous 0UU 16 Oct 2022 blue, 15 Oct 2022But Garmin is two generations ahead in terms of training planning and evaluation.behind garmind sell only brand not wqtch Reply ? Anonymous 0UU 16 Oct 2022 blue, 15 Oct 2022But I know a lot about sports. Really don’t care about childish toys from Amazfit.apple user meh Reply b blue 0CN 15 Oct 2022 Anonymous, 15 Oct 2022You don’t know anything about watchBut I know a lot about sports. Really don’t care about childish toys from Amazfit. Reply p prasad 7k4 15 Oct 2022 thatsbway too pricey….. Reply P Peter pGs 15 Oct 2022 This is the first really well made smartwatch ever, sapphire, titanium and even 20 ATM water resistance. I collected many years Breitling, Omega, Tag Heuer etc. and this is the first watch that can keep up with these in terms of looks and materials (o.k., only exception new Garmin Marq 2 Aviator but 2550 Euros!!!). There are always features it doesn´t / can´t (because of the water resistance) have, but this watch is made for people who want a premium feeling and not plastic. Have now a T-Rex 2 and very satisfied, only the plastic look is not really noble. And the features are well enough by far for normal people, from Garmin etc. 90% of people don’t use/need the perhaps one or other better features of them. The entertainment value of the dials from Amazfit alone is fantastic. And now with a high-quality feeling, I can´t wait… Reply A Anonymous XSs 15 Oct 2022 blue, 15 Oct 2022If you look at it as only a watch… useless for training. No one beats Garmin.You don’t know anything about watch Reply V VNGEL XBA 15 Oct 2022 Before it reach Africa, all the tech features will disappear. Lots of gadgets doesn’t function as advertised in African countries, why ? Reply A Anonymous uI7 15 Oct 2022 blue, 15 Oct 2022If you look at it as only a watch… useless for training. No one beats Garmin.Ok Reply b blue 0CN 15 Oct 2022 Anonymous , 15 Oct 2022For the specs and the price it’s not badIf you look at it as only a watch… useless for training. No one beats Garmin. Reply b blue 0CN 15 Oct 2022 Anonymous, 15 Oct 2022WOW the price is on par with Garmin watch..But Garmin is two generations ahead in terms of training planning and evaluation. Reply B BBart n7e 15 Oct 2022 Screen size … 1.28″ …. ??? … Reply ? Anonymous Tui 15 Oct 2022 really cool watch but expensive Reply A Anonymous uI7 15 Oct 2022 For the specs and the price it’s not bad Reply P Peter d ajZ 15 Oct 2022 What ??? No wireless charging???? Reply

Binance CoinMarketCap Index Series Kicks Off By Tracking Top 10 Crypto – Cointelegraph https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/binance-coinmarketcap-index-series-kicks-off-by-tracking-top-10-crypto-cointelegraph/ Starting in November 2022, Binance’s Top 10 Equal-Weighted Index will be available to investors through Auto-Invest, to track the performance of the top 10 cryptocurrencies. 736 Total views 8 Total shares Crypto exchange Binance announced it will launch its first index product, the Top 10 Equal-Weighted Index, to kick off its Binance CoinMarketCap (CMC) Index Series. The Top 10 Equal-Weighted Index will monitor the performance of the industry’s top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). Binance indices will utilize pricing information from crypto price tracker CMC, of which the crypto exchange is the owner. According to the announcement, the Equal-Weighted Index will be rebalanced monthly and is designed to help investors evaluate price and performance. The index products, beginning with the Top 10 Equal-Weighted Index, will be available to investors starting in November 2022 through Binance’s Auto-Invest service. In the future, Binance says the community can expect more from the index series, which will encompass “more digital assets in a diverse set of products.” Related: BTC price hits 3-week lows on US CPI as Bitcoin liquidates $57M Despite a long and harsh crypto winter, Binance and other major crypto-industry giants have been developing their service offerings to the wider community. A recent Q3 2022 report from the Web3 development platform Alchemy reported that this year could actually be the biggest year on record for development in the Web3 space. Binance recently expanded its service offerings in multiple markets around the world. On Oct. 6, Kazakhstan granted the exchange a permanent license to offer digital asset services, while in the Middle East, it reported a 49% surge in regional user sign-ups in 2022. This recent announcement of the price index tools comes as the network completed its 21st quarterly Binance Coin (BNB) burn, which eliminated roughly $547 million worth of BNB from its supply.

Oil Climbs On China’s Fuel Demand Recovery Hopes – Reuters https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/oil-climbs-on-chinas-fuel-demand-recovery-hopes-reuters/ Oct 17 (Reuters) – Oil prices rose on Monday after China rolled over liquidity measures to help its pandemic-hit economy, igniting hopes for a better fuel demand outlook from the world’s top crude importer. Brent crude futures rose 81 cents, or 0.88%, to $92.44 a barrel by 0642 GMT, recovering from a 6.4% fall last week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $86.33 a barrel, up 72 cents, or 0.84%, after a 7.6% decline last week. China’s central bank rolled over maturing medium-term policy loans while keeping the interest rate unchanged for a second month on Monday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Analysts said the full rollover is a signal that the central bank would continue to maintain loose monetary policy. read more The country also vowed to greatly increase domestic energy supply capacity and step up risk controls in key commodities including coal, oil and gas, and electricity, a senior National Energy Administration official said on Monday. China will further increase reserve capacities for key commodities, another state official told a news conference in Beijing. read more Oil found support from a combination of factors, including Chinese President Xi Jinping’s comments at the Party Congress that reassured accommodative policies for the economy, a positive sign for demand outlook, CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng said. read more China is expected to release trade and economic data this week. Although its third-quarter GDP growth could rebound from the previous quarter, President Xi’s stringent COVID-19 policy has the world’s No. 2 economy facing what will most likely be its worst performing year in almost half a century. read more Looking ahead, oil prices are expected to remain volatile as production cuts by OPEC+ will tighten supplies ahead of the European Union embargo on Russian oil, while a strong U.S. dollar and further interest rate increases from the U.S. Federal Reserve limit price gains. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on Friday inflation had become “pernicious” and difficult to arrest, and warranted continued “frontloading” through larger increases of three-quarters of a percentage point. read more Member states of the Organization of the Production Exporting Countries and their allies, including Russia, lined up on Sunday to endorse the steep production cut agreed to this month after the White House, stepping up a war of words with Saudi Arabia, accused Riyadh of coercing other nations into supporting the move. read more OPEC+ pledged on Oct. 5 to cut output by 2 million barrels per day, which will lead to an actual drop of about 1 million bpd as some members are already producing below their targets. Despite this, top exporter Saudi Arabia will keep exports to key Asia markets steady in November. “Tighter inventories for oil and oil products along with looming supply risks should keep prices volatile,” analysts at ANZ Research said in a note. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Mohi Narayan in New Delhi and Florence Tan in Singapore; Editing by Gerry Doyle Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Reliance High-Tech Are Once Again Finalists In The Security & Fire Excellence Awards 2022 – SourceSecurity.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/reliance-high-tech-are-once-again-finalists-in-the-security-fire-excellence-awards-2022-sourcesecurity-com/ Reliance High-Tech are once again finalists in the Security & Fire Excellence Awards 2022  SourceSecurity.com

With Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault On The Rise In Comal County, A Facility For Victims Needs Rebuilding – KENS5.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/with-domestic-violence-and-sexual-assault-on-the-rise-in-comal-county-a-facility-for-victims-needs-rebuilding-kens5-com/ The Crisis Center of Comal County needs help after a fire destroyed the facility, and in the past few years they’ve seen an increase in the need for their services. NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — The Crisis Center of Comal County (CCCC) is hoping to rebuild after a devastating fire, and unfortunately the facility that helps victims of abuse and sexual assault is seeing an increase in the need for their services. CCCC has reported a jump in domestic abuse and sexual assault cases, and victim advocates are calling it a shadow crisis of the pandemic.   “The Crisis Center of Comal County has served more than 900 survivors of domestic violence over the past two years,” said Dr. Julie Strentzsch, the CEO of CCCC. “That’s a 26% increase over time. I don’t know if it’s related to the pandemic, but I think in some ways it must be. We were isolated and [are now] coming back into the community, and people’s tolerance levels are low. It doesn’t take a lot for someone to get really angry.”  The CCCC has given tens of thousands of families a fresh start, including Heather Harrison. She was a child when her mother brought her to a safe house in New Braunfels.   “In our home, we had alcoholism and mental health issues,” said Harrison. “It wasn’t a good environment for anyone. One night, my mom came to my room and handed me two trash bags and said, ‘Fill them up, one for you and one for your sister. We are not coming home tomorrow after school.’ The next day my life changed dramatically. We did feel very safe. I was impacted greatly, though, by seeing some of the other people who lived in the shelter – the other women – because so many of them were so much more worse off, in my opinion. They were physically beaten, coming straight from the hospital in bandages.”   Harrison shares her story to be a voice for those experiencing different types of abuse.  “I want everyone in Comal County and beyond to know that the face of domestic violence may not be who you think,” said Harrison. “I also want to normalize asking for and accepting help. It’s not giving up, it’s not a bad thing.”  Seeking help can also be lifesaving.   “For some of our clients it absolutely is the difference between living and dying,” said Dr. Strentzsch. “Last year, 19 people between Comal County, Kendall County, Guadalupe County and Bexar County did not make it. Their abusers took their lives. So, it is critical for anyone who is worried about what’s happening in their relationship to call our help line.”  If you or someone you know is being abused, please call 1-800-799-7233. Help is available 24/7. Thanks to the CCCC, Harrison says her mother went from surviving to thriving. She dedicated her life to service, helping build the women’s shelter in 1994.  In April, a fire tore through the facility forcing the shelter to close. Families have been temporarily relocated.  Dr. Strentzsch says it will take nearly $8 million to rebuild. That’s why the nonprofit is relying on the generosity of the community.  On Tuesday, Oct. 18, hundreds of people will gather at Krause’s Café for the third annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” fundraiser. The event starts at 6 p.m. You can also help by donating to the Crisis Center of Comal County.

What’s On TV This Week: ‘The Vow’ And ‘American Horror Story’ – The New York Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/whats-on-tv-this-week-the-vow-and-american-horror-story-the-new-york-times/ Television|What’s on TV This Week: ‘The Vow’ and ‘American Horror Story’ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/17/arts/television/whats-on-tv-this-week-the-vow-and-american-horror-story.html HBO airs a second season of the documentary on the Nxivm cult and Ryan Murphy’s show begins its 11th season, set in New York City. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. A courtroom sketch from April 2018 of Keith Raniere (second from right) and his lawyers.Credit…Elizabeth Williams/Associated Press Oct. 17, 2022, 1:00 a.m. ET Between network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is a vast one. Here are some of the shows, specials and movies coming to TV this week, Oct. 17-23. Details and times are subject to change. Monday THE VOW 9 p.m. on HBO. This docuseries, about Keith Raniere and his “sex cult” Nxivm, is beginning its second season. In 2020 Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking and other crimes. The first installment of the series explored the stories of the members who joined the group. This set of episodes will more focus Raniere and his inner circle as his trial took place. Tuesday BEETLEJUICE (1988) 9 p.m. on Freeform. Tim Burton’s comedy staring Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider is essential viewing for spooky season. Keaton plays the title character who is hired by a recently deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) to scare away the new (alive) residents of their house. The film was adapted into a Broadway musical of the same name, which will close in January after almost 700 performances. Image A still from “Year One: Political Odyssey.”Credit…Courtesy of HBO YEAR ONE: POLITICAL ODYSSEY 9 p.m. on HBO. Spanning from inauguration day in 2021 to the State of the Union in 2022, this documentary outlines President Biden’s first year in office, including the fallout from the Jan. 6 attack, efforts to encourage vaccination against Covid-19, the withdrawal from Afghanistan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to name just a few events. It also features interviews with the secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken; the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan; the secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin; and The New York Times’s very own David E. Sanger. AMERICAN HORROR STORY 10 p.m. on FX. Though murders are down 3 percent in the U.S., mysterious deaths around New York City continue to arise in the 11th installment of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series. Zachary Quinto, Patti LuPone and Billie Lourd — all “A.H.S.” veterans — star. Murphy has recently received some backlash from families of the victims of Jeffrey Dahmer for his show “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” in which Evan Peters (another “A.H.S.” regular) portrays the serial killer. DOCUMENTARY NOW! 10 p.m. on IFC. Each episode of this faux documentary series takes inspiration from an actual documentary, with the writers and actors making it outrageous and goofy. Created by “Saturday Night Live” alums Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen and Bill Hader, the show begins its fourth season with two episodes inspired by the 1982 documentary “Burden of Dreams” about the director Werner Herzog. In this version, written by John Mulaney, Cate Blanchett stars as an eccentric filmmaker and Nicholas Braun plays a moviegoer who mistakes an art-house cinema for a porno theater. Thursday Image Vinny Guadagnino in “Jersey Shore Family Vacation.”Credit…Courtesy of MTV JERSEY SHORE FAMILY VACATION 8 p.m. on MTV. It is hard to believe that in 2022 we are still fist pumping with our favorite group of party animals. The “Family Vacation” spinoff, which follows Snooki, her crew and their brood as they travel around the country, has been filming for longer than the original “Jersey Shore” series. The whole squad is gathering together for a reunion to wrap up the fifth season and bank more hours of delectable reality TV. MIKA: LIVE AT THE PARIS PHILHARMONIC 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). The Lebanese British pop singer Mika, known for songs like “Lollipop,” “Grace Kelly” and “Happy Endings/Over My Shoulder,” takes his talents to the Paris Philharmonic, where he performs with the orchestra and a choir. Friday THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937) 8 p.m. on TCM. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne play the divorcing couple Jerry and Lucy who mess with each other’s new potential love lives when they realize they’re still in love with each other. The movie is based on a 1922 play of the same name. Image Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook.”Credit…JoJo Whilden/Weinstein Company SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2012) 10:49 p.m. on Starz. This film by David O. Russell, filled with laughter, tears and lots of mentions of Philadelphia Eagles, stars Bradley Cooper as Pat, who, after ending up in a mental institution, moved back in with his parents. Jennifer Lawrence plays Tiffany, a young widow who promises to help Pat get back his estranged wife if he enters into a dance competition with her. Russell’s “movies embrace different problems and character types,” Manohla Dargis wrote in her review of the film for The Times. “A strung-out drug addict rather than an alcohol-soaked swell — but like the classics of the form, they have zippy, at times breakneck pacing, rapidly fired zingers and physical comedy that, taken together, reflect the wild unpredictability of the greater world.” Saturday CRISS ANGEL’S MAGIC WITH THE STARS 8 p.m. on The CW. Like “Dancing with the Stars” but with magic? Each week celebrity contestants learn tricks and illusions created by Criss Angel and then perform them in front of a panel of judges. This week Corbin Bleu and Miles Brown will be showing off their sleight of hand — next week Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Omarion are up. At the end, the celebrities with the highest scores will be invited back to compete for the golden wand. Sunday BMF: THE RISE AND FALL OF A HIP-HOP DRUG EMPIRE 10:05 p.m. on Starz. This eight-part series examines the true story of Black Mafia Family’s drug trafficking and money laundering operation based in Detroit. It is set to feature interviews with Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory as well and other ring leaders. This documentary series is a companion to the network’s scripted series “Black Mafia Family,” returning this fall for a second season. /

Stigmatisation And Discrimination, Major Challenges Of HIV Testing – GAC – Ghana Business News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/stigmatisation-and-discrimination-major-challenges-of-hiv-testing-gac-ghana-business-news/ The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has identified stigmatisation and discrimination of Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) as a major setback hindering many people from seeking counseling and testing services to know their HIV status. The Commission said the act was militating against government’s efforts in attaining an AIDS-free generation as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Health. Mr Dramani Yakubu, the Upper West Regional Technical Coordinator of the GAC, who said this in Wa during a Regional HIV and AIDS Coordination Forum organised by the Commission. He cited instances where people suspected of having HIV were offered separate washrooms, while others were withdrawn from work, particularly in the informal sector. The forum was to enable the GAC and partners to discuss the challenges affecting the fight against HIV and AIDS in the country and how to overcome those challenges. Representatives from the Ghana Health Service, Department of Children and Gender, National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), Ghana Education Service, Information Service Department, and the National Youth Authority among others attended. “If you stigmatise and discriminate against them (PLHIV) you are rather increasing your risk of contracting the virus because the people will not test and be treated and you don’t know when you will come into contact with any of them,” he said. Mr Yakubu, in a presentation, said 5,725 people in the Upper West Region were living with HIV, with 4,028 people being on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). He said the GAC implemented activities including school outreaches, testing, registration of PLHIV on the National Health Insurance Scheme, and distribution of condoms as part of efforts to win the fight against the disease. He, therefore, called on the stakeholders to strengthen their collaboration as no individual institution could do it alone. The participants were also taken through the National HIV and AIDS Policy (2019), which outlined the lead agencies’ roles and the responsibility of key stakeholders in its response. The stakeholders at the forum raised concerns over the negative attitude of some health staff, which had affected the HIV testing and treatment rate. They said some health personnel exposed PLHIV to social exclusion by releasing information on their HIV status to third parties, which discouraged many persons from getting tested. Dr Damien Punguyire, the Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, did not dispute that argument but said there were bad nuts in every institution and not every member of staff was qualified to offer counseling services. He said people working at the HIV Counseling and Testing Unit were well-trained  and encouraged the public to have confidence in them and go for the test. According to the Ghana Health Service Protocol, every health personnel swore an oath to ensure the confidentiality of information or data on patients with clearly defined punishment if anyone breached that oath. Dr Punguyire said any health staff caught breaching the oath would be punished in line with professional ethics and the law. Source: GNA

Health Systems And Cancer Services Need To Better Care For Older Adults – Health Policy Watch https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/health-systems-and-cancer-services-need-to-better-care-for-older-adults-health-policy-watch/ More than 1,500 scientists, medical specialists, NGO and civil society representatives, ministers of health, high-level United Nations representatives and people living with, or affected by, cancer are expected this week at the World Cancer Congress 2022. A lack of expertise in geriatric oncology means that cancer in older adults is often confused with other signs of ageing and diagnosed too late.  Dr Sonali Johnson sets out a blueprint for addressing this barrier – one of the many topics to be discussed at the World Cancer Congress, hosted by the Union for International Cancer Control in Geneva, 18-20 October. Cancer is a disease for which older adults are particularly at risk as the cells of the body are more likely to turn cancerous as a person ages, primarily as a result of greater exposure to risk factors (though this exposure can be reduced by adopting early a healthy lifestyle). In 2020, over 50% of all cancer cases were among people aged over 65 – nearly 10 million out of a total of 19.3 million – and this proportion will grow further in the coming decades, with the fastest increase occurring in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The treatment of cancer is more complex for older adults with co-morbidities, requiring an integrated approach. Yet a lack of expertise in geriatric oncology at different levels of the health system means that cancer in older adults is often diagnosed late as early symptoms are sometimes considered to be signs of ageing. Cancer is more complicated and invasive to treat successfully when it is detected at a more advanced stage. Age isn’t everything More than half of all people who have cancer are over 65 years old, and this number is predicted to rise as populations age globally. Yet, many health systems are not prepared to address the specific needs of this population. Older adults are not a uniform group and age alone is a poor predictor of an individual’s health. They can have widely varying physical and mental health at a similar age, with the presence or not of co-morbidities. They may or may not have a strong social support network. They may have considerable or, on the contrary, very limited financial means. Each of these factors will shape if and how an older adult engages with the health system, therefore their preferences and needs should be individually assessed.  To do so effectively, we need to improve our data on the prevalence of co-morbidities amongst adults aged over 65. Many health policies have been developed and implemented with partial information and in silos, addressing diseases separately. There is an opportunity here for cross-sectoral and multisectoral coordination and integrated approaches that lay the groundwork for patient-centred care. There is also a need to train health staff in geriatric care to correct the misconceptions that often surround health and ageing – stereotypes, assumptions and prejudices that mask the diverse nature of older populations and the contributions of older adults to society. Patient-centred care also means removing age limits in clinical trials and the inherent biases in research programmes to make them more inclusive. Currently, doctors and regulators may have little precise knowledge of how older adults react to certain treatments or how cancer medicines may interact with other medications they are taking, since these have not been tested. Countering misperceptions that older adults themselves may have about clinical trials (e.g. fear of mistreatment, being used as a ‘guinea pig’) is also essential to improve access to services and research. Other limitations also need to be addressed, such as hearing or transportation difficulties. Only if older adults are proportionately well represented in clinical trials and research can doctors have more insight into the efficiency and side effects of cancer treatments for people over 65. Caring for older cancer patients is a surmountable challenge Estimated increase in cancer incidence and mortality (2020 data: Globocan / 2030 previsions: AIRC) The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) has made cancer and ageing a focus area of its work, supporting the advocacy efforts of UICC member organisations in LMICs working to improve access to cancer services and care for older adults Initiatives in El Salvador, Guatemala, Kenya, Mongolia and Tajikistan have been set up in partnership with Sanofi, to improve the training of healthcare practitioners in geriatric care; include cancer and ageing strategies in national cancer control plans and universal healthcare packages; ensure cost-free access to cancer medicines for people aged over 65, and increase the availability of palliative care specifically tailored to the needs of older adults. To improve cancer care for older adults at the international level, the International Society of Geriatric Oncology has developed the Top Priorities Initiative to identify global priorities for progress and development in geriatric oncology and translate these priorities into tangible actions. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has issued recommendations for geriatric assessments, a tool to understand an older person’s physiological and socioeconomic situation to inform the most effective and appropriate course of care. These are being adopted by several health systems, for instance in Chile, where the Arturo Lopez Perez Foundation (FALP) created an oncogeriatric unit to provide a comprehensive geriatric assessment of older adults with cancer. Caring for older adults is not about prolonging life at all costs – and it is not an insurmountable challenge. Neither does it necessarily involve investing significantly in additional resources or diverting resources from other priorities. It is, ultimately, about ensuring that the clinical expertise exists to identify the specific needs of older adults and offering them the same opportunities for diagnosis and treatment as other populations enjoy, in line with their wishes and particular situation. Sonali Johnson is Head of Knowledge and Advocacy at the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), which is hosting the World Cancer Congress in Geneva, 18-20 October. Combat the infodemic in health information and support health policy reporting from the global South. Our growing network of journalists in Africa, Asia, Geneva and New York connect the dots between regional realities and the big global debates, with evidence-based, open access news and analysis. To make a personal or organisational contribution click here on PayPal.

Blustery Conditions Continue Today – Duluth News Tribune https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/blustery-conditions-continue-today-duluth-news-tribune/ The area of low pressure which helped to bring snow showers into our region over the weekend will remain in place over the central Great Lakes. This will mean that mostly cloudy skies will remain present. At most, maybe a snow flurry or two will be possible. Monday highs will likely be in the low to mid-30s across the region and breezy conditions will remain present with gusts up to 30 mph possible. An area of high pressure will move in, likely taking the clouds out of the region overnight and into the day Tuesday. A quick-moving system may bring a lone shower or two into the region Thursday. Another system may arrive toward the end of the weekend, possibly bringing a few showers and — if temperatures are low enough — maybe a snow shower or two.

Studio X Has Served Scores Of Metaverse Newbies, Annual Report Shows – Campus Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/studio-x-has-served-scores-of-metaverse-newbies-annual-report-shows-campus-times/ The basement of Carlson Library houses rollercoasters, a medieval alchemical laboratory, and a futuristic musical lightsaber performance space. Somehow, that sentence is 100% true — and it is all thanks to Studio X, the University’s half-library, half-experimentation zone dedicated to augmented and virtual reality, known together as extended reality (XR). The studio released its first annual report earlier this month recapping the studio’s soft launch year, which was full of projects, workshops, and competitions centered on getting students exposed to these budding technologies and exploring their horizons. According to the report, the space served 529 first-time users of XR technologies and facilitated 520 equipment bookings across 48 departments and six schools in the 2021-2022 academic year. Senior Waleed Nadeem, a Karp Library Fellow and brand ambassador for Studio X, said the exposure for first-timers was a huge achievement. “It is always such an incredible experience when you put on a headset on a new user and see their face light up with wonder,” he wrote to the Campus Times. “Every user has a different emotion before they wear the headset ranging from hesitation to excitement and it’s always fun to hear them shout or laugh when they see the virtual world. Every time a new user wears the headset it allows me to relive the excitement and fall in love with it once again.” Studio X also hosted nine student-led workshops covering a wide range of topics, many with titles descended from clickbait heaven. From a “Create Your Own VR Escape Room” session to “VR Music Composition in Unity” and “Create Your Own VR Flappy Bird” — there was a clear popular audience in mind. Alongside student-led workshops, the report also highlights how Studio X has helped integrate XR technologies into classroom instruction and scholarship. Assistant Professor of Computer Science Zhen Bai, for instance, brought her XR class into Studio X to help them overcome difficulties they had developing programs for VR headsets due to their lack of availability.  However, the report also notes that the studio’s successes came amid setbacks. “Supply chain issues delayed our technology,” Studio X Director Emily Sherwood said in the report. “And like many units across the University, we were short-staffed and had trouble filling positions and finding people with the skills we needed. Although we have assembled a team of dedicated and skilled students, we see our team as a work-in-progress. Case in point: we still don’t have the staff to fully meet faculty needs. Finally, as is true with all new spaces, we discovered physical and technical limitations, which sometimes forced us to rethink our strategies for programming and events.” Nadeem added that he thinks Studio X could be improved if it were given a full dedicated computer lab. Currently the studio has a few desktop computers, but their setup is smaller than the Rettner and IT Center computer labs. Nadeem said he was optimistic about change because the studio is a “student led space.” Overall, Nadeem said he felt the most meaningful work he has done with Studio X is to “represent possibility” for students who may feel that they do not have a role in the growing XR sector. “I am not a computer science major,” he wrote. “I am a business information systems and Digital Media Studies student and if I can make these experiences and work on these novel immersive technologies, then so can anyone else. Studio X is for everyone regardless of your major or experience, all you need is a passion for learning.”

Top 10 | ABP LIVE Morning Bulletin: Top News Headlines From 17 October 2022 To Start Your Day – ABP Live https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/top-10-abp-live-morning-bulletin-top-news-headlines-from-17-october-2022-to-start-your-day-abp-live/ Home News Top 10 | ABP LIVE Morning Bulletin: Top News Headlines from 17 October 2022 to Start Your Day Top 10 | ABP LIVE Morning Bulletin, 17 October 2022: Read the top news headlines and other major updates from India and world to kick start your day Top 10 | ABP LIVE Morning Bulletin: Top News Headlines from 17 October 2022 to Start Your Day ABP News bring you the top 10 headlines to kick start your day and stay on top of the most important news updates from India and around the World. Here are the top news and stories in entertainment, sports, technology, gadgets genre from 17 October 2022: Top 10 | ABP LIVE Evening Bulletin: Top News Headlines from 16 October 2022 Top 10 | ABP LIVE Evening Bulletin, 16 October 2022: Read the top news headlines and all major updates from Across India and world at the prime time Read More Top 10 | ABP LIVE Afternoon Bulletin: Top News Headlines from 16 October 2022 Top 10 | ABP LIVE Afternoon Bulletin, 16 October 2022: Read the top news headlines and other major updates from India and world to till 2 PM today Read More All Set For Tharoor Vs Kharge Today. Congress To Get First Non-Gandhi President Since 1998 Congress presidential election: In its 137-year history, it is only the sixth time that an electoral contest is taking place for the selection of All India Congress Committee president. Read More Sitharaman visits National Science Foundation in Washington Washington, Oct 17 (PTI): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the National Science Foundation headquarters here and was given presentations on key issues like astronomy, AI for robotics and public messaging during health crise. Read More World Food Day: Aasif Sheikh To Vidisha Srivastava, TV Celebs Talk About Their Favourite Local Cuisines “Maharashtra’s food culture is very diverse. Despite its diversity, Maharashtra cuisine features a strong presence of spices, tamarind, coconut, and kokum,” says Neha Joshi. Read More Tusshar Kapoor Dispels Myth About Star Kids Having It Easy, Says Once Waited 12-14 Hours For Kareena Kapoor Khan “While shooting for my debut film, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, I had to wait for my co-star and another star kid Kareena Kapoor Khan for 12-14 hours as she was simultaneously working on four films”: Tusshar Kapoor Read More Mohammed Shami Rattles Dinesh Karthik’s Stumps During Net Session In Gabba – WATCH Mohammed Shami was initially named in standbys when India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2022 was announced and now, he is leaving no stone unturned to make a case for himself ahead of the marquee event. Read More T20 World Cup 2022: Netherlands Pip UAE By 3 Wickets In Low-Scoring Thriller Scott Edwards (16*) & Logan Van Beek (4 not out) kept their cool in the final over as Netherlands scampered home for a single off the penultimate delivery of the match to start off on a winning note. Read More Actors Pavvitra Punia And Eijaz Khan Are Engaged? Reports Pavvitra Punia and Eijaz Khan met each other in a captive reality show and their love story took some time to develop. Read More World Bank Offers To Take India’s Digitisation To Rest Of The World, Says Finance Minister Sitharaman World Bank President offered to work with India to encourage other countries to emulate its successful digitization programmes so they, too, could benefit, according to Finance Minister Sitharaman. Read More Published at : 17 Oct 2022 06:30 AM (IST) Tags: Breaking News Top News Top Headlines Top News headlines Latest news News Headlines Today Top 10 Headlines English News Headlines Morning Headlines Todays Morning headlines Breakfast news Follow Breaking News on abp LIVE for more latest stories and trending topics. Watch breaking news and top headlines online on abp News LIVE TV

Pay No Attention To The Price Of Bitcoin And Ethereum – Decrypt https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/pay-no-attention-to-the-price-of-bitcoin-and-ethereum-decrypt/ Crypto is totally dead lately—if you’re only looking at the price action. Yes, Bitcoin is down 72% from its all-time-high price in November 2021, almost one full year ago. Ethereum is down the same, 72% from its own high of $4,878. Woof. Crypto advocates point out that it’s not just crypto, stocks have been hammered too. And they’re right: everything is down right now. But that’s cold comfort for crypto believers, who—I’ll let you in on a little crypto media trade secret—do not care to read any crypto news when crypto prices are down. ConsenSys CEO Joe Lubin put on a brave face last week when talking to me about the technological success of the Ethereum merge, but ETH is down a disheartening 21% since the event. For a better temperature check on how crypto is doing, look at the major recent signs of mainstream adoption. In the past two months, we got a string of indications that major financial institutions and tech companies believe crypto is here to stay. You’d be excused for having missed these news stories while the global economy was collapsing all around us. In August, BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world, launched a spot Bitcoin private trust to give its customers exposure to the current price of Bitcoin. (As a reminder, the SEC has staunchly refused to greenlight a publicly-traded spot Bitcoin ETF, allowing only Bitcoin futures ETFs; but BlackRock can offer its own clients whatever service it wants.) BlackRock also said it’s seeing “substantial interest” in crypto from its institutional clients, and that it’s exploring stablecoins and tokenization. Wow. Bitcoin didn’t budge on that news, a sign of just how much the economy is weighing on every type of asset. This past week brought two more big shows of faith. Google announced it will start accepting crypto as payment for its cloud services early next year by plugging into Coinbase. As part of the deal, Coinbase Commerce will move its “data-related applications” from Amazon Web Services over to Google. So not only is this Google Cloud welcoming crypto, but also a form of tie-up between Google and Coinbase. On the same day, 239-year-old Bank of New York Mellon launched its own Bitcoin and Ethereum custody service. The bank will hold clients’ private keys and provide accounting on their crypto portfolios. This follows BNY Mellon becoming the custodian for the cash reserves that back Circle’s USDC stablecoin in March. And last year, BNY Mellon launched a Bitcoin custody service in Ireland. BlackRock, Google, BNY Mellon Probably nothing — Barry Silbert (@BarrySilbert) October 11, 2022 All of this might look to sneering crypto-skeptics like a sad attempt at rationalization. The favored mantra of Web3 builders, “bear markets are for building,” gets so oft-repeated at times like these that it has become cliché. That doesn’t mean it’s untrue. I first wrote about Bitcoin in 2011. I’ve witnessed the freezing crypto cycles of 2014, 2018, and now. Some of the best-known crypto companies and platforms were built during those “winters.” Lubin says crypto is “the tail being wagged by a very sick dog” right now and that it won’t get better until the economy improves. Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko thinks it could take 12-18 months. Meanwhile, they’re all still building, as signs of future adoption quietly multiply. Stay on top of crypto news, get daily updates in your inbox.

World Food Day – US Embassy In Georgia https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/world-food-day-us-embassy-in-georgia/ World Food Day  US Embassy in Georgia

Seasonal J’can Farm Workers Embrace Technology In Canada – Jamaica Gleaner https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/seasonal-jcan-farm-workers-embrace-technology-in-canada-jamaica-gleaner/ Ontario, Canada: If the image of farmers on bended knees, manually tending to crops, comes to mind when thinking about the Canadian seasonal agricultural workers programme, then it might come as a surprise that the reality is it is largely mechanically driven. For the most part, Jamaican workers on the farms which JIS News has so far visited while accompanying a team of local fact-finders were observed operating harvesters, pullers, tractors, and other equipment. They indicated that this is a major and welcome shift, compared to recent years. On a 2,500-acre apple farm visited in Simcoe, Ontario, Michael Jones* of St. Ann was seen driving what he said was an apple picker. Headlines Delivered to Your Inbox “It picks up the apples from off the ground – the bad ones that fall under the trees – and we take them to a storeroom where we wash them,” he explained. One of his colleagues indicated that these apples are sometimes used to make juices. Jones pointed out that the machines make the tasks “a lot easier because to bend your back to pick up the fruits is not easy”. He told JIS News that he has been participating in the programme for 18 years and was only introduced to the machine three years ago. Prior to meeting Jones, the fact-finding team spent some time on tobacco and rutabaga farms, where a significant amount of the operations is fully mechanised. Rutabaga is a root vegetable and is a cross between turnips and cabbage. On a family-owned tobacco farm on the outskirts of the city of London, we met Ken Henry* of St. Mary who explained the process of preparing tobacco for shipping. He said to cultivate the suckers, the workers initially utilise a planter and, thereafter, return to the field to fill any spaces that were missed. At the reaping stage, a harvester is used to pick the leaves. “There’s one person in the harvester… and that person would be spreading the leaves and getting them levelled off. The plants go from the harvester to be processed and cured and then to the grading room where the tobacco is compressed and weighed and ready for shipment,” he outlined. The safety of the workers was also observed, with one worker on a rutabaga farm pointing out that whenever his hands are not on the machine being used in the operations at that location, it automatically shuts off. Noting the extent to which machines are incorporated on the farms, at least one observer, Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC) President, Wayne Chen, said that, in future, Jamaican farm workers may need to possess a skills-based background. For Chen, the shift from manual to machines is an opportunity to be seized. Conversely, one of the principals at a decades-old apple farm said for certain fruits, such as apples and peaches which are deemed delicate, a machine will never be able to do the job, at least not in the foreseeable future. He noted that there is a special technique to picking apples, which includes a gentle grasp of the fruit in one’s palm before turning it gently and then releasing it into the bin (container). Retaining the stem is crucial to this process, the employer said. He pointed out, however, that for other fruits, such as cherries, a machine is used to quickly shake the trees and gather the fruit in significant quantities. The seasonal agricultural workers’ programme began in 1966. Minister of Labour and Social Security Karl Samuda established the fact-finding team to assess the status of participating Jamaican workers. *Names changed on request of workers. – JIS

Texas Sheriff Certifies That Migrants Flown To Martha’s Vineyard Were Victims Of A Crime – KRQE News 13 https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/texas-sheriff-certifies-that-migrants-flown-to-marthas-vineyard-were-victims-of-a-crime-krqe-news-13/ (The Hill) – Texas Sheriff Javier Salazar on Thursday certified that the group of migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., last month by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) were victims of a crime, qualifying them to obtain a visa. Salazar, the Bexar County sheriff, submitted certification documents that will allow the nearly 50 migrants to apply for U visas, which grant crime victims nonimmigrant status in the U.S. to ensure that they are available as witnesses during investigations or trials. “Based upon the claims of migrants being transported from Bexar County under false pretenses, we are investigating this case as possible Unlawful Restraint,” Salazar said in a statement to GBH News. The Venezuelan nationals transported to Martha’s Vineyard were reportedly given false information about where they were going and the support they would receive at the destination. The certification comes a day after the Department of the Treasury announced that it would investigate DeSantis’s usage of COVID-19 relief money and the “allowability” of funding migrant transportation with that money or interest earned on it. Salazar opened an investigation into the Martha’s Vineyard incident soon after it occurred, claiming that the migrants were “lured” under “false pretenses.” The sheriff told Massachusetts news station WGBH that his office has identified suspects in the investigation but is not releasing names publicly as the probe proceeds. The Hill has reached out to Salazar for comment. Immigration attorneys, including Rachel Self, are working with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office to interview the migrants as part of the criminal investigation. “Since the day they landed on Martha’s Vineyard, it has been clear to all who spoke to them that the migrants had been preyed upon and victimized,” Self wrote to The Hill in a statement.  “These certifications will ensure that the migrants can continue to help our law enforcement officials, and that they will be able to process and heal from the incredibly traumatic experiences they have suffered as a result of the cruel, heartless acts committed against them.” The migrants have also filed a class action lawsuit against DeSantis based on allegations of “fraud” and “misrepresentation.” “Defendants manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process and equal protection under law, and impermissibly interfered with the Federal Government’s exclusive control over immigration in furtherance of an unlawful goal and a personal political agenda,” reads the lawsuit, referring to its plaintiffs.