Drug rehabilitation centers in Shanghai have become the first in China to use virtual reality technology to help addicts, according to the city government. Around 700 addicts in two of the city's five rehab centers have been using a newly developed system since late September to help staff members understand the sufferers' level of addiction and assist them to turn their lives around more quickly, the Shanghai Drug Rehabilitation Administration said. The AI system was developed by the Shanghai Mental Health Center in cooperation with the administration, East China Normal University's School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, and Shanghai Qingtech, a company specializing in technological tracking of eye control. Zhao Min, deputy director of the center, said one key problem in abandoning drug habits is the difficulty for the staff and even the addicts to know how badly they are addicted. In the past, when they were asked whether they wanted narcotics, they said 'no' without exception, which was not an honest answer, obviously, she said. Now we can resort to the new system. Users wear a VR helmet with an eye-movement tracking system and then walk into scenes with drugs and other paraphernalia. Their eye movement, together with other biological indicators such as heart rate and skin conductivity, is recorded as an objective way to show their level of addiction. Another way the AI system can help is that it provides addicts with a more effective desensitization treatment in order to better prevent them from using drugs again. Usually in the centers they are given desensitization treatment with pictures of narcotics, Zhao said. It's hard for such stimulation to truly arouse their appetite for drugs. So after they leave the centers and are exposed to temptations, they might be submerged in a whirlpool of drug abuse again. Statistics from the National Narcotics Control Commission show that more than 85 percent of those who abandon a drug habit after two years of compulsory rehab relapse within a year. With such a VR system, the addicts can walk into hotel rooms, karaoke bars and friends' homes and watch men and women take drugs to fully stimulate their desire for narcotics, said Kuai Shuguang, a professor at East China Normal University. Apart from desensitization, the system was also designed to help addicts associate drugs more with negative consequences than a pleasant experience, he said. Following the VR experience in the scenes where drugs are often taken, they will view videos showing how devastatingly drugs will harm human health so as to suppress their desire for them, he said. [email protected] (China Daily 10/18/2017 page9) cheap silicone wristbands ukrubber wristbands custom cheap24 wristbandslivestrong braceletcustom silicone bands
Meng Yongli, chairman of Baoding Rongda FC, questions the officiating of a soccer game in the nation's second-tier league which saw his club draw with the opponent as a result of a controversial penalty in the injury time, July 1, 2017. [Photo/VCG] The Chinese Football Association launched a probe on Sunday into allegations of match-fixing made by a second-tier club after a controversial penalty decision. In response to a claim by Meng Yongli, chairman of Baoding Rongda FC, that his club's 2-2 draw with Wuhan Zall on Saturday was manipulated in their opponent's favor, the CFA said it has called on the professional league council and the referees' committee to investigate, adding that it will severely punish anyone found involved in match-fixing. We will handle the case seriously and respect the club's concerns. But we urge the club and the fans to remain calm. The result of the investigation will be released in a timely manner, the CFA said in a statement on Sunday. In a post-match news conference, Meng questioned the officiating of the game, in particular a controversial decision by the referee to award Wuhan Zall a penalty during eight minutes of injury time, which resulted in the game ending in a draw. We can't afford for the game to be played like this any longer. If it continues, eventually no one will play, Meng said before bursting into tears, bringing the news conference to an abrupt end. He later assembled media on the stadium's pitch and announced the withdrawal of the club from the second-tier league in protest. We want to present a strong reminder to the governing body that we need a clean and transparent environment to play the game, he said later on Sina Weibo. People within the soccer world urged the club to hold back from making any rash decisions and to cooperate with the CFA probe. The penalty was a 50-50 call. There was contact between the two players. It was also scored in the third minute of stoppage time, so it is unreasonable to question the eight minutes of added time, said Zhao Zhen, a commentator with goalchina.net. Li Yi, a former China national team striker, said on Weibo: Controversial calls are part of the game. If the club quits the league, it is the players and fans of the team that will suffer. [email protected]
