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Now in its tenth iteration since first launched as a somewhat frumpy yet efficient, reliable and affordable hatchback back in 1972, the modern Honda Civic is a mainstream compact car distinguished by its striking design, smooth driving and responsive handling.

Sold in Jordan as a saloon, but also available globally as a hatchback and coupe, and with a broad range of engines for different markets, the Civic proved impressive even in entry-level specification, as driven briefly on Jordanian roads in 1.6 DX guise.

Sporty style

Longer and heavier than its predecessors, the latest incarnation Honda Civic first arrived as a more refined and mature offering to compete with the larger end of the compact saloon segment, including the Volkswagen Jetta, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla, to mention but a few.

A more complex design with a moodier, sportier and more overtly aggressive design and fashionably low-slung roofline, the latest Civic ditches its predecessors’ clean surfaces and neutral aesthetic character. Instead, it features more bulging bodywork with wavy, almost Coke-bottle wheel-arches and waistline.

With a snouty grille featuring a thick slat that extends across and atop its squinting, recessed and heavily browed headlights, the latest Civic has a distinctly sport demeanour that includes big lower side intakes, scalloped edge bonnet and a rakish roofline that trails off towards a ridged rear deck.

At the rear, the Civic features faux bumper vents and slim boomerang lights framing its fascia. Fastback-like in profile the Civic saloon’s conventional rear boot has a low load height and taller vertical measurement to compensate for its short horizontal length in terms of access.

Eager and willing

The smaller of two naturally-aspirated engines available, and offered alongside various turbocharged engines, the Civic DX’s 1.6-litre four-cylinder is a single overhead camshaft design, yet with 16-valves. Equipped with Honda’s variable valve timing and lift control i-VTEC system, it is a relatively high-revving engine with a 6,700rpm rev limit and its 123BHP output peaking at 6,500rpm, while maximum torque is delivered at 4,300rpm.

Progressive and smooth in delivery, the Civic 1.6 does, however, become somewhat more eager, athletic and responsive as the rev counter tilts ever nearer towards the red line.

Capable of motivating its restrained 1,255kg weight through the 0-100km/h sprint in an estimated 11.6-seconds and on to a 196km/h maximum the Civic 1.6 is reasonably quick given its power output, while fuel consumption is modest at 6.7l/100km, combined. 

Driving the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the Civic 1.6 is willing and eager to redline, unlike some CVT vehicles. Using a more robust and durable timing chain design instead of a belt, the Civic’s engine whines slightly when pushed hard to near its rev limit.

Nimble yet confident

Seamlessly smooth in delivery when driven in auto mode, the Civic’s CVT doesn’t seem to discourage high revs like some CVT systems, and can also shift through pre-set ratios through the gear lever, for a more involving drive that mimics a traditional gearbox.

Similarly smooth and settled in its ride quality, the Civic felt alert and light on its feet, yet reassuringly stable and refined at speed, while road imperfections were well dispatched with the base DX model’s un-exaggerated 215/55R16 tyres providing mostly good comfort and absorption, if being slightly firm over some more sudden ridged textures and bumps.

A tidy and fluent driving car with light, quick-turning steering that is direct and well-insulated, the Civic tucks eagerly into a corner, with reassuring front grip, good body roll control and confident adherence to a chosen cornering line, while modest width tyres allow for good steering feel for a modern electric-assisted system.

Responsively changing directions, it has a nimble and agile feel, but remains well planted on the road. Grippy through corners with its independent MacPherson strut front and multilink rear suspension, the new Civic’s longer wheelbase helps maintain stability, if at the cost of some mid-corner adjustability.

Refined ride

Well-refined inside from noise, harshness and vibrations, even if its engine sound rises slightly at high revs, the Civic feels sophisticated, sporty and smooth. A more-driver-oriented car than many compact saloon rivals, the Civic provides a supportive, comfortable and alert driving position with good front road and instrument visibility, and good semi-electric driving seat and steering wheel adjustability. 

Easy to accurately place on the road, the Civic’s sleek low roofline and rakishly slanted pillars does reduce rear and side visibility slightly, compared with a boxier and taller design.

With logical, clean and user-friendly layouts and controls inside combine with a good low driving position, the Civic has an air of effortless civility about it. Meanwhile material used is mostly decent — if not luxurious quality — but seems well built and pleasant.

Driven in entry-level DX trim, the Civic’s equipment level covers most of the important things, but for more sophisticated and advanced driver aids, like useful lane departure and blind spot monitoring systems, one would need to upgrade to a higher specification.

Standard fabric upholstery meanwhile has a nice feel but would be better in a darker tone than the driven demo car’s light beige. Spacious in front and with a generous 519-litre boot and good rear legroom owing to its longer wheelbase, the Civic low roofline does, however, reduce rear headroom for tall adults.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 1.6-litre, transverse 4-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 81 x 77.5mm

Compression ratio: 10.7:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, SOHC, variable valve timing and lift control

Gearbox: Continually variable transmission (CVT), 7-speed auto, front-wheel-drive

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 123 (125) [92] @6,500rpm

Specific power: 94.5BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 98BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 111 (151) @4,300rpm

Specific torque: 207.3Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 120.3Nm/tonne

Rev limit: 6,700rpm

0-100km/h: 11.6-seconds

Top speed: 196km/h

Fuel consumption, urban/extra-urban/combined: 

9.2-/5.2-/6.7-litres/100km 

Fuel capacity: 47-litres

Length: 4,630mm

Width: 1,799mm

Height: 1,416mm

Wheelbase: 2,700mm

Track, F/R: 1,543/1,577mm

Ground clearance: 133mm

Luggage volume: 519-litres

Kerb weight: 1,255kg

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning Circle: 11.5-metres

Lock-to-lock: 2.22-turns

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts/multi-link

Brakes, F/R: Ventilate discs/discs

Tyres: 215/55R16

Ramadan can be a challenging time for many Muslims trying to achieve weight-loss goals. But with proper planning and the right guidance on diet, nutrition and exercise, it is still possible! 

Just because it is Ramadan does not mean you should suddenly change your diet drastically. It might be the case that you will not does not be able to fit the same amount of meals into your eating window between Iftar and Suhur than you would on a normal day outside Ramadan, but you can try and keep the amount and quality of food you consume in those meals the same. 

When you have been fasting for so many hours, you are understandably going to be very hungry. When Iftar comes around it can be very easy to eat everything you lay your hands on and binge on foods that are calorie dense and won’t help you achieve your health goals.

Instead of filling up on mountains of junk food at Iftar, I advise breaking your fast with foods that are filling and full of nutrients. While we have to watch for total calories, we also have to watch the quality of those calories. For example, 100 calories from beef will not have the same effect on your body as 100 calories from a chocolate bar.

Including  quality source of protein

This should be the cornerstone of your diet during Ramadan because fasting for so many hours means that you run the risk of muscle protein loss. Every meal should include a quality source of protein: fish, chicken, yoghurt, whey, eggs and tofu if you are vegetarian. If you want to finish the Holy Month with better body composition than when you started, then ensure your protein intake is sufficient. Protein is vital for growth and repair of tissue in your body, including skin and hair, but most important, muscle. If you are still training hard during Ramadan, which I encourage, then your body’s protein need will be high.

Getting fats from the right sources

No, fats are not all bad. Healthy fats are a great addition to your Ramadan diet that will aid your weight loss goals, provided you’re getting them from the right sources. Fats have a bad reputation as they are linked to obesity, heart disease and high cholesterol. But this is not true. Fat is vital to a healthy diet and an optimally functioning body. Fat can be a great source of energy during Ramadan since you will spend most of the day fasting. It is important to get the right fats in your diet though. Avoiding processed and fast foods is your best way to limit trans fats as they are associated with several health problems. Also, read the ingredients lists on labels for partially hydrogenated oil which is used to help increase shelf life and save costs. Hydrogenation is a process in which a liquid unsaturated fat is turned into a solid fat by adding hydrogen.

Choosing your carbohydrates wisely

If you like to include carbs in your diet, ensure they are from quality sources that will support your health goals. This means carb sources that make you feel satisfied and full, such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa and oats. One of the best times to consume carbs is after training. A small helping in your last meal of the day can boost the production of serotonin — the hormone that helps you to relax. 

Staying hydrated

Rehydrating during Ramadan is especially critical this month when the weather is getting warmer. Water is key to the optimal functioning of our body and mind. Dehydration is responsible for the down-regulation of almost every cellular process in the body. Event three per cent dehydration can dent our strength and power output in the gym. Without enough water, the liver will metabolise less fat because it has to take over some of the functions of the kidneys when you are dehydrated. It is very easy to become dehydrated during Ramadan as long days of fasting mount up. I recommend aiming for a steady intake of two litres of water between iftar (sunset meal) and suhur (pre-dawn meal). Try to avoid sugary drinks or foods high in salt which will make you more thirsty.

Getting enough sleep

The relationship between sleep and weight loss is one that is well researched and proven. Sleep is vital for ensuring optimum health, recovery and performance, and it ultimately helps us realise fat loss goals. But when we are fasting during the Holy Month, sleep becomes even more important to counter the stress it puts on our body. Getting enough quality sleep is important for healthy hormone balance. It is when your body produces the most testosterone and growth hormone (important for both men and women). But it also helps reduce the stress hormone, cortisol, which when you are sleep deprived, is increased to keep your body running but results in lower “real” energy, mental fog, fatigue and hunger cravings. I recommend getting between seven to eight hours of good quality sleep.

Being active

Being active plays a big role in overall calorie burning during the day and that is not just exercise; it can be walking upstairs, cleaning the house or running after your kids. Ramadan is a special time for Muslims in Jordan to worship and self-reflect. While the 30-day fasting period can be challenging in meeting our fitness and health goals, it is possible to complete the Holy Month fitter and healthier.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

While a healthy-plant based diet is tied to a lower risk of kidney disease, people who fill their plates with starchy, sugary vegetarian fare may actually increase their risk of kidney damage, a new study suggests. 

Researchers examined data on eating habits and kidney function for 14,686 middle-aged adults, following half of them for at least 24 years. Overall, 4,343 participants developed chronic kidney disease. 

People who most closely adhered to a diet of healthy plant-based foods were 14 per cent less likely to develop kidney disease than individuals who rarely ate these foods, the study found. 

At the same time, participants who consumed the greatest amount of unhealthy vegetarian foods were 11 per cent more likely to develop kidney disease than people who ate the smallest amounts of these foods. 

“Relatively higher intakes of healthful plant foods and relatively lower intakes of less healthful plant foods and animal foods are associated with favourable kidney outcomes,” said senior study author Casey Rebholz of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. 

“We believe that healthful plant foods played an important role because higher consumption of healthful plant foods were associated with a lower risk of kidney disease and slower decline in kidney function when the consumption of less healthful plant foods and animal foods were held constant,” Rebholz said by e-mail. 

A healthy plant-based diet includes whole grain foods; fruits like apples, pears, and oranges; veggies like dark, leafy greens, sweet potatoes and broccoli; nuts and natural peanut butter; and legumes like string beans and lentils. 

Study participants who had the healthiest plant-based diets consumed an average of nine to ten servings a day of these foods. These individuals were more likely to be women, white, older, high school graduates and physically active. 

An unhealthy plant-based diet may limit meat but load up on potatoes. This type of diet might also include juice instead of whole fruit, sodas and sugary drinks, and lots of candy, cake and chocolate. 

Participants who had the least healthy plant-based diets consumed an average of seven servings a day of these foods. They were more likely to be men, younger, sedentary and drink more alcohol. 

The association between plant-based diets and chronic kidney risk was especially pronounced for people with a normal weight at the start of the study, researchers report in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 

The study was not a controlled experiment designed to prove that certain eating patterns directly contribute to kidney disease. 

One limitation of the study is that researchers relied on participants to accurately recall what they ate and drank, which can lead to measurement errors, the study authors note. Researchers also may not have had a complete picture of long-term eating habits. 

Still, it’s possible eating more fruits and vegetables may make it easier for the kidneys to rid the body of toxins, said Dr Michal Melamed of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Centre in Bronx, New York. Fruits and vegetables have less acid, putting less demand on the kidneys than meats which have a lot of acid. 

“It could also be that the people who eat more fruits and vegetables also do other things, such as exercise more, get more sleep, or in general have a healthier lifestyle and that is the reason why this association is seen,” Melamed, who was not involved in the study, said by e-mail.

“In general, multiple studies have shown that eating a lot of processed meats and red meats is probably not good for people, not just for their kidney health but also for the heart.”

PARIS — The Chinese giant salamander, the largest amphibian in the world, is not cute. 

Weighing as much as an adult human, it has slimy brown skin, a giant mouth curled to a gormless grin, and puny, mistrustful eyes. 

It is also one of the world’s most endangered species. 

And yet, unlike its compatriot the giant panda, the giant salamander rarely makes the news. 

Why do some animals strike a chord with humans, prompting them to donate millions towards their conservation, while others draw little more than disgust? 

And is a sad-eyed panda really worth saving more than a slimy salamander? 

Size, intelligence, behaviour, rarity, how closely an animal resembles the human form — all play a part in our reaction to various endangered creatures. 

“One of the biggest factors is ‘cuteness’: physical characteristics such as big eyes and soft features that elicit our parental instincts because they remind us of human infants,” Hal Herzog, emeritus professor at West Carolina University’s Department of Psychology, told AFP.

An expert in human-animal relationships, Herzog said the dark rings around pandas’ eyes triggered humans nurturing instincts. 

“Compare that to the Chinese giant salamander,” he said. “Google it. It looks like a 2 metre-long, 70kg bag of brown slime with beady little eyes.” 

The salamanders are a vital part of their ecosystem, just as worms are essential to soil health around the steams and lakes they live in — which is just about everywhere. 

Yet, like maggots, rats and snakes, the main instinct they inspire in humans is revulsion.

According to Graham Davey, a specialist in phobias from the University of Sussex’s School of Psychology, we learn to revile certain creatures at a young age. 

“Disgust is a learned emotion. Babies are not born with it... it’s probably transmitted socially, culturally and within families,” he said. 

Some animals are reviled due to their resemblance to “primary disgusting things” such as mucus or faeces, Davey said, while others are perceived — rightly or wrongly — to pose a direct danger to the beholder. 

“In terms of threat to humankind, disease and illness are bigger than being attacked by an animal,” he said. 

This might explain why most of us don’t find lions and bears repellent — they are covered with the same type of soft fur that coat cuddly toys for children, even if it might be better to avoid one in real life. 

As with most things, popular culture has a huge effect on how society perceives animals. 

Whereas the movie “Free Willy” prompted a wave of sympathy for the protection of endangered orcas, “Arachnophobia” hardly helped spiders’ cause. 

See also: “Jaws” for sharks. 

Even the depiction of fictional creatures can have a knock-on effect on public perception towards certain animals. 

Take the main being in “Alien”, for example.

“Seeing the one from the first film that had that mucus-y drawl dripping from the alien’s mouth... sensitises people to disgusting things,” Davey said. 

Nor is it just the public at large who are liable to “speciesism”, or discrimination against other species in favour of our own. 

A study in 2017 found a strong correlation between society’s preferred animals and those most studied in scientific research. 

“Maybe that’s because it’s easier to get money” to study well-known animals, said Frederic Legendre, a researcher at France’s National History Museum. 

And popular species make money in return, according to Christo Fabricius from WWF — a conservation group indelibly linked to its panda logo. 

“Reptiles, for example, are not very marketable,” he said. 

Not that favouring certain cute or charismatic species is necessarily a bad thing for conservation. 

“When we protect an iconic species, we protect their habitat and therefore all the organisms within it also benefit,” said Legendre. 

But such species can become a victim of their own popularity. 

One recent study suggested that a “virtual” presence of wild animals such as elephants and tigers — be that on computer screens, T-shirts or in children’s books — can fool people into thinking they are more common in the wild than they really are. 

The populations of most megafauna — from hippos to giraffes and gorillas — remain in peril. 

Then there’s the risk of poaching. 

The rarer the species “the more value they provide for traditional medicine, for trophy hunting, and therefore they are poached more often”, said Franck Courchamp, an ecologist at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research. 

So the next time you see a picture of a Giant Chinese Salamander, remember that there’s more to saving Earth’s wild species than looks. 

Skipping — an exercise many people may not have tried since their school days on the playground — may actually be a great grownup workout because it puts less stress on the knees than running while burning more calories, a recent study suggests. 

Despite the many health benefits of running, the number of running-related injuries is on the rise and as many as 79 per cent of runners report injuries in any given year, researchers note in Gait and Posture. Injuries to the knees and lower extremities are common because running mechanics produce large amounts of force on the body with every stride — and because runners often develop repetitive stress injuries by allowing insufficient recovery time. 

For the current study, researchers compared the contact force on the knee for 20 healthy, young adults when they ran and skipped at the same speed. 

Compared to skipping, running produced almost twice the average peak force on the patella or kneecap in the front of the knee joint, the study found. Running also produced almost 30 per cent greater average peak force on the tibiofemoral joint, or the knee hinge formed between three bones: the femur, tibia and patella. 

Skipping, however, used 30 per cent more calories than running. 

“Certainly, running is an integral component of many athletic activities and we are not unaware of the aversion some people may have toward performing skipping as a standard component to their physical regime, but skipping has nonetheless emerged from this study as an alternative form of locomotion with untapped potential,” said lead study author Jessica McDonnell of East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. 

Simply put, the gait mechanics of the two types of exercise are different, and may have different outcomes for the body, McDonnell said by e-mail. 

“When people run they are executing a cyclical gait composed of alternating periods of absorption [stance] and propulsion [flight],” McDonnell explained. “Throughout the gait there is either one foot on the ground, [the] single limb support phase, or none, the flight phase.” 

By contrast, “when people skip [step and hop on one leg followed by a step and a hop on the opposite leg] a support phase is added not seen in running,” McDonnell continued. 

“The skipping gait patterns has a single limb support phase, double support phase, and a flight phase,” McDonnell said. “Due to the composition and execution of the gait, skipping has reduced vertical ground reaction force, decreased step length, increased cadence contributing to the attenuation of knee compressive forces.” 

Beyond the different gait pattern, the greater height people typically achieve with their legs when skipping may account for additional calories burned with this activity as compared with running, McDonnell said. 

The study participants ranged in age from 18 to 30; half were female. They were a healthy weight, on average, and they all participated in a training programme to practice skipping for distances just over 1.5 kilometres on a laboratory treadmill before their gait assessments. 

Then, researchers assessed participants’ gait mechanics and calories expended while they ran and skipped on a treadmill at identical speeds. 

It’s possible that the results for people who got trained in skipping on a treadmill might not reflect what would happen in the real world if people tried both activities on their own, the study authors note. 

 “With both running and skipping, people generally use a longer distance between steps and quicker pace than when walking, which may lead to more force through the knee from the ground,” said Mackenzie Herzog of the Injury Prevention Research Centre at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

“As with any physical activity, people who run and skip should listen to their body and talk to their doctor before starting new vigorous activities or if they have questions about exercising.” Herzog, who was not involved in the study, said by e-mail. “Gradually increasing duration and distance, taking rest days and cross-training, and using proper equipment, especially shoes, are recommended.” 

Children who develop cavities and gum disease may be more likely to develop risk factors for heart attacks and strokes decades later than children who have good oral health, a recent study suggests. 

Researchers did dental exams for 755 children in 1980, when they were eight years old on average, then followed them through 2007 to see how many of them developed risk factors for heart attacks and strokes like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, high blood sugar and hardening of the arteries. 

Overall, just 33 children, or 4.5 per cent, had no signs of bleeding, cavities, fillings or pockets around teeth that can signal gum disease. Almost 6 per cent of the children had one of these four signs of oral infections, while 17 per cent had two signs, 38 per cent had three signs and 34 per cent had all four signs. 

Children who had even one sign of oral infection were 87 per cent more likely to develop what is known as subclinical atherosclerosis: structural changes and thickening in the artery walls that is not yet serious enough to cause complications. 

Children with all four signs of poor oral health were 95 per cent more likely to develop this type of artery damage. 

Oral infections are among the most common causes of inflammation-induced diseases worldwide, and periodontal disease in adults have long been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers note in JAMA Network Open. 

Most people get cavities and gum disease for the first time in childhood, and these conditions can develop into more serious infections and tooth loss if they are not properly treated, the study authors note. Treating these oral health problems in childhood can also reduce inflammation and other risk factors for hardening of the arteries. 

“This emphasises how important good oral hygiene and frequent check-ups with a dentist starting early in life are for general health,” said lead study author Pirkko Pussinen of the University of Helsinki in Finland. 

“The children with a healthy mouth had a better cardiovascular risk profile [lower blood pressure, body mass index, glucose and cholesterol] throughout the whole follow-up period,” Pussinen said by e-mail. 

More than four in five children had cavities and fillings, and 68 per cent of them also had bleeding during dental exams. Slight pocketing around the gums was observed in 54 per cent of the kids, although it was more often found in boys than in girls. 

Both cavities and pocketing that can signal gum disease were associated with thickening of walls of the carotid arteries, blood vessels in the neck that carry blood from the heart to the brain. This indicates the progression of atherosclerosis and an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. 

The study was not a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how cavities or other oral health problems might directly cause heart attacks or strokes. Not everyone with subclinical atherosclerosis or other risk factors will go on to have a heart attack or stroke. 

Poor oral health in childhood was also associated with an increase in blood pressure and body mass index in early adulthood, noted co-author of an accompanying editorial Salim Virani of Baylor College of Medicine and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Centre in Houston. 

 “These could themselves be associated with poor heart health in adulthood,” Virani said by e-mail. Systemic inflammation associated with poor oral health is also linked to heart disease and stroke, Virani added. 

“Either the relationship shown in this study is causal or there are yet unmeasured confounders [risk factors] that are associated with both poor oral health as well as future risk of cardiovascular disease,” Virani said. “For example, could poor oral health be a marker of poor nutrition which itself is associated with cardiovascular disease, or could poor oral health be a marker of lower socioeconomic status which itself may be associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease in the future?”

SAN JOSÉ, California — Got a crush on another Facebook user? The social network will help you connect, as part of a revamp unveiled on Tuesday that aims to foster real-world relationships and make the platform a more intimate place for groups of friends.

The new features were introduced in a revamped Facebook app as the embattled social network embarks on a new strategy emphasising private communications and small groups.

“As the world gets bigger and more connected, we need that sense of intimacy more than ever,” Zuckerberg said as he opened the F8 developer conference for the social networking giant.

“That’s why I believe the future is private.”

The new app made available to US users Tuesday aims for a new direction for Facebook: It eliminates the blue background and offers a range of new ways to connect, in line with Zuckerberg’s vision to move away from the “digital town square” to a “digital living room”.

Facebook’s shift comes response to criticism over failing to curb misinformation and manipulation of the platform used by 2.3 billion people, and missteps on its handling of private user data.

“It can be hard to find your sense of purpose when you are connected to billions of people at the same time,” Zuckerberg told the developers gathered in San Jose, California.

“Privacy gives us the freedom to be ourselves.”

The redesigned application, to be followed by a new Facebook website, symbolises changes in how Facebook runs its business, Zuckerberg said.

“I know we don’t exactly have the strongest reputation on privacy right now, to put it lightly,” he said. “But I am committed to starting a new chapter for our product.”

Dogs and politics

Changes announced on Tuesday put groups at the centre of the experience and add dating, friend-making and events features intended to promote people getting together in real life, Facebook’s new app head Fidji Simo told AFP ahead of F8.

The redesign is meant to make it easier for users to take part in communities, whether based on friendships, family ties or common interests, according to Simo.

“It’s definitely part of Mark’s bigger vision,” she said.

The new design gives users more options for private and group connections.

While counterintuitive, Facebook sees the change as potentially bringing people with opposing political viewpoints together rather than separating them in “filter bubbles”.

“We are seeing that groups can bridge people across dividing lines,” Simo said.

“If you are a dog lover, you will find people who are dog lovers across all divides, political or otherwise,” she added.

A “Meet New Friends” feature being gradually rolled out will let users opt in to getting acquainted with others interested in fresh connections within shared communities.

An “Events” tab will expedite making real world, local plans with online friends.

Hidden crushes

Facebook also announced it is expanding a dating feature to 14 more countries including the Philippines, Singapore, Brazil and Chile.

A new feature called “Secret Crush” will let people signal which friends they are interested in romantically on a private crush list — only letting the object of their fancy know if the feeling is mutual.

“We think there is a lot of potential in developing these relationships,” Simo said.

“It’s all built with privacy in mind, and with the goal of building meaningfully long-term relationships and not just hookups.”

The ability for people in small groups to be able to communicate securely and privately is seen as essential to making the social network more intimate.

There are tens of millions of active groups on Facebook, and more than 400 million people belong to groups at the social network.

Leaner, faster Messenger

Separately, Facebook unveiled a Messenger app overhaul that makes the mobile software leaner, faster and more of an energy miser.

“We rewrote practically all of the code from scratch,” the head of Messenger, Stan Chudnovsky, told AFP.

“We made Messenger the fastest private communication hub on the planet.”

Features built into the new Messenger app, used by some 1.3 billion people, build on the social network’s broader vision of small-group-sharing in “virtual living rooms”, according to Chudnovsky.

Facebook also announced its Portal video call device would be available internationally — starting with Canada in June, and Europe later this year — and would allow calls over the WhatsApp messaging platform.

Meanwhile, the Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest headsets, starting at $399, will begin shipping on May 21, expanding Facebook’s move into virtual reality and gaming, the company said.

LucasFilm and Oculus Studios will have a “Star Wars” themed “Vader Immortal” virtual reality game ready when the Quest launches, putting players face to face with the master of the dark side of the Force.

Older adults with a poor sense of smell may die sooner than their counterparts who have keen olfactory abilities, a US study suggests. 

Researchers asked 2,289 adults, ages 71 to 82, to identify 12 common smells, awarding scores from zero to as high as 12 based on how many scents they got right. When they joined the study, none of the participants were frail: They could walk a quarter mile, climb 10 steps, and independently complete daily activities. 

During 13 years of follow-up, 1,211 participants died. 

Overall, participants with a weak nose were 46 per cent more likely to die by year 10 and 30 per cent more apt to pass away by year 13 than people with a good sense of smell, the study found. 

“The association was largely limited to participants who reported good-to-excellent health at enrollment, suggesting that poor sense of smell is an early and sensitive sign for deteriorating health before it is clinically recognisable,” said senior study author Honglei Chen of Michigan State University in East Lansing. 

“Poor sense of smell is likely an important health marker in older adults beyond what we have already known about [i.e., connections with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, poor nutrition, and safety hazards],” Chen said by email. 

People who started out the study in excellent or good health were 62 per cent more likely to die by year 10 when they had a poor sense of smell than when they had a keen nose, researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 

But smell didn’t appear to make a meaningful difference in mortality rates for people who were in fair to poor health at the start of the study. 

With a poor sense of smell, people were more likely to die of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, but not of cancer or respiratory conditions. 

Poor sense of smell may be an early warning for poor health in older age that goes beyond neurodegenerative diseases that are often signal the beginning of physical or mental decline, the results also suggest. 

Dementia or Parkinson disease explained only 22 per cent of the higher death risk tied to a poor sense of smell, while weight loss explained just six per cent of this connection, researchers estimated. That leaves more than 70 per cent of the higher mortality rates tied to a weak nose unexplained. 

The connection between a poor sense of smell and mortality risk didn’t appear to differ by sex or race or based on individuals’ demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and or chronic health conditions. 

One limitation of the study is that the older adult participants were relatively functional, making it possible results might differ for younger people or for frail elderly individuals, the study team writes. 

Researchers also only tested smell at one point in time, and they didn’t look at whether changes in olfactory abilities over time might influence mortality. Researchers also lacked data on certain medical causes of a weak nose such as nasal surgery or chronic rhinosinusitis that are not related to aging. 

“The take-home message is that a loss in the sense of smell may serve as a bellwether for declining health”, said Vidyulata Kamath of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, co-author of an accompanying editorial. 

 “As we age, we may be unaware of declining olfactory abilities,” Kamath said by email. “Given this discrepancy, routine olfactory assessment in older adults may have clinical utility in screening persons at risk for illness, injury or disease for whom additional clinical work-up and/or intervention may be warranted.” 

One of the hardest things about being a new parent is figuring out when babies are so sick they need to go to the emergency room and when worrisome signs or symptoms might actually be perfectly normal, doctors say. 

Anxious parents bring babies to the ER for all kinds of things that could go either way like goopy eyes, concerns about how the stump from the cut umbilical cord looks, vomiting, strange looking stool, irregular breathing and jerky or unusual body movements, doctors write in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 

“Differences between potentially dangerous pathology and normal infant behaviour can be subtle,” said lead study author Zachary Drapkin of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. 

“It can be helpful if parents are counselled about what to expect over the first few days of life,” Drapkin said by e-mail. “Many of these issues could very effectively be addressed with improved access to primary care.” 

Even for emergency department physicians, it can be challenging to distinguish normal infant signs, symptoms and behaviours from potentially life-threatening conditions, Drapkin and colleagues write. 

For example, babies with conjunctivitis, or goopy eye, need to be seen in the ER when the cause is an infection, the paper notes. Infection is more likely the culprit when there is lots of discharge and gunk. 

Normally, the umbilical stump left behind when the cord is cut at birth will turn black or brown and dry out before it falls off, typically within about one week. It can also have a foul smell like rotting fruit, the paper notes. But warmth, swelling, purulent discharge or a fever might indicate an infection that requires immediate medical attention. 

Nearly all babies spit up because their stomachs are so small, and this is not necessarily a problem as long babies are urinating, feeding and growing normally. Unlike spit-up, projectile vomit may be caused by medical problems that could warrant a trip to the ER, the paper notes. 

Infant stool, meanwhile, can be a greenish colour for babies who are fed formula and more of a mustard colour for breastfed infants, the doctors point out. Bloody or black stool after the newborn stage, however, might mean babies need to be checked for serious health problems like internal bleeding or bowel obstruction. 

Newborns can startle easily and have jittery movements in response to stimuli, and this is normal, the doctors note. But jitteriness or jerky movements that continue over time and are not in response to stimuli may mean there is a seizure problem or something else that requires an urgent check-up. 

Beyond the challenge of figuring out what infant health issues may be true emergencies, parents can also struggle to get same-day sick visits with paediatricians that could help them avoid a trip ER, said Rajesh Daftary of the University of California San Francisco and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. 

“It’s hard to estimate what number of emergency department visits by a newborn or infant could be averted with a same day visit, but it’s certainly the majority,” Daftary, who was not involved in the paper, said by e-mail. “The challenge is trying to obtain these same day appointments.” 

Nurse advice phone lines may help in some cases, but it can be hard for a clinician on the phone to make an assessment without directly examining a baby, Daftary added. 

“Urgent care clinics can be especially helpful if they are staffed by a physician or advanced practitioner [nurse practitioner, physician assistant] specialising in paediatric care,” Daftary added. “Without that level of experience, an urgent care physician may opt to transfer a child to an emergency department where a more thorough assessment can be performed.” 

AMMAN — Somewhat controversial with Land Rover traditionalists when first launched in 2011, the compact Range Rover Evoque, however, popularised and broadened the brand’s appeal and accessibility to new group of consumers. 

If stark and different then, the original Evoque’s low, wide and heavily stylised design has gone on to inform virtually every Land Rover product since, including the recently launched second generation Evoque.

Introduced earlier this year with new technology, improved space, luxury and efficiency, the new Evoque closely follows the original’s basic design cues, albeit with a more bulging, rounded and haughty demeanor.

Rakish roofline

Slightly longer, taller and with a longer wheelbase for improved legroom, the new Evoque strongly resembles its predecessor, yet has a seemingly bigger and bulkier presence owing to a higher waistline, taller front and rear fascia and higher, slimmer lights. 

Replacing the outgoing model’s sharp angular lines and surfacing with bulbous body work, the new Evoque retains many reworked styling elements, including a slim grille and lights with a thin vent below; and an even larger

lower intake. Also present is a similar clamshell bonnet to lend a squinting and moody appearance to its LED matrix headlights.

Meanwhile bulging wheel-arches still interrupt a design element that trails off from the edge of the headlights, and from a side view, the new model retains the rakishly low coupe-like roofline with black pillars, although this time without the choice of a three-door coupe body style. 

Along with a higher waistline, the new Evoque features a more sharply rising ridged side line below its new pop-out door handles. From the rear, the new Evoque’s width is accentuated by wider rear lights and a huge lower bumper insert with faux exhaust ports, as driven with the sportier looking R-design package.

Subtle electrification

Powered by petrol and diesel versions of Jaguar Land Rover’s in-house developed 2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder Ingenium engine in place of its predecessor’s similar Ford-sourced engine, the new Evoque uses a mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) system for its most popular four-wheel-drive automatic gearbox models. 

Almost un-discernible in operation, the 48v MHEV system recovers kinetic deceleration energy and stores it in under-body batteries, which allows the engine to automatically switch off at under 17km/h when coming to a stop, and also powers an electric motor that assists the Evoque when accelerating and driving in heavy traffic.

Subtle and virtually undetectable, the Evoque’s electric assistance did; however, seem to compensate for expected turbo lag from idling with better immediate responsiveness than expected. 

Driven in the second to top specification P250 guise, the Evoque produces 245BHP at 5,500rpm and 269lb/ft torque throughout a broad, versatile and accessibly responsive 1,300-4,500rpm mid-range. 

Not much more powerful than its predecessor but somewhat heavier at  1,818kg, the Evoque P250’s MHEV system and slick-shifting 9-speed automatic gearbox with a broad range of ratios for performance, efficiency and versatility do make it slightly quicker and economic.

Settled and stable

A brisk drive with confident mid-range flexibility despite its heft, the Evoque P250 covers the 0-100km/h in 7.5-seconds, 80-120km/h in 5.1-seconds and is capable of 230km/h, but returns moderate 7.9l/100km fuel efficiency on the combined cycle. 

A refined drive with good sound insulation and a reassuringly stable ride at speed, the driven R-Dynamic package version was fitted with the second largest 20-inch alloy wheels and 235/50R20 tyres. 

Somewhat firm over rougher more damaged road segments and on gravel trails, this tyre option was fine on smoother roads and provided reasonable comfort over imperfections and gripped corners well. However, entry-level 18-inch wheels proved better on Jordanian roads.

Driven with fixed rate dampers rather than with optional adaptive dampers, the Evoque’s MacPherson strut front and integral link rear suspension with fluid-filled bushes were well set-up to provide a good mix of ride comfort, settled vertical control and good lateral body control through fast and tight corners for the vehicle’s height. 

Tidy into corners with little sign of under-steer, the Evoque was also reasonably agile for the segment and allowed one to easily shift weight to the rear outside wheel to tighten a cornering line. Meanwhile, its quick 2.31-turn electric-assisted steering was direct and refined, if somewhat clinical as driven with 20-inch wheels.     

Sophisticated solutions

Driving the front wheels under normal circumstances to minimise fuel consumption, the Evoque’s four-wheel-drive reengages the rear wheels for stability, traction and grip. 

Primarily designed for road use, but with genuine off-road ability, the Evoque is offered with numerous standard on- and off-road driver assistance systems, including adaptive control, steering assist, lane-keeping assist, blind spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking. 

For off-road driving, the Evoque features Hill Descent, Gradient Release and All-Terrain Progress control systems, as well as a four mode Terrain Response system that leverages and adapts various driver aids, gearbox and throttle for different off-road conditions.

A classy and well-equipped vehicle with a good driving position, the Evoque has a pleasantly up-market feel and design as driven in the luxurious HSE trim level, with good quality materials used in the right places and sophisticated, uncluttered switchgear and infotainment screens. 

Spacious in the front, if slightly less so for tall and large occupants in the rear, the Evoque offers good front visibility, but addresses the less generous rear and over-shoulder visibility associated with its sharply descending roofline, ascending waistline and small glasshouse with a standard 360° reversing camera and high mounted rear camera for a wider view with the flick of a button. 

Optionally, a front mirror offers unrestricted views for off-road driving and maneuvering in tight confines.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2-litre, turbocharged, transverse 4-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 83 x 92.3mm

Compression ratio: 10.5:1 (+0.5:1)

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC, continuously variable valve timing, direct injection

Electric motor: Synchronous claw pole rotor

Battery: 46.2v lithium-ion 

Gearbox: 9-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive

Ratios: 1st 4.713; 2nd 2.842; 3rd 1.909; 4th 1.382; 5th 1.0; 6th 0.808; 7th 0.699; 8th 0.58; 9th 0.48

Reverse / final drive: 3.83 / 4.544

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 245 (249) [183] @5,500rpm

Specific power: 122.6BHP/litre

Power-to-weight ratio: 129.4BHP/tonne (kerb)

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 269 (365) @1,300-4,500rpm

Specific torque: 182.6Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight ratio: 192.8Nm/tonne (kerb)

0-100km/h: 7.5-seconds

80-120km/h: 5.1-seconds

Top speed: 230km/h

Fuel economy, combined: 7.9-litres/100km

CO2 emissions, combined: 180g/km

Fuel capacity: 67-litres

Length: 4,371mm

Width: 1,904mm

Height: 1,649mm

Wheelbase: 2,681mm

Overhang, F/R: 880/810mm

Track, F/R: 1,625/1,631mm

Ground clearance: 212mm

Water wading: 600mm

Approach/break-over/departure angles: 25°/20.7°/30.6°

Ascent / descent gradient: 45°

Side slope gradient: 35°

Towing, braked / unbraked: 1,800/750kg

Aerodynamic drag co-efficiency: 0.325

Headroom, F/R: 989/973mm

Shoulder room, F/R: 1,438/1,407mm

Legroom, F/R: 1,016/859mm

Boot capacity, min/max: 591-/1,383-litres

Unladen / kerb weight: 1,818/1,893kg

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbones / integral multi-link, anti-roll bars

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 11.6-meters

Lock-to-lock: 2.31-turns

Brake discs, F/R: 349mm / 300mm

Tyres: 235/50R20