Stress is a growing mental health problem that can have severe consequences for human health. The development of stress prediction tools would benefit public health greatly by enabling policy initiatives and early stress-reduction interventions. With the advent of mobile health technologies such as smartphones and smartwatches, it is now possible to collect objective, real-time, and continuous health data.
The study
Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada launched a study to pilot the collection of heart rate variability data from the Apple Watch ECG sensor and develop a stress prediction tool. Using the Apple Watch Series 6’s ECG sensor, the researchers discovered a close relationship between ECG data and heart acceleration and deceleration capacity.
Based on ECG readings and data from 33 study participants’ stress questionnaires, they used Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) to model stress. Machine learning algorithms were then developed using this information to create a prediction model.
The prediction model
To further investigate the prediction model, the researchers divided the data they collected into various socio-demographic groups. Overall, the RF model outperformed the SVM model, with results within the low end of the state-of-the-art. According to reports, the stress models have higher precision but lower recall.
“Our models showed specificity in their capacity to assess “no stress” states but were less successful at capturing “stress” states.”
According to the study, the Apple Watch has a “promising” potential for stress prediction. Since the gadget also gathers additional health data, such as sleep and activity data, one could add more data points to stress models to improve their predictive accuracy.
The potential
Overall, the findings suggest the possibility of creating a stress prediction tool using the ECG sensor data from an Apple Watch with additional development and improvement. A wearable device that can monitor stress in real time would allow people to respond to changes in their mental health sooner.
The researchers believe that the Apple Watch could help mental health care by providing activities such as breathing exercises to counteract stress signals and responding to changes in mental health early.
Large-scale data gathering from such devices would also assist in informing public health initiatives and regulations. Competing devices such as Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin have long included a stress score feature, but Apple has yet to include one in its Health app.
The demise of FTX, a $32 billion crypto exchange, has shaken investor confidence in cryptocurrencies. Market players are attempting to assess the extent of the damage done — and how it will reshape the industry in the coming years.
The US government has arrested and charged FTX’s former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, with wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. The firm allegedly used client funds to make risky trades through its sister company, Alameda Research.
The exchange’s demise is “devastating for investors,” according to Louis Abbott, a partner at Keystone Law.
The FTX disaster has the potential to alter the crypto landscape in the coming years drastically. Here are three significant ways the industry could change.
Regulation
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The FTX disaster will almost certainly compel regulators to act. Because the cryptocurrency industry is still largely unregulated, investors do not have the same safeguards as they would if they invested with a licensed bank or broker.
On the other hand, governments in the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom are taking steps to clean up the market.
The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MICA) regulatory framework is currently the most comprehensive. It seeks to reduce the risks for consumers purchasing cryptocurrency by holding exchanges accountable if investors’ assets are lost.
Keystone Law’s Louis Abbott emphasizes the importance of regulators acting quickly; otherwise, investors will be left vulnerable.
The most important lesson from FTX’s bankruptcy, according to Kevin de Patoul, CEO of crypto market maker Keyrock, is that complete centralization and lack of oversight cannot exist. Centralization requires proper management and a balance of power.
Consolidation
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In the years after the 2018 crypto winter, FTX was one of the numerous businesses to emerge. However, fewer businesses and coins are anticipated to exist in the years to come. The fallout from the FTX debacle is already being felt.
BlockFi, a cryptocurrency lender previously seeking financial assistance from FTX, has declared bankruptcy. The focus is now shifting to other trading and lending firms. Following FTX’s failure, concerns have grown about the financial health of other major cryptocurrency exchanges.
Binance, the world’s largest exchange, is under scrutiny for the reserves it holds to protect customer funds. There is currently no reason to believe Binance will go bankrupt. However, these exchanges face a bleak market outlook in the coming months, with falling trading volumes and account balances.
Experts believe they will continue to play a role, but how seriously they take risk management, governance, and regulation will determine their survival.
Innovation
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Despite the current state of crypto markets and the impact on investors, the digital asset industry will likely survive.
Web3 supporters believe that the 2022 crypto winter will pave the way for more innovative uses of blockchain.
For instance, NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, may change how users interact with game and event properties. Digital assets, whether collectibles, tickets, values, or memberships, will become increasingly important in our lives.
Many people still have a learning curve to get over. Cordel Robbin-Coker, CEO of mobile games firm Carry1st, likened the adoption of Web3 today to the internet in the early 90s: “It’s really the early adopters that really engage at this stage. But over time, companies build smoother interfaces. And they cut steps out of it,” he said.
Leaders of the right-wing extremist Proud Boys will stand trial for allegedly plotting to prevent Joe Biden from becoming President. This is a new trial for the Justice Department’s efforts to crack down on the far-right political movement linked to fervent supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Federal prosecutors plan to show that four Proud Boys leaders – Enrique Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl – plotted and broadly encouraged violence in the run-up to the January 6th Capitol riots.
The Justice Department has already successfully prosecuted Oath Keepers leaders in a seditious conspiracy case, which could serve as a model for prosecutors as they focus their efforts on the Proud Boys.
According to a new CDC investigation, a listeria outbreak linked to deli meats and cheese has caused multiple infections and at least one death across six states.
Most of the infections were in New York state with others reported in Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, and California. The reported death occurred in Maryland. For the New York cases, five of the seven infected individuals reported buying deli meat at a NetCost Market, the same grocery store that was linked to another bacterial outbreak in October 2021.
The CDC is investigating, along with the Food and Drug Administration, to identify delis and specific products that are linked to the outbreak.
The number of infected is likely much higher than the reports show since some people recover at home and do not report their illness.
Listeria Symptoms
According to the CDC, listeria is most likely to sicken newborns, pregnant people, adults over age 65, and those with weakened immune systems. Typical symptoms of intestinal distress include diarrhea and vomiting and can be mild. However, listeria can also become an invasive illness, meaning that it can spread beyond the intestines. Symptoms can take up to 2 weeks after consuming the contaminated food.
Symptoms of invasive illness include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures. Those who are healthy but pregnant tend to experience milder symptoms. Invasive listeriosis death rates are nearly 1 in 20 people.
Doctors can diagnose listeriosis via bacterial culture. Intestinal illness may not require treatment, but invasive listeriosis are typically given antibiotics.
With inflation at an all-time high and the stock market in the red, experts are debating whether or not the country has entered a recession. While the jury is still out on that, you can protect yourself financially and cope with troubled economic weather by redirecting your money into safer assets like gold. Here’s all you need to know about how to invest in gold.
1. Store your gold in a secure location near you
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You should always have direct access to at least some of your gold. You can store it in a safe near your home or keep it with someone you trust. The key is to have immediate access to your gold in case of a crisis.
If you have a lot of gold, however, store some of it at home and keep the remaining in third-party storage. People who have invested a significant amount of money in gold can consider storing it internationally, as well.
2. Store your gold assets in a safe jurisdiction
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Given the issues discussed above, you may want to consider storing at least a part of your gold in a safe jurisdiction where political figures have limited power. Switzerland is, at present, one of the safer jurisdictions because they have a decentralized political system and multiple presidents.
Liechtenstein works similarly, but they have an active monarch — Price Hans-Adam II — who has veto power. Fortunately, he has been a strong supporter of gold as an asset.
3. Store your gold outside the traditional banking system
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The current banking system is based on paper, credit, and computer digits. Physical gold is essentially the antidote to such a system. Given this, if you decide to purchase gold, it would be best to store it outside the banking system.
Property rights in the current banking system are temporary in nature. In the past, banks have confiscated cash and physical gold. To protect your gold, it’s best to store at least a part of it in places other than a bank.
4. Ensure that you are compliant with all the laws when purchasing gold
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Whenever you can, make sure to purchase a few gold coins. Most investors are unable to purchase a lot of gold all at once, but that can, in fact, work to your advantage. If you purchase a few coins every year, you can make the transactions privately.
If you, however, want to purchase larger amounts of physical gold, you’ll need to follow the law and declare your purchases. Make sure not to flout any rules when investing your money in gold.
5. Buy gold with money you don’t need in the short-term
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You don’t know how the market is going to perform or when the system will crash. Given this, only purchase gold with money that you don’t need for at least the following five years. While it is highly probable that the price of gold will be higher in the next five years than it is now, it’s harder to predict what will happen in the short term.
Avoid the temptation of buying gold to turn in a quick profit. No matter what happens economically, there’s a good chance that after five years, you’ll be happy with the investment you made.
The federal government is unlikely to issue another stimulus package. However, a handful of states have approved a fourth stimulus check for their residents due to the effects of high inflation. More states in the country may follow suit in the coming months. Let’s look at which states are receiving a fourth stimulus check and how much residents might get.
States that are issuing stimulus payments
California: California will make payments of up to $700 to joint-filing couples who earn less than $150,000 per year, while individuals will qualify for up to $350. People with dependents are eligible for an extra $350.
Colorado: Individuals in the Rocky Mountain State will receive a $750 tax relief, while joint filers will receive a $1,500 tax credit.
Delaware: The state of Delaware will provide $300 to individuals who filed a 2020 state tax return.
Florida: Households that meet specific conditions in Florida will receive a $450 payout per child.
Georgia: The state will be offering up to $250 to single taxpayers, $375 to head-of-household filers, and a total of $500 to married couples who file jointly.
Hawaii: Distribution details are not yet available, but Hawaii taxpayers who earn more than $100,000 will receive a $100 rebate, while those earning less will receive a $300 rebate.
Idaho: Taxpayers who filed their tax returns in 2020 and 2021 and those who received grocery-credit refunds will get either $75 or 12% of their state taxes for 2020, whichever is greater.
Illinois: Residents who earn under $200,000 per year ($400,000 for couples filing jointly) will receive a $50 rebate, with an additional $100 per dependent.
Indiana: The residents who filed a state tax return in 2020 or 2021 will receive a $125 reimbursement.
Maine: Residents who have a federal adjusted gross income of below $100,000 ($150,000 for head-of-household filers and $200,000 for married couples who decide to file jointly) will get an $850 check (couples will receive $1,750).
Massachusetts: The Bay State is currently planning on issuing $250 rebates to all eligible taxpayers.
Minnesota: The state is giving $750 to frontline workers who worked a minimum of 120 hours between March 2020 and June 2021 and were not able to work remotely. Payment applications are now closed.
New Jersey: New Jersey is providing $500 to a number of families.
New Mexico: New Mexico residents making less than $75,000 per year will receive a $250 rebate ($500 for joint filers).
Oregon: Residents who qualified for the earned income tax credit in 2020 will receive a $600 payment.
South Carolina: There are no specifics yet, but residents of the Palmetto State could get a payout of up to $800.
Virginia: Eligible taxpayers will receive a $250 payment ($500 for married couples filing jointly).
Are more states likely to follow?
Yes, given that the federal government does not intend to issue a stimulus check, other states are likely to pass on stimulus funds to their residents soon. North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky have potential bills awaiting approval at the state house.
Celebrity kids are like any other children—they grow up fast. Time seems to fly by, but it’s not hard to recognize these celeb kids even when they’re all grown up. Chances are the last time you saw them was when they were babies, and you want to know what they look like now. So, if you’ve been wondering what some of your favorite star kids have been up to, here’s a run-through of what they look like now.
Dannielynn Birkhead is the daughter of Larry Birkhead and the late Anna Smith. The star recently turned sixteen. Her dad posted a sweet message for her on social media.
“Sixteen years ago, my beautiful baby was born. That’s if you want to feel really old. Many people thought the odds were stacked against you, but maybe that was geared more toward me than you. Through tragedy, turmoil, and a couple of baby tantrums-today you shine bright and are so accomplished,” captioned Larry. The post featured a collage of his daughter’s childhood photos, including pics with Smith, who passed away in 2007.
Francis Cobain is the daughter of Courtney Love and the late Kurt Cobain. Recently, Francis shared her struggles with mental health and depression on her birthday. Her Instagram post was captioned, “I made it! Honestly, 20-year-old Frances wasn’t sure that was going to happen. At the time, an intrinsic sense of deep self loathing dictated by insecurity, destructive coping mechanisms & more trauma than my body or brain knew how to handle informed how I saw myself and the world; through a lens of resentment for being brought into a life that seemingly attracted so much chaos and the kind of pain tied to grief that felt inescapable.
She continued, “Then, an event on a plane that brought me closer in proximity to death is, ironically, the event that catapulted me towards running at this lived experience with radical gratitude. I’m glad to have proven myself wrong & to have found ways to transform pain into knowledge.”
Lily-Rose Depp was born to Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis on 27 May 1999. She is a French-American actress and model. Depp began her career with a small acting role in Tusk and later starred in the period drama The Dancer.
In this film, she was cast as Isadora Duncan. Lily-Rose has been nominated for César Awards for “Most Promising Actress” for her role in The Dancer and A Faithful Man. Since 2015, Depp has been a Chanel brand ambassador. Lily is fluent in English and French and has both French and American citizenships.
4. Bon Jovi- Jacob Hurley Bongiovi
Stephanie Rose Bongiovi, Jon Bon Jovi, Romeo Bongiovi, Dorothea Hurley and Jacob Bongiovi attend the Winter Whites Gala in aid of Centrepoint at Kensington Palace on November 26, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by David M.Benett/Centrepoint/Getty Images for Centrepoint) pic.twitter.com/Lu9PiPfHeT
Jacob Bongiovi, aka Jake Bongiovi, is an American actor. He’s one of four children of vocalist John Bongiovi. His father is best known as the lead singer of Bon Jovi.
Jake is very popular on social media. The young star has over a million people following him on Instagram. Lately, Jacob has been in the news for dating actress Millie Bobby Brown, the star of Stranger Things. Jacob doesn’t want to follow his father’s footsteps
dad’s footsteps and be a singer. He’s well known for his roles in Sweethearts and PeopleTV. We hope to see him in more significant projects in the future.
Paris Jackson is the daughter of the late music legend Michael Jackson. Paris’ mother is Debbie Rowe, Jackson’s ex-wife. Rowe signed custody over to Micheal after the couple’s divorce in 1999.
Paris has two brothers, Prince Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II, aka Blanket. Paris is known for her piercing blue eyes and beauty. She’s a model and a singer. In 2017, Paris signed with IMG Models and also got her first acting job. In 2018, Jackson appeared in the movie Gringo.
6. Will Smith- Willow Smith
Credits: ShutterstockCredits: Shutterstock
Willow Smith is the only daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. After acting in a few projects, she released a song called Whip My Hair. It became a hit single. However, the stress of fame made the young Smith step away from performing. She later started making music again as WILLOW.
Smith overcame her personal doubts and embraced her lifelong love of rock, releasing her album, Lately I Feel Everything. In doing so, Willow staked her claim to a genre of music with strong ties to the Black community. Along with music, she also co-hosts a popular talk show called Red Table Talk with her mother and grandmother.
7. Leslie Mann- Maude Apatow
Credits: ShutterstockCredits: Shutterstock
Maude’s mother is actress Leslie Mann, and her father is director Judd Apatow. While in high school, Maude appeared in musicals like Cabaret and Into the Woods. She studied theater at Northwestern University.
Maude’s best known for playing Lexi Howard in the HBO series Euphoria. Apatow has acted in Knocked Up, Funny People, This Is 40, Other People, The House of Tomorrow, Assassination Nation, The King of Staten Island, and the Netflix miniseries Hollywood.
Heavy rains and flooding in southern China have killed around 32 people so far and impacted millions of others, and caused billions of yuan worth of economic losses. In recent weeks, heavy rainfall in the southern part of the country has triggered severe landslides and flooding, damaging roads, crops, and homes.
Severe flood seasons wreak havoc in China
China is grappling with increasingly devastating flood seasons which have been fueled by climate change. In Guangxi province, at least seven people were killed due to landslides. State news agency Xinhua reported that at least one person remains missing.
In Hunan province, at least ten people were killed this month, while three are missing. 286,000 people have been evacuated, and over 1.79 million residents were affected by the incessant rains, officials stated at a recent news conference.
Over 2,700 homes have suffered severe damage or collapsed, and 96,160 hectares of crops have been destroyed – this is a heavy loss for a province that is a major rice producer for China. Officials have estimated that direct economic losses as a result of the rains are more than 4 billion yuan or $600 million.
Last month, landslides and flooding killed at least five people in southwestern Yunnan province, eight people in coastal Fujian province, and two children in Guangxi province.
Authorities on alert for flood season
Summer floods are a common occurrence in China, especially in agricultural areas along the Yangtze River that are densely populated. This year, authorities have stated they are on high alert for the flood season, which began this month. Scientists, however, have been warning for several years that climate change would amplify severe weather events, making them more frequent and deadlier over time.
Last year, Henan, a region that does not normally experience heavy flooding, saw what some people called a “once in a thousand years” rainfall at some weather stations. The capital of Zhengzhou was also ill-prepared for extreme flooding. City officials did not pay attention to five consecutive red alerts for torrential rain, which eventually caused flood water to gush into tunnels, trapping hundreds of people in the city’s subway system and killing 12 of them.
The tragedy raised questions over just how prepared Chinese cities are for severe weather events. Ahead of the current flood season, Chinese weather officials warned of a high number of severe weather events. According to China’s National Climate Center, extreme torrential rains are likely to batter the southwestern and southern parts of the country.
The US Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, declaring that women’s constitutional right to abortion, which was upheld for almost half a century, no longer exists.
Justice Samuel Alito, when writing for the court majority, said that the 1973 Roe ruling and subsequent high court decisions that reaffirmed Roe “must be overruled” since they were “egregiously wrong” and the arguments made were “exceptionally weak” and so “damaging.”
Vote for overturning Roe was 6 to 3
The decision does not come as a surprise since Alito’s draft opinion was leaked in early May. However, the US Supreme Court officially reversing the landmark ruling means nearly half of the states will immediately roll back abortion rights – more restrictions are expected to follow soon as well. This indicates that abortion will not be available to people in large parts of the country.
This decision may also mean that the question of abortion will become a focal point during the upcoming fall elections. Joining Justice Alito’s opinion were Justice Clarence Thomas and the three Trump appointees – Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barett. Chief Justice Roberts also concurred in the judgment.
Dissenting Alito’s opinion were Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor. They wrote, “With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent.”
Going forward, abortion rights will essentially be determined by individual states unless Congress acts. Several states, including Mississippi, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, have the decades-old abortion ban still on their books. Now, with Roe overturned, these states can revert quickly to a pre-Roe environment. Officials in these states can ask the courts to reinstate old laws.
Similar to the leaked draft
Justice Alito’s final opinion on Roe v. Wade was strikingly similar to the leaked draft he wrote earlier this year. His current opinion repeats the scornful language he used in the draft.
In his opinion, Alito wrote, “What sharply distinguishes the abortion right from the rights recognized in the cases on which Roe and Casey rely is something that both those decisions acknowledged: Abortion destroys what those decisions call ‘potential life’ and what the law at issue, in this case, regards as the life of an ‘unborn human being.’ This line was also present in his draft.
A broad majority of Americans, however, did not want to see the landmark ruling overturned. In a May poll conducted by CNN, Americans stated 66% to 34% that they did not want the United States Supreme Court to overturn the decision.
A Chinese air force fighter jet collided with residential houses during a training mission in central China. According to state media, one person was reportedly killed on the ground, and two others were injured. The reports of the military accident were unusual because China typically keeps such incidents secret or focuses on the heroic role of the pilot in preventing casualties on the ground.
Complaints from foreign governments
Chinese fighter jets have recently been accused of flying dangerously close to military surveillance planes operated by foreign governments. The Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said that a J-7 aircraft crashed while on a mission near an airport in Xiangyang in Hubei province. The pilot ejected safely, but a few residential buildings were ravaged. The pilot, as well as those injured in the crash, was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The cause of the event is under investigation.
The J-7 is a single-engine, Soviet-designed aircraft dating from the 1950s. It was produced for nearly five decades until production ended in 2013. Large numbers of these jets continue to operate to ensure regional air protection. China also sold an export variant, the F-7, to over a dozen countries. However, a majority of them have since retired the jets.
Industry under scrutiny
China’s civil aviation industry has come under pressure in recent months in the wake of the still-unexplained crash of a China Eastern Airlines plane in which all 132 passengers on board were killed. Then, a Tibet Airlines plane carrying 122 people veered off the runway and caught fire while departing from the southwestern city of Chongqing. There were no casualties, but many passengers sustained minor injuries.
Australia and Canada have recently expressed concerns about the recklessness of Chinese fighter pilots. According to the Canadian military, Chinese fighter jets risked collision by attempting to divert a Canadian long-range patrol aircraft from its path, forcing the Canadian crew to change direction quickly.
China’s defense
Australia has accused a Chinese fighter jet of engaging in a dangerous, aggressive act against an Australian air force plane carrying out aerial surveillance in the South China Sea. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said that China’s J-16 fighter jet accelerated suddenly and cut in front of the Australian jet. As a result, it released chaff with tiny bits of aluminum created to confuse radars, which were absorbed into the latter’s engine.
The Chinese have defended the actions of their pilots, blaming foreign countries for leading close-in surveillance to suppress China’s development.
