Doctors have been warning about the mental health problems caused by prolonged screen time. A study published in JAMA Network Open concluded that reducing this activity helps reduce anxiety, stress, insomnia, and promotes socialization.

The idea was to ask the participants, nearly 400 young people between 18 and 24 years old, not to use Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X for seven days. Dr. John Torou, co-author of the study, notes that some participants did not complete the test. Nevertheless, the results are encouraging, as there was significant clinical improvement “across key areas after just seven days. The data indicated that symptoms of depression decreased by 24.8%, anxiety by 16.1%, and sleep problems fell by 14.5 %.”

Digital phenotyping revealed that, although social media use dropped from about two hours a day to just 30 minutes, total screen time increased slightly by 4.5 %, and participants spent 6.3 % more time at home. This suggests that participants shifted from endlessly scrolling through TikTok to other digital activities such as messaging, browsing the internet, or playing games.

According to the specialist, “the problem isn’t the screen itself, but how we use it. The study indicates that screen time has a weak association with mental health, since what’s truly harmful is problematic use, such as negative social comparison or emotional addiction to the platforms.”

M.Pino

Source: xataka

(Reference image source: Panos Sakalakis on Unsplash)

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La entrada Study reveals positive health effect of reducing social media use apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The genetic disorder known as Down syndrome has been the subject of a study by researchers at Mei University in Japan, who have made progress in the study of chromosome 21 and its elimination.

As is known, Down syndrome “is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21, a phenomenon known as trisomy 21, which causes physical and cognitive alterations in those who suffer from it, such as heart defects, hearing loss, and difficulties in speech and learning development.”

At Mei University, scientists have applied a gene editing technique that could allow the complete elimination of the extra chromosome.

According to the PNAS Nexus publication, the scientists used “a tool called CRISPR-Cas9 to eliminate excess chromosomes in affected cells and return cell behavior to its normal function.”

This action aids in gene editing, which uses an enzyme to identify specific DNA sequences. “Once the enzyme finds a matching site, it selectively removes the extra copy of chromosome 21. This process, called allele-specific editing, allows the cutting enzyme to act only on the trisomy without affecting the rest of the genetic material.”

As a result, the group of scientists observed that gene expression normalized. Furthermore, the corrected cells accelerated their growth, with a shorter doubling time.

The discovery is a remarkable step toward controlling chromosome 21, which causes Down syndrome worldwide.

M.Pino

Source: actualidad.rt

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La entrada Researchers discover a method that could lead to the elimination Down syndrome chromosome apareció primero en Bitfinance.

A recent study by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) at the Cambridge Judge Business School estimates the growth in the use of sustainable energy for Bitcoin mining at 52.4 %.

To compile this report, the CCAF “included 49 mining companies, 41 % of which are publicly listed and have operations in 23 countries.”

According to the findings of this research, “9.8 % of sustainable energy comes from nuclear energy and the remaining 42.6 % from other sources such as wind and hydropower.”

On the other hand, Cambridge researchers highlight the replacement of coal with natural gas in the Bitcoin mining process, with an increase of 38.2 % from 25 % in 2022.

It is important to note the CCAF’s conclusions on annual grid electricity consumption, which stands at “138 TWh, about 0.5 % of global usage; CO2 emissions, meanwhile, total around 39.8 megatons, which remains a worrying figure.”

M.Pino

Source: cripto247

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La entrada Bitcoin mining with sustainable energy surpasses 52.4 % apareció primero en Bitfinance.

A team of scientists from China, the United States and Spain conducted a study, according to which poor sleep quality or difficulty in achieving paradoxical sleep could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the team of scientists, there is a relationship “between sleep quality, memory formation, cognitive thinking and the risk of dementia.”

In the study, they analyzed the relationship between lack of sleep in patients with dementia, “Alzheimer’s and the biomarkers of said disease, even in its preclinical phases” in 128 adults with an average age of almost 71.

The participants remained overnight in a sleep clinic for sleep monitoring. Of the sample, “64 had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and 41 had mild cognitive impairment.” One group reached the REM phase in less than 98.2 minutes, while the rest took more than 192.7 minutes.

According to the scientists, elderly people with functional problems, combined with genetic risk, have a high probability of suffering from Alzheimer’s, due to their lower production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which favors the survival of neurons and helps the brain to learn.

The damage can manifest itself in an increase in “the stress hormone, cortisol. This can damage the brain’s hippocampus, a critical structure for memory consolidation.”

The specialists recommend improving the healthy sleep cycle through healthy lifestyle habits that help “prevent REM sleep delays, favor memory formation and, ultimately, reduce the risk of dementia.”

M.Pino

Source: notitarde

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La entrada Poor sleep quality could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Efforts to improve the quality of life of citizens in Santiago de Chile have borne fruit. The city was recently named the smartest in Latin America and number 91 globally by the IESE Cities in Motion (ICIM) index.

Currently, as a point worth highlighting, Santiago de Chile is “the city in the world with the most electric buses outside of China.” It has a fleet of “2,400 zero-emission, high-standard units, with air conditioning, security cameras, WiFi, USB chargers and universal accessibility.”

These transport units, in addition to the three new metro lines under construction, have helped to significantly reduce travel times from remote communes in the Metropolitan Region such as La Granja, San Miguel, San Ramón, San Joaquín, La Florida, La Pintana and Pedro Aguirre Cerda.

In relation to this aspect, at the beginning of 2024, the environmental engineer and expert in the implementation of sustainable transport policies at the Chalmers University of Technology, Frances Sprei, toured the country, and was able to appreciate the advances in electromobility in the Chilean capital at the 2024 edition of Congreso Futuro.

At that time, she said: “I find it impressive that Santiago has such a high number of electric buses and is one of the pioneering cities in this area. I think it is a very good initiative that shows that these advances can be applied not only in Europe or China. It is an example that should be spread.”

M.Pino

Source: infobae

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La entrada Santiago de Chile is the ‘smartest’ city in Latin America and 91st worldwide apareció primero en Bitfinance.

About 41 % of gaming professionals admit to experiencing ‘crunch’, meaning periods of working overtime, typically to make a delivery on time.

This is one of the conclusions recently reached by a study by the Spanish Association of Video Game and Entertainment Software Producers and Developers (DEV) in its “Radiography of Spanish Video Game Development Professionals”, which aims to give learn more about the reality of the sector and analyze the perceptions of professionals dedicated to video game development.

This study was carried out from an anonymous survey in which 465 professionals from the video game industry participated. It happens to 44 % of the people surveyed, who claim to work between 40 and more than 60 hours a week, while 61 % of the total concludes that they have worked between 41 and more than 90 hours a week when asked about the time spent in a week during the last year.

However, DEV determined that people who have worked more than 90 hours a week have claimed to have done so of their own free will and not under any obligation. In relation to platforms and performance, the results of the survey show that computers continue to be the main platform for developers, since they are chosen by 63 % of the total.

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Source: dpa

La entrada Game creators work a lot of overtime apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software systems “are no longer a tool reserved for large companies, but have become the key to digital transformation in small and medium-sized companies” thanks to pay-per-view models, according to a new guide prepared by the Zucchetti company.

Under the title “ERP as a service. Benefits of SaaS or pay-per-use solutions for digital transformation”, the company’s experts analyze the advantages of the ‘SaaS’ (Software as a Service) model for companies of all sizes that want to face the digital transformation in the current context, marked by the consequences of the pandemic and the growth of working from home.

“Today there are new models of access and use of ERP, as well as new solutions in the cloud, which allow us to have an advanced tool that is compatible with new technologies without assuming the technical costs of installing, maintaining and updating the hardware”, details the document.

In this way, an SME can hire this software based on their needs and access technologies such as the integration of eCommerce, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for data analysis, robotics, Virtual and Augmented Reality and IoT for Industry 4.0, among other solutions.

The guide, available on the Zucchetti website, analyzes the different existing ERP payment models and focuses on SaaS, its benefits for Industry 4.0, its functionalities and the advantages of working with an ERP SaaS in the cloud. In addition, it sets the guidelines for a correct implementation, based on its extensive experience in the sector.

Source: dpa

La entrada Payment methods are a must for digitization apareció primero en Bitfinance.

74% of users are concerned about the possibility of digital identity theft, especially given the increased digitization triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the increased amount of data and personal information they share from it.

Cyber ​​threats have become one of the biggest headaches among consumers, according to the study ID Theft SOS: How to win customer preference and loyalty with ID protection, prepared by the company specialized in loyalty programs, Tenerity. Although focused on the US market, it highlights trends that can be extrapolated to other countries or regions.

The study states that 74% of users admit to being worried about the expectation of suffering a digital identity theft, of which 39% are quite worried and 35% very much. This situation has been aggravated by the pandemic with the corresponding increase in digitization.

Consumers are aware of cybercrime, with seven in ten users more concerned about being victims of identity theft than other forms of crime.

The main types of identity theft known to users are the extraction of personal information (91%), fraudulent credit or debit card charges (85%), identity theft and social media accounts (75%) or applications for loans or credits (73%).

67% of respondents acknowledge that their identities can be stolen by someone they know. Another 76% believe that these types of thieves do not have to exclusively target wealthy people. In addition, 77% maintain that children are at risk of suffering this type of crime.

Source: dpa

La entrada Digital Identity Theft, concern for users apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) downloads grew 184% last year, a figure that reflects the growing popularity and consolidation of a tool virtually unknown until five years ago.

VPNs appeared about 25 years ago to protect transfers within corporate environments. Although they began to become popular about five years ago, AtlasVPN points out that it was the need to telework and the threat of cybercrime due to the growing use of the Internet that have ended up consolidating them.

So much so that downloads of these applications from the Apple and Google stores grew by 184 % last year, reaching 785 million, compared to 277 million in 2020, as stated in their latest report.

AtlasVPN’s analysis, focused on 85 countries, indicates that Qatar has the highest adoption of this technology (69.69 %), with two million unique downloads in 2021. The VPN adoption rate relates the volume of discharges with the population of the country.

They are followed by the United Arab Emirates (59.52 %), with 5,886,566 downloads; Singapore (49.14 %), with 2,874,601; and Saudi Arabia (36.65 %), with 12,760,979. Spain is ranked 74th, with an adoption of 6.3 % and 2,945,038 downloads in 2021.

Source: dpa

La entrada Use of VPNs grew up to 184% in 2021 apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The potential economic value that the Internet of Things (IoT) could generate by 2030 is between $5.5 and $12.6 trillion worldwide, including the value captured by consumers and customers of the Internet’s products and services. IoT, according to the conclusions of the study “Internet of Things: Catching up with an accelerating opportunity”, carried out by the consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

IoT describes a network of physical objects that incorporate sensors in order to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems through the Internet, improving the efficiency of many processes through the use, for example, of Artificial Intelligence.

Currently, it is one of the main trends linked to the digital transformation of the economy and is already integrated into the lives of consumers, as well as into the operations of companies and governments.

Factories would account for the largest amount of potential economic value from IoT, around 26 %, in 2030. This is due to their use to optimize operations in manufacturing, making daily management of assets and people more efficient.

The healthcare sector, meanwhile, would account for around 10-14 % of the estimated economic value of IoT in 2030. From connected heart and glucose monitors for chronically ill patients to mass-market solutions that track physical activity.

IoT solutions are not only used by individual customers, but are also offered by some insurers and governments as a way to improve patient health and outcomes. At this point, the report highlights that “the Covid-19 pandemic potentially accelerated the use of IoT solutions in healthcare.”

As the fastest growing sector in terms of IoT value by 2030, autonomous vehicles (which include partial driving automation, or level two autonomy, and above) stand out. The steady increase in the use of sensors in vehicles will continue as consumers demand greater safety and reliability.

K. Tovar

Source: COPE

La entrada The Internet of Things (IoT) will generate millionaire profits apareció primero en Bitfinance.