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Kids with eczema — even mild eczema — may be more likely to have poor quality sleep than children who do not have this common skin disorder, a UK study suggests. 

Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, can lead to scaly, itchy rashes that keep kids up at night. But researchers do not have a clear picture of how eczema affects kids’ ability to fall asleep, how often they awaken during the night, or how many total hours of rest they get. 

For the current study, researchers examined data on 13,988 kids, including 4,938, or 35 per cent, with eczema. All the kids had multiple sleep assessments between ages two and 16. 

Eczema did not appear to impact the total amount of sleep kids got. But compared to children without eczema, kids with mild eczema flare-ups were 40 per cent more likely to have lots of sleep disturbances, and those with severe eczema flare-ups had 85 per cent higher odds, the study found. 

Even when kids with eczema were not having active symptoms, they were still 41 per cent more likely to have poor sleep quality throughout childhood than kids without eczema. 

“As you might expect, the impairment was stronger among children with more severe disease and [kids who also had] asthma or allergic rhinitis,” said senior study author Dr Katrina Abuabara of the University of California, San Francisco. 

“However, what was somewhat surprising was that the risk remained elevated even among children with mild atopic dermatitis alone [and no other atopic conditions], and it remained elevated even during periods when atopic dermatitis was inactive,” Abuabara said by e-mail. 

Children with eczema are more apt to have asthma and allergies than kids without the skin disorder, some previous research suggests. 

When kids with eczema also had asthma or allergies, they were 52 per cent more likely to have poor quality sleep throughout childhood even when they did not have active flare-ups, the study found. And when children had asthma or allergies along with severe eczema flare-ups, they were more than twice as likely to sleep poorly. 

To assess sleep quantity, researchers surveyed mothers about what time kids usually went to bed and woke up; in the final survey 16-year-olds answered for themselves. Naptimes were included in total sleep hours until age seven. 

Researchers also asked about factors involved in sleep quality including the number of awakenings, difficulty falling asleep and nightmares. 

Kids with inactive eczema reported these sleep problems about as often as children with mild eczema symptoms. And, scratching episodes only accounted for 15 per cent of awakenings. 

These two findings suggest that flareups are not the only thing contributing to poor sleep quality in kids with eczema, researchers conclude in JAMA Pediatrics. 

One limitation of the study is that researchers largely relied on parents to report eczema symptoms and assess kids’ sleep. Some previous research suggests that parents tend to overestimate how long kids sleep and underestimate how often children awaken during the night, the study authors note. 

Kids also may not realise how eczema affects their sleep, said Dr Saxon Smith, a dermatologist at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia, who was not involved in the study. 

“Children will not always be aware of… scratching in their sleep,” Smith said by e-mail. 

“This can lead to disrupted sleep in terms of the quality of the sleep, waking multiple times a night,” Smith added. “This in turn leads to manifestations of sleep deprivation including tiredness through the day, impaired concentration and poorer performance at school [or delayed developmental milestones],” Smith said. 

Kids who scratch less may sleep better, Smith said. 

Eczema can be treated using moisturisers, avoiding certain soaps and other irritants and with prescription creams and ointments containing corticosteroids to relieve itching. 

“Early intervention can lead to breaking of the itch-scratch cycle,” Smith advised. 

Versatile, practical and hugely spacious, the Ford Tourneo Custom multipurpose vehicle is a dedicated people mover that makes the biggest of SUVs seem cramped inside, and is ideally suited for larger families or businesses that need an 8- or 9-passenger capacity, and generous luggage room to boot. 

Expectedly functional and economical with its four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, the Tourneo Custom also proved to be comfortable, easy to manoeuvres and fun to drive, with excellent visibility for its segment, a nice slick-shifting manual gearbox and eager, almost hatchback-like, front-drive handling traits.

Versatile and practical

Essential a passenger car version of the latest incarnation of Ford’s iconic and utilitarian Transit van, the Tourneo’s light commercial vehicle origin and tall, boxy and uniformly shaped body ensure passenger space and cargo volume that cannot be matched by car-based MPVs or SUVs. Accommodating a massive 2,000-litres luggage behind its third row seats in long-wheelbase (LWB) guise, as tested, the Tourneo’s cargo volume expands to 2,800-litres with rear seats folded, and yet much more as it effectively becomes a van with both its configurable second and third row seats removed.

Unpretentious, angular and practical, the Tourneo’s design is that of form strictly following function, yet features somewhat prominently bulging wheel-arches and a sculpted front bumper with big lower intake and deep foglight housings. Tall thin vertical rear lights flank its huge rear tailgate, and huge 1,400mm wide and 1,340mm tall opening, with a low 589mm liftover height. Rear seats are accessed easily even in tight spots through useful 1,320mm tall and 1,030mm wide sliding doors with step-in running boards either side, while large, wide-swinging front doors allow similarly easy front access.

Confident and frugal

Bearing strong familial resemblance to Ford’s cars is the Tourneo’s big and hungry hexagonal grille and swept back headlights. Behind its big grille, the Tourneo is powered by a transversely-mounted turbocharged 2.2-litre common-rail diesel 4-cylinder engine offered in two states of tune. Driving the front wheels through a quick and smooth shifting 6-speed manual gearbox, the more powerful version of the Tourneo — as driven — develops 123BHP at 3,500rpm and 258lb/ft torque at 1,450rpm. Capable of attaining 157km/h top speed, the Tourneo Custom LWB returns frugal oil-sipping 6.5l/100km combined cycle fuel efficiency.

Refined and with little diesel clatter evident from inside, the Tourneo’s four-pot oil-burner pulls hard and confidently through its on-boost sweet-spot between maximum torque and power. And while this band is narrower than a petrol engine’s, and with slight turbo lag from idle as typical of turbodiesels, the Tourneo’s slick gear change and intuitively light clutch make it rewarding when quickly working through gears to keep revs in its mighty maximum thrust mid-range. Though not exactly swift, the Tourneo accelerates at good pace and overtakes with flexible confidence on motorways.

Eager and agile

Smooth, comfortable, settled, refined and
reassuring on motorways as expected, but for very slight buffeting in strong wind at speed when driven unloaded, owing to its tall and upright utilitarian shape, the Tourneo Custom LWB’s nimble handling, however, proved unexpectedly impressive. Eager and willing to be hustled along a brisk pace through corners and winding roads as if a sporty hatchback among large MPVs and vans, the Tourneo Custom’s steering is light, well-weighted and quick for its segment. Tidy turning in to corners its electric steering feels alert and communicative.

With good levels of resistance on turn-in and unexaggerated 215/65R16 tyres providing balance and feel for grip versus slip, the Tourneo lends confidence and trust in its agile abilities and handling limits. Grippy in front with progressive oversteer if pushed too hard on entry, the Tourneo leans somewhat less than expected through sharp corners but is a more engagingly sporty drive than most in its segment. Nimble and maneuverable for a large people mover, its long wheelbase ensures excellent rear grip, but makes its more reassuring and less playful at the rear.

Configurable comfort

Comfortably absorbing road imperfections with its tall tyres and independent front suspension, the Tourneo’s ride is smooth and settled considering its rugged leaf spring rear suspension, and would be better still when loaded with more passengers.

Agile for its 2,020kg weight and 5,339 length, the Tourneo Custom LWB also benefits from a tight 12.8-metre turning circle and excellent front and side visibility owing to it commanding and comfortable driving position, short bonnet and low waistline. Rear visibility is meanwhile aided by big side mirrors and a reversing camera.

Airy and pleasant inside with user-friendly controls and infotainment system, quality in-segment finish and an airy ambiance, the Tourneo’s biggest draw is its hugely spacious and versatile cabin. Driven in 9-seat configuration with independent driver’s seat and two-seat front bench, its second and third reclining, folding, tilting and removable rows accommodate a further six passengers and are configurable to 30 positions including conference seating.

Equipment levels are generous, and with a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating, include six airbags, three-point safety belts all-round, three Isofix child seat tethers, ABS, and roll-over mitigation and brake assist systems.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel, transverse 4-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 86 x 94.6mm

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC, common rail direct injection

Gearbox: 6-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Final drive: 4.19:1

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 123 (125) [92] @3,500rpm

Specific power: 56BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 61BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 258 (350) @1,450rpm

Specific torque: 159.2Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 173.2Nm/tonne

Maximum speed: 157km/h

Fuel consumption, combined: 6.5-litres/100km

CO2 emissions, combined: 172g/km

Length: 5,339mm

Width: 1,986mm

Height: 2,022mm

Wheelbase: 3,300mm

Overhang, F/R: 1,011/1,028

Side door entry height/width: 1,320/1,030mm

Liftgate entry height/width: 1,340/1,400mm

Luggage volume, behind 3nd row/3rd row folded: 2,000-/
2,800-litres

Seating: 8/9-passengers

Fuel capacity: 80-litres

Towing mass, braked/unbraked: 1,600/750kg

Steering: Electric-assisted rack and pinion

Turning circle: 12.8-metres

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts, anti-roll bars/leaf springs

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs, 308 x 33mm/discs, 308 x 16mm

Tyres: 215/65R16

People with chronic health problems who suffer from depression may find their mood improve when they do aerobic exercise, a research review suggests. 

Patients with long-term medical issues are two to three times more likely to develop depression than the general population, researchers noted in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, online February 6. When these patients do become depressed, their chronic illnesses often worsen and their risk of dying goes up. 

For the current study, researchers examined data from 24 studies with a total of 4,111 patients living with chronic illness and symptoms of depression. All of the smaller studies randomly assigned some patients to do aerobic exercise and others to comparison groups that just got usual medical care. 

Patients who exercised at least two to three times a week were more likely to see a reduction in depression symptoms than people who did not do aerobic exercise at all, the study found. There was a more pronounced effect when people exercised four to five times a week, but this difference was too small to rule out the possibility that it was due to chance. 

“One of the key messages that we see often around aerobic exercise is: something is better than nothing and more is better than less, said senior study author Dr Simon Bacon of Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. 

“To some degree our study reinforces this point,” Bacon said. 

Most exercise guidelines recommend 150 to 250 minutes a week — and up to an hour a day — of moderate intensity aerobic exercise to prevent weight gain or to achieve modest weight loss. 

Depression symptoms eased by a similar amount regardless of whether people in the exercise groups met activity guidelines of at least 150 minutes a week. 

“This suggests that even short regular bouts of aerobic exercise may be enough to reduce depression,” Bacon said. 

Exercise programmes in the smaller studies lasted from four to 24 weeks, and half of them were at least 12 weeks long. 

Half of the workout programs also involved at least three sessions a week. 

Each workout lasted an average of 42 minutes, although sessions ranged from 20 to 80 minutes. 

Some studies only included supervised workouts at gyms, while others started out with this approach and then transitioned patients to home workouts. 

Even though these smaller studies were controlled experiments, the types of exercise programs and patients included were so varied that researchers could not determine whether any specific workout programme might be ideal for patients based on their specific medical issues. 

Still, the results add to evidence suggesting that exercise can improve mental health and minimize the risk of developing psychiatric problems, said Dr Adam Chekroud, a researcher at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, who was not involved in the study. 

“Overall, exercising for 30-60 minutes three-four times a week is generally a great target, but people do benefit from lighter exercise regimes that might be shorter in duration or lower in intensity,” Chekroud said by email. 

“If folks are not able to exercise, walk, or swim, there are still lots of ways to help improve their mental health,” Chekroud added. “Options include talk therapy, where you speak to a counsellor and learn ways of handling your thoughts, feelings, and emotions; or medications that can also help reduce symptoms.” 

WASHINGTON — Some of the biggest names in media and tech are gearing up to move into streaming, in what could be a major challenge to market leader Netflix.

Apple is expected to make its move with an announcement March 25 on its media plans, with a war chest estimated at some $1 billion and partners including stars like Jennifer Aniston and director J.J. Abrams involved in content.

Walt Disney Co. has announced its new streaming service Disney+ will launch this year, as will another from WarnerMedia, the newly acquired media-entertainment division of AT&T.

The new entrants, with more expected, could launch a formidable challenge to Netflix, which has some 140 million paid subscribers in 190 markets, and to other services such as Amazon and Hulu.

“It’s really going to change the industry,” said Alan Wolk, co-founder of the consulting firm TVREV who follows the sector.

Wolk said he sees seven or eight powerful players in streaming which will lead to “huge competition for new shows and hit shows”.

These rivals are coming into the segment which has been transformed by the spectacular growth of Netflix and a growing movement by consumers to on-demand television delivered over Internet platforms. 

In the US alone, an estimated 6 million consumers have dropped pay TV bundles since 2012, while on-demand services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon have been surging, according to Leichtman Research.

But just as Netflix has disrupted traditional “linear” television, rivals are now moving to disrupt Netflix.

Feeling pain 

Netflix is likely to feel pain, not only from the new rivals, but also from the loss of content from the big libraries of Disney and Time Warner.

These Hollywood firms “have big libraries, so the cost of their content is much lower than it will be for Netflix, which has to pay for all its content”, said Laura Martin, analyst with the research firm Needham & Co.

“Netflix will lose subscribers to these new entrants,” Martin said.

AT&T’s WarnerMedia will launch its service later this year that combines the content from its premium HBO channel (known for “Game of Thrones”) and the vast Time Warner library or films and shows. 

Disney’s service will have its films and TV shows, along with the library it is acquiring from Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, a deal closing in the coming days. That includes the “Star Wars” and Marvel superhero franchises and ABC television content.

JP Morgan analyst Alexia Quadrani predicts Disney will eventually scale up to become as big as Netflix, or even bigger by signing up 45 million US subscribers and 115 million internationally.

Quadrani cited Disney’s “unmatched brand recognition, extensive premium content, and unparalleled ecosystem to market the service”.

The analyst said Disney benefits from its global ecosystem that develops good customer relationships from its theme parks, hotels, cruises, and consumer products.

Wolk agreed that Disney “is in a good spot” because of its strong brand and content but predicted that consumers may be overwhelmed by the growing options.

“I think there will be a lot of churn,” Wolk said. “People will subscribe to one service to watch one show, and then it becomes easy to cancel and take another.”

No panic, yet

Some analysts say Netflix has no reason to panic — yet.

“Netflix has figured this business out, they know what consumers want,” said Dan Rayburn, a streaming media analyst with Frost & Sullivan.

But Rayburn said that over time, rivals may be able to leverage their user base and infrastructure to eat away at Netflix’s advantage.

“What does Netflix own? Nothing,” Rayburn said.

“If you’re Amazon or AT&T you can give this stuff away and be a loss leader, that’s the big value.”

Still, he said any company that wants to challenge Netflix needs to be “quick and nimble” and that it remains to be seen if the legacy players can do that.

Richard Greenfield of BTIG Research also questioned the capability of the legacy entertainment firms to compete in the world of new media.

“We believe legacy media has missed their window to compete with Netflix [and other tech platforms] unless they are willing to truly go all-in,” Greenfield said in a recent research note.

‘Innovator’s dilemma’

Greenfield said that means moving the focus away from the box office and getting better control of content.

“Disney is battling a classic innovator’s dilemma that makes it hard for them to truly pivot to direct-to-consumer, not to mention, they and the rest of legacy media do not really appreciate how important technology is to success in direct-to-consumer streaming,” Greenfield wrote.

Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities said Apple could be the wild card, but that the iPhone maker might need to acquire a content provider like CBS or Sony Pictures to be a major player.

Apple “is definitely playing from behind the eight ball in this content arms race with Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Hulu, and AT&T/Time Warner all going after this next consumer frontier”, Ives said in a note to clients.

“While acquisitions have not been in Apple’s core DNA, the clock has struck midnight for Cupertino in our opinion and building content organically is a slow and arduous path, which highlights the clear need for Apple to do larger, strategic [deals].”

By the Royal Health 

Awareness Society

People joke about stress but it really is becoming a massive health problem. Think about what you are doing in your life to alleviate stress — not make it worse.

The fight-or-flight response

Since the beginning of time, humans have been endowed with a fierce and powerful weapon. One that made us stronger and more lethal within seconds of spotting a dangerous lion or a venomous snake: pupils would dilate to make us see better and look scarier to our opponent, our cognitive abilities instantaneously sharpened to make better decisions and improve our odds of survival when the situation called for it. This seemingly too-good-to-be-true weapon is called the stress response, and while it is the reason for our survival as a human race, today this two edged sword emerges in daily situations (juggling multiple tasks or at the approach of an important deadline). Now, chronic stress has been named the culprit in a spectrum of health diseases.

Effects of stress on your body

When the human body spots a threat, whether it is an actual tiger or your angry boss dressed in tiger print, the body, through the release of certain hormones, orchestrates a series of reactions carried out by all systems. 

The musculoskeletal system tenses in stressful situations and as the situation passes, the muscle tension is relieved. When the stress is chronic, however, painful conditions develop and you become more prone to tension-type headaches and migraines, and other types of pain in the shoulder, neck and head area.

Other systems responsible for tasks related to the body’s vitality, such as your heart and lungs, react negatively to chronic stress. This manifests clearly in individuals with established diseases, asthmatics, for example, experience an increase in the frequency of their asthma attacks. Since stress causes your heart to beat harder and faster, chronic stress puts you at increased risk for hypertension, heart attack and stroke.

And it does not end there. Those “butterflies” in your stomach upon experiencing stress is only one of the many effects of stress on the gastrointestinal system. Changes in appetite are not uncommon in those suffering from chronic stress, where some avert from food and others do the opposite. In the former instance this can cause malnutrition and in the latter case obesity if sustained for a long time. Acid reflux and heartburn also result from, or are exacerbated by, stress.

Breaking the cycle of stress

Stressed people drink more alcohol, smoke more and eat less nutritious foods than non-stressed individuals. It is a vicious cycle — you may eat, smoke or drink more when stressed yet those unhealthy behaviours only magnify the problem. Stress is a key risk factor in addiction initiation, maintenance and relapse.

Finding ways to cope with stress and prevent it from becoming a daily experience will enable you not only to enjoy life, but also preserve your health. Coping mechanisms can take the shape of daily habits, such as physical, meditative and breathing exercises or listening to soft music. When those mechanisms, however, are not effective, seek professional help to prevent stress from developing into an even more serious health problem.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

Adults who spend just 20 minutes a day using a smartphone mindfulness training app may feel less lonely and have more social interactions than people who do not, a small experiment suggests. 

While mindfulness training has long been linked to reductions in social isolation, much of this research has focused on longer in-person sessions that continue over several weeks or months. With its focus on brief digital training sessions, the current study suggests that group sessions and the social contact that comes from in-person meetings may not be required for people to benefit from mindfulness interventions, said lead author Emily Lindsay, a psychology researcher at the University of Pittsburgh. 

“Smartphone training is accessible and inexpensive,” Lindsay, who did the study while at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, said by e-mail. 

“The majority of American adults own smartphones, so the smartphone platform provides an opportunity to learn mindfulness meditation for people who might not have resources for longer, in-person mindfulness training programmes,” Lindsay added. 

Mindfulness-based training programmes are designed to help people focus on the present moment and accept any pain or discomfort they may be feeling. This may involve meditation techniques to cultivate awareness of the present moment during ordinary daily activities such as driving or eating, or breathing exercises and practices such as yoga to help encourage body awareness and focus on the present. 

In the current study, the goal of mindfulness training was to help participants accept discomfort with social interactions while continuing to engage with other people. 

The researchers randomly assigned 153 adults to one of three 14-day smartphone-based interventions developed in collaboration with one of their colleagues, Shinzen Young, based on his Unified Mindfulness system. 

For 20 minutes each day, one mindfulness training group received training in monitoring and acceptance skills, a second mindfulness group received training in monitoring skills only, and a third group received no mindfulness content and instead received guidance in common coping techniques. 

With each group, researchers also asked participants to complete brief daily homework activities that were designed to last no more than 10 minutes. 

For three days before and after these interventions, participants completed periodic assessments throughout the day to measure loneliness and social contact. 

Participants who received training in monitoring and acceptance skills saw the greatest benefits: they reduced daily life loneliness by 22 per cent and increased social contact by an average of two interactions each day. 

The monitoring-only mindfulness group did not experience these changes, suggesting that acceptance skills training may be a critical ingredient for the social benefits of mindfulness training programmes, researchers conclude in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

One limitation of the study is that researchers did not specifically test the smartphone mindfulness app in lonely or socially isolated adults; people were stressed, but not necessarily suffering from these other problems. 

Researchers also lacked data on whether using the mindfulness app might help users make new friends or interact with strangers as opposed to engaging more with people they already know. 

How well mindfulness apps work may depend a lot on the individual user and the quality of the app, noted Na Zhang, a psychology researcher at Arizona State University in Temple who was not involved in the study. 

“There are still a lot that we don’t know about what dosage, timing, and sequencing of mindfulness training would be effective for what problems in what kinds of people,” Zhang said by e-mail. “So people who are new to mindfulness training could have used an app and found out that it is not very useful, especially without a teacher, and then think that this is not for them.” 

Because smartphones are ubiquitous, it is also possible they could reach people who need help more easily than other interventions or help enhance treatment patients get in person, Zhang added. 

“Perhaps by practicing monitoring and acceptance daily, even though for a short period of time, we can feel more at peace and free, more centred, and less affected by the possible negative thoughts and feelings generated in our mind,” Zhang said. “So we are closer to who we really are — we are social beings and we inherently need to connect to others.”

Using an ultrasensitive scanning technique, researchers can detect signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye, according to a new report. 

Duke University researchers found that these small retinal blood vessels were altered in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, but in not in those with mild cognitive impairment or those with no signs of mental decline. 

“Among the folks who had Alzheimer’s there was a significant reduction in the density of the blood vessels in the superficial layer of the retina compared to controls and those with mild cognitive impairment,” said Dr Dilraj Grewal, an associate professor of ophthalmology at the Duke Eye Centre. “We also found a reduction in the thickness of [a specific layer of the retina] in Alzheimer’s patients compared to controls and those with mild cognitive impairment.” 

The findings were reported in Ophthalmology Retina, a publication of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. 

“The retina is an extension of the brain,” Grewal said. “And it’s thought that changes that occur in the brain are mirrored in the retina. With any neurodegenerative disease you lose nerve tissue. Along with a measurable loss of brain volume, there’s a loss of the vasculature that supplies the brain. And because the retina is part of the central nervous system, the same changes occur there.” 

The new findings could not have happened without a new scanning technology, called optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), that allows users to see in fine detail the structure of the back part of the eye. “With previous technology you were able to measure only the larger blood vessels in the back of the eye,” Grewal said. “Now we can look at blood vessels that are at the level of capillaries in the different layers of the retina. Therefore we are able to detect much smaller levels of change.” 

Grewal and his colleagues used OCTA to peer into the eyes of 39 Alzheimer’s patients, 37 people with MCI and 133 cognitively healthy people, the controls. Not only were the researchers able to detect differences between the Alzheimer’s patients and the other two groups, but they were also able to see differences among the Alzheimer’s patients that appeared to be linked with the severity of the disease. 

“The differences were proportional to the severity of the cognitive impairment,” Grewal said. “So, the folks with more severe Alzheimer’s had more severe loss of retinal blood vessels.” 

In the past, some small studies have suggested that there would be differences “in both neuronal and microvascular retinal measures between those with and those without Alzheimer’s disease”, said Alison Abraham, an associate professor of ophthalmology and director of the Wilmer Eye Institute Biostatistics Centre at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “The current study gives weight to these past findings and informs our targets for future research given the large number of possible retinal parameters one could study.” 

The new research is a “small step forward”, said Dr Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine. 

“But future studies need to focus on earlier stages of the disease,” Isaacson said in an e-mail. “We already have more definitive ways to diagnose dementia due to Alzheimer’s, but we need to see if OCTA can be a useful cost-effective screening test for pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s.” 

If scientists could find people who have brain changes, but no obvious symptoms yet, there could be an opportunity to intervene, Abraham said in an email. “But we are still a long way off,” she added. 

This week the focus of the IT world, and therefore in a certain way of the whole word, has been on celebrating the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web. Ample mentions of its inventor, Sir Tim Berners-Lee can be found on countless sites and online news.

In addition to some of the famous quotes by the celebrated British engineer, such as “You affect the world by what you browse” for instance, the most noticeable comments by the man himself have been about some of the negative aspects of the Internet: hacking, abuse, lack of ethics, the isolating syndrome, the dark web and so forth. Yet, and according to marketresearchupdates.com, Berners-Lee believes that “the web can still be saved”.

Weighing the arguments in favour and against would be quite an undertaking. We all know the good and the bad about using the network and to what extent it is affecting our lives. However, regardless of what changes may take place in the WWW in the next 30 years, there is a strange, rather chilling parallel to draw between it and nuclear energy.

In August 1939, in a letter now famous to US president Roosevelt, Albert Einstein warned about the potentially destructive use of the recently discovered and tested nuclear energy; atomic fission more precisely. Einstein vision was such that he anticipated the military application of atomic energy as bombs, and feared that the usage of the scientific discovery, a direct consequence of his own theories on relativity, was probably not going to remain pacific or restricted to civilian use. The rest is history we all know too well.

So in both cases the scenario reads as follows. First a scientist makes a major discovery or makes his invention a reality. Then he realises that the world is probably not going to use it just for the well-being of mankind, and finally he warns about the possible dire consequences; but by then it is a little too late.

Of course, the Internet is not exactly an atomic bomb. The implications, however, are as far reaching if not more. Whereas military denuclearisation is still possible, though improbable, stopping, deactivating or even restricting the WWW in any way is not conceivable at all. The very notion of global networking is something huge, gigantic, and we have become absolutely dependent on its presence and its good functioning.

Apart from the clearly positive or negative sides of the web, there are still grey areas such as taxes for instance. Some countries in Europe, with France in the lead, are considering introducing flat taxes on GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon). This is not a simple matter; it is difficult to define, even more so to implement, and it can backfire, what is more. At this point it is only in the news, and already opposing reactions from the US side can be heard.

Nations are trying hard to set rules, to updates their laws so as to adapt to the Internet, this at various levels: security, taxes, trade, terrorism and human rights. However fast they try to act and to legislate or regulate, the web is going even faster. It is a case of “catch me if you can”.

In the 1980s computers were a big thing. It is not the case anymore, now the real big thing is the web and computers are mere tools or accessories that are made just to let us use the web.

It is good to read that Sir Tim Berners-Lee is optimistic about the future of the web he invented, for we simply cannot imagine for a second that we would give up on it. However, by merely saying that it “can still be saved” he is acknowledging that at least part of it already is in a very bad shape.

LONDON — Her jackets and jeans, bangles and bags can instantly send tongues wagging and designers’ sales soaring.

Since being catapulted into the global spotlight as Prince Harry’s girlfriend in 2016, Meghan Markle’s outfits have been scrutinised and copied, often crashing websites selling her apparel.

Fashion blogs and social media accounts dedicated to the American’s style have mushroomed, just as they sprang up for her sister-in-law Kate, Prince William’s wife, allowing followers to comment on her latest sleek looks usually in a monochrome palette.

“The Meghan effect is this economic phenomenon similar to the Kate effect... where if she wears it, it turns to gold,” said Christine Ross, co-editorial director of Meghan’s Mirror fashion blog, describing Markle’s style as “very on trend and modern”.

Almost everything she wears up to and around the $300 or £300-mark, a pretty high price point, sells out, she added.

Designer dresses, luxury handbags and stylish stilettos are the fashion dream of many women, but for a young royal they are the staple of an everyday wardrobe.

For her busy royal diary, the now duchess usually wears expensive labels, namely French couture house Givenchy, whose British artistic director Clare Waight Keller designed Markle’s wedding dress.

Dior, Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta are among other formal and eveningwear go to brands. 

“Meghan’s wardrobe is really unique because there are so many bespoke pieces in it and we will really never know how much those cost,” Ross said.

She estimates her wardrobe at about £500,000 ($657,750) a year.

While becoming a trendsetter, Markle, named 2018’s best dressed woman by People magazine, has stayed loyal to smaller brands she wore before her global fame. 

The 37-year-old, who used to film drama “Suits” in Toronto, has worn Canadian labels Mackage, Aritzia and Line the Label. 

For casualwear, she has worn J.Crew and brands known for their environmental and social credentials: a Reformation dress, Veja sneakers, Outland Denim jeans and jewellery made from recycled metal.

“Meghan carved this niche for supporting these sustainable fashion brands,” Holly Rains, digital editor at magazine Marie Claire UK, said. “People are now going to Meghan as a style muse... She crashes sites.”

It is particularly her more affordable accessories that are snapped up by consumers.

“The jewellery, the bags, the belts is where we can dip in and get that kind of Meghan touch to our outfits,” Rains said.

Ross said Markle’s casual jean looks proved popular with readers. Her maternity wear as she awaits her first child is also eagerly followed.

“She has done a lot of bespoke pieces, a lot of customisation pieces that are not maternity at all and it is really been a difference,” Ross said.

Royal fashion expert Michael Talboys said he hoped to see Markle wear more British labels. She has worn items from UK brands Victoria Beckham, Strathberry, Marks & Spencer and her second wedding gown was a halterneck dress by Stella McCartney.

“She should, as an English duchess, really be patronising English designers and promoting them in the eyes of the world,” he said.

Kate frequently wears British high street dresses.

On the streets of London, student Savanah Edwards said Markle’s “classic” style was having an impact.

“I personally cannot afford anything that she wears but it does influence me to try new pieces,” she said. 

A growing number of teens and young adults are using hookah, or water pipes, and many of them may be under the mistaken impression that it is risk-free and non-addictive, US heart doctors warn. 

In a new policy statement, the American Heart Association (AHA) warns that hookah use is gaining in popularity among young people, aided by the marketing of flavoured tobacco as well as social media marketing targeted to teens and young adults. The trend is troubling because even though teens may perceive hookah as harmless, there is mounting evidence that it affects heart rate, blood pressure and blood vessel function even with short-term use, the AHA notes. 

“There is clear evidence that hookah smoking has significant cardiovascular effects and that could result in exposure to toxic chemicals at concentrations even higher than those in cigarettes,” said lead author of the AHA statement Aruni Bhatnagar, director of the AHA Tobacco Regulation Centre and a professor at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. 

“There is also evidence to suggest that even intermittent use of hookah can be addictive and hookah smoking could be a catalyst for the use of other nicotine product use, particularly cigarette smoking,” Bhatnagar said by e-mail. 

Based on this evidence, parents should make sure teens understand the risks of hookah use, Bhatnagar advised. And doctors who treat adolescents and young adults should ask about it at every checkup and make sure these patients understand hookah can be addictive and cause health problems down the line. 

An estimated 4.3 per cent of all US adults have used hookah at least once, researchers report in the AHA statement in “Circulation”. 

Hookah is far more common among younger adults, however, with 13.6 per cent of people ages 18 to 24 reporting at least occasional use. 

Young adults account for about 56 per cent of hookah users nationwide, according to the AHA statement. 

Most users believe hookah is less harmful than cigarettes, with a low probability of addiction, the AHA notes. While it may not have the same health effects of cigarettes, addiction is certainly possible with hookah after even short-term use. 

A separate study in the “Journal of Adolescent Health” highlights one risk of hookah that may not be apparent to teens: the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning. 

In this study, researchers examined data on hookah incidents reported to poison control centres between 2001 and 2017. They found 276 poisonings involving hookah, most involving children, teens and young adults. 

Carbon monoxide is produced by burning of charcoal and heating tobacco, said lead study author Brian Rostron of the Centre for Tobacco Products at the US Food and Drug Administration in Calverton, Maryland. 

“People can be exposed through inhaling hookah smoke or through secondhand exposure,” Rostron said by e-mail. “Carbon monoxide exposure can lead to effects such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, seizures and even death.” 

These risks may occur even with occasional use, which is common with young hookah users, said Benjamin Chaffee of the Centre for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco. 

“Just one session of hookah smoking can result in breathing in very high levels of some really noxious chemicals,” Chaffee, who was not involved in the study, said by e-mail. 

Breathing carbon monoxide impairs the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, which can be a serious problem even with occasional use, Chaffee noted. 

“The burning charcoal produces a great deal of carbon monoxide and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and levels can easily exceed those in cigarette smoke,” Chaffee said. “There is also a great deal of second hand smoke in a hookah bar or lounge.”