Features

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.”

As far as I can remember I have always been a fan of comic books. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of reading issues of my favourite Marvel comic heroes. So when the powers that be started making films based on those comics, I was one of the first in line to see them. For more than a decade Marvel movies have been the highlight of the year for millions of fans like me around the world. 

To see those heroes that we used to read about on the big screen was almost magical. Now, Marvel and its movies have become a more than a billion dollar franchise with their very own film production studio. The stories told in those films felt like they were made with us fans in mind, keeping close links to its comic book origins, as much as possible.

Which brings me to “Captain Marvel”, the newest Marvel comic movie released in time for International Women’s Day and the weakest of the franchise yet, but fortunately it is still an OK film. The story takes place in the mid-90’s where a Kree warrior known as Vers, played by Brie Larson (“Kong: Skull Island, Room”), finds herself in the middle of a war between two alien civilisations without any memory of her past. 

After being sent on a mission she discovers her past as US Air Force Pilot Carol Danvers and the truth about the war between the Kree and the Skrulls. With the help of Shield Agent Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson (“The Hateful Eight”, “Avengers: Infinity Wars”), she must fight to save earth and end the war.

There are three major reasons why I think “Captain Marvel” failed to deliver itself as a great comic book movie in league with the rest of the films in the franchise. First, our protagonist did not have a character arc — physical or emotional journey often against ones will that allows the character to accomplish certain tasks to bring the storyline to some sort of resolution. 

In “Captain Marvel”, Carol Danvers has no such arc — her character remains the same person throughout the movie, two-dimensional with no depth. 

Second, the hero does not go through trials and tribulations that are necessary for their deeds to be realistic and accepted by the audience. In every great action movie, especially a Marvel movie, a hero has to go through struggle and some failure before they rise up again to finish the mission they set out to achieve. The struggle makes the audience relate to the character and makes the character look more human. 

Brie Larson’s character goes through no such struggle, instead, she easily dispatches any enemy she encounters with no sign of weakness. Not once in the entire movie does she fail or at least seem to have great difficulty in achieving something which only further contributes to making it unrealistic, even if the hero is a fictitious comic book character, for the audience to swallow.

Third and probably the least important is having negative male stereotype characters, and anti-male jokes and symbolism drizzled in certain places in the movie that as far as I am concerned are useless and add nothing to the general storyline. They only make it seem as though the film is sending a message that most if not all men are either bad or weak. Even Nick Fury, one of the toughest characters in the Marvel comic and film universe, is rendered to the role of Captain Marvel’s comic relief sidekick.

Given that the majority of Marvel comic book and movie fans are male, such a message would be ill advised.

Despite its shortcomings, “Captain Marvel” still remains a watchable movie. You get to enjoy experiencing the film expand your knowledge of the Marvel universe and there are lots of exciting action sequences mixed with moments of comedy that will keep you entertained.

The actors give excellent performances worthy of their highly ranked portfolios. As always, the use of effects and animation bring the Marvel universe to the big screen in an amazing way, but the film could have given more depth to the main character. So if you have not seen it yet, I suggest you do and I hope you enjoy yourself.

Kids with asthma may struggle more in school when their symptoms are not well-controlled, and minority students with this breathing disorder are more likely to fall behind than their white counterparts, a US study suggests.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Severe asthma attacks and breathing problems are associated with an increased risk of health problems like obesity as well as academic challenges like chronic absences from school and cognitive impairments that can lead to lower grades and test scores; city kids with asthma are particularly vulnerable to flare-ups because they often live with worse indoor and outdoor air quality and have fewer safe places to play and exercise outdoors, previous research has found. 

For the current study, researchers looked at asthma and allergies, lung function, school attendance, and academic performance for 182 Latino school children, 182 black students and 81 white kids. All of the kids were between seven and nine years old and students in one of four large urban public school districts. 

“We found associations between poor asthma status, poorer asthma control, lower lung function, more asthma symptoms, and decline in academic performance,” said lead study author Daphne Koinis-Mitchell of Bradley/Hasbro Children’s Research Centre in Providence, Rhode Island. 

“These associations were stronger in ethnic minority children, particularly Latino children,” Koinis-Mitchell said. 

Compared to children with well-controlled asthma, students with more daily asthma symptoms missed more days of school, completed fewer assignments and had lower quality work, researchers report in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. 

The biggest indicator of poor school performance, however was asthma control. 

Poorly controlled asthma appeared to have the worst impact on academic performance for Latino students, although black students also fared worse than white students with the breathing disorder. 

The study was not a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how asthma might directly impact school outcomes. It also was not designed to prove to what extent students’ racial or ethnic background might directly impact the connection between asthma and things like school attendance or grades. 

Kids with asthma may take a variety of daily medications to control the breathing disorder and also carry rescue inhalers to help restore their breathing when they have an asthma attack. 

Children may struggle to manage the condition when their parents have difficulty getting them to doctor checkups, paying for care, or affording medications. Children in poor urban neighbourhoods may also be more likely to attend schools without a nurse on staff or formal support programmes in place to help kids manage asthma and other chronic health problems. 

And when kids have severe asthma, it can impact their health and school performance even when parents and children do not see obvious symptoms, said Dr Jason Lang, a researcher at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, who was not involved in the study. 

“Good asthma control is not just important to reduce the risk for full-blown asthma attacks, but also because mild increases in asthma symptoms affect sleep quality, school attendance and academic performance,” Lang said by e-mail. “It’s hard for kids who are struggling with just minor breathing symptoms to concentrate and do their best in class.” 

People who suffer from a common chronic sinus disorder may be more likely than those who don’t to develop depression and anxiety, a Korean study suggests. 

Researchers focused on chronic rhinosinusitis, which happens when the cavities around the nasal passages are inflamed and swollen for at least 12 weeks. Symptoms can include facial pain and headaches, nasal obstruction and an impaired sense of smell. 

The condition has long been linked to a lower quality of life and problems with physical, social, emotional and cognitive functioning, researchers note in JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery. Even though depression and anxiety commonly accompany chronic rhinosinusitis, it’s unclear whether the mental health issues preceded or followed the sinus issues. 

Up to 15 per cent of adults suffer chronic rhinosinusitis at some point in time, previous research suggests. 

The current study focused on 16,224 South Korean patients treated for chronic rhinosinusitis from 2002 to 2013 as well as a comparison group of 32,448 similar people who didn’t have this issue. None of them had a history of depression or anxiety.

During 11 years of follow-up, patients with chronic sinusitis were over 50 per cent more likely to develop depression or anxiety.

“Despite receiving optimal medical and surgical treatment, some patients with chronic rhinosinusitis have repeated, persistent symptoms, which make this condition challenging to manage,” said senior study author Dr Dong-Kyu Kim of Hallym University College of Medicine in Chuncheon, South Korea. 

Patients who also have mental health problems “usually show significantly worse pain and energy levels, as well as difficulty with daily activities, than do patients… without mental health problems”, Kim said by e-mail.

Everyone with sinusitis in the current study had suffered from the condition for at least 12 weeks when they were diagnosed.

A subset of the participants — 5,461 patients — had nasal polyps, or noncancerous growths in the nasal cavity that can cause difficulty breathing. 

Compared to people without sinus issues, those with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps were 41 per cent more likely to develop depression after the sinus issue was diagnosed and 45 per cent more likely to develop anxiety, the study found. 

People with chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps were 61 per cent more likely to become depressed and 63 per cent more likely to develop anxiety than individuals without sinus problems. 

The study can’t prove whether chronic rhinosinusitis directly causes anxiety or depression. The researchers also lacked information about patients’ smoking or alcohol use — which could influence both their sinus condition and mental health issues — as well as data on the severity of sinus and mental health problems, which might affect the connections between the conditions. 

It’s possible that inflammation in rhinosinusitis leads to the release of certain neurotransmitters — chemicals that affect brain function — that may combine with genetics and other factors to cause psychiatric issues, said Dr Edward McCoul, director of rhinology and sinus surgery at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

“At this time, any connection is speculative and much more study is needed,” McCoul, who wrote a commentary accompanying the study, said by e-mail. 

“We don’t want to suggest… that if they don’t get their sinus infection treated then they’re going to go crazy, McCoul added. “But… chronic rhinosinusitis is a condition that is often unrecognised by the person who has it — they think they’re just having recurring sinus infections — and so, seeking competent care, preferably from an otolaryngologist, could lead to sooner diagnosis and control of the condition.” 

AMMAN — Among the last holdouts employing Mercedes’ naturally-aspirated big displacement 6.2L V8 engine, the previous AMG skunkworks division-developed C-Class junior executive saloon, estate and coupe versions – the C63 – were perhaps the German manufacturer’s then most compelling cars.

Thunderously vocal, lightning quick, rewardingly high-revving and with precise throttle, it was a modern muscle car oozing visceral old school appeal. Replaced with a downsized, yet similarly muscular top dog C63 with its own 4L twin-turbo V8 charms, the second generation C-Class line-up also received a more junior AMG.

More than sporty styling

Introduced not long after the current generation C-Class arrived in 2014, the C450 AMG 4Matic bridges the performance chasm between the maniacally muscular full-blooded C63 and the top garden-variety C-Class. Powered by an AMG-tweaked version of the C400’s V6 engine and chassis, the C450 AMG 4Matic harks back to less brutal late 1990s and early 2000s AMG C-Classes, and is designed to duke it out with near top-end compact executives like the Audi S4 and BMW 340i, rather than the mighty Audi RS4 or ubiquitous BMW M3.

More than just an AMG exterior design package, if not quite a C63 beast, the C450’s handsome core styling is accentuated with sporty details including AMG badges, rear spoiler, optional 19-inch alloy wheels and silver chrome flourishes, including integrated dual tailpipes and air diffuser-like lower bumper panel.

Completing its more athletic look are rear bumper vents,  low chrome front spoiler lips and a black diamond-like grille treatment with body colour outline, glossy black emblem, single chrome slat and chrome pin pattern for a sportier somewhat concave look.

Eager ability

Also competing with sportier versions of the Jaguar XE, Infiniti Q50 and Alfa Romeo Giulia, the C450’s AMG-tweaked twin-turbo 3L V6 has a raspier, more mechanical and higher pitched soundtrack than the C63’s more rumbling and bellowing bass-laden notes. It naturally lacks the prodigious punch and brutality of the 503BHP C63 super saloon, but the C450 is nevertheless a brisk and confident sports saloon performer. Dishing out 362BHP at 5,000-6,000rpm and 383lb/ft torque throughout 2,000-4,200rpm, it is just 0.9s slower through 0-100km/h at 4.9s, and is capable of 250km/h.

Urgent in delivery and seemingly eager and revvy despite not being particularly high-revving, the C450 AMG felt quick and zippy during the brief test drive. Quick spooling and with little turbo lag, it drives with a consistently progressive surge underwritten by a generously-broad torque-rich mid-range, if not the C63’s intensely explosive top-end- and deep mid-range brawn.

Driving all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic gearbox with different driving modes to tailor gear change swiftness and smoothness, the C450 can also be driven with manual input paddle shifters.

Agility and stability

Seemingly light on its feet and agile with a lighter V6 engine in front and stiff frame, the C450AMG 4Matic tucks into corners with nimble reactions and well-controlled body roll and light steering that is quick and direct, if not quite layered with too much textured road feel. Complementing its agility into corners, the C450’s four-wheel-drive distributes power with a nominal 67 per cent rear bias and 33 per cent sent to the front wheels. The result is a balanced and intuitive rear-drive feel, but with the advantage of added grip.

With 4Matic four-wheel-drive serving to counter its modern Mercedes’ drift-oriented handling traits, the C450 finds a nice, comfortable and reassuring balance between cornering commitment and balanced adjustability.

Different to its Audi rival’s tenacious traction and unwavering road-holding, the C450 AMG 4Matic’s character, however, remains that of rear-driver, but with improved grip and less reliance on electronic stability control interventions and management. 

Somewhat firm but and stable at speed, and with adaptive dampers, it felt comfortably settled, as driven on fast, smooth track conditions, rather than imperfect public roads.

Practical and pleasant

Featuring a sportier take on the standard C-Class’ pleasant interior with its high, ridged dashboard, good seating position and cocooning feel, the C450 incorporates darker trim and matt chrome tones, contrast stitches sports seats with supportive side bolstering, chunky flat-bottom steering wheel and deep user-friendly instrument binnacle with good shading.

A practical car with good levels of safety, convenience, assistance and infotainment features, including standard collision prevention, adaptive braking and stop/start systems the C450 offers good front and luggage room, and decent, if not class-leading rear seating.

Recently revamped and redesignated since the test drive from C450 to C43 to more closely integrate it with the AMG line-up, Mercedes’ warm skunkworks C-Class now develops an additional 23BHP from its engine and gains a nine, speed automatic gearbox for slightly improved efficiency and a 4.7s 0-100km/h time.

However, one wonders whether Mercedes missed an opportunity for a yet lighter, more agile and efficient, but no less powerful four-cylinder C450/C43 right from the beginning, which could have been powered by the 376BHP turbocharged 2L engine used for smaller AMG models.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 3L, twin-turbocharged, in-line V6-cylinders

Valve-train: 24-valve, DOHC, direct injection

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

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 362 (367) [270] @5,500-6,000rpm

Specific power: 120.8BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 383.5 (520) @2,000-4,200rpm

Specific torque: 173.5Nm/litre

0-100km/h: 4.9s

Maximum speed: 250km/h

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6-lit/res/100km

CO2 emissions, combined: 178g/km

Length: 4,699mm

Width: 1,811mm

Height: 1,443mm

Wheelbase: 2,840mm

Headroom, F/R: 1,039/942mm

Legroom, F/R: 1,066/812mm

Boot capacity, 480-litres

Kerb weight: 1,690kg

Steering: Power-assisted, rack and pinion

Suspension: Multi-link, adjustable damping

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs, 360mm/320mm

Tyres, F/R: 225/40R19/255/35R19 (optional)

Consultant Urological Surgeon And Consultant in Sexual Medicine

Many of us, at some point in our lives, experience negative body image.

It is very difficult to feel beautiful and sexy when we are bombarded daily with altered and unrealistic images of women’s and men’s bodies. Lack of self-confidence and poor body image can get in the way of intimacy. 

Body image has nothing to do with how your body looks. You may be a successful person with many friends and in a relationship with someone who sees you attractive, but still think you are not good enough because of a thwarted self-image. 

A negative body image can have a profound impact on your confidence and your marriage.

Effect of body image on sex

One strong component of sexual satisfaction is being comfortable in one’s skin. If you have convinced yourself that you are unattractive, it will be difficult for you to enjoy sexual intimacy. When your negative body image kicks in during sex, you will be focused on and anxious about sucking in your tummy, hiding your saggy breasts or turning the lights off to hide your body. These thoughts and actions lead to dissatisfaction — in and outside of the bedroom. People with negative body image tend to:

• Experiment less: Because you think your butt, thighs (you name it) are too big or too small, you experiment less in the bedroom and feel restrained and burdened instead of free and relaxed

• Insist that the lights be off: You feel terrible about yourself and figure that your partner would not want to see “these ugly parts” so you always insist on turning the lights off

• Complain a lot: “I am fat,” “I do not look good in this” and “Do not touch this part of me” all add up and slowly erode your self-esteem and kill your sex life

• Avoid sex: The less happy you are with your body, the less intimate you want to be with your partner. You try to avoid sexual relations, which inevitably has a negative impact on your relationship as a whole and can even lead to separation for some couples 

How to deal with body image issues

• Glow with self-confidence: It does not matter what size or shape you are, if you feel good about yourself, you will radiate with self-confidence and more people will find you attractive and want to be around you

• Stop negative self-talk: When you get dressed and look in the mirror, do you find yourself caught up in negative self-talk like “My thighs are big’’ or “My butt is so flat”? Those with body image issues only notice their flaws and imperfections and ignore their positive attributes. Try reframing your negative thoughts and focusing on what is good

• Seek expert advice: Not everyone with negative body image needs counselling but cognitive behavioural therapy may be helpful in helping you recognise your unhelpful thought patterns so you can challenge them and create new body positive thinking and habits

• Talk to your partner: People with low self-esteem tend to underestimate their partner’s love and view their spouse in more negative terms. Be open with your spouse about your insecurities as your assumptions about how he or she sees you are probably not based on reality but on your irrational and extreme thinking patterns. As you work on cultivating self-compassion and a healthier body image, you will find this adage to be true: ‘‘You have to love yourself before you can love someone else”.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine