James Kelso

Expro Wins Funding For Carbon-Reducing Technology Development – The Bakersfield Californian https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/expro-wins-funding-for-carbon-reducing-technology-development-the-bakersfield-californian/ HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct 13, 2022– Expro (NYSE: XPRO) has been awarded funding for two carbon-reduction projects as part of an innovation program to accelerate clean energy production and close the gap in net zero technologies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221013005123/en/ Steve Russell, Expro’s Chief Technology Officer (Photo: Business Wire) The Aberdeen-based Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) has awarded a total of £8 million to fund net zero technologies as part of their 2022 Open Innovation Program. The 20 winning technologies were selected from 154 qualified entries and fall into seven focus areas. The technologies faced a rigorous selection process, ensuring each supports the transition towards net zero, with an obligation of trialing and deploying the technology within the UK Continental Shelf. Expro secured both projects awarded in the Venting and Flaring category. Expro’s two winning projects focus on: real-time flare emissions measurement and control a unique technological solution to enable well testing to be conducted without the need for flaring These showcase Expro’s commitment to continuously evolve its portfolio of technologies and services to drive the shift to net zero. Both projects build on the company’s existing capabilities to promote more measured and efficient means of flaring, and to offer alternatives to traditional flaring, in support of operators’ carbon-reducing commitments. The NZTC believes the 20 successful technology projects will deliver £7.8bn Gross Value Added along with an impact of 3.1Mt CO 2 e annually. Expro’s Chief Technology Officer Steve Russell said: “We are delighted to receive the recognition and funding in this program to help further develop these technological solutions that will play a part in accelerating the industry’s journey to net zero. “Technology is a critical component in energy transition progression, as are collaboration and partnership to achieve our collective goals. We are committed to addressing our own and the industry’s effects on the planet, and this includes working with clients around the world to develop and implement solutions to reduce emissions from non-essential flaring.” Recent case studies demonstrating this approach include: Expro recently supported a customer in the Middle East to reduce gas flaring and optimize production at 10 production sites. Expro undertook a detailed study to find an economic alternative to flaring. The solution was to use gas to power compressors, which were delivered, installed, and commissioned within 32 weeks. The fast-track project was estimated to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 10,000 tonnes of CO 2 e per day. Using the compressors also reduced operational expenditure while optimizing production and extending field life. In Asia Pacific, Expro supported a client by executing a two-well clean up with zero flaring of hydrocarbons. The campaign was part of a greater objective to reduce GHGs and wasteful flaring during well operations. Expro designed and delivered a well test process that saved an estimated 4,000 tonnes of CO 2 e emissions during clean-up operations. Discover more at Sustainable Energy Solutions (expro.com) NOTES TO EDITORS: About Expro Working for clients across the well life cycle, Expro is a leading provider of energy services, offering cost-effective, innovative solutions and what the Company believes to be best-in-class safety and service quality. The Company’s extensive portfolio of capabilities spans well construction, well flow management, subsea well access, and well intervention and integrity solutions. With roots dating to 1938, Expro has approximately 7,200 employees and provides services and solutions to leading exploration and production companies in both onshore and offshore environments in approximately 60 countries. For more information, please visit: expro.com and connect with Expro on Twitter @ExproGroup and LinkedIn @Expro. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company, may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, the Company’s environmental, social and governance goals, targets and initiatives, and are indicated by words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “outlook,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “believe,” “envision,” “goal,” “target,” “can,” “will,” and similar words or phrases. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the future results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company’s expectations and judgments and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond our control. The factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to materially differ include, among others the risk factors identified in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, historical practice, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221013005123/en/ MediaRelations@expro.com KEYWORD: EUROPE UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM NORTH AMERICA TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE OIL/GAS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY GREEN TECHNOLOGY ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TRANSPORT LOGISTICS/SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT OTHER ENERGY OTHER CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY ENGINEERING SOURCE: Expro Copyright Business Wire 2022. PUB: 10/13/2022 04:00 AM/DISC: 10/13/2022 04:03 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221013005123/en Copyright Business Wire 2022.

One Pill Can Kill: Authorities Warn Of Fentanyl Dangers – The Cross Timbers Gazette https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/one-pill-can-kill-authorities-warn-of-fentanyl-dangers-the-cross-timbers-gazette/ As the founder of the local non-profit Winning the Fight, Kathy O’Keefe is used to standing in front of large assemblies of middle and high school kids to talk about the dangers of doing drugs. She’s worked one-on-one with grieving parents — many of whom lost a child to drugs as she did — and has even partnered with law enforcement and other organizations to raise awareness. She thought she’d seen it all. But if O’Keefe is being 100% honest, her message these days has her petrified like never before. All because of a drug that can kill an unsuspecting user, including kids, with one pill — fentanyl. “We’ve always had a drug problem, but it’s incredibly scary now because younger age groups are getting their hands on it,” O’Keefe said. “It’s coming out in rainbow colors now, so it looks just like candy. But even if they think it’s ecstasy, they think they’re taking one drug when it’s actually something else. The reality is that 40% of confiscated drugs right now are laced with fentanyl. That means buying these drugs off the street gives you a 40% chance of dying from one pill.” She added, “It’s a different game right now, and it’s frightening — absolutely frightening. This is coming to our community.” The truth is — it’s already here. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, per the Drug Enforcement Agency. It was initially developed for pain management treatment for cancer patients, anesthesia, etc. but has now made its way into the illicit drug world disguised as legitimate prescription drugs, other illegal drugs, and even candy. Like other opioid analgesics, fentanyl produces effects such as relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression. And it kills swiftly. State and federal officials are warning families everywhere — including in southern Denton County — that fentanyl use, overdoses, and even deaths are in every suburb, HOA, gated community, and school bathroom. The Flower Mound Police Department made five fentanyl arrests in 2022 and responded to three overdoses. They’ve referred larger cases to the DEA, which has also found itself cracking down on more cases locally. “We work with a ton of different agencies, and there isn’t one we know that hasn’t been affected by fentanyl,” Flower Mound Police Sgt. James Pulis said. “The cases we see in our area involve people who are putting a pill on a piece of foil, lighting it with some kind of heat source, and inhaling the vapor. But that’s just in our area. In other areas, they see users crush the pills and snort them or straight up pop a pill. Our concern is that it’s ending up in much younger hands.” On a larger scale, Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to state agencies on September 20 directing them to ramp up state efforts to combat what is now considered a national crisis. Fentanyl is being trafficked into Texas by Mexican cartels, and related deaths reported in Texas in 2021 increased by a staggering 89% compared to 2020. “Fentanyl’s potency and deceptiveness, combined with the federal government’s unwillingness to take border security seriously, pose a grave threat to Texans,” Abbot stated in the letter. “We must take all appropriate actions to inform Texans of this danger and prevent additional deaths. Together, we can help bring awareness to the threat posed by fentanyl and do our part to address this crisis.” DEA officer Eduardo Chavez agreed, stating that the DEA’s tagline is: One Pill Can Kill. Rainbow fentanyl is an emerging trend used by drug cartels to sell fentanyl — disguised as candy — to children and young people. Coming in the form of pills, powder and blocks resembling sidewalk chalk, rainbow fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. (Photo by Drug Enforcement Administration) “A major problem is that there’s no quality control with these pills,” he said. “The first pill off of the assembly line isn’t exactly the same as the millionth pill, so one pill could have .5 milligrams of fentanyl, and the next one could have three milligrams. This is a lethal dose. There’s no such thing as experimentation or ‘let me try this out’ with this drug.” O’Keefe founded Winning the Fight 12 years ago after losing her son Brett to a drug overdose. While his death was unrelated to fentanyl, at least one WTF board member has lost a child to fentanyl. The current drug overdose epidemic as a whole kills more than 100,000 people annually, per the CDC. What’s more shocking is that number is an increase of 28.5% from the year before — even as public and private organizations, schools, healthcare professionals, therapists, government agencies, and police departments band together to offer education, support, and resources to individuals and families who need it most. Winning The Fight provided counsel to 353 families and facilitated 340 referrals to therapists, treatment facilities, and more in 2021 alone. In 2014, they released a documentary film, “Not Me,” which tells the story of addiction experienced by eight local families. “Not Me” continues to be shown in schools and churches, and the Flower Mound Municipal Court uses the program for many who face charges for drugs and paraphernalia. Winning The Fight also assists with anxiety workshops such as Just Breathe, therapeutic retreats, court programs, drug education, panel discussions, health classes, drug testing kits, recommended reading, and other support models such as AA and Smart Recovery. Their Better Safe Than Sorry program preaches the importance of locking up prescription and over-the-counter medications, keeping them out of others’ hands. WTF recently showed its latest documentary, “Just Once,” and included a panel discussion with the DEA, FMPD, and Recovery Resource. “The schools are trying; everyone is trying. But I’m tired of the fentanyl deaths. By July this year alone, we lost four kids from the local area. And these were from families we were working with,” O’Keefe said. “A lot of parents think that it’s not going to happen to them, so they don’t attend these programs. They’ve also stopped watching the news or reading it because everything is so depressing. But that’s the only way we can get the information out. Parents need to figure out what’s happening in these programs because if they aren’t paying attention, what do we do?” Chavez said the good news is that illicit fentanyl distribution has not invaded legit pharmacies. So if you receive a prescription for any drug through a legitimate professional and go to a reputable pharmacy, you’re getting the real thing. With that said, parents need to have difficult talks with their kids and other family members if they notice anything strange. “When I speak to parents in this area, the conversation usually goes like this: ‘I knew something was bothering them or that something was off. But I thought it was just teenagers being teenagers, and I wasn’t willing to address the issue because I didn’t want to start another fight. I’m already fighting with my teenager about grades, sports, friends, etc., so I didn’t want to add one more thing,’” he said. “But they need to. You can’t afford to back down because the consequences are irreversible.” In the meantime, O’Keefe said she would continue spreading the message and praying for a positive breakthrough. The only question is if enough people are willing to listen. “Fentanyl wasn’t always around. But now, it’s murder by poison,” she said. “It’s a scary conversation, but it’s important.” Learn more about Winning The Fight at wtf-winningthefight.org.

Trips To Italy, 6-Course Dinners And Endless Booze: Do Fancy Work Trips Really Stop Staff Leaving? – Euronews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/trips-to-italy-6-course-dinners-and-endless-booze-do-fancy-work-trips-really-stop-staff-leaving-euronews/ Imagine waking up to early morning yoga in the hills of Piedmont. Archery lessons overlooking a sprawling castle. Limousines, five-star hotels and Michelin-starred cuisine. But this isn’t a holiday. This is a company offsite. As we emerge from pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, many companies are maintaining a fully remote model. In some cases, in-person interactions have become a thing of the past, making it challenging to establish a strong company culture. For some companies, a team lunch doesn’t cut it anymore. They’re looking at far-flung locations, luxury hotel stays and meticulously designed experiences to quickly establish trust between employees that have only met through a screen. We spoke with some experts to learn more about the trend, and why it’s important.  What is a company offsite? Offsites are team-building days designed to bond employees, brainstorm, boost morale and establish a company culture. These are often an opportunity for managers to organise focus groups and explore the ‘big picture’ goals of the company. The ‘traditional’ image of a company team-building day is in a hotel conference room, with employees taking part in challenges and presentations. Now, and especially as we emerge from the pandemic, companies are blurring the line between work and vacation to keep a stronghold on company culture. What do company offsites look like today? There have been reports of Uber taking its employees to a Beyoncé concert in Las Vegas, a WeWork summer camp fueled with booze and sex, and Glossier’s lavish ‘glamping’ trips. The New York Post reports the owner of a Chicago recruiting company “used the money her company saved on office rent during 2020 and 2021 to shell out $80,000 [€82,500] for her employees to take a three-day weekend trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in February.” And at night, the booze always comes out. “It’s still one of the oldest tricks in the book if you want to get people to bond,” Johannes Hoyos, owner of the Piedmont-based Workation Village, says to Euronews Travel. “Give them some booze and then it’s gonna happen.” Aron Solomon, the head of strategy at Esquire Digital, also noted that all-nighters in Berlin and Paris, clubs, and lavish dinners are pretty commonplace for big firms. “Believe me, when they go to these offsites, they stay in the best hotels, they’re eating at the best restaurants – at least the big companies, the big law and accounting firms,” Solomon reveals. “We’re talking about a lot of expensive meals. We’re talking about limousines for airport transfers, $500 to $700 [€515-€720] night rooms.” Which destinations are most popular for company offsites? Solomon says US companies are looking to Europe more than ever, and expects this to continue into next year. He expects this is a reaction to the pandemic lockdowns. “People have missed Europe… A lot of these executives or people who get to go offsite, who might have travelled to Europe regularly, have missed it,” he says. “So the idea of a company doing an offsite kills two birds with one stone.” New companies have been popping up in Europe that design and host company team-building trips. Again, we’re not talking about a conference room or business lunch. Solomon predicts companies will be looking for “something kind of exotic” in their 2023 offsites. In 2021, Hoyos transformed a sparsely populated Italian village into a campus for company trips. The Workation Village hosts multi-day offsites for big names like Google and Spotify, for up to 200 people. Hoyos tells Euronews Travel to think of it as a sort of countryside boutique hotel meets modern co-working space meets yoga retreat meets adventure space. According to Hoyos, being in a stunning natural setting is conducive to creative and productive thinking. “Our brains are super hardwired to come back again to certain patterns of thought,” he explains. “When we are in our typical environments – cities, airports, meeting rooms, office spaces, restaurants, hotels – [they] tend to trigger these patterns that we are hardwired to.” Breaking routine and being in a natural setting breaks that cycle. What’s the point of company away days? Though individual companies may plan away days with specific goals, there’s one theme that seems everpresent: building trust. This is especially important now in a remote working environment. Most of the Workation Village’s clients are technology companies that are otherwise working remotely. – “The goal of those teams is to get to know one another because they normally don’t work together in the same space,” Hoyos says. “That’s one of the key issues. How do you build trust?”  Hoyos describes that being in such close proximity in a new environment can create bonds between employees in a way that may not be possible virtually. “Say for the first time in your life, you’re participating in yoga and you do these awkward movements and you feel a bit embarrassed,” he theorises. “But then you feel like it’s ok, and this creates trust.” Now, in the age of social media, cool offsites have also been an opportunity for company branding. “We have local photographers and videographers, and we help [employees] to use content around their experiences here to tell the story about their company, their team, company culture, and so on,” Hoyos says. As businesses continue to adapt to hybrid systems – and employees become more selective about the companies they work for – offsite opportunities could be a powerful tool in the modern workplace.

PRESS DIGEST- New York Times Business News – Oct 13 – Yahoo Finance https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/press-digest-new-york-times-business-news-oct-13-yahoo-finance/ Oct 13 (Reuters) – The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. – The U.S. Treasury Department’s inspector general is investigating whether Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida misused pandemic relief money when he orchestrated the transport of two planeloads of Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard last month. – The families of eight Sandy Hook shooting victims on Wednesday won nearly $1 billion in damages from Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for falsely claiming they were actors who faked the tragedy. – Electric-vehicle maker Lucid said Wednesday that it would meet its scaled-back production targets for the year after producing 2,300 cars in the third quarter. – Netflix is inching closer to building a huge production studio on the Jersey Shore. (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

World Sight Day: These 5 Chronic Health Issues Can Affect Your Eyesight – Health Shots https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/world-sight-day-these-5-chronic-health-issues-can-affect-your-eyesight-health-shots/ Published on: 13 October 2022, 11:30 am IST The theme for World Sight Day 2022 is ‘Love Your Eyes’. This day aims to raise public awareness around the global issue of eye health. Did you know vision problems aren’t just caused by the eyes? They can also be caused by a number of illnesses or health disorders. Yes, that is true. Many chronic conditions can affect your eyesight. So, if you’re living with any of the following health issues, you need to keep going for eye check ups before it’s too late. Health Shots got in touch with Dr Priyanka Singh, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Neytra Eye Centre, New Delhi, to discuss the chronic health issues that can lead to eyesight problems. Here are 5 health problems that can affect your vision, according to Dr Singh: 1. Diabetes Long-term high blood sugar levels can harm blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the retina. The tiny blood vessels that enter the retina may bleed or leak if sugar inhibits them. To combat it, new blood vessels are grown by the eyes that are weaker and may bleed or leak easily. This leaking might cause the eye to fill up with fluid, which would cause the retina to enlarge and impair vision. This condition is termed as Diabetic Retinopathy which results due to the damage caused to blood vessels because of diabetes. Keep your blood sugar levels in control! Image courtesy: Shutterstock 2. Hypertension Just like high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure can also damage the blood vessels. High blood pressure can cause the blood vessels in the retina to thicken, which will reduce the amount of blood that can reach it. Without sufficient blood flow, the delicate tissues in the eyes become injured, which can result in macular edoema and vitreous haemorrhage, optic nerve injury, and fluid accumulation under the retina. This condition is known as Hypertensive Retinopathy. 3. Multiple sclerosis The myelin sheath, which protects the optic nerve and aids in quick and effective signal transmission from the eyes to the brain for interpretation, is attacked by the immune system. As a result, the signalling is compromised, which causes an inflammation of the optic nerve and rapid loss of eyesight. This is referred to as optic neuritis. This condition leads to experiencing pain in the movement of the eyes, blurred vision, loss of color vision, a hole in the centre of the vision, headache, and blindness in some rare cases. Also, read: World Sight Day: 5 reasons why you should avoid rubbing your eyes 4. Thyroid Due to similarities between the receptors present in the cells behind the eyes and those found in thyroid cells, such as in Graves’ disease, overactive thyroid causes antibodies to also be directed against those cells. This causes Graves’ ophthalmopathy or Graves’ orbitopathy. Eye irritation, swollen eyelids, redness and inflammation of the conjunctiva, proptosis, and double vision are the signs of the aforementioned conditions. In some severe cases, a decrease in eye movement and optic nerve compression, incomplete closure of the eye, corneal ulceration and rarely, loss of vision is seen. Untreated hypothyroidism is a problem! Image courtesy: Shutterstock 5. Rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases In autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) the immune system starts attacking one’s own body tissues. Thus, the uvea’s vascular components, including the iris, ciliary body, and choroid, exhibit an inflammatory reaction, and the aforementioned situation results in autoimmune uveitis. It affects and causes inflammation in every part of the eye and it leads to sudden loss of vision, severe pain and increased pressure. How to take care of your eyes? Follow these tips: Make sure you don’t rub your eyes with your hands. It can transfer the bacteria. Always wash your hands before touching your eyes or putting contact lenses. To protect your eyes from Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) damage, wear sunglasses. Certain nutrients such as vitamin C and E zinc and copper are needed for healthy eyesight. So, add them in your diet. Do not smoke as it can damage optic nerves. Limit your exposure to digital screens. Exercise regularly to reduce the risk of chronic health conditions Also, read: Is your child battling dry eyes? Know its causes and symptoms Dr Singh says, “It is imperative to maintain a healthy lifestyle, diet and to keep track of health issues by regularly going for health check-ups and screenings. If you have pre-existing eye problems, having an eye check-up once in a year is advisable.” A timely diagnosis can help not only to keep track of health but will also help in addressing any prospective health issues. On this World Sight Day, we urge you to visit an ophthalmologist to have your eyes examined and receive the best vision-related advice if you’re suffering from any of these health issues.

Ayers, Jaworski Lead North Collins | News, Sports, Jobs – Evening Observer https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/ayers-jaworski-lead-north-collins-news-sports-jobs-evening-observer/ SALAMANCA — Cate Ayers had 20 assists, six aces and two kills as North Collins beat Salamanca 25-18, 25-18, 11-25, 25-15 in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association East Division play. Mackenzie Jaworski had 12 kills and three blocks while Zoe Kreinheder had six kills and two blocks for the Eagles (10-4, 8-3). Lezly McComber had seven kills, three blocks, two aces and nine digs while Karina Mireles-Crouse had five kills and seven digs for the Warriors (4-12, 2-9). North Collins will host Pine Valley on Friday for its “Dig Pink” game. Funds raised will support breast cancer research. SPRINGVILLE SWEEPS DUNKIRK SPRINGVILLE — Ella Whitman had 11 kills, 15 digs and four aces to lead Springville over nonleague Dunkirk 25-16, 25-11, 25-18 in nonleague play. The Griffins improved to 11-3 overall while the Marauders fell to 1-14. PANAMA BEATS JAMESTOWN PANAMA — Panama claimed its 10th win in 13 outings, downing Jamestown 25-9, 25-11, 25-13 in a nonleague volleyball match Wednesday. Mandy Brink led the way with two kills, 16 assists, five digs and six aces. Sarah Harvey added seven kills, six digs and one ace; Corinne Hovey had 12 digs and two aces; Jo Bailey collected five kills, one block, one dig and one ace; and Lilly Odell had five kills. For Jamestown (4-9), Avery Salvaggio had nine digs; Kylie O’Brien recorded three kills and eight digs; and Rylan Coombs contributed seven digs. TUESDAY T’BIRDS STAY PERFECT BROCTON — Ava Olson had 10 assists, eight aces, six kills and six digs to lead Chautauqua Lake past Brocton 25-18, 25-4, 25-8 in Division 2 West action Tuesday. Bre Smith had six kills, three aces and two digs; Jenna Harle had six kills, five digs and three aces; Mallory Morrison had nine assists, four kills and a block; and Anyah Carson had three kills and two digs for the Thunderbirds (11-0, 11-0). Andrea Spiller had three assists and three blocks while Julia Miller had three kills, three digs and an assist for the Bulldogs (2-11, 0-11). Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

The Metaverse: Where Physical Space Is No Longer A Priority – Spiceworks News And Insights https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-metaverse-where-physical-space-is-no-longer-a-priority-spiceworks-news-and-insights/ The popularity of the metaverse is growing. Technology offers huge opportunities for businesses across various aspects. Here, Nick Shah, CEO, of Peterson Technology Partners, discusses what opportunities the metaverse technology can offer to companies in terms of the future of work. “The technology is going to disrupt the future of work, perhaps sooner than we thought.” – Brian Cornell, CEO of Target Imagine a future where you can step from the beach directly into your corporate office in the city, without missing a beat. A world where you no longer have to worry about forced mingling with colleagues in cramped cubicles because you can access potentially limitless workspaces. You could have meetings in space or attend training sessions in a submarine. You could work shoulder-to-shoulder with team-mates who live thousands of miles away on a different continent.   This is not science fiction anymore. In fact, if metaverse tech continues to grow apace, this may become our reality in the very near future.   We have seen the beginnings of such a world with the rise of remote working. But being able to log in to work remotely is only the first step on this journey. With metaverse tech, we might soon see a day when you can immerse yourself completely in an office environment without ever leaving the comfort of your home or wherever you choose to work!  The Metaverse Is an Evolution of Remote Work “One day offices will be a thing of the past.” – Sir Richard Branson.  COVID-19 has made us rethink our priorities — how we want to work and for whom we want to work. A recent report by Slack found that 78% of workers across the globe now want flexibility in where they work. The days of long commutes and cramped working spaces are no longer as tolerated simply for a paycheck. Metaverse tech can potentially allow companies to give their employees the opportunity to work remotely while also ensuring the business’s needs are met.  In addition to providing people with the work environment they seek, remote work also gives organizations the opportunity to recruit the best talent, no matter their geographical locations. Companies that prioritize diversity benefit from a multicultural team who brings differing points of view and inventive solutions to the company, demonstrating to clients and partners that they have unbounded potential.    Remote Collaboration That Works Distance is an impediment to collaboration, whether it is due to a pandemic-induced lockdown or because your client is in a different country. Video conferencing software is an effective stopgap, but its effectiveness remains limited to smaller teams. As workplaces across the U.S. have discovered, video calls ultimately fail to provide the depth of interaction required for true collaboration. However, the metaverse can offer a uniquely similar effect to the in-person brainstorming session where teams will be able to feel the spark of creativity bouncing off one another, as they would inside a conference room.  The metaverse can also allow for immediate reactions to initiatives. Imagine an event management firm preparing a client pitch to host an award ceremony, like the Oscars. The design team will be able to prepare a presentation that goes well beyond pitch decks or PowerPoint. They could, in theory, build a complete and immersive walkthrough of what the physical space could look like, take their clients for a stroll along the venue, and showcase events in real-time — a complete virtual event to precede the real one.   See More: Demand for Remote Jobs Skyrocketed After Elon Musk’s Mail Physical Space Is No Longer a Priority The virtual workplace allows employees to work from anywhere with the ability to go from the beach to an office in minutes. The development of a virtual workspace will make redundant the need for a physical office. No more paying exorbitant rents in downtown offices just to keep your business running. The cloud could become your destination of choice that can house both clients and employees alike.  Most large companies today, especially in tech, are known for spending millions of dollars on creating the kind of work environment that their employees can thrive in. Walk into any Google office and you will see entire floors dedicated to employee Rewards and Recognition (R&R) initiatives (yoga centers, game rooms, movie theatres, and so on).   How can smaller companies compete when they cannot afford to spend millions on their offices? How do you compete with these big organizations? Metaverse tech might have a solution. Virtual meeting spaces, creative environments that aid ideation and teamwork, 360-degree modeling surfaces to host pitch meetings, host clients, and showcase talent, entertainment centers to keep your employees engaged and relaxed — the metaverse makes it possible to have all of this and more without spending a single penny on infrastructure.  Some larger organizations have already begun to pave the way for virtual workspaces. Microsoft, for example, has announced plans to integrate its VR/AR platform Mesh with MS Teams. They have also hinted at “immersive spaces” within Teams in the future. Meta built Horizon Workrooms that allow them to host meetings using their Oculus VR headsets.  Beyond Collaboration and Remote Work The possibilities in the metaverse for business go well beyond hosting meetings and remote collaborations. Metaverse tech has the potential to bring a new dimension to other aspects of work as well like:  Training  Training employees and screening candidates will be easier than ever, as candidates can “try out” a position to see if it is a fit for both the employee and the company. Within the staffing space, there have already been some successful attempts at using metaverse and VR tech to improve hiring. Recently, hospitality and entertainment giant, MGM Resorts teamed up with VR training innovator Strivr to give candidates a chance to try out their jobs in VR before accepting an offer. This way, a dissatisfied candidate can save the company time and money on training by knowing immediately if the position is a right fit.   Support services  The metaverse can also allow for more efficient customer support. Rather than a generic phone call, customer service representatives can physically walk customers through the processes to solve issues, saving time and money for businesses while creating a better experience for customers and employees. Customer service representatives will be able to quickly recognize the problems a customer is facing as they will be virtually in the same place as their customer, eliminating misunderstandings and frustration.  Conclusion  Over the last century, the world of work has undergone a continuous evolution. The evolution of the techno age and digital workplaces have shaped not only how and where we work but also the jobs and skills needed. There is no doubt that the working world will continue to evolve exponentially. Business leaders will have to look for innovative solutions to support their workplaces and workforces of the future.  What opportunities can the metaverse technology offer to the future of work? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. MORE ON THE FUTURE OF WORK How to Leverage Data and Performance Management Tools During Uncertain Times How To Use Technology to Measure 4-Day Workweek Success Expecting the Unexpected with an Adaptive Workforce Focus on 3 I’s To Shape the Future of Employee Experience

Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition Launched In India – Gadget Bridge https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/acer-predator-helios-300-spatiallabs-edition-launched-in-india-gadget-bridge/ Acer announced the release of the gaming laptop Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition in the Indian market today. The latest gaming laptop offers stereoscopic 3D without the need for glasses. It is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU and a 12th-generation Intel Core i9 processor. Gamers may enjoy stereoscopic 3D gaming without the need for glasses thanks to the Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition. Gamers will be able to play compatible games in 3D mode and savour the way the gadget vividly brings the details to life. As a result, spaces will appear larger, things will have greater depth, and in-game experiences will be even more interesting. And none of this would require special 3D glasses In addition to this Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition has been created using a stereoscopic 3D display and real-time rendering techniques.  – Advertisement – The gaming laptop has an optically bonded liquid-crystal lenticular lens on top of its 15.6-inch UHD 2D panel. The combination of these systems creates a cutting-edge module that the player can use to quickly flip between 2D and stereoscopic 3D perspectives. – Advertisement – The 12th generation Intel Core i9 processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPUs, 32GB DDR5-4800 memory, and PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs RAID 0 storage are further features of the Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition gaming laptop. The system runs cool thanks to a dual-fan setup that comprises one 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D fan. Acer’s CoolBoost technology and liquid metal thermal grease are more proof of this. The brand-new Acer gaming laptop has Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, Windows 11 OS, and a number of connectors. – Advertisement – Mini LED backlights will shine on that per-key RGB backlit keyboard since they are brighter, use less power, and are more consistent in colour (with less halo) than their non-Mini LED counterparts. Utilize PredatorSense to overclock, maximise fan speed, or modify your RGB with Pulsar Lighting for a specific theme. The laptop has a Killer DoubleShot Pro and supports Ethernet E2600 and Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX 1675i. Additionally, it features Thunderbolt 4 with USB Type-C and provides a power supply. Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition laptop is currently on sale through store.acer.com, Acer exclusive stores, Amazon, Croma, and Vijay Sales in India for Rs 3,19,999. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App. You can find the latest car and bike news here. – Advertisement – We are a humble media site trying to survive! As you know we are not placing any article, even the feature stories behind any paywall or subscription model. Help us stay afloat, support with whatever you can! Komila Singhhttp://www.gadgetbridge.com Komila is one of the most spirited tech writers at Gadget Bridge. Always up for a new challenge, she is an expert at dissecting technology and getting to its core. She loves to tinker with new mobile phones, tablets and headphones.

French Police Use Twitter Crypto Sleuth’s Research To Catch Scammers – Cointelegraph https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/french-police-use-twitter-crypto-sleuths-research-to-catch-scammers-cointelegraph/ French police use Twitter crypto sleuth’s research to catch scammers  Cointelegraph

Equities Under Pressure Ahead Of Key US CPI Data: Markets Wrap – Yahoo Finance https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/equities-under-pressure-ahead-of-key-us-cpi-data-markets-wrap-yahoo-finance/ (Bloomberg) — Shares continued their declines and currencies fluctuated amid caution in markets as investors awaited highly anticipated US inflation data later Thursday. Most Read from Bloomberg Intel Is Planning Thousands of Job Cuts in Face of PC Slump Here’s How Weird Things Are Getting in the Housing Market Putin Says All Infrastructure at Risk After Nord Stream Hit Alex Jones Must Pay $965 Million for His Sandy Hook Lies US Core Inflation Seen Returning to 40-Year High as Rents Rise Stocks fell in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, along with European futures. US contracts fluctuated after a sixth consecutive decline for the S&P 500, which fell to the lowest level since November 2020. The dollar held on to recent gains and the yen steadied near a fresh 24-year low that has put traders on watch for intervention from Japan. Investors are on tenterhooks as they await consumer price figures that may determine if the Federal Reserve delivers a fourth-straight outsized hike in interest rates, piling more pressure on an already struggling world economy. Minutes released on Wednesday from the Fed’s last meeting suggested some officials considered reducing the pace of rate hikes, which triggered a brief surge on Wall Street that quickly unwound. “The Fed is not going to blink,” James Ashley, head of international market strategy at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said on Bloomberg Television. “If they’re going to make a mistake, they would far rather err on the side of being too hawkish.” Yen traders prepared for a spike in volatility when the CPI report lands. The currency fell 2% minutes after last month’s release. The offshore yuan inched lower. Investors speculated that Chinese authorities are employing a tactic used in 2019 to steady the currency. Japan’s benchmark 10-year bond traded for the first time in a week on Thursday about six hours after the market opened. The yield held at 0.245%, just below the upper end of the BOJ’s accepted range. The pound declined slightly in Asia after a busy day of bond buying from the Bank of England, which reiterated the view that its emergency support for the gilt market would cease on Friday, contradicting a media report that suggested it could endure. UK pensions were found offloading assets around the world to shore up liquidity ahead of the move. The Biden administration is considering adding aluminum to economic sanctions against Russia. Shares in Rusal, the Russian aluminum giant that has a listing in Hong Kong, fell sharply. Vladimir Putin said any energy infrastructure in the world is at risk after the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines. Oil fell. “The Fed needs data to start finding an off-ramp,” Carol Schleif, deputy chief investment officer at BMO Family Office, said on Bloomberg Television. “That’s a tough market to be in. Until we get a bunch more data, markets will have to figure out how to find their footing.” Key events this week: Earnings this week include: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., Morgan Stanley, BlackRock Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc., U.S. Bancorp, Wells Fargo & Co. US CPI, initial jobless claims, Thursday G-20 finance ministers and central bankers meet, Thursday China CPI, PPI, trade, Friday US retail sales, business inventories, University of Michigan consumer sentiment, Friday BOE emergency bond buying is set to end, Friday Some of the main moves in markets: Stocks Futures on the S&P 500 were steady as of 6:58 a.m. London time. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% Futures on the Nasdaq 100 were little changed. The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.1% The Topix Index fell 0.7% The S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.1% The Hang Seng Index fell 1% The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.1% Euro Stoxx 50 futures fell 0.5% Currencies The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed The euro was little changed at $0.9705 The Japanese yen was little changed at 146.89 per dollar The offshore yuan fell 0.1% to 7.1830 per dollar Cryptocurrencies Bitcoin fell 0.4% to $19,102.11 Ether fell 0.8% to $1,288.58 Bonds The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced two basis points to 3.91% Japan’s 10-year yield was at 0.245% Australia’s 10-year yield advanced six basis points to 4.00% Commodities West Texas Intermediate crude was little changed Spot gold fell 0.2% to $1,670.45 an ounce Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek The Twitter Deal Has Pierced Elon Musk’s Reality Distortion Field Hedge Fund Managers Paid for Stockpicking Genius Aren’t Showing Much of It Biden Is Walking a Tightrope as the World Clamors for US Oil and Gas Twitter Faces Only Bad Outcomes If the $44 Billion Musk Deal Closes The Great Post-Covid Online Shopping Bet Was a Costly Delusion ©2022 Bloomberg L.P.

Microsoft Surface Event 2022: Here’s Everything That Was Announced – The Indian Express https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/microsoft-surface-event-2022-heres-everything-that-was-announced-the-indian-express/ Microsoft held its Surface event last night where it unveiled the new range of Surface devices, including the new Surface tablet and laptop. Here we will take a look at everything Microsoft has announced at yesterday’s event. Surface Pro 9 The Surface Pro 9 is a Microsoft-owned touch tablet that lets users easily switch from laptop to tablet mode or vice versa. This year, Microsoft has released two versions of the Surface Pro 9, one with 12th Gen Intel Core processors and the other one based on Microsoft’s SQ3 processor, which has been designed in partnership with Qualcomm and brings 5G connectivity to the device. Another difference is that the Wi-Fi model comes with 8GB, 16GB and 32GB RAM but the 5G variant is available in either 8GB or 32GB RAM configurations. The Qualcomm version of the Surface Pro 9 comes with a 512GB SSD whereas the Wi-Fi version comes with a 1TB SSD. When it comes to battery backup, Microsoft claims that the Intel version lasts up to 15.5 hours but the Qualcomm version lasts up to 19 hours. The Intel-powered Surface Pro 9 comes with two USB-C ports with support for Thunderbolt 4. But the other Qualcomm variant does not support Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and sports a SIM port instead. While the Intel-based version is aimed at delivering performance, the Qualcomm-based version is useful for those who want to use a laptop on the go. The 2022 edition comes with a 13-inch 120Hz display and offers a resolution of 2,880 x 1,920. Surface Laptop 5 Powered by the 12th Gen Intel Core processor series, Microsoft says the Surface Laptop 5 provides an all-day battery life. Available in 13.5 or 15-inch options, the smaller version is available in i5 or i7 variants but the 15-inch version is locked to i7. Moreover, both models are available in 8GB, 16GB or 32GB RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The Surface Laptop 5 offers one USB-C port with support for Thunderbolt 4, one USB-A port and a 3.5mm audio jack. When it comes to battery, the 13.5-inch variant lasts up to 18 hours thanks to the smaller display whereas the 15-inch lasts up to 17 hours. Surface Studio 2+ Designed for those who need raw processing power and professional artists, the Surface Studio 2+ is an all-in-one PC that can easily handle heavy workloads. It has a 28-inch touchscreen that offers a resolution of 4,500 x 3,000. Powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and backed by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 laptop version, the AIO comes with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The Surface Studio 2+ comes with three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt support, two USB-A ports, one 3.5mm audio jack and a gigabit ethernet port. Other announcements Apart from the Surface devices, Microsoft also made a number of other announcements. Built on the success of the Xbox Adaptive Controller, Microsoft has introduced Adaptive Accessories like a customisable mouse, Adaptive Hub that either connects wirelessly or via USB-C and a joystick button among many more. While there is no word on the pricing, the Adaptive Accessories will launch on October 25. Microsoft also announced a new app named Designer. It is a tool for graphic designers powered by AI. The company says you can simply give the AI an idea and create something useful out of it.

Meal Share Event Put On In Response To Cost Of Living Crisis – News & Star https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/meal-share-event-put-on-in-response-to-cost-of-living-crisis-news-star/ In response to the cost of living crisis, a community meal share is being organised. Paul Thompson, the organiser of the event and a Denton Holme resident, said this event is being organised to feed families for the day but also to show how to make reliable food from scratch when living much more frugally. He said: “The current cost of living crisis is causing rising impoverishment among those who are especially vulnerable with low fixed incomes in Carlisle. “The shocking spike in gas and electric charges is severely challenging when inadequate funds are consequently left for essential food groceries. “ Paul explained that the warning of sharp gas price rises earlier in the year was one of the reasons why he wanted to organise this event. He continued: “Demands are high on local voluntary welfare food provision services. “I know from my own current experience how onerous this situation can be. “This is why I have been propelled to try to make some constructive difference to help the local situation, and myself, in knowing how food provision strictures may be helped with the knowledge of frugal nutritious eating such as cooking from scratch, planned meals, or batch cooking. “This could also involve opportunities for communally shared meals and signposting to welfare food services which could provide support and hope as well as nourishment. “Participative operational support has been secured from cookery champion local chef John Crouch and will involve a range of volunteer support and participation.” There will be vegetarian or vegan offerings, as well as frugal menu recipe leaflets, single meal preparation demonstrations, local welfare food service attendance for enquiries, and a financial advisory service in attendance for any questions. The meal share takes place on Saturday, October 15, from 12:30pm to 5pm, at St James Church Hall in Denton Holme, Carlisle. The event is presented by Denton Holme and Longsowerby Community Engagement and has been supported by Carlisle City Council and Cumbria County Council READ MORE: Police say hate crimes ‘underreported’ after figures rise in Cumbria

Amazon’s Bagail Packing Cubes Are On Sale For $17 – Travel + Leisure https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/amazons-bagail-packing-cubes-are-on-sale-for-17-travel-leisure/ The set of six packing cubes come in a variety of sizes for carry-ons and checked bags. Published on October 13, 2022 12:00AM EDT We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Photo: Amazon Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale ends tonight at midnight PT, meaning you have just a few hours left to score some of the lowest prices on tons of travel accessories. The Prime Member-exclusive sale is offering discounts on everything from cute fall dresses to comfy shoes for upcoming trips. Included in the epic sale is a set of Bagail Packing Cubes marked down to a mere $17 thanks to an additional on-site coupon. They have over 17,000 five-star ratings from shoppers saying they “can’t imagine traveling without [them].”  The set of six packing cubes includes three sizes of cubes: two large, two medium, and two small bags. The large cubes are ideal for bulky clothing like jackets or pants, and the medium and small cubes can fit everything from tops to toiletries. If you’re planning to use a large checked suitcase, the large and medium bags will be ideal for maximizing space, whereas the small cubes will fit nicely in a carry-on or duffle bag. The sturdy nylon material provides protection while the cubes travel in a suitcase, and the mesh top makes it easy to identify the contents of each cube to allow you to pack in an organized fashion. Amazon To buy: amazon.com, $17 (originally $23) Shoppers agree that these cubes are ideal for packing clothes in an organized way that saves space, too. One reviewer says, “I will never leave home without these cubes again…[they] are a lifesaver!!! No more rifling through and under and over carefully packed clothing. Now everything is visible and easily movable.”  While every traveler has their packing style preferences, the set of packing cubes provides plenty of flexibility for any type of traveler. Another customer, who traveled for business for over 40 years, says, “I can’t imagine traveling without them. Shirts in one, underwear in another, pants and shorts in one — it all just makes packing and more importantly, finding what I packed in the hotel room so much easier.”  Travelers packing for longer trips swear by these for fitting everything they need. One shopper getting ready for a two-week trip shared that the large-size cubes could accommodate their 12 vacation outfits, while the smaller cubes are “perfect for intimates.”  A final reviewer, who traveled with their family for a vacation, says “I was able to pack my family of four into one big suitcase for a nine-day vacation using these cubes. They are so lightweight even when stuffed full of clothes.” Whether you’re an overpacker or prefer to travel lightly, these packing cubes will help all types of travelers stay organized and maximize space in a suitcase. You’ll want to shop quickly, this $17 packing cube deal will likely disappear when the Prime Early Access Sale ends tonight at midnight PT.  At the time of publishing, the price was $17. Shop More T+L Deals: This $16 Portable Charger Is One of the Best Deals of Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale Prime Members, Hurry and Shop These 58 Exclusive Deals for Travelers Before They Leave Amazon Tonight This Is Your Last Chance to Shop Amazon’s 62 Best Travel Gear and Accessories Before the Second Prime Day Ends Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week.  Thanks for your feedback!

Japan’s Sony, Honda Jointly Making EVs For 2026 US Delivery – Business News – Castanet.net https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/japans-sony-honda-jointly-making-evs-for-2026-us-delivery-business-news-castanet-net/ Photo: The Canadian Press Izumi Kawanishi, left, the Sony executive who became Chief Operating Officer at Sony Mobility and Chief Executive Yasuhide Mizuno pose for a photo during a news conference in Tokyo Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022.  (Takuto Kaneko/Kyodo News via AP) A new electric car company that brings together two big names in Japanese business, Honda and Sony, officially kicked off Thursday, with both sides stressing their common values of taking up challenges and serving people’s needs. The electric vehicle from Sony Honda Mobility Inc. will go on sale in 2025, with deliveries coming first in the U.S. in early 2026, and in Japan later that year, Chief Executive Yasuhide Mizuno told reporters. Pre-orders start 2025. In March, Sony Group Corp. and Honda agreed to set up the 50-50 joint venture, with the idea of bringing together Honda’s expertise in autos, mobility technology and sales with Sony’s imaging, network, sensor and entertainment expertise. Production will take place at a Honda plant in the U.S., but details such as pricing, platform and the kind of battery to be used were not disclosed. Production volume was also not given, but officials said this was a special model and not intended for massive sales. Mizuno, who is from Honda Motor Co., said the collaboration brings together hardware and software to deliver an emotionally satisfying experience on the move. “It was necessary to take a totally new approach,” Mizuno told reporters in Tokyo. “We want to make this completely new.” The U.S. was chosen for the launch because electric vehicles were already popular there, Japan came second as Honda’s home market, and other markets, including Europe, will follow, but no dates were set, he said. Izumi Kawanishi, the Sony executive who became Chief Operating Officer at Sony Mobility, said partners will be added to the project. Demand for “zero-emissions” vehicles is expected to grow worldwide amid concerns about climate change and sustainability. Sony, which makes the PlayStation video-game console and has movie and music businesses, showed an electric car concept at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas two years ago, and has been eager to find an auto partner. Honda has electric vehicles in its lineup, although not as plentiful as do some rivals, like Ford Motor Co. or Nissan Motor Co. Tokyo-based Honda has teamed up with General Motors to share platforms for EVs in North America, but the products are not yet on sale.

Downtown Lynchburg YMCA Reaches $7.5 Million Of $11.5 Million Fundraising Goal For Renovations – WDBJ https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/downtown-lynchburg-ymca-reaches-7-5-million-of-11-5-million-fundraising-goal-for-renovations-wdbj/ LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – Three new stories and 23,000 square feet in space is what the YMCA of Central Virginia leaders envision for the downtown Lynchburg location. This week, they’ve wrapped up their year long leadership phase and have now raised $7.5 million towards the project, with an ultimate goal of $11.5 million. “What we hope to achieve, is community projects here. So our entire first floor, we’re going to bring this building down to ground level and our entry level will be all for the community. We’re going to have a teaching kitchen, which is going to be able to help our healthy living programs and our community health programs,” said Mary Taylor, association director of development for the YMCA of Central Virginia. There will also be a kids play zone and a new teen center. “For those that are 13 and above, they really don’t have anywhere to go in the downtown area.” Overall, the main focus of the renovation is about collaboration with other community organizations. “We will kind of be the hub here in the Lynchburg downtown area to be able to reach out to the others.” The current building was constructed in 1956 and YMCA leaders are looking forward to having more space for their programs and community outreach. ”We have so many other nonprofits in this area and they need space and we’re going to help them out, we’re going to partner with them.” The Capital Campaign now heads into the community phase, where the YMCA will be working to raise the final $4 million. Leaders hope they’ll be able to begin construction next year. For more information about the project, you can find the press release here. Copyright 2022 WDBJ. All rights reserved.

Pens’ Core Of Crosby, Letang, Malkin Still Together – Warren Tribune Chronicle https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/pens-core-of-crosby-letang-malkin-still-together-warren-tribune-chronicle/ Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin (71) skates to the bench after scoring against the Boston Bruins as Sidney Crosby (87) and Kris Letang (58) follow during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 15, 2021, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) PITTSBURGH — The scene was mundane only in its familiarity. Sidney Crosby working just off to the side of the net. Kris Letang circling the point. Evgeni Malkin coiled in the right circle. The whistle from a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins coaching staff the only thing breaking the silence. Ignore the rest of the players on the ice — some of whom were in elementary school the first time the core that’s defined one of the NHL’s marquee franchises for the better part of two decades took the ice together — and it could have been 2009. Or 2013. Or 2017. Or really, pretty much at any other point since Oct. 16, 2006, when Malkin, Crosby and Letang lost to Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in an arena that long ago became a parking lot. They were kids then. Letang and Crosby, just 19. Malkin, all of 20. They didn’t know what they were getting into. The bond they created has withstood various coaches, general managers, health scares as well as the fiscal realities of the salary cap era. When the Penguins open the season on Thursday night against Arizona, Crosby, Letang and Malkin will begin their 17th year together, tying the run of New York Yankees stars Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera as the longest-tenured trio of teammates in major North American professional sports history. It’s rarified air, a milestone — for a few anxious days over the summer anyway — it appeared they wouldn’t reach with Letang and Malkin potentially poised to hit free agency. Malkin agreed to a four-year deal just hours before hitting the market, a signing created in part by Letang’s decision spread out his $36 million contract over six years instead of four, freeing up enough cap space to make sure Malkin stuck around. “It’s something special,” Letang said. “It’s something we’re going to have together our entire life and (now) we have a chance to make it even stronger and try to win.” Something that hasn’t been an issue for the Penguins since Crosby’s No. 87, Malkin’s No. 71 and Letang’s No. 58 became fixtures in the lineup. Pittsburgh hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2006, the season before Malkin and Letang arrived to help Crosby resurrect the fortunes of a team coming off a volatile period that included bankruptcy and the threat of relocation. Three times Crosby, Letang and Malkin have paraded through the downtown streets of their adopted hometown with the Stanley Cup. Yet it’s been five years since that giddy night in Nashville when the Penguins became the first team in a generation to claim back-to-back titles. It’s a fact not lost on any of them, one of the main reasons they don’t view the decision to stick together as a money grab. This isn’t about nostalgia. Their legacy was secure long before Malkin and Letang signed their new deals that could keep the core intact through at least 2025, when Crosby’s current contract ends. This is about making another deep postseason run next spring. And the spring after that. And the spring after that. “The main goal of having us all together is because we know we can win,” Letang said. “We have the recipe and that’s what we want to want to do again. And that’s all that matters. It’s not breaking records. It’s about winning.” It’s in the how where things get tricky. Malkin is 36 and coming off a wildly uneven season as he recovered from major knee surgery. Crosby and Letang are both 35 and while they remain in remarkable condition — Letang’s ice time last season was 25:47, the third-highest of his career — their bodies don’t bounce back quite like they used to. And they know it. Crosby smiled while pointing out that 10 years ago, he typically would have stayed on the ice for an extended period after practice rather than try to conserve his energy before the six-month slog that is the regular season begins. Don’t mistake Crosby’s more pragmatic approach to how he uses his time with a concession to Father Time or the idea he’s somehow lost a step or two. His next season averaging less than a point per game will be his first. “You’ve still got to continue to improve and work on your game,” said Crosby, whose 1,108 regular season games are a franchise record. “And you can’t cut corners there either. So it’s just a matter of balancing that.” Letang tries to rein himself in on his days off, but says he once hops over the boards it’s like “a switch.” “You’re playing the game,” he said. “You’re going as fast as you can. You don’t want to start managing yourself. That’s where you get hurt or that’s where, you know, your play starts to go down.” Coach Mike Sullivan made it a point recently to say that his team — with an average age of 30.3 — is “older but not old.” There are a sprinkling of kids on the roster. Defenseman Pierre Olivier Joseph and forward Ryan Poehling were both born in 1999 and have no recollection of the Penguins without Crosby, Letang or Malkin. Joseph remembers living in Montreal in the early 2000s and listening to his father, Frantzi, talk about a young Canadian phenom who was hockey’s next big thing. Fast forward nearly two decades and the phenom and his buddies are still going, setting an example Joseph is trying to absorb as best he can. “To see the chemistry that they have and just see the experience that (Crosby) has and they have,” Joesph said, “is really fun to see.” Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Tread Carefully In The Metaverse – The Edge Singapore https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/tread-carefully-in-the-metaverse-the-edge-singapore/ Checking if the site connection is secure www.theedgesingapore.com needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

Dubai: Gloves To ‘feel’ Things In The Digital World, Space Boots; Cool Wearable Tech At Gitex – Khaleej Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dubai-gloves-to-feel-things-in-the-digital-world-space-boots-cool-wearable-tech-at-gitex-khaleej-times/ With flying cars, futuristic vehicles and interactive robots, this year’s edition has been a treat for all technology lovers Published: Thu 13 Oct 2022, 6:51 AM A slew of cool wearable tech is making a splash at Gitex Global this year. One of the largest technological exhibitions in the world, Gitex is spread over an area of 2 million sqm and has attracted over 5,000 companies from 90 countries. Located at the futuristic e& stall in Zabeel Hall 6, one innovation consists of a set of VR glasses and a pair of robotic gloves. Upon wearing it, the user can begin seeing and feeling everything that is in the virtual reality. Once they have work the gloves, the user is instructed to close and open their hands until they can begin sensing the virtual reality. Once that happens, they are ready to experience the wearable tech. From grabbing a coffee cup to picking up a ball to clicking a button, a lot is possible in the virtual world. Here is a demonstration on how it works: Described as the future of technology, wearable gadgets have become increasingly popular among tech aficionados. Unlike the 2D images on a television or phone, tech like VR headsets have several sensors, with some devices even having a system for head tracking. Another cool wearable tech on display at Gitex is the space simulating boots. Made with lightweight carbon fibre, the boots are fitted with various sensors and motors to allow its user to feel what it’s like to walk on space. With a green LED light running all around it, the boots will only work on the specially designed floor. The clunky boots were initially designed as VR movement solutions that allow users to walk through metaverse and gaming platforms. Here is a video of a Gitex visitor testing out the boots: With flying cars, futuristic vehicles and interactive robots, this year’s Gitex has been a treat for all technology lovers. The day before it began, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had tweeted that since it began in 1981 the event “has put Dubai on the global technology map and put technology at the top of Dubai’s priorities.” ALSO READ: Sheikh Mohammed tours Gitex, says humanity is in ‘historical transit’ toward tech-driven future Dubai: Will residents, tourists travel in flying cars by 2025? Gitex in Dubai: Meet 6 robots that can deliver food, give directions at malls

Devere CEO Expects Further Volatility In Crypto Market Before Year-End — Says Savvy Investors Will Benefit From Panic Sellers – Markets And Prices Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/devere-ceo-expects-further-volatility-in-crypto-market-before-year-end-says-savvy-investors-will-benefit-from-panic-sellers-markets-and-prices-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ The CEO of Devere Group, a financial advisory and asset management firm, anticipates further volatility in the crypto market before year-end. However, he stressed that “for serious investors, this will not necessarily be seen as a bad thing,” noting that “Savvy, long-term crypto investors will be looking to benefit from panic sellers by buying their digital currencies ‘on the cheap.’” Devere CEO’s Crypto Outlook The CEO of financial advisory and asset management firm Devere Group, Nigel Green, shared his view on the future outlook for bitcoin and ether Monday. “Markets are now predicting that policymakers at major central banks, including the U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of England, are likely to remain resolute in pumping up interest rates in their battle to beat down unexpectedly stubborn inflation,” he began. The executive added that the Fed has “maintained a hawkish theme that inflation remains far too high and they won’t put off raising rates.” As higher interest rates typically lead to stock market declines, the Devere CEO noted: Given bitcoin and ether’s current correlation with stock markets, we anticipate further, perhaps heightened, volatility in the crypto market before the end of 2022. “However, for serious investors, this will not necessarily be seen as a bad thing,” he continued. “The major investors, including institutional ones, will treat it in the same way as turbulence in any other market.” He explained that “Some of the world’s best investors consistently use market volatility as major buying opportunities in traditional financial markets — and the cryptocurrency market is now no different.” The Devere boss stressed, “When used effectively and efficiently, volatility can be an extremely powerful investment strategy.” The Devere executive further pointed out that “Bitcoin remains the best-performing asset class in the world, and has consistently ranked amongst the best for both traditional and crypto investment sectors over the last few years.” Noting that “Serious investors will not be spooked by further volatility,” Green concluded: Savvy, long-term crypto investors will be looking to benefit from panic sellers by buying their digital currencies ‘on the cheap’ to enhance their investment portfolios. What do you think about the comments by Devere CEO Nigel Green? Let us know in the comments section below. Kevin Helms A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography. Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

MUFG To Accelerate US Lending, On Pace To Overtake Goldman Sachs – Bloomberg https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/mufg-to-accelerate-us-lending-on-pace-to-overtake-goldman-sachs-bloomberg/ We’ve detected unusual activity from your computer network To continue, please click the box below to let us know you’re not a robot.

Shawnee State Receives Technology Grant | Ohio News – Huntington Herald Dispatch https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/shawnee-state-receives-technology-grant-ohio-news-huntington-herald-dispatch/ The Herald-Dispatch Oct 13, 2022 24 min ago Comments PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — Shawnee State University has been awarded $749,356 by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, according to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. The money will be used for Project LEAP (Launching our Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program) to help Shawnee State in Portsmouth serve as the leading center for technology-based entrepreneurship in southern Ohio, according to the release. Welcome to the discussion. Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don’t Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don’t knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the ‘Report’ link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Denton Police Officer Accused Of Disorderly Conduct, Public Intoxication – Denton Record Chronicle https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/denton-police-officer-accused-of-disorderly-conduct-public-intoxication-denton-record-chronicle/ Best of the Blotter Every Wednesday morning, get the week’s top crime stories in Denton from the Blotter in your inbox. Breaking News Get the latest, most up-to-date news alerts when you sign up to receive our Breaking News newsletter.  e-Edition Notifier Receive a daily notification that the DR-C e-Edition is available. Sign up now. High School Season Pass Stay up to date with all of the sports news coming out of Denton-area high schools.  Mean Green Spotlight Get exclusive, in-depth coverage of the University of North Texas athletics teams in this weekly newsletter. Promotions and Offers Would you like to receive information from our advertisers or DR-C offers? Sign up now. Wake Up with the DR-C Every morning, get a link to our newly redesigned e-Edition and the top Denton headlines you need to start your day. Your Money, Your Home In the DR-C’s newest newsletter, get exclusive coverage about business in Denton County, with a focus on the housing market.

If You’re Traveling Alone, Here Are 5 Things You Need To Know – The List https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/if-youre-traveling-alone-here-are-5-things-you-need-to-know-the-list/ CandyRetriever/Shutterstock We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Many people travel alone for a variety of reasons. For some it might be about self-discovery. It can help boost confidence, expand experiences, explore cultures, and it doesn’t require you to wait on others’ schedules when traveling with other people. In the same vein, solo travel is often pursued for personal growth. It’s fun, convenient, and everything about the trip is done on your terms. Because it is solo travel, however, there are things you need to keep in mind to enjoy your trip safely. “I’ve been traveling alone for four years now and I’ve learned a lot about myself, the world and the many types of humans that you meet along the way,” travel blogger Justyn Jen writes in a blog for Worldpackers, detailing her experience. “I can still remember the first time that I traveled alone and all the mistakes that I made.” Before you travel alone, there are many things to consider to really be able to benefit from your trip in a fun and safe manner. Share your travel plans with people you trust Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock First and foremost, it’s always a good idea to let someone know where you will be, your possible timeline, or give them updates in real time during your trip. Share information like your itinerary, planned activities, hotel details, flight details, and whatever else could indicate where you are or have been. This is integral just in case you are faced with any emergencies when you are not close to anyone you know. On that same note, share your excursion details with hotel staff so they know when you should be back for extra safety (via Travelers). If you are traveling abroad, you can also sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, where you can enroll your trip with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. By signing up, you will be alerted about any safety conditions in your location. It’s also a way of letting the U.S. embassy know your whereabouts and how to contact you in case of an emergency. Research where you’re going NPS Studio/Shutterstock Once you’ve determined where you want to travel, it is important that you research all that you can about that location. When searching for lodging, try to find places with good reviews. The same could be said about excursions or any other aspects of the trip. More often than not, these reviews can be a really great indicator for not only your hotel or Airbnb, but also the town, neighborhood, or general area it is in. Knowing how to get around town is also an important factor so that you are not getting lost in unknown places (via Forbes). Create an emergency plan Anastasiya 99/Shutterstock Anything can happen while you are out traveling alone, although hopefully it doesn’t come down to that. You always have to be prepared for unfortunate events such as robberies, medical issues, or accidents, even if they never happen. Wherever you’re headed, look into nearby hospitals, police stations, and emergency numbers to call. Learn how to ask for help, especially if it is in the local language you may not speak. Additionally, you should carry an emergency kit with you at all times during your trip. Protect your health and safety in every aspect you can (via Travelers). Protect your valuables Michael O’Keene/Shutterstock When traveling solo, you are solely responsible for how you carry your valuables around. This includes your wallet, your credit cards, cash, passport, and your phone or other electronics you may travel with, such as a laptop or a camera. Opt for a fanny pack or something hidden like a crossbody travel wallet that you can hide under your shirt to keep your small valuables as close to you as possible at all times. It is highly recommended that you also get travel insurance for your trip to protect any losses or anything that goes wrong during your vacation (via CoverTrip). Be open to new experiences Yaw Niel/Shutterstock The best part about traveling alone should be the experience you gain from it. Tap into the freedom associated with solo travel and open yourself up to the world. Find local events, such as festivals, to get to know the local culture more. Eat at local restaurants to explore the different flavors of the cuisine. Present yourself as friendly and approachable or strike up a conversation with a local to connect with others. It can be as simple as asking them for restaurant or activity recommendations (via Solo Traveler). Most of all, remember to have fun as you take in these new experiences. Write about it in a journal or take a lot of photos and videos to always remember it.

DICE Announces Pricing Of Upsized Public Offering Of Common Stock – Kentucky Today https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dice-announces-pricing-of-upsized-public-offering-of-common-stock-kentucky-today/ SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DICE Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DICE), a biopharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary technology platform to build a pipeline of novel oral therapeutic candidates to treat chronic diseases in immunology and other therapeutic areas, today announced the pricing of its upsized underwritten public offering of 8,219,178 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $36.50 per share. All shares of common stock are being offered by DICE. The gross proceeds to DICE from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $300.0 million. In addition, DICE has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,232,876 shares of its common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The offering is expected to close on or about October 17, 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. BofA Securities, SVB Securities, Evercore ISI and Guggenheim Securities are acting as the joint book-running managers for the offering. The securities are being offered by DICE pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 previously filed and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to and describing the terms of the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus may also be obtained, when available, from: BofA Securities, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28255-0001, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by email at dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com; SVB Securities LLC, Attention: Syndicate Department, 53 State Street, 40th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, by telephone at (800) 808-7525, ext. 6105, or by email at syndicate@svbsecurities.com; Evercore Group L.L.C., Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 55 East 52nd Street, 36th Floor, New York, New York 10055, by telephone at (888) 474-0200, or by email at ecm.prospectus@evercore.com; or Guggenheim Securities, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 330 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10017, by telephone at (212) 518-9544, or by email at GSEquityProspectusDelivery@guggenheimpartners.com. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About DICE Therapeutics, Inc. DICE Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary technology platform to build a pipeline of novel oral therapeutic candidates to treat chronic diseases in immunology and other therapeutic areas. DICE is initially focused on developing oral therapeutics against well-validated targets in immunology, with the goal of achieving comparable potency to their systemic biologic counterparts, which have demonstrated the greatest therapeutic benefit to date in these disease areas. The Company’s DELSCAPE platform is designed to discover selective oral small molecules with the potential to modulate protein-protein interactions (PPIs) as effectively as systemic biologics. DICE’s lead therapeutic candidates are oral antagonists of the pro-inflammatory signaling molecule, IL-17, which is a validated drug target implicated in a variety of immunology indications. DICE is also developing oral therapeutic candidates targeting α4ß7 integrin and αVß1/αVß6 integrin for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, respectively. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the timing, size and expected gross proceeds of the offering, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the offering and sale of securities, and the Company’s ability to complete the offering. In addition, when or if used in this press release, the words “may,” “could,” “should,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict” and similar expressions and their variants, as they relate to the Company may identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned that actual results, levels of activity, safety, performance or events and circumstances could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the Company’s forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including risks and uncertainties related to market conditions and the satisfaction of closing conditions related to the public offering, the Company’s ability to advance DC-806, DC-853 and its other therapeutic candidates, obtain regulatory approval of and ultimately commercialize the Company’s therapeutic candidates, the timing and results of preclinical and clinical trials, the Company’s ability to fund development activities and achieve development goals, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business, its ability to protect its intellectual property and other risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in documents the Company files from time to time with the SEC, including the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on August 11, 2022, the preliminary prospectus supplement relating to this offering, and its other SEC filings. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein. Contacts: Katie Engleman, 1AB katie@1abmedia.com Investors: investors@dicetx.com Copyright 2022 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Modifying Screen And Sleep Time For Optimal Living – Businessday https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/modifying-screen-and-sleep-time-for-optimal-living-businessday/ After a long day at work, you felt that you needed that good 8-hour sleep. Plopping down on your bed, you hurriedly say your night prayers and close your eyes. Then, you hear that familiar notification sound. You picked up your phone, replied to about four to five messages, and before you knew it, you had already spent more than 2 hours on your screen. Now, you need to wake up by 6am the next morning or you would be late for work. You are left with the option of sleeping for a few hours, and you eventually wake up feeling groggy, tired, and irritated. Sounds familiar, right? It is an indisputable fact that sleep is important for a healthy lifestyle. Despite that, many people still struggle to get the recommended 8-hour sleep at night. This can be attributed to a wide range of factors, and excessive screen time is not excluded from the list. This article discusses how an excess of screen time can disrupt a person’s sleep, the implications, and how screen and sleep time can be modified for optimal living. We live in a world that is increasingly dependent on technology. Hence, smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices play a huge role in how we work, play, and communicate. However, these devices emit blue light or High Energy Visible (HEV) light, a colour in the natural electromagnetic energy spectrum that can be seen by the human eye. This blue light from screens suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle. The production of melatonin is often triggered by darkness, so the light from your screens tricks your brain into thinking it is time to wake up when you are supposed to sleep, increasing your general alertness. Blue light emission from screens does not only suppress the production of melatonin and increase your alertness at the wrong time, but it also affects your natural body circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that helps your body naturally operate on a healthy sleep-wake schedule. This means that during the day, your body produces cortisol, the hormone that helps you stay awake and alert, and at night, your body produces melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep. Exposure to blue light at night can affect the body’s circadian rhythm, as well as delay good sleep. Now, the sad truth is that having one’s sleep disrupted due to an excess of screen time does more than make one feel irritated, groggy, and grumpy all day. The prolonged effects of sleep deprivation are real and alarming. To begin with, sleep deprivation drains a person’s mental ability. It worsens symptoms of mental conditions like anxiety and depression. Not only that, it slows the learning process. During sleep, the brain forms new cells that help the processing and retention of new information, and little or no sleep hinders the formation of these cells. There is also trouble with concentration because of the inability to focus well. This can make it quite difficult to pick up information and can also be detrimental to a person’s creative and problem-solving skills. Read also: Sleeping well to live well Additionally, having little or no sleep time can endanger a person’s physical health. Because the body needs sleep to produce certain antibodies to fight infectious diseases, lack of sleep weakens the immune system and makes the body prone to all sorts of diseases. Also, sleep deprivation may lead to increased blood pressure and higher levels of chemicals linked to inflammation, both of which can cause heart disease. Moreso, having little or no sleep delays the body’s release of insulin, the hormone responsible for blood sugar regulation. This makes people who are sleep-deprived susceptible to higher blood sugar levels, making them prone to diabetes. It is also important to note that sleep distortion can as well affect a person’s balance and coordination, increasing the risks of falls, physical accidents, and in severe cases, car accidents. From the aforementioned, it is apparent that an uncoordinated use of devices can disrupt one’s sleep, and the implications of sleep deprivation are dire. Now that you know how dangerous it is to use electronic gadgets before bed, it is advisable to avoid them for at least 30 minutes before sleep. In rare cases, where you need to use your phones, laptops, or computers at night, you can make use of blue blocker glasses, which are specially designed to protect your eyes from blue light emissions. Also, most electrical gadgets are now equipped with a “night-time mode” or a “warm-light” feature that reduces blue light emission. It is advisable to adjust your phone display settings to this feature if you need to use your device at night. Thus, there is no gainsaying that screen time before bed could disrupt sleep which could be detrimental to one’s health and work-life productivity. It also delays the natural body circadian rhythm; suppresses the production of melatonin and hinders getting to bed on time. Therefore, for you to get a full 8 hours of sleep and maintain a healthy sleep habit, limit your exposure to blue light at night, invest in blue blocker glasses, or better still, turn off your screens right before you sleep. Bolanle is a communications intern at the Institute for Work and Family Integration, Lagos

Sports Planner For Thursday – The Republic https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/sports-planner-for-thursday-the-republic-3/ COMING UP Indianapolis Colts Sunday vs. Jaguars, 1 p.m. (CBS) Oct. 23 at Titans, 1 p.m. (CBS) Oct. 30 vs. Commanders, 4:25 p.m. (FOX) Indiana University football Saturday vs. Maryland, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Oct. 22 at Rutgers, Noon (BTN) Nov. 5 vs. Penn State, Noon (TBA) Purdue football Saturday vs. Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. (BTN) Oct. 22 at Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. (TBA) Nov. 5 vs Iowa, Noon (TBA) Notre Dame football Saturday vs. Stanford, 7:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock) Oct. 22 vs. UNLV, 2:30 p.m. (Peacock) Oct. 29 at Syracuse, Noon (TBA) Indiana Pacers Friday vs. Rockets (preseason), 7 p.m. (Bally Sports Indiana) Wednesday vs. Wizards, 7 p.m. (Bally Sports Indiana) Oct. 21 vs. Spurs, 7 p.m. (Bally Sports Indiana) Indy Eleven Saturday at Birmingham Legion FC, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+) NASCAR Sunday at Las Vegas, 2:30 p.m. (NBC) Oct. 23 at Homestead-Miami, 2:30 p.m. (NBC) Oct. 30 at Martinsville, Va., 2 p.m. (NBC) HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS TODAY Volleyball Hauser vs. North Decatur in Hauser Sectional, 6 p.m. Trinity Lutheran vs. West Washington in Trinity Sectional, 6 p.m. Columbus East vs. Whiteland in East Sectional, 7:30 p.m. Jennings County vs. Floyd Central in Jeffersonville Sectional, 7:30 p.m. South Decatur vs. Southwestern (Shelby) in Edinburgh Sectional, 7:30 p.m. SPORTS ON TV TODAY College football Temple at UCF, 7 p.m. (ESPN) Baylor at West Virginia, 7 p.m. (FS1) Morgan State at NC Central, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Women’s college soccer Duke at Florida State, 6 p.m. (ACC) Wisconsin at Penn State, 6 p.m. (BTN) Mississippi State at Mississippi, 7 p.m. (SEC) Virginia at Virginia Tech, 8 p.m. (ACC) Purdue at Iowa, 8 p.m. (BTN) Golf DP World Tour: The Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters, 8 a.m. (Golf Channel) PGA Tour: The ZOZO Championship, 11 p.m. (Golf Channel) Horse racing NYRA: America’s Day at the Races, 12:30 p.m. (FS2) MLB A.L. Divisional Series: Mariners at Astros, Game 2, 3:30 p.m. (TBS) A.L. Divisional Series: Guardians at Yankees, Game 2, 7:30 p.m. (TBS) NBA Preseason: Memphis at Detroit, 7 p.m. (NBA) NFL Commanders at Bears, 8:15 p.m. (Prime Video) Men’s soccer UEFA Champions League: Teams TBA (taped), 10 a.m. (CBSSN) Tennis San Diego-WTA, Florence-ATP, Gijon-ATP, Cluj-Napoca-WTA Early Rounds, 5 and 6 a.m. today and 6 a.m. Friday (Tennis) San Diego-WTA Early Rounds, 8 p.m. (Tennis)

First Mover Asia: How Many Metaverse Users Are There? The Figures Are Debatable And Discouraging – CoinDesk https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/first-mover-asia-how-many-metaverse-users-are-there-the-figures-are-debatable-and-discouraging-coindesk/ Good morning. Here’s what’s happening: Prices: Bitcoin rose slightly amid tepid trading as investors await the next Consumer Price Index – not that it will likely present any surprises. Insights: Metaverse companies would like you to think that they’ve built significant followings, but data suggests that’s far from the case. Catch the latest episodes of CoinDesk TV for insightful interviews with crypto industry leaders and analysis. And sign up for First Mover, our daily newsletter putting the latest moves in crypto markets in context. ● CoinDesk Market Index (CMI): 939.17 +0.1% ● Bitcoin (BTC): $19,117 +0.4% ● Ether (ETH): $1,294 +1.0% ● S&P 500 daily close: 3,577.03 −0.3% ● Gold: $1,679 per troy ounce +0.0% ● Ten-year Treasury yield daily close: 3.90% −0.04 Bitcoin, ether and gold prices are taken at approximately 4pm New York time. Bitcoin is the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index (XBX); Ether is the CoinDesk Ether Price Index (ETX); Gold is the COMEX spot price. Information about CoinDesk Indices can be found at coindesk.com/indices. Bitcoin’s Ongoing Sounds of Silence Bitcoin’s quiet life continued. The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization was recently trading just over $19,100, about flat for the past 24 hours as investors waited for Thursday’s release of the next U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI). Barring the unexpected, the CPI is expected to show a slight drop, but hardly sufficient to sway the U.S. central bank from its current monetary aggressiveness. BTC has remained rangebound for weeks, largely between $19,000 and $21,000, although it dipped briefly below the lower support on Wednesday. Trading volume has remained tepid, falling regularly below 20-day averages. “Nothing happening today, Bodhi Pinkner, a research analyst at crypto-focused financial services firm Arca, told CoinDesk. “Markets were up marginally.” Pinkner added: “Very, very low trading volumes across the space. We’ve been stuck in a range.” Ether, the second largest crypto in market value, was recently changing hands below $1,300, about where it stood much of Wednesday but up roughly 1% from Tuesday, same time. Other major cryptos were mostly flat, although SUSHI recently fell more than 5%, while TRON was up more than 1%. The CoinDesk Market Index (CMI), a broad-based market index that measures the performance of a basket of cryptocurrencies, was flat. Stocks cast their promising first two days of October further in the rearview mirror as the tech-heavy Nasdaq, the S&P 500, which has a strong technology component, and Dow Jones Industrial Average extended their current losing streaks to six days. Markets chewed nervously over a 0.4% increase in September’s producer-price index, a discouraging sign following the previous month’s slight decrease. CPI observers anticipate the latest reading remaining above 8% with core inflation, which eliminates the impact of volatile food and energy prices, rising to 6.5%, a four-decade high. The increase would bolster an already determined Federal Reserve’s argument for continuing its recent diet of sharp interest rate hikes, discouraging already skittish investors from riskier assets. In an on-stage discussion Wednesday at the International Monetary Fund’s annual meeting, the organization’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, said that central banks should refrain from currency interventions, instead suggesting that they use interest-rate raises as the preferred tool for combating foreign-exchange weakness versus the dollar. “Do not waste your reserves to protect your currency,” Georgieva said Arca’s Pinkner noted a downward trend in the correlation between cryptocurrencies and other risk assets “over the last couple of months. “However, in order for any decoupling, you likely need a catalyst, and it’s possible that catalyst would be widespread currency debasement across various economies and mostly to bitcoin as a non-sovereign, safe haven asset, and it’s possible that catalyst is unforeseen or that there’s just no catalyst, and we remain correlated to risk assets.” Biggest Gainers Biggest Losers The Metaverse Struggles to Catch On The Metaverse is in need of a census. A few have tried, but so far nobody can agree about the findings of the enumerators. Horizon Worlds, like Decentraland and the metaverse at large, isn’t as popular as what Mark Zuckerberg or Metaverse token holders want you to think. The problem is in the numbers. Earlier this month, The Verge reported Meta’s VR social network Horizon Worlds is so bug-ridden that even its developers aren’t using it much. “But currently feedback from our creators, users, playtesters, and many of us on the team is that the aggregate weight of papercuts, stability issues, and bugs is making it too hard for our community to experience the magic of Horizon,” Meta’s VP of Metaverse, Vishal Shah, wrote in a memo obtained by The Verge. “Simply put, for an experience to become delightful and retentive, it must first be usable and well crafted.” Meta claims that Horizon Worlds has 300,000 signups, but there’s no indication of how many are active users. One proxy could involve looking at the population of related Facebook groups: the official Horizon Worlds page has 31,644 followers while an official Horizon Worlds Facebook community group has 28,200 members. Let’s assume there’s plenty of overlap meaning the higher number is the total addressable market. If we want to figure out the serviceable available market we must look at the install base of virtual reality headsets. (Steam Hardware Survey/Steampowered.com) Digital gaming store Steam – a must-have for any PC gamer – says that 2% of its 132 million monthly active users have a VR headset. Of this two million, 64% are using Meta’s Oculus headsets, putting the install base at 1.28 million. So with that in mind, even if Meta’s figure of 300,000 is correct it only means that 23% of its VR install base is using what Meta believes to be the future of the company. But that’s the best-case scenario, the more realistic number is closer to 31,644 which would mean that around 2% of the VR install base is using Horizon Worlds as Meta intended. Decentraland’s fuzzy math But what about Decentraland? There was some MANA mania earlier this week when CoinDesk, citing DappRadar numbers, reported that it was a lonely world with 38 people in the $1.3 billion ecosystem. DappRadar’s number relies on analyzing smart contracts from Decentraland that are being interacted with. Decentraland HQ says it’s not looking at the whole picture and only a handful of the hundreds of available smart contracts. Decentraland, instead, offers its own sets of numbers via its portal DCL-Metrics which says that there have been around 7000 unique users in the last 24 hours visiting 6900-odd virtual parcels. The validity of these numbers begins to dissolve once you take a closer look at them. Their data shows that there are also dozens of ‘marathon users’ that have spent the majority of the day in Decentraland. Marathon users (https://dcl-metrics.com/) There’s also another list of users – that don’t seem to overlap – that have visited hundreds of parcels during the course of the day. Clearly, there are bots among us. Perhaps the most realistic number from DCL-Metrics could be found in the daily active users at the ICE Poker house, which it says is just under 3000. This might actually be where Decentraland’s real population lies as ICE Poker has an actual, documented player base. There are two more stars in the sky of data that can help us triangulate a position. On Github, Decentraland runs something called a Catalyst Monitor, a tool for tracking the load on each of its servers which it calls catalysts. (https://decentraland.github.io/catalyst-monitor/) The count from the servers shows that there are 518 total users on the platform as of late Wednesday afternoon Asia time. This number comes close to the headcount of 457 that Nansen estimates on its Entity Billboard tool. Nansen would like to stress that this tool is very much in Beta, and only tracks 72 of the smart contracts Decentraland uses. At the same time, there are 269,698 unique holders of MANA tokens. Even if we use some best-case numbers from ICE’s poker house count of 3000 as a proxy for Decentraland’s total active population (this would be a best case scenario, realistically the number is closer to what Catalyst and Nansen provide) that means only 1% of MANA token holders are users of the platform. Not exactly a bullish case for Decentraland and the Metaverse at large. But we had all of this a decade ago with Second Life. Which had better graphics, smoother gameplay, and an actual community – not token holders pumping their bags trying to make you believe that this is the future of the internet. In case you missed it, here is the most recent episode of “First Mover” on CoinDesk TV: There’s been another massive exploit in crypto, this time tied to market manipulation on Mango, a Solana-based decentralized exchange. “First Mover” discussed the state of the crypto industry and markets with Tribe Capital co-founder and CEO Arjun Sethi. CoinDesk’s Cheyenne Ligon provided an update in Grayscale’s lawsuit against the SEC over the agency’s rejection of Grayscale’s Bitcoin ETF application. Plus, DIMO aims to help drivers gain and monetize their car data, and DIMO co-founder Andy Chatham joined the conversation. Ethereum’s Second- Layer Projects Duke It Out for Dominance: Ethereum’s layer 2 scaling platforms are taking center stage in the network’s newest chapter, and it is unclear whether first movers hold the greatest advantage. Canadian Self-Regulatory Agency Approves First Crypto-Native...

Column: Susan McClanahan: Use Those Gadgets In Your Kitchen (10/13/22) – Southeast Missourian https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/column-susan-mcclanahan-use-those-gadgets-in-your-kitchen-10-13-22-southeast-missourian/ Thursday, October 13, 2022 ~ Updated 9:28 PM With the increased popularity of convenience appliances, you will find an abundance of recipes for every appliance you can think of. Instant pots and air fryers have been all the rage the past few years. I frequently remind people that good old pressure cookers have been around a long time, just not as simple to use as the newer electric automatic instant pots. Subscribe below or log in with your password here. For more than 115 years, the Southeast Missourian has written the first draft of local history. We have aspired to enrich, entertain, educate and inform. Our core values have remained firm: truth, service, quality, integrity and community. Support our mission. Join today Note: Special discounts available to new subscribers only. Print subscriptions may include up to 13 Premium Issues per year, which include special magazines. For each Premium Issue, your account balance will be charged an additional fee in the billing period when the section publishes. This will result in shortening the length of your billing period.

Friendly Reminder: Celebrity Crypto Endorsements Don’t Mean Much – 69News WFMZ-TV https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/friendly-reminder-celebrity-crypto-endorsements-dont-mean-much-69news-wfmz-tv/ The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. Cryptocurrencies’ journey this year from the moon back to Earth has slammed the brakes on a peculiar phenomenon of the 21st century: the awkward celebrity crypto endorsement. Matt Damon, Larry David and Tom Brady have all gone quiet on crypto as advertising dollars in the industry have evaporated alongside investor interest, according to recent reports. And Kim Kardashian couldn’t have even talked about crypto if she had wanted to, as the Securities and Exchange Commission has barred her from promoting crypto for three years. The SEC takes notice This latest move from the SEC serves as a reminder that Super Bowl commercials and celebrity social media accounts may not be the best source of investment advice. People who bought in at the height of the crypto craze may not recoup their investments for years — if ever — depending on the coin they bought. And some of the stars who signed on to promote risky digital assets may now wish they had steered clear. Under Kardashian’s settlement with the SEC, the ubiquitous influencer also paid a million-dollar fine and forfeited $250,000 — which she was allegedly paid to talk up the obscure token EthereumMax through Instagram — plus interest. (Kardashian admitted no wrongdoing.) Meanwhile, EthereumMax is trading for less than a millionth of a cent. That’s down about 99% from the high it hit shortly before Kardashian began promoting it in June 2021. Celebrity endorsements exist throughout society, from car commercials to medical devices and political campaigns. But when Joe Montana talks up Medicare plans, the SEC won’t come knocking. Crypto, on the other hand, has been a particularly troublesome spot for paid spokespeople in part because of the sector’s reliance on hype to fuel its rapid growth — and the explicit rules the SEC has in place around this exact thing. Pump that crypto spirit up Early-stage crypto projects often offer influencers and average citizens rewards for promoting their project through social media. These cryptocurrency “airdrops” can be legitimate ways to get a new asset circulating in the market and to help people learn about it. But there are sometimes darker motives in the discourse around particular cryptocurrencies. Some developers have been accused of promoting their cryptocurrencies not out of a sincere belief in the product but as a way to increase demand before selling and walking away. This is known in both SEC parlance and Reddit message boards as the feared “pump and dump.” The SEC has had its eyes on celebrities’ crypto tips for half a decade. In 2017, the agency issued a statement urging investors to question the motives of anyone shilling digital assets. “Celebrities and others are using social media networks to encourage the public to purchase stocks and other investments,” the SEC said at the time. “These endorsements may be unlawful if they do not disclose the nature, source, and amount of any compensation paid, directly or indirectly, by the company in exchange for the endorsement.” One year after the SEC statement, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and musician DJ Khaled agreed to SEC-imposed penalties after being accused of running afoul of these rules with their own crypto projects. (They also admitted no wrongdoing.) Fortune favors … whom? It wasn’t until cryptocurrencies’ historic bull run of 2021 that the cryptocurrency/celebrity symbiosis really took off. As the asset class established itself closer to the mainstream, centralized crypto exchanges sought out household names to help promote their products. Rather than pitching individual investments, this latest crop of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Tom Brady, Larry David and others took the more conservative approach of talking up crypto in general. Crypto was confusing, but cool. It was a bold, forward-thinking choice for true leaders. In one commercial for the crypto exchange FTX, Larry David makes light of his own lack of understanding of the novel asset class. In another, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen call all of their friends to announce they’re “getting into crypto.” And in a much discussed (and often ridiculed) spot for Crypto.com, Matt Damon makes the grandest of overtures as he urges viewers to put their money into crypto. “In these moments of truth,” Damon says, “these men and women — these mere mortals, just like you and me — as they peer over the edge, they calm their minds and steel their nerves with four simple words that have been whispered by the intrepid since the time of the Romans: Fortune favors the brave.” As it turned out, it may have been more prudent for crypto buyers to stand a little farther from the edge. Even large cap cryptos such as Bitcoin are trading at about a third of what they were worth last year. In May 2022, with the crypto market falling like a chastened Wile E. Coyote, NBC News contacted 10 celebrity crypto spokespeople including David and Damon. None of them offered a comment. Whatever a celebrity tells you, personal investing is usually a lot less exciting than it looks on TV. Most people are well-served by a diversified portfolio that includes a mix of different asset classes. Risky bets like crypto should generally make up just a small part of that. Another of the sadly boring aspects of investing is that you want to think long term, and that means a bear market can be an opportunity. If you believed in the long-term value of Bitcoin when it was $60,000, you can certainly get more for your dollar now that it’s at $20,000. After all, fortune favors the brave, right? The author and editor both owned Bitcoin at the time of publication. The article Friendly Reminder: Celebrity Crypto Endorsements Don’t Mean Much originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Ukraine Will Push To Reclaim More Territory Through Winter, U.S. Defense Chief Says – The New York Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/ukraine-will-push-to-reclaim-more-territory-through-winter-u-s-defense-chief-says-the-new-york-times/ KYIV, Ukraine — Six and a half feet down a ladder inside a small shed at the back of Oleksandr Kadet’s home is an underground room with a cement hatch that he hopes he never has to use. For the past two weeks, Mr. Kadet, 32, said that he and his wife, who live outside the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, had been preparing for the possibility of a nuclear attack by stocking the room — an old well that they converted into a bunker — with bottled water, canned food, radios and power banks. “We are more anxious now, especially after yesterday’s attacks,” Mr. Kadet said on Tuesday, a day after a series of Russian missile attacks across Ukraine. “But we do think that in case of a nuclear explosion, we will be able to survive if we stay in the shelter for some time.” The fears of escalation rose on Saturday after an attack on the 12-mile Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. Initially, Ukrainians celebrated, but that quickly gave way to worry that such a brazen assault on a symbol of President Vladimir V. Putin’s rule could prompt a severe retaliation. Even before these recent events, though, concerns about the potential for a nuclear disaster had increasingly been making their way into Ukraine’s national psyche. The fear is that Russia could either use tactical nuclear arms or launch a conventional attack on one of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. U.S. officials have said they think the chances of Russia’s using nuclear weapons are low, and senior American officials say they have seen no evidence that Mr. Putin is moving any of his nuclear assets. On Sunday, Mr. Putin called the assault on the bridge a “terrorist attack aimed at destroying the critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation.” But his spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, appeared to tamp down fears of a nuclear reprisal, saying that the attack on the bridge did not fall within the category under Russia’s defense doctrine that allowed for such a response. Last month, Mr. Putin raised fears that he could resort to nuclear weapons when he warned that he would “use all the means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people,” if Russian-controlled territory was threatened. “This is not a bluff,” he said. Days later, Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian territories. Mr. Kadet, who noted that he had begun preparing two weeks ago, said it felt better to have an action plan. “It’s psychologically easier because you know you are at least somehow prepared for it,” he said. “It’s not a guarantee it will save you, but at least you’re ready.” Residents of Kyiv said that they had felt wary even before the most recent missile strikes there on Monday. Immediately after the bridge attack, many Ukrainians had shared their glee on social media. They toasted triumphantly in the capital’s bars over the weekend, and posed for selfies in front of posters of the burning bridge. But the worry soon set in. “I feel this real fear about how the Russians will answer this,” said Krystina Gevorkova, 30, who was shopping with her friend in Kyiv on Sunday. “Earlier it had felt safer here,” she added. “Now, I have this feeling like something is going to happen.” Kyiv has for months been spared the worst of the Russian onslaught while Moscow focused its attention instead on southeastern Ukraine. But on Monday, a Russian missile struck just blocks away from where Ms. Gevorkova had spoken. She said that she had been reading up on how to stay safe during a nuclear war, but that she was skeptical that it would help. “We can’t really do anything,” she said. The war has felt far from Kyiv in recent months, as life’s rhythms return to a semblance of normalcy after Russian forces were ousted from parts of northeastern Ukraine. Nevertheless, the city has also been slowly preparing for a potential nuclear attack. The Kyiv City Council said on Friday that potassium iodide pills would be distributed to residents in case of a nuclear incident “based on medical recommendations,” adding that the pills were also available in city pharmacies. Potassium iodide is used to saturate a person’s thyroid with iodine so that radioactive iodine inhaled or ingested after exposure will not be retained by the gland. Alina Bozhedomova, 23, a pharmacist in Kyiv, said that customers were coming in daily looking for the pills, but added, “I haven’t seen people panicking about it.” Some elementary schools have advised parents to prepare emergency packs for their children to keep with them at school. Nadiia Stelmakh, 50, who works in a market selling home goods, said that one mother had come to her with a list from the school that included latex gloves, a poncho, boot covers, tissues, wet wipes and a flashlight. “People are really concerned right now,” she said. Her husband, Volodymyr Stelmakh, who has another stall nearby, agreed. “I have an emergency bag packed,” he said, “but I think if the nuclear threat is imminent, you will have no time to run away. After worries grew about the security of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the country’s southeast in recent weeks, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health issued guidance about how to respond to a nuclear incident. The risk of nuclear fallout can feel very real in Ukraine, a country that still bears the scars of the Chernobyl accident in 1986, one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Chernobyl is only about 60 miles north of Kyiv. And some who experienced the life-threatening fallout firsthand say that they, possibly more than anyone, understand the full risk of nuclear exposure. Oleksandr, 55, who asked that his last name not be used, said that he and his family had fled Chernobyl for Kyiv immediately after the meltdown, when he was just 18. His family closely followed guidance to move south, as winds were pushing radioactive materials north, and he said that was the only reason they escaped unscathed. “Now, people here are really not ready. People don’t know what to do,” he said. “There is not enough information.” He owns a market stand that sells household necessities and said that more people had come in during the past two weeks preparing for a nuclear disaster, buying flashlights, batteries, knives, radios and small camp stoves. While some were preparing for the worst, others remained optimistic that Russia would never carry out such an extreme attack, which would draw international outrage. Dmytro Yastrub, 31, said he felt more concerned about Mr. Putin using conventional weapons to target Kyiv. “I presume something will happen” after the bridge attack, he said, standing outside a bar in the Kyiv city center on Sunday evening with a group of friends. But, he added, the risk of a nuclear attack was not weighing heavy on his mind. Svetlana Zozulia, 47, and her husband, Vladyslav Zozulia, 37, were walking in central Kyiv with their daughter, Anastasiia, 11, on Sunday night. Ms. Zozulia said she tried to remain optimistic and did not believe that Mr. Putin would launch a nuclear attack on Ukraine. But she did buy potassium iodide tablets just in case, she said. “I think our success disturbs him,” Ms. Zozulia said. “But there is also a threat for him if he chooses a nuclear attack.” Oleksandra Mykolyshyn contributed reporting