Features

TOKYO — Male mice that spent more than a month in space were able to successfully reproduce back on Earth, a study has found, the first evidence of how space travel affects reproduction in mammals.

There have been some signs that spending time in space could negatively affect sperm, including radiation damage seen in freeze-dried mouse sperm that spent nine months in outer space, and decreased sperm counts in rats that spent 13 days in orbit.

The research examined 12 male mice who spent 35 days aboard the International Space Station in specially designed cages.

Some of the mice experienced the weightlessness of microgravity, while others were in cages designed to offer artificial gravity.

Upon their return to Earth, the researchers used sperm from the mice to fertilise eggs from female mice who had not experienced space travel, and found the astronaut rodents produced healthy offspring.

The team, led by Masahito Ikawa, a professor at Osaka University, also examined the reproductive organs of the space-travelling mice and checked their offspring for any signs that their parentage had negative effects.

“We conclude that short-term stays in outer space do not cause overt defects in the physiological function of male reproductive organs, sperm function and offspring viability,” says the study published on Tuesday in the journal Scientific Reports.

Medical research has already shown that space travel has a variety of negative health effects, including deterioration of muscle and bone mass, as well as cell mutations caused by radiation exposure.

And previous studies have looked at the effects of space travel on the reproductive systems of species including sea urchins and birds.

But the new study is the first to examine the effects of space travel at the molecular level.

The research is only a first foray, however, and does not necessarily indicate how the reproductive systems of human — or indeed female mice — are affected by space travel.

The researchers said they would like to examine aspects including how space travel affects male reproductive hormone levels and genetic expression in reproductive organs.

“The era where people can easily go into space is coming,” the study says.

“Studies of the effects of space environment on the reproductive system are necessary to prevent undesirable effects in the next generation.”

Are self-driving cars safer than manned ones?

The invasion of the cloud and networks, combined with the extraordinary breakthroughs in high-tech, are constantly increasing the number of automated operations of all kinds. This is causing a relaunch of the old debate about whether man or machine are better at the job. There will probably never be a clear cut answer to this question. Moreover, it greatly depends on which job, which exact task are we talking about.

It may possible to classify the tasks in two categories, in a general, rough manner. The first concerns tasks where a failure would cause human casualties or injuries, like driverless cars for example. The second is about all the rest: online computing, payments, banking, shopping, smart-home management, and so forth, where damage because of a system failure would only harm your pocket, cause delays or inconvenience, and where it is always possible to go back and to fix things.

Recent reviews found online about driverless cars are emphasising the fact that they are not only more convenient but and before all safer. In other words the risk that an unmanned car would be in an accident is much, much lower than if a human was driving it. When you analyse all the potential “weaknesses” that would make a person to cause a car accident you cannot but agree.

Some even consider that “driving a car is much too dangerous a task to be left to a person”. In a way it sounds a little bit like the famous line by French statesman Georges Clémenceau who once said: “War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men.” Both statements sound like blatant contradictions at first sight, but not at second thought!

An impressive and deeply moving medical documentary was broadcast last week on CBC — Radio Canada TV channel. It showed a pioneering technology that uses laser and heat to kill and remove a cancerous brain tumour in a child. It involved no chemical product of any kind, and the cured young boy was able to get up and go home on the very next day following the surgery!

The surgeon explained that it was made possible only thanks to high-tech. First there was the precision of the laser beam, of course, and then the software especially developed for the operation and that would do most of the work by itself by guiding the laser beam, setting the heat point, etc.

He added that the software programme was so complex and difficult to use that the company that designed it would always keep three software engineers with the surgical team, to help them use it properly. This is a typical case where the machine, a system of computers and programming in this very case, are beyond any possible doubt better than man at the job.

Whether in vital or in non-vital cases, there will always be machine failures. We have all seen the tragic consequence of air crashes caused by technical issues. These will sometimes be impossible to predict or even to address, and unfortunately there will also be times when machine or system failures would happen because of human errors, a job poorly done or bad software programming, not to mention extreme cases of intentional hacking or criminal attacks, made by man but through the machines and the systems.

Despite the above, I would trust the machine much more than people, if only in the example of the upcoming driverless cars. At least a self-driving vehicle would never be talking on the phone or texting, would not be particularly nervous and unstable because of a domestic fight at home in the morning, certainly would not be drunk, would be focusing on driving and on driving only, and would perfectly comply with traffic regulations, speed limits and road signs. As for the possible technical failures, they will be fewer, much fewer than human failures.

By Vanessa Carronnier

PARIS — Booking a vacation used to mean selecting a package holiday from the catalogue of a big tour operator, but with the advent of the Internet consumers now have more options, a luxury that big travel operators have had difficulty adapting to as the collapse of Thomas Cook shows.

A departure in the middle of the week, leaving from one airport and returning to another, extending a business trip into a mini-vacation, these are now common practices thanks to being able to book airline tickets online and apps that offer a plethora of lodging options like Airbnb and Booking.com.

The emergence of these firms means that consumers can, and are, bypassing travel agents and tour operators.

“The younger generation are organising their travel for themselves more and more and the people who travel in a more classical way are also searching for a more personalised experience,” said Jean-Pierre Mas, head of the trade association for French travel agencies.

“We need to offer some flexibility,” he added.

Some industry giants like Thomas Cook couldn’t adjust to the “shift towards a tourism more about identity and affinity”, said Didier Arino, head of the Protourisme consultancy. 

The travel agencies that are still in the game understood the need to specialise, he added.

“Thomas Cook failed because it didn’t move with the times,” said Markets.com analyst Neil Wilson, citing its inability to embrace the web.

“The real structural problem for them — and this is probably the biggest management failure — is the fact that since the early days it didn’t foresee that the internet was going to be such a strong and dominant force and it didn’t invest enough in that,” said investment research analyst Helal Miah at The Share Centre.

“It still had a huge high street portfolio which is very costly and it’s seen other players leap in front in the online market and take market share.”

Market players are now keeping a close eye on another giant in the sector, TUI, which is also facing difficulties, in particular due the fact that its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft has been grounded.

Investors piled into TUI’s shares on Monday however as the collapse of a rival was seen as a boost to the chances of remaining firms.

But the big firms “have an obsolete model of vertical integration that is very heavy and which doesn’t respond to today’s need to be agile”, said Mas.

The ability to react quickly and adapt has been very important in recent years as unforeseen developments have prompted consumers to rapidly shift destinations.

“When the Arab Spring took place in Tunisia one had to react in a week and orient clients towards other destinations, find hotels,” said Mas. 

But when you have to manage massive numbers of travellers that is a harder trick to pull off.

Under pressure

“The tourism sector suffered different crises that weakened operators,” said consultant Arino.

Beyond the economic crisis a decade ago which dented demand for travel, health scares and political events prompted swings between destinations.

“The sector has come under many pressures associated with very slim profit margins for each travel product sold,” said travel and tourism expert Neil Robinson at the University of Salford Business School, adding there may also be “too many players in an already saturated market”.

With its extensive network of travel agencies Thomas Cook had higher costs than online rivals who had less overheads and staff costs.

“Competition has been operating at a time when the European economy has been a bit slow,” said Russ Mould, analyst at stockbroker AJ Bell.

And in the case of Thomas Cook, Brexit also played a role. 

Uncertainty about when Britain will exit the European Union and on what terms has encouraged some British nationals to put off travel, while the weaker pound has made foreign travel more expensive.

WASHINGTON — Kik, a popular messaging app for young smartphone users, is shutting down as the company focuses on a legal battle over its cryptocurrency funding round.

The announcement was made late Monday by Kik founder and chief executive Ted Livingston, who said the company would challenge US authorities on how its cryptocurrency, Kin, is defined and regulated.

The decision means a shutdown for Canadian-based app Kik, which claimed to have some 300 million users at its peak and to have been used by as many as 40 per cent of US teens.

The company will reduce its staff to 19 and focus on Kin, which Livingston called “the most used cryptocurrency in the world” by consumers.

“These are hard decisions. Kik is one of the largest apps in the US. It has industry leading engagement and is growing again,” Livingston wrote on Medium.

The company is embroiled in a legal battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over its 2017 “coin offering” which raised some $100 million.

Livingston said the SEC’s position of labeling Kin as a security would make it less usable as an online payment system.

“After 18 months of working with the SEC the only choice they gave us was to either label Kin a security or fight them in court,” he said.

“Becoming a security would kill the usability of any cryptocurrency and set a dangerous precedent for the industry. So with the SEC working to characterise almost all cryptocurrencies as securities we made the decision to step forward and fight.”

He said his goal is to create a Kin “ecosystem” that could make it more widely used.

“But no matter what happens to Kik, Kin is here to stay,” Livingston said. “Kin operates on an open, decentralised infrastructure run by a dozen independent companies. Kin is a currency used by millions of people in dozens of independent apps.”

The battle comes amid a backdrop of Facebook’s effort to launch its own cryptocurrency called Libra, which is aimed at becoming a global digital coin.

By Emily Baumgaertner 

First there were the drugs that could knock back HIV to undetectable levels, and the virus was no longer synonymous with a death sentence. Then came a treatment that allowed people who were HIV-negative to remain that way, even if their partners weren’t.

But to truly defeat the virus that causes AIDS, doctors need a vaccine. And after decades of dead ends and dashed hopes, they may finally be on the verge of having one.

With a large-scale clinical trial launching this fall and several others already underway, scientists say they are cautiously optimistic that they’ll soon have a way to fight HIV long before a person is ever exposed.

“When you have a disease that is transmitted without symptoms, you’re going to acquire it when you least expect it,” said Dr Larry Corey, principal investigator of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. In such situations, “the only base control measure ever proven to be effective is a vaccine”.

Researchers and public health experts agree that the surest way to eliminate a disease for good is by deploying a vaccine. It worked for smallpox. It worked for polio. And, if combined with antiretroviral therapy and preexposure prophylaxis, it could work for HIV too.

A vaccine would mean “the end of the AIDS story as we know it,” said Dr Robert C. Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

More than 37 million people around the world are living with HIV, and they spread it to about 5,000 others every day, Corey said. There are also about 180,000 transmissions to newborns each year.

“This virus is unfortunately doing very well,” he said.

The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, attacks a specific type of white blood cell the body relies on to fight off infections. If left untreated for several years, a patient’s white blood cell count becomes critically low, leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. That makes the body vulnerable to bacteria and fungi that can cause tuberculosis, meningitis, certain types of cancer and other serious diseases that can lead to death.

Once Gallo and other scientists identified HIV as the cause of AIDS in 1984, it didn’t take long for them to recognise the need for a way to inoculate people against the virus. Even back then, he said, “We were already planning for a vaccine.”

Vaccines prime the immune system for a dangerous invader by introducing a dead or weakened version of it. That way, if the real threat comes along later, the body is already equipped to recognise it and beat it back.

With classic threats such as measles or polio, the vast majority of people are already able to suppress the virus and eradicate it from their bodies. In those cases, developing a vaccine is as simple as finding a safe way to mimic a natural infection — perhaps by introducing a modified version that has been stripped of its weaponry.

But HIV is different, because no patient has ever been known to overcome the virus on his or her own.

That means scientists working on a vaccine don’t have a natural cheat sheet at their disposal. 

“If we want to make a durable vaccine, we have to be even more clever than the natural infection. We’ve never had that challenge with any other virus,” said Dr Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “I don’t think it’s going to be impossible. But we need to understand the relationship between the pathogen and the immune system in a way we’ve never had to before.”

HIV is a wily opponent. The virus doesn’t just defend itself against attacking immune cells, it invades them, integrating itself into the victim’s DNA. It can also envelop itself in sugar molecules to keep antibodies from latching onto its shell.

Then there are genetic complications. HIV has more genetic diversity than any other known virus. It makes frequent mistakes as it replicates, and it can survive without correcting them. This ability to rapidly mutate makes it a moving target — no match for a vaccine designed to protect against a single strain.

On top of that, there are different HIV subtypes in different parts of the world. (Subtype B is common in North America and Europe, for example, while subtype C is found in southern and eastern Africa.) An effective vaccine must be based on components drawn from a mosaic of HIV variants in order to work against many strains.

“You have to protect against all that variability,” said Dr Susan Buchbinder, director of HIV Bridge, a prevention research unit in the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

That strategy will be tested this fall in a large-scale efficacy trial called Mosaico. The experimental vaccine, made by Johnson & Johnson, contains an array of genetic sequences from various HIV strains.

In preclinical trials, the vaccine effectively protected about 66 per cent of non-human primates against HIV-like viruses. Follow-up studies in people helped finalise its makeup.

Now scientists plan to enrol some 3,800 healthy participants at more than 50 trial sites across North and South America and Europe. All of them will be drawn from groups that are at high risk of contracting HIV, including men who have sex with men and transgender people. They will receive four vaccinations over the course of a year.

The study will be double-blind, meaning that neither the participants nor the researchers will know who has been randomly selected to receive the experimental vaccine and who is getting a placebo. If the vaccine proves successful, researchers hope it will be used around the world.

“We’re really excited about this one,” said Buchbinder, the protocol chair for the Mosaico trial.

Focusing on high-risk populations is paramount, researchers say. Men who have sex with men constitute almost two-thirds of new HIV infections in the United States. And the world’s approximately 25 million transgender people are almost 50 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population.

As part of the study enrolment process, the researchers will educate volunteers on the benefits of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and urge them to take that drug in lieu of joining the study. Only those who say they still want to forgo the treatment will be able to participate.

No vaccine is foolproof, and scientists say they don’t have to be. Researchers with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative determined that a vaccine that’s 70 per cent effective would do more to prevent new infections than PrEP.

The Mosaico trial is pushing for 65 per cent effectiveness, Buchbinder said. “Even a more modestly effective vaccine could alter the course of the epidemic,” she said.

Many other vaccine candidates are in the pipeline. Gallo and his colleagues are working on their own HIV vaccine that they expect will enter a Phase II trial to test its efficacy in the near future.

“We’ve clearly had our ups and downs, but science is all about testing our hypotheses, even if the outcome is, ‘Nope, definitely not working,’”  Buchbinder said. “The only failed experiment is one in which you don’t find an answer.”

Becoming a veritable hero for dyed-in-the-wool petrolheads with its commitment to advanced development of the internal combustion engine, as others start to give up, Mazda also do a pretty good diesel truck.

A big player in truck-loving Australia and recently making a bigger mark on Jordanian roads, the Mazda BT-50 is a most impressive compact pick-up truck. A sister model to the pricier Ford Ranger with which it shares platform, engine and much more, the keenly priced BT-50 represents good value for its abilities and performance in range-topping 3.2-litre 4x4 four-door double cab guise. 

Bridging the gap between basic compact pick-ups and gas-guzzling full-size American behemoths, the 3.2-litre turbodiesel BT-50 combines effortless performance and comparatively frugal efficiency, even during demanding test drive conditions.

A thoroughly capable hauler and off-roader, it also boast good equipment levels and excellent cabin room and driving position, and is an ideally rugged yet refined multi-purpose work, lifestyle and daily drive truck. Seamlessly and practically adapts Mazda’s wavy, swept back and sporty design elements, the BT-50’s lower bonnet centre and scalloped edges offers better visibility and help better place the front wheels through corners.

Tough torquing truck

Lighter and more compact but more powerful than many competitors’ V6 engines, the range-topping BT-50 version’s 3.2-litre common-rail injection turbo-diesel 5-cylinder engine delivers 197BHP at 3000rpm and a 347lb/ft tidal wave of torque throughout 1750-2500rpm. Driven through a slick optional 6-speed automatic gearbox with electronically-controlled manual shifts, the BT-50 is quick for a 2105kg truck, dashing through 0-100km/h in an estimated 10.5-seconds. With quick spooling turbos and almost no detectable low-end lag, the BT-50 is muscular from standstill, with its tsunami of torque providing indefatigably rapid progress through gears, whether on- or off-road.

On road, the BT-50’s engine is eager for a low-revving turbo-diesel, with reassuring and confident mid-range highway flexibility and an estimated 180km/h top speed, it effortlessly powers through air resistance to higher speeds than less powerful 4-cylinder turbo-diesel trucks. Driven through its rear wheels in normal conditions, the BT-50’s four-wheel-drive system on-the-move activation to 120km/h, and helps its easily overcomes rugged and demanding low traction conditions or steep inclines. Meanwhile, a 2.718:1 low gear reduction ratio and factory optional locking rear differential allow for more extreme conditions, crawling and towing capabilities.

Rigid, refined and rewarding

Composed, committed and comfortable on highway, agile through switchbacks and fuel efficient during extensive test drive, the BT-50’s high rigidity was demonstrable on dirt road and rutted tarmac. Without virtually no hint of body flex or squeaks, the BT-50’s rigid body pays dividends ride and handling qualities — not to mention safety — by allowing its’ sophisticated front and rugged rear suspension to operate with precision. Refined and settled given its’ live axle and leaf spring rear suspension, the BT-50 could be slightly bouncy on choppy roads compared to an SUV with independent rear suspension. 

The BT-50’s hydraulic-assisted steering felt precise, accurate and natural in feedback through narrow and winding hill climbs, especially for a truck of its like. Combined with its midsize dimensions, good cabin visibility, invaluable big side mirrors, reversing sensors and camera, the BT-50 is manoeuvrable in town driving, parking and is easy to place through countryside corners. Favourable weight distribution and sophisticated double wishbone front suspension also allow for tidy turn-in. Meanwhile, suspension settings are well-judged for handling, comfort and off-road wheel articulation, and allow considerably better than expected cornering body roll control.

Capability and comfort

Balance through corners, the BT-50 can be induced to progressively and predictably kick its tail out to tighten a cornering line, but when engaged, its electronic stability controls proved diligently reassuring. Well refined from harshness and vibrations, and with good insulation from diesel clatter inside, and features six airbags, electronic brakeforce distribution, dual zone climate control, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, CD player and voice command functions. The BT-50 is, however, a thoroughly capable workhorse at heart, and can accommodate an estimated near 1200-litres within its cargo bay, a 1082kg payload, and tow up to 3500kg

A tough and rugged off-roader with effortless ability and short front overhang, the BT-50 boasts high 200-232mm ground clearance, wide-tread 265/65R17 tyres, generous 800mm water fording depth, electronic hill descent control and 28.2 degree approach, 26.5 degree departure and 25 degree ramp angles. 

Meanwhile inside, the BT-50 is easily accessible and spacious in all directions and features hard-wearing plastics, fabric upholstery, front and rear armrests. Particularly noted for its excellent driving position, with well-adjustable, comfortable, supportive seats and steering tilt adjustability, the BT-50 a terrific long-distance companion over many hours and of driving.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 3.2-litre, common-rail turbo-diesel, in-line 5-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 89.9 x 100.7mm

Compression ratio: 15.5:1

Valve-train: 20-valve, DOHC

Gearbox: 6-speed automatic

Driveline: Four-wheel-drive, low gear transfer case, locking rear differential

Gear ratios: 1st 4.171:1; 2nd 2.342:1; 3rd 1.521:1; 4th 1.143:1; 5th 0.867:1; 6th 0.691:1

Reverse/final drive: 3.403:1/3.55:1

High/low range: 1:1/2.718:1

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 197 (200) [147] @3,000rpm

Specific power: 61.6BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 347 (470) @1,750-2,500rpm

Specific torque: 147Nm/litre

0-100km/h: 10.5-seconds (estimate)

Top speed: 180km/h (estimate)

Fuel consumption, urban/extra-urban/combined; 12.4-/
8.6-/10-litres/100km

Fuel capacity: 80-litres

Length: 5,365mm

Width: 1,850mm

Height: 1,815mm

Wheelbase: 3,220mm

Track: 1,560mm

Ground clearance: 200-232mm

Cargo volume: 1,200-litres (estimate)

Water Mazdaing: 800mm

Kerb weight: 2105kg

Payload. Net/gross: 1,082kg

Towing capacity, braked/un-braked: 3,500/750kg

Gross vehicle mass: 3,200kg

Gross combined mass: 6,000kg

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbones, coilovers/leaf springs, live axle

Steering: Hydraulic-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 12.4-metres

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs 302mm/drums, 270mm

Tyres: 265/60R17

Price, on-the-road, no insurance: JD29,900

LOS ANGELES — “Game of Thrones” took the top Emmy for best drama on Sunday, but dark British comedy “Fleabag” was the surprise big winner of television’s glitziest night, dominating the comedy prizes at a star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles.

“Thrones”, the most decorated fictional show in the history of the Emmys — television’s Oscars — finished with 12 awards overall for its final season.

“Thank you to the hardest working crews in show business — the dragons who shot for 70 nights straight in freezing Belfast rain, the wolves who shot all around the world — you are amazing, all of you,” said showrunner Dan Weiss.

“And it is amazing that all of you are still alive.”

Peter Dinklage won his fourth best supporting actor statuette for his portrayal of sharp-tongued dwarf Tyrion Lannister.

But the blood-soaked fantasy epic’s hopes of going out with a new record for a single season were dashed after it failed to convert nominations in directing, writing and the other acting categories.

The divisive final run of “Thrones” enraged many fans — more than a million signed a petition for HBO to redo its conclusion.

But the 10 nominated cast members of the cast of “Thrones” received a standing ovation as they gathered on stage.

“I think all of us agree how amazing the entire last season was for us,” said Sophie Turner, who played Sansa Stark.

“Thrones” had already bagged 10 Emmys in lesser categories at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, including for the show’s special effects and elaborate costumes.

It ends its eight-season run with 59 Emmys, a record for a drama or comedy. Only variety sketch show “Saturday Night Live” has more.

In the night’s biggest shock, “Fleabag” star Phoebe Waller-Bridge bested eight-time acting winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”) before the show itself won for best comedy series.

The BBC show — which has grown into a phenomenon on both sides of the Atlantic after being acquired by Amazon — also scooped awards for best comedy writing and directing.

“It’s just really wonderful to know and reassuring that a dirty, pervy, angry, messed-up woman can make it to the Emmys,” said Waller-Bridge, referring to her character.

“This is just getting ridiculous,” she said on adding the comedy series prize. “The journey has been absolutely mental.”

“Fleabag” was totally shunned by Emmy voters last year, failing to bag a single nomination. But the Television Academy’s 24,000-plus voters changed their tune for its second season.

Waller-Bridge has ruled out a third season, saying the irreverent series about a self-absorbed young Londoner has come “to a natural end”.

‘We all have the right’

Billy Porter made history as the first openly gay black man to win the best drama actor prize for FX show “Pose”, which explores New York’s underground ballroom culture in the 1980s.

“I am so overwhelmed and so overjoyed to have lived long enough to see this day,” said Porter, who turned 50 on Saturday, in his acceptance speech.

“I have the right. You have the right. We all have the right,” he added.

Jason Bateman was the surprise winner for directing Netflix’s dark crime thriller “Ozark”. Co-star Julia Garner won best supporting actress. 

Sandra Oh failed in her bid to become the first Asian-American actress to win the leading actress in a drama category, beaten by her co-star Jodie Comer in BBC spy thriller “Killing Eve”.

The pair embraced before British star Comer, who plays an assassin, collected her prize and told the audiences she hadn’t invited her parents to the ceremony “because I didn’t think this was going to be my time”.

“Chernobyl” — HBO’s drama about the 1986 nuclear catastrophe — won the Emmy for best limited series.

It faced off against “When They See Us”, the searing true story of five New York teenagers wrongly accused of raping a Central Park jogger.

One of the Netflix show’s young stars, Jharrel Jerome, won the prize for best actor in a limited series.

Bill Hader won for best actor for HBO’s hitman comedy “Barry”. The network pulled off another victory for “Succession”, with Jesse Armstrong a surprise winner for drama writing.

‘Damn good’

The glitzy 71st Emmys began at the Microsoft Theatre in downtown Los Angeles with a comedy skit: a cartoon Homer Simpson was introduced as “host” — and quickly crushed by a falling piano.

“Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston then appeared on stage to “rescue” the Emmys, delivering a tribute to television’s so-called golden era.

“Television has never been bigger. Television has never mattered more. And television has never been this damn good,” said Cranston.

Both “Game of Thrones” and “Veep” were among the shows bowing out Sunday, having helped HBO raise the game for the small screen.

But Louis-Dreyfus missed out on a ninth acting statuette — which would have been her seventh, and a clean sweep for every season, as foul-mouthed vice-president-turned-president Selina Meyer in “Veep”.

“I’m sorry, I was told I would be up here alone,” she joked as she later appeared on stage with her co-stars — to a standing ovation — to present an award.

By Michelle Washington

A plant-based diet may have seemed extreme years ago, but today it’s all the rage — and for good reason. In many ways the planet and human health are in trouble, and a plant-centric diet is one way to address both issues.

More than 10,000 studies in peer-reviewed medical journals show that a diet based on whole plant foods leads to higher life expectancy and lower rates of cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and most other chronic ailments. “If you eat the standard American diet, you’re going to get the standard American diseases,” says Ocean Robbins, co-founder of the Food Revolution Network and author of 31-Day Food Revolution.

“However, a plant-based diet can add years to your life and life to your years.” When you look more closely at heart disease, the No. 1 killer of American adults, the story becomes even more convincing. “The only diet proven not just to prevent but also reverse heart disease is a plant-based diet,” says Marco A. Borges, exercise physiologist, founder of 22 Days Nutrition and New York Times bestselling author whose latest book is The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World. Statistics show that roughly 600,000 Americans die from heart disease every year, but 80 per cent of cardiovascular disease is preventable, especially with a shift to a plant-based diet, says Dr Saray Stancic, a lifestyle medicine physician in Ramsey, New Jersey.

There’s also evidence that the current food system is unsustainable. “Worldwide, animal agriculture provides 18 per cent of humanity’s food calories and 37 per cent of protein, but uses 83 per cent of farmland and one-third of the planet’s fresh water, and is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the world’s cars, planes, trucks, ships and trains combined,” Robbins says.

Yet, changing how you’ve always eaten isn’t easy. Where do you start? Experts share seven strategies:

1. Don’t think all or nothing. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, you don’t need to shift your diet overnight. “Every step you take toward more whole plant foods is a step toward greater health for you and the planet,” Robbins says. How closely you lean into plants is your choice, but know that in the “Blue Zones” — places around the world where people live the longest and healthiest — diets are focused on whole plant foods with almost no added sugar or processed foods and between zero and 10 per cent of calories from animal products. In the United States, however, approximately 54 per cent of calories come from processed foods and another 34 per cent from animal products, Robbins says. No amount of processed food is healthy, and even if animal products are a small part of your diet, “the Blue Zones show that what’s best is a lot less than most are eating”, he adds.

2. Make plants the star of your plate. If you’re eating like most Americans, animal products comprise most of your plate. An easy fix? “Put plants at the centre of your plate, and if you do have any animal products, make them the side dish”, Stancic says. As your taste buds adapt to this new way of eating, gradually push animal products off your plate completely so that you’re following the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s Power Plate formula, which divides a meal into four quadrants: whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

3. Add whole plant foods to your environment. Your environment plays a key role in determining whether you’ll succeed at adopting a new habit, which is why it makes sense to set it up for success. The best strategy? “Bring more whole plant foods into your house and put them out where you can see them,” Borges says. How many times, after all, have you bought fruits or veggies, shoved them into the back of your fridge and later found them spoiled because you forgot about them? Instead, keep fruits and veggies at eye level in the fridge and place bowls of fruit on counters in view. At the same time, keep unhealthy processed foods out of sight as you gradually work on cutting them from your kitchen.

4. Be a planner. Nothing gets done in life without some planning, healthy eating included. Start by shopping from a list, as you’ll stand a better chance of avoiding unhealthy impulse purchases, Robbins says. Then think about your meals for the next week, or just the next day if that’s easier (“plan breakfast before you go to bed”, he adds, suggesting overnight oats or presoaked chia blueberry porridge), so that you don’t end up eating unhealthy food in a pinch.

5. Do batch cooking. When Borges’ mom switched to a 100 per cent plant-based diet, he advised her to pick a day each week to cook foods like whole grains and beans in batches, even making salad dressing for the week. She could then store the foods in the fridge or the freezer and pull them out as needed. “Although it takes time to cook them, it’s a huge time-saver,” he says.

6. Adopt the Meatless Monday habit. This global campaign encourages people to take meat off their plate every Monday, and it’s a good entry point to eating more plants. “Research shows that we have our best intentions for healthy eating on Monday, and Meatless Monday is a great way to dip your toes in the water,” says Sharon Palmer, registered dietician and author of Plant-Powered for Life. After seeing how easy it is, you may be encouraged to eat meatless on other days, too.

7. Find support. No matter what change you’re trying to make, going it alone can be challenging. That’s why Stancic asks her patients to bring family members when she speaks to them about adopting a whole food, plant-based diet. “You’re introducing a significant change into your life, and if you don’t have support, that change becomes more difficult,” she says. Even if your family isn’t on board, you can find support in friends, work colleagues and local meetup or Facebook groups. Of course, changing habits can be challenging, and for many, shifting to a plant-based diet is a work in progress. And that’s OK. As Borges says: “Aim for progression, not perfection.”

By Dina Halaseh

Educational Psychologist

Many students come to me complaining about studying for a long time and not remembering what they studied the night before. 

As I dig deeper into their study habits, I notice that many of these students share the same incorrect techniques. Latest studies and research show that some of our most used studying techniques do not help in remembering what we read or study. For example: highlighting! As much as this technique is favoured among students and teachers, it results in a fake sense of mastery in which some students think they memorised the topic. When tested for it, recalling the subject appears to be difficult.

The best techniques

Self-testing: Having a practice test before the actual one helps you understand and measure how much information you stored and whether or not you fully understood the topic. This also includes forcing your brain to recall information when studying for information. So, covering the page and forcing yourself to recite the information you have read is a great way to recall facts.

Spacing: Many students tend to procrastinate until the very last minute and end up cramming it all in one sitting. According to the latest research, spacing out the material and going over it over a couple of days results in better retrieval in the long run. If students wish to remember the studied material for a longer time, it is better if they read it once and study it again after a couple of weeks. The longer the time interval between each review session, the longer the information sticks.

Self-explanation: Whenever you are learning new information or new lessons, try self explanation. Acting as a teacher and explaining the topic goes a long way in understanding and remembering it better. With this technique, students can see the gaps in their understanding. Just like self-testing does, whenever students get stuck, it means they have not mastered the topic yet. 

Interrogation: Asking questions and acting as a little child pays off! This technique helps students get better results by asking why. Whenever they learn something new, they ask “why?” This works best when students already know something about the subject. Doing this links new information to their prior knowledge and helps them make new connections that can help with memorisation.

Alternation: We usually tend to study in blocks, finishing one topic before moving to the next. Science shows that alternating between more than one type of problem helps us see what is common and different about these problems. With fairly similar questions, it is better to alternate between different types so you can spot the differences. While the opposite works for problems that are different. Solving different types of problems helps you see what is in common. 

Let us start this new academic year with better study habits and helping our children achieve their best academically!

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine