If you've been a traveller, you must know how travel can transform you. One day you are sitting at home with your family eating the food you are accustomed to and then the next day you find yourself in an entirely different culture and landscape when you take a trip. Travelling to a new place leaves you feeling happier, inspired and refreshed. Although, it even has the potential to give you a deeper mental shift which leads to long-term fulfillment and self-awareness. And that exactly is what you all might be missing this year ever since the lockdown has been imposed. This pandemic has led us all to stay indoors and with bare minimum possibilities of stepping out. Hence, we thought of coming up with ways how to get the mental health benefits of traveling while being in the comfort of your home.

Yes, go ahead and plan a trip. Planning your next travel destination is half the fun! Of course, you can't book your flight tickets yet, but you can very much put your finger on where you want to go once you feel safe and legally accepted to travel. Painting a mental picture of your dream destination and looking out for those particular pictures will automatically make you feel nicer. There are actual studies that say, people's travel-related happiness actually comes in anticipation of a trip and not during it. This is because of reward processing where your brain processes pleasurable or rewarding stimuli in your surrounding. So basically, rewards are defined as stimuli because they evoke an optimistic emotion in you. Hence, planning a trip can be an exciting experience.

Look through your old travel pictures and all the places you went to since nostalgia can help boost your mood. Just like the happiness of anticipating your travel plans, walking down the memory lane and past adventures can increase happiness. It decreases stress and increases positivity in the moment. You can even go ahead and get some of your old travel pictures printed and framed so that you can always look at them in your house. Revisit old travel albums or recollect the fun you had at a particular place while you meditate. You can even try journaling about your past travel memories and cherish them. Reminiscing about past social memories can lead to the reduction of stress hormones, specifically when you might feel socially isolated in this pandemic. Recalling memories with close friends can also give you joy.

Whether you are using your imaginations to plan your future travel or going back in your past travel memories, you can deepen this process by bringing in some real-time culture experience that is inspired by a particular destination. If a specific place is on your mind for your trip in 2021, try to master the cuisines of that place or grow some plants that are popular in that region. You can even learn a new language as it has a positive impact on mental health and even improves the brain's functions including your memory. Likewise, you can keep thinking of more travel plans one at a time and keep learning how to make their cuisines while you have all this time at home.

You must have noticed that when you take a trip, you are less stressed and more present. Both of these can put you in a better mood and positive personal changes can occur. Many of you are lucky to have local places around where you can take a short trip for less than four days and come back home feeling refreshed. It's about getting the same satisfaction from a local adventure as you otherwise would have from a long journey. It really depends on how you approach the trip than where you actually end up going. You must approach your mini-adventure with a sense of intention. Wear your travel clothes, play your favourite playlist, splurge on food and explore the local destination. Creating a threshold will make your mini-adventure feel important.

Of course, it feels amazing to be somewhere exotic. But learn how to acknowledge the beauty that your everyday environment has to offer. It can very much cultivate mindfulness. When you're on a local adventure, you can perk up your senses and notice what you see, hear or smell. You can also choose to speak little and hear more for a bit of your local adventure. This kind of awareness is referred to as active concentration which ultimately takes you into meditation. By cultivating mindful awareness around nature, you are removing the stressors of city life. You are giving your nervous system some time to regulate. These small curious moments around your everyday environment can lead to bigger wellness changes physically, emotionally and mentally.

Originally posted here:
How you experience the SHEER JOY of traveling without going anywhere - Times of India

When Rebecca Colbert had the choice to attend law school or pursue a career as a librarian, a mentor told her that she could succeed in either field, but would have a more significant effect on others lives as a librarian.

At that time, Colbert was working at the UNLV law library and said her mentors observation made her choice simple.

Im so glad I listened to it. Because its part intellectual, its part social work, quite honestly, working in a library these days, said Colbert, who now manages the Las Vegas-Clark County Library Systems department of collections and bibliographic services. Were so anchored in public service in our library district that everything you do feels like a deliberate [act] to help somebody that comes into the library.

Whether someone arrives at the library looking for entertainment, help writing a resume or food through the librarys meal program, Colbert said librarians are used to navigating complex situations and wearing many hats as they help patrons.

The pandemic forced libraries across the state to temporarily close in-person services and Colbert, along with other librarians across Nevada and the country, had to adjust to remote work environments, digital-only services, and now a phased reopening without clear guidelines.

In Las Vegas, the library system increased digital offerings, including Ancestry.com and Rosetta Stone subscriptions patrons could access at home, but Colbert worries about homeless youth who came to the library to take part in programming and people who relied on the library services.

Usage of the library systems homework help database went down from February to March, in line with school closures, Colbert said, but e-media usage increased. She half-jokingly added that students might be driving e-media usage now that they are no longer needing the librarys homework help database.

Colberts calculations show that digital magazine usage increased by 108 percent, e-book usage went up 20 percent, audiobook use increased to 249 percent, and movies and TV use went up 552 percent.

As for what people were checking out? Colbert said that as of the end of April, the books patrons were reading mainly fell into the self-help, gratitude, and fiction categories.

The number one title for e-books on one of our platforms is called Unfu*k Yourself. And I know this title because a therapist once recommended it to me, and I died laughing when I saw that at the top of the chart, Colbert said with a laugh. And I thought, well, this shows some self-awareness. People realize that were in a weird situation, and its a little bit stressful, and they want to get through it. And its good that theyre coming to the library to do that.

Since moving into phases one and two of reopening, the library system in Vegas put a curbside pickup and book drop-off service in place and reinstated regular library hours at 24 of the 25 branches.

Reopening guidelines for the library follow social distancing protocols but also allow patrons to come in and use WiFi and computers. To encourage patrons to check out books and stop by, the library is also offering collectible bookmarks that feature hockey players from the Vegas Golden Knights and free art gallery displays at branches around the valley.

Coronavirus closures also sped up the transition to digital services in the Washoe County Library System, including moving in-person story readings online. However, Jeff Scott, director of the system, said reopening brings a new set of challenges and frequent changes.

Its tough because, like every organization in the state, were kind of all on our own, so we have to kind of figure out, what can we do safely? Scott said.

So far, the Washoe County Library offers limited grab-and-go and drive-up services atindividual librariesand is waiting until cases decrease to open libraries further.

As part of social distancing requirements, Scott said every patron is required to wear a facial covering. If someone forgets, the library system has bandanas they can take. Whenever someone argues about the policy, the librarians request that the anti-masker leave or potentially ban the client from using library services for an extended period.

Were always on the edge of if something happens and something spikes to shut everything back down, and thats kind of why we really wanted to emphasize the virtual services, Scott said.

Scotts priority is to ensure the libraries are a safe environment for the public and his staff. The library uses the same incident reporting system as the casinos, and he wants everyone to take the library distancing guidelines seriously.

Along with navigating reopening, libraries are also facing financial uncertainties.

Were all worried about budget cuts because we know in the state of Nevada, things are going to be difficult long after weve reopened, Colbert said. A part of our budget comes from the consolidated tax money, and theres going to be less of that to go around.

The consolidated tax consists of revenue combined from six taxes, including levies on cigarettes, liquor, real estate transactions and vehicle registrations.

During economic downturns,libraries tend to see increased usage but decreased funding. Potential budget cuts might mean putting library renovation plans on hold but not cutting essential programs for teens or other library users, Colbert said, emphasizing that library systems are there to serve the community.

Part of my job is circulation, and right now, Im not concerned about circulation. Im concerned about the health and well-being of our regulars, Colbert said. Were here to help. We want two-way communication. Tell us what you need our whole goal is to get through it together.

See more here:
Nevada librarians navigate a cautious reopening, eye budget cuts on the horizon - Northern Nevada Business Weekly

Damian Wilson

is a UK journalist, ex-Fleet Street editor, financial industry consultant and political communications special advisor in the UK and EU.

is a UK journalist, ex-Fleet Street editor, financial industry consultant and political communications special advisor in the UK and EU.

With festivals and concerts canceled, the live-music industry says it needs government assistance to survive. But shouldnt mega-rich musicians be dipping into their own pockets to help, rather than taking aid from the state?

The coronavirus pandemic has lured many millionaires and billionaires out of their hidey-holes looking to build on their fortunes, and the latest are our friends from the music industry, bemoaning their inability to spend summer in luxuriously detailed Airstream trailers while fans roll around in the mud at live-music events across the UK.

In a letter to the British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, and showing all the self-awareness of toddlers in the dress-up box, more than 1,500 musicians are asking for government help so they can keep on fleecing us through overpriced tickets, drinks and T-shirts, while they continue to make money.

Of course, the letter, signed by Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, the Cure, Annie Lennox, Coldplay and countless others, declares, This sector doesnt want to ask for government help.

Right. Good. Got it.

But it goes on, The promoters, festival organisers and other employers want to be self-sufficient, as they were before lockdown. But, until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies, and the end of this great world-leading industry.

So Paul, Mick, Keith, Nick Cave, Dizzee Rascal and Dua Lipa dont want to ask, but theyve asked anyway.

And the reason for this incredible pivot on their sacred principles?

Well, their letter reads, The government has addressed two important British pastimes, football and pubs, and its now crucial that it focuses on a third: live music. For the good of the economy, the careers of emerging British artists, and the UKs global-music standing, we must ensure that a live-music industry remains when the pandemic has finally passed.

While I like a good tune as much as the next guy, Im not about to join truly filthy-rich musicians and knights of the realm such as McCartney (worth $1.2 billion) and Jagger ($500 million), or the members of Coldplay, ($475 million) in demanding that taxpayer money be used in this way.

And anyway, why now? Why not when the pandemic first hit and everyone formed an orderly queue to suck on the taxpayer teat? Businesses were asked to present their case, detail where they would fall short and apply for help in staying afloat until things improved. In general, that scheme has worked as advertised.

Where was the live-music industry when all this was happening? Backstage, sucking up to its stars?

Sorry, but it looks like they missed that particular soundcheck.

People employed in other sectors retail, for instance are losing their jobs by the thousands every week. Never mind blowing a couple of hundred quid this summer to sit in a field listening to music for a weekend, folk need to pay the bills and buy food first.

Sleeping in a wet tent at an overpriced gig with stinking chemical toilets is a long way down the to-do list at the moment.

The Culture Secretary should make it clear that, despite the star-name signatories and the self-determination that its a critical part of the British arts landscape, the world-beating 5.2 billion-per-year music industry (according to the Music Venue Trust) should not be looking to the public purse for financial assistance.

Simply using that terribly overused and rarely true term world-beating should ensure its excluded from even asking.

Instead, the Secretary of State should counsel the industry to use its considerable reach among artists, promoters, ticket agencies and investors to build a sustainable model that can survive a break of six months.

That firm but fair tactic worked with billionaire space enthusiast Richard Branson, who finally got the message that, no, the British government would not be bailing out his Virgin Atlantic airline. So, he cashed in some of his own significant share portfolio, got his partner Delta Airlines to dig deep, lured some venture capitalists to the table and hey, presto! Virgin steps back from the brink and lives to fly another day.

This plea from the live-music industry will surely win a lot of support, and maybe I could have been on board had it not been for one more thing. As part of its pitch, the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign is asking fans to post messages about the last gig they attended.

Please, please, no. Surely, one of the most mind-numbing, soul-destroying, life-sapping experiences you can endure is some self-congratulatory twonk sharing unsolicited details of a mundane gig where they saw either a musician or band that later found fame whether through legendary notoriety, tremendous talent or epic drug abuse as if they work as a cultural talent-spotter in their own world of cool.

I would rather jam drumsticks in my ears and beat my nut with a saucepan than listen to their self-absorbed and inane twaddle. But now, their tales will be online so everyone can wow at their amaaaaaazing experience.

Its not something the taxpayer should ever be asked to encourage. Hold tight, Mr Dowden were depending on you.

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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

See more here:
Instead of begging for government handouts, how about millionaire musicians bail out the industry themselves? - RT

While Americans still have not adopted mask-wearing as a general norm, were wearing masks more than ever before. Mask-wearing is mandated in California, and in many counties masks are near-universal in public spaces. So I have started wondering: Does wearing a mask change our social behavior and our emotional inclinations? And if mask-wearing does indeed change the fabric of our interactions, is that one reason why the masks are not more popular in the U.S.?

When no one can see our countenances, we may behave differently. One study found that children wearing Halloween masks were more likely to break the rules and take more candy. The anonymity conferred by masks may be making it easier for protesters to knock down so many statues.

And indeed, people have long used masks to achieve a kind of plausible deniability. At carnival festivities around the world people wear masks, and this seems to encourage greater revelry, drunkenness and lewd behavior, traits also associated with masked balls. The mask creates another persona. You can act a little more outrageously, knowing that your town or village, a few days later, will regard that as a different you.

Read more:
OPINION EXCHANGE | Why Americans are having an emotional reaction to masks - Minneapolis Star Tribune

I dont watch a lot of basketball. If Im a fan of any team, its the Indiana Pacers. I watched them all the time when Reggie Miller was at his peak and I was dumb enough to believe they ever had a real shot at winning a championship. Now I just watch the playoffs and finals. I dont even know 90% of the players in the league anymore, I just like big sports spectacles with stakes and tension.

The absolute grossest thing about watching the NBAs television product right now is the jersey ads. I didnt even know it was a thing that happened until I turned on a playoff game a few years ago and all of a sudden the Cleveland Cavaliers had a Goodyear logo on their chest. The Pacers were among the very last to adopt a corporate sponsor of their jersey, but they eventually slapped on a big ugly Motorola logo.

Thereve been talks for a while now about the MLB doing something similar and turning their jersey sleeves into sellable ad-space. Despite how much baseballs cultural relevancy has declined, the idea of ancient teams like the Yankees, Cubs, or Reds sporting a fat RAGU CHUNKY SAUCE logo is just obscene.

There hasnt really been anything tangible pointing to the NFL doing jersey ads, but if basketball has already done it and baseball is planning and hoping for it, you can safely assume its on footballs mind.

The NFLs reach is so massive. Its viewership so entirely eclipses all other sports in America that selling ad-space on jerseys would be the most visible (and, for the advertiser, expensive) incarnation of the jersey ad in the country. Football teams covering uniforms in ads wouldnt feel quite as nothing is sacred as if and when baseball does it, but it would be one of the most blatant expressions of greed in sports history.

When the NBA started making their players living, breathing, dribbling commercials, it was under the guise of the companies that pay for the privilege of helping to elevate the leagues and individual teams brands. This is obviously not reality. Based on my painstaking research method of living in Indiana, Ive determined Motorolas Pacers partnership has added a grand total of zero new Pacers fans.

The ads arent even aesthetically nice. They couldnt make them blend more seamlessly because then people might not notice them. Instead, you end up with trashy messes like the Thunder with a bright yellow and red Loves Travel Stops logo.

There isnt a corporate jersey sponsorship that would significantly increase the NFLs permeation of American culture. It feels like were already at critical mass there. So making Patrick Mahomes a literal billboard would be a cynical money-move with legitimately zero benefit for fans. Yet, it feels inevitable that at some point during the Chiefs upcoming 10 consecutive championships well be watching them hold up the Lombardi with everyones last names replaced with CHEEZ-IT SNAPD.

Sports is ultimately a business, and money means more to these leagues than anything. I get that. I wont even get that annoyed if and when the NFL tarps off the lower sections of stadiums and replaces seats with advertising signage. Id rather not be inundated with even more corporate logos during football games, but it somehow feels slightly less unappealing than watching games played in front of empty seats.

But the alternative to having ads on uniforms is to just not have ads on uniforms. Which is ultimately what makes the NBA already doing it and the MLB wanting to do it so gross. These arent leagues that need those ads to survive. So theyre selling space on their players bodies for no reason other than money-worship.

Hopefully the NFL has had a rare moment of self-awareness and realizes the money-grubbing image of selling jersey ads isnt worth the extra cash theyd bring in. But its difficult to imagine the NFL ever being self-aware, so thats probably a doomed hope.

When I was a kid and played Babe Ruth League baseball, our league functioned on the company-sponsored teams model. I didnt play for the Tigers or Bears, I played for McDonalds, Lynch Construction, and Pizza King. Granted, that was Babe Ruth League and not a professional enterprise, but it is an example of when jersey ads are not only palatable but ultimately beneficial.

McDonalds was the exception in my towns Babe Ruth League. Most of the teams were sponsored by local businesses or small local chains. Any funding they provided went into the league itself and the players and their families got discounts or free food from the business that sponsored their team. A pretty even exchange that had some benefit for everyone involved.

If you expand that concept from youth leagues to the pros, the smaller semi-pro and pro leagues that dont have nearly the exposure of the NBA, MLB, NFL, etc. can actually use the money they get from selling jersey ads. It still feels a little gross to see it on TV, but the players feel a bit less like living NASCAR stock cars when theyre not playing in a multi-billion dollar league.

Ads arent fun. Thats all this really comes down to. Ads arent fun, and putting them on a human when you already basically have infinite money tiptoes on the borderline of evil. Its that particular brand of capitalistic evil that weve been so drunk on for so long we think its normal.

It wont make me stop watching, but I will feel really slimy and rotten when I see Mahomes execute his first no-look pass wearing a glowing, digital neon visor sponsored by BAR HARBOR CLAM JUICE.

View post:
The Unnecessary Grossness of the Jersey Ad - Chiefs Digest

DUBLIN, July 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Diabetes Care Devices Market by Type (SMBG, CGMS, Lancets, Insulin Pumps, Insulin Pens, Insulin Syringes, Mobile Apps), Patient Care Settings (Hospitals & Specialty Clinics, Self & Home Care), and Country (Brazil, Russia, India, China) - Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The diabetes care devices (BRIC) market size is projected to reach USD 4.3 billion by 2025 from USD 1.7 billion in 2020, at a CAGR of 16.2% during the forecast period.

The growth in this market is primarily attributed to the sharp increase in diabetes, increasing awareness of diabetes management due to the rising number of diabetes awareness campaigns and screening camps, favorable national health strategies, and government-led endorsement of medical devices.

By type, under the insulin delivery devices segment, insulin pens to hold the largest share during the forecast period

Within the type category, the diabetes care devices (BRIC) market has been segmented into blood glucose monitoring systems, insulin delivery devices, and diabetes management mobile applications. Within the insulin delivery devices segment, insulin pens held the largest share in the market. The increasing affordability of insulin pens, convenience, ease-of-use, and technological advancements in these devices that promote integrated diabetes management support the growth of this segment.

By end-user, the self/ home healthcare segment is expected to grow at a higher rate during the forecast period (2020-2025)

Based on end-user, the diabetes care devices (BRIC) market has been segmented into hospital & specialty clinics and self/home healthcare. The self/home healthcare segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR due to the increasing awareness of self-management of diabetes, increasing portability of diabetes care devices, and technological innovations that provide real-time insights for patients and healthcare providers for decision-making regarding diabetes control and treatment planning.

India is projected to grow at the highest CAGR

China is expected to account for the largest share of the diabetes care devices (BRIC) market in 2019. The large share of this region can primarily be attributed to the sharp increase in the diabetic population in the past decade and endorsements of medical devices by the government. On the other hand, India is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to the increasing government investment in the medical devices industry, high prevalence of type 1 and gestational diabetes cases, and increasing diabetes awareness creation through campaigns and screening camps.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights 4.1 Diabetes Care Devices Market Overview 4.2 Diabetes Care Devices (Bric) Market: Geographic Growth Opportunities 4.3 Diabetes Care Devices (Bric) Market: Country Mix (2020-2025)

5 Industry Insights 5.1 Industry Trends 5.1.1 Growing Demand for Hybrid Closed-Loop Systems/Artificial Pancreas Device Systems 5.1.2 Smart Glucose Meters Enable Integrated Diabetes Management Solutions 5.1.3 Smart Insulin Pen Synchronization with Glucose Monitoring Systems Promotes Diabetes Data Sharing 5.1.4 Innovative Insulin Delivery Systems 5.2 Regulatory Analysis 5.2.1 China 5.2.2 India 5.2.3 Brazil 5.2.4 Russia 5.3 Covid-19 Impact on the Diabetes Care Devices (Bric) Market

6 Diabetes Care Devices Market, by Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems 6.2.1 Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems 6.2.1.1 Technological Innovations to Drive the Growth of Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems 6.2.2 Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems 6.2.2.1 Increasing Collaborations, Partnerships, and Agreements Between Companies to Develop Integrated Cgm Systems to Drive the Growth of This Market 6.2.3 Test Strips/Test Papers 6.2.3.1 Shift Toward Non-Invasive Methods for Blood Glucose Monitoring to Restrain the Growth of This Market during the Forecast Period 6.2.4 Lancets/Lancing Devices 6.2.4.1 Rising Focus to Reduce the Chances of Infection and Accidental Pricking to Increase the Popularity of Safety Lancets during the Forecast Period 6.3 Insulin Delivery Devices 6.3.1 Insulin Pumps 6.3.1.1 Insulin Pumps Integrated with Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems Offer the Benefits of Data Integration and Diabetes Management 6.3.2 Insulin Pens 6.3.2.1 the Convenience of Use of Insulin Pens and Increasing Affordability could Drive the Growth of This Segment during the Forecast Period 6.3.3 Insulin Syringes and Needles 6.3.3.1 Safety Concerns and Increasing Awareness of Affordable Alternatives in the Market could Restrain the Growth of This Segment during the Forecast Period 6.4 Diabetes Management Mobile Applications 6.4.1 Growing Adoption of Blood Glucose Tracking Apps and Increasing Awareness of Diabetes Among Patients to Drive Market Growth

7 Diabetes Care Devices Market, by Patient Care Settings 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Self/Home Healthcare 7.2.1 Increasing Affordability of Self-Monitoring Systems and Insulin Delivery Devices Has Fueled the Preference for Self/Home Healthcare 7.3 Hospitals & Diabetes Specialty Clinics 7.3.1 Rising Demand for Poc Testing in Hospitals Boosts the Market Growth

8 Diabetes Care Devices Market in BRIC Countries 8.1 Introduction 8.2 China: Diabetes Care Devices Market 8.2.1 Introduction 8.2.2 Market Drivers 8.2.2.1 Sharp Increase in Diabetes in the Past Decade 8.2.2.2 Favorable National Health Strategies 8.2.2.3 Government-Led Endorsement of the Medical Device Industry 8.2.3 Market Restraints 8.2.3.1 Traditional Chinese Medicine As an Alternative 8.2.3.2 High Cost of Advanced Diabetes Management Devices 8.2.4 Market Opportunities 8.2.4.1 Significant Advancements and Leveraging of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data 8.2.5 Market Challenges 8.2.5.1 Lack of Adherence of Patients to Recommended Diabetes Treatment Guidelines 8.3 India: Diabetes Care Devices Market 8.3.1 Introduction 8.3.2 Market Drivers 8.3.2.1 High Prevalence of Diabetes 8.3.2.2 Government's Make in India Campaign to Encourage Local Manufacturing of Medical Devices 8.3.2.3 Diabetes Awareness Campaigns and Screening Camps 8.3.3 Market Restraints 8.3.3.1 Lack of Accessibility to Healthcare 8.3.3.2 Inadequate Health Insurance Coverage 8.3.4 Market Opportunities 8.3.4.1 Rising Adoption of Mhealth 8.3.5 Market Challenges 8.3.5.1 Shortage of Healthcare Professionals in Diabetes Management 8.4 Brazil: Diabetes Care Devices Market 8.4.1 Introduction 8.4.2 Market Drivers 8.4.2.1 High Prevalence of Diabetes 8.4.2.2 Favorable Government Policies 8.4.3 Market Restraints 8.4.3.1 Lack of Awareness of Diabetes Care 8.4.3.2 High Prices of Advanced Diabetes Care Devices 8.4.4 Market Opportunities 8.4.4.1 Increasing Penetration of Smartphones and Rising Focus on Digital Health to Drive the Growth of Diabetes Management Platforms and Diabetes Management Mobile Applications 8.4.5 Market Challenges 8.4.5.1 Strict Regulatory Guidelines and Regulatory Process for Medical Devices 8.5 Russia: Diabetes Care Devices Market 8.5.1 Introduction 8.5.2 Market Drivers 8.5.2.1 Rising Elderly Population 8.5.2.2 Increasing Rate of Obesity 8.5.3 Market Restraints 8.5.3.1 Large Number of Undiagnosed Diabetics 8.5.4 Market Opportunities 8.5.4.1 Government Spending on Healthcare 8.5.4.2 Rising Investment of Pharma Market Players to Establish Local Manufacturing Plants 8.5.5 Market Challenges 8.5.5.1 Low Adoption of Glucose Monitoring Systems

9 Competitive Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Product Benchmarking 9.3 Geographic Reach of the Top Market Players (2019) 9.4 R&D Expenditure: Key Players in the Diabetes Care Devices (Bric) Market 9.5 Market Share Analysis 9.5.1 Brazil: Diabetes Care Devices Market Share Analysis 9.5.2 Russia: Diabetes Care Devices Market Share Analysis 9.5.3 India: Diabetes Care Devices Market Share Analysis 9.5.4 China: Diabetes Care Devices Market Share Analysis 9.6 Competitive Situation and Trends 9.6.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements 9.6.2 Product Approvals, Launches, and Upgrades

10 Company Profiles 10.1 F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. 10.2 Abbott 10.3 Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings Ag 10.4 Dexcom, Inc. 10.5 Medtronic Plc 10.6 B. Braun Melsungen Ag 10.7 Becton, Dickinson and Company 10.8 Acon Laboratories, Inc. 10.9 Arkray, Inc. 10.10 Sanofi 10.11 Novo Nordisk A/S 10.12 Terumo Corporation 10.13 Ypsomed 10.14 Sinocare, Inc. 10.15 Agamatrix Holdings Llc 10.16 Lifescan 10.17 Sd Biosensor, Inc. 10.18 Microgene Diagnostic Systems Pvt. Ltd. 10.19 Dr. Morepen 10.20 Bionime Corporation 10.21 Rossmax International Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tbnrlb

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [emailprotected]

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Excerpt from:
$4.3 Billion BRIC Diabetes Care Devices Industry to 2025 - India is Projected to Grow at the Highest CAGR - PRNewswire

'The Order' is perfect pandemic escapism

Dan Gentile

June 29, 2020Updated: June 29, 2020 4a.m.

Despite the thousands of adults who self-identify as Hufflepuffs, Harry Potter is still undeniably a story written for children. As an aging fan of the series, I understand the nostalgia, but today's hellscape makes it hard to look back on the adventures of some wand-fizzling pre-teens and feel the same sense of dread at a villain whose name isn't spoken aloud. That said, magic is still tight. There's nothing more appealing right now than pure escapism, but given the assault of bad news staring up at me from my phone, keeping my attention requires a show that's a little bit ... savage. Let me introduce you to that series, which is currently blazing up Netflix's top 10 charts: "The Order."

RELATED: How HBO Max's new Anna Kendrick rom-com could revolutionize streaming

Read the original:
This chart-topping Netflix show is like an R-rated Harry Potter - SFGate

Moments in golfs recent history have taken important steps toward making the game more inclusive of the LGBTQ community. Two examples: TPC Harding Park hosting the inaugural Pride Open, organized by Greg Fitzgerald, the first out, gay male PGA teaching pro, and the USGA raising Pride flags at its headquarters in June and sharing an image of the flags on the organizations social-media account. To help make you and your course more welcoming, we asked the advice of leaders in the LGBTQ golf community. One of the most encouraging aspects of this education was finding that big change can start with small, deliberate efforts.

Train employees on inclusive terms and language

As a golf club, its important to educate your staff members, to make sure they know to be inclusive and nonjudgmental, says LPGA Tour pro Mel Reid. Educating and communicating with their members is another big thing.

Part of that education is in how players are greeted when they arrive at a course. For example, asking a woman if shes going to be playing with her husband when she arrives at a course reveals the assumption that she is straight. Simple substitutions, like using the word partner instead of husband or wife, can make a big difference.

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You dont know that these really subtle things that you say can make a person feel not safe, or make them feel like they dont belong, says Molly Gallatin, Senior Director of Brand and Content Strategy at the PGA of America. Just like you dont want to assume someones playing ability when they enter a golf course, you dont also want to assume what their lifestyle is.

Put a Pride symbol at your course

Fitzgerald talked about this idea with us first at the Pride Open in 2019, and we spoke about it again for this story. The LGBTQ community is finally feeling accepted in the golf industry, getting out and about and playing and practicing, Fitzgerald says. Whats really helping is feeling accepted and seeing theres some show of invitation or acceptance from golf courses, public or privatethings like a little sticker in the window or a Pride flag on their websites do wonders to make LGBTQ golfers feel welcome. Well be active and looking for those symbols at golf facilities.

Every leader in the LGBTQ golf community we spoke to for this story agreed that this is a critical step to welcoming LGBTQ golfers to a course.

It signifies safety to a lot of queer folks, says former Symetra Tour player Maya Reddy.

Courses could even have employees show a sign of support for Pride, says Tisha Alyn Abrea, a pro golfer and trick-shot artist whom you might have seen on Instagram. If I saw something so small, like the guy at the front desk rocking a little rainbow ribbon on his hat, I would immediately know, being part of the LGBTQ community, that makes me feel so much better, Alyn says. Id feel much more comfortable to say, My girlfriend and I would love to play a round today, or hold her hand, just be a more comfortable environment.

Pride stickers are available at thewelcomingproject.org.

Make your course known to the LGBTQ community

Gallatin says that listing your course online with a local LGBTQ community center is a good way to let LGBTQ golfers know they are welcome.

If someone, lets say, in the LGBTQ community is looking to play next weekend with some friends, and theyre wondering to themselves, theres that fear in the back of their heads, Is this a safe space? Is this a course where were going to catch some flack? Gallatin says. There are little things you can do as a businessyou can engage ahead of time with an LGBTQ community center in your area. Theyre easy to find, and typically they have lists of business that support and are LGBTQ-friendly. When I moved, that was the first thing I looked up. Get your business listed.

Increase self-awareness in interactions with playing partners

Tour pro Tadd Fujikawa says that not all homophobic comments are obvious to people, and sometimes not even intentional. But he says golfers need to become aware that things said, even if intended in jest, can have detrimental effects on players around you.

Most of the time when homophobic remarks are made, theyre not really directed at a person, its maybe even directed at themselves, Fujikawa says. It can be very triggering. Its something we need to be aware of. Just a small comment, saying something jokingly, you dont realize how hurtful that can be to someone. You hit a bad tee shot or hit a short tee shot and say, That was so gay. They can feel totally excluded from the sport.

Make an evening at your course open to all golfers

Lots of courses have a mens night and a womens night. Fujikawa and Gallatin suggest creating space for LGBTQ golfers by having a night where all golfers are welcome.

Courses could acknowledge an LGBTQ day, where obviously everyone is welcome regardless of race, gender, sexual preference, etc., Fujikawa says. You could get the message out that way and totally welcome everybody regardless of who they are and really just bring everyone together as one.

Gallatin agrees, adding that you could call it New Player league, or do an All Families Welcome league.

Dont just celebrate LGBTQ golfers during Pride Month

As it stands right now, when athletes of marginalized identities are included in the conversation, its in response to a social movement, to a certain holiday, to a tragic event that may have happened, Reddy says. And while, yes, its good to speak out around those times, it does send the message that athletes of marginalized identities are only valuable in specific moments and not the entire year.

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How you and your course can be more welcoming to the LGBTQ golf community - Golf Digest

Australians are inclined to wonder whether there is real understanding in the United States of the requirements imposed upon America by its world leadership, wrote historian Gordon Greenwood in Foreign Affairs magazine in July 1957.

At times there has been a tendency in the United States to assume that the essential function of an ally is to accept unquestioningly the American outlook and the American political tactic.

These words could have been written today. Australians are yet again left wondering about the wisdom and self-awareness of American leadership as the US stumbles in the face of public health crisis, prosecutes a trade war with the country that is most of the worlds largest trading partner, and sanctions International Criminal Court officials investigating alleged US and allied war crimes.

The 2020 Lowy Institute Poll, released today, finds Australians feeling unsafe, pessimistic about the economy and anxious about ties with China. These fears may have led to a bump in support for the alliance with the US: 78% of Australians say the alliance is very or fairly important for Australias security, an increase of six points from 2019.

But on almost every other measure trust, warmth and confidence towards our American friends Australian attitudes are at a low point. President Donald Trump remains unpopular with most Australians, with only one in three expressing confidence in him. The only world leaders who are ranked below Trump are Chinas Xi Jinping and North Koreas Kim Jong-un.

Australians are generally supportive of Trumps efforts to reach out to North Korea and build closer ties with Russias Vladimir Putin, but three-quarters disapprove of Trumps America first policies. Criticising the defence spending of allies, withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and leaving the Paris climate accord all register very poorly with Australians.

Many more Australians aged 1829 years old have confidence in Xi Jinping (30%) than those that have confidence in Donald Trump (18%).

The Australia-US relationship has been under strain before. Many of the shifts in Australian public opinion today were evident in the mid-to-late 2000s. Then, too, Australians were disillusioned with the US and the war on terror, anxious about the climate, deep in a financial crisis. Those sentiments also dissipated with time. And Australias alliance has survived many of these rifts even the Richard Nixon years, when Australias then prime minister Gough Whitlam opposed nuclear weapons and wanted Australia to become non-aligned.

In 2020, warmth towards the US is at the same levels as in 2006. But trust has dropped even lower than that period to record lows only 51% of Australians trust the US to act responsibly in the world. This is more than 30 points below the trust that Australians expressed during the administration of President Barack Obama.

The youngest Australians polled, aged 1829 years, are particularly sceptical of the US. Only a quarter of this generation say Australias alliance with the US is very important for the countrys security, a view held by 57% of Australians over 60. And many Gen Z and Millennial Australians hold equivalent levels of trust in China and the US.

Many more Australians aged 1829 years old have confidence in Xi Jinping (30%) than those that have confidence in Donald Trump (18%).

When asked to choose the more important relationship to Australia, 54% of 1829 year old Australians say China, compared with 30% of Australians over 60. And seemingly more pragmatic, the majority of Gen Z (52%) would allow Chinese companies to supply technology for critical infrastructure in Australia, only a third of those over 45 would do the same. Half of the Boomer generation see foreign interference in Australian politics as a critical threat, compared with 28% of 1829 year old Australians.

Older Australians, who remember life in the Cold War, view China in a particularly threatening light, and seem less disillusioned with the US. The Lowy Poll shows that Australians trust in China is in free fall, and almost all Australians (94%) want to find other markets to reduce economic dependence on China. But the majority of young Australians (54%) say China is the most important relationship to Australia. By contrast, 64% of Australians over 60 say that the US is the most important relationship.

In some ways, much like the fluctuating warmth towards the US, these divides are not new. Unlike American views of foreign policy that are divided between left and right, the generational divide in Australia has been clear in the past on climate change and immigration, and now on great-power competition.

This years Lowy Poll was fielded in March well before the US descended into the depths of a public health crisis. Later polling in April revealed that all Australians were disappointed in the US response: only one in ten Australians said the US had handled the Covid-19 outbreak well, compared with 31% saying China handled it well, and 92% saying Australia handled it well.

Many Australians have been betting on Donald Trump and America first as an aberration that will be rectified at the ballot box. The past few months of pandemic and police brutality have shaken that core belief, particularly for young Australians. The reliability of Australiasgreat and powerful friend has long been a question, but it looms larger in 2020.

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Generation why? Younger Australians wary of United States - The Interpreter

If the current state of the world has you scared, angry or sad, Icant help. But if youre bored and its hard to imagine that boredom is not one mixer in the cocktail of anxieties during isolated lockdown Ican recommend an eerily timely new book, Out of My Skull.

With nary a dull sentence (Harvard University Press editors must have checked diligently to ensure that the authors avoided the most obvious of sand traps here), psychology professors James Danckert and John D. Eastwood trace the facets of a seemingly nebulous and trivial condition, pointing to methods of transcending the titular phenomenon. In this boring season, it feels meta to think about boredom and, paradoxically, not at all monotonous (just as reading about food is not fattening and watching sports does not improve physical health).

Boredom is a wake-up call, a message from your psyche telling you to do something different or just do something. But its not as easy as exhorting someone (or yourself) simply to snap out of it, the writers caution: We would not tell someone who is drowning and unable to swim to simply swim to shore.

Not in itself dangerous, boredom can trigger unhealthy consequences such as depression and anxiety, poor self-esteem, risky choices and a lack of purpose. Trying to escape it, we may fall into a rabbit-hole (internet addiction, excessive gaming, television bingeing), which masks but does not cure the predicament. The trick is to embrace boredom and use it motivationally: make lemonade out of your lemony mood by finding an activity that provides some kind of growth, re-engagement.

In crisp, jargon-free prose calculated to stave off any whiff of ennui amodel of academic crossover writing Danckert and Eastwood explain that when boredom makes us sluggish or restless, we should pay attention to it and understand it. Being bored is quite fascinating and maybe, just maybe, it might even be helpful. We require asense of agency, since When this need is fulfilled, we flourish. When this need is thwarted, we feel bored, disengaged. A call to action, boredom forces you to ask a consequential question: What should Ido?

The book defines boredom in myriad ways. To be bored is to be painfully stuck in the here and now, bereft of any capacity for self determination, the authors explain. It is alack of meaning, a state of disconnection, a time when our mental capacities, our skills and talents, lay idle, our mental capacity under-utilised, accentuated by deficient attention or abreak in the flow of thought. Four telltale signs time dragging on; struggling to concentrate; activities feeling pointless; and lethargy produce the uncomfortable feeling of wanting, but being unable, to engage in satisfying activity.

Psychological studies show that bored people, seeking relief, may be prone to self-harm, drug or alcohol misuse, problem eating and impulsivity. Boredom predicts problematic smartphone use, according to one study: The more bored you are, the more likely your attachment to your phone will be unhealthy and, instead of alleviating boredom, it will likely make things worse in the long run.

At the extreme, violent and psychopathic behaviour may erupt: a German nurse suspected of murdering a hundred people claimed he killed to alleviate boredom. In a study of Danish prison inmates, many reported that boredom and the desire to seek stimulation had landed them in trouble.

Some studies report positive consequences: people may be more philanthropically generous, to recover a sense of meaning that boredom occludes. (Perhaps that is why telethons tend to be so stultifying, the authors conjecture.) But boredom, stimulating a drive to affirm an attenuated sense of identity, may also provoke political extremism and tribalism. To sustain peace, Danckert and Eastwood write, people must be able to author their own lives and find meaning. Otherwise boredom will flourish and, in turn, give rise to a fascination with violence and the glorification of war. Boredom alone will not precipitate war, but it may set the stage: When bored, we cast about looking for something that will make us feel as though our lives have purpose. A peaceful society, conversely, provides plentiful sources of happiness and engagement.

The cultural history of boredom goes back to Seneca, who linked it to disgust: How long the same things? Surely Iwill yawn, Iwill sleep, Iwill eat, Iwill be thirsty, Iwill be cold, Iwill be hot. Is there no end?All things pass that they may return. Ido nothing new. Isee nothing new. Sometimes this makes me seasick [nauseous].

Charles Dickens gets credit for introducing the word boredom into English usage (in Bleak House, obviously). A smorgasbord of other terms and tropes include the German langeweile (literally, long while: interminably stretching time); in Middle English it was spleen, in Latin acedia (which became the sin of sloth, from slow), in Italian pococurante (caring little).

William James wrote of irremediable flatness; Sren Kierkegaard thought boredom was the root of all evil, as it rests upon the nothingness that winds its way through existence. Martin Heidegger describes a continuum from superficial boredom (such as waiting for a late train as time drags on) to profound boredom, which has no object or source. It is timeless and represents a kind of emptiness in which we get a terrifying view of reality. This existentialist morass, Danckert and Eastwood write, spotlights the crux of boredom: the sense that things lack meaning.

Humanists have generated a small but distinguished collection of monographs including Boredom: The Literary History of a State of Mind (1995), by University of Virginia English professor Patricia Meyer Spacks; University of Bergen philosopher Lars Svendsens APhilosophy of Boredom (2005); and Boredom: ALively History (2008), by University of Calgary classicist Peter Toohey. Out of My Skull extends this interdisciplinarity into psychology, although certainly Mihaly Csikszentmihalyis Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990), about happiness, positivity and fulfilling involvement with life, is an influential predecessor.

Indeed, the final chapter, Just go with the flow, uses a Csikszentmihalyian template to explain how we may surmount boredom by finding abalance between what the moment demands of us and our ability to skillfully meet those demands. We need a Goldilocks equilibrium just right so our experiences are not too simple nor too complex, either of which disgruntles. We must feel in control, with clear options and goals that encourage us to throw ourselves into the activity at hand; boredom-prone people are good at procrastinating, talking themselves out of embarking on things.

Our lives flow most effectively when we are focused, not distracted. If bored people are excessively self-aware and anxiously self-doubting, people in a state of flow may find that all awareness of the self dissipates and their experiences, even if they require skill and training, seem effortless. For a bored person, time plods on, but people in the flow feel liberated from time. Interest, curiosity, exploration, even just pleasantly quiet relaxation, all become possible, as they are not to the person suffering from boredom.

Randy Malamud is Regents professor of English at Georgia State University and the author of Email (2019) and Strange, Bright Crowds of Flowers: ACultural History (forthcoming).

Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom By James Danckert and John D. Eastwood Harvard University Press, 272pp, 22.95 ISBN 9780674984677 Published 26 June 2020

James Danckert, a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Waterloo, Canada, was born and grew up in Melbourne, Australia and studied literature and psychology at the University of Melbourne before going on to graduate work at LaTrobe University and then postdoctoral research at the University of Western Ontario.

John D. Eastwood, an associate professor in the department of psychology at York University, Canada, was born and raised in Toronto. After studying psychology at the University of Toronto, he went on to a PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Waterloo and now claims that having one foot in the clinical realm and another in the basic science of cognition shapes my academic career.

Asked what led them to the slightly improbable topic of boredom, Danckert says he feel[s] boredoms sting more than Iwould like and so want[s] to understandit, although adding that his brother sustained a head injury at the age of 19 and, during recovery, talked about being bored and hatingit, which led him to want to know more about how his brain had changed. Eastwood, meanwhile, was drawn to study the unengaged mind because of my curiosity about how the structure of thought impacts feeling, as well as observations of my patients who struggled with unremitting boredom.

As to ways of coping with boredom at a time of social distancing and other restrictions, Danckert suggests that if we can calm down and figure out what matters to us most, Ithink we can conquerit. Eastwood adds that we should focus on internal factors such as emotional avoidance that can thwart our agency from the inside and leave us bored. We have some control over internal causes of boredom, and self-determination is precisely whats at stake when stuck in boredom.

Matthew Reisz

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Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom, by James Danckert and John D. Eastwood - Times Higher Education (THE)