Health
The Good: Study Finds Mediterranean Diet May Lower Risk Of Depression
This week a compelling study was released that offers another look into the treatment and perspective of America’s ongoing mental health crisis. As medical professionals scramble to find practical solutions to managing mental illness’, the study released offers new information on how food contributes to our overall well-being and the health of our most important and complex organ.
The report analyzed 41 previous studies and may have found people who regularly ate a strict Mediterranean diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish had a 33% lower risk of developing depression than those who ate indiscriminately.
Camille Lassale, a research associate at University College London’s department of epidemiology and public health spoke on the topic: “There is compelling evidence to show that there is a relationship between the quality of your diet and your mental health…this relationship goes beyond the effect of diet on your body size or other aspects of health that can in turn affect your mood.”
According to the study, those who consumed inflammatory content such as processed foods, alcohol or tobacco were more likely to be treated or diagnosed with depression or another mental illness.
Brendon Stubbs, a professor not involved with the study weighed in on the findings saying: “We have known for some time that what we eat can influence our physical health, but the impact on mental health and specifically depression had not previously been comprehensively evaluated; the potential public health implications are considerable.”
Although changing diets sounds like the most convenient and rapid way to solve the growing health crisis, Naveed Sattar, a professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, replied to the new study addressing potential holes in the study’s hypothesis: “The current evidence is not sufficient to prove plant-rich diets can prevent depression as most of the evidence so far simply shows that those with poorer mental health eat worse, so it may be that those more prone to depression also choose less health…we need more evidence before we can say plant-rich diets can improve mental health.”
The Bad: 3rd Case Of Monkeypox Confirmed In U.K.
This week, Public Health England announced it’s 3rd confirmed case of the rare disease Monkeypox. Laying between chicken and small pox in severity, Monkeypox is fatal for 1-10% of patients and can be spread from animals and humans alike.
Beginning with severe headaches and fever, symptoms are followed by a swelling of the lymph nodes, back pain and a lack of energy before the skin is then covered in lesions. The disease is most notably found in Central and West Africa and has an incubation period of 5-21 days.
The latest victim is being treated at Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. Authorities say that they will be closely tracing potential exposure points to keep the disease contained. Nick Phin, deputy director of the National Infection Center in England commented on the new scare: “We have been actively monitoring contacts for 21 days after exposure to detect anyone presenting with an illness so that they can be assessed quickly. It is therefore not wholly unexpected that a case has been identified.”
Law
The Good: France Prosecutes 1st Man Under New Anti Harassment Law
After passing new legislation this past July that provides harassment victims with a measure of justice, France has officially moved forward with its first case.
While riding the bus a unidentified 21-year-old women was assaulted by an inebriated passenger who slapped her on the buttocks, called her a “whore” and exclaimed: “you have big breasts.” The all too common practice was seen by cameras, fellow passengers, as well as the bus driver who was alerted to the situation by the victim. The driver was hit by the attacker after confronting him, and promptly called the police and locked the doors until authorities arrived and arrested the attacker.
A Paris court fined the assailant 300 Euros (approximately $350), ordered him to spend 9 months in jail and also undergo alcohol abuse treatment. Marlène Schiappa, France’s junior minister for gender equality who spearheaded the law praised the outcome of the case saying: “Bravo to the bus driver for his quick reaction and to everyone for carrying out the sanctions. Let’s together put an end to sexist and sexual violence.”
Although several prominent Frenchwomen initially denounced the #MeToo movement, France has created their own version: #Balancetonporc or “Expose your pig”, encouraging women to speak out about their assaults and bring more attackers to justice.
The new legislation outlaws lewd, aggressive and unwanted sexual advances and holds a fine of up to 750 Euros ($876). Although the legislation has come under fire for not addressing other abuses like domestic violence cases or discrimination in the workplace, French lawmakers hope this conviction will be the beginning of a cultural shift within the country that upholds the safety, dignity and security of its women.
The Bad: Judge Rules: No Jail Time For Convicted Rapist
Despite choking a women unconscious and ejaculating on her, Justin Schneider will face no jail time. An Alaskan judge accepted a plea deal from prosecutors and Schneider and allowed him to walk out of the court-house a free man drawing condemnation from around the world.
Schneider offered his victim a ride at a gas station one night, drove her to a secluded area and then attacked her. The victim says when she woke up she was covered in semen. A grand jury charged Schneider with 4 felonies including kidnapping, and assault charges however the kidnapping charge was dropped and his two-year prison sentence suspended after the judge ruled Schneider spent enough qualifying time on an ankle monitor.
Anchorage Assistant District Attorney Andrew Grannik said that the decision to allow Schneider to walk was based on expert analysis that determined he was unlikely to be a repeat offender. Schneider has since said he is grateful for the outcome and will take the time he is granted to become a better father and husband.
Technology:
The Good: Developers Create “Air-Strike Warning” App
As the war in Syria continues to escalate, citizens are banding together using a centuries old tactic with new world technology to keep each other safe. An American developer has created a new app that uses the help of spotters and historical data to alert civilians of potential air strikes before they occur.
Much like scouts would watch the borders of their towns for potential attacks and invasions, modern-day spotters laying on the outskirts of Syrian cities watch the skies for incoming fighter jets and update their location and direction through the app which uses an algorithm to notify potential victims.
John Jaeger who developed the app called Hala Systems, views his work as one of the biggest humanitarian efforts of our time. Recognizing that much of the world’s time and resources go to mitigating the effects of violence against citizens, Jaeger and his team believe the beginning of solving issues such as displacement, migration and starvation starts with preventing innocent lives from being lost. The cascading effects of war has created their own set of problems that prevent nations from progressing. Since the creation of the app, Syrian citizens have seen a significant drop in fatalities and see the new technology has a hopeful sign of change.
The Bad: Bitcoin Continues To Stir Fears From Financial Institutions
BitCoin’s craze is still widely under skepticism which was heightened this past Sunday after a Swiss banking group called The Bank for International Settlements released a report on their findings concerning the new cyrotocurrency, even stating that just processing transactions could “bring the internet to a halt.”
Their claim is based on the workings of Bitcoin’s ledger system that uses data to log all transactions from its users. Experts predict that if we begin using Bitcoin for all our retail transactions the storage and energy required to keep track of all exchanges would be unprecedented and could potential bring the internet to its knees.
The group also outlines several other issues with the currency such as its volatile value which has surged and plunged in recent years and the transaction fees required to use BitCoin which rise or fall based on demand. During a frenzy of selling and trading this past December, some transaction fees soared to $57 per charge.
In a video submitted with the report Hyun Song Shin, the bank’s head of research commented: “Just imagine, if you bought a $2 coffee with BitCoin, you would have had to pay $57 to make that transaction go through.”
Although the report was not entirely dismissive, the biggest issue concerning the new decentralized technology is the reliability of the ledger. Simply put, Bitcoin could stop working and immediately lose all value. However, the report did indicate the underlying technology could have potential uses in eliminating the administrative process in handling financial transactions. Currently BitCoin is valued at just under $7000 after plummeting from $17,000 in 2017.
More Things You Should Know:
- Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Continues To Deny Sexual Assault Allegations. His Vote Will Take Place This Week
- Trump Is Met With Laughter And Mocking At United Nations Conference
- Victor Ortiz Charged With Rape
- Elon Musk Sued By U.S. Regulators
- Amazon Unveils Alexa Controlled Microwave And Wall Clock
- Bill Cosby Sentenced To 3 – 10 years
- Studies Show European Teen Drinking Down
Make sure to stay up to date on this weeks top stories here at EMCEE!
