Features

By Sheela Sheth

Food Expert

Grown in the Mediterranean, this powerful antioxidant is sweet in taste and cool in nature. Milk or Scotch thistle, as it is popularly called, is best known for treating liver and gallbladder diseases and protecting the liver against toxins.

Antioxidant property

Milk thistle got its name from the milky fluid that comes from the leaves when crushed. It stimulates bile flow and its flavonoid contents are valuable for keeping the liver healthy. 

It is often used to cure skin conditions like acne and psoriasis. Its rich antioxidant, Silibinin, is known to combat cancerous cells and strengthen the immune system.

Medical miracle

This popular plant, also known as Khass minshaarii in Arabic, Vishnu Kranti in Tamil and Oont Katara in Urdu, is a vital part of Indian medicine and is often combined with dandelion extract used for supporting liver function. 

It is available in health food stores in capsule form. It is known to lower blood sugar and cholesterol, but may interfere with insomnia and blood pressure medication.  

Culinary contribution

The edible parts of the plant are young stalks, leaves, roots and flowers which can be eaten raw or better cooked with the spines of the leaf removed. 

It is a perfect spinach substitute and an accompaniment to cooking with pulses, offering a distinct flavour. Crushed seeds of this herb are popularly used for making tea.

Aesthetic appeal

Maintain radiant and glowing skin, prevent flare-ups, retain moisture and delay ageing with this herb. 

It can even strengthen and protect hair follicles, thus preventing hair loss.  

People allergic to kiwi, artichokes, marigold, daisies, ragweed and chrysanthemums react to consuming this herb. It is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding and is not for children.

Did you know?

This flowering annual plant, with its conical shape and hollow stems of milk white veins, grows in a temperate climate up to two metres. It flowers from June to August in the North and December to February in the Southern Hemisphere.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

Seeing the World: How US Universities Make Knowledge in a Global Era

Mitchell L. Stevens, Cynthia Miller-Idriss, and Seteney Shami

Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2018

Pp. 163

The idea for this book originated in the New York-based Social Science Research Council’s rethinking of its international programmes after the end of the Cold War — a process in which one of the authors, Seteney Shami, was involved. After 9/11, rethinking became more urgent, as Middle East studies programmes came under fire for failing to predict the rise of Islamist extremism, and the US Department of Education sought a reevaluation of the programmes it had funded. This catalysed the coming together of Shami with university professors Cynthia Miller-Idriss and Mitchell L. Stevens in an interdisciplinary team: Shami is an anthropologist; Stevens is associate professor of education at Stanford University; while Miller-Idriss is associate professor of sociology and education at American University. 

Together they undertook a decade-long “empirical investigation of the organisation of programmes devoted to the study of world regions, particularly the Middle East and its neighbouring geographies, on US research university campuses in the years following 9/11”. (p. 2)

Their investigation, which resulted in “Seeing the World”, had three main aims: “to offer insight into the mechanics of knowledge production at the arts-and-sciences cores of US research universities… to contribute to an understanding of universities as special mechanisms for seeing the world… [and] to forward a theory of how US universities themselves change”. (pp. 1-2) 

The authors’ approach to these issues makes “Seeing the World” especially interesting. Brief, but rich, historical context is provided to explain how US scholars have viewed the relationship between the university and the world over time, from the original civilizational schema informed by an imperialist world view, to the subsequent national schema that sees universities “as consultants to the US state in its geopolitical ambitions worldwide”. (p. 9)

Post-World War II, with the onset of the Cold War, this entailed acquiring in-depth knowledge about areas of concern which, in turn, led to the founding of area studies in interdisciplinary centres intended to harness social science knowledge in the service of US foreign policy.

This was the heyday of modernisation theory, yet within a decade or so, this theory was being critiqued by new scholarship in the humanities, and with the end of the Cold War, funding for area studies lessened. More recently, the new possibilities for cross-border exchange in the digital age gave birth to the global schema.

Often emphasising themes rather than area-specific knowledge, universities began seeking to enhance their international orientation and out-reach and simultaneously compensate for diminishing funding. This new era of globalism leads the authors to question what will happen to regionally focused scholarship.

A main component of the authors’ investigation was 73 interviews with area studies centre directors and associate directors; chairs of economics, political science, and sociology departments; and deans or vice provosts of international/global affairs, about their priorities and how they function.

Substantial quotes from these interviews give a lively, reality-based take on the issues at hand. Moreover, both the authors and interviews go beyond formalities to describe the nuts-and-bolts of how universities actually operate as they strive to create a milieu conducive to knowledge production.

Many questions are posed and answered: How do universities compensate for short-falls in funding? What distinguishes centres from departments and how do they cooperate? What is the effect of the tension that exists between area studies, which promote particular knowledge of specific places, and social sciences, such as economics, sociology and political science, which aim at abstract theory that can be universally applied? “Why, after years of systematic encouragement of research on the Middle East, had the US produced so little economics, political science, and sociology on this part of the world?” (p. 84)

Although departments have more power and stable funding, centres’ flexibility makes them ideal partners for enriching the learning environment, engaging in globally-oriented activities and public outreach. According to the authors, interdisciplinary centres or non-departments “have been powerful tools for enabling teaching and scholarship trained on substantive rather than disciplinary problems”, such as climate change, public health, etc. (p. 84)

They also have recommendations to make the social sciences more relevant in the global age. Given that there are today less and less tenure-track research appointments in the arts-and- sciences core, they suggest that this “provides fresh incentive for encouraging young social scientists to better investigate substantive problems in specific places all over the globe”. (p. 117)

Many of the questions posed in this book show that the authors are not so concerned about furthering their particular discipline, as they are about how social sciences, and by implication higher education generally, can contribute to knowledge that will improve the human condition and promote productive engagement between different cultures.

While directed at US universities, “Seeing the World” should be of interest to educators and social scientists around the globe. The book concludes with a chapter on methods and data, which is probably most interesting for academics, but the overall thrust of the book will appeal to anyone concerned about education and international understanding.

PARIS — One in five deaths globally are linked to poor diet, experts said on Thursday, warning that overconsumption of sugar, salt and meat was killing millions of people every year.

The United Nations estimates that nearly a billion people worldwide are malnourished, while nearly 2 billion are “overnourished”. 

But the latest study on global diet trends, published in The Lancet, showed that in nearly every one of the 195 countries surveyed, people were also eating too much of the wrong types of food — and consuming worryingly low levels of healthier produce.

For example, the world on average consumes more than ten times the recommended amount of sugar-sweetened beverages, and 86 per cent more sodium per person than is considered safe.

The study, which examined consumption and disease trends between 1990-2017, also cautioned that too many people were eating far too few whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Of the 11 million deaths attributed to poor diet, by far the largest killer was cardiovascular disease, which is often caused or worsened by obesity. 

“This study affirms what many have thought for several years — that poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world,” said study author Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. 

“Our assessment suggests the leading dietary risk factors are high intake of sodium, or low intake of health foods.”

The report highlighted large variation in diet-related deaths between nations, with the highest-risk country Uzbekistan having ten times the food-based mortality rate of the lowest-risk, Israel. 

EAT-Lancet report

In January, a consortium of three dozen researchers called for a dramatic shift in the way the world eats.

The EAT-Lancet report said that the global population must eat roughly half as much red meat and sugar, and twice as many vegetables, fruits and nuts in order to avert a worldwide obesity epidemic and avoid “catastrophic” climate change.

Authors of Thursday’s study noted that economic inequality was a factor in poor dietary choices in many countries. 

It found that on average, reaching the “five-a-day” fruit and vegetable servings advocated by doctors cost just 2 per cent of household income in rich nations, but more than a half of household income in poorer ones.

“This study gives us good evidence of what to target to improve diets, and therefore health, at the global and national level,” said Oyinlola Oyebode, Associate Professor at Warwick Medical School, who was not involved in the research.

“The lack of fruit, vegetables and whole grains in diets across the world are very important — but the other dietary factor highlighted by this study is the high intake of sodium.”

LONDON — The pharmaceutical industry should match its words with action on researching new antibiotics to address the threat posed by drug-resistant superbugs, a former UK government adviser recently said.

In a strongly-worded attack on major drug companies, Jim O’Neill, who headed a British government global review of antimicrobial resistance in 2016, said the industry had produced “endless talk and no action”, and was engaged in little more than “spewing out nonsense” about the problem. 

“If the pharma companies delivered one tenth of the commitment in their words, we might be getting somewhere,” O’Neill told reporters at a briefing in London. 

O’Neill, also formerly chief economist of Goldman Sachs, said his frustration at the lack of commitment by drug companies had reached a point where he now believes the best solution might be to create a government-funded “utility” type drug company, which would not be beholden to shareholders. 

Any use of antibiotics promotes the development and spread of superbugs — multi-drug-resistant infections that can evade the antimicrobial drugs designed to kill them. 

O’Neill’s 18-month-long review, commissioned by former British prime minister David Cameron and concluded in 2016, found that the threat of antimicrobial resistance could kill an extra 10 million people a year by 2050 and cost up to $100 trillion if nothing is done to slow or halt it. 

Global health experts agree the world urgently needs new medicines to keep ahead of the superbugs. But pharmaceutical firms are reluctant to invest in developing drugs that would not be sold in large volumes because of the need to preserve them. 

O’Neill has proposed a “pay or play” solution to the problem, in which drug companies would be subject to a surcharge if they decide not to invest in research and development to bring successful new antimicrobial medicines to market. 

For those firms who do decide to “play”, he suggests, a reward of between $1 billion and $1.5 billion should be paid for any successful new antibiotic drug developed. 

Asked to respond to O’Neill’s comments, the global industry body, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), described some of his ideas as “pipe dreams”. 

IFPMA said his suggestion of creating a public utility had “little to commend it”. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no more restricted to science fiction movies, regardless of the popularity of Spielberg’s eponymous feature film of 2001, and how much you believed or not that it could come true one day. AI is now one the biggest subjects in high-tech in particular and science in general, and already is finding concrete, daily applications.

According to Chris Smith from the University of Washington “AI has been studied for decades and is still one of the most elusive subjects in Computer. The term was first coined by John McCarthy in 1956.”

There was a tremendous amount of literature on the subject in the early 1980s, and the Japanese government, in particular, invested billions to research it intensively back then, only to drop it in the mid-1990s, feeling that actual, tangible results would take many more years to materialise.

But of course the subject was never completely dropped and research continued in most other industrialised countries, although at a more reasonable, slower pace. Japan, like the other technologically advanced countries, also returned to working on it.

The fact is computer programmers now want computers not just to calculate (or to compute, another word for it), which is what they have been doing since the beginning, but to take decisions, to “think” in a certain way, to act on behalf of us human beings, in other words to act more intelligently.

Now, whether the expression AI is justified or not, whether it can be compared to our own intelligence is another topic and it remains a debatable matter. It would entail an accurate definition of what intelligence is. Nevertheless, the fact that machines are acting in a manner that is closer to our own behaviour makes no doubt, and robots that are now doing things that seemed impossible only 15 years ago. Examples abound.

Thanks to AI methods, “a system identifies violinists’ bowing techniques with 94 per cent accuracy. [… ] In playing music, gestures are extremely important, in part because they are directly related to the sound and the expressiveness of the musicians”. (sciencedaily.com). 

Writing about the eagerly awaited camera system in the upcoming (April-May this year) Huawei P30 Pro smartphone, artificialintelligence-news.com says: “AI turns anyone into a skilled photographer”. Whereas the artistic side of such a statement is subject to discussion, it makes no doubt that the very smart post-processing done by advanced smartphones cameras is helping talented and less talented photographers take shots that no one thought were possible with a mobile phone just a few years ago.

AI is also on its way in the judiciary world to replace human beings. According to the French lefigaro.fr, soon in Estonia AI systems will be pronouncing sentences instead of real judges. The Estonian government is working on the system, adding that it will be a world’s first, that at the beginning of its implementation it will be limited to treating minor cases, and that the sentenced party will still have the option to appeal.

Needless to say that computers working on AI will still act based on data collected and stored inside them, as it has always been the case. However, the algorithms put in place to analyse that data and then use it, is what AI is about and what differentiates it from “dummy” traditional programming.

To use a simple example in banking: a traditional programme will check your available balance and if found positive will let you withdraw money within the limit of that available balance, or if found negative will issue a message telling you there are not enough funds in your account to make the withdrawal. Instead, a programme with AI would tell you that based on your excellent history with the bank you could easily apply for a loan, or would recommend you use your credit card for a cash advance payment or would advise you wait a few days till your monthly salary or pension is credited to the account.

The field of application is huge, and so are the implications. One of the domains that are to be significantly affected by good application of AI is driverless vehicles. Such cars will need to do much more that to suddenly break if they detect a pedestrian crossing the street in front of you.

Acknowledging the impact of AI and the eventual consequences, Google has set up an AI Ethics Panel. Mentioning it bbc.com writes: “The group will meet to discuss how emerging technologies should — or perhaps should not — be used.”

One thing is certain, we have actually entered the age of AI applications. Computers can now be considered to be post-graduate fellows, thanks to AI methods and algorithms, and also thanks to technological advancements without which AI would not be functional at all today: ultra-fast processors, huge storage memory and gigantic wireless networks.

By Kang Jin/kyu

Agence France-Presse

SEOUL — South Korea launches the world’s first fully-fledged 5G mobile networks on Friday, a transformational leap that already has superpowers sparring for control of an innovation that could potentially change the day-to-day lives of billions of people.

The superfast communications heralded by fifth-generation wireless technology will ultimately underpin everything from toasters to telephones; from electric cars to power grids.

But while the south has won the race to be first to provide the user experience, that is only one part of a wider battle that has pit the United States against China and ensnared giants including Huawei.

Hyper-wired South Korea has long had a reputation for technical prowess, and Seoul has made the 5G rollout a priority as it seeks to stimulate stuttering economic growth.

The system will bring smartphones near-instantaneous connectivity — 20 times faster than the existing 4G — allowing users to download entire movies in less than a second.

In the same way that 3G enabled widespread mobile web access and 4G made new applications work ranging from social media to Uber, 5G will herald a new level of connectivity, empowered by speed.

It is crucial for the future development of devices ranging from self-driving vehicles that send data traffic to one another in real time, industrial robots, drones and other elements of the Internet of Things.

That makes it a vital part of the infrastructure of tomorrow, and the 5G standard is expected to bring about $565 billion in global economic benefits by 2034, according to the London-based Global System for Mobile Communications, an industry alliance.

‘One million devices’

But the implications have pitted Washington against Beijing in an increasingly bitter standoff.

The US has pressed its allies and major economies to avoid 5G solutions from Chinese-owned telecom giant Huawei, citing security risks that technological backdoors could give Beijing access to 5G-connected utilities and other components.

But Chinese firms dominate 5G technology.

Huawei, the global leader, has registered 1,529 5G patents, according to data analysis firm IPlytics.

Combined with manufacturers ZTE and Oppo, plus the China Academy of Telecommunications Technology, Chinese entities own a total of 3,400 patents, it says — more than a third of the total. 

South Korea comes next, with its companies holding 2,051 patents.

In contrast, US firms have 1,368 altogether, IPlytics said — 29 fewer than Finland’s Nokia alone.

All three of South Korea’s mobile networks — KT, SK Telecom and LG UPlus go live with their 5G services.

“5G’s hyper speed can connect 1 million devices within a 1 square kilometre zone simultaneously,” KT said in a report. 

On the same day, Samsung Electronics will release the Galaxy S10 5G, the world’s first available smartphone using the tech, with rival LG following with the V50s two weeks later.

Cost barrier

More than 3 million South Koreans will switch to 5G by the end of this year, predicted KT Vice President Lee Pil-jae.

Until now, no mobile networks have offered nationwide 5G access. In the US, hotspots in a few selected cities have offered 5G speeds but over wifi only, while Qatari firm Ooredoo says it offers 5G services in and around Doha, but does not have devices available to use them.

US network carrier Verizon will launch fifth-generation services for mobile users in Chicago and Minneapolis next week, with more than 30 cities due to follow this year. 

Japan is also expected to roll out a limited deployment in 2019 before full services start in time for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. 

But cost is likely to be a barrier for user uptake initially, analysts say: the cheapest version of the new Galaxy handset will be 1.39 million won ($1,200).

“While there are many cheap 4G smartphones under $300, Samsung’s 5G phones are well over $1,000, which could be a major minus point for cost-savvy consumers,” a KT representative told AFP. 

None of South Korea’s three network operators would say how much they have invested in 5G — but Seoul’s economy minister Hong Nam-ki put it at at least $2.6 billion this year alone.

“If 5G is fully implemented,” he said, “it will greatly improve people’s lives”. 

For people with celiac disease, even tiny amounts of gluten in foods can cause trouble, and restaurants may be the hardest places to avoid the hidden protein, a US study suggests. 

More than half of gluten-free pizza and pasta dishes tested in restaurants were positive for the presence of gluten, and overall, about one third of supposedly gluten-free foods had some gluten, researchers report in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. 

“The long-suspected problem of gluten contamination in restaurant foods that has been reported by patients likely has some truth behind it,” said senior study author Dr Benjamin Lebwohl, director of clinical research at the Celiac Disease Centre at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Centre in New York City. 

“We don’t know how common it is. But our findings suggest that pizza and pasta and foods served during dinner time are more likely to have this problem.” 

Lebwohl often heard anecdotally from patients that they suspected they had consumed gluten at restaurants, even though the foods they ate were labelled gluten-free. 

When he learned that the manufacturer of the portable Nima Gluten Sensor had a stash of data submitted by restaurant patrons who used the device to test foods they suspected, Lebwohl asked if he could use the information in a study. 

The company supplied what they had: 5,624 food tests performed by 804 users during an 18-month period. When the researchers analysed the data, they found that 32 per cent of tests revealed gluten contamination in dishes that were supposed to be gluten-free. 

Gluten-free pasta samples were positive for the protein in 50.8 per cent of tests, while gluten-free pizza turned out to contain gluten in 53.2 per cent of tests. Gluten was detected in 27.2 per cent of breakfasts, 29 per cent of lunches and 34 per cent of dinners. 

Lebwohl admits there are a lot of limitations to the dataset. “The people tested what they wanted to test,” he said. “And the users chose which results to upload to the company. They may have uploaded the results that surprised them the most. So, our findings don’t mean that 32 per cent of foods are unsafe.” 

Moreover, Lebwohl said, the Nima is very sensitive. To be labelled gluten free in the US, a product must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm). But the device can detect levels as low as 5 to 10 ppm, which “most people would not consider to be clinically significant. So, it’s possible for a food to have less than 20 ppm and still indicate that gluten is present”. 

The Nima gluten detector, which sells for about $229 and uses disposable $6 test strip capsules, displays a wheat symbol when it detects gluten and a smiley face when it does not, the authors note. It can upload results to the company via a smartphone app. 

Lebwohl suspects that gluten-free foods are being inadvertently contaminated. “If a gluten-free pizza is put in an oven with a gluten-containing pizza, aerosolized particles could come in contact with the gluten-free pizza,” he said. “And it’s possible that cooking gluten-free pasta in a pot of water that had just been used for pasta that contained gluten might result in contamination.” 

The solution, Lebwhol said, may be better education for food preparers. 

About 1 per cent of Americans have celiac disease, Lebwohl said. The amount of gluten needed to cause intestinal damage in these patients is tiny, he added. “It would be barely visible, like tiny crumbs of bread,” he explained. 

While the limitations of the data mean it’s not possible to determine what percentage of restaurant foods labelled gluten-free actually contain the protein, “it’s interesting to know that so many foods marked as gluten-free aren’t”, said Therezia Alchoufete, a clinical dietician in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre’s Digestive Disorders Centre.

 “This is definitely a consideration for anyone with celiac disease trying to eat outside of the home. At home they know they are preparing foods without any gluten-containing items.” The issue goes beyond gluten, Alchoufete said. “This could apply to anyone who has a sensitivity to a certain ingredient.” 

Experimental contact lenses that not only improve vision, but also ward off itchiness due to allergies, got a boost with the completion of two late-stage studies, according to a new report. 

The antihistamine-containing lenses, developed and tested by Johnson & Johnson, significantly quieted eye allergy symptoms, researchers reported in Cornea. 

“These are pretty encouraging results,” said coauthor Brian Pall, director of clinical science for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. “Over 20 per cent of people suffer from eye allergies. It has a pretty big impact on their quality of life.” 

The two randomised trials — both funded by Johnson & Johnson — tested the effectiveness and safety of lenses that slowly release the antihistamine ketotifen. Together the trials included 244 volunteers whose ages ranged from 12 to 61. 

Participants either wore two antihistamine-treated lenses, two regular lenses without the antihistamine, or one of each — but they did not know what they were wearing. 

After volunteers put the lenses in, they were exposed to allergens that would normally make their eyes itch. They were asked to rate on a scale of zero to four how itchy their eyes were at 15 minutes after the lenses were inserted and 12 hours after insertion. Scores were lower on average, by more than one point on a scale of zero to four, when volunteers had medicated lenses in. 

Between the two studies there were 24 adverse events, most of which were mild, the researchers reported. There were two more-severe adverse events that occurred in both eyes of one volunteer, which the researchers described as “excess tearing”.

Some of the volunteers who wore lenses with antihistamine reported no itching, while others reported itching that was bothersome, but tolerable, Pall said. 

Pall is very enthusiastic about the new lenses. “We are super excited to have this opportunity to publish on this technology,” he said. 

Dr Christopher Starr welcomed the new findings. 

“This is really novel and interesting on a number of levels,” said Starr, an ophthalmologist and professor at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. “I do treat a lot of patients with seasonal allergies in New York City. Right now they’re bracing for the first peak that comes from April to May.” 

Currently Starr advises those patients to put antihistamine drops in their eyes 10 minutes before they put their lenses in. “Then they can wear them throughout the day,” he said. “And then they put a second drop in their eyes after they take the lenses out.” 

In fact, Starr said: “My own eyes itch and this is a product that on first glance — with this positive data — is something I would use myself.” 

It is also reassuring that the new product is a combination of two items that have proven track records for safety, Starr said. 

Pall says he does not know when the new lenses might show up on store shelves. 

“Obviously we are committed to getting all the pieces in place for regulatory submission,” he said. “In my experience it’s very hard to predict how things will go when you start to meet and discuss with regulatory bodies. But we are encouraged by this robust clinical data that would support a submission [for approval] in the future.”

Jaguar’s second foray into the lucrative and ever burgeoning premium SUV segment, the E-pace is a compact and sporty junior stablemate for the larger F-Pace, and is a more attainable brand entry point.

Intended to capture and reinterpret Jaguar’s sporting and upmarket automotive ethos into a trendy, practical and high riding SUV format for young families, the E-Pace — like the F-Pace before it — takes inspiration from the Jaguar F-Type sports car, which is held up as the car that most distils the British automaker’s brand identity.

Feisty looks

Sharing a similar profile and rear quarter design elements as the larger F-Pace SUV, and similarly slim, moody high-set rear lights, clearly inspired by the F-Type sports car, the E-Pace features similarly muscular rear haunches and descending roofline. But with its shorter, narrower dimensions and clearly shorter rear overhang resembles a more upright or compressed interpretation of its larger SUV sister. 

The F-Pace’s slim and heavily browed headlights owe more to Jaguar’s charismatic saloon car range, the E-Pace’s front treatment take more closely reflects that of the F-Type.

With similarly sweptback headlights and wide and snouty mesh grille as its sports car sibling, the E-Pace has a less dramatic demeanour than either F-Type or F-Pace. But with huge tailgate spoiler, optional 20-inch alloy wheels, dual integrated tailpipes and sportier R-Dynamic package with gloss black and satin chrome highlights and body coloured wheel-arch surrounds, the E-Pace’s character is more playfully feisty than outwardly aggressive. 

With R-Dynamic specification, as driven, the E-pace also gains sportier body-hugging contrast stitched front seats, stainless steel treadplates and pedals, and sportier steering-mounted gearbox paddle-shifters.

Punchy performer

Break other current Jaguars’ in-line engine rear-drive based line-up, the E-Pace is the brand’s first transverse engine platform vehicle since the Ford Mondeo-based X-Type saloon and estate circa 2001-2009. With front-wheel-drive only offered for the most junior D150 version, all other E-Pace variants however feature standard all-wheel-drive for more confident road-holding and to better put down power to the road.

Similarly, all but the entry level diesels receive a standard slick-shifting 9-speed automatic gearbox with a broad range of closely spaced ratios to maximise performance, versatility, refinement and efficiency.

Powered exclusively by five petrol and diesel variants of Jaguar land Rover’s recent inhouse developed turbocharged 2-litre 4-cylinder engine, the second to range topping petrol P250 AWD version driven develops a punchy 245BHP at 5,500rpm and thick 269lb/ft wedge of torque throughout a broad and accessible 1,200-4,500 rpm mid-range.

A somewhat low revving engine with faint turbo lag from idling, the E-Pace P250, however, feels muscularly abundant, ever responsive and eager when spooled, with brisk 7.1-second 0-100km/h acceleration and 230km/h top speed contrasting with restrained 8.3/100km combined fuel consumption.

Agile and alert

Further departing from other current Jaguars, the E-Pace eschews aluminium construction in favour of more traditional steel, to reduce costs for customers. Though also easier to repair in the long run, the steel-built E-Pace weighs in at a not insignificant 1,832kg for a 4.4-metre long vehicle. Nevertheless, the E-Pace P250 drives with a zesty and flexibly urgent manner, especially when one chooses its aggressive Dynamic drive mode, where throttle, gearbox shifts and steering responses are sharpened up. Other modes include Normal, Eco, Rain, Ice and Snow and individually tailored modes.

Driven on largely smooth and straight UAE roads rather than twistier European or Jordanian roads the P250 drove with a good ride and handling compromise. With its well set-up MacPherson strut front and integral multi-link rear suspension providing good body control given its weight and relatively high centre of gravity, the E-pace also seemed to well absorb road imperfections despite its low profile 245/45R20 tyres. 

Narrower tyre options with higher sidewalls would add more comfort, reduce unsprung weight and perhaps improved road feel from its quick, direct and well-weighted steering.

Compact comfort

Stable, settled and reassuring at speed, the E-Pace feels alert and ready to pounce into corners encountered during test drive with a tidy, almost hatchback-like agility for its segment. Eager into corner like a front-driver, the compact E-Pace nevertheless digs into corners to bolt out sure-footedly as its four-wheel-drive system allocates power between front and rear as necessary.

Fitted with numerous driver assistance features including blindspot and lane-keeping warnings, one did, however, find it a more fluent drive with lane-keeping assistance disabled to avoid unwanted steering resistance when manoeuvring briskly. 

Refined and well insulated inside, the E-Pace’s cabin features user-friendly and uncomplicated layouts with sleek contemporary design. Supportive, well-spaced and comfortable in front, the E-Pace’s well-adjustable and commanding driving position provides good front and near side visibility, but a thick rakishly slanted A-pillar slightly restricts front-side passenger side visibility.

Equipped with numerous infotainment, safety and convenience features, including a 4G wifi hotspot, the E-Pace’s reversing camera proved particularly useful. Designed for younger families, the E-Pace’s rear seats and access is perfectly suited for children but can tight fitting for large, tall adults. Meanwhile generous 577-litre boot volume expands to 1,234-litres.

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

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: 133.7BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 269 (365) @1,200-4,500rpm

Specific torque: 182.6Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight ratio: 199.2Nm/tonne

0-100km/h: 7.1-seconds

Top speed: 230km/h

Fuel economy, combined: 8.3-litres/100km

CO2 emissions, combined: 189g/km

Fuel capacity: 68.5-litres

Length: 4,395mm

Width: 1,984mm

Height: 1,649mm

Wheelbase: 2,681mm

Overhang, F/R: 882/832mm

Track, F/R: 1,625/1,624mm

Ground clearance: 204mm

Approach/break-over/departure angles: 22.8°/21.1°/29.4°

Ascent/descent gradient: 45°

Side slope gradient: 35°

Aerodynamic drag co-efficiency: 0.33

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The most common triggers of atrial fibrillation — an irregular heart rhythm that’s a leading cause of stroke — are avoidable behaviours like drinking alcohol or coffee, a recent study suggests.

People don’t always realise when they’re experiencing atrial fibrillation, or AFib, but some feel unpleasant chest palpitations or a racing, irregular heartbeat.

Some patients have AFib 24 hours a day. In others, the irregular heartbeat is “paroxysmal”, that is, it comes and goes. For the current study, reported in the journal Heart Rhythm, researchers surveyed 1,295 patients with symptomatic paroxysmal AFib and found the most common behaviours that triggered episodes of the arrhythmia were alcohol consumption, caffeine consumption and exercise.

The survey asked about 11 possible triggers: alcohol, caffeine, lack of sleep, exercise, not exercising, consuming cold beverages, consuming cold foods, high sodium diet, consuming large meals, dehydration, and lying on one’s left side.

About three-fourths of the patients said at least one of those behaviours triggered AFib some or all of the time.

Alcohol consumption was cited by 35 per cent, followed by coffee drinking (28 per cent), exercise (23 per cent) and lack of sleep (21 per cent).

The researchers say it’s possible the behaviours don’t actually trigger the episodes but instead make the symptoms worse.

The study wasn’t designed to tell whether cutting back on these triggers would reduce the frequency of AFib episodes.

Still, coauthor Dr Gregory Marcus from University of California, San Francisco told Reuters Health, “Many, if not most of these triggers are modifiable, and we feel theoretically the patient does have some power to potentially influence the probability of an episode occurring.”

Dr Deepak Bhat, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Heart and Vascular Centre in Boston who was not associated with the study, agreed. He told Reuters Health by phone, “Importantly, the information in this paper is actionable. People with episodes of atrial fibrillation that appear to be triggered by alcohol or caffeine, for example, can avoid these.”

Associations between alcohol and AFib are well known, but the link with coffee is controversial, Bhat said. “Some experts dispute that association... though I have seen it in many patients,” he added.

Bhat noted that while exercise is a healthy habit, strenuous exercise after long periods of not exercising has been known to trigger heart arrhythmias.

Marcus said the idea for the research came from a summit that brought together patients and researchers to identify topics patients thought were not well covered by the scientific community. Patients with atrial fibrillation unanimously agreed that they wanted to know more about triggers.

 “While there has been quite a bit of research investigating the root cause of the first diagnosis of [AFib], there has not been sufficient investigation into understanding why an episode happens when it happens,” Marcus said. 

In AFib, the heart’s two small upper chambers beat irregularly and too fast, “quivering like a bowl of gelatin”, according to the American Heart Association. As a result, the heart can’t pump properly and the body doesn’t get enough oxygen-carrying blood. AFib can lead to serious medical problems including stroke and heart failure. Treatments include medication to regulate the heart rate or heart rhythm, blood thinners to help prevent clots from forming, and in some cases, electric shocks to reset the beat of the heart.