23rd October 2014

Thursday, 23 October 2014
2
PUBLISHED BY
DISTRIBUTED WITH
Issue No.
143
4
DIETERS MAY BE THWARTED
BY ABSENCE OF HEALTHY
FOODS
ARE WE REALLY CONSCIOUS?
Cosmetics Counters
Ramp Up To Keep Up
O
n a sunny fall afternoon on Bergdorf Goodman’s beauty floor,
Clif de Raita was talking up the
virtues of Tom Ford’s makeup brushes.
“The brushes are crafted so good that
you don’t have to be good,” he told Arriana Marion, a media account executive.
“Well, that sounds like me,” she replied. “I mostly don’t know what I’m doing.” Marion will give nearly any colour
a go, but she prefers buying cosmetics at
the counter rather than online. “I’m really busy, and I don’t want to sit down
and research it,” she said. “I’m not a
beauty expert. So tell me what’s good.”
Since 2011, when he joined the Tom
Ford Beauty counter at Bergdorf for the
debut of the designer’s cosmetics collection, de Raita, trim and tan, has developed something of a cultish following.
Clients report that his gentle guidance
(more instructive than old-fashioned
hard sell) is worth the trip to the store.
“Clif cracks me up,” Marion said. “He
brushes the blush brush on my hand and
goes, ‘It feels like you’re being touched
by Tom.’ I tried on this one peachy nude
that I loved, but he said: ‘Listen, that’s
very Arriana in Miami in the spring. It’s
not a must-have for fall.’”
This being the e-commerce age, one
might think that the traditional beauty
counter, with its gift with purchase and
rouged counter ladies, would be a near
anachronism. Instead, spurred by sales
numbers, some beauty companies are
giving their counters a makeover, a new
think, starting with star talent, expert
training and technology.
The relationships that counter specialists like de Raita cultivate are highly
personalised, said Nance Hastings, the
vice president for sales and education
for Tom Ford Beauty. She said that the
company sells double the items per
transaction at the beauty counter as it
does online. Now, to create demand, the
Tom Ford counter experts are already
taking orders for the holiday collection,
seasonal colours that can sell out before
they reach the floor.
Bobbi Brown has also had a rise in
sales at department stores, and for fall it
has expanded its menu of counter makeup lessons, like “Everything Brows” and
“Smokey Eyes.” Customers, perhaps
inspired by digital how-to videos, now
expect better-trained counter staff, and
the company has complied, said Vimla
Gupta Black, the senior vice president
for global marketing. She added that
certain niches have been a particular
hit, like the bridal programs, which have
gone international with new locally relevant how-tos like “Dubai bride” and
“Indian bride.”
In some ways, the lines between department store beauty shopping and
e-commerce are blurring. “A customer
might notice something on a website
first and then go to the store,” said Alexandra Papazian, the senior vice president for marketing at YSL Beauté. “Or
they’ll go to the counter and then go
home and do more research online. You
have to excel in both areas.”
For YSL, a bridge comes by the way
of Google Glass. Its latest counter program, which debuted in September at
Bloomingdale’s in New York and will
travel to stores nationwide, offers customers a personalised how-to video.
A YSL makeup artist wears the gadget
while applying the client’s makeup. The
video, which also includes shots of the
products used, is emailed to the cus-
8
tomer.
At Bloomingdale’s, the gadget was
like a shiny lure. It was what drew Carol
Koehli, a visitor from England, to give it
a whirl. It was her first encounter with
Google Glass, and she liked that the
how-to video could serve as a reminder
once she’s back home.
“I’m hopeless with makeup, and I’d
actually like to do it properly,” she said,
perched in the makeup chair. She’s even
considering posting her how-to video on
social media. “I’m on Twitter and I have
Instagram,” she said. “My friends and
I are on Facebook. We send each other
pictures already. I might well do this
video, too.”
(Bee Shapiro-nytsyn.com)
JEAN-CHARLES DE
CASTELBAJAC CRUISE 2015
Tips & Tricks
A
ndroid is the most popular mobile
platform in the world. One of the major reasons for its popularity is the flexibility it offers in terms of customisation
and the abundance of third-party apps.
Apps can even be side-loaded, bypassing Google’s Play Store app marketplace.
However, all this also makes Android vulnerable to security threats and malware.
Moreover, with our increasing reliance on
smartphones and tablets, we’re storing
more private data than ever before, leaving us more vulnerable to data thefts. So
how do you protect yourself from losing
precious personal and work data accessed
via Android devices? Well, turn to our
Technology page and get some amazing
tips on securing your Android gadgets!
A new study, which may have implications for approaches to education, finds
that brain mechanisms engaged when
people allow their minds to rest and reflect on things they’ve learned before,
may boost later learning. To know more,
read on ‘Mental rest and reflection boost
learning, study suggests’.
Baked potatoes are one of life’s simple
pleasures. They can be baked on the rack
of a hot oven or wrapped in foil in the
coals of a fire. They’re delicious with a variety of toppings, and are suited to serve
a crowd, or for dinner at home with the
family. We have gathered some simple
yet scrumptious recipes that you can try.
Check out our ‘Everyday food’ segment.
Meanwhile, you can browse through
our Ask Martha section where Martha
answers your queries on separating eggs,
carving pumpkins & more.
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!
2
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Frequent Dining
Out Might Widen
Your Waistline,
Study Finds
L
ove to dine out? You could be at
higher risk for becoming overweight
and having poorer cholesterol levels
than people who prefer to eat at home, a
new study suggests.
Researchers led by Ashima Kant of
Queens College, City University of New
York, analysed data from more than 8,300
American adults between 2005 and 2010.
The researchers found that people who
ate six or more meals a week away from
home had a higher body mass index (an
estimate of body fat based on height and
weight), lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol -- the so-called
“good” cholesterol -- and lower blood concentrations of nutrients, including vitamins C and E.
These health effects were more pronounced in women and in people older
than 50, according to the study recently
published in the International Journal of
Obesity.
Men tended to eat at restaurants more
than women, the study found, and those
most apt to dine out were in their 20s and
30s with college degrees and higher incomes.
Two nutritionists not connected to the
study said they weren’t surprised by the
results.
“We know that fast food and restaurant
meals are higher in fat, salt and calories,
and lower in nutritional value because
they don’t always include fruits, vegetables and whole grains,” said Amy Connell,
a registered dietician with dining services
at St. John’s University in New York City.
“People at both ends of the economic
spectrum often eat out and may not realise that poor nutrition not only contributes to weight gain, but also increases the
risk of disease,” she added.
Christine Santori is a registered dietician and program manager for weight
management at Syosset Hospital in Syosset, N.Y. She pointed out that, “As a country, we eat out more than we did a few
decades ago. For many individuals this
can be a major obstacle in controlling their
weight and health status.”
One big reason? Portion size. “Restaurants pull customers in with big plates and
other ’values,’” Santori said. “Most often
we do not eat based on our internal hunger and satiety cues, we eat the amount
that is put in front of us.”
On the other hand, “by consuming
more meals at home, we control the ingredients, portion size, and have a better
chance of eating mindfully,” she said.
But what if your job or lifestyle has you
frequently eating at restaurants? Connell
said there are ways to help stay healthy.
“These include choosing grilled, baked
or steamed foods; swapping fries for salad or vegetables; and taking home half
the meal if the portions are large -- some
restaurants’ dinner entrees actually have
three- to four-servings worth of calories,”
she said.
And, “to reduce the number of times
you eat out every week, try using a slow
cooker or plan a week’s worth of meals.”
(HealthDay News)
Vitamin D Might
Help Kids With
Eczema
D
aily vitamin D supplements might help children with eczema that gets
worse in the winter, a new study suggests.
When eczema, a chronic inflammatory
skin disorder, flares up in the winter it’s
known as winter-related atopic dermatitis.
Researchers found vitamin D
significantly reduced the uncomfortable symptoms associated with this disorder.
“While we don’t know
the exact proportion of
patients with atopic dermatitis whose symptoms
worsen in the winter,
the problem is common,” said study leader
Dr. Carlos Camargo, of
Massachusetts General
Hospital’s department of
emergency medicine.
“In this large group of
patients, who probably had
low levels of vitamin D, taking daily vitamin D supplements -- which are inexpensive,
safe and widely available -- proved
to be quite helpful,” he said in a hospital news release.
A common treatment for severe atopic
dermatitis is the controlled use of ultraviolet
light, which stimulates production of vitamin D in the skin,
the study’s
authors said. In conducting their research, they explored the possibility that vitamin D deficiency -- the so-called sunshine vitamin -- could help explain why the
condition often gets worse during winter.
The study, conducted with the help of scientists at the Health Sciences University of Mongolia, involved 107 Mongolian children between the ages of 2 and 17
from nine outpatient clinics in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.
All of the children had atopic dermatitis that flared up in cold weather or during the transition from fall to winter. The participants were randomly divided into
two groups: those who received a 1000 IU daily dose of vitamin D and those who
received a placebo.
The children’s symptoms were evaluated when the study began, and one month
later when it ended. The children’s parents were also asked whether or not they
felt their child’s skin condition had improved.
The study, published in the October issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology, revealed the children who received the vitamin D supplements had
an average 29 percent improvement in their symptoms. In contrast, the children
who received the placebo had a 16 percent improvement.
Although the study authors did not determine whether or not the children in
the study had a vitamin D deficiency when the study began, they pointed out that
another larger study involving Mongolian children found 98 percent had low levels of vitamin D. The researchers said it was very likely the children in their study
also had this deficiency.
Although more studies are needed to determine if vitamin D could help adults
and children with year-round symptoms of atopic dermatitis, the researchers concluded children with symptoms that get worse during the winter months could
try a vitamin D supplement for a few weeks to see if their condition improves.
They advised parents to discuss the benefits of vitamin D and the findings with
their child’s doctor.
(HealthDay News)
Dieters May Be
Thwarted By Absence
Of Healthy Foods
E
ven determined dieters can fail if they don’t have
a good selection of healthy foods nearby, researchers say.
Their new study included 240 obese people. All of
the participants had metabolic syndrome (a combination of risk factors that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes). And, all were told by their
doctors to make lifestyle changes, including improved
eating, the study authors said.
The participants were involved in a clinical trial comparing two dietary interventions: the American Heart
Association Dietary Guidelines, or exclusively focusing
on increasing their fibre intake. The study volunteers
also took part in a 14-session behavioural weight-management program at the University of Massachusetts
Medical Centre in Worcester, Mass., according to the
researchers.
“They were referred by their physicians to make
lifestyle changes, including dietary changes. They are
highly motivated. Even if they live far away from [our
clinic], they travel long distances to learn how to change
their lifestyles,” study senior author Wenjun Li said in
a UMass news release. Li is associate professor of medicine and director of the health statistics and geography
lab, division of preventive and behavioural medicine at
the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
However, even among these highly motivated pa-
tients, those who had a shorter trip to the nearest grocery store with a good selection of healthy foods did
better in boosting their consumption of fibre and fruits
and vegetables than those who had to travel farther for
healthy foods, the researchers found.
Nearly 40 percent of the stores in the study area
(Worcester County, Mass.) did not offer a good selection of healthy foods, according to the study authors.
While the investigators found a link between the
proximity of stores with a wide selection of healthy
foods and dieting success, the study doesn’t prove that
having a good variety of healthy foods nearby will necessarily lead to weight loss.
However, the researchers did try to account for
other factors such as age, race, education and income
that might have affected the findings. And, even after
considering all of these factors, a lack of nearby healthy
food remained an issue, according to the report.
The results suggest that easy access to healthy food is
as important as personal determination and assistance
from health care providers in helping people improve
their diet, according to the study published online recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
“The striking finding is that in order for a dietary intervention to be effective, the participant needs a supportive neighbourhood environment,” Li said.
(HealthDay News)
Ask
Martha
Fine Living
Thursday, 23 October 2014
3
Separating Eggs,
Carving Pumpkins,
And More
Sifting Flour
2.
3.
Slip the egg yolk from
your hand into a bowl
reserved for the yolks.
Fleshing Tool
A serrated loop easily scrapes away the flesh, allowing light to shine
through.
Transfer the white into
a third, larger bowl
of egg whites. Repeat
the process, if needed.
Refrigerate reserved
whites or yolks in an
airtight
container
for up to three days.
(Whites can be frozen
for up to two months.)
Linoleum Cutter
Make a skin-deep outline and pattern with V- and U-shaped blades
in a few sizes.
Miniature Saw
To cut out areas with lots of detail, like for facial features, use an easyto-manoeuvre blade.
Dressing Up A Pet
Carving
Pumpkins
Q: What are the most
essential tools for
pumpkin-carving?
Q: Why should I sift flour for a recipe?
A: Sifting (or just whisking) breaks up clumps that form when flour
sits for a while. It also adds air and volume, so a cup of sifted flour
and a cup of unsifted flour are two different quantities. Read recipe
instructions carefully to determine whether sifting is needed: For “a
cup of sifted flour,” sift first, then measure; for “a cup of flour, sifted,”
measure first, then sift. The exception: cake flour, which should
always be sifted.
A: Crafting a proper jacko’-lantern requires more
than a kitchen knife. A
variety of blades (serrated,
looped and curved) make
carving easy and accurate.
Assemble a set of tools,
below, to quickly remove
the pumpkin’s insides and
sculpt intricate details on
the rind. You can find all
of these tools at art-supply
stores.
Separating Yolks And Whites
Q: What’s the best way to separate egg yolks from whites?
A: Cracking eggs over a single bowl can lead to broken yolks in the
whites. Use three bowls and follow these steps:
1.
Crack an egg; catch the yolk in your clean hand, and allow the
white to run through your fingers into a small bowl. (This way,
if you make a mistake, you won’t contaminate the rest of the
whites or yolks.)
Q: Is it safe to put my pet in a costume?
Keyhole Saw
This tool’s sharp teeth cut through the rind to make the large hole,
either on the top or the bottom.
A: Yes, depending
on the attire. “Costumes shouldn’t
limit the animal’s
movement
or
sight, or its ability to breathe, eat,
drink, or relieve itself,” says Katherine Miller, a certified applied animal
behaviourist at the
ASPCA. Also avoid
choking hazards,
such as dangling
beads. Ultimately,
if your pet seems
distressed, remove
the costume right
away - no matter
how cute it looks!
A Knit a Day Keeps the Doctor Away:
*GCNVJ$GPGƂVUQH%TCHVKPI
producing, and realising a product to its final form
boosts our sense of self-worth and encourages us
to connect in social circles. And communal crafting
comes with its own inherent benefits. Akin to a
child showing her mother something she made in
art class at school or friends swapping decoupage
tips, crafting is like a single weaving thread in a
sweater -- it keeps us connected to each other.
My great-grandmother lived to be 100 years old.
But she didn’t get to her centenarian status only
by exercising regularly, getting a good night’s
sleep, and sticking steadfastly to a balanced
diet. (Although I don’t deny that those are all
wholesome practices not to be ignored.)
Her long-held secret to longevity? She knitted.
She sewed. She crocheted. She quilted. She kept
her hands busy and her mind as sharp as the
needles she used in her crafts. She was a big
believer in the power of creative hobbies, and her
conviction kept her active from her youth into her
golden years.
It turns out my great-grandmother was in
good company: Craft-minded people happen
to be the healthiest among us. Neuroscientists,
occupational therapists, and other experts have
long cited the therapeutic potential of habitual
crafting.
1. IT’S A MOOD-BOOSTER (AND
SADNESS-BUSTER)
Crafting makes us happier, according to British
physiotherapist Betsan Corkhill. She pioneered
the research into therapeutic knitting after
noticing the positive effects that knitting had
on her patients and decided to dig deeper. In
her online survey of 3,545 knitters, published in
The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 81
percent of respondents described feeling happier
after a knitting session. They saw it as a source for
“relaxation, stress relief, and creativity,” and more
dedicated knitters reported higher cognitive
functioning. Even in those who were clinically
depressed, 54 percent said that knitting made
them feel happier.
2. IT RELIEVES STRESS (AND
CALMS THE SENSES)
Crafting helps us unwind. In another study
sponsored by the American Home Sewing &
Craft Association, Robert Reiner, Ph.D., of New
York University Medical Centre’s psychiatry
4. IT ENHANCES DEXTERITY AND
COORDINATION
Crafting of all kinds undeniably has a physical
bonus. Something as simple as threading a needle
or deftly holding a pair of craft scissors is an
exercise for your hands. These visual-spatial and
hand-eye coordination skills are something we
learn early on in kindergarten, but just as the “use
it or lose it” adage goes, you lose these muscles
over the years.
KNITTERS, PAINTERS, AND DO-IT-YOURSELFERS
ARE SURVIVORS. THEIR SECRET? IT’S BEEN
PROVEN THAT PICKING UP A CRAFT CAN RELIEVE
STRESS AND BOOST MOOD. IN FACT, IT’S THE
SECRET TO A SOUND BODY AND MIND.
department found that sewing activities helped
his subjects relax (as evidenced by their heart
rate). But this is not just limited to textile work.
Crafting is an exercise in mindfulness. Think
about it: The repetitive motion of sewing a stitch
or making a stroke with a paintbrush calms your
state of mind. Barry Jacobs, Ph.D., of Princeton
University has found in his extensive research on
depression that repetitive movements enhance
the release of serotonin, which brings you out of
a bad mood.
As you work, your anxiety melts away as you focus
your attention on the task at hand. We’re lulled
into a meditative state: one-two, one-two, onetwo. The whole idea is actually kind of Zen when
you think about it.
3. IT BUILDS SELF-ESTEEM AND
COMMUNAL SUPPORT
Crafting as a whole is both a creative and
productive outlet. The process of envisioning,
5. IT BOOSTS BRAINPOWER
Crafting might be the key to everlasting youth.
Avid arts-and-crafters are able to slow down
cognitive deterioration by stimulating the body
as well as the mind. One study shows that keeping
yourself in a crafty mind-set reduces your chance
of developing mild cognitive impairment by as
much as 50 percent. Similarly, a French study
found that elderly people involved in leisurely
activities -- including knitting, specifically -- are
less likely to develop dementia. This includes
Alzheimer’s disease, believe it or not.
I’m sure that my great-grandmother would agree
with researchers’ findings. After all, I owe my early
appreciation for handmade crafts (not to mention
knowing how to properly sew on a button) to her.
And while I consider myself passably crafty, I’m
nowhere near the needlework artist that she was.
I can only hope that I live a life as long and fulfilled
as hers. (Keep calm and crochet on - literally.)
(Alexandra Churchill Martha Stewart Living)
4
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Are we really
conscious?
AWARENESS: A CARTOONISH
RECONSTRUCTION OF ATTENTION THAT
IS AS PHYSICALLY INACCURATE AS THE
BRAIN’S INTERNAL MODEL OF COLOUR.
O
f the three most fundamental scientific questions
about the human condition, two have been an-
swered.
First, what is our relationship to
the rest of the universe? Copernicus
answered that one. We’re not at the
centre. We’re a speck in a large place.
Second, what is our relationship to
the diversity of life? Darwin answered
that one. Biologically speaking, we’re
not a special act of creation. We’re a
twig on the tree of evolution.
Third, what is the relationship
between our minds and the physical
world? Here, we don’t have a settled
answer. We know something about
the body and brain, but what about
the subjective life inside? Consider
that a computer, if hooked up to a
camera, can process information
about the wavelength of light and
determine that grass is green. But we
humans also experience the greenness. We have an awareness of information we process. What is this mysterious aspect of ourselves?
Many theories have been proposed, but none has passed scientific
muster. I believe a major change in
our perspective on consciousness may
be necessary, a shift from a credulous
and egocentric viewpoint to a sceptical and slightly disconcerting one:
namely, that we don’t actually have
inner feelings in the way most of us
think we do.
Imagine a group of scholars in
the early 17th century, debating the
process that purifies white light and
rids it of all colours. They’ll never arrive at a scientific answer. Why? Because despite appearances, white is
not pure. It’s a mixture of colours of
the visible spectrum, as Newton later
discovered. The scholars are working
with a faulty assumption that comes
courtesy of the brain’s visual system.
The scientific truth about white (i.e.,
that it is not pure) differs from how
the brain reconstructs it.
The brain builds models (or complex bundles of information) about
items in the world, and those models
are often not accurate. From that realisation, a new perspective on consciousness has emerged in the work of
philosophers like Patricia S. Churchland and Daniel C. Dennett. Here’s my
way of putting it:
How does the brain go beyond
processing information to become
subjectively aware of information?
The answer is: It doesn’t. The brain
has arrived at a conclusion that is not
correct. When we introspect and seem
to find that ghostly thing - awareness,
consciousness, the way green looks
or pain feels - our cognitive machinery is accessing internal models, and
those models are providing information that is wrong. The machinery is
computing an elaborate story about a
magical-seeming property. And there
is no way for the brain to determine
through introspection that the story
is wrong because introspection always
accesses the same incorrect information.
You might object that this is a
paradox. If awareness is an erroneous
impression, isn’t it still an impression? And isn’t an impression a form
of awareness?
But the argument here is that
there is no subjective impression;
there is only information in a dataprocessing device. When we look at a
red apple, the brain computes information about colour. It also computes
information about the self and about
a (physically incoherent) property of
subjective experience. The brain’s cognitive machinery accesses that interlinked information and derives several conclusions: There is a self, a me;
there is a red thing nearby; there is
such a thing as subjective experience;
and I have an experience of that red
thing. Cognition is captive to those
internal models. Such a brain would
inescapably conclude it has subjective
experience.
I concede that this approach is
counterintuitive. One reason is that it
seems to leave a gap in the logic: Why
would the brain waste energy computing information about subjective
awareness and attributing that property to itself if the brain doesn’t, in
fact, have this property?
This is where my own work comes
in. In my lab at Princeton, my colleagues and I have been developing
the “attention schema” theory of
consciousness, which may explain
why that computation is useful and
would evolve in any complex brain.
Here’s the gist of it:
Take again the case of colour
and wavelength. Wavelength is a
real, physical phenomenon; colour
is the brain’s approximate, slightly
incorrect model of it. In the attention schema theory, attention is the
physical phenomenon, and awareness is the brain’s approximate,
slightly incorrect model of it. In
neuroscience, attention is a process
of enhancing some signals at the expense of others; attention is a way
of focusing resources. Attention: a
real, mechanistic phenomenon that
can be programmed into a computer
chip. Awareness: a cartoonish reconstruction of attention that is as physically inaccurate as the brain’s internal
model of colour.
In this theory, awareness is not
an illusion; awareness is a caricature.
Something - attention - really does
exist, and awareness is a distorted accounting of it.
One reason that the brain needs
an approximate model of attention is
that to be able to control something
efficiently, a system needs at least a
rough model of the thing to be controlled. Another reason is that to predict the behaviour of other creatures,
the brain needs to model their brain
states, including their attention. This
theory pulls together evidence from
social neuroscience, attention research, control theory and elsewhere.
Almost all other theories of consciousness are rooted in our intuitions
about awareness. Like the intuition
that white light is pure, our intuitions
about awareness come from information computed deep in the brain. But
the brain computes models that are
caricatures of real things. And as with
colour, so with consciousness: It’s
best to be sceptical of intuition.
(Michael S.A. Graziano-nytsyn.com)
Mental rest and
reflection boost learning,
study suggests
A
Scientists grow,
implant human
intestinal tissue in mice
N
ew stem cell-based research could
improve understanding of intestinal diseases and eventually lead to
new treatments, a new study sug-
gests.
Scientists used stem cells to grow “organoids” of functioning human intestinal tissue in a lab dish. They then transplanted the
organoids into mice, creating a new model
for studying intestinal disorders, according
to the researchers.
“This provides a new way to study the
many diseases and conditions that can cause
intestinal failure, from genetic disorders appearing at birth to conditions that strike later in life, such as cancer and Crohn’s disease,”
lead investigator Dr. Michael Helmrath, surgical director of the Intestinal Rehabilitation
Program at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre, said in a centre news release.
“These studies also advance the longerterm goal of growing tissues that can replace
damaged human intestine,” he added.
Further research could eventually lead to
the ability to create personalised human intestinal tissue to treat gastrointestinal dis-
eases, according to the researchers.
“These studies support the concept that
patient-specific cells can be used to grow intestine,” Helmrath explained.
The research was published online recently in the journal Nature Medicine.
The intestinal organoids were created using so-called pluripotent stem cells, which
can become any type of tissue in the body.
The scientists created these “blank” stem cells
by reprogramming adult cells taken from skin
and blood samples.
The stem cells were placed in lab dishes with a specific molecular mixture that
prompted the cells to grow into intestinal organoids, which developed into fully mature,
functioning human intestinal tissue after being transplanted into mice.
The mice were genetically engineered so
that their immune systems would not reject
the human tissue, the study authors noted.
Researchers acknowledge that studies
with animals often fail to produce similar results in people.
(HealthDay News)
new study, which may
have implications for approaches to education,
finds that brain mechanisms engaged when people allow their minds to rest and reflect
on things they’ve learned before,
may boost later learning.
Scientists have already established that resting the mind, as
in daydreaming, helps strengthen
memories of events and retention
of information. In a new twist,
researchers at The University of
Texas at Austin have shown that
the right kind of mental rest,
which strengthens and consolidates memories from recent learning tasks,
helps boost future learning.
The results appear online this week in the
journal Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences.
Margaret Schlichting, a graduate student
researcher, and Alison Preston, an associate
professor of psychology and neuroscience, gave
participants in the study two learning tasks in
which participants were asked to memorise
different series of associated photo pairs. Between the tasks, participants rested and could
think about anything they chose, but brain
scans found that the ones who used that time
to reflect on what they had learned earlier in
the day fared better on tests pertaining to
what they learned later, especially where small
threads of information between the two tasks
overlapped. Participants seemed to be making
connections that helped them absorb information later on, even if it was only loosely related
to something they learned before.
“We’ve shown for the first time that how
the brain processes information during rest can
improve future learning,” says Preston. “We
think replaying memories during rest makes
those earlier memories stronger, not just impacting the original content, but impacting the
memories to come.
Until now, many scientists assumed that
prior memories are more likely to interfere
with new learning. This new study shows that
at least in some situations, the opposite is true.
“Nothing happens in isolation,” says Preston. “When you are learning something new,
you bring to mind all of the things you know
that are related to that new information. In
doing so, you embed the new information into
your existing knowledge.”
Preston described how this new understanding might help teachers design more eff
fective ways of teaching. Imagine a college
professor is teaching students about how neurons communicate in the human brain, a process that shares some common features with
an electric power grid. The professor might
first cue the students to remember things they
learned in a high school physics class about
how electricity is conducted by wires.
“A professor might first get them thinking
about the properties of electricity,” says Preston. “Not necessarily in lecture form, but by
asking questions to get students to recall what
they already know. Then, the professor might
begin the lecture on neuronal communication.
By prompting them beforehand, the professor
might help them reactivate relevant knowledge
and make the new material more digestible for
them.”
This research was conducted with adult
participants. The researchers will next study
whether a similar dynamic is at work with children.
This work was supported by the National
Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the NSF CAREER Award
and the Department of Defense through the
National Defense Science and Engineering
Graduate Fellowship Program.
(Source: University of Texas at Austin)
Technology
Thursday, 23 October 2014
5
10 tips to protect
your Android device
Android is the most popular mobile platform
in India as well as the world. One of the maQVYYLHZVUZMVYP[ZWVW\SHYP[`PZ[OLÅL_PIPSP[`
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1. USE A SCREEN LOCK
4. ACTIVATE GOOGLE’S
ANDROID DEVICE MANAGER
LENOVO
LOOKING
TO BUY
BLACKBERRY:
REPORT
A number of apps are available on Play Store
that offer an additional level of protection for
individual apps. Such apps ask you to set up a
password or PIN code that needs to be entered
whenever you open the particular protected
apps.
8. DON’T ROOT YOUR PHONE
The most basic security measure for every
Android device, a screen lock allows you to guard
the device by using a pattern, PIN or password.
The lock can be activated through the Android device’s Security Settings. Following the
activation of the lock, the device can be set to
lock automatically after a specific time period or
by pressing the Power key.
2. ENCRYPT YOUR DEVICE
Even if you lose your device, the Android Device Manager feature allows you to track a (connected) device on Google Maps.
It also enables you to ring the device at full
volume for five minutes and even erase all the
data.
To verify if it’s enabled, you can go to the Settings menu on your device and tap on Security.
It can be enabled through the Device Administrators setting under Security Settings.
5. DON’T STORE SENSITIVE
DATA ON SD CARDS
By rooting your phone, you can install custom Android ROMs and even some incompatible apps.
However, apps with root access get unhindered access to your device’s file-system, exposing it to more damage in case a malicious app
is installed. It also voids your phone’s warranty.
9. KEEP YOUR DEVICE
SOFTWARE UP TO DATE
Android allows you to encrypt all the data on
your device. You’ll need to key in a password or
PIN each time the device is turned on to decrypt
all the data.
If the phone gets into the wrong hands,
there’s no way to access the data without a password or PIN if the device is restarted. This way,
your sensitive data stays safe though the device
becomes a little slow.
It can be activated through the Android device’s Security Settings.
Make sure you don’t store sensitive information such as copies of credit cards and personal
IDs on external storage cards since it is easy to
remove them and access the data stored.
If you need to store important information,
keep it on internal storage.
6. DON’T INSTALL APPS FROM
UNKNOWN SOURCES
Google releases software updates that also
include several security patches.
Check for software updates using the device
Settings, where you’ll find a System Updates option in the About Device menu.
3. USING PERSONAL DEVICE
FOR WORK? TALK TO IT
10. SIGN OUT OR USE
INCOGNITO MODE WHILE
BROWSING
While apps on the Google Play Store are not
curated as diligently as Apple’s App Store, it is
still the safest place to download and install
apps on Android platform.
Installation files (APKs) sourced from thirdparty sites should be dealt with caution as they
might hide malware or spyware.
7. INSTALL LOCKS FOR APPS
According to security solutions firm ESET,
around 30-40% of devices in workplaces are
vulnerable to threats unless users are educated
about risks.
If you plan to use your personal device for
work, check with your workplace’s IT team before configuring it to access and store work related data.
You can use additional protection for apps like
Gallery and Messaging to protect private data.
Remember to sign out of Chrome while
browsing the web on an Android device or use
incognito mode, especially if you share devices
and PCs.
Chrome records your search and browsing
history and syncs it across all devices on which
you’ve signed-in.
(Source: TOI)
B
lackBerry shares rose more than 3% on
Monday after a news website said Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group
might offer to buy the Canadian technology
company.
Benzinga.com, citing an unnamed source
familiar with the matter, said an offer worth
$15 a share could come as early as this week.
Lenovo and BlackBerry said their companies did not comment on rumours and
speculation.
Rumours of a Lenovo bid for BlackBerry
have swirled many times over the last two
years. Senior Lenovo executives at different
times have indicated an interest in BlackBerry as a means to strengthen their own
handset business.
The speculation reached a crescendo in
the fall of 2013, when BlackBerry was exploring strategic alternatives.
Sources familiar with the situation however, told Reuters last year that the Canadian government had strongly hinted to BlackBerry that any sale to Lenovo would not win
the necessary regulatory approvals due to
security concerns.
BlackBerry’s secure networks manage
the email traffic of thousands of large corporate customers, along with government and
military agencies across the globe. Under
Canadian law, any foreign takeover of BlackBerry would require government approval
under the Industry Canada Act.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told Reuters in February 2012 that he
wanted BlackBerry to grow “as a Canadian
company.” And in December 2011, thenindustry minister Christian Paradis referred
to the company as a “Canadian jewel.”
Analysts also have said any sale to Lenovo would face regulatory obstacles, but they
have suggested that a sale of just BlackBerry’s handset business and not its core network infrastructure might just pass muster
with regulators.
BlackBerry’s long-struggling handset
business turned a profit before special items
in the last quarter, after the Waterloo, Ontario-based company concluded its threeyear restructuring program.
However, BlackBerry chief executive officer John Chen has said he sees the handset business as core to the company for now,
as it will foster sales growth over the next
few quarters until the software and services
business begins to generate new revenue
streams in the first half of 2015.
Shares of BlackBerry were up 3.4% at
$9.81 in early Nasdaq trading. Its Torontolisted shares were up 3.1% at C$11.03.
(Source: Reuters)
6
Life Style
Thursday, 23 October 2014
EVERYDAY FOOD:
BAKED POTATOES
Yes, baked potatoes are one of life’s simple
pleasures. They can be baked on the rack of a
hot oven or wrapped in foil in the coals of a fire.
They’re delicious with a variety of toppings,
and are suited to serve a crowd, or for dinner at
home with the family!
Sweet Potatoes with Coconut,
Pomegranate, and Lime
Baked Sweet Potatoes
It’s no surprise that sweet potatoes are at the
top of nearly everyone’s healthiest foods list.
Try this real simple yet delicious recipe for your
family dinner!
Ingredients:
• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Add tropical flavour to a nutrient-rich
sweet potato by topping it with cilantro,
coconut flakes, and pomegranate seeds.
Ingredients:
• 4 sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1/4 toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• Kosher salt
• Lime wedges
Directions:
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange sweet
potatoes, pricked with a fork, on rimmed
baking sheet and roast until tender,
about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Slice tops and mash sweet potatoes with
a fork. Divide coconut milk, coconut
flakes, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds
among sweet potatoes. Season with
salt. Garnish with additional sprigs of
cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Baked Potato Slices
A Japanese or French mandoline
is great for slicing vegetables
uniformly -- anywhere from very
thin to thick -- and takes much less
time than slicing by hand with a
knife.
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes,
peeled, very thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more
for pan
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• Coarse salt and freshly ground
pepper
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and
place rack in the middle of the
oven. In a medium bowl, combine
the potatoes, olive oil, and thyme.
Season with salt and pepper, and
toss until well coated.
• Generously brush a large rimmed
baking sheet with olive oil, and
overlap the potato slices just
slightly. Bake until potatoes are
golden brown and crisp in places,
about 30 minutes.
To prep ahead, place ingredients in dish;
let cool. Cover and refrigerate, up to
2 days. Let sit at room temperature 2
hours, then bake.
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus
more for dish
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
(about 6 medium), peeled and sliced
1/2 inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 1 small head cauliflower (about 2
pounds), sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (6
ounces)
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
Cook’s Note:
Adding cauliflower to a potato bake may
seem radical, but it adds great texture. A
cheesy topping is a nice change of pace
from the usual creamy casserole.
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter
a 2-quart baking dish. In a large pot,
cover potatoes with cold salted water
by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then add
cauliflower and cook at a rapid simmer
until potatoes are just cooked through
and cauliflower is crisp-tender, about
10 minutes. Drain in a colander and let
sit 5 minutes.
• Place half the potatoes and cauliflower
in dish, sprinkle with half the thyme
and cheddar, and season with pepper.
Repeat to make a second layer. Add
broth and dot top with butter. Bake
until cheese is deep golden and
bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in
centre position.
• Scrub and pat potatoes dry. Pierce potatoes all
over with the tines of a fork and bake in oven,
directly on rack, until soft and caramelising,
1 1/2 hours.
• Slash the tops of potatoes open with the tip
of a sharp knife and push ends of each potato
toward each other to open. Divide butter,
salt, and pepper among potatoes and serve.
Potato, Cauliflower,
and Cheddar Bake
Beauty
NEW BEAUTY PRODUCTS TO TRY
Thursday, 23 October 2014
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 listed below:
LINGERIE DE PEAU
Guerlain
Since 1828, Guerlain has been sensitively observing,
passionately furthering and enthusiastically listening
to what women want. Their insatiable desires have inspired first-rate creations designed to reveal them as
never before, subtly enhance their beauty and exalt their
personality with unparalleled refinement. Through this
magical alchemy of nature, an art for which Guerlain
alone knows the secret, each face, each skin makes the
colours, textures and fragrances its own as if by magic.
Lingerie de Peau foundation brilliantly illustrates this
philosophy of heightened natural beauty. Building on
its success, it continually surpasses itself.
Nude Powder Foundation – Moisture Retention-Matte Effect.
An initial attempt led to a stroke of genius. Turning a
challenge into an achievement, Guerlain
has created its first powder compact,
so creamy that it literally becomes
one with the skin.
A New Shade For The Exquisite Bb Beauty Booster
Its ingenious all-in-one formula
makes it indispensable. It artfully
incorporates hyaluronic acid to hydrate, along with highly intelligent,
radiantly natural pigments to enhance.
LAURA MERCIER CHAMELEON
COLLECTION
New Innovative Holiday items from Laura Mercier are your must-haves
this season to take it from day to night. Like a Chameleon changes its
colours, this collection is true art.
BOBBI BROWN SCOTCH ON
THE ROCKS COLLECTION
Introducing Alexis Bittar for
Sephora Collection: a limitededition collaboration that fuses
the jewellery designer’s luxurious,
sculptural aesthetic with our coveted beauty essentials. Exclusively at
Sephora. For more than 20 years, jewellery designer Alexis Bittar has revolutionised fashion with his striking designs and
signature techniques. Renowned for his
avant-garde craftsmanship, the awardwinning artisan now brings his expertise
to beauty.
GIVENCHY FOLIE DE NOIRS
COLLECTION
Here is a look into Givenchy’s upcoming Folie de Noirs Collection for Christmas
2014!
The collection includes:
Le Prismissime Yeux Noirs En Folie (L: 9 shimmering eye shadow shades in a
luxurious mirrored compact case embellished with a glittering star-burst motif.
Gloss Revelateur Magic Lip Gloss , Rouge Interdit Lipstick , Le Vernis Nail Lacquer.
Bobbi Brown Scotch on the Rocks
Collection is a gorgeous combination of sexy, strong, confident
colours that help you leave a lasting impression this season and
beyond.
SEPHORA
ALEXIS
BITTAR
LIQUID GOLD
COLLECTION
INTRODUCING GUESS
DARE
Dare to be bold.
Dare to be different.
Perfumer Bruno Jovanovic of IFF was inspired by
sexy, daring 70s icons like Charlie’s Angels, Bond
Girls and Peggy Lipton in the Mod Squad, choosing a unique blend of notes that captures the audacious spirit of the GUESS Girl.
Top notes: Crisp Kumquat, Pear Blossom, Lime
Flower
Heart notes: Living Palm Springs Cactus Flower,
Jasmine, Wild Rose
Base notes: Blonde woods, Living Key West Coconut Palm, Musk
7
8
Thursday, 23 October 2014
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DE CASTELBAJAC
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