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Day: September 8, 2022

Good Morning, Vietnam! Apple Products Will Now Be Made in Southeast Asia

Posted on by Staff Writer

Amidst international trade wars and supply chain issues, the global landscape is changing. This is particularly true when it comes to the manufacturing sector. For decades, China has been the “go-to” for low-cost, high-quality manufacturing. But with tight COVID restrictions and unpredictable trade policies, many firms are looking to diversify to reduce risk. Increasingly, many companies and their suppliers are looking for alternatives. And as it turns out, Vietnam looks to be a hot spot.

Apple announced that it was making a move make its Apple Watch and MacBooks in Vietnam. Notably, this is a significant move since Apple has relied on Chinese manufacturing for a long time. But as it turns out, Apple isn’t the only international company considering manufacturing in Vietnam. Many other in the tech sector along with their suppliers are making similar choices, and for good reason. Vietnam has much to offer global enterprises and is continuing to emerge as a Southeast Asian player. Apple products in Vietnam is simply the start of a trend that’s likely to expand.

“China’s role as the world’s most important factory has been challenged since the trade war and then later its energy and zero-COVID policies. That really makes Vietnam, which is close to China, an ideal destination for many electronics makers as the nation gradually grows its supply chain ecosystem.” – Eddie Han, Senior Analyst with Isaiah Research

Apple’s History with Vietnam

When it comes to manufacturing in Vietnam, Apple’s announcement isn’t actually that new. For a few years now, other Apple products have benefitted from a relationship with the country. Specifically, iPad tablets and Airpod earphones are among Apple products in Vietnam manufacturing chains. In essence, Apple began exploring options outside of China as global trade environments shifted. Both the pandemic and trade barriers threatened production, and thus, many companies began looking for other options. In terms of Apple, they chose to move some of their easier-to-assemble products to manufacturing in Vietnam.

While this may seem like an easy decision, there were some challenges along the way. For one, some of Apple’s major suppliers like BYD and Luxshare Precision Industry are Chinese companies. Thus, Apple did not want to upset their own operations by trading Chinese assemblies for manufacturing in Vietnam. But by keeping these suppliers in the loop, a gradual shift was possible. This may have been one reason why there were only a few Apple products in Vietnam manufacturing pipelines initially. But having tested the waters, it appears Apple is satisfied and will continue to move in this direction.

“[Vietnam] is emerging as a key manufacturing hub in the East and Southeast Asia region, supported by government-led economic liberalization efforts and integration into global supply chains, through trade agreements and membership to regional and international blocs.” – Vietnam Trade & Investment Risk Report

The Appeal of Manufacturing in Vietnam

The decision to make Apple products in Vietnam was one that was well-considered, as you might imagine. In fact, Vietnam has many advantages when it comes to outsourcing operations to the country. For one, Vietnam has a relatively stable political environment and unlikely to get involve in trade wars. It also exists in a strategic geographic location and has an abundant labor workforce. By comparison, Vietnam’s workforce in cheaper than China’s as well. And according to recent reports, Vietnam ranks 5th out of all 35 Asian markets in terms of economic openness. All of these factors make manufacturing in Vietnam highly attractive.

(Outsourcing is an essential strategy for growth–so of course, Bold has a story on that!)

The rankings for economic openness were determined based on a variety of factors. The basic determinants were openness to trade and openness to foreign investments. As far as trade goes, Vietnam received a score of 89.2 out of 100, which is quite impressive. Its advances in electronics manufacturing in Vietnam was a key component in these determinations. In addition, it would have scored higher in foreign investment potential if the electronics industry was considered. However, Vietnam does restrict investments in agriculture, mining, and utilities which lowered its total score to 74.6/100. Regardless, these rankings are still highly favorable, which is why Apple products in Vietnam will continue to advance.

“Vietnam has the ability to establish the necessary infrastructure and policies needed to support cutting-edge manufacturing operations in the chip sector.” – Steve Long, General Manager, Intel’s Asia-Pacific and Japan region

Apple Is Not Alone

The manufacturing of Apple products in Vietnam will have good company. Over the last few years, Vietnam has seen a significant increase in its growth of international firms. For example, Intel has relocated some of its semiconductor operations as of late including manufacturing in Vietnam. Samsung also just completed a $220 million research and development facility in Hanoi. And other major technology companies like Google, Dell and Amazon have similarly expanded in this direction. For the same reasons that Apple views Vietnam as a favorable option to its existing dependence on China.

Some Apple products just lying there
Manufacturing in Vietnam is less expensive than manufacturing in China–plus, there are fewer “hassles”.

In all likelihood, Apple would have considered a shift toward Vietnam sooner. But previously, some of its devices required highly technical manufacturing that had yet to be developed in the country. This has now changed and prompted Apple to consider manufacturing in Vietnam more broadly. Vietnam has increasingly shown the ability to take on such complex products like the Apple Watch. Plus, devices like MacBook have become more modular, making assembly easier. Thus, not only has this encouraged the production of more Apple products in Vietnam but other companies’ products as well.

A Dynamic Electronics Sector

Apple’s decision to move more of its product lines to manufacturing in Vietnam is not too surprising. The technology landscape is rapidly changing, and new regions are offering attractive alternatives to preexisting ones. The recently passed CHIPS and Science Act in the U.S. highlights this as the U.S. tries to boost its own manufacturing. Plus, given instabilities in global relations in technology trade, diversifying manufacturing and other operations seems logical. All of this is allowing Vietnam to have its day in the spotlight. Only time will tell if these developments are lasting or simply part of a broader evolution in the industry.

 

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Uncovering the Source of Emotions – The Brain Switch that Labels Our Experiences

Posted on by Staff Writer

It’s no secret that each of us have both positive and negative emotions in response to life’s circumstances. In some cases, situations create a sense of pleasure as a result of a favorable experience. Others, however, trigger fear and concern, especially when circumstances threaten our wellbeing. But where do these emotions come from, and more importantly, how do we know when to feel good or bad? While neuroscience has explored many aspects of the brain and thought, sources of emotions remain poorly defined. But thanks to some intriguing new research, it looks like we’re getting a little bit closer to understanding these mechanisms.

As many scientists have expected, both positive and negative emotions originate within the brain itself. But recent findings now suggest specific brain pathways help us determine whether some experience should be viewed favorably or not. In fact, there appears to be a brain switch that allows us to perceive events as either threatening or as desirable. This is intriguing from the standpoint of experiential learning since outcomes can shape these responses. And even more importantly, it’s interesting in relation to certain conditions where this brain switch may be under- or over-reactive. In essence, these new insights could lead to new therapies for a variety of mental health conditions.

“If you have a brain response to anything that is important, how does it differentiate whether it is good or bad? It’s a central problem in the field [of neuroscience].” – Daniela Schiller, Neuroscientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City

Emotions and Experiential Learning

When it comes to the way we feel about specific experiences, some are instinctual while others are learned emotions. Inherently, our survival instincts may tell us to run from a predator. Having to learn firsthand that such a threat is not in our best interest would defeat the purpose on most cases. But other times, we gain insights from life’s experiences. We look upon dessert favorably because of the fond memories it provides. And we avoid social environments that cause us to feel anxious or uncomfortable. These are normal learned behaviors that result from the positive and negative emotions we have experienced in the past. But this doesn’t tell us the “how” these feelings develop in the first place.

While neuroscientists have only recently started to explore this subject, they have identified parts of the brain that are important. Many of the deeper parts of our brain, called the limbic system, tend to be linked to emotional reactions. Areas in the brain like the amygdala, basal ganglia, and thalamus are known to trigger specific positive and negative emotions. But it remains a mystery how these areas regulate emotions and determine if an experience should be feared or desired. Understanding these mechanisms is important in order to better identify how to manage mental health conditions that affect emotional responses. If a brain switch could be manipulated through neuromedicine, then these emotional disorders could be better managed.

(What’s the future of neuroscience? Check out this Bold story and find out.)

“The more we know about the neural circuitry underlying emotion and conditioning, the more likely we will be able to build on that to develop interventions [to emotional disorders] in the long run.” – Michael Anderson, Cognitive Psychologist, University of Cambridge

The Discovery of a “Brain Switch”

In order to identify where positive and negative emotions originated in relation to specific experiences, researchers adopted an innovative strategy. Dr. Kay Tye, head of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, ran an experiment with 2 groups of mice. One group received sugar when hearing a specific tone. The other group received a shock instead to the same stimulus. And by using a technique called optogenetics, the researchers were able to see brain cells that accounted for both positive and negative emotions. Located in the basolateral amygdala, some neurons responded with fear and avoidance when hearing the tone. Other neurons were responsible for positive emotional responses.

While this discovery was intriguing, it still did not identify a brain switch that accounted for different emotional responses. However, the researchers did notice that these neurons had the gene for neurotensin receptors. Neurotensin is a protein that tends to elicit an excitatory and positive response. While this provided a clue about the neural pathways of emotion, it didn’t explain where the neurotensin was coming from. Thus, the researchers then used CRISPR gene editing technology to methodically eliminate neurotensin-producing nerve pathways one-by-one. It was then that they found a brain switch area in the thalamus that determine the positive and negative emotions.

 

In essence, the thalamus appears to contain a brain switch that determines positive and negative emotions associated with an experience. The thalamus is a perfect location for this since it serves as a relay for incoming sensory inputs. If the sensory input is deemed desirable, the thalamus produces neurotensin that causes a positive response in the amygdala. If the sensory input is considered a threat, then neurotensin is not produced. This results in an unfavorable emotion associated with the experience in the amygdala, which is its default state. Without question, this is rather complex to say the least. But this is what makes the discovery of this emotional brain switch all the more amazing.

“[The thalamus] is at the hub of where we translate sensory information into motivational significance. In evolution, it’s going to dictate whether you survive. In our modern-day society, it will dictate your mental health and your quality of life.” – Dr. Kay Tye, head of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California

The Discovery’s Potential for the Future

Notably, much more research will be required to examine this thalamic brain switch in more detail. But from a theoretical perspective, it offers potential for the future in managing conditions like addiction and depression. For example, in addiction, the positive emotions linked to a behavior are excessive. This triggers repeated use behaviors that result in destructive health outcomes. By blocking neurotensin at the amygdala, this positive emotional reward linked to the behavior might be reduced. At the same time, depressed individuals might benefit from a neurotensin enhancer. By creating more positive feelings linked to events, a depressed response would be less likely. Without question, the field of emotion neuroscience is quite new and in its infancy. But its promise is quite grand, and the discovery of the emotional brain switch in the thalamus looks to be just the start.

 

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The Need for Wearable Mental Health Monitors

Posted on by Staff Writer

Over the last few years, the popularity of wearable trackers and monitors has increased substantially. According to recent surveys, roughly 320 million such devices will be shipped to consumers in 2022 alone. By 2024, this figure is then expected to exceed 440 million, demonstrating increasing consumer use. From smart watches to smart patches, there are a number of healthcare uses for these wearable devices. This has accounted for the marked rise in digital therapeutics. But relatively few have suggested benefits in relation to mental wellness. Interestingly, that too seems to be changing as wearable mental health monitors are now being developed.

(Dive deeper into digital therapeutics with Bold’s profile of Sleepio.)

As one might imagine, developing mental health monitors as a wearable device isn’t as easy as other health monitors. Heart rate, respirations, and even oxygen saturation levels can be readily monitored using wearable trackers today. Likewise, trackers may soon be able to monitor blood pressure that could benefit the 1.3 billion people worldwide with hypertension. But mental health trackers are a little more complicated given the distance between the skin and the brain. That’s why any advances in these wearables have been slower to occur. And it’s also why their future availability in the marketplace is reason for excitement.

In terms of wearable trackers and health monitors, a sizable portion of the population now uses them. In recent surveys, roughly 40% of consumers own a smartwatch, and the vast majority use them for health and fitness reasons. One of the biggest boosts to the wearable health monitor market was actually the pandemic. Over 10% of those purchasing a smartwatch did so to more closely monitor COVID symptoms. And others overcame their anxiety of using these devices as they were forced to engage in digital and virtual platforms. But few wearables until now have been used as mental health monitors. This was unfortunate given the significant rise in depression and anxiety that occurred with the pandemic.

Of course, mental health issues didn’t just appear with COVID. A significant portion of the population suffers from a variety of mental health conditions. Stress, anxiety, and depression are among some of the most prevalent ones affecting society today. Barriers to care are unfortunately several and include lack of insurance, social stigma of mental illness, and poor awareness. However, this could be significantly improved with wearable trackers that helped providers and patients better detect and monitor such problems. Not only could this encourage earlier interventions but would improve mental health awareness at the same time. This is why there is such a need for mental health monitors today.

“We are proud to partner with Ceras Health, an organization that shares our commitment to using innovative technology to ensure that those in need have access to the right care at the right time, with the potential to transform how mental healthcare is identified, monitored and delivered.” – Mainul Mondal, Founder and CEO, Ellipsis Health

Mental Health Monitors and Voice Analysis

One of the recent breakthroughs in mental health monitors appears to be one that leverages deep-learning AI. Ellipsis Health, a San Francisco-based company, has developed wearable trackers that provide voice analysis of its device wearers. By analyzing semantics and acoustics of a person’s voice using AI, they are able to make mental health assessments. Specifically, the device can determine changes in stress, anxiety and depression levels among those tested to date. Plus, the device provides a continuous monitoring platform that can provide real-time data. In testing to date, these mental health monitors have averted some mental health crises and enabled early interventions.

A bunch of marbles in various emotional states
Wearable trackers for mental health are here–would you wear one?

Most recently, Ellipsis announced a collaboration with Ceras Health to expand the use of its mental health monitors. The collaboration will expand Ceras Health’s already extensive use of wearable health devices into mental health areas. Specifically, the collaborative project will explore the benefits of these wearable trackers on Medicare patients. Given that 18 million Medicare patients currently have mental health problems, the impact could be substantial. Not only could this improve quality of care but also save millions in costs and improve resource use. Simply by monitoring someone’s voice, these mental health monitors could make an incredible difference.

“Inferring autonomic nervous system activation from wearable devices in real-time opens new opportunities for monitoring and improving mental health and cognitive engagement.” – Rose Faghih, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Mental Health Monitors and Skin Analysis

Ellipsis isn’t the only innovative researchers pursuing mental health monitors and wearable trackers. NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering researchers have taken a novel approach and are measuring mental health changes via the skin. In essence, variations in the brain’s autonomic nervous system causes changes in the electrical properties of the skin. These electrical changes are manifested through changes in sweat glands and their secretions. As a result, the electrodermal activity (EDA) in the skin changes as emotions and stress vary. Thus, measuring this EDA through a wearable tracker permits a real-time assessment of mental activity.

While these wearable trackers have yet to hit the market, researchers are hopeful they will in the near future. They have already tested their mental health monitors in 26 individuals with good success. They have also found that the results have been quite accurate, and the use of the device easily scaled. Called the MIND WATCH, they anticipate these wearable trackers can be used to “nudge” wearers into a better emotional state. This might be achieved through relaxing music or some other mindfulness or meditative intervention. In any case, they are highly optimistic about the benefits these mental health monitors might offer.

Hurdles to Overcome

The advances in wearable trackers and monitors are occurring at a rapid pace. But at the same time, it’s worth having some level of precaution. Hurdles still exist before the widespread use of these devices in healthcare occurs. Some providers question their overall utility compared to existing strategies and interventions. Others worry about data accuracy and the potential for causing anxiety when false positives result. And of course, healthcare data privacy concerns with these wearable trackers must be considered. However, if these issues can be well addressed, the potential for wearable mental health monitors are tremendous. Hopefully, these innovative technologies can help solve some of the major issues facing mental healthcare today.

 

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