A

lthough food allergies have gar-

nered a lot of attention lately, a
new study reports that medications
are actually the biggest cause of sud-
den deaths related to allergy. Over a lit-
tle more than a decade, nearly 60 per-
cent of the allergy-related deaths were
caused by medications, while less than
7 percent were caused by food allergies,
the study found. Learn more about
such latest fndings in our Health page.
Consciousness may remain min-
utes after heart stops. Yes, some peo-
ple may retain awareness after they
have technically died, according to a
study into hospital patients who went
into deep cardiac arrest. Fifteen hospi-
tals in Britain, Austria and the United
States pooled information about more
than 2,000 cardiac arrest patients.
Te research, published in the Euro-
pean journal Resuscitation, sought to
assess near-death experiences and
other phenomena recounted by people
hauled back from clinical death -- when
heart and brain activity have stopped.
Meanwhile, you can browse through
our Ask Martha section where Martha
helps you establish a great clotheskeep-
ing routine by revealing how a little
extra care can go a long way toward
helping your wardrobe stay in excellent
condition!
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!
Little known facts
M
ark Zuckerberg said in 2010
that privacy was no longer a
social norm. But four years
later, the pendulum might be ready to
swing the other way.
Te second generation of digital citi-
zens - teenagers and millennials, who
have spent most, if not all, of their lives
online - appear to be more likely to em-
brace the tools of privacy and protect
their personal information.
Disappearing-message apps like
Snapchat and Cyber Dust have been em-
braced by young people who arent eager
to leave too much of a digital footprint.
Video apps like Vine and Instagram let
you create an edited version of your
world instead of uploading all your per-
sonal details.
Even Facebook, despite years of re-
sistance, recently changed its default
for new posts from public to friends
and introduced tools that let you easily
untag yourself in other peoples photos
and change old posts from public to
friends-only.
Previously there had been a sort of
undue trust in the magic of cloud ser-
vices, said Justin Brookman, director
of the Consumer Privacy Project at the
Center for Democracy & Technology.
People are starting to reconsider that.
For some people, the results will
be that we dont have any privacy and
we should get over that, he said. But
I dont think people want that. Weve
seen the younger generation search
out tools that let them communicate in
more private ways.
Tese tools arent foolproof, but they
speak to an interest in sharing less free-
ly and being more judicious.
Devices like the Blackphone also ofer
expanded tools for protecting your pri-
vacy, like encryption of data and more
secure app management that could
trickle into mainstream products.
And regulatory pressure in the Unit-
Online Privacy: Maybe Not
So Unreasonable, After All
ed States and Europe may be forcing
companies to think twice about what
they do with personal information.
Youre seeing more pressure on com-
panies to be more explicit about what
theyre doing with your data, Brook-
man said. But a lot of companies would
just as soon fy under the radar. Requir-
ing real transparency and real choice
would help a lot in these matters.
Tere may be only so much we can
do to protect ourselves against hackers
bent on stealing our information.
You can create stronger passwords
and enable things like multifactor au-
thentication, which adds steps to log-
ging into an online account.
Sure, a person wearing Google Glass
could be surreptitiously recording your
conversations or actions in public. But
many losses of online privacy are self-
inficted. Tats one reason the phrase
reasonable expectation of privacy has
a tortured history on the Web.
Its origins are in a United States Su-
preme Court ruling that helped refne
the Fourth Amendment to the Constitu-
tion, which protects citizens against un-
reasonable search and seizure. A 1967
ruling by the court created the concept
of the expectation of privacy, but fur-
ther cases determined that the expec-
tation might not exist for information
that you knowingly expose to a third
party.
Tat cuts a pretty broad path, it turns
out, since it applies to almost any infor-
mation you give to someone else.
And while it used to be assumed that
you had a reasonable expectation of pri-
vacy in places like your home, privacy on
the Internet or anything connected to it
has proved difcult to defend. It doesnt
help if you willingly share information
with other people - and companies - on
social media.
Your phone may also be tracking
your precise location and compiling a
complete record of your whereabouts.
Although the Supreme Court ruled this
year that police cant search a phone
without a warrant, the United States
government has argued that it doesnt
need a warrant to obtain that history
from cellular providers, because you
cant reasonably expect that informa-
tion to be private.
Te ads you click on and your search
history paint a picture of what you buy,
what interests you and what ails you.
Even your email and personal mes-
sages may be fair game. Google said in
a 2013 court fling that users had no
reasonable expectation that their email
communications are confdential.
Tats a wind-up to say that for
young people - and maybe even some of
the older ones - there is plenty of data
pointing to a need to think twice about
their online behaviour.
Last year, the Pew Research Center
reported that 86 percent of Internet
users had taken some kind of steps to
avoid being identifed or tracked online,
even though almost 60 percent of them
thought that true online anonymity was
impossible.
Tey might be right about anonym-
ity, but others might still argue that
keeping at least some privacy is worth
a shot.
(Molly Wood-nytsyn.com)
Thursday, 16 October 2014
MEDICINES ARE BIGGEST
CULPRIT IN FATAL ALLERGIC
REACTIONS: STUDY
BRAVE OR RECKLESS? THRILL-
SEEKERS BRAINS CAN TELLYOU
NINARICCI
SPRING SUMMER 2015
2 4 8
PUBLISHED BY DISTRIBUTED WITH
Issue No.
142
Even Decaf
Coffee May
Help The
Liver
A
nother study suggests that cof-
fee might actually be healthy
for your liver, and that even
decafeinated cofee may have this ef-
fect.
Prior research had suggested that
drinking cofee may help protect the
organ, but the new study suggests caf-
feine might not be the active ingre-
dient at work.
In this study, researchers led by
Dr. Qian Xiao, of the U.S. National
Cancer Institute, analysed data from
nearly 28,000 Americans, aged 20
and older, who provided information
on their cofee consumption. Tey were
also checked for blood levels of several
enzymes associated with liver health.
Te study was published online recently
in the journal Hepatology.
People who drank three or more cups of
cofee a day -- including those who drank only
decaf cofee -- had lower levels of these enzymes,
an indication of better liver health.
Our fndings link total and decafeinated cofee in-
take to lower liver enzyme levels, Xiao said in a journal
news release. Tese data suggest that ingredients in cofee,
other than cafeine, may promote liver health. Further studies
are needed to identify these components.
Te study only showed an association between cofee drinking
and liver health, it could not prove cause-and-efect.
However, prior research has suggested that cofee may help lower
the risk of diabetes, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,
cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
Tere have been several studies which have intimated that drink-
ing cofee may be protective to the liver and even prevent the develop-
ment of liver cancer, noted one expert, Dr. David Bernstein, chief of
the division of hepatology at North Shore University Hospital in Man-
hasset, N.Y.
But, while these studies are interesting, the concept that cofee is
protective to the liver is a difcult one to prove, he stressed.
Perhaps the most important piece of information to be gleaned from this
study is that the protective efects are unrelated to cafeine but in fact related to some intrinsic
component of cofee itself, Bernstein added.
With that information, it would be important for future studies to attempt to isolate the ingredient of cofee
which gives this efect in the hopes that the protective factor could be manufactured and used in patients with liver
disease, he said.
(HealthDay News)
A
lthough food allergies have garnered a lot
of attention lately, a new study reports that
medications are actually the biggest cause
of sudden deaths related to allergy.
Over a little more than a decade, nearly 60
percent of the allergy-related deaths were caused
by medications, while less than 7 percent were
caused by food allergies, the study found.
Medications can be dangerous, said study re-
searcher Dr. Elina Jerschow, director of the Drug
Allergy Center at Montefore Medical Center and
assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein
College of Medicine, in New York City.
While research from other countries has re-
ported medications as a major culprit in anaphy-
laxis-related deaths, Jerschow said, the problem
has been less defned in the United States. One
reason is that there is no national registry for ana-
phylaxis deaths, she said.
Te study was published online recently in the
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
In an allergic reaction, the immune system
overreacts to an allergen, releasing chemicals that
cause symptoms in one area of the body, such as
hives or an itchy feeling in the mouth or throat,
according to the American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). In a serious re-
action, known as anaphylaxis, the reaction afects
more of the body and may include symptoms such
as difculty breathing, wheezing or throat swell-
ing, the AAAAI reports.
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening emergency,
according to the AAAAI. An injection of a medica-
tion called epinephrine is needed to help reverse
these symptoms, the AAAAI said.
Te United States and Australia have some of
the highest rate of severe anaphylaxis in countries
that are developed, according to background in-
formation in the study.
For the new study, Jerschows team analysed
death certifcates from the U.S. National Mortal-
ity Data Base from 1999 to 2010. Te researchers
found almost 2,500 deaths related to anaphylaxis,
and then tried to determine what caused the reac-
tion.
Te most common cause was medication,
which was implicated in nearly 59 percent of the
deaths. About 19 percent of death certifcates did
not specify a cause. Food accounted for just under
7 percent of deaths. Another 15 percent of deaths
were due to venom from an insect bite or sting,
according to the study.
Te drug that caused the reaction wasnt iden-
tifed in 75 percent of the deaths. When the re-
sponsible drug was identifed, it was an antibiotic
in 40 percent of the cases, Jerschow found. Te
next most common allergy-inducing drugs were
radiocontrast agents, which are used during diag-
nostic imaging tests, followed by chemotherapy
medications to treat cancer, the study reported.
From 1999 to 2010, the number of fatal drug
reactions nearly doubled, according to the re-
searchers.
Tis increase could be due to more medications
use, more tests with contrast material, better diag-
nosis, and to some degree, coding changes entered
by hospital personnel, according to the study.
Tose most at risk of having a fatal anaphylac-
tic reaction were older adults and blacks, the study
found.
Te study numbers dont surprise Dr. Wally
Ghurabi, chief of emergency medicine at Santa
Monica-UCLA Medical Center.
If such allergic reactions happen within the
hospital, the situation is typically safer, because
lifesaving treatments are at hand, he said.
If the reaction occurs at home, getting to a hos-
pital as soon as possible is crucial, Ghurabi said.
Its also important to know the symptoms of
a serious allergic reaction, he said. Tese could
include swelling, wheezing, shortness of breath,
hives and passing out, according to the AAAAI.
Te severity of a reaction cannot be predicted,
Ghurabi said. However, some people are more
prone to more serious reactions, such as anyone
who has had a serious allergic reaction in the past.
Tose who are prone to allergic reactions should
talk to their doctor about getting epinephrine kits
and keeping them in their car, their bag and at
home, he said.
And, be sure the kit contents are current and
not expired, he said. People also need to learn how
to use the injection kits. Ive seen people inject it
the wrong way, he said. Te time to learn is not
when you have the allergic reaction.
Instead, Ghurabi said, when you fll the pre-
scription, learn from the pharmacist exactly what
you need to do to use it properly.
If you, or someone you know is having a serious
allergic reaction, the AAAAI advises using inject-
able epinephrine and calling 911 for emergency
help.
(HealthDay News)
C
old temperatures may prompt unhealthy white fat
in the thighs and belly to turn into brown fat that
burns calories for body heat, a new study says.
But being obese appears to hinder this process, ac-
cording to researchers.
Most adult fat deposits are whats known as
white fat, and it was once believed that only ba-
bies have brown fat, which appears to help keep
them warm.
Previous research suggested, however,
that adults also have some brown fat. Ten
a study published in 2012 by researchers
at Harvard determined that the brown fat
found in adults isnt the same as brown fat
in babies.
Brown fat in babies arises from muscle,
but brown fat in adults is actually a beige
fat that occurs from the browning of
white fat, the Harvard team explained.
For the new study, a team of research-
ers led by Dr. Philip Kern of the University
of Kentucky School of Medicine compared
belly fat taken from 55 people during the
summer and the winter. Tey also examined
thigh fat collected from 16 people after they
held an ice pack on their skin for 30 minutes.
Belly fat taken from people in the winter had
higher levels of two genetic markers for brown
fat than belly fat collected in the summer, the
study found.
Te thigh fat taken after people placed an ice pack
on their skin also had higher levels of three genetic mark-
ers linked with brown fat, the researchers reported.
However, these brown fat-producing efects were blunt-
ed in obese people, according to the study released Oct.
9 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
online.
We wanted to investigate whether human adults had
the ability to transform some white fat deposits into beige
fat when they were exposed to cold, Kern said in a journal
news release.
Browning fat tissue would be an excellent defence
against obesity. It would result in the body burning extra
calories rather than converting them into additional fat
tissue, he added.
Kern said the fndings indicate infammation can hin-
der the conversion of white to beige fat.
Prior research has shown that brown fat prevents obe-
sity in rodents, according to the researchers. And several
past studies have suggested that cooler temperatures may
help burn calories in humans, including one study that
suggested the efect might be linked to brown fat.
But for now, the research is preliminary and experts
say its too soon to know if cold temperatures would have
much of an efect on weight in people.
(HealthDay News)
Medicines Are Biggest
Culprit In Fatal Allergic
Reactions: Study
Body May Change Bad Fat
To Good After Exposure To Cold
IN A SERIOUS REACTION, KNOWN AS
ANAPHYLAXIS, THE REACTION AFFECTS
MORE OF THE BODY AND MAY INCLUDE
SYMPTOMS SUCH AS DIFFICULTY
BREATHING, WHEEZING OR THROAT
SWELLING, THE AAAAI REPORTS.
2
Thursday, 16 October 2014
Ask
Martha
Fine Living
cheaply. I am most pleased that I have kept fne clothes looking
almost unworn for years. And it is such a good feeling when I put
on something from seven or 10 years ago and get compliments
like, When did you get that fabulous jacket? And where? I
love being able to say, Oh, years ago!
1. STEAMING
Use a steamer to refresh your clothes and release
wrinkles. Te steam plumps up fbres rather
than fattening them, so its gentler than
ironing. (To remove tough wrinkles or get
a crisp crease, you still need to iron.) Its
also faster, can be used on virtually
any fabric and will limit trips to the
dry cleaner, which is particularly
hard on clothes. Heres what I do
with garments - especially structured
ones, like blazers - at the end of the day.
Remove Lint: Use an adhesive roller to pick
up any lint or pet hair.
Spot-Clean: Dab with a barely damp cloth to
remove any visible dirt.
Steam: Run a steamer along the garment in an up-and-
down motion.
2. SORTING AND PREPPING
Dont skip this step - its important to wash like things together
to prevent damage and get clothes their cleanest. Sorting
properly means you can use the best cycle for each particular
garment.
Beyond Lights And Darks
Most people sort into these two categories, which is certainly
good and necessary. but further sorting is even better. Separate
heavy fabrics, like denim (which can be very abrasive), from
more delicate ones, and very dirty clothes from lightly soiled
pieces. Wash towels and sheets on their own.
Before You Wash
Zip zippers, tie drawstrings and empty pockets. Treat any stains.
If clothes need mending, do it before washing them. If youre
not hand-washing delicates, put them in a mesh bag. And check
new items for color-fastness: Dampen a discreet spot, then blot
it with a white cloth to see if dye bleeds. If so, wash the item on
its own until color stops running (include an old white sock in
the wash to check).
3. WASHING
Use the gentlest cycle and coolest temperature that will get
your clothes clean. (A short cycle may be fne for most items,
though gardening gear or childrens play clothes, for example,
may require a prewash or heavy-duty cycle.) Dont overload
the washing machine or add more detergent than the packaging
calls for in an efort to get clothes cleaner - it may not rinse out
thoroughly. I like Persil detergent, and I wash my white towels
and linens in hot water, but everything else is done in warm or
cold. Always check stains when clothes come out of the washer;
if theyre not gone, treat them and wash again.
4. DRYING
I air-dry almost everything - its easier on my clothes and saves
energy, too. It is especially important for delicate items and
those that stretch, such as my yoga clothes, to help them keep
their shape. If you do tumble-dry your clothes, do not overload
the dryer or overdry the fabrics. Take the clothes out when
they are just barely damp, and fold or hang them right away to
prevent wrinkles.
5. STORING
Dont crowd garments in a closet. Clothing needs room; it
should be uncompressed, with space for air circulation. Tats
why I dont use those skinny hangers that are reputed to ft two
or three times as many garments in a closet. If clothes have
been to the dry cleaner, I remove the plastic bags (but I keep a
few on hand to slip over clothes when I travel - a great trick for
preventing wrinkles in a suitcase).
About Sweaters
I try not to hang sweaters (except for my jacket sweaters,
which I keep on wooden hangers with foam nonslip covers). I
never iron them but do steam them as needed. After theyre
hand-washed, sweaters are blocked and dried on a fat surface
atop a terry-cloth towel. Good wool or cashmere scarves are
cared for the same way. Folded on shelves, sweaters and scarves
stay fresh and ready to wear.
Hanging Clothes
I am very fnicky about how I hang my clothes. Coats need
broad wooden hangers to keep shoulders aligned and prevent
misshapen garments. Silk blouses, cotton shirts and vests need
smaller but still well-shaped hangers to keep shoulders shapely
and bodies of garments unwrinkled. Pants and jeans are best on
hangers ftted with clips.
Making Your
Clothes Last Longer
10 TIPS FOR ORGANISING
YOUR CLOSET
Storing your clothes well means theyll always look
their best. And when your closets and drawers are
well organised, youll fnd you wear more of your
clothes more often.
1. Divide the closet into zones, and use three
short rods rather than a single long one. Hang
dresses, robes, and coats from one high rod;
hang blouses and short items from another
high rod, and skirts and folded slacks from a
low rod below.
2. Group clothes by colour.
3. Stack cubbies across the closet foor to create
space for shoes.
4. Make sure shelves are adjustable, and line
them with smooth vinyl matting, usually used
to protect drafting tables. Cut the matting to
ft each shelf, and fasten it with double-sided
tape.
5. Clean garments before storing them for the
season. Sugar stains can set and spread over
time. View our stain chart for information
about treating stains.
6. Remove dry-cleaning bags, which trap
moisture; use fabric bags instead. And dont
store wool or silk in airtight containers -- they
need to breathe.
7. Line very light garments with acid-free tissue.
8. Fibres can dry out if the closet temperature is
consistently above 75 degrees.
9. Never let mothballs touch clothing; hang them
in old socks or hosiery. If you suspect moth
infestation, dry-clean the clothes, and wash
the closet with mild soap and water.
10. Before storing heavy coats, stuf the arms with
acid-free tissue.
ORGANISING CLOSETS AND DRAWERS
E
stablish a great
clotheskeeping
routine and see
how a little extra care can
go a long way toward helping
your wardrobe stay in excellent
condition.
Building and maintaining a wardrobe
takes time and efort, and clothing is a major
investment for all of us. I am a very careful shopper,
and I try to buy well-made clothing that is stylish but classic
- clothing that will be wearable for a long time. I think I have
developed and practice methods that will help keep my wardrobe
beautiful without massive cleaning bills. (Dry cleaning and professional
laundry bills can certainly impair ones clothing budget, and overcleaning is not
good for fabrics or for the longevity of your clothing!)
I am often at public appearances, and I need well-pressed, properly ftting
clothing that looks appropriate for the occasion. I do not have a full-time stylist
or wardrobe mistress, so I am very particular about home care for my clothing.
Careful washing for cottons, linens, and even wool and cashmere sweaters is
essential. Drying clothes on a rack, towel or clothesline instead of throwing
everything in the dryer will keep fabrics from aging prematurely. Spot-cleaning
small stains or smudges on clothes will lessen trips to the dry cleaner. And
steaming suits, dresses and slacks after wearing will keep them ready for a trip,
a meeting or a dinner date. Whats more, if your clothes are maintained in a
careful way, you can dress, pack or change much more quickly, efciently and
ORGANISING DRESSER
DRAWERS
Tese strategies will help you organise your dresser
drawers.
Accessories Drawer: Line shallow top drawers
with velvet (use archival glue to back the velvet
with poster board). Tis will provide plush support
for delicate items such as scarves and jewellery.
Martha likes to use small aluminium containers to
store notions.
Sweater Drawer: Use a deep drawer for sweaters
-- never hang knits -- and place cedar blocks inside
to fend of moths.
Knitwear, Stockings, and T-shirts: Create
removable compartments that ft your clothes
(placing small boxes inside drawers for items such
as underwear and socks), and make the fewest
folds possible in order to reduce creasing. Line
drawers with acid-free tissue paper.
Pants Drawer: Save a drawer for khakis and jeans.
Acid-free paper will protect them from splinters
and acids in the wood.
3
Thursday, 16 October 2014
S
ome people may retain awareness
after they have technically died, ac-
cording to a study into hospital pa-
tients who went into deep cardiac
arrest.
Fifteen hospitals in Britain, Austria and
the United States pooled information about
more than 2,000 cardiac arrest patients.
Te research, published in the Europe-
an journal Resuscitation, sought to assess
near-death experiences and other phe-
nomena recounted by people hauled back
from clinical death -- when heart and brain
activity have stopped.
Of the 2,060 patients, 330 were resus-
citated, of whom 101 completed in-depth,
two-stage interviews afterwards.
Tirty-nine percent described a percep-
tion of awareness before their heart was
restarted but did not have an explicit recall
of events.
Tis suggests that more people may
have mental activity initially but then lose
their memories after recovery, either due to
the efects of brain injury or sedative drugs
on memory recall, says the studys lead
author Dr. Sam Parnia of the University of
Southampton.
Forty-six per cent said they had feelings
of fear, violence or persecution, deja-vu, or
images of relatives, animals and plants.
Only nine per cent reported the better-
known near-death experience, such as the
sensation of detachment from the body.
Two per cent said they could explicitly
recall seeing and hearing events while
they were technically dead.
In one such case, the patient was able to
recall two beeps from a machine that made
a noise at three-minute intervals, enabling
the researchers to time how long the expe-
rience lasted.
Tis is signifcant, since it has often
been assumed that experiences in rela-
tion to death are likely hallucinations or
illusions, occurring either before the heart
stops or after the heart has been success-
fully restarted, but not an experience corre-
sponding with real events when the heart
isnt beating, says Parnia, now at the State
University of New York at Stony Brook.
In this case, consciousness and aware-
ness appeared to occur during a three-min-
ute period when there was no heartbeat.
Tis is paradoxical, since the brain
typically ceases functioning within 20-30
seconds of the heart stopping and doesnt
resume again until the heart has been re-
started. Furthermore, the detailed recollec-
tions of visual awareness in this case were
consistent with verifed events.
Parnia says more work was needed to
see whether awareness persisted into clini-
cal death.
(Source: AFP)
S
cientists have detected hun-
dreds of genetic variants re-
lated to height, in research
that could aid the fght against
stature-related diseases.
Te international team of scien-
tists, analysed data from more than a
quarter of a million people from Euro-
pean ancestry, all from Europe, North
America and Australia.
Tey found 697 single changes in
the genetic code, located in 424 re-
gions, they report in the journal Na-
ture Genetics.
Weve found the genetic variants
-- the pieces of DNA that vary from
person to person -- that accounts for
20 per cent of the genetic component
to normal variation in height, says
geneticist Timothy Frayling of the
University of Exeter in the United
Kingdom.
Tis goes a long way towards ful-
flling a scientifc curiosity that could
have real impact in the treatment of
diseases that can be infuenced by
height, says Frayling.
Tese include diseases such as os-
teoporosis, cancer or heart disease,
which are also caused by the com-
bined infuence of many genes acting
together.
It is also a step forward towards
a test that may reassure parents wor-
ried that their child is not growing as
well as theyd hoped -- most of these
children have simply inherited a big
batch of short genes.
How tall or short a person be-
comes is estimated to be 80 per cent
genetic, with nutrition and other en-
vironmental factors accounting for
the rest. Te worlds people on aver-
age have become taller over the past
few generations because of factors
including improved nutrition.
Many genes pinpointed in the
study are probably important regula-
tors of skeletal growth, but were not
previously known to be involved, say
the researchers.
Some were related to collagen, a
component of bone; a component of
cartilage called chondroitin sulfate;
and growth plates, the area of grow-
ing tissue near the ends of the bodys
long bones.
However, some of the new genes
have no known function in growth
regulation but represent promising
avenues for future research, they say.
Power of numbers
Te research project, known as the
GIANT consortium, involved more
than 450 experts from over 300 in-
stitutions in Australia, the USA and
several European countries.
Te team had previously identifed
and identifed 199 genetic variants re-
siding in 180 genome regions.
Te new fndings highlight the im-
portance of large sample sizes in stud-
ies of complex human traits, say the
researchers.
By doubling the sample size, we
doubled the number of gene regions
that are connected to height, and
greatly increased by about seven-fold
the number of actual genes where we
can make a connection to the biol-
ogy of normal skeletal growth, says
study co-author Dr Joel Hirschhorn, a
geneticist and paediatric endocrinolo-
gist at Boston Childrens Hospital and
the Broad Institute of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and Harvard
University.
Te study narrows down the
genomic regions that contain a sub-
stantial proportion of remaining vari-
ation -- to be discovered with even
larger sample sizes, adds Professor
Peter Visscher of the University of
Queensland.
(Source: ABC/AFP)
Consciousness may remain
minutes after heart stops
Gene haul steps
up understanding
of human height
Brave or reckless? Thrill-
seekers brains can tell you
o o yo you u ha have ve aan n an anno noyi ying ng ffri rienn end d wh wh ho o
lo love vess bu bung ngee ee jjum umpi ping ng oorr ha hang ng-g -gli lidi ding ng, ,
and is i alw l ays bl b at athe h ring on abbouut ho h w
it nnev e er e scare r s th t em? Ra Rathher r thann be b -
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is is tthe he frsst t too aatt ttem empt pt tto o te teas ase e app apar a tt th th theee di ddife fe ferrrr--
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ca card rd-c -car arry ryin ing g ri ri risk sk sk sk-t -t -ttak ak ak aker er er er,, th th th t e e ee te te te team am am amlllled ed ed ed bbbby yyy Li Li Li Lili li lian an anne ne ne
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pe peop o le l who ttak akee ri risk skss an and d pe peop ople wwho dont.
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th thos osee who ta take ke rrisks adaptively and those who
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ta take kers rs ppro roce cess ss ppot oten enti tial al ddan ange ge g r r in in tthe he ssam amee wa way y
or dddoo so so s me me me iiign gn gnor or oreee th th thee ri risk sk s ss mo mo ore re re tttha ha han n ot othe hers rs?
To fnd out, the researchers goott their part rtic icii-
pant ntss to to com ompl plet etee se seve vera rall pe perssonnal a itty y qu q es e tion-
na nair ires,, in incl c ud u ing one that askedd the h m to t rankk
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ci ircuit t wh wh wh whiic ichhh is is iis is ii iiiiiinv nnv nv nv nv nv nnn ol ol oll ol olve ve ve veee ved d d dddd in iin in inn rrrrrris iss is is isk k k k kkk as a seess ss ss me me me ment nt nt nnn --
wa ww s we ell-regulat ated ed. A A A we well ll-r -reg eguulated e ccir ircu cuitt iis s
on oneee th th t at at reacts to aa threa aattt an and d th then e retur urns ns ns ttttto oo a a
No fear
It really has to do with the reckless
and the brave, says Bruce McEwen at Rockefel-
ler University, New York, who wasnt involved
with the work. Te brave feel fear but are able to
overcome it, whereas the reckless seem to have a
brain that doesnt react as it should to alert them
to danger, he says.
Being able to tell the brave and the reck-
less apart is important in felds like the
military, says Mujica-Parodi. A healthy
amount of fear is necessary; those who
have none may put their own lives at risk
as well as the lives of others around them.
Some types of military recruitment in-
volve personality tests but Mujica-Parodis re-
sults show that brain scans are a better test. Te
brain is much more predictive of how people will
respond to genuine risk than just asking them,
she says. In certain high-stakes scenarios, there-
fore, it might be worth complementing psycho-
logical screening with neurobiological screening,
to help to distinguish the brave from the reck-
less.
(Mallory Locklear- newscientist)
normal state afterwards.
To test this, a loud, unpleasant noise was
made as the skydivers lay in the scanner. Tey
were also shown a series of faces some aggres-
sive, some less so to test their threat per-
ception. And on the day of the jump, the
team measured a stress hor mone
called cortisol in
spit samples collected
before and after.
Tey found that
people with better
regulation were bet-
ter at recognising
threat in angry
faces. Tey also
showed larger
increases in
stress hormones.
Conversely, poor
regulation was linked with poorer threat rec-
ognition and smaller hormone rises. Te less
people regulated their corticolimbic system, the
more muted a stress response they showed, says
co-author Jiook Cha.
While the study didnt look at fear itself, an
emotion that is difcult to measure objectively,
the dampened stress hormones and lesser re-
sponse to threat of some skydivers suggest that
they were less afected by it.
4
Thursday, 16 October 2014
1. Computing everywhere
As mobile devices continue to proliferate, Gartner predicts an
increased emphasis on serving the needs of the mobile user in
diverse contexts and environments, as opposed to focusing on de-
vices alone.
According to David Cearley of Gartner, as phones and wearable
devices become part of an expanded computing environment, its
the overall environment that will need to adapt to the require-
ments of the mobile user. Tis will create signifcant management
challenges for IT organisations as they lose control of user end-
point devices. It will also require increased attention to user ex-
perience design.
2. The internet of things
Te combination of data streams and services created by digit-
ising everything creates four basic usage models - Manage, mon-
etise, operate and extend. Tese four basic models can be applied
to any of the four internets.
Enterprises should not limit themselves to thinking that only
the Internet of Tings (IoT) (assets and machines) has the poten-
tial to leverage these four models. For example, the pay-per-use
model can be applied to assets (such as industrial equipment),
services (such as pay-as-you-drive insurance), people (such as
movers), places (such as parking spots) and systems (such as
cloud services). Enterprises from all industries can leverage these
four models.
3. 3D printing
Worldwide shipments of 3D printers are expected to grow 98%
in 2015, followed by a doubling of unit shipments in 2016.
New industrial, biomedical and consumer applications will
continue to demonstrate that 3D printing is a real, viable and
cost-efective means to reduce costs through improved designs,
streamlined prototyping and short-run manufacturing.
4. Advanced, pervasive and
invisible analytics
Analytics will take centre stage as the volume of data gener-
ated by embedded systems increases and vast pools of structured
and unstructured data inside and outside the enterprise are ana-
lysed.
Organisations will have to fnd ways to manage how best to
flter the huge amounts of data coming from the IoT, social me-
dia and wearable devices, and then deliver this information to the
right person, at the right time. Big data remains an important
enabler for this trend.
5. Context-rich systems
Ubiquitous embedded intelligence combined with pervasive
analytics will drive the development of systems that are alert to
their surroundings.
Context-aware security is an early application of this new ca-
pability, but others will emerge. By understanding the context of
a user request, applications can not only adjust their security re-
sponse but also adjust how information is delivered to the user.
6. Smart machines
Deep analytics applied to an understanding of context provide
the preconditions for a world of smart machines. Tis foundation
combines with advanced algorithms that allow systems to under-
stand their environment, learn for themselves, and act autono-
mously.
Prototype autonomous vehicles, advanced robots, virtual per-
sonal assistants and smart advisors already exist and will evolve
rapidly, ushering in a new age of machine helpers. Te smart ma-
chine era will be the most disruptive in the history of IT.
7. Cloud computing
Te convergence of cloud and mobile computing will continue
to promote the growth of centrally coordinated applications that
can be delivered to any device.
In the near term, the focus for cloud/client will be on synchro-
nising content and application state across multiple devices and
addressing application portability across devices. In the future,
games and enterprise applications alike will use multiple screens
and exploit wearables and other devices to deliver an enhanced
experience.
8. 8eftware-dened
applications and infrastructure
Software-defned networking, storage, data centres and se-
curity are maturing. Cloud services are software-confgurable
through API calls, and applications, too, increasingly have rich
APIs to access their function and content programmatically.
To deal with the rapidly changing demands of digital business
and scale systems up? Or down? Rapidly, computing has to move
away from static to dynamic models.
9. Web-scale IT
Web-scale IT is a pattern of global-class computing that de-
livers the capabilities of large cloud service providers within an
enterprise IT setting.
Te frst step toward the Web-scale IT future for many organi-
sations should be DevOps? Bringing development and operations
together in a coordinated way to drive rapid, continuous incre-
mental development of applications and services.
10. Risk-based security and
self-protection
Organisations will increasingly recognise that it is not possi-
ble to provide a 100% secured environment.
Security-aware application design, dynamic and static appli-
cation security testing, and runtime application self-protection
combined with active context-aware and adaptive access controls
are all needed in todays dangerous digital world.
Tis will lead to new models of building security directly into
applications. Perimeters and frewalls are no longer enough; every
app needs to be self-aware and self-protecting.
(Source: TOI Tech)
10 top
technology
trends for 2015
Wonder which are the technology trends that are like-
|y to have a s|gn|fcant |mpact on organ|sat|ons |n the
year 2015? Research agency Gartner has |dent|fed
10 such techno|og|es that organ|sat|ons cannot aford
to |gnore. However, |t |s not necessary that compan|es
adopt and |nvest |n a|| of these trends at the same
rate, but compan|es do need to |ook to make de||ber-
ate dec|s|ons about them dur|ng the next two years.
Heres looking
at the top 10
technology trends
that will prevail in
the coming year.
5
Thursday, 16 October 2014
Technology
Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 medium red onion, very
thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in
half lengthwise, divided
8 ounces fngerling potatoes,
sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch
rounds
3 sprigs basil, plus fresh basil
leaves for garnish
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper fakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground
pepper
4 skinless cod fllets (4 ounces
each)
4 ounces sugar snap peas,
trimmed and thinly sliced on
the bias
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice,
plus 4 lemon wedges, for serving
Extra-virgin olive oil, for
drizzling
Directions:
Bring broth, onion, 1 1/2
cups tomatoes, potatoes, basil
sprigs, red-pepper fakes, and 2
teaspoons salt to a boil in a large,
deep, straight-sided skillet with
a tight-ftting lid. Reduce heat
and simmer, uncovered, until
potatoes are crisp-tender, 6
to 8 minutes. Season cod with
salt and pepper, add to broth
mixture, and cover. Simmer
until fsh is opaque throughout
and just cooked through, about
7 minutes.
Remove and discard basil sprigs.
Add sugar snaps, remaining
1/2 cup tomatoes, and lemon
juice to skillet, gently stirring
to combine; cook just until
warmed through. Divide fsh,
vegetables, and broth among 4
bowls. Garnish with basil leaves,
drizzle with oil, and serve with
lemon wedges for squeezing.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 strip lemon peel (3 inches)
2 tablespoons all-purpose four
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/2 cup whole milk
4 cod fllets (5 ounces each), skinned
1/2 cup homemade or store-bought fsh or vegetable stock
Coarse salt
3/4 cup fnely chopped fresh fat-leaf parsley, plus sprigs for
garnish
2 tablespoons fnely chopped fresh chives
Directions:
Melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add four;
whisk until a paste forms. Reduce heat to low; cook, whisking,
2 minutes. Whisking constantly, pour in milk in a slow, steady
stream; whisk until incorporated. Whisk in stock. Add 1/2
teaspoon salt, and cook, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes.
Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
Stir in parsley and chives.
Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 quarts water, the lemon peel, 1/4 cup
lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saute
pan or other wide straight-sided pan. Place fllets in liquid (do
not crowd). Return to a boil, then immediately turn of the
heat. Let stand until just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Reheat sauce over medium-low heat, if necessary, and add
remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Gently lift fllets from
liquid with a slotted spatula; place a fllet on each of four
plates. Spoon one-quarter of sauce over each serving, and
garnish with a parsley sprig.
Life Style
This lean, delicate, sweet white sh is versatile
and simple to prepare. Try it in one of these
swimmingly good recipes
Poached Cod in Tomato Broth
Poached Cod with Parsley Sauce
EVERYDAY FOOD:
COOKING COD
Cod With Leeks
and Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced,
rinsed well, and patted dry
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
3 sprigs thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
4 cod fllets, each 6 to 8 ounces and 3/4 to 1 inch thick
Cooks Note:
Cut away and discard the root and dark-green leaves of the leeks,
then thinly slice the white and light-green parts crosswise into
rounds. Wash the pieces in several changes of cold water until
theres no more grit at the bottom of the bowl. Drain on paper
towels.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish,
toss together leeks, lemon juice, oil, lemon zest, thyme, 1/2
teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with foil, and
bake until leeks just begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove baking dish from oven. Add tomatoes, and toss to
combine. Season both sides of cod fllets with 1/2 teaspoon salt
and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; place on top of vegetables.
C di h d b k til f h i th h t b t 15 Cover dish and bake until fsh is opaque throughout, about 15
to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Shrimp, Cod, and Fennel Soup with Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, fnely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small fennel bulb, quartered lengthwise, cored, thinly sliced
crosswise, fronds reserved for garnish
Coarse salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 tbsp. white vinegar
4 cups fsh stock
12 ounces skinless cod fllets, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left intact)
Directions:
Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Score an X
into the bottom of each tomato using a sharp paring knife. Blanch
tomatoes until skins loosen, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to ice-
water bath using a slotted spoon. Peel and discard skins. Core and
coarsely chop tomatoes.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large pot over
medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, and sliced fennel until fragrant
and softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4
teaspoon white pepper. Remove from heat, add vinegar. Return to
heat, and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom using a
wooden spoon. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Add stock and chopped tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Stir in cod and
shrimp, and return to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let stand,
stirring halfway through, until cod and shrimp are just cooked
through, about 3 minutes. Divide soup among 4 bowls, and drizzle
with remaining tablespoon oil. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds.
Serve immediately.
6
Thursday, 16 October 2014
Beauty
SEPHORA LAUNCHES
LUXE GIFT SETS FOR
HOLIDAY 2014
Sephora has just launched a ton of new holiday
gift sets that look surprisingly luxe.
An all-in-one complexion palette for the face.
Achieve a fawless complexion, a sculpted look, or
a natural bronze glow with this all-in-one, fold-
out palette. Inside, youll fnd 19 shades of con-
cealer, bronzer, cream blush, powder blush, cream
highlighter, and powder highlighter suited for a
wide range of skintones.
DAVIDOFF COOL WATER
Cool Water Woman Night Dive perfectly refects the
waters skin caress, its coolness and enveloping qual-
ity and the oceanic feeling conveyed by the noctur-
nal sea. Tis fresh and empowering scent calls to
the most instinctive facet of a womans personal-
ity. It brings out a form of elementary attraction, a
natural blend of grace and self-confdence.
It opens with a sparkling mandarin from Italy.
Sensuous and catching, this head note grasps
the attention. It is an invitation to dive further,
deeper into the stirring fragrance. Te allur-
ing prelude gives way to an aromatic absolute
of lentisque wood. Herbaceous and woody, it
is a very distinctive note, the key signature
of the whole Cool Water Night Dive line. Te
entrancing trail comes from an elegant com-
bination of oriental patchouli and majestic
cedar wood. Tese strong base notes bring am-
plitude, depth and a touch of mystery to this
inimitable perfume.
DIOR GOLDEN
SHOCK
COLLECTION
HOLIDAY 2014
From the inception of the House
of Dior, gold has been a signature
color of the brand. From Mr. Diors
frst creations, which incorporated
highlights of rich gold as luxurious
accents, to the modern-yet-time-
less looks of Raf Simons, which
feature metallic gold elements to
balance audacious shades of red,
pink, blue and yellow, gold remains
a constant theme. Now, the Dior
Golden Shock Holiday Color Col-
lection draws inspiration from
Diors past and present by incorpo-
rating pops of color with dazzling
gold accents.
CELLULAR EYE ESSENCE
PLATINUM RARE
ONE DROP. OUT OF THIS WORLD
With Cellular Eye Essence Platinum Rare, skin experienc-
es the ultimate rejuvenation through comprehensive
benefts fueled by unique ingredients. An anti-wrin-
kle, frming peptide conjugated to platinum particles
ensures better peptide stability, delivery and efcacy,
while a bio-peptide complex helps stimulate cellular vitality,
and an instant Lifting and Tightening Complex, comprised of a
blend of three natural polymers, imparts an immediately notice-
able tensing instant tensing for a look of lift and frmness. For a
brightening efect, Cellular Eye Essence Platinum Rare is formu-
lated with White Bird of Paradise Extract and Black Tea Ferment.
GIORGIO ARMANI
ORIENT EXCESS
COLLECTION
To celebrate the end of the year, the Orient Ex-
cess collection invites you on an exotic journey
to the snowy steppes of the Far North. Tese
immaculate plains, covered in frost and stretch-
ing as far as the eye can see, inspired by Giorgio
Armani Beauty to create a polar atmosphere
through pure and intense make-up. Orient Ex-
cess is a high-impact make-up collection for an
opaline complexion enhanced with subtle, cap-
tivating dashes of bright red and crimson.
GUERLAIN UN SOIR A
LOPERA COLLECTION
Guerlain will soon be launching its Holiday
2014 items, which include the stunning
new Petrouchka Eyes & Blush Palette.
With women citing discolouration and uneven skin
tone as a more signifcant skin concern than loss of
frmness, Skinceuticals recognised that a compre-
hensive corrective treatment that works on all lay-
ers of skin is required. Clinically proven and tested
on all ethnicities, Skinceuticals Advanced Pigment
Corrector features a cocktail of high potency ingre-
dients that correct and reduce skin discolouration.
Tese are:
Salicylic Acid: Exfoliates existing spots and en-
hances penetration at the stratum corneum.
Hydroxyphenoxy Propionic Acid: Inhibits mela-
nin transfer to Keratinocytes throughout all lay-
ers of the epidermis.
Ellagic Acid: Blocks excess melanin by inhibiting
tyrosinase at the basal layer.
Yeast extract: Strengthens dermal fbroblasts to
enhance skins resistance against new and recur-
ring pigment.
SKINCEUTICALS ADVANCED
PIGMENT CORRECTOR
NEW BEAUTY
PRODUCTS TO TRY
Revamping your beauty routine has nev-
er been easier with a cool new class of
fresh products on the shelves.
Try out some of the best new products
listed below:
7
Thursday, 16 October 2014
Send your feedback and suggestions to bloom@qimqatar.com Tel : 40002155, Fax : 40002235
Artistic Director Peter
Copping uses the
Maisons heritage
with a collection he
calls Make do and
mend.
ln 1946, Madame Ricci and her
son Robert created scale models
of couture dresses in order to
promote French Fashion during
the post war period. The Theatre
de la Mode", as it was known, was
a means for
French fashion houses to work
around the restrictions of the time
and inject couture with a new energy.
SILHOUETTE
Long and lean. Pieces are borrowed
from the male wardrobe, shirts are re-
proportioned and re-worked. Tailoring
has military references. Day dresses
are easy and fuid. New proportions
SPRING SUMMER 2015
NINA RICCI
for evening wear combining
diferent laces or laser cut
fowers with jet beading.
FABRICS
Two-toned double face crepe.
Fluid crepe. Maxi houndsthooth.
Varying cottons. Duchesse
cotton antique metal. Interwoven
laces. Large scale linear foral
prints & foral fl coup. Laser cut
fowers and jet beading.
Embellished gold and lambskin
leather.
COLOURS
Upbeat brights, such as sunfower
yellow, poppy red and safron, are
tempered by neutral shades of
white, pink and camel. Deeper hues
include mocha, midnight blue and
black.
Make do and mend
8
Thursday, 16 October 2014