Monthly Archives: May 2022

Acne in College: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention – Healthline

Posted: May 17, 2022 at 6:54 pm

College is a time of many changes, including new classes, new friends, and new freedoms.

But you might also find some old things, like your high school acne, stubbornly sticking around.

Acne tends to be more common, and often more severe, during adolescence. Research suggests it tends to peak earlier for females, generally between the ages of 14 and 17. For males, acne tends to peak between the ages of 16 and 19.

But for many people, acne doesnt fully retreat until around age 25 and sometimes not even then. Evidence suggests around 64 percent of adults still have acne in their 20s, while about 43 percent continue to experience acne into their 30s.

If youre dealing with acne in college, youve more than likely had some pimples before. But your acne may seem more severe than you remember, or perhaps its made a sudden return after years of clear skin.

Trying to understand the mysteries of your college acne? In search of tips to help make it disappear? Read on for more details.

First, a refresher: Acne often happens when dirt and dead skin cells block pores in your skin. The blocked opening means your skins natural oil (sebum) has nowhere to go. As the oil builds up, it creates a great environment for the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes to thrive.

Your white blood cells quickly show up to shut down the party and duke it out with the bacteria. Their battle creates the pus and inflammation you know as a zit.

So, how does college contribute to all this? A few different ways, including:

One small but widely-cited 2003 study found university students tended to have more severe acne during stressful exam periods. The link between acne and stress remained strong even after controlling for how well the students slept and ate.

Stress alone doesnt create zits, but it can worsen your acne or prompt a new breakout. According to the study, stress can affect acne in three ways:

When you live with a roommate, it may seem easy or less expensive to share supplies. Maybe you:

But any of these can play a part in acne. Microbes, oil, and dead skin cells can easily transfer from shared products to skin, causing a new outbreak of pimples.

Keep in mind, too, that skin care products dont work the same way for everyone, so the brand your roommate swears by may not have the same beneficial effects for you especially if you have different skin types.

Although you may legally reach adulthood your 18th birthday, that benchmark means nothing to your body, which continues to grow and change.

Your hormones are also still figuring themselves out. One particular hormone, androgen, prompts your skin to produce more oil, making pores fill up quicker. High androgen levels can lead to inflamed acne thats hard to get rid of.

Estrogen, meanwhile, can reduce oil production and directly counter androgens effects. If you menstruate, you may notice acne breakouts right before starting your period the point in your cycle where estrogen levels fall and progesterone and androgen levels rise.

When you go to college, your food intake may change. You may have less time and space to cook for yourself. You might also find yourself taking advantage of your new freedom to opt for foods that werent around when you lived at home.

Experts continue to debate whether the food you eat has any influence on acne. Some research suggests eating a lot of certain foods, including chocolate and certain dairy products, may prompt breakouts.

Researchers dont entirely know why, but its possible that high fat and sugar levels in these foods may increase inflammation. Sugar can also cause your body to release insulin, which can, in turn, trigger the production of certain skin cells involved in acne.

Sure, knowing a little more about where your acne may have come from might be nice. But how do you make it leave?

The most effective acne remedies currently available include:

Topical medications can be a good first line of defense. These come in creams and gels you apply directly to your skin.

Common topical remedies include:

Oral acne medications might come in the form of a pill, capsule, or liquid. These medications may take longer to work than topical ones, but they can help address more severe breakouts when topical treatments arent effective.

A healthcare professional can prescribe short-term oral antibiotics like doxycycline (Monodox) or minocycline (Minocin). With these medications, youll often notice some improvement after about 12 weeks, give or take a few weeks. If you have severe acne, you may need to continue antibiotic treatment for up to 6 months.

Your care team will likely recommend using topical remedies alongside oral antibiotics. This combined approach to treating your acne can help reduce the amount of time you need to take an antibiotic.

You might wonder why you cant take an antibiotic for several months, if it gets rid of your acne.

Antibiotics dont just kill acne-causing bacteria. They can also kill helpful bacteria living in your gut. Whats more, taking an antibiotic for long periods of time can lead to antibiotic resistance, a serious public health threat.

In short, its important to follow your treatment plan. If you have any questions or concerns about a medication youre using, your care team can offer more guidance.

If you menstruate, you can also treat hormonal acne with birth control pills that release estrogen. Estrogen can convince your skin to pump out less oil and tamp down spikes of androgen hormones.

While research on alternative remedies acne remains limited, some existing evidence suggests encouraging results.

Other approaches that may help with acne include:

Once you get your current acne under control, you may wonder how to prevent future breakouts.

These tips can help you prevent pimples before they happen:

A balanced diet can benefit your mind, your body, and your skin.

More specifically, 2020 research suggests eating plenty of fruits and vegetables may reduce your chances of experiencing acne Thats because fruits and vegetables have lots of fiber, which can help prevent the spikes of insulin that may contribute to acne.

Fish might also offer some protection against acne breakouts, since the omega-3 fatty acids in fish may help lower inflammation along with helping prevent insulin spikes.

Get more nutrition tips to help reduce breakouts.

All-nighters may be a college tradition, but they dont do much for your skin. In fact, research has linked poor sleep and insomnia to increased acne.

A lack of sleep can increase your stress levels. Stress, in turn, can prompt the release of cortisol and other hormones that dont play nice with your skin.

Making a habit of getting at least 8 hours of sleep can help prevent those zits from popping up.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), skin care products like makeup and sunscreen can sometimes clog your pores.

If you have product-related acne, you might notice tiny bumps on your cheeks, chin, and forehead.

Switching to products labeled noncomedogenic can help. Noncomedogenic simply means products are less likely to clog your pores and lead to acne breakouts.

It can also help to make a habit of cleaning your makeup brushes and sponges every week. If someone does borrow your makeup tools, its a good idea to wash them before using them yourself.

Even with effective skin care and self-care routines, sometimes acne can be too much to handle on your own.

Persistent acne can also happen with other health conditions, including:

A dermatologist can help identify underlying skin conditions and prescribe medicine to help treat even severe acne. Connecting with a dermatologist may be a good next step if your acne:

Even with professional treatment, acne blemishes wont go away overnight. Still, its important to stick with your medication long enough to give it a chance to work.

If you dont notice results after a few months, ask your care team about trying another medication.

Although acne is a skin condition, it can also deeply affect mental and emotional well-being.

According to research from 2012, a significant percentage of people who visit a dermatologist for acne treatment experience acne-related emotional distress:

Many people blame themselves for their acne. You might, for example, think youre causing it by not washing your face often enough, or by using the wrong cleanser, towel, or acne remedy.

But in reality, acne is a medical condition often caused by underlying physical factors like high androgen levels or inflammation. So, you can have great hygiene and still get breakouts.

If youre finding it tough to cope with acne-related emotional distress, a therapist can offer more support.

Contrary to popular belief, acne doesnt necessarily vanish when you leave high school. In fact, acne can be particularly prevalent in college due to things like extra stress, lifestyle shifts, and hormonal changes.

When it comes to acne remedies, you have plenty of options, including lotions, pills, and even lasers. You can also take steps to prevent future acne by eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of sleep, and changing your skin care routine.

If you have severe or persistent acne, a dermatologist can offer professional support with sleuthing out acne triggers and exploring helpful treatments.

Emily Swaim is a freelance health writer and editor who specializes in psychology. She has a BA in English from Kenyon College and an MFA in writing from California College of the Arts. In 2021, she received her Board of Editors in Life Sciences (BELS) certification. You can find more of her work on GoodTherapy, Verywell, Investopedia, Vox, and Insider. Find her on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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UroGen Highlights New Data Presented at AUA that Adds to the Evidence Supporting In-Office Nephrostomy Tube Administration of JELMYTO, the only…

Posted: at 6:54 pm

NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UroGen Pharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: URGN), a biotech company dedicated to creating novel solutions that treat urothelial and specialty cancers, today highlights new data on real-world experience utilizing the antegrade approach via nephrostomy tube for administration of JELMYTO (mitomycin) for pyelocalyceal solution. This data adds to a growing body of evidence on the safety and efficacy profile of the antegrade method of administration for JELMYTO. These data were presented during a podium presentation at the 2022 American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.

JELMYTO is efficacious as a chemoablative agent in adult patients with low grade upper tract urothelial cancer, and while its FDA approved for both antegrade and retrograde administration, prior reports are limited to the retrograde experience, said Kyle Rose, MD, Urologic Oncology Fellow at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., and study investigator. These data provide additional evidence that instillation via a nephrostomy tube is an effective instillation method with a safety profile that offers an encouraging option to appropriate patients.

Dr. Rose presented the abstract Antegrade Administration of Reverse Thermal Mytomycin Gel for Primary Chemoablation of Upper Tract Carcinoma via Percutaneous Nephrostomy Tube: A Multi-Institutional Real-World Experience (Abstract PD58-06) during a podium presentation at the AUA annual meeting on Monday, May 16.

All 71 patients in the Phase 3 OLYMPUS trial utilized the retrograde approach to administer JELMYTO, therefore we are pleased to see real-world evidence that supports the utilization of the antegrade approach giving physicians and patients more options to administer JELMYTO based on their preference and experience, said Mark Schoenberg, MD, Chief Medical Officer, UroGen.

About This Study

The real-world data from this retrospective analysis was pooled from Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Twenty-six patients received nephrostomy tube administration of JELMYTO, six patients (23%) had solitary kidneys. Nine patients (35%) went on to receive at least one dose of maintenance therapy. Ureteral stenosis occurred in four patients (15%). Other adverse events included fatigue (27%), flank pain (19%), urinary tract infection (12%), sepsis (8%) and hematuria (8%). No patients had impaired renal function during follow-up and no deaths occurred.

Thirteen patients (50%) exhibited a complete response at post-induction ureteroscopy while 12 patients (46%) had a partial response. One patient experienced progression to invasive disease and required a nephroureterectomy. At a median follow-up of seven months (IQR 3-9) post-induction, no patients who experienced a complete response recurred.

The limitations of this study include the retrospective nature, small sample size, and pooled reporting of results. There is a need for larger studies with longer follow-up to study more conclusively any potential advantages of antegrade JELMYTO administration when compared to retrograde instillation.

About the Pivotal OLYMPUS Study

OLYMPUS (Optimized DeLiverY of Mitomycin for Primary UTUC Study) was an open-label, single-arm Phase 3 clinical study of UGN-101 JELMYTO (mitomycin) for pyelocalyceal solution, to evaluate the safety, tolerability and tumor ablative effect of JELMYTO in patients with low-grade Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer UTUC (LG UTUC). Seventy-one patients were treated at clinical sites across the United States and Israel. Study participants were treated with six weekly instillations of JELMYTO administered via a standard catheter. Four to six weeks following the last instillation, patients underwent a Primary Disease Evaluation (PDE) to determine Complete Response (CR), the primary endpoint of the study. PDE involved a ureteroscopy and wash cytology, a standard microscopic test of cells obtained from the urine to detect cancer and for cause biopsy. Patients who achieved a CR at the PDE timepoint were eligible for the maintenance phase of the trial, during which they could receive monthly maintenance instillations for up to 12 months and were assessed to determine the durability of response with JELMYTO.

In the OLYMPUS study, data was generated for the retrograde administration of JELMYTO. In that study population ureteric obstruction was reported in 58% (n=41) of patients receiving JELMYTO, including 17% (n=12) of patients who experienced Grade 3 obstruction.

About LG UTUC

LG UTUC is a rare disease managed by endoscopic methods and radical nephroureterectomy. Endoscopic resection and laser ablation attempt to preserve the kidney, though there is a high risk of recurrence that may eventually necessitate removal of the kidney. Although kidney removal is the gold standard for treatment of high-grade UTUC, it may be over-treatment in LG UTUC, as kidney removal offers similar five-year survival as kidney-sparing procedures but is associated with significant morbidity. JELMYTO is efficacious as a primary chemoablative therapy in patients with LG UTUC.

About JELMYTO

JELMYTO (mitomycin) for pyelocalyceal solution is a mitomycin-containing reverse thermal gel containing 4 mg mitomycin per mL gel indicated for primary chemoablative treatment of LG UTUC in adults. It is recommended for primary treatment of biopsy-proven LG UTUC in patients deemed appropriate candidates for renal-sparing therapy. JELMYTO is a viscous liquid when cooled and becomes a semi-solid gel at body temperature. The drug slowly dissolves over four to six hours after instillation and is removed from the urinary tract by normal urine flow and voiding. It is approved for administration in a retrograde manner via ureteral catheter or antegrade through nephrostomy tube. The delivery system allows the initial liquid to coat and conform to the upper urinary tract anatomy. The eventual semisolid gel allows for chemoablative therapy to remain in the collecting system for four to six hours without immediately being diluted or washed away by urine flow.

APPROVED USE FOR JELMYTO

JELMYTO is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a type of cancer of the lining of the upper urinary tract including the kidney called low-grade Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer (LG-UTUC).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

You should not receive JELMYTO if you have a hole or tear (perforation) of your bladder or upper urinary tract.

Before receiving JELMYTO, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

Females who are able to become pregnant: You should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with JELMYTO and for 6 months after the last dose.

Males being treated with JELMYTO: If you have a female partner who is able to become pregnant, you should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with JELMYTO and for 3 months after the last dose.

How will I receive JELMYTO?

After receiving JELMYTO:

JELMYTO may cause serious side effects, including:

The most common side effects of JELMYTO include: urinary tract infection, blood in your urine, side pain, nausea, trouble with urination, kidney problems, vomiting, tiredness, stomach (abdomen) pain.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1800FDA1088. You may also report side effects to UroGen Pharma at 1-855-987-6436.

Please see JELMYTO Full Prescribing Information, including the Patient Information, for additional information

About UroGen Pharma Ltd.

UroGen is a biotech company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative solutions that treat urothelial and specialty cancers because patients deserve better options.

UroGen has developed RTGel reverse-thermal hydrogel, a proprietary sustained release, hydrogel-based platform technology that has the potential to improve therapeutic profiles of existing drugs. UroGens sustained release technology is designed to enable longer exposure of the urinary tract tissue to medications, making local therapy a potentially more effective treatment option. UroGens first commercial product Jelmyto (mitomycin) for pyelocalyceal solution, and investigational treatment UGN-102 (mitomycin) for intravesical solution for patients with low-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, are designed to ablate tumors by non-surgical means. UroGen is headquartered in Princeton, NJ with operations in Israel. Visit http://www.urogen.com to learn more or follow us on Twitter, @UroGenPharma.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements regarding whether future studies could demonstrate any potential advantages of antegrade administration of JELMYTO as compared to retrograde instillation; optimism regarding the effectiveness of the antegrade approach; RTGels potential to improve the therapeutic profiles of existing drugs; and UroGens sustained release technology making local delivery potentially more effective as compared to other treatment options. These statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to: results from initial reports of the antegrade administration of JELMYTO may not be indicative of results that may be observed in the future; potential safety and other complications from the antegrade administration of JELMYTO; the timing and success of clinical trials and potential safety and other complications thereof; the ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval; the labelling for any approved product; the scope, progress and expansion of developing and commercializing UroGens product candidates; the size and growth of the market(s) therefor and the rate and degree of market acceptance thereof vis--vis alternative therapies. In light of these risks and uncertainties, and other risks and uncertainties that are described in the Risk Factors section of UroGens Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2022 and other filings that UroGen makes with the SEC from time to time (which are available at http://www.sec.gov), the events and circumstances discussed in such forward-looking statements may not occur, and UroGens actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied thereby. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to UroGen as of the date of this release.

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UroGen Highlights New Data Presented at AUA that Adds to the Evidence Supporting In-Office Nephrostomy Tube Administration of JELMYTO, the only...

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Motherhood isn’t contingent on a romantic relationship. So why do we still treat it that way? – WBUR News

Posted: at 6:52 pm

I cried for nearly a year after ending a serious relationship when I was 34. In retrospect, I wasnt mourning the loss of the relationship the emotional turmoil had become overwhelming, and lots of counseling hadnt been able to repair what was broken. My tears were largely about the baby I assumed Id eventually become pregnant with and the prospective family Id hinged upon the success of that partnership. It wasnt just a breakup for me, it was motherhood drifting further out of sight. Its predicament women face all the time.

The story of a precipitously declining fertility rate (in the U.S. and globally) is often told as one of women in couples marrying later, trying to conceive later, and having fewer babies, along with an increasing number of people choosing to be childfree. But alongside this reality, there is a different group who are less understood: Single women nearing the end of their childbearing years who say they want children but have not had them yet.

Many of these wanna-be mothers forgo parenthood (through decision or indecision) because they are not married or partnered, a situation academics sometimes refer to as social infertility. Research shows the factor most responsible for the increase in childlessness in the late 20th century is the increasing proportion of women who are not married by age 40.

This is the landscape I was navigating when at 35, I froze my eggs in a bid to buy a little more time to meet a future partner, and so that if I didnt, Id have a better chance of having a child on my own someday. As it turned out, I fell in love at 37, and at 40, we had a baby. But initially, I wasnt willing to put all my eggs in one basket (pun intended).

For years I navigated two different paths, preparing myself for a solo journey to motherhood while simultaneously dating someone I thought was very likely to become my long-term partner and my childs father. For me, thinking about becoming a solo mom involved some fear and mourning, but it also stirred a deep sense of relief to acknowledge that my desire for motherhood was not contingent on whether a relationship worked or not.

A study by Karen Benjamin Guzzo, director of the Center for Family and Demographic Research at Bowling Green State University, found that 42% of childless women between the ages 40 and 44 (in other words, the end of their childbearing years) wanted to have a baby. But if you compare the percentage of women who want a child with the percentage of women who actually intend to have a child, a more complicated picture emerges: Less than half of those who wanted to have a baby intended to have one. Although the study does not speculate why this gulf exists, the space between wanting and intending to have a baby is emotionally fraught terrain, littered with concerns about money, fertility issues and many hoped-for partners who never materialized.

Melanie Notkin is an expert on the emerging demographic of childless, single women, sometimes referred to as PANKS, Professional Aunts No Kids. She describes the group as consisting of child-loving, affluent women without children of their own by circumstance, choice or challenge. In a 2018 survey, she found that nearly half (49%) are childless by circumstance. Why? Most expect, hope or had expected to have a child but the majority remain single, or were single during their fertile years. Her report showed that 47% of partnerless PANKS would not consider single motherhood.

The fact that so many women hinge parenthood on something as mercurial as the promise of a lifelong romantic partnership makes some sense: Mainstream culture still pushes us toward a soulmate as a prerequisite to starting a family, and concerns about the potential loneliness of being a solo parent, and the ability to afford a child on one income are real. Life can be quite hard for solo moms, but it's important to remember that so much of that hardship is not inevitable, but rather, by design. Our culture encourages nuclear families and discourages single parenthood; its an ideological bias still enshrined in law and policy, and one that needs to be tackled head-on.

[T]hinking about becoming a solo mom involved some fear and mourning, but it also stirred a deep sense of relief ...

In other ways though, forgoing parenthood specifically because one does not want to be a single parent constitutes a logical fallacy. Being a single parent isnt necessarily a permanent identity, and many are single for a period of time, before romantically coupling and raising children together (often in blended families). Many single parents build networks of support and community to help care for their children that are even deeper and more robust than another parent could provide. Nevertheless, this personal calculus about prospective family life steers many single, wannabe parents away from trying, and causes a lot of existential angst, along with some profound sadness and deep regret.

While there is no easy answer for single women who want children but would prefer to have a partner first, we could begin by shifting focus from what we cannot ultimately control (finding a romantic partner) to what we typically can (conceiving a baby). Fertility, after all, has real time constraints, but finding a romantic partner does not. This should not be a radical provocation.

This concern helping women have children on their own might seem frivolous against the terrifying backdrop of a powerful forced-birth movement poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. But it's the flip side of the same coin. Both the right to end a pregnancy and to conceive a child on your own terms are issues of agency and self-determination, a spectrum of choices encompassed in a reproductive justice framework.

Plus, helping single women have the children they want is a good idea on a macro-level for those concerned with boosting fertility rates, but more importantly, for the well-being of wannabe parents, some of whom forgo parenthood entirely and others who have children within unhealthy and fragile partnerships out of fear of a missed opportunity. Helping these folks have more agency and fewer potential regrets seems at minimum like a humane response.

Some will respond to this suggestion with credulity, and worry about the welfare of children, but concerns about the well-being of children raised by single mothers tend to be deeply exaggerated. The overall conclusion of a meta-analysis of the data by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is that the causal effects of sole parenthood on child well-being, if it exists, is small thats the only conclusion to be asserted with confidence. A European study specifically comparing the well-being of children growing up in single-mother-by-choice and heterosexual two-parent families, meanwhile, found no differences in terms of the parent-child relationship or child development. It did find that single-mothers-by-choice had greater social support networks.

This should be the starting point for a new conversation that accounts for the reality of emergent demographic trends (i.e., declining fertility rates and increasing numbers of single, childless women), centers the well-being of children, and harnesses a cultural zeitgeist supporting families of all types.

Our culture encourages nuclear families and discourages single parenthood; its an ideological bias still enshrined in law and policy, and one that needs to be tackled head-on.

From a policy perspective, there are some obvious starting points. The high cost of reproductive technologies like IVF (and even IUI), which make dreams of motherhood prohibitive for so many, ought to be covered by insurance for all women, so that choosing to become a solo mom is no longer a privilege exclusively for the affluent. Where this coverage is available it is almost always indicated for treating infertility, but insurance has historically relied on a heteronormative definition of infertility, based on having heterosexual intercourse for some period of time that does not result in a pregnancy a definition that leaves out all single women (and LGBTQ couples). We need to be advocating for legislation that defines infertility in the most inclusive manner, along with having more public conversations about the rights of unpartnered adults to form families, which includes non-discriminatory access to fertility treatments.

We also need to pass the caregiving provisions of the stalled Build Back Better agenda, including reinstating the expanded Child Tax Credit, making historic investments in childcare to make it more affordable, universal free preschool for 3 and 4-year-olds and paid family and medical leave. These policies would help all families, but are particularly critical for single parents.

There are also a host of single-parent penalties within our policies that could use fixing. For example, the child tax credit had a lower phaseout for those filing as Head of Household (largely single parents), which is nonsensical when you consider that its purpose is to offset the costs of raising a child costs that are the same if not more for single parents who must secure childcare to work outside the home. Paid leave laws, admirably designed with a sex-neutral approach in order to encourage more fathers to take leave, have the unfortunate practical effect of disadvantaging children born to solo parents, because they are eligible for only half as much leave as two parent families. These parents are more likely to be working-class or poor and people of color.

Its time to let go of outdated and inaccurate ideas about how families should form

We should also take on housing policies, like single-family zoning laws, that make it harder for multiple families to share space and costs (something some single moms are already doing). Workplace culture, in general, must do much more to respect the boundaries of home life and employees caregiving realities. Something as simple as offering stipends to cover childcare whenever evening events or work travel is required would go a long way in helping solo moms.

This is not a comprehensive list of solutions, but rather a selection of examples to highlight all the obstacles women face when considering having children on their own.

Working toward a culture where everyone who wants to love, nurture and raise a child has the opportunity to do so is a worthy, admirable goal. It recognizes the inherent dignity of choosing to parent, and the right of adults to form the families of their choosing. It frees adults from romantic entanglements they might be wise to avoid by untethering having a child with finding a partner or co-parent. Its time to let go of outdated and inaccurate ideas about how families should form and create a culture and policy landscape that helps all women have the children they want.

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STEALTH is reinventing the way humans Learn, Work and Play. – Digital Journal

Posted: at 6:51 pm

STEALTH is building 1000 companies that are going to change the world forever.

STEALTH is aiming to reinvent the way we learn, work, and play and redesigning the constructs of a new society with a portfolio of companies in AI, VR, Media, Fashion, Wellness, CleanTech, EdTech, and a slew of complementary businesses for the new Metaverse.

Our companies have been voted Best, Top or Most Innovative and Featured in over 50 lists. Heres an introduction to a few of them.

HARD SHIVER is a publishing house that has released 6 books and 10 Albums.

Book Soundtracks are created using C3POE Audio. C3POE Immersive Audiobook Technology can turn any book into an audiobook. Not just any ordinary audiobook claims CEO Ali Sina, this is Immersive PoetryTheater of the Mind for a new age!

C3POE is not only disruptive, its lightning fast. Theyve completed 10 albums in 10 weeks with hopes to get the conversion time down to a few hours an album.

Protagonist Art is an NFT Art gallery with 3 exhibits and over 200 originally minted NFTs.

Olly Olly Oxen Free is a new era production company, creating content for the competing streaming platforms. With a pipeline of 100 projects in a multitude of different genres, Olly Olly functions as a content factory essential for any brand in a digital age.

Olly Olly has created 9 commercials and their first official release, RAGE is streaming on Youtube.

Protagonist Art and Olly Olly are collaborating to make the first ever NFT movie.

STARTUP X is a popular online Startup School. Short online courses teach everyday people how to launch their ideas and turn them into profitable enterprises. Startup X is gamified to keep you engaged with teaching techniques customized to help you better absorb the material. And its fast; made for the modern world.

This is the first school of a series of academies that the STEALTH team envision will supplant a crumbling, out-of-date and improbably expensive college education system. 5000 Students and counting.

Neon White is a modern design studio that captures, influences and fuses the culture of today with the products of tomorrow. Weve designed everything from album covers and movie posters to brand new tech and consumer products.

Forkaia is a one of a kind Work Experience platform that has helped thousands of college students gain work experience, get into grad school and land the jobs they want. The workplace is rapidly changing; remote work has emerged as the new norm. Forkaia has always believed that the Future of Education is Experiential and the Future of Work is Remote so they created a virtual, interactive learning platform that provides college students with a multi-faceted online working experience.

With limitless access to industry mentors, innovation labs, incubators, think tanks and technology to help students unlock their full potential; theres truly nothing that exists like Forkaia. They have collected over 1000 testimonials.

Rise Capital is a Bitcoin & Crypto Asset Investment Fund. Managed by Amadeus One, a built-in crypto Robo-Advisor, RC holds a cryptocurrency portfolio of various digital coins, NFTs and investments in a multitude of blockchain companies.

Round Z is a Robinhood for Startup Investing so you can make money before companies go public. With one dollar, you can invest in 100 startups.

Launchpad is a Talent Agency and Career Accelerator platform that helps college students launch their careers. Launchpad believes college students deserve better tools to assist them in their career journey. So they built a vast ecosystem of talent, tools and resources to help them prosper. Over 500 fellows have successfully landed jobs at Google, Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, LinkedIn, etc.

FASCIA is an AI research and Deployment company with a goal to advance digital intelligence to improve human existence and move humanity forward. Their mission is to crack the ASI code. They want to build an AI that can outperform humans at our most economically valuable work so people can free up their time to focus on new ways of finally moving the human race forward. FASCIA aims to solve planetary-scale problems in areas where humanity is failing and there is no obvious solution today. The FASCIA Teams research focus is on basic income, the future of work and education, building new cities, anthropogenic climate change, gene therapy, life extension, braincomputer interfaces and mind uploading. FASCIA believes what theyre working on will result in products and services that are hard to imagine today.

INSOLAR is making the world greener everyday with an innovative online solar adoption platform that makes buying solar simple and affordable. Their cost plus model is a hit; solar shoppers are seeing up to 50% savings. With cheaper and more accessible solar panels, more people can switch to sustainable energy alternatives. INSOLARs SaaS platform is also helping solar companies close more deals, faster and cheaper. Weve transacted well over 1000 successful residential and commercial solar installations and have 3000 reps on our platform.

mooVRoom (Cinema 4D) is the theater of the future with an aim to give moviegoers the ultimate cinematic experience. So you can enter a movie instead of just watching it.

Side Hustle is a Smartphone App for side money gigs. But the gigs are customized, and they come to you. No more browsing. There are currently 1500 freelancers on our platform.

STEALTH has also built a career accelerator that nurtures, trains, and manages a new type of talent the Business Athlete. BAM (Business Athlete Mode) is a health and wellness brand that doubles as a new kind of Athleisure Apparel company: Business Athletics.

We believe AI will transform everything so we are preparing people for these changes with BAM Talent, where the worlds greatest resources in a soon-to-be AI-driven world (young, talented human brains) will be trained, drafted, managed, compensated and placed (traded) where they may maximize the application of their skills for the betterment of humanity as a whole.

And PANDA is a Plug N Play Startup Platform that makes it easy for anyone to bring their ideas to market. So far weve helped 15 founders launch their businesses.

STEALTHs companies span across multiple sectors including TMT, EdTech, Clean Energy, NFTs, Crypto, health and fitness, BCI, VR, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Digital ecosystems, Future of work and education, new work paradigms, immersive learning; the teams at STEALTH like new ideas and pushing boundaries. They claim to have some of the most talented humans on the planet working on the most interesting, challenging and groundbreaking projects by breaking the limits of whats conventionally thought impossible.

So whos funding all of this? How much has Stealth raised from investors?

Zero, says STEALTH Founder and CEO Ali Sina, Ive invested my own savings. When asked about future fundraising plans Sina says, I dont think well need it. Our companies are doing well, if we need more money well just sell more products. Im a firm believer in bootstrapping because it forces companies to develop organically instead of synthetically juicing them up with cash so Im not a big fan of the current VC landscape. Were the only VC not only steroids. So were never in a rush.

STEALTH says theyre going to keep building companies whenever inspiration strikes.

STEALTH Founder and CEO Ali Sina says Artificial Intelligence will change the world more than electricity and the internet have, combined. He continues, Deep learning will learn to do everything humans can, thus transforming the workplace by automating a sweeping array of human activity. At STEALTH, were building companies that will reshape work and education to meet the nature, speed, and dynamics of these changes and rethinking the role and purpose of human workers in an age of informational abundance, process automation, and machine autonomy.

STEALTHs mission is to destroy the conventions, rules, and orders of the past that are no longer sustainable and make space for something new. We like using AI to improve life on this planet and make it more interesting. While Billionaires are racing to leave the planet Mr. Sina says, were building the future, here on Earth.

Media ContactCompany Name: STEALTHContact Person: Ali Sina (Founder and CEO of STEALTH)Email: Send EmailPhone: (310) 994-1511Country: United StatesWebsite: http://www.stealth1000.com

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12 Unhealthy Habits That Drain Your Mental Health & You Must Stop Now – ScoopWhoop

Posted: at 6:51 pm

Are you exhausted even on your free days? Is your mind perpetually tired? Do you prioritize your mental health enough? By asking about prioritizing mental health, I mean, does your day-to-day behavior project that you care about your mental health?

Sometimes it is not the world, but we are the ones who drain our own mental health. Perhaps, because of the amount of toxicity we absorb on an everyday basis, or maybe because we are trapped in the loop of our unhealthy habits.

If you're wondering how is this possible, here is the list of 12 unhealthy habits that drain your mental health. Stating the obvious but if you are doing this to yourself, please stop now for your own good.

How many times have you and your smartphone been in different rooms? The truth is that we hardly ever keep our smartphones away from us. We carry our cellphones everywhere. Some of us even carry them to the loo. Some even have the habit of unlocking and locking the phone every few minutes. Our dependency on our mobile phones is scary.

And if I speak of social media, there is so much toxicity out there that pollutes our minds every day. Somebody is uploading questionable content, somebody is spreading hate while somebody else is getting trolled. Social media is filled with meaningless posts and videos that grip you in this mad frenzy of scrolling online. You must know if you are that somebody who overuses their smartphone. And if you do, then it would be better to cut yourself some slack and take frequent breaks.

A fractured sleep cycle is another alarming sign that you are not taking your mental or physical health seriously. An exhausted body and a drained mind won't do you any good. Your to-do list will keep on piling up with unfinished tasks which are never going to be completed with efficiency. If you know how your body functions with dearth of sleep, then try giving your body what it wants for once. If you are wondering how to sleep, try keeping your phone away and closing your eyes. Even that would work. Just get the rest you deserve.

If you are an active couch potato relentlessly binging on Netflix without getting any air, you're risking your mental equilibrium. Being a couch potato is detrimental to both mental as well as physical health. You need to get some air, meet some people, and travel the world to rejuvenate your body and mind. Sitting in one place for hours will suffocate your thoughts and push you into a laid-back lifestyle. We honestly don't need it in our lives.

We know that we should not judge the book by its covers. Life on the outside and life on the inside is almost always opposite. Another point to note is that all of us function at our unique pace. So, somebody can be a millionaire at the age of 20. But, it does not mean we are any less. We need to stop comparing our lives with the life of others who come from different backgrounds and operate in different contexts.

Nothing in this world is perfect. Nobody is flawless. When we know this, then we need to stop obsessing over perfectionism. We need to stop holding ourselves accountable for every minor thing. We are all beautifully flawed. Also, it is only through mistakes that we learn. Why fret over something that is completely normal?

Our brains need a breather. Work-o-holism is not as cool in real life. It is unhealthy. A person needs family time, friends time, and me-time to navigate life. You cannot possibly be forcing yourself to sit behind the screens every day and expect yourself to have good mental health. When your working hours are over, just close the laptop and go out for a walk. You are paid for a certain amount of time. Stick to it and do not exhaust your minds every single day.

This one is a bummer. Get out of a toxic relationship. No amount of feelings or intimacy is worth a person who is perpetually toxic and radiating the same upon you. We have enough things to deal in our life than a partner who adds to our burdens.

All of us think about our past and why not. Our past is why we are here now. However, if your mind is constantly grappling with thoughts of could-haves and what-ifs of people and situations from the past and you forget to live in the present, you are draining yourself. Past is dead, it doesn't exist anymore. We cannot afford to live our life in hindsight. We need to let go.

Yes, we need to be there for our loved ones. But not at the cost of our own mental sanity. If you are surrounded by friends who are forever pessimists, and they project the same negativity upon you, get out. Friendships should not be parasitic. If we constantly overwhelm ourselves with the negativity of others, our own thoughts become self-deprecatory and self-destructive.

Our thoughts and emotions need an outlet for expression. Piling up emotions and then exploding one random day is not healthy for us. Feelings should be expressed and conveyed, if need be, to lighten up the head. Freewriting thoughts and emotions on a piece of paper has also proven to be very therapeutic. The idea is that burying feelings and suppressing emotions would induce stress and should not be done.

Sometimes, it's not them, it's us. We cannot blame others for our own plight always. At some point in time, we will have to become accountable to ourselves and bring change within to evolve for good. We must stop the blame game.

Nobody has seen the future. It is yet to come. The uncertainty of what is coming is indeed overwhelming, but we cannot afford to be preoccupied with the thoughts of something that may or may not happen. We need to understand that thoughts about the past and future will always try to tear us apart, but we cannot let the present dissolve.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious, please reach out to your family or seek professional help.

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Tips for travel and photography lovers with Sam Freij – Digital Journal

Posted: at 6:51 pm

Videography is the best partner for every adventure. Travel photography blogs and vlogs are great sources of inspiration. Both for travelling around the world and the photography that comes with it. They can provide useful tips and destination ideas as well. and here some tips for travel and photography lovers provided by the travel blogger Sam Freij.

Travel videography and photography are considered as basic element of travel blog. Travel bloggers from all over the world use to share some photos and videos which they capture during their travel. And thats how they relate to their blog! How it comes if those photos and videos are high quality ones, really worked on and taken by the best lenses ever!

Choosing equipment for shooting is another difficult task. If you ask the opinion of experts, which is thebest camera for video, you will get many options. After years in the market, and after trying out different tools and ways to take photos and videos while traveling, I prepared these tips to ease the work for you travel and photography lovers. Sam Freij.

Best current video and photo mobile phone

Its the iPhone 13 Pro due to its size and the three large cameras setup. The Pro camera system gets its biggest upgrade ever. With next-level hardware that captures so much more detail. Super intelligent software for new photo and filmmaking techniques. And a mind-blowingly fast chip that makes it all possible. Itll change the way you shoot.

It makes you utilize the sunlight to your advantage always test with several shots to understand how sunlight impacts your final content

Keep your camera lens clean, carry a mini microfiber lens wipe with at all times

When uploading connect to Instagram take your time to edit exposure, warmth, vibrancy and definition prior to upload

Go Instagram settings and allow or enable high quality uploads in order to capture higher post engagement

Explore DJI Gimbal a stabilizer for image that you can mount your iPhone on for major image enhancement connects to your iPhone via Bluetooth IOS app

DJI Gimbal is an amazing technology that was and still used in Hollywood film making.

Sam said once, Keep in mind, you do not have to invest into a super high dollar camera like Canon or Olympus in order to generate awesome content for social media.

Media ContactCompany Name: KOSAWADA AGENCYContact Person: Jinan FahesEmail: Send EmailPhone: 0097470715766Country: United StatesWebsite: http://www.kosawadapanel.com

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Travel Influencer Takes To TikTok After Being Charged $150 For Eggs And Fruit In Tulum Restaurant – Travel Noire

Posted: at 6:51 pm

POV: youre at breakfast, order an omelette and fruit and when the bill comes, you see its $150. Thats what happened to travel influencer Tania Loves on her recent trip to Tulum.

Tania took toTik Tok with a video of the meal, explaining that although her budget was $50, but she ended up spending $150 on a breakfast she thought was 150 pesos.

Ive been here for quite some time since 2020, and my experience has been whether Im entering a boutique or a local restaurant, all the prices are always in pesos, explained Tania.

She went on to say, But when we got inside this place, the menu wasnt uploading and they didnt have a physical copy. They pretty much described the breakfast to us, and were like oh itll be fruit and an omelette.

Drinks were not included in the breakfast, so Tania had to pay for those separately. She thought that since breakfast was only 150 pesos, coffee would most likely be another 55 pesos. That is, until her friend asked, Its pesos right, not US?

After going back and forth with the chef, the chef went to the owners and managers about people complaining. Tania said, So I guess we werent the only ones to experience this. So for me, it was the lack of transparency, I feel like if you know what the price will be, just announce it, and then let people make informed decisions.

She did share that the service was amazing, despite the price point. I dont mind paying but the value Im getting has to be worth itnot eggs and fruit.

So next time youre traveling, be sure to verify the price because those eggs and fruit just may be more costly than you think.

Related: Worlds Most Expensive Cities For Expats In 2020 Revealed

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People ask what happened to Jon Bon Jovis voice as Justin Hawkins issues warning – HITC – Football, Gaming, Movies, TV, Music

Posted: at 6:51 pm

American rock band Bon Jovi recently closed their 2022 tour and founder, frontman andsinger Jon Bon Jovis voice has sparked concern amongst fans as many notice some sort of change.

Videos shared from a recent concert appear to show the rock legend struggling to perform some of his biggest hits and numerous supporters worry that the star may have lost his voice, while others seem to think his vocals have stayed the same.

English musician and YouTube personalityJustin Hawkins voiced his opinion and issued a warning in a recent video posted online, suggesting that he should stop performing immediately.

Find out what exactly Hawkins had to say and explore various responses from social media users.

60-year-old Jon Bon Jovi has a legendary, classic rock voice but it seems as though his vocals have recently been receiving intense criticism and concern, especially following the bands recent US tour dates.

Bon Jovi has been touring across the American South throughout April and many fans have been uploading videos that show the lead singer seemingly struggling with his vocals.

A Justin Hawkins Rides Again YouTube video titled Whats Wrong With His Voice?! was uploaded on 3rd May 2022, in which the English singer gave his expert opinion on what is going on with Jon Bon Jovis voice.

Hawkins suggests that the singer is experiencing a temporary problem with his vocals, adding that it sounds like hes super tired and proposing the idea of therapy:

It sounds like something hes gonna need some therapy with actually talk to somebody and try and coax the performances back out.

The content creator clarifies that, in his opinion, the artists voice may not develop permanent damage:

It doesnt sound to me like theres damage in there. Im not a doctor but Ive experienced voice problems before. And to hold a note with it being off-key suggests some pitching issues that might be to do with hearing as well.

Hawkins described Jon Bon Jovi as a great singer, explaining that this sounds like something is eating away at him from the inside.

The YouTuber finalised his opinion-based video with the statement:

I feel like the people around him need to tell him to stop.

A fan named @Jennife39481653 recently replied to a tweet from Bon Jovi by expressing their concerns for the lead singer:

Hope Jon gets his voice and pitch back. Hope its nothing serious.

Another user named @Alaskan_Gypsy suggested that Jon Bon Jovis voice problems could be caused by his previous battle with covid-19:

With all the speculation regarding Jon @BonJovis voice, why has no one suggested that his long battle with covid-19 likely caused this. His tonal quality has completely changed. No doubt in my mind its the result of COVID-19.

On the other hand, a Twitter user named @Christo59932098 counteracted the concerns in their comment which advised the artist not to take any notice of the media about his voice:

They have to realise weve had a pandemic and you have not been able to tour. To me, your voice great as ever.

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In other news, Azealia Banks takes a jab at Lady Gaga in recent tweets

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DRiefcase integrates with WhatsApp to enhance user experience in storing personal healthcare records – The Financial Express

Posted: at 6:51 pm

National Health Authorty (NHA) approved DRiefcase has integrated with WhatsApp to enhance user experience in storing personal healthcare records (PHR). DRiefcase is Indias first Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) integrated health locker.

Being Indias first NHA approved PHR app, it helps users directly store personal medical records into their accounts by directly uploading them over WhatsApp.

ABDM is a digital framework that will connect patients, doctors and other healthcare stakeholders nationwide to facilitate safe and secure movement of health information.

Talking about this development, Sohit Kapoor, Founder at DRiefcase, We have always believed that any software platform cannot expect patients or doctors to adapt to their user journey. The user journey of the platform has to work the way they do and minimize disruptions for them. Keeping this conviction in mind, we have now enabled using WhatsApp as a method of uploading medical records onto our health locker

This integration will be instrumental in bridging the information gap that exists between patients and caregivers to facilitate safe and efficient flow of information. This will also facilitate flow of information to other stakeholders in the ecosystem, such as pharma companies, insurance companies and governments, all through an everyday app like WhatsApp.

DRiefcase can be a very resourceful platform for its users through the use of WhatsApp as Indians are comfortable using it to communicate with familiar medical professionals.

Being a a patient-centric platform, DRiefcase helps users manage their digital medical records for more than 5 years in a secured manner, gives access to PHR, empowers users to maintain and manage their family medical records online. It also ensures ease of upload and fast retrieval of records in a timely manner. DRiefcase helps scan all medical records including radiology reports such as X-rays and MRIs with the help of a pan-India team at the comfort of ones home.

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Management of Basiz Fund Services, speaks about their Fund administration Edge and the impact of digitalization – Deccan Herald

Posted: at 6:51 pm

The potential for GIFT IFSC in inbound investment into India, Outbound for the world and also what we called Missed Call investments a.k.a jurisdiction purely for servicing the fund.In conversation with CA Aditya Sesh, MD, Dr. Sujata Sesh, Director and CA Shabarish, VP, Basiz Fund Serviceswho speaks about their leadership in fund administration and the role of digital currency in emerging market in India.

Basiz is the market leader in fund administration; tell us more about how the sector has changed since Basiz's inception.CA.AdityaSesh:At the time we started operations in India , the concept of outsourcing fund administration and fund accounting work was still to catch on. I vividly remember that in the initial days when I went around to talk about our services and what good we could do for them, the response would generally be that all this work could be done by them in house and this would be easy for them to administer. Some of them also had concerns about data security despite the fact that we had advanced security systems to ensure data security right from the start. It took many years of explaining to clients that the gamut fund administration, fund accounting, investor services and the allied requirements like support with taxation in various geographies etc are far too complex and diverse for an AIF and the Fund Manager to focus on. Our plank then and now is that the Fund Manager must be left free to focus on evaluating the investment, adding value to the investment and exiting it with the single minded focus on ensuring a decent return to the investors. It may be beneficial to outsource activities which do not fall under the purview of core investment activity.What are your expectations for your newest branch in GIFT City in terms of business operations?CA Shabarish:We were one of the earliest off the block to actually have a presence in GIFT City, Gujarat. We have been evangelising the benefits of GIFT City to all our clients in various parts of the world and we see a fair bit of interest in the minds of the people to understand the benefits of GIFT City. The potential for GIFT IFSC in inbound investment into India, Outbound for the world and also what we called Missed Call investments a.k.a jurisdiction purely for servicing the fund. One of the most important benefits that GIFT City offers to potential funds and investors is that it is a clean jurisdiction, does not carry any FATF baggage and has a very pro-active team managing it. Our personal experience in dealing with the officers there has been very positive. Having said this, it is only a question of time before the jurisdiction becomes popular with fund managers and lawyers around the world.How do you see your industry being impacted by digital money as it gains traction throughout the world?Dr. Sujata: It is important to define what we mean by digital money. There is an entire ecosystem which transacts using digital money. The great benefits of digital money are that it is seamless, quick, enables fast transfers, is traceable (from a security standpoint) when routed through an appropriate secure system, and should ideally reduce transaction costs over a period of time. The biggest threats are cybersecurity and the risk of counterfeiting. The Reserve Bank of India is exploring whether we should go in for a CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency). This may not be very far away as blockchain technology has made great strides in the last few years. This may also help cross border transactions. In terms of the AIF Industry, it will be another mode of attracting investment and remittances which will be helpful. There are thoughts that the US, China and Japan are all in planning mode on rolling out a digital currency. It will achieve the desired traction once the guidelines are in place and people understand the security aspects. The recent directives by the Central Government to tax the capital gains on cryptocurrency shows that the Government is keeping an eagle eye on the usage of cryptos in India.

Where do you see digital currency going in the Indian market, and what policy steps do you anticipate the regulator taking?Dr. Sujata: Digital currency is in its nascent stage in India. It will get popular over a period of time and the Central Government is also aware of the positives and negatives of digital currency. In its simplest form, digital currency with reasonable level of controls will be useful to power the digital business push as also reduce transaction costs apart from reducing the need to store and transact with physical currency. As far as India is concerned, let us understand that when digital payments were introduced, we had many sceptics, including some who did not buy into this idea and were vocal about their opposition to this concept. I was reading a report recently which said that digital payments in India had grown by 33% in 2021-22 over 2020-21. In terms of volume of transactions, India effected 7422 crore digital payments in 2021-22 as compared to 5554 digital payments in the previous year. NPCI (UPI) alone recorded till February 2022 transactions of a value of Rs. 8.27 lakh crore. As businesses come back to normal post CoVid 19, it would be safe to expect that the only way digital will go is up. The regulator will continue and should continue to monitor this space carefully and will take all steps necessary to protect the interest of the user.How has the fund administration industry's operations changed as a result of digitalization?CA Shabarish: The AIF Industry has also needed to revamp its operations keeping in mind the increased level of digitalization going on. Hitherto, a substantial part of these activities consisted of physical transmission of documents, checking and uploading. We at Basiz have put all these items on to a digital onboarding process wherein a substantial part of these processes are completed through the online mode, including digital signatures. As we go ahead, I believe that digital will be the way forward as AIF Industry service providers try to strike an effective balance between the speed required by the industry with efficient checks and balances. Software development is driving this engine and as days go on, we will reach a level where with blockchain support, the entire ecosystem could be driven at one go.

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