Features

Children who do not get enough sleep may be more likely to develop diabetes than kids who typically get enough shuteye, a UK study suggests. 

That is because each additional hour of sleep children get at night is associated with a lower body weight, more lean muscle mass and less accumulation of sugars in the blood, researchers report in Paediatrics. Obesity and elevated blood sugar are risk factors for type 2 diabetes, which happens when the body cannot properly use or make enough of the hormone insulin to convert blood sugar into energy. 

“These findings suggest increasing sleep duration could offer a simple, cost-effective approach to reducing levels of body fat and type 2 diabetes risk early in life,” senior study author Christopher Owen of St George’s, University of London, said by e-mail. 

Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes because it was so rare in children. But today, it is a common childhood health problem, in large part because millions of kids worldwide are overweight or obese, do not get enough exercise, and eat too many sugary and fatty foods. 

For the current study, researchers examined survey data on sleep habits and lab results from tests of risk factors for diabetes in 4,525 UK children age 9 or 10. 

On average, the kids slept 10.5 hours on school nights, although sleep duration ranged from 8 to 12 hours. 

Children who got less sleep in the study were more likely to have a risk factor for diabetes known as insulin resistance, when the body does not respond normally to the hormone. 

Kids who slept less were also more likely to be extremely overweight or obese and have more body fat, the study also found. 

Kids 6 to 12 years old should get 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics. Not getting enough sleep is associated with an increased risk of injuries, high blood pressure, obesity and depression. 

The study was not a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how insufficient sleep might lead to diabetes in children. Researchers also relied on kids to accurately recall and report what time they went to bed and woke up, which might not accurately reflect how much sleep they really got. 

Even so, it’s possible that insufficient sleep might negatively impact children’s appetites and ability to regulate blood sugar, said Stacey Simon, a paediatric sleep psychologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children’s Hospital Colorado. 

“When kids are going to bed very late or sleeping on an irregular schedule, they may also be skipping meals, eating at irregular times, or be less likely to exercise during the day,” Simon, who was not involved in the study, said by email. 

Insufficient sleep can affect levels of hormones that control appetite, making kids hungrier and increasing cravings for sweet and salty snacks, said James Gangwisch, a psychiatry researcher at Columbia University in New York who wasn’t involved in the study. 

“Getting enough sleep helps keep our appetite in check and is protective against insulin resistance,” Gangwisch said by e-mail. 

Beyond making sure kids have regular bedtime, parents should also focus on what is known as sleep hygiene, said Femke Rutters of the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam. 

This can include things like limiting screen time before bed and making sure the bedroom is totally dark at night, Rutters, who was not involved in the study, said by e-mail. 

SAN DIEGO — A diabetes drug developed by a San Diego biotech company from a venomous lizard’s saliva reduces Parkinson’s disease symptoms, according to a recently study published.

The placebo-controlled study of 62 patients found the drug, exenatide, provided statistically significant effectiveness in preserving motor control. It may actually slow down disease progression, although this has to be confirmed with more research.

For Parkinson’s patients, the trial represents stronger grounds to expect more effective treatments.

The study was published in The Lancet by researchers led by Thomas Foltynie and Dilan Athauda, both of University College London in London. While the study wasn’t particularly large, with 62 patients, it was placebo-controlled and is in line with a previous clinical study published in 2014.

Exenatide was found in Gila monster saliva by Dr John Eng, an endocrinologist at Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Centre in New York. The venomous lizard, native to the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, delivers excruciating pain with its bite.

San Diego’s Amylin Pharmaceuticals licensed the discovery in 1996. Further development yielded exenatide, sold under the brand name Byetta.

The drug became a hit, providing a major reason for Amylin’s 2012 purchase for $7 billion by Bristol-Myers Squibb. As for Amylin, the company was disbanded and no longer exists.

Exenatide/Byetta reduces insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes, allowing for better control of blood glucose. There’s evidence that Parkinson’s disease is also related to problems with insulin signaling.

The new clinical study improves on the previous study because it is placebo-controlled, according to an accompanying commentary in The Lancet. But the study has limitations that prevent it from being considered definitive.

“Whether exenatide acts as a novel symptomatic agent or has neuroprotective effects on the underlying Parkinson’s disease pathology remains unclear, but Athauda and colleagues’ study opens up a new therapeutic avenue in treatment of Parkinson’s disease,” the commentary stated.

Christian Weyer, M.D., a former Amylin executive, said one of the most interesting parts of the study was exenatide’s potential for modifying the course of Parkinson’s disease. Weyer is now president of Chula Vista’s ProSciento, a clinical services provider.

Patients were measured on motor skills after getting 48 weeks of injections, either with exenatide or placebo. The treated group showed an advantage of 4 points on a 132-scale test, which was statistically significant.

Exenatide mimics the action of a hormone, and such drugs often show disease-modifying properties, said Weyer, who was Amylin’s senior vice president of research and development.

“It’s not conclusive that exenatide has the potential for disease modification, but I was impressed by the fact that the endpoint of the test was in the off-medication period, so you actually assess whether there’s an effect even after the treatment had been stopped,” Weyer said.

Finding the perfect stereo earphones for your smartphone is impossible. They simply do not exist. Which is quite unfortunate, since many of us depend on this important accessory that does not only allow hands-free communication, but also significantly reduces the health hazard associated with holding the phone set close to your head during long conversations. I am not even mentioning the use of it while driving in your car, given that none of us should be doing this in the first place, of course…

Stereo earphones are useful not just with smartphones but with laptops too. Most if not all of the new computers models are fitted with Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to listen to music through the earphones, making the accessory even more important to have.

Perfect implies countless characteristics. Convenience, comfort, lightweight, good aesthetics, reasonable price, and battery power for at least 12 hours without recharge. Add to that quality of sound that should be good enough not only for speech but for music too; and naturally wireless connectivity that is reliable and does not let you down in the middle of an important conversation or creates nerve-breaking hiccups when listening to Bach’s or Ed Sheeran’s music. I have yet to find such an accessory. There is always something missing in the checklist to perfection!

Yesterday I thought I had found the Holy Grail of stereo earphones. I saw on the net that Revols have opened the floor for pre-ordering their new set. They present it as “The Last Earphones You’ll Ever Need”, which somewhat is a passé slogan; but never minds. The Revols set does not only satisfy most of the above characteristics, it also comes with an innovative extra feature and not a minor one: it moulds itself to you ear’s shape on first use and therefore becomes custom-made for you, bringing utmost comfort. As for the audio quality in it, it comes courtesy of Onkyo, the great Japanese reference in terms of premium music sound.
No need to say more.

I felt enthusiastic about it and was about to order one when I saw the $300 price tag. This is half the price of a high-end smartphone or of a typical laptop computer. Is it justified? It is hard to tell, and of course it depends on your budget and on the importance you give to the subject. For most of the population, however, this is what you would call a very expensive accessory. So much for perfection…

Samsung has a set that is almost as good as Revols’, for one third of the price of the latter, it is the company’s best-selling Gear Circle. Admitted, it does not have the custom moulding-to-your-ear feature and the quality of the music sound it produces is only acceptable.

Bose, another well-known maker of high definition sound equipment, also proposes superb stereo earphones, at about the same high price as Revols. Bose QuietControl set does not feature custom-fit design, but has the company’s famous noise-cancelling technology that almost completely isolates you from external noise.

Apart from the esoteric Revols, the refined Bose, and the good-enough Gear Circle, there are tens if not hundreds of Bluetooth stereo earphones models on the market, typically in the $20 to $60 price range. Just log on Amazon and give it a try by searching, you’ll be lost and will find it hard to choose.

Many hesitate before paying more than that. However important the ear set may be for you, it is still nothing but a small accessory that can be easily lost or stolen. Keeping the cost reasonable may be the sensible way to go.

Besides, if listening to quality music matters a lot, you can still do it with an additional set of wired earphones or even headphones. These produce superb sound and do not cost an arm and a leg.

And you thought paying for the smartphone or the laptop was the end of the story!

NEW YORK — Breathing dirty air causes stress hormones to spike, new research suggests, which could help explain why long-term exposure to pollution is associated with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and a shorter life span. 

Dr Haidong Kan of Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and colleagues looked specifically at the health effects of particulate matter (PM), small particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, from industrial sources, that can be inhaled and become lodged in the lungs. While PM levels have gone down in North America in recent years, they are on the rise worldwide. 

“This research adds new evidence on how exposure to PM could affect our bodies, which may [ultimately] lead to higher cardiovascular risk,” Kan told Reuters Health in an e-mail interview. “Our result may indicate that particulate matter could affect the human body in more ways than we currently know. Thus, it is increasingly necessary for people to understand the importance of reducing their PM exposure.” 

The new study, published in Circulation, included 55 healthy college students in Shanghai, a city with pollution levels in the middle range compared to other Chinese cities, according to Kan. 

He and his colleagues put working or non-working air purifiers in each student’s dorm and left them in place for nine days. After a 12-day period during which the filters were removed, the researchers did another nine-day test: the students in the original functioning-filter group got non-working filters, and those in the original nonfunctioning-filter group got filters that worked. At the end of each nine-day period, the researchers tested levels of a wide range of small molecules in students’ blood and urine as indication of their exposure to PM. 

Students’ levels of the stress hormones cortisol, cortisone, epinephrine and norepinephrine rose with dirtier air, as did their levels of blood sugar, amino acids, fatty acids and lipids. Higher exposure to PM was also associated with higher blood pressure, a worse response to insulin, and markers of molecular stress on body tissues — all of which can, over time, increase the risk for heart disease, diabetes and other problems. 

Air purification cut the amount of PM students were exposed to in half, from 53 microgrammes per cubic metre of air to 24.3 microgrammes per cubic metre — but that was still well above the World Health Organisation’s Air Quality Guideline of 10 micrograms per cubic metre. 

Dr Robert D. Brook of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who co-authored an editorial accompanying the study, told Reuters Health by e-mail that the stress responses triggered by these small pollution particles “are larger and more varied than previously known”.

He added: “Simple actions taken at a personal level, including usage of air purifiers with HEPA filers, can substantively reduce exposures and help lessen the harmful heath effects of [PM] over a few days.” 

Moving forward, he said, the findings “help set the stage for what we believe is urgently needed now — clinical trial evidence that personal-level actions [air purifiers, N95 respirators] can actually reduce hard cardiovascular events and mortality among high risk patients living in heavily polluted countries”.

“This evidence-based proof is needed to help provide clinical recommendations for the millions of people with heart diseases living in regions where the poor air quality is not likely to significantly improve over the upcoming decades,” Brook said. 

“Air pollution is a global threat to the health of all humans living everywhere,” he added. “We are all at risk to the hazards of air pollution and are all at least partially responsible. It is time to move forward with cleaner ‘green’ sources of energy and transportation — for our own good and for the benefit of everyone else on the planet.”

Every bustling city has its landmarks that go on to become world famous like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Coliseum in Rome, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Citadel in Amman and so on.

Delhi, which is the capital of India, is split between Old Delhi — a neighbourhood dating back to the 1600s with imposing Mughal era architectural structures, and New Delhi — also called Lutyens’ Delhi, named after the British architect Edwin Lutyens who was responsible for most of the buildings and designs, after it was announced that the capital of the British held territories in India, would be transferred from Calcutta to Delhi, in the year 1911. 

As it happens with most families, when I was small, for our long summer vacations at school, I was packed off to visit my relatives, ever year. My grandmother was given the responsibility to take my older brother and me to Delhi, where my father’s sibling lived. The long train journey, from a small coal town to a bustling metropolis consisted of two nights and two days, which seemed never ending. My granny made friends with all the passengers and happily made me eat the food that they shared with her, but my brother eyed everyone with suspicion, and refused to swallow even a morsel, convinced that they were out to kidnap us. So I was allowed to interact or ignore the co-travellers according to who was supervising me at the time.

Once we reached our destination, our hosts, were overjoyed to see us but did not know what to do with two super energetic kids. Quizzing us one day, my uncle realised that we had not seen any of the historical sites in Delhi and it was decided that we would be made to do exactly that. It was an age before Google, therefore a list of places to visit was written down in a very educational manner. The monuments were pencilled in a methodical way, according to the centuries during which they were built, and our grandmother was asked to escort us there.

After the trip we were supposed to go to the Madras Coffee House, and wait there. This place was ancient, probably older than my granny, and served authentic South Indian food. Here, after eating the pancake shaped dosas, you could ask for any amount of the lentil soup called sambhar, which came for free. We had strict instructions from our uncle to consume one pancake each and then keep eating the lentils till he arrived to pick us up.

My grandmother clutched the two of us firmly by our arm as we left the house, but the minute we were outdoors she let us roam around freely. She would take us from New Delhi to Old Delhi according to whichever double decker bus came earlier to the stop, never following the pre set guidelines and so we saw the new monuments and the ancient tombs in haphazard succession, till it all became a confused blur in our heads.

The Madras Coffee House interrogation began the minute our uncle turned up.

“Who built the Qutub Minar?” he questioned.

“I know who designed the India Gate,” I replied. 

“And I know the architect of Humayun’s tomb,” my brother answered. 

“Did you not take them to Old Delhi,” my uncle asked his mother. 

“Yes, via New Delhi,” she said, sipping the sambhar. 

LOS ANGELES — “Annabelle: Creation” may not be able to save the summer — which, after this weekend, will only fall farther behind last year’s pace — but it is doing its part to frighten audiences into theatres.

The latest from New Line and Warner Bros, which serves as the fourth instalment in what has become the “Conjuring” extended universe, is casting its evil eye on $35 million from 3,502 locations. That is a strong start for the horror flick, which was made for about $15 million.

The track record for the franchise is strong — “Annabelle” ($37.1 million); “The Conjuring” ($41.9 million); and “The Conjuring 2” ($40.4 million). David F. Sandberg directed the sequel about a dollmaker whose creation terrorises a group of orphan girls. For those invested in the “Conjuring” canon, it serves as a prequel to the first “Annabelle”. Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto star in the pic that critics have generally given a thumbs up to (it currently has an 68 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes).

“Annabelle is scary as hell,” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief at Warner Bros. “And it’s exciting to see how broadly audiences enjoyed it,” he said, adding, “I think our marketing team did a fabulous job.”

The same studio’s “Dunkirk” continues to show strong during its fourth weekend, as it holds onto second place. One of the lone bright spots in a generally dismal summer for the box office, Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic made an additional $10.9 million this weekend, pushing its domestic total past the $150 million mark.

While it landed in the top three, Open Road’s sequel “Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature” appears to be a miss. From 4,003 locations, the animated adventure earned $8.3 million. That is less than half of the first “Nut Job” movie, which opened to $19.4 million before going on to take in $120.9 million worldwide during its run. The sequel’s story centres around a group of animals who attempt to save their home from being bulldozed and turned into an amusement park.

After “Nut Job 2” is Sony’s “Dark Tower” which underperformed during its opening weekend and continues to slide. With $7.8 million from 3,451 locations, the movie looks to slip 59 per cent from its first frame. The same studio’s “Emoji Movie” came in with with $6.45 million from 3,219 theatres, just under the $6.47 million of Universal’s “Girls Trip” which is closing in on the $100 million milestone. That landmark was just met by Sony’s “Baby Driver”, which took in $1.5 million this weekend.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s new release “The Glass Castle” is pulling in $4.9 million from 1,461 locations. Those are meagre earnings, but also a low theatre count. The adaptation of Jeannette Walls’ hugely-popular 2005 memoir mostly appealed to women, who made up 80 per cent of the audience. Audiences have been generally receptive, earning the movie an A- CinemaScore, while critics are more mixed (50 per cent of RottenTomatoes). Brie Larson reunited with “Short Term 12” director Destin Daniel Cretton for the project, which also stars Naomi Watts and Woody Harrelson.

In limited release, Paramount’s “An Inconvenient Sequel” added 376 theatres this weekend for a total of 556 where it is expected to make $800,000. TWC expanded Taylor Sheridan’s “Wind River” to 45 locations, where it is earning $642,067 — the studio plans to continue the film’s expansion to between 600 and 700 locations next weekend. Neon’s “Ingrid Goes West”, starring Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen, should make $141,216 from just three locations. And A24’s Robert Pattinson-starrer “Good Time” is opening in four theatres to $137,625.

This time last year, “Suicide Squad” suffered a steep second weekend drop to $43.5 million. But that is still more than this weekend’s winner. And while Disney’s “Pete’s Dragon” faltered, Sony’s “Sausage Party” surprised with $34.3 million, or about the same as “Annabelle: Creation” this year. That is to say, the box office continues to slip behind, and the summer of hell is only getting hotter.

People living in homes with water damage, damp floors or visible mould are more likely to have chronic sinus problems and bronchitis, as well as allergies, asthma and other breathing disorders, according to a large study from Sweden. 

Researchers found that about 11 per cent of homes had visible signs of dampness — and the more signs were present, the higher the likelihood of residents having nose, throat and lung-related health problems, according to the report in Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 

“A lot of papers show an association between asthma-related symptoms and building dampness. What’s new is the association between chronic inflammation and building dampness,” said senior study author Christer Janson of Uppsala University. 

“This is an important finding as chronic inflammation is quite a common condition with a very negative side effect on quality of life,” he told Reuters Health by e-mail. “We were surprised that the association with building dampness was so strong.” 

The researchers analysed data from more than 26,000 adults in four Swedish cities who responded to a questionnaire about respiratory symptoms, smoking, education and environmental exposures. In particular, the study team was interested in chronic rhinosinusitis, which includes symptoms of runny nose, itchy nose, facial pain, reduced sense of smell, nasal congestion and sneezing. 

They identified dampness by asking about visible water damage, floor dampness or visible mold seen in the home during the last 12 months and gave participants a dampness exposure score based on how many of these signs were present. 

A total of 2,992 people, or 11.3 per cent, reported any signs of dampness. For 8.3 per cent of the study participants, one sign was present, for 2.3 per cent there were two signs and for 0.7 per cent all three signs were seen in the home. 

Reported dampness was more common in humid or mild climates, as compared to areas of the country with longer, colder winters. People reporting damp homes were more likely to be women, unemployed or full-time students, smokers and less likely to be retired. 

Compared to nonsmokers with no signs of dampness at home, nonsmokers with any dampness signs were 90 per cent more likely to have nighttime shortness of breath, 77 per cent more likely to have chronic rhinosinusitis and 67 per cent more likely to have chronic bronchitis. They also had higher rates of wheeze, nighttime coughing, asthma and allergies. 

For chronic rhinosinusitis, the authors note, the degree of increased risk from dampness for nonsmokers was about the same as the effect of smoking for people without dampness in the home. 

“I found it both interesting and alarming that the adverse effects were stronger among people with low socioeconomic status due to limited possibilities for moving to a better home or making needed renovations,” said Jouni Jaakkola of the University of Oulu in Finland, who wasn’t involved in the study. 

Future studies should look at long-term results to better understand cause and effect with dampness at home, Jaakkola told Reuters Health by e-mail. 

“Cross-sectional studies [like this one] may underestimate the effects if people who get symptoms in damp homes change to better homes,” he said. “This probably explains the interaction between socioeconomic status and damp problems.” 

Janson and Jaakkola recommended several online resources to help people prevent dampness and mold problems. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for example, has a mold-control primer on
EPA.gov (bit.ly/29fxO4Y) and so does the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on the CDC.gov website (bit.ly/2lxArWu). The World Health Organisation (WHO) offers brochures in PDF format on its European website here: (bit.ly/10VfGJq) and here: (bit.ly/2nGrpH4). 

These resources recommend locating moisture problems, removing molds and controlling excessive water and condensation at home. Leaky pipes and roofs are often the biggest issues, the WHO notes. Professional help may be needed for leaks in building structure, sewage and air ducts, otherwise mould-removal can be done at home with a protective mask, goggles and rubber gloves, according to the EPA. 

A mild detergent can remove the mould, followed by a full-room wet wiping or vacuuming after the spores are sealed in a plastic trash bag. 

“If there are signs of building dampness in your home or you have water damage, get professional help and try to fix it as soon as possible,” Janson said. 

Economic challenges in childhood may be linked to the early development of thicker artery walls that are known to underlie many cases of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study from Australia. 

Compared to kids from wealthier backgrounds, kids from low-income families and neighbourhoods had thicker walls in the carotid arteries that provide blood to the brain. 

The buildup of plaque and cells on the inner lining of arteries — known as the intima-media — narrows the passage for blood and is called atherosclerosis, said Dr David Burgner of Melbourne University. 

“So the intima-media thickness of the carotid artery is a good measure of the extent of atherosclerosis and it is easily measured by an ultrasound of the neck, even in young children,” Burgner told Reuters Health in an e-mail. “In adults, carotid intima-media thickness is used clinically to assess the risk of future cardiovascular disease.” 

Atherosclerosis can affect any artery. In the coronary arteries, advanced atherosclerosis can lead to heart attacks. In the carotid arteries, it can lead to stroke. 

For the new study, children from 1,477 families were recruited into the study before their first birthday and examined every two years starting in 2004. The thickness of the children’s carotid intima-media was evaluated in 2015. 

When the researchers divided the children into four groups according to their family’s economic background, they found that the most economically disadvantaged children were 46 per cent more likely than children from the wealthiest families to have the thickest intima-media measurements. 

The increased thickness means those children’s veins work as if they are at least eight years older than they really are, the research team writes in the Journal of the American Heart Association. 

Neighbourhood economics were also tied to the condition of the children’s artery walls, researchers found. 

Social and economic status as a toddler was tied to the risk of thick artery walls as a adolescent. 

“It was striking that the socioeconomic status so early in life was associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness by mid-childhood; this is not an age when cardiovascular disease risk is often considered,” said Burgner, who is also affiliated with Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and Monash Childrens Hospital. 

He emphasised that the new study cannot say whether poverty causes children to have thicker intima-media.

Nor can it predict if these children will have heart problems or strokes later on.

“However, given the wealth of other work in adults, our findings add to the consensus that social inequality may have broad adverse health consequences from an early age,” said Burgner. 

“For individual families, minimising the known risks for cardiovascular disease — regular exercise, healthy diet, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight etc — remain the cornerstone of prevention.” 

Brimming with an air of authenticity, desirability and attainability by equal measure, the Dodge Charger is a rare breed by virtue of existence as a large non-luxury brand rear-wheel-drive saloon of the sort that was mainstream not too long ago. 

With moody design, rear-drive dynamics, extensive equipment, superb comfort, well-appointed interiors and visceral appeal by the truckload, the Charger is a standout and competes both with mostly uninspiring large front-drive saloons and rear-drive models now almost exclusively pitched as “premium” by manufacturers.

Dramatic design

Based on a Mercedes platform when re-introduced as a nameplate in 2006 — during the brand’s Daimler-Chrysler era — as the LX series and later evolving into the LD series as of 2012, the Charger has been in continual development since. The closest modern interpretation of the traditional large American saloon with up-to-date technology and drive-train, the Charger’s closest Australian Ford Commodoure and Holden Commodoure-based Chevrolet SS contemporaries have, however, fallen by the wayside, with both Ford and General Motors ceasing Australian model-line production.

Discretely influenced by the classic 1969 Dodge Charger coupe without being overtly “retro”, the contemporary Charger is a dramatic design with deep-set slim grille and rounded heavily browed lights an LED outline. Large, assertive and with a palpable sense of motion, the Charger features subtly scalloped bonnet edges, sculpted and deeply ridged surfacing at the flanks, a rakishly descends roofline and full-width rear lights harking back to iconic chargers of yesteryears, and in sportier top spec entry-level 3.6-litre engine SXT Rallye variant, it receives upgraded 20-inch alloy wheels.

Progressive delivery

Entry-level engine in a model range that includes heavy-hitting 370BHP R/T, 485BHP SRT and supercharged 707BHP SRT Hellcat large displacement V8 variants, the SXT Rallye is, however, no slouch. A modern and more efficient engine with its own charms, the SXT Rallye’s 3.6-litre DOHC V6 gains is tuned to develop an additional 8BHP and 4lb/ft over standard SE and SXT version. With a total of 300BHP at 6400rpm and 264lb/ft, the Rallye is estimated to cross the 0-100km/h benchmark in 6.2 seconds and onto a 225km/h top speed, and just 0.7 seconds and 10km/h behind the 5.7-litre Charger R/T. 

Weighing in at 135kg less and with a 600rpm higher rev-limit at 6400rpm, the Rallye differs somewhat in character to the lower-revving and more old-school R/T and its thick, rich wave of 395lb/ft torque and languidly muscular delivery. Despite a power and torque disadvantage, the Rallye is nonetheless peppy and brisk with a broad and well-developed mid-range torque sweet spot for easy overtaking and flexibility. The Rallye’s more progressive power and torque buildup, however, provide a sportier and more rewarding character where one has to work the engine harder.

Balance and agility

With its longer rev range and more progressive delivery, the Charger Rallye features improved throttle control and a more fluent driving style over the R/T model, and allows one to more accurately dial in power to the rear wheels without suddenly overwhelming rear traction and setting off stability control interventions. Driving the rear wheels through a slick and smooth shifting 8-speed automatic gearbox the Rallye benefits from a broad range of ratios for responsive acceleration, versatile mid-range performance and efficient and refined cruising. 

Significantly lighter than the R/T V8 Charger models and with less weight concentrated in front, the 1799kg SXT Rallye may not exactly be a lightweight model in absolute terms, but feels noticeably more agile and eager through corners. Turning in tidily and responsively with good front grip, quick and precise 2.6-turn electric-assisted steering, standard Rallye spec “sport suspension”, it feels balanced through corners, with good body lean control for its size and weight. Nippier and more manoeuvrable than the R/T, the Rallye feels crisper and tidier, with under-steer seemingly reduced.

Smooth and spacious

Stable and smooth at speed and through corners, as driven on track and through handling courses, the SXT Rally is confident through corners, with good grip and predictable oversteer and weight shift when provoked, owing to its long wheelbase. A refined, well-insulated and comfortable ride, the Rally seemed forgiving and supple despite its huge low profile 245/45R20 tyres, and with good vertical and rebound control, but admittedly, with test drive was on a smoothly surfaced track, and not on imperfect public roads. 

A refined, comfortable and well-equipped large saloon, the Charger cabin has a distinctly sporty style with clear instrumentation, driver-oriented centre console and high waistline and low roofline for a hunkered down ambiance. Big well-cushioned seats offer terrific comfort and are set somewhat high, which in front helps with visibility. In the rear, leg and shoulder room is very generous, while headroom is fine, but could be better still if the seats were set lower. Equipment levels are generous and include an intuitive and versatile Uconnect infotainment system, while materials, fit and finish are of good quality.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 3.6-litre, all-aluminium, in-line V6-cylinders

Bore x Stroke: 96 x 83mm

Compression ratio: 10.2:1

Valve-train: Chain-driven, 24-valve, DOHC

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive, electronic limited-slip differential

Gear ratios: 1st 4.71 2nd 3.14 3rd 2.10 4th 1.67 5th 1.29 6th 1.0 7th 0.84 8th 0.67

Reverse/final drive ratios: 3.30/2.62

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 300 (304) [224] @6350rpm

Specific power: 83.2BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 166.75BHP/tonne

Torque lb/ft (Nm): 264 (358) @4800rpm

Specific torque: 99.3Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 199Nm/tonne

Rev limit: 6400rpm

0-100km/h: 6.2-seconds (est.)

Top speed: 225km/h (est.)

Fuel consumption, city/highway: 12.37-/7.58-litres/100km*

Fuel capacity: 70-litres

Fuel requirement: 91RON

Track, F/R: 1610/1620mm

Ground clearance: 124mm

Kerb weight: 1799kg

Weight distribution, F/R: 52 per cent/48 per cent

Aerodynamic drag co-efficiency: 0.304

Headroom, F/R: 981/930mm

Legroom, F/R: 1061/1019mm

Shoulder room, F/R: 1510/1472mm

Hip room, F/R: 1428/1425mm

Cargo volume: 467-litres

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 11.5-metres

Lock-to-lock: 2.6-turns

Suspension F/R: Unequal double wishbones/multi-link

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated perforated discs 320 x 28mm/320 x 10mm

Tyres: 245/45R20

*Est. US EPA

SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon.com Inc. is exploring a technology first developed for the US military to produce tasty prepared meals that do not need refrigeration, as it looks for new ways to muscle into the $700 billion US grocery business.

The world’s biggest online retailer has discussed selling ready-to-eat dishes such as beef stew and a vegetable frittata as soon as next year, officials at the startup firm marketing the technology told Reuters.

The dishes would be easy to stockpile and ship because they do not require refrigeration and could be offered quite cheaply compared with take-out from a restaurant. 

If the cutting-edge food technology comes to fruition, and Amazon implements it on a large scale, it would be a major step forward for the company as it looks to grab hold of more grocery customers shifting towards quick and easy meal options at home. 

Delivering meals would build on the company’s AmazonFresh service, which has been delivering groceries to customers’ homes for a decade. It could also complement Amazon’s planned $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods Market Inc. and Amazon’s checkout-free convenience store, which is in the test stage. 

The pioneering food-prep tech, known as microwave assisted thermal sterilisation, or MATS, was developed by researchers at Washington State University and is being brought to market by a venture-backed startup called 915 Labs, based in Denver. 

The method involves placing sealed packages of food in pressurised water and heating them with microwaves for several minutes, according to 915 Labs. 

Unlike traditional processing methods, where packages are in pressure cookers for up to an hour until both bacteria and nutrients are largely gone, the dishes retain their natural flavour and texture, the company said. They also can sit on a shelf for a year, which would make them suitable for Amazon’s storage and delivery business model.

“They obviously see that this is a potential disruptor and an ability to get to a private brand uniqueness that they’re looking for,” said Greg Spragg, a former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. executive and now head of a startup working with MATS technology. “They will test these products with their consumers, and get a sense of where they would go.”

Amazon declined to comment.

Spragg’s company, Solve for Food, plans to acquire a MATS machine from 915 Labs that can make 1,800 packages an hour. The company aims to use the machine at a new food innovation centre in northwest Arkansas, near the headquarters of Wal-Mart. 

915 Labs also has an Arkansas connection: it is designing the beef stew and other dishes with a chef at the Bentonville-based Brightwater Centre for the Study of Food.

Walmart did not comment on whether it is looking into the technology.

Hiring food people 

‘like crazy’

MATS technology grew out of efforts by the US Army’s Natick laboratories more than a decade ago to improve food quality for soldiers in combat. Washington State University, a five-hour drive from Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, received US funding and became the research hub for MATS.

915 Labs said it formed in 2014 and acquired the assets of a business called Food Chain Safety, which previously was working on MATS before facing financial trouble in 2013.

915 Labs also licensed the original patents from the university, its Chief Executive Michael Locatis said, and its MATS dishes are now pending US Food and Drug Administration approval.

In addition to ongoing work with the US military, the company has sold machines to the Australian government and to food companies in Asia. 

“They have to leapfrog to MATS because they don’t have the refrigerated supply chain like we have in the US,” said Locatis, who was an assistant secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security until 2013.

Amazon invited the startup to Seattle after learning about MATS technology last year at the SIAL Paris food trade show, according to Locatis.

In February, Amazon sent a team to Washington State University that met with Juming Tang, chair of the school’s biological systems engineering department and a key developer of the technology.

And in March, Amazon joined the university’s researchers and other companies in Seattle for the inaugural meeting of the Industrial Microwave Alliance, according to a university news release. The group’s mission is to “accelerate technology transfer of microwave-based food safety”.

“Amazon just started this,” Tang said in an interview. “They need to deliver meals to homes... They’re hiring food people like crazy.”

Not everyone sees why MATS would be worth pursuing. Some think packaged food would have little attraction to the generally high-income members of Amazon’s Prime shopping club.

“I get why new food processing systems that increase shelf life may be good for Amazon,” said Bentley Hall, CEO of fresh food delivery service Good Eggs. “I struggle to see how this solution addresses an actual consumer want or need better than fresh, prepared meals.”

MATS represents just one way Amazon is searching for an edge in the grocery business, to distinguish itself from incumbents like Kroger Co. 

The company has also filed for a trademark for cook-it-yourself meal-kits — a move that pushed down shares of Blue Apron Holdings Inc. — but has not yet detailed its plans for ready-to-eat meal delivery.