A group of Dubai pupils have developed an app that uses artificial intelligence to administer a chemical through a skin patch to help people with alcohol addiction.
The app has already won international recognition and is expected to be displayed at the upcoming Cop28 climate change conference.
Sanah Joseph, Naina George and Aradhana Sivaraman, all Year 12 Indian pupils at Gems Wellington Academy in Silicon Oasis, created Rehabity, an app that uses a skin patch to monitor a person’s blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and drug capacity to determine if there is alcohol in their system.
When a person takes alcohol, their vital signs change which is detected by the sensors and the electrodes in the patch. If there are any spikes in the readings, such as in heart rate, then a small amount of antabuse, a chemical that causes a metallic taste in the mouth and nausea when combined with alcohol, is released.
If there is a significant amount of alcohol detected, the app will automatically make an emergency call to the nearest hospital.
On show at Cop28
The teenagers will present their prototype at Cop28. The project was one of only 10 around the globe to be awarded the Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior 2023, which is a global competition aimed at pupils aged between 13 and 18.
The competition is for pupils to develop an understanding and application of AI that can be used as a force for good.
The goal of the Rehabity project was to help people of all ages who wanted to recover from alcohol addiction, according to Ms George.
“People are not always able to go to rehabilitation centres due to a range of factors including finance and we wanted to create an app that allowed people to have the same effect but in the comfort of their own homes," Ms George said.
“Our application incorporates artificial intelligence, and there will be an emergency contact listed, so that in case of any emergency that contact will be alerted.
"We definitely do think it's [alcohol addiction] a prevalent issue which is why we wanted to expand on the idea."
Dangers of alcohol abuse
There are an estimated three million deaths around the globe each year that are directly linked to alcohol abuse, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation.
The same study said alcohol causes death and disability relatively early in life. In people aged between 20 and 39 years, approximately 13.5 per cent of total deaths are attributable to alcohol.
The harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions, the WHO said.
The group used aversion therapy to build alcohol abstinence by developing dislikes to the taste, smell and sight of alcohol.
This is accomplished by pairing alcohol with unpleasant symptoms, which are induced by a chemical agent.
The pupils said they hoped to expand the use of the application to other drugs in future but are focusing on alcohol at present.
Ms Joseph said they initially became interested in aversion therapy when they learnt about it at school.
"The reason that we want to present at Cop28 is because we know that a lot of people internationally will be there and we want to showcase the innovative solution to alcohol addiction so that it reaches masses and people come to know about it," she said.
"Once people start talking about it, we can upgrade our solution to make it even more realistic and even more marketable."
Future plans
While the app is still very much in its initial phase, the group hopes it can be taken to market in the future, Ms Sivaraman said.
“We know what the app will look like and also have a basic understanding and working of the prototype," she said.
"We will search for any healthcare providers, or individuals who are willing to develop this further. With help from our mentors and our teachers, we will try to develop the app through coding.
“We intend to take it to market, but need some help and guidance."
She said their idea was driven by a desire to reduce dependence on rehabilitation centres.
"The integration of AI adds a powerful dimension to the solution," said Shafaque Riaz, department head for ICT and Computer Science at Gems Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis.
"The inclusive approach could potentially make the solution accessible to a wider range of people seeking help with addiction issues."
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Real Madrid (2) v Bayern Munich (1)
Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
When: 10.45pm, Tuesday
Watch Live: beIN Sports HD
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
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Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
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If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier, in Bangkok
UAE fixtures Mon Nov 20, v China; Tue Nov 21, v Thailand; Thu Nov 23, v Nepal; Fri Nov 24, v Hong Kong; Sun Nov 26, v Malaysia; Mon Nov 27, Final
(The winners will progress to the Global Qualifier)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
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Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Match info:
Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
