Features

LOS ANGELES — The ladies of “Ocean’s 8” pulled off a solid debut at the box office.

Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures’ gender-bending heist film opened to $41.6 million from 4,145 locations — a series best for the “Ocean’s” franchise. Overseas, it launched with $12.2 million for a global start of $53.8 million.

Women and older moviegoers bolstered box office numbers. Females accounted for 69 per cent of audiences, while 69 per cent were over the age of 25. “Ocean’s 8” currently has a B+ CinemaScore and 68 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jeff Goldstein, head of domestic distribution at Warner Bros., thanks counter-programming against a series of tentpoles for the film’s strong debut.

“We exceeded our expectations,” Goldstein said. “There’s always been a lack of movies [female-led projects]. I’m glad audiences enjoyed it as much as we did.”

The spinoff marks over a decade since Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s” trilogy with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon graced the big screen. “Ocean’s Eleven”, “Ocean’s Twelve”, and “Ocean’s Thirteen”, which released between 2001 and 2007, each bowed between $36 million and $39 million, not adjusted for inflation. Adjusted for inflation, that range climbs to $48 million and $61 million.

“Ocean’s 8” represents a solid return for its star, Sandra Bullock. Her latest on-screen role was in 2015 with “Our Brand Is Crisis”, which bombed with a $3 million opening. The drama grossed only $7 million worldwide. Prior to that, Bullock starred in the critically acclaimed “Gravity”. The sci-fi thriller, which landed Bullock an Oscar nomination, opened with $55.7 million and went on to make $274 domestically and $723 million worldwide.

Meanwhile, Toni Collette’s “Hereditary” also got a box office boost. A24’s R-rated thriller didn’t scare audiences away — it exceeded estimates to open in fourth place with $13 million from 2,964 locations. “Hereditary” marks A24’s best opening weekend in history, outpacing 2015’s “The Witch’s” $8.8 million bow.

Ari Aster’s directorial debut has been critically lauded since its debut in the Midnight section at Sundance Film Festival. Audiences appear to disagree — the horror film currently has a D+ CinemaScore and 64 per cent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its critical rating is 94 per cent Fresh.

Not all weekend openers were as fortunate. “Hotel Artemis” checked in with a dismal $3.1 million on 2,407 screens. Jodie Foster and Sterling K. Brown star in the action thriller set in the near future.

“Hotel Artemis” represents Foster’s first big screen role since 2013’s “Elysium”, which opened with $29.8 million. The sci-fi drama went on to earn $93 million in North America and $286 worldwide.

“Ocean’s 8” easily nabbed the box office crown. “Solo: A Star Wars Story” secured second place with $15.2 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total $176.4 million. Internationally, the Han Solo origin story brought in an additional $11.3 million. The Disney and Lucasfilm movie continues to struggle with a global tally of $312.2 million.

In third is “Deadpool 2” with $13.8 million in its fourth frame. Ryan Reynolds’ antihero film has pocketed $278.9 million in North America and $376 million internationally, including an $18 million overseas haul this weekend.

Rounding out the top five is the seventh weekend of “Avengers: Infinity War” with $6.9 million. The Marvel adventure picked up another $10.9 million overseas, bringing its global total to $1.998 billion.

Two years ago, Sony’s all-female reboot of “Ghostbusters” launched with $46 million. The sci-fi comedy — starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones — struggled to sustain momentum at the box office and tapered off to $128 million in North America. With hefty production costs and expensive marketing, the remake cost Sony around $50 million.

In limited release, Focus Features’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbour” launched with $470,000 on 29 screens. The documentary on the life and legacy of “Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood” host Fred Rogers stirred up positive social media buzz, with audiences sharing how the film spurred them to tears. It has a 99 per cent Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Overall, the year-to-date box office is ahead 4.3 per cent, according to comScore.

Parents and caregivers should be aware of the three ways children can get the vitamin D they need, according to a new resource published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics. 

Although many people know calcium and vitamin D are vital for building healthy bones, not everyone knows calcium can only be absorbed when vitamin D is present. 

“Vitamin D is sometimes misunderstood and underappreciated, especially when it works as a silent partner with calcium,” said Megan Moreno of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, who wrote the one-page primer intended for parents and caregivers. 

The patient page, accessible for free, is based on recommendations given by the American Academy of Paediatrics. The resource emphasises the best ways for children to obtain vitamin D through sunlight exposure, diet and supplements. 

Current guidelines recommend that infants under 12 months get 400 international units of vitamin D daily from all sources and that children and adolescents get 600 IU daily. For infants who are fully or partially breastfed, daily vitamin D supplementation is recommended until the child is weaned and drinking fortified milk. 

“Summer is coming up, and there will be many opportunities for kids to be out in the sun, eat more meals at home and be around their parents more,” Moreno said in a telephone interview. “This is an opportune time for parents to reflect on the ways to get vitamin D.” 

Foods rich in vitamin D, such as salmon or tuna, could be cooked on the grill alongside summer vegetables, she said. Other fatty fish, fortified milk and yoghurt, fortified cereals and eggs also have good amounts of vitamin D. 

“Multivitamins may not be necessary if children eat a varied diet,” Moreno said. “Sun is also an important way to get vitamin D, though sun protection is also important.” 

When exposed to direct sunlight, the skin manufactures a version of vitamin D that will end up in an active form circulating in the bloodstream. The amount produced depends on the time of day, season, latitude, how much skin is exposed and an individual’s skin pigmentation. In some locations, vitamin D production may decrease or be absent during the winter months. 

Sun protection is essential to protect a child’s skin from sunburn and skin cancer risk, though sunscreen can decrease vitamin D creation. Most children receive enough sun exposure in their day-to-day lives, even with sun protection, to be sufficient, Moreno writes. 

A third option for getting vitamin D is taking a supplement. Although daily multivitamins are not recommended as necessary for children, Moreno writes, supplementing with vitamin D could help those who do not get it through food or sun exposure. These supplements are often available as liquids, chewables or pills, and some have both calcium and vitamin D. 

“Balancing health recommendations can be really tricky for families,” she said. “We create these pages so parents can receive the best information possible to make these choices.” 

Recent studies of vitamin D have shown its life-long health benefits, especially for the immune system. Researchers are now studying the role vitamin D may play in autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents. 

Lower levels of vitamin D in kids could be a factor in diabetes, for instance, said Majid Aminzadeh of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Iran, who was not involved with this patient resource 

“Besides its role in calcium homeostasis, vitamin D has an important immune-modulation effect,” said Aminzadeh, a pediatric endocrinologist who recently published a study of vitamin D status in diabetic children. 

Vitamin D deficiency can also lead to weak or soft bones in children. It can lead to a rare but serious condition called rickets, which causes children’s legs to appear bowlegged. 

Parents who aren’t sure whether their children receive enough vitamin D should talk to their paediatricians, Moreno said. 

“Vitamin D has become a more common, big picture topic that we discuss in clinical situations,” she said. “Advice can get murky, so it’s important for everyone to know the recommendations.” 

Introduced in 2016 as the second of a new generation of a car, the Volvo S90 is the Swedish manufacturer’s most concerted effort to secure a more grounded footing in the mostly German-dominated executive saloon car segment. 

A thoroughly more convincing luxury midsize car than its S80 predecessor, the S90 puts emphasis on a sharp new design language, comfortable, welcoming and luxurious interiors and high tech equipment. And in keeping with Volvo’s long-standing commitment to safety, the S90 is offered with an extensive suite of standard and optional driver assistance systems.

Imposing presence

Positioned somewhere between its Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6 rivals, the S90 design may be new, cutting edge and futuristic, but its character is rooted in a sense of no-nonsense solidity, conservatism, grand presence and tradition, not too unlike the E-Class. However, as one of very few convincing executive cars offered with front-wheel-drive — including the featured T5 Inscription model, as driven in Amman — and optional four-wheel-drive for range-topping petrol and hybrid models, the S90 follows a similar path as Audi, with design, safety and technology firmly in the foreground.

With its upright fascia and broad chrome ringed grille with dominant Volvo emblem and concave vertical slats, the S90 strikes and imposing presence vaguely hinting at past designs, but with a thoroughly modern direction. Elegantly stylish and with flowing and rakish roofline, the S90 featured sculpted surfacing and dramatic U-shaped boomerang style rear lights and signature “Thor’s Hammer” LED elements to its slim front lights in a nod to its Scandinavian provenance. Long, wide and low, with elegantly long wheelbase and rear overhang, the S90 sits on the road with an elegantly luxurious demeanour.

Effortless and efficient

The S90’s short front overhang, long bonnet and distance between wheel arch apex and A-pillar suggest classical rear drive proportions. However, Volvo’s flagship saloon in fact rides on the brand’s new transverse engine and front-wheel-drive based Scalable Product Architecture platform. Powered by 2-litre turbocharged petrol or diesel engines (or hybrid powertrain) mated to a slick 8-speed automatic gearbox across the range (and optional four-wheel-drive), the tested front-drive T5 model sits in the middle of the petrol-powered model range, between 187BHP T4 and 316BHP T6 variants.

Smooth, refined and with a broad, willing and muscular mid-range providing effortless and accessible versatility, the S90 T5 developing 250BHP at 5,500rpm and 258lb/ft throughout 1500-4800rpm. Tractable from low-end and with a hint of torque-steer at full throttle, owing to so much power going through the front wheels, the T5 is quick through 0-100km/h in 6.8-seconds, and tops out at 230km/h. At its best riding on its bulging mid-range torque plateau, the T5 is brisk in town, on highway and through winding inclines. Meanwhile, its quoted 6.7-litres/100km combined cycle consumption is reflected with real world fuel efficiency, as observed.

Confidence and comfort

Resolutely stable and quiet at speed, smooth and comfortable in town and ergonomic inside, the S90 character is one that inspires — and rewards — a less harried and more relaxed and careful driving style. Not that it lacks the power to whoosh past slower traffic with flexibility and authority, but one drives with a sense of confident ease and comfort in its classy cabin. Not rising to the bait of being irked as other less pertinent drivers overtake even, the S90’s indulgent ride and ambiance even perhaps imbues one with a hint of self-satisfied and detached arrogance.

A thoroughly modern midsize luxury car with an old school sense of substance and relaxed comfort rather than over sports saloon, the S90, however, handles with better confidence than expected of a large 1755kg front-driven luxury saloon. Responsive, alert and tidy in turn-in and body control when driven briskly, the S90 T5’s instinct is for slight initial understeer if driven too brashly in such a situations, while light lift-off oversteer helps tighten a cornering line, as stability controls kick in decisively. Brakes are meanwhile reassuring and steering accurate with three levels of assistance to choose from the driving mode menu.

Unpretentious luxury

Comfortable, smooth and settled ride over most imperfections, the S90 well absorbs road textures and bumps, while stylishly big 19-inch alloy wheels with 255/40R19 tyres offered good steering and braking control. However, one felt that smaller base model 17- or Inscription trim entry-level 18-inch tyres would be better suited for some local roads, and would likely provide an supple ride quality and added layer of comfort over the more sudden and jagged cracks, lumps and bumps on Amman roads. Meanwhile, slightly firmer damping would have been nice through such mid-corner imperfections for slightly sportier and more tautly buttoned down handling.

Well finished inside, the S90’s cabin in upscale Inscription specification level features stylish and user-friendly layouts and infotainment system, well-adjustable leather seating and quality materials, including lovely matt wood trim for a warm and welcoming and luxurious, yet, unpretentious ambiance.

Cabin space is mostly generous front and rear, including rear legroom, while boot volume is well accommodating at 500-litres. Visibility is also mostly good despite thick safety-minded pillars, but nonetheless, the S90’s blind spot warning system, parking assistance, sensors and camera help one manoeuvre in even the tightest spots. Meanwhile, equipment levels are generous in terms of convenience, comfort, safety and assistance.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2-litre, turbocharged, all-aluminium, transverse 4-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 82 x 93.2mm

Compression ratio: 10.8:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC, direct injection, variable valve timing

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, front-wheel-drive

Ratios: 1st 5.25:1; 2nd 3.029:1; 3rd 1.95:1; 4th 1.457:1; 5th 1.22; 6th 1:1; 7th 0.809:1; 8th 0.673:1

Reverse/final drive ratios: 4.015:1/3.075:1

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 250 (254) [187] @5500rpm

Specific power: 127BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 142.4BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 258 (350) @1,500-4800rpm

Specific torque: 177.7Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 199.4Nm/tonne

0-100km/h: 6.8-seconds

Top speed: 230km/h

Fuel consumption, combined: 6.7-litres/100km 

CO2 emissions, combined: 152g/km

Fuel capacity: 55-litres

Length: 4,963mm

Width: 1,879mm

Height: 1,443mm

Wheelbase: 2941mm

Track, F/R: 1,628/1,629mm

Ground clearance: 152mm

Luggage volume: 500-litres

Unladen weight: 1755kg

Steering: Speed sensitive electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning Circle: 11.4-metres

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbones/integral axle

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs

Braking distance, 100-0km/h: 35-metres

Tyres: 255/40R19

Price, on-the-road, third party insurance: JD46,900

Dr Dana Fara’neh Batayneh

Dermatologist

Regardless of whether it is your way to relax and pamper yourself, or to be healthy with clean and strong nails, manicures and pedicures can be a major health hazard.

You can catch many skin diseases very easily, even at the best nail salon. Examples are warts, bacterial infections of the skin, infection of hair follicles in the legs and, most commonly, fungal nail infections.

Fungal nail infections affect fingernails, and more often toenails. Although they rarely cause serious complications (only in diabetics or people with low immunity), they are quite challenging to diagnose and treat. They usually cause annoying symptoms like a change in nail colour (usually yellow or black), thick and weak nails that break easily and also pain and discomfort when trimming nails or simply walking.

Risk factors

Fungal nail infections are contagious, and nail salons are a very common source (if not the most common source) for women. We diagnose hundreds of patients with fungal nail infections in Jordan every year. In most of these cases, the only risk was having her nails recently done at the nail salon.

Other causes of fungal nail infections are places that are always wet and moist, like your gym or the swimming pool. Repetitive trauma to your nails (from tight fitting shoes for example) also makes it easier for fungus to cause an infection. Wearing socks and shoes for a long period of time makes a perfect moist environment for fungus to grow.

You can avoid fungal nail infections by… 

Choosing comfortable shoes to avoid repetitive trauma to your toenails

Drying your feet thoroughly after washing them, swimming or showering

Avoiding walking barefoot in swimming pools or gyms

Practicing good nail hygiene by frequently washing your nails and drying them, cleaning your nail tools regularly and staying hydrated

Having a balanced diet. Diet is important for the immune system, so proper nutrition can help to fight toenail fungus. Consult with your doctor if you have any deficiency so they can prescribe the appropriate supplements for you

Visiting your dermatologist at the earliest sign of any nail changes

Choosing your nail salon very carefully

You can ensure your safety at the nail 

salon by…

Avoiding shaving your arms or legs before going to the nail salon: Do not go if you have any open wounds or cuts in your skin. This can be a very easy entry point for micro-organisms

Being very meticulous when choosing your nail salon: Do not disregard any signs that show bad hygiene — chances are, employees there are not properly sterilising tool.

Avoiding trimming your cuticles at the nail salon: As tempting as it may be, this is the worst thing you can do for your nails. First of all, cuticles are there for a reason — under the cuticle lies the nail matrix, which is responsible for nail growth. Removing the cuticles makes it easier for fungus and other micro-organisms to enter the nail matrix and cause an infection. In addition, the nipper used to cut the cuticles can very easily transmit fungus in nail salons that do not abide by strict disinfection protocols. Ask the technician to skip this step or to push them back very gently instead (although I don’t prefer this, as it is not very safe either).

Investing in your own tool kit: Let us face it, you can never be 100 per cent sure the tools used in the salon are properly disinfected every single time. And chances are, according to studies, they are not

Cleaning nail tools to avoid transmitting nail fungus

Sanitisation involves removing any dirt or debris from the tools, washing them thoroughly with soap and hot water and scrubbing them clean. They dry using a new disposable paper towel.

Disinfection, which follows sanitisation, involves completely immersing the nail tools completely in a liquid sterilant that is effective against all microorganisms for a certain period of time depending on the type of liquid used, or by autoclaving: an autoclave is a device that uses high pressure and temperature to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. Since liquid disinfectants have different levels of activity, an autoclave is the safest sterilisation method. You can ask your nail salon which method of sterilisation they use.

Other tools that should be cleaned regularly in the nail salon include foot tubs or basins, towels and tabletops. Foot tubs are very difficult to clean, because microbes are not only lurking on the surface of the tub, but also inside the pipes. So it is wise to skip the step of soaking your feet in the foot bowl!

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

BRUSSELS — Taking high doses of supplements containing green tea extracts may be associated with liver damage, according to new research from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). 

Tea infusions, as used for brewed tea, are still considered safe. Instant tea drinks are also fine as they contain lower levels of the antioxidants naturally present in green tea, Parma-based EFSA said. 

Consuming too many of these antioxidants can be harmful, which is why the amount contained in supplements can have a harmful effect on the liver. 

Most supplements provide an intake of 5-1000mg, while tea infusions typically only contain 90-300mg, EFSA, which oversees food safety in the European Union, said. 

Researchers determined that consuming over 800mg per day led to higher health risks, but the EFSA said experts could not yet determine a supplement dosage that would be entirely safe. 

However, high consumption of green tea infusions did not indicate liver damage due to the drinks having a lower concentration of antioxidants. 

The watchdog called for further scientific trials into the effect of green tea catechins and for labels to announce the risks.

It comes after Canadian health officials demanded more explicit warnings on green tea extracts about their links to liver damage.

Health Canada made the move following a federal safety review, prompted after a teenager took the pills and needed dialysis for her liver.

EFSA conducted the research amid fears of catechins having harmful effects on the liver, prompted by an array of cases in Norway.

Officials in the Scandinavian country to issue a warning two years ago about the products — despite their purported health benefits.

And EFSA’s review, published today on its website, confirmed the link between green tea catechins and liver damage.

The body also delved into the potential effects of green tea infusions, instant drinks and food supplements.

However, it accepted there was no risks of liver damage for consuming infusions — even after high consumption.

The body, set-up in 2002, also concluded that instant tea drinks are also fine because they contain lower levels of catechins.

EFSA’s advice has been sent to the European Commission, which will decide on the most appropriate risk management follow-up.

Three Daughters of Eve

Elif Shafak

UK: Viking/Penguin Random House, 2016

Pp. 367

Though filled with drama, passion, love and betrayal, “Three Daughters of Eve” is essentially a novel of ideas. The main character, Peri, is tormented by the dilemmas facing modern Turkey, chiefly tension between the secularism upon which the republic was founded, and the growing religiosity of society at large. 

Around this main theme, author Elif Shafak weaves commentary on numerous other subjects: feminism, class differences, the after-effects of 9/11, the relation of state power to religion and wealth, and Istanbul’s urban problems.

Peri first appears as a well-adjusted, 35-year-old wife and mother. But a bizarre event, as she is driving to meet her husband at a party, disrupts her complacency. “A crack had appeared in the dam she had erected over the years to block the flow of unwanted emotions into her heart.” (p. 148)

“Random memories, repressed anxieties, untold secrets, and guilt, plenty of guilt” came flooding back. (p. 44)

The novel traces these memories, and why they are so traumatic, by shuttling between 1980s Turkey, when Peri was growing up, to Oxford where she studied in 2000-2002, and now-time in Istanbul 2016. Her father being an adamant secularist and her mother a very devout Muslim, their home was the scene of constant discord, and Peri was always caught in the middle. She identified more closely with her father, who was not an atheist, but decried the suppression of free thinking, saying: “In the name of religion they are killing God. For the sake of discipline and authority, they forget love.” (p. 87) 

Peri’s uncertainty increased after her brother was arrested for his leftist activities in the aftermath of the 1980 military coup; the family further unravelled, and a deep sadness settled in their home. Peri began to quarrel with God, mainly because she couldn’t understand why he allowed such injustice in the world. At her father’s suggestion, she began to keep a diary of her thoughts on God.

When Peri has the chance to study at Oxford, she broadens her intellectual horizons, but her obsession with studying keeps her socially isolated except for her close friendship with two other women: the daring, unorthodox, Iranian-origin Sherin, and Mona, an Egyptian American, who is as committed to political and social cause, as she is to being a devout Muslim and wearing hijab. With Peri still uncertain about spiritual matters, they become a trio of unlikely friends, dubbed “the Sinner, the Believer and the Confused”. Shafak uses this trio to explore the divergent ways of thinking and life styles that can evolve among those of Muslim background.

At Shirin’s urging, Peri signs up for a philosophy seminar on God, taught by the charismatic Professor Azur, which is not so much about God as about how philosophers have thought about God over the ages, and how people can discuss their disagreements on the subject in a constructive way, without animosity. This should have been the perfect continuation of the quest Peri had started with her God diary, but still answers elude her. 

While at Oxford, she writes: “Is there really no other way, no other space for things that fall under neither belief or disbelief — neither pure religion nor pure reason? A third path for people such as me? For those of us who find dualities too rigid and don’t want to conform to them?... It is as if I’m searching for a new language.” (p. 57) 

Peri’s quest to define her identity and her relationship to God is to have unforeseen consequences. While her quest appears as a metaphor for the trajectory of modern Turkey, she is never reduced to a mere symbol. Her life is governed as much by random events, personal feelings and choices, and unexpected human behaviour, as by her spiritual quest. The plot is as messy as real life can be, with some characters’ motives remaining ambiguous and contradictory. Via Peri’s uncertainty and traumas, Shafak seems to be arguing for the acceptance of multiple forms of spirituality, free of dogma — a theme which often appears in her writing. In this sense, the implications of the story are not limited to Turkey.

Peri’s love of words, books and learning is a recurring theme in the book. To her, “Books were liberating, full of life. She preferred being in Storyland to being in her motherland.” (p. 71)

One feels this aspect of Peri mirrors the author herself. The many philosophical references included in the story attest that Shafak has read widely and deeply.

“Three Daughters of Eve” is very readable due Shafak’s wonderfully flowing prose, her vivid imagination, out-of-the-box perceptions and adept handling of burning questions. Her words are tactile and sensuous, whether describing the weather in Britain, Peri’s interior world or the chaos of Istanbul’s streets. She constructs her plot cleverly, sowing hints about the past, but one doesn’t know the source of Peri’s guilt until the very end. “Three Daughters of Eve” is available at Books@cafe.

People who have disrupted sleep cycles or less variation in their activity levels around the clock may be more likely to have depression, bipolar disorders and other mental health issues, a UK study suggests. 

Past research has found that people with a circadian rhythm, or biological clock, that’s out of step with their daily routines — like split shift or night shift workers — can have an increased risk of emotional, behavioural and psychological problems. 

The current study examined 24-hour activity levels for 91,015 participants who agreed to wear accelerometers on their wrists for one week in 2013-2014 and completed mental health surveys a few years later. 

Researchers focused on so-called relative amplitude, or how much people’s activity levels varied between their busiest and most restful portions of a 24-hour cycle. They scored circadian amplitude from zero to one, with higher values reflecting a clearer distinction between the least and most active parts of the day and lower values indicating too little daytime activity, too much nighttime activity, or both. 

On average, participants had a relative amplitude level of 0.87, which is similar to what would be expected in a healthy population, the study found. 

When researchers sorted participants into five groups, or quintiles, based on the amplitude results, they found that each one-quintile reduction in relative amplitude was associated with 6 per cent higher lifetime risk of major depressive disorder, an 11 per cent greater risk of bipolar disorder and 2 per cent higher likelihood of mood instability. 

“Regulating circadian rhythms is an important part of maintaining optimal mood and cognitive functioning,” said Raymond Lam, a psychiatry researcher at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, who was not involved in the study. 

“That includes having a regular sleep schedule [sleeping and waking at about the same times], keeping active and exercising [which helps to regulate rhythms], avoiding late night light exposure [such as from mobile devices], and avoiding or addressing the circadian disruptions from shift work,” Lam said by e-mail. 

One limitation of the study, however, is that it measured activity levels at one point in time and mental health conditions were assessed at a different time. It also wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how variation in sleep cycles or activity might directly cause psychological problems — or the reverse. 

This makes it unclear which might have come first — the disrupted circadian rhythm or the mood disorder, said Aiden Doherty, author of an accompanying commentary and a researcher at the University of Oxford in the UK. 

“More research is needed to understand the long-term consequences of circadian disruption,” Doherty said by e-mail. “Therefore current public health guidelines on physical activity [150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise] and sleep [seven to nine hours per night] should still be followed.” 

In addition to mood disorders, the study also linked lower relative amplitude levels to lower subjective ratings of happiness and health satisfaction, as well as higher odds of reporting loneliness and slower reaction times. 

These results suggest that measuring relative amplitude might be an affordable and simple way to help predict which people are at greater risk for developing serious mental health problems like depression and bipolar disorder, lead study author Laura Lyall of the University of Glasgow, and colleagues, write in The Lancet Psychiatry. 

Even though the study does not show whether sleep problems cause mood disorders or whether mental health issues lead to sleep difficulties, the results still suggest people may feel better when they try to keep their routines in sync with their circadian rhythm, said Dr Teodour Postolache, a psychiatry researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore who was not involved in the study.

For starters, people should make sleep as restful as possible, activity as vigorous as possible, and align their schedules with daylight and evening hours as much as possible, Postolache said by e-mail.

“Light, noise control, physical activity, environmental temperature, stress mitigation, relaxation, yoga and maintaining durations and schedules for sleep-wake cycles are all important when possible,” Postolache said.

TAMPA — A NASA robot has detected more building blocks for life on Mars — the most complex organic matter yet — from 3.5 billion-year-old rocks on the surface of the Red Planet, scientists said on Thursday.

The unmanned Curiosity rover has also found increasing evidence for seasonal variations of methane on Mars, indicating the source of the gas is likely the planet itself, or possibly its subsurface water.

While not direct evidence of life, the compounds drilled from Mars’ Gale Crater are the most diverse array ever taken from the surface of the planet since the robotic vehicle landed in 2012, experts say.

“This is a significant breakthrough because it means there are organic materials preserved in some of the harshest environments on Mars,” said lead author of one of two studies in Science, Jennifer Eigenbrode, an astrobiologist at NASA Goddard Spaceflight Centre.

“And maybe we can find something better preserved than that, that has signatures of life in it,” she told AFP.

NASA’s Curiosity rover has previously found organic matter on Mars. A smaller discovery was announced in 2014.

“This is the first really trusted detection,” co-author Sanjeev Gupta, a professor of Earth science at Imperial College London, told AFP. 

“What this new study is showing in some detail is the discovery of complex and diverse organic compounds in the sediments. That does not mean life, but organic compounds are the building blocks of life,” he added.

“This is the first time we have detected such a diverse array of these sorts of things.”

The compounds might have come from a meteorite, or from geological formations akin to coal and black shale on Earth, or some form of life, Eigenbrode said.

Their precise source is still a mystery.

“We have detected the bits and pieces of something bigger,” said Eigenbrode.

The samples were drilled from the base of Mount Sharp, inside a basin called Gale Crater that is believed to have held an ancient Martian lake.

“That is a good place for life to have lived if it ever existed on Mars,” she said.

The mudstone rock was drilled from the top five centimetres of the Martian surface and heated in a miniature analysis lab located on board the rover.

A French-built instrument revealed “several organic molecules and volatiles reminiscent of organic-rich sedimentary rock found on Earth, including: thiophene, 2- and 3-methylthiophenes, methanethiol, and dimethylsulfide”, said the Science report.

The other paper in Science reported on new details in the search for the source of methane on Mars, which has wide spikes and dips according to the seasons.

Methane, the simplest organic molecule, ranges “between 0.24 to 0.65 parts per billion, peaking near the end of summer in the Northern hemisphere”, said the report, based on three years of data.

The source is still unclear, but it may be stored in the cold Martian subsurface in water-based crystals called clathrates, researchers said.

“Both these findings are breakthroughs in astrobiology,” wrote Inge Loes ten Kate, of the University of Tübingen in Germany, in an accompanying commentary in Science.

“The detection of organic molecules and methane on Mars has far-ranging implications in light of potential past life on Mars,” she said.

“Curiosity has shown that Gale crater was habitable around 3.5 billion years ago, with conditions comparable to those on the early Earth, where life evolved around that time.

“The question of whether life might have originated or existed on Mars is a lot more opportune now that we know that organic molecules were present on its surface at that time.”

According to Ariel Anbar, a professor at Arizona State University who directed the college’s NASA-funded astrobiology programme from 2009 to 2015, the work “definitely moves the ball down the court in important ways.”

It “defines how questions will be asked and pursued in the next stage of Mars exploration,” Anbar, who was not involved in the study, told AFP by email.

Scientists hope to further the search for signs of life on Mars with the European and Russian rover, ExoMars, scheduled to land in 2021.

It will drill even deeper than any prior instrument, up to two metres deep.

NASA also has another rover in the works with its Mars 2020 mission, which plans to drill cores and set them aside for a possible future pickup and return to Earth. 

It stinks. You’re a tween or teen and you’re told that you have to wear glasses. Gone, you fret, is your chance of getting the guy or girl you’ve been eyeing (or squinting at) from afar.

That is the bad news. Here is the good: You are probably more intelligent than your frames-free competition.

Research published in the prestigious British journal Nature found that people who displayed higher levels of intelligence were almost 30 per cent more likely to wear glasses or need contact lenses.

In the study, the largest of its kind ever conducted, a team from Scotland’s University of Edinburgh looked at data from about 300,000 people and determined people with high cognitive performance (aka intelligence) were more likely to have poor eyesight.

The analysis, which was part of a broader study about inherited genes affecting general intelligence, found “significant genetic overlap between general cognitive function, reaction time, and many health variables including eyesight, hypertension, and longevity”.

In other words, you may be as blind as a bat, but you are more likely to be a healthy and intelligent one. The study also found that those with higher cognitive function also tended to have a decreased risk of specific types of cancer and healthier hearts.

For many, the link between eyesight and intelligence does not come as a surprise. And then there is the nerd factor.

For instance, as England’s The Guardian newspaper pointed out, some defence lawyers get their clients to wear glasses — often fake ones — at trials. As lawyer Harvey Slovis told New York magazine, “Glasses soften their appearance so that they don’t look capable of committing a crime. I’ve tried cases where there’s been a tremendous amount of evidence,” he continued, “but my client wore glasses and got acquitted. The glasses create a kind of unspoken nerd defence”.

But criminal or not, it is probably not wise to rush out and buy a pair of non-prescription spectacles. A 2010 Scientific American study cited by the website BigThink.com shows that fake glasses overwhelmingly tend to make wearers more dishonest. Ouch!

Meanwhile, style-bible GQ declared that wearing fake glasses or ditching longtime use of contact lenses in favour of a framed face — a trend among several celebrities — constitutes “bottom-of-the-barrel hipster behaviour” and “make you look like an adult Harry Potter impersonator”.

And so, fretful teenager, the tables have been turned.