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As the adage goes, the eyes are the windows to the soul. So what does it mean to wish yours were a different color?
Apparently enough people share this desire to create a bustling market for color-changing eye drops, which are making the rounds through social media and online retailers.
Personalizing eye color might sound tempting, especially for younger people and those who enjoy experimenting with elements of fashion or style. But are over-the-counter, color-changing eye drops safe? The answer is a hard no, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), which recently issued a warning against "eye color-changing solutions."
Why shouldn't you try color-changing eye drops?
Color-changing eye drops aren't approved by the FDA, haven't been tested for safety or effectiveness, and could potentially damage people's eyes, the AAO warns.
"It might seem benign when you see a product like this online," says Dr. Michael Boland, an associate professor of ophthalmology and glaucoma specialist at Harvard-affiliated Mass Eye and Ear. "People think, 'Why not try it?'." "But there's no way to know what's in these bottles and no oversight over how they're being made."
How do the eye drops work?
That's not clear. Companies manufacturing the drops claim the products adjust levels of melanin in the iris, the colored portion of the eyeball. Purportedly, the effects begin to be visible within hours and can last for a week or longer. If a user wants enduring results, they'll need to continue using the product.
But these claims skirt a complete lack of evidence that the drops have any effects on the iris, much less the desired effects, Dr. Boland says.
"I've found zero descriptions of how they work in terms of a plausible mechanism," he says. The ingredients list includes things that might be found in other eye drops or drugs or even cosmetics, but nothing that would actually change your eye color."
How might the drops hurt your eyes?
The AAO lists a variety of potential safety risks from using these products or any other unregulated eye drops, including:
"All of those problems are possible, since we don't have any real idea what's in these bottles," Dr. Boland says. "The biggest concern is damage to the cornea, the clear part of the front of the eye. If the cornea is damaged by the chemicals in those bottles, you might lose vision."
Are there safe alternatives to change eye color?
Still hankering for a way to get, say, Taylor Swift's electric blue eyes or Julia Roberts' golden brown peepers? There is a trustworthy option, Dr. Boland says: colored contact lenses. But he recommends choosing that option with caution.
"Professionally prescribed and dispensed contact lenses are a safe way to change your eye color," he says. "But don't buy them online. Get them from a reputable source to make sure they've been regulated and evaluated as safe, because contacts can damage the eye if they're not designed properly or kept clean."
Source: Harvard Health Publishing
TV host Frank Edoho has responded to a follower who claimed to be his look-alike.
He said “they said you look like me? My Brother if most people agree that this is what I look like, I have to sadly agree that, my Brother, we are both unattractive”.
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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged and acquitted a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, from his conviction of false assets declaration by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The conviction of Onnoghen was thrown out by the appellate court following the resolution of the issues that led to his trial and conviction. Former President Muhammadu Buhari had on January 25, 2019, about 29 days before the presidential election, suspended Onnoghen from office as the CJN and swore in the next most senior jurist of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Muhammad, to take over the leadership of the judiciary. Delivering judgment, the Presiding Justice, Justice Abba Mohammed, adopted the terms of settlement between the federal government and Onnoghen.
He also ordered that the four bank accounts of the former CJN forfeited be returned to him. Shortly after the judgment, Counsel to Onnoghen and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adegboyega Awomolo, thanked President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi for ensuring the resolutions of the issue. Onnoghen’s suspension came barely eight hours after he announced his decision to inaugurate judges who would preside over election petition tribunals. Ex-President Buhari’s action elicited varied reactions from both within and outside the judicial circles, with the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, describing it as a coup against the judiciary.
Onnoghen was later convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, cCT, on a six-count corruption charge that was preferred against him by the Federal Government. It was alleged that he made a false declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau. The parties involved settled that the code of conduct tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to try and convict the former CJN without resorting to the National Judicial Council.
Secondly, the tribunal lacked the Jurisdiction to have tried and convicted the former CJN, even after he had voluntarily tendered his retirement letter, which was accepted by the then President. Thirdly, the tribunal lacked the Jurisdiction to entertain the matter without resorting to the NJC. Lastly, all parties shall take steps to give a positive effect to the terms of the settlement.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) has spent years linking its brand with “classic” culinary techniques. Now it’s folding in state-of-the-art slicers, mechanized avocado peelers and automated dish assembly.
The burrito chain is looking to build up capacity with high-tech appliances and automation, Interim CEO Scott Boatwright said this week. Produce slicers that chop onions, jalapeños and fajita vegetables will be in all of its restaurants by the end of next summer, Boatwright said. And about 75 high-volume restaurants are getting grills that can cook meat twice as fast; they cook the top and bottom of the meat simultaneously, a spokesperson said.
The company is also testing a new tool for cooking chips, a robot that peels and slices avocados and a machine that assembles burrito bowls and salads, Boatwright said.
“I envision significant back-of-the-house changes in the near future that will drive efficiencies and improve the consistency of our culinary in our restaurants,” Boatwright said, according to a transcript of the call made available by AlphaSense.
The push to improve throughput comes as Chipotle saw comparable-store growth of 6% last quarter. Traffic has been sluggish industry-wide, but Chipotle performed worse than analysts expected.
Other chains are making similar moves. Sweetgreen (SG) is deploying Infinite Kitchen, which automates many parts of salad and bowl assembly, CFO Mitch Reback said this spring. Jack in the Box (JACK) extended a trial of automated fry production to a second restaurant in the third quarter. And Starbucks (SBUX), now led by a former Chipotle CEO, is installing tools that require less staff involvement in grinding coffee beans, as well as a system that reduces the need for bending and heavy lifting when blending beverages.
Diners care less about how meals come together than they do about their cost and speed, said Jason Kaplan, CEO of JK Consulting, a restaurant advisory firm in New York City. While a focus on fresh prep fueled Chipotle’s success, its customers will likely embrace the technology, Kaplan said.
“People expect a certain speed,” Kaplan said. “The consumer of today is even less patient than the consumer of 10, 15 years ago.”
Boatwright, who was named Chipotle's interim CEO in August, said the new technology would help keep vegetables a uniform size and maintain consistency across restaurants. Asked if automation could deter consumers drawn to Chipotle’s "classic" techniques, a company spokesperson said the chain still uses fresh ingredients and true cooking methods. The innovations make the process more efficient and enhance the flavor profile, the spokesperson said.
And on Tuesday’s call, Boatwright said that some ideas the company had considered — such as a central prep kitchen that serves multiple restaurants — have so far been challenging from expense and food safety perspectives.
The innovations introduced so far may largely go unnoticed by consumers, said Dean Small, founder and managing partner of Synergy Restaurant Consultants, an advisory firm based in California.
“These things are behind the scenes," Small said, who doesn’t anticipate that they’ll “deter from the guest experience.”
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Following a pair of negative trading sessions, major U.S. equities indexes closed out the week on a strong note, pushing higher on Friday as investors cheered upbeat earnings results from e-commerce and cloud computing behemoth Amazon (AMZN).
The S&P 500 added 0.4% to wrap up the trading week and kick off November. The Dow and the Nasdaq were up 0.7% and 0.8%, respectively.
Shares of Waters Corp. (WAT), a provider of analytical laboratory instruments and software, surged 19.8% on Friday to a 52-week high, delivering the top daily performance in the S&P 500. The gains for Waters stock came after the life, materials, food, and environmental sciences supplier reported better-than-expected third-quarter revenue and earnings per share (EPS).
Cable TV, mobile, and internet service provider Charter Communications (CHTR) also topped sales and profit estimates with its third-quarter results, and its shares jumped 11.9%. The company posted a solid increase in mobile customers, and although Charter lost subscribers to its internet and video services, declines in those areas were less significant than analysts anticipated. Despite Friday's rally, Charter shares remain in negative territory for 2024.
Although semiconductor giant Intel (INTC) posted a third-quarter loss, reflecting the impact of impairment and restructuring charges, its sales for the period came in ahead of forecasts, and its shares gained 7.8%. Intel also struck a positive tone regarding the future of its server and PC businesses, issuing better-than-expected sales guidance for the current quarter. The company has benefitted from an uptick in PC demand driven by the launch of on-device AI features.
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) shares dropped 10.5%, the heaviest loss of any S&P 500 constituent. Friday's plunge extended steep losses posted by the stock earlier this week as accounting firm EY resigned from its role as auditor for the server and data storage company. Questions about Supermicro's accounting practices came to the forefront over the summer when short-seller Hindenburg Research published a report alleging manipulation by the company.
Power generation company AES Corp. (AES) reported better-than-expected profits for the third quarter, boosted by increased utilities and renewables earnings, but its shares sank 9.9%. Although companies like AES are expected to benefit from increased power demand from AI data centers, the Virginia-based firm posted a year-over-year decline in revenue, dragged down by lower sales from its energy infrastructure unit.
Amcor (AMCR) shares slipped 7.8% after the packaging provider missed quarterly sales estimates. Soft consumer demand weighed on Amcor's sales of cartons and containers to consumer goods companies. Destocking in health care packaging represents another headwind for the company. Amcor also announced that it would sell its 50% stake in Bericap North America, a joint venture focused on plastic closures for various packaging applications.
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Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad has shared social etiquette advice with Nigerians.
He said, if a friend lends you a car, it’s appropriate to return it with a full tank of fuel.