10th April 2014

Transcript

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT WITH 2 Issue No. 123 Thursday, 10 April 2014 5 YOUR MENTALLY STIMULATING JOB MAY HELP KEEP YOU SHARP IN RETIREMENT 8 THE TABLETS TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS SPRING Personal Health: A VIRAL MISERY THAT LOVES COMPANY When a toilet with contaminated excretions is flushed, the virus can become airborne unless the lid is shut first I have often felt sorry for people whose cruise ship vacations were marred by a nasty gastrointestinal virus that kept them quarantine quarantined in their cabins and sometimes cut short the trip. But now that I’ve endured two separate bouts of this bug, formerly called Norwalk virus and now known as norovirus, my em empathy has skyrocketed. Norovirus ru is, to put it mildly, misery incarnate. One minute you’re fine, and n the th next you think you’re dying - or that tha dying would be preferable. Noroviruses have the dubious distinction Norovir of being the leading cause of gastrointestinal inlea fections in the United States, where they account U for an estimated half h of all such ailments. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Co each year noroviru noroviruses cause an estimated 21 million illnesses and 800 deaths. About 80 percent of infections occur from Noperc vember to April, when people tend to congregate in eenclosed nclo nc lose sed d spaces sp pac with little fresh air circulating. The current strain, first identified in Sydney in 2012, has been responsible for several outbreaks on cruise ships, where whe the highly contagious and difficult-to-kill virus can easily infect hundreds of passengers. It has been nicknamed the Ferrari of viruses for the speed at which it can spread through groups. An outbreak on the Queen Mary 2 in December 2012 sickened 204 passengers and 16 crew members. One infected traveller on the Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas, among 118 guests and three crew members similarly afflicted last March, was confined to his cabin for two days, during which time he counted 28 trips to the bathroom. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea are the usual symptoms. Others include stomach cramps, muscle aches, lowgrade fever, headache and fatigue that can persist for days after the main symptoms abate. Although usually lasting just one to three days, a norovirus infection can be hazardous, particularly for infants, the elderly and people with compromised immunity. The greatest risk is dehydration stemming from vomiting and watery diarrhoea. The virus spreads readily in confined spaces like day care and retirement centres, schools, hotels and nursing homes. A case, or capsid, that surrounds the virus makes it espe- cially hard to kill. It can even survive hand dishwashing and laundering. And when a toilet with contaminated excretions is flushed, the virus can become airborne unless the lid is shut first. Contaminated clothing, linens and towels should be handled carefully (preferably with gloves), machine-washed separately in hot water, and machine-dried. Contaminated toilets and other hard surfaces should be washed with a 10 percent bleach solution, hydrogen peroxide, Lysol or a commercial bleach-based cleaning product. Carpets and upholstered furniture need steam cleaning. No vaccine is yet available. The existence of at least five genetic groups and 31 subgroups of norovirus makes developing an effective vaccine difficult. Meanwhile, frequent hand washing with soap and hot water for at least 30 seconds, especially after using the toilet, is the best preventive. The virus can persist for days or weeks on hard surfaces, which speaks to the importance of thoroughly washing your hands before eating, preparing food and drinks or serving others. You can also infect yourself by touching your nose or mouth with virus-contaminated hands. Anyone who becomes infected should refrain from handling food or drink to be consumed by others during the course of symptoms and for at least three days after. Occasionally, an infected person can spread the virus for a week or two after recovering, so diligent hand-washing after using the toilet is a must. Foods most often linked to norovirus outbreaks include raw shellfish, leafy greens, fresh fruits and ready-to-eat foods. There is no treatment other than replacing lost fluids. If vomiting is severe, medications can reduce it, but experts advise against taking an antidiarrheal drug like Lomotil or Imodium, which can prolong the infection. It is best to avoid sugary drinks, which can aggravate diarrhoea. Doctors advise to follow a so-called BRAT diet - bananas, rice, applesauce and toast - for a day or so, supplemented by plain fluids, broth or diluted juice. Drink a cup of liquid to compensate for each large, loose stool. A rehydration drink like Pedialyte is suitable for adults as well as babies and children. But avoid foods high in fat and sugar, as well as spicy foods, alcohol and coffee, for about two days after symptoms are gone. (Jane E. Brody-nytsyn.com) AIGNER - FALL WINTER 2014 - 2015 READY TO WEAR Get Going People with jobs that require problem solving, planning and information analysis appear more likely to retain a clear memory and keen reasoning as they grow older, says Gwen Fisher, an assistant professor of psychology at Colorado State University. Hence, ‘Your Mentally Stimulating Job May Help Keep You Sharp In Retirement’. Fire up the grill at your next big game-day tailgate and try one of our recipes from ‘Everyday Food: Grilling Recipes For Tailgating’ for classic dishes such as hamburgers, sausages, and hot dogs; crowd-pleasing meals including turkey breast, spare ribs, and leg of lamb; plus grilled corn and s’mores! Revamping your beauty routine has never been easier with a cool new class of fresh products on the shelves. Try out some of the best new products this summer, listed in our Beauty page. Meanwhile, you can browse through our Ask Martha section where Martha gives you some tips and easy modifications to help you breathe more easily; clearing the air indoors. Drop us a word at bloom@ qimqatar.com. Your feedback is always welcome. So be it science, technology, lifestyle or fashion take your pick right away. And Facebook users keep liking our page! Follow us on www.facebook.com/BloomQatar 2 Thursday, 10 April 2014 Your Mentally Stimulating Job May Help Keep You Sharp In Retirement Reading, playing games, volunteering for charity, socialising with friends, attending lectures and joining a book club are all activities that anyone can undertake to keep their brains active Jobs that make good use of your intellect might have another benefit down the line -- a sharper mind long after retirement. People with jobs that require problem solving, planning and information analysis appear more likely to retain a clear memory and keen reasoning as they grow older, said lead author Gwen Fisher, an assistant professor of psychology at Colorado State University. “People who were engaged in work characterised as mentally challenging scored better on a measure of cognitive [thinking] ability, both before and after retirement,” Fisher said. Jobs that could give a person a mental boost later in life include “any job that involves gathering a lot of information and synthesising it,” she said. Lawyers, financial analysts, teachers and doctors stand to benefit, but so will project managers who get a daily mental workout by juggling multiple assignments and guiding many employees, Fisher said. On the other end of the spectrum are jobs that involve repetitive work without much variety or complexity, such as work on an assembly line, she said. Walking May Be Good Medicine For Kidney Patients Walking may help boost immunity and reduce inflammation in kidney patients, a new study suggests. Both those effects are tied to a lowered risk for heart disease or infections so it’s possible walking might also help kidney patients stay healthier longer, although the trial was not designed to prove that. According to a team led by Joao Viana of Loughborough University in England, a weakened immune system raises a person’s odds for infection while an overactive immune system results in chronic inflammation that damages blood vessels and boosts heart disease risk. It’s known that exercise can boost immunity and reduce inflammation, but there has been little research into these effects in kidney disease patients, the study authors noted. In the study, the British team had one group of patients with chronic kidney disease walk for 30 minutes a day, five times a week, for six months. They compared them to a “control group” of patients who did not increase their physical activity levels. Walking seemed to increase the immune system’s ability to fight infections while lowering inflammation, according to the study published online April 3 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. “Exercise exerts anti-inflammatory effects in patients with kidney disease and may in this way reduce their high risk for heart disease,” Viana said in a news release from the American Society of Nephrology. On the other hand, he said, “our study also found no evidence that this level of exercise might be harmful to the immune system in people with kidney disease.” Sixty million people worldwide have chronic kidney disease, the society said. In the study, Fisher and her colleagues analysed data from nearly 4,200 participants in the Health and Retirement Study, a federally funded survey conducted by the University of Michigan that tracks people as young as 51 prior to and following their retirement. Participants are re-interviewed every two years, and the questions included measures of the mental demands of their jobs -analysing data, developing objectives and strategies, making decisions, solving problems, evaluating information and thinking creatively. The survey also assessed memory and reasoning skills. The people included in this study had been interviewed about eight times between 1992 and 2010. They worked in a large variety of jobs and on average had been employed in the same type of work for more than 25 years before retiring. The investigators found that people who had jobs with greater mental demands were more likely to have better memories before they retired as well as slower declines in memory after retiring, compared to people in jobs that were less mentally stimulating. Differences in memory at the time of retirement were not large, but they ended up doubling at 15 years following retirement, even after researchers controlled for factors such as education, health and economic status. The study authors found similar results when they looked at questions used to assess mental impairment and dementia. By 15 years after retirement, people with mentally challenging jobs scored more than 50 percent better than people with less-demanding jobs. The findings were published online recently in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. This new study adds to a growing mound of evidence suggesting that people who want to keep their brain healthy after retirement need to start working their mental muscles earlier in life, said Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach for the Alzheimer’s Association. “It gels really nicely with other things we’ve seen where midlife is the point at which people really need to pay attention to their brain health,” Fargo said. There are a couple of theories why mentally challenging jobs might help preserve later brain capability, study author Fisher said. By working the brain more, a person could end up creating more neurons during their years of employment, she explained. Later on, when age starts to take its toll, they will have more mental capacity and any loss of neurons will do less harm to their memory and reasoning. There’s also the “use it or lose it” hypothesis. “Much like muscles on our body, if you use the brain you strengthen it, and if you don’t, it can atrophy,” Fisher said. But not everybody can have a mentally challenging job. To quote the movie “Caddyshack”: “The world needs ditch diggers, too.” Are those folks out of luck? Not necessarily, both experts say. “There are all kinds of things you can do to maintain your mental activity in midlife, outside of work,” Fargo said. Reading, playing games, volunteering for charity, socialising with friends, attending lectures and joining a book club are all activities that anyone can undertake to keep their brains active and give them a good workout, Fisher and Fargo agreed. Such extracurricular activities could have influenced the study’s findings, Fisher added, noting that the new research does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between mental work demands and loss of memory or thinking ability after retirement. “What people do outside of work could also be a factor,” Fisher said. “Some people may be very active in hobbies and other activities that are mentally stimulating and demanding, while others are not.”. (HealthDay News) Could Coffee Lower Death Risk From Liver Cirrhosis? Drinking coffee may reduce the risk of death from certain types of liver cirrhosis, a large new study suggests. The study included more than 63,000 Chinese people, aged 45 to 74, living in Singapore. Starting in 1993, they provided information about their diet, lifestyle habits and medical history, and were followed for an average of nearly 15 years. During that time, 114 of the study participants died from liver cirrhosis. Drinking two or more cups of coffee a day was associated with a 66 percent lower risk of death from liver cirrhosis caused by non-viral hepatitis, according to the study published online recently in the journal Hepatology. While viruses are responsible for most cases of hepatitis, it can also develop due to alcohol and drug abuse, or when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy liver cells, according to the U.S National Institutes of Health. In the new study, coffee consumption did not lower the risk of death from cirrhosis caused by the hepatitis B virus. Drinking tea, fruit juice or soft drinks had no effect on the risk of death from liver cirrhosis, while heavy alcohol use increased the risk, the findings also suggest. While the study found a connection between caffeine consumption and lower risk of death from liver cirrhosis in certain patients, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. The study is the first to show the different effect that coffee has on the risk of death from non-viral and viral hepatitis-related cirrhosis, according to lead researcher Dr. Woon-Puay Koh, of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and the National University of Singapore. “This finding resolves the seemingly conflicting results on the effect of coffee in Western and Asian-based studies of death from liver cirrhosis,” Koh said in a journal news release. “Our finding suggests that while the benefit of coffee may be less apparent in the Asian population where chronic viral hepatitis B predominates currently, this is expected to change as the incidence of non-viral hepatitis-related cirrhosis is expected to increase in these regions,” Koh said. He attributed this likely change to a rise in affluence and “Westernising” lifestyles in younger groups. Liver cirrhosis is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). A 2004 WHO report said that liver cirrhosis accounts for 1.3 percent of all deaths worldwide each year. Fine Living Clear The AIR Thursday, 10 April 2014 When cleaning this spring, show your air a little love. Finally, spring! You’re packing away the winter coats and power-washing the deck. Maybe you’re turning your spring-cleaning efforts inward, adding fresh juice to your diet or easing up on the heavy stews. Now, what about the air? As elemental as it is, many of us don’t give what we breathe indoors much thought, assuming that if our homes are well cared for, our air quality must be top-notch. But considering that the Environmental Protection Agency lists indoor air pollution among the top five environmental health risks, perhaps we should pay more attention to our indoor atmosphere. Here are some tips and easy modifications to help you breathe more easily. What’s In Your Air? The two main types of indoor air pollution are particulate matter and gaseous pollutants - and chances are your home has both. In fact, particulate matter, such as pollen, dust, dust mites, pet dander and mould spores, is the leading cause of indoor allergies. “These common allergens cause a range of problems, from the annoying runny nose to the more serious allergic asthma,” says Andy Nish, M.D., an allergist in Gainesville, Ga., and a fellow at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. “Keeping windows shut when your pollen allergies flare up, using a high-quality air purifier with a HEPA filter and washing your pets weekly will help decrease the allergens floating around your home.” The list of indoor gaseous pollutants is just as long - things like building materials, cleaning products, asbestos-containing insulation, and outdoor pollutants like radon and vehicle exhaust that make their way inside. “Exposure to these may lead to mild symptoms like dizziness and itchy eyes, and can cause long-term effects like asthma and cancer,” says Sumita Khatri, M.D., a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic who sits on the board of the American Lung Association. It’s not all doom and gloom, however; while some of these pollutants may seem unavoidable, there are easy ways to minimise your exposure, Khatri says. First, be thoughtful about what you bring into and keep in your home: Opt for low-VOC paint, air out drycleaned clothes and lose the plastic bags, use nontoxic cleaning supplies, and throw out nearly empty cans of paint and solvents (which off-gas even when not in use). Allowing fresh air in is also crucial - crack a window whenever you can. “In addition, everyone should test for radon, an invisible, odourless radioactive gas found in homes throughout the U.S. that’s the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the country,” Khatri says. Affordable home-test kits are available at most hardware stores. Desert Or Jungle? can Lung Association. An inexpensive instrument that measures RH can help you keep tabs on your home’s moisture level. Too Dry? “Although we associate humidifiers with winter, you should switch yours on whenever the RH level in your home dips below 40 percent, regardless of the season,” Nish says. When it’s below that level, he adds, people may experience dry eyes, noses and throats, as well as more-frequent nosebleeds, and the likelihood of sinus infections may increase. Adequately moist air also keeps flu and cold viruses at bay (they thrive in low humidity), prevents dry skin and hair, and protects wooden furniture and floors from drying out. GO LOW-TECH Get Potting After a two-year study, NASA compiled a list of houseplants that help filter the air and are effective at removing common household pollutants. Included are the easy-to-find and easy-to-care-for philodendron, peace lily and spider plant. Be Your Own Purifier Too Wet? Proper humidity is an equally important (yet often ignored) factor in maintaining healthy indoor air. For optimal health, you should aim for a relative humidity, or RH, between 40 and 50 percent, according to Nish and the Ameri- ing materials to rot, compromising the structural integrity of your house. Signs that your home is too humid include condensation on windows, mould spots on walls and ceilings, and a musty odour. Air-conditioning and proper ventilation can help lower the humidity. If levels remain high despite these steps, you may also need a dehumidifier. On the flip side, we need to monitor excess humidity indoors. “Overly moist air - 60 percent RH or higher - provides a breeding ground for dust mites, mildew and mould, all of which can trigger allergic reactions and asthma in susceptible individuals,” Nish says. In extreme cases, elevated humidity can even cause build- “There’s a saying in yoga: ‘Breathe with your nose, eat with your mouth,’” says Carla Stangenberg, the director of Jaya Yoga Center, in Brooklyn, N.Y. “It’s because when you breathe through your nose, the cilia inside trap pollen and dust, and the air is warmed and moistened on its way to your lungs - it’s like a free, portable air purifier and humidifier in one.” Spring Cleaning 360°: The Windows A simple cleaning solution, some cloths, a sponge, and a squeegee are all that stand between you and crystal-clear glass. • Dampen a squeegee’s rubber blade (so it won’t skip). Draw it down the glass in a straight stroke, then wipe the squeegee. Repeat, slightly overlapping your strokes. TIP: Use cotton swabs to clean the smallest crevices around a window. For mullioned windows, use a mini hacksaw to cut a squeegee to a size slightly narrower than that of the panes. (Snip the rubber with scissors.) Screens Clean 101 Windows Avoid washing windows in direct sunlight, since the heat will dry the liquid too quickly, causing streaks. • Dust windows first with a soft-bristled brush. Place a rolledup towel across the sill. • Mix equal parts white vinegar and hot water in a bucket. Wet a sponge in the mixture, and use it to wipe dirt away, avoiding the frames. Bag and label any loose hardware before you begin. Note the room and position (e.g., “den, left of TV”). • Work in the yard, garage, laundry room, or tub; ideally, you want to be in an area that has drainage. • First, lay the screens flat on the ground, prop them against a wall, or hold smaller ones at a slight angle. Wet a scrub brush in a mixture of warm water and mild dishwashing liquid, and run it over the mesh and frame. • Rinse with a hose or under the faucet. Let dry completely (outside in the sun is best) before hanging. TIP: If slatted metal or vinyl blinds are very dirty, remove them from the window and lay them flat on a drop cloth outside. Scrub closed blinds with a soft brush and warm soapy water. Repeat on the other side; rinse. Open and hang outside to dry. Slatted Blinds • Metal or Vinyl Venetian Blinds Wipe each slat individually with a cloth dampened in a mixture of warm water and a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid. • Metal or Vinyl Vertical Blinds Remove a few slats at a time, lay them flat, and wipe with a cloth dampened in a mixture of warm water and a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid. • Wooden Blinds and Shutters Wipe each slat with a slightly damp cloth (no soap). Dry with a clean cloth. Don’t forget the... Casings Before washing the windows, use a dust-brush attachment to vacuum the glass and the grooves in the casing, the muntins, and the mullions. After washing the glass, wipe the frames with all-purpose cleaner mixed with water. Rinse with a clean, damp cloth, then wipe dry with a clean cloth. I love my... Spray Bottle “I mix my own cleaning solutions, and this bottle, with a builtin lemon squeezer, lets me juice a deodorising lemon right into the mixture.” —Linda Denahan, deputy photo editor. 3 4 Thursday, 10 April 2014 It’s mealtime in the Milky Way | Vinodh K.Pisharom | our kids do, or do they grow in fits and starts, whenever fuel becomes available? In watching the encounter between Sgr A* and G2 we may catch a massive black hole in the act of snatching its next meal,” says Haggard, a postdoctoral fellow in Northwestern’s Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). “. Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), is a monster black hole at the centre of our galaxy. It weighs 4.3 million times as the sun and measures about 25 million kilometers (15 million miles) across. At present the monster is slumbering, betraying its presence only by a slight snore of radiation, but it was not always so calm. A new study using the Chandra X-ray Observatory has picked up echoes of past outbursts within the past few hundred years–moments when Sagittarius A* was wide awake, blazing a million times as brightly as it does today. These black holes feed on gas and dust all the time, but astronomers rarely get to see mealtime in action. Right now a doomed gas cloud is edging ever closer to Sgr A*. Northwestern University’s Daryl Haggard has been closely watching this little cloud, called G2, as part of a study that should eventually help solve one of the outstanding questions surrounding black holes: How exactly do they achieve such supermassive proportions? The closest approach between the black hole and gas cloud is predicted to occur any day now. Haggard has been using two world-class observatories, Sgr A* and the newly discovered magnetic neutron star, SGR J1745-29, which appears to be in orbit around the black hole, are dishing out lots of interesting science. The researchers have detected the brightest X-ray flare yet observed from Sgr A* and gathered data for a better understanding of the neutron star population in the galactic center. the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Very Large Array, to gather data on this potentially spectacular encounter. “Our most recent Chandra observation does not show enhanced emission in the X-rays,” Haggard said. “From the X-ray perspective, the gas cloud is late to the party, but it remains to be seen whether G2 is fashionably late or a no show.” about the growth and feeding of supermassive black holes. We know they are big, and we know they are out there in vast numbers, but we aren’t sure in detail how they get their mass. “Do they grow rapidly when they are young, like Things are getting fascinatingly interesting. We will soon get to know Haggard will discuss her latest data at a press briefing, “Advances in Astrophysics,” at American Physical Society (APS) April Meeting in Savannah, Ga. She will make a presentation, “Hot News from the Milky Way’s Central Black Hole,” “Hot Topics in Astrophysics”, as part of the session. In her presentation, Haggard will also show recent data from Chandra (X-rays) and the VLA (radio waves), including the largest flare ever seen from Sgr A*. Meanwhile, we shall prepare ourselves for more interesting news on the mealtime in our Milky Way. Facts about Moon is 100 million the Moon years younger | Vinodh K.Pisharom | From time immemorial, mankind has grown up seeing the Sun, Moon, planets in the solar system, and the distant stars adorning their respective positions in the vast expanse of the universe. Though we have come to accept that the universe began billions of years ago, how and when the individual components came into existence, are mostly left to theories and imaginations. A team of scientists from France, Germany and United States have been conducting various experiments from the interior of the earth, combined with computer simulations of the proplanetary disk from which earth and other terrestrial planets formed. A protoplanetary disk is a rotating circumstellar disk of dense gas surrounding a young newly formed star. They simulated the growth of the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) from a disk of thousands of planetary building blocks orbiting the Sun. By analyzing the growth history of Earth-like planets from 259 simulations, the scientists discovered a relationship between the time Earth was impacted by a Mars-sized object to create the Moon and the amount of material added to Earth after that impact. Augmenting the computer simulation with details on the mass of material added to Earth by deposit after the formation of the Moon, a relationship that works much like a clock to date the Moon-forming event was revealed. This is the first “geologic clock” in early solar system history that does not rely on measurements and interpretations of the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei to determine age. “We were excited to find a ‘clock’ for the formation time of the Moon that didn’t rely on radiometric dating methods. This correlation just jumped out of the simulations and held in each set of old simulations we looked at,” says lead author of the Nature article Seth Jacobson of the Observatory de la Cote d’Azur in Nice, France. Some scientists have demonstrated that the abundance in Earth’s mantle of highly siderophile elements, which are atomic elements that prefer to be chemically associated with iron, is directly proportional to the mass accreted by Earth after the Moonforming impact. From these geochemical measurements, the newly established clock dates the Moon to 95 ±32 million years after the beginning of the solar system. This estimate for the Moon-formation agrees with some interpretations of radioactive dating measurements, but not others. Because the new dating method is an independent and direct measurement of the age of the Moon, it helps to guide which radioactive dating measurements are the most useful for this longstanding problem. Anyway, we have reasons to believe that our Moon formed nearly 100 million years after the start of the solar system. • The moon is not a planet, but a satellite of the Earth. • The distance From Earth is 363,301 kilometers (225,745 miles). • The surface area of the moon is 14,658,000 square miles or 9.4 billion acres • The moon’s diameter is about 1/4 the diameter of the Earth. About 49 moons would fit inside the Earth. • The moon is not round, but egg shaped with the large end pointed towards earth. • Only 59% of the moon’s surface is visible from earth. • When sunlight hits the moon’s surface, the temperature can reach 253 degrees F (123 C). The “dark side of the moon” can have temperatures dipping to minus 243 F (minus 153 C). • Gravity at the surface of the moon is 1/6 that of the Earth. • The moon rotates at 10 miles per hour compared to the earth’s rotation of 1000 miles per hour. • When a month has two full moons, the second full moon is called a blue moon. Another definition of a blue moon is the third full moon in any season (quarter of year) containing 4 total full moons. • From Earth, we always see the same side of the moon; the other side is always hidden. • The dark spots we see on the moon that create the image of the man in the moon are actually craters filled with basalt, which is a very dense material. • The moon is the only extraterrestrial body that has ever been visited by humans. It is also the only body that has had samples taken from it. • On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human being to set foot on the Moon. • When Neil Armstrong took that first historical step and said “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” it would not have occurred to anyone that the step he took in the dust of the moon was there to stay. It will be there for millions of years because there is no wind on the moon. That is, assuming the downdraft from the Command Module upon takeoff back into space didn’t destroy the print. Buzz Aldrin reportedly saw the American flag, much further away, blow over during launch. Nevertheless, any footprints made by the famous astronauts undisturbed by takeoff are, in fact, there to stay. Technology Thursday, 10 April 2014 The Tablets To Look Out For This Spring Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ (Price: TBD/ Availability: TBD) The outlook: Two words: high-end specs! Aside from its screen resolution -- the Z2 features a 1,920x1,200-pixel resolution instead of a higher 2,560x1,600 resolution -- the Xperia Z2 Tablet will bear some of the most impressive specs yet on a tablet. We are especially looking forward to seeing Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 801 processor -- an upgraded Snapdragon 800 -- in action. It’ll be the absolute thinnest and lightest large tablet when it hits, and just as its predecessor, it’ll also be fully waterproof. There’s no official US price yet, but expect it to land in the $400-to-$600 range. (Price: $349/ Availability: April) The outlook: The original Yoga Tablet 10 wasn’t the most impressive slate at its release, but this new upgraded version has a higher -- 1,920x1,200pixel -- resolution and Lenovo’s touting an 18hour battery life. For a 10-inch tablet, that would be extremely impressive. We’ll be able to confirm Lenovo’s claim sometime in April New Gadget From Amazon Makes Grocery Shopping Dangerously Easy (Mat Honan-wired.com) Amazon recently announced a new standalone gadget called the Dash. It’s basically a remote control for buying groceries. The small, handheld gadget itself is free, but the catch is you can only use it to order food and other goods from Amazon Fresh, the company’s same-to-next-day delivery service. Dash automates the task of creating a shopping list. It looks like a little wand, and you can speak into it, or use it to scan a barcode. Dash then adds those items to your Amazon Fresh account. When you’re ready, all the items you’ve added are there waiting for you to schedule a delivery. You have to be an Amazon Prime Fresh customer to get one (Prime Fresh costs $300 per year, and is only available in a few cities) and, for now at least, you’ll also need an invitation code from Amazon. Look, this is rad. We haven’t gotten a chance to play with it yet, but it looks incredibly beguiling—dangerous even, in that it’s going to make it super easy to buy things. There’s no app to launch. It’s just there, on. That loop on the end of the handle? That’s where you’re going to hang it on your refrigerator or pantry. Yes, you can already do a lot of this with smartphone apps. But this is just easier and faster and dedicated. Dedicated devices don’t always make sense (see: cameras). But other times, they’re incredibly useful. This looks to be one of those times. (Price: $179/ Availability: April) Nvidia Tegra Note 7 LTE (Price: $299/ Availability: April) The outlook: One of the most powerful and cheap-est tablets gets LTE. Thanks to its Tegra 4 processor and $199 price, the Tegra Note 7 is one of the best and cheapest ways to get a good Android gaming machine. The LTE version is $299, but if accessing the Internet on the go is a priority for you, this looks like a viable option. range. Sony’s Turbocharged 4K Shooter Sucks in Crazy Amounts of Light The field of cameras and camcorders that are capable of shooting 4K video just expanded by one. And this one has the biggest sensor of any sub-$10,000 model. The new Sony Alpha A7S packs a full-frame sensor and uses the company’s E-mount lenses, making it the second mirrorless camera to venture into 4K video territory. The A7S shoots 3840 x 2160 video at 30fps or 24fps, and Sony says the new camera uses the entire width of its full-frame sensor in videocapture mode. That’s a trait that separates it from the $10,000 Canon EOS-1D C — another full-frame, 4K-capable camera that uses a Acer Iconia A1830 smaller portion of its sensor to capture video. Sony is also touting the lack of visible noise and moire effect in footage shot with the A7S, attributing those strengths in part to a full-pixel readout instead of pixel binning in video mode. In boring old Full HD mode, it’s able to record 1080p video at 24, 30, or 60fps to SD cards, as well as 720p video at up to 120fps. But unlike the 4K-capable Panasonic Lumix GH4 announced earlier this year, you’ll need some extra hardware to actually save Ultra HD footage. Using an HDMI cable, the camera offloads uncompressed 4K video to a compat- The outlook: The Acer Iconia A1-830 won’t blow you away with its specs, but those looking for a decent budget option might find the 7.9-inch tablet a worthy option. It looks like an iPad Mini, thanks to its 4:3 aspect ratio, which is sure to catch the eye of shoppers, but it’s better for very casual use -- like checking email -- or as an inexpensive slate for your children. (Courtesy: cnet.com) ible recording device, such as the recently announced Atomos Shogun, which may end up costing as much as the camera itself. You can also use the same uncompressed HDMI feed to watch 4K video on an Ultra HD monitor or set as it’s being shot. While those 4K features have some limitations, the A7S will have very few boundaries when it comes to shooting stills in the dark. The camera’s ISO equivalency settings reach up to an astounding ISO 409,600. Plus, its full-frame sensor has a modest pixel density of 12.2 megapixels, so while it’s the same size as the imagers found in the Sony Alpha A7 and A7R — 24.3 and 36.4 megapixels, respectively — you might see less noise at the upper reaches of the ISO range. Unlike the Alpha A7, which has a hybrid phaseand contrast-detection AF system that adds up to a combined 142 AF points, the new A7S is limited to the 25-point contrast-detection system found in the Alpha A7R. Like its brethren, the A7S has a 2.3-million-dot eye-level OLED viewfinder, built-in Wi-Fi for downloading apps and sharing content, and NFC for pairing the camera easily to Android devices. The new 4K-capable Alpha camera is coming this summer, but we don’t know exactly when or for how much just yet. (Tim Moynihan-wired.com) 5 6 Life Style Thursday, 10 April 2014 EverydayFood: GRILLING RECIPES FOR TAILGATING Fire up the grill at your next big game-day tailgate and try one of these recipes for classic dishes such as hamburgers, sausages, and hot dogs; crowd-pleasing meals including turkey breast, spare ribs, and leg of lamb; plus grilled corn and s’mores. Ingredients: • 3 pounds ground beef chuck • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce • Coarse salt and ground pepper • 4 ounces blue cheese (or other soft cheese, such as Brie) • Oil, for grates • 8 rolls or buns, split • 2 cups packed baby spinach • 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 8 slices • Sautéed mushrooms (optional) • Grainy mustard (optional) • Roasted red-pepper sauce Directions: • Heat grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, gently fold together beef, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Form into 8 equal-size mounds. • Shape cheese into 8 equal-size disks. Press a small well in the centre of each beef mound. Place cheese in well; wrap beef around cheese, pinching to seal. • Lightly oil grates. Place burgers on grill; cover. Cook until grill marks are visible on first side, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn burgers with a spatula; cook until grill marks are visible on other side and meat is just slightly pink in the middle, 4 to 6 minutes more for mediumrare. • To serve, layer bottom roll halves with spinach, burgers, tomato, and mushrooms, if using, dividing evenly. Spread top roll half with mustard and roasted red-pepper sauce, as desired. Chicago-Style Hot Dogs Cheese-Stuffed Burgers Ingredients: • 1 tablespoon grainy mustard • 2 teaspoons white vinegar • Coarse salt and ground pepper • 1/4 sweet onion (such as Vidalia), thinly sliced • 1 Kirby cucumber, cut into thin strips • 1 tomato, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced • 1/2 cup celery leaves • 2 tablespoons chopped sport pepper or pepperoncini • 4 beef hot dogs • 4 hot dog buns, grilled • 4 pickle spears • Relish Directions: • In a medium bowl, whisk together grainy mustard and white vinegar; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Add sweet onion, cucumber, tomato, celery leaves, and sport pepper; toss to combine. • Grill hot dogs over mediumhigh heat until charred and heated through, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve hot dogs in grilled hot dog buns and top each with a pickle spear and relish. Grilled Shrimp and Sausage on Skewers Grilled Spare Ribs with Barbecue Sauce Ingredients: • 2 slabs beef spare ribs (2 1/2 pounds each) • 2 tablespoons chili powder • Coarse salt and ground pepper • 1 tablespoon butter • 1/2 small onion, grated • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 1/2 cups ketchup • 1/3 cup cider vinegar • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper • Desired variations (Kansas City style: 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar, 2 tablespoons molasses, and 1 tablespoon yellow mustard; Memphis style: 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco) and 1/4 cup sugar; Dallas style: 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle in ado) • Oil, for grates Cook’s Note: The base of our three sauces is made with ketchup, vinegar, onion, garlic, and cayenne. Add one of the variations for a sweet, spicy, or smoky sauce. Directions: • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season ribs with chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stack slabs on a double layer of aluminium foil; wrap tightly. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook until meat is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. • Meanwhile, make barbecue sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, cayenne, and desired variation (see ingredients above). Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thick, about 5 minutes. Set aside. • Heat grill to medium-high; lightly oil grates. Carefully remove ribs from foil, pouring off any accumulated liquid. Brush ribs generously with sauce; grill until charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with extra sauce, if desired. Ingredients: • 24 jumbo shrimp (about 2 pounds), peeled and deveined, tails intact • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice • 1 lime, cut into wedges • 8 ounces dried beef sausage, cut on the bias into sixteen 1-inch pieces • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper • 2 firm, ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into wedges Directions: • Toss shrimp, garlic, oil, and lime juice in a large baking dish. Cover, and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, soak 8 wooden skewers in water. • Preheat grill to medium-high. Thread 3 shrimp and 2 slices sausage onto each skewer, alternating pieces. Season with salt. Grill until shrimp are opaque and sausage is slightly softened, about 3 minutes per side. • Arrange avocados on a platter. Squeeze lime wedges over avocados, and season with salt and pepper. Serve with shrimp-and- sausage skewers. Beauty Thursday, 10 April 2014 NEW BEAUTY PRODUCTS TO TRY Revamping your beauty routine has never been easier with a cool new class of fresh products on the shelves. Try out some of the best new products this summer, listed below: L’Oreal Miss Rebel Collection Armani Mediterranea Collection Inspired by the intensity of Italian sun, Giorgio Armani Beauty unveils its interpretation of healthy glow makeup. Armani has dedicated all of its expertise in fabrics and face makeup to create a 100% natural sun-kissed look. The secret of this iconic Maestro formula is no water or white powder. Instead, it contains five non-comedogenic oils, including white lotus oil, which gradually evaporate upon application and leave you with a “no makeup feel.” The ultra-fine oil-pigments suspension enhances the skin and is enriched with finely milled micro-pearls for liquid summer bronzer and essential concentrated pigments for fusion blush. For optimal results, use a single drop of the highly pigmented blush formula. Here is a look at L’Oreal’s Miss Rebel Collection, which features 3 shades of L’Oreal’s Colour Riche Le Crayons, the Miss Manga mascara, and 3 nail polishes. Bobbi Brown Brown Sugar Collection This makeup collection is a perfect choice for hot summer season because this collection work with all skin tones and create an amazing look. Bobbi Brown basically is a makeup artist and knows deeply about the different skin tones. She has a desire to create a makeup collection which works well with all skin tones. Colours of Brazil 2014 Summer Make-Up Collection from Clarins Clarins reinterprets Rio and its overflowing creativity and Communicative energy, with a sunkissed complexion, intense eyes and luscious lips. Discover Guess Girl Summer Limited Edition A floral citrus fragrance that is uplifting, carefully crafted and singing with summer freshness. It opens at first with the sparkling zestiness of crisp, refreshing citrus notes that unfold into the soft sweetness of dewy Neroli petals, Orange Blossom, vibrant Honeysuckle, delicate Beach Flower and gorgeous Water Lily to create a modern, sparkling femininity. To end, a hint of spicy Teak Wood, Creamy Musk Captive and exotic Vanilla Orchid for a touch of sensuous and provocative daring. Top Notes: Italian Bergamot, Sparkling Mandarin, Neroli Petals Middle Notes: Orange Blossom, Honeysuckle, Beach Flower, Water Lily Base Notes: Teak Wood, Creamy Musk Captive, Vanilla Orchid Perfumer: Honorine Blanc of Firmenich Olfactive Family: Floral Citrus Lip Balm Crayon Truly Waterproof Mascara A creamy texture which smoothes perfectly over lips to give an ultrashiny, natural look and instant moisturisation which is also longlasting. Thickens, lengthens and coats lashes. Waterproof Eye Pencil Colours of Brazil Summer Bronzing Compact Accentuates the eyes with an intense, waterproof line. A sun-kissed complexion and a natural, customised sun make-up look. Fix’ Make-Up Shimmer Oil Face & Body Illuminates, nourishes and perfumes. Colours of Brazil Summer Bronzing Compact Colours of Brazil Eye Quartet & Liner Palette The secret to a flawless, sun-kissed complexion. 4 wet & dry eye shadows with matte, iridescent and satin effects and 1 cream-texture electric blue eyeliner to intensify the eyes. Lip Balm Crayon Fixes make-up from morning to night. Have fun in the sun, with pretty transparent colour for lips. Pencils at the ready! 7 8 Thursday, 10 April 2014 AIGNER FALL WINTER 2014 - 2015 READY TO WEAR Udo Edling doesn’t approve in following trends. 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