WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 2017

Jay Z to release new album teased in Tidal clip

COMMUNITY | 7 HEALTH | 10 HOLLYWOOD | 11Al Attiyah Motors &

Trading Company hosts Iftar

Grape compounds can kill colon cancer cells

Email: dohatoday@pen.com.qa

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EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONMathematainment.com, a unique online educational platform created by a Qatari female entrepreneur, offers users a chance to purchase educational content and also create and sell it.

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CAMPUSWEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 2017 03

DPS Modern Indian School organised ‘Investiture Cer-emony’ to entrust the newly

appointed senior wing Prefectorial Body of 2017-18 with powers and responsibilities.

The ceremony was graced by the august presence of Chief Guest, Malcom Coolidge, Program Man-ager and Editor of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), an initiative of Qatar

Foundation; President of DPS-MIS Executive Committee, Hassan Chougule; Vice-President and Director IT, Yasir Nainar; and other distinguished members of DPS-MIS executive committee.

Principal Asna Nafees congrat-ulated the young parliamentarians and advised them to perform their duties with responsibility, dedica-tion, alertness and enthusiasm, fo l lowing the school ’ s

‘motto service before self’. Hassan Chougule, imparted some pearls of wisdom to the excited group of new leaders. He explained the true attributes of a leader and inspired the students by quoting the words of Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam “Dream is not the thing you see in sleep but is that thing that doesn’t let you sleep.”

Malcom Coolidge, an eminent educationist, appreciated the stu-dents courage to take up the new

challenges and motivated them to harness utmost courage to turn adversities into opportunities.

118 elected students along with Head Boy- Safwan Shaikh and Head Girl- Nimra Siddiquiwere adorned with the sashes and badges. With new responsibilities placed on their firm shoulders, they pledged to abide by the school’s rules and fulfil their duties with commitment, competence and confidence.

DPS-MIS organises ‘Investiture Ceremony’

To participate in the global green environment move-ment, the Olive International

School (OIS) launched a new eco club ‘Live Green’ with a slogan ‘Nur-ture Nature for the Future’.

The School principal Jacob K M inaugurated the Eco club at a spe-cial ceremony at its Nuaija Campus Assembly Hall. The club has created its own Logo and Slogan, which have been printed on new T-shirts and badges specially tailored for this club, which will be worn by the 10 students and 5 teachers who are the members of this club.

The Club’s first project ‘Green Wall’ is in coordination with Doha

Bank and their Eco-School Project initiative. Doha Bank’s green bank-ing representatives also participated in the launch function.‘Green Wall’ will allow greening of the society where a conventional garden is restricted due to space constraints. The Green wall greens the environ-ment, helps to increase our oxygen supply, and generally creates a friendly and happy environment around the school. The environ-mental base line of the school

‘Reduce Reuse Recycle’, was dem-onstrated by young Olivians in a march carrying creative posters. The function ended with setting up of potted ornamental plants.

OIS launches eco club

COVER STORY WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 201704

Irfan Bukhari The Peninsula

At a glance, Mathematainment.com seems like any other online educational portal

offering knowledge seekers the chance to purchase educational content in the form of video tuto-rials or courses. However, delve a little deeper and you will find that this is not your average run-of-the-mill educational website.

One of the highlights of this educational portal, is that it offers its users the chance to purchase educational content and also cre-ate and sell it. This creates an excellent opportunity for people to gather new knowledge and also to share their own and make a living out of it.

The portal’s description of itself is that it is a “concept that embraces

the idea of an online classroom, where anyone who has a passion for passing on their skills via video tutorials can come together to teach, learn and earn at the global level.”

Upon registering for the web-site’s services, users are immediately furnished with their own dashboard, which can be used to create or manage their courses. What’s particularly interesting about Mathematainment is that the website has no qualms about users sharing links or videos of their work from external sites. It’s rare to see such a degree of commitment to education in today’s world.

According to Sheikha Fatema Al Thani, the creator of Mathe-matainment.com, she came up with the idea after realising that in order to create a successful online tuto-rial business, a person needs to spend a lot of time and money to

set up their own platform to deliver their courses. Mathematainment fulfils this need while also giving people the freedom to promote their work no matter the subject or craft, as long as it is educational.

Her vision for the e-learning portal started out by trying to cre-ate such a platform where members did not need to go through the has-sle of creating their own platform but could use Mathematainment to set up their business.

The Qatari innovator is also set to launch her own brand of coffee shops and lounges titled, Mathema Café and Mathema Lounge. She states that she is “extremely thrilled to inform everyone that Mathema Café is finally ready to open its doors to the public and has been launched with the intention of cre-ating a seamlessly enjoyable educational experience for coffee

lovers.” The idea behind the ven-ture is to provide members of the Mathematainment community with a relaxing and friendly atmosphere to sip on their delicious brew while they brush up on their courses, think about their next tutorial video, or simply mingle with friends. Edu-cation, coupled with coffee and snacks.

The other side of this coin, showcases the Mathema Lounge brand, which according to the web-site, is an extended offering to the members of the Mathema commu-nity to utilise the full benefits of being a member. The lounge boasts facilities like a swimming pool, fit-ness centre, use of meeting and business rooms among others, all of which are focused on providing members with all the comfort and luxury required to create or browse for educational content.

A tale of passionate commitment of a female Qatari entrepreneur

COVER STORYWEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 2017 05 Q: The Middle East has had lit-

tle exposure to Internet business. Why risk launching an online busi-ness in the region?

A: I have always considered innovation and out-of-the-box thinking to be critical to progress. I wanted to tap into the untapped potential of this particular platform and create something new and dif-ferent. The idea was to venture into previously unexplored territory and so far the future looks promising, despite facing a few struggles.

Q: You mentioned you faced a few struggles while trying to set up Mathematainment. Can you elaborate?

A: One of the difficulties I faced was the traditional business model mentality of most business owners. A majority of the people prefer to venture into business using the tra-ditional models and industries. Most people in the region still do not real-ise the monumental potential that an Internet based business has to offer. So it was really difficult to get people on board with the idea of a globally connected educational plat-form as a feasible and profitable business.

Our world is propelled by the pursuit of innovation and the ability to accept and utilise new ideas and venture into new forms of business. It was challenging to find people with the right mind-set to join me. In fact, one of my hopes is that I can open

the minds of people and show them that there are other forms of busi-ness, apart from the traditional ones. Yet another difficulty I am facing at the moment is trying to find trainers like Christine Thirlaway and Gary Smith. Since I can’t find the right peo-ple in Qatar who share my vision, my plan was to bring in talented indi-viduals from outside to help me in the creation of tutorials. I have had to temporarily delay these plans because of the crisis. One of our goals

at Mathematainment is to hire peo-ple from within the community. However, the political climate has forced me to delay these plans temporarily.

Q: Mathematainment aims to introduce people to the opportuni-ties provided by Internet based businesses. How this message is being received? Do you plan to ven-ture deeper into this territory?

A: To be frank, I am a little sur-prised by the stagnant mentality that

is prevalent across most business owners. At times, I felt truly isolated and as if I was in a desert, particu-larly while trying to explain the feasibility of the Mathematainment platform. However, I will continue to persist; change doesn’t happen overnight.

Yes, I do have additional plans for the future but right now my focus is on Mathematainment.

Q: Are you sure it’s a good idea to go ahead with the launch of Math-ema Café and Lounge, given the current political climate?

A: Absolutely. I am very confi-dent about the future of my country as well as the government’s ability to steer the nation in the right path towards peace and prosperity. I have no second thoughts about going ahead with the launch of Mathema Café and Mathema Lounge. My dream was to launch Mathematain-ment in my home country first before moving on and I have no intention of changing my dream.

Q: That sounds inspiring. So, how can someone get in touch with you if they wish to speak to you or get more information on your business?

A: The best way is to visit the website and register. Alternatively, queries sent to info@mathematain-ment.com will be addressed by my team.

MARKETPLACE WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 201706

This Eid Al Fitr, Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara invites guests to mark this

special holidays by enjoying seven days of luxury, relaxation and unique celebration.

The resort’s unique weeklong celebration will get underway with the Eid Al Fitr Brunch at Azraq, where guests can enjoy a buffet of delicacies from all around the world, while spending quality time with their family and friends.

After brunch, guests can visit the resort’s wellness center, espe-cially if they are looking to explore the spa’s slimming program.

The program combines luxury accommodation with a wide range of weight loss and detoxification programs, inspiring yoga retreats, and spa-based healing therapies.

The spa’s health food restaurant complements the program by offer-ing guests nutritious, yet delicious meals.

By focusing on the body’s phys-ical, mental and emotional health,

the program offers a complete jour-ney back to balance, rejuvenation and wellness.

For guests looking to be a bit more active with their down time, there is so much more to enjoy at the resort. Surf fans can ride the waves at the surfing pool or if surf-ing’s not their thing, but they’d still

like to take to the water, a wide range of water sports are available for them to experience. After a day in the pool or sea, guests can watch a movie at the resort’s cinema or kick back with a few rounds of bowling.

Dinner during the Eid Al Fitr seven-day celebration can also be

enjoyed at Azraq. With a menu of irresistible dishes and a welcom-ing and warm atmosphere, guests will close their days feeling satis-fied and serene.

Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara feels a world away from bustling Doha, but in fact is only a 25-minute luxury ferry ride from Al Shyoukh Terminal, located in the city’s downtown area, or alterna-tively a 10-minute helicopter ride directly from the airport, where passengers can enjoy bird’s eye views of the spectacular coastline before landing at the resort.

Brunch and Dinner at Azraq can be enjoyed by non-residents for just QR350 for adults and QR250 for children and by residents at QR300 for adults and QR200 for children. Guests are also offered luxury boat transportation to and from the island.

To make a reservation, call +974 4040 5050, email fbreservations.adoh@anantara.com or go to http://doha.anantara.com/.

Eid Al Fitr at Banana Island Resort Doha is 7 days of bliss

‘Junior Model International’ (JMI) and ‘Miss Super Globe’ (MSG) international pageants, done

under the banner of Fashion Run-way International, aiming for International Cultural, Talent & Fashion integration to be held in India invites applications.

A preliminary contest will be held from Qatar to select the best contestants for the final event tak-ing place in Goa and the dates for the same will be announced soon.

JMI invites applications from boys and girls of age 4-18 years and MSG invites applications from ladies of age 18-28 years. Top three selected from the JMI audition and the main title winner of MSG audi-tion will be representing Qatar in the finals. The final event will be held in Goa, from September 12 to 16. Winners of the final event will be awarded with cash prizes and other exciting offers. The event will

be held in Qatar with the full-fledged support of Academy of International Music, Art and Cul-ture (AIMAC).

Grooming sessions prior to the prelims will be provided by the Former Miss Queen of India (National level pageant winner), Miss AishwaryaMuraleedharan - the National Director of Qatar for this event, who is an actress and a model with vast experience in the modelling field and in grooming budding models. She has also pro-vided several personality development coaching to the aspiring beauty queens. Aishwarya has also undergone the grooming and pageant preparations training course at ‘The Tiara’ which hap-pens to be one of the most famous model training studios in India.

For further details, contact 33711763, 66685587 or send an email to aashymurali@gmail.com

International pageant audition

to be held in Qatar Mercure Hotel arranged a special Corporate Iftar for their guests at their La Brasserie Restaurant to celebrate the spirit of Ram-adan. The guests were key company persons, who have been

promoting the hotel over the years. Executive Chef, Lahcen and Assist-ant Chef, Mahdi, welcomed the guests at the buffet.

Mercure Hotel holds Corporate Iftar

COMMUNITY / MARKETPLACEWEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 2017 07

Forum of expatriates hailing from Mahe and neighbouring areas (QMASS) arranged an Iftar meet at Doha Jadeed yesterday.

A large community of Indian workers from different corners attended the function with prayers. Shuhaib Kunhikkandy in his wel-come address introduced members. Janaab K K Ali solemnly gave a start to the function by reading verses from The Holy Quran followed by an invoking speech. Forum President Lilar Parambath inaugurated the function while Saleem MP and Manmmadhan Mambally felicitated the event. Event convener Anees said vote of thanks.

QMASS holds Iftar meet

Al Attiyah Motors and Trad-ing Company, the exclusive distributor of Renault Cars

in Qatar, invited customers, as well as the esteemed members of the press to its annual Ramadan iftar banquet at Sharq village & Spa.

The banquet was attended by Mohammed Maali, Chief Executive Officer; Hanafi Hijab, Financial and Administrative Manager; Essam Al Bashir, Customer Relations Man-ager; Samer Makkawi, Sales Manager; Yazen Yousif, Service Manager and Nasser Mohammad, Marketing Manager.

Al Attiyah Automotive and Trading Company is always keen on hosting the iftar banquet annu-ally in the belief that it represents a unique opportunity to commu-nicate with its employees and customers, which is rarely availa-ble at any other time.

Ramadan presents a huge opportunity for Al Attiyah Automo-biles & Trading to connect with, as well as, strengthen the its relation-ship with its core customers and partners, as Ramadan is held in great regard among the Islamic nation in general and the Qatari society in particular,

Al Attiyah Motors & Trading Company hosts Iftar

A group of Sherborne Qatar pupils handed out

‘Just Sharing’ bags to the labourers and manual workers around the vicinity of the Sen-ior School in the Bani Hajer area on June 19,

“This is the second year of our pupils leading this project. They have been truly committed, making this project yet again enormously successful,creating what is proving to be an annual school project. Our pupils were determined to focus on helping the labourers. They showed their willingness to practice the real purpose of charity,” said Kym Prichard – Coordinator of Exter-nal Relations

Pakistan Women’s Associa-tion (PWA) Qatar has marked another success on

their fourth edition of Cookery and has been praised by many Paki-stani community members.

PWA cookery contest took place at Doha Marriott Hotel, start-ing the event with reciting followed presentation by welcoming speech by Rahat Mansoor, PWA president thanking all the contestants, par-ticipants, judges and the sponsors & partners.

There were 12 contestants to prepare the best Pakistani dishes. The contestant were monitored & judged by Chef Gulzar (Pakistan’s

top Chef) & Zia Rafee (Kolachi Res-taurant), Rizwana Abdul Sattar (Pistachio’s Restaurant), Abida Irfan on taste & presentation. Com-modore Irfan Taj (Defense Attache), Embassy of Pakistan was the chief guest of this event. Saba Mudassir took the first prize, 2nd Lubna Jabeen & 3rd Tabasum Naseem fol-lowed by Maria Amir, Nayyar Sultana, Roma Akram, Najma Rafiq, Sawlena Naz, Shahida Atiq, Shabana Shoaid & Huma were among the other contestants.

In addition, there were also quiz completions with lots of prizes that have created further excite-ment to the event.

PWA holds ‘Cookery’ contest

Sherborne Qatar gives ‘Just Sharing’ bags

FOOD WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 201708

Kristen HartkeThe Washington Post

Avocado adds a mild flavor and tenderness to these tea-time-size cookies.

Make Ahead: The dough needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day. The dipped cook-ies need to set for about an hour before serving or storing.

28 to 30 servings

IngredientsFor the cookies1/4 cup coconut oil (solidified),

at room temperature1/4 cup ripe, diced Hass

avocado3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar1 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla extractFinely grated zest of 1 lime, plus

2 tablespoons juice1 1/3 cups flour, plus more for

the work surface1/2 teaspoon baking powderPinch saltFor the icing6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

coarsely chopped or broken into pieces

1 tablespoon coconut oil

StepsFor the cookies: Combine the

coconut oil and avocado in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld elec-tric mixer; beat on medium speed, until smooth. Stop to scrape down the bowl.

Add the sugar; beat on medium speed for a few minutes, until fluffy, then add the egg, vanilla extract, lime zest and juice; beat until well incorporated. Stop to scrape down the bowl.

Combine the flour, baking pow-der and salt on a sheet of parchment or wax paper. On low speed, grad-ually add the flour mixture, beating to just long enough to form a soft,

well-blended dough.Lightly flour a work surface.

Transfer the dough there and sprin-kle lightly with flour so you can gather the dough into two logs, each about 9 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Roll in plastic wrap, twisting the ends to make a tightly packed log. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day. If the logs of dough aren’t fairly firm, place them in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Unwrap the dough logs and place on a cutting board. Use a very sharp knife to cut each one into 14 to 15 thin slices. You may want to wet the blade of the knife after 4 or 5 slices to make it easier to cut. Arrange the dough slices at least 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake (upper and lower racks) for 9 minutes, rotating the sheets top to

bottom and front to back halfway through. The cookie should be pale but lightly browned at the edges.

Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool com-pletely. Meanwhile, make the icing: Re-line the baking sheets with new parchment paper or wipe clean the silicone liners.

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely bubbling water (medium-low heat), stirring until shiny and smooth. Remove from the heat. While the icing is warm, dip one side of each cookie halfway into it, then transfer to the baking sheets to set for about 1 hour before serving or storing.

Nutrition: Per cookie (based on 30, using half the icing): 70 calories, 1 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 mg choles-terol, 5 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar.

Chocolate-dipped avocado cookies

FOODWEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 2017 09

Ellie KriegerThe Washington Post

I have been playing around with variations on seasoned, crispy chickpeas as a snack. Keen to

avoid deep-frying them, I tried bak-ing them several ways - at different temperatures for long and longer stretches of time. But it was ulti-mately a 10-minute sizzle in a skillet with olive oil that won me over as the preferred method.

This technique gives the legume a creamier interior while crisping the outside to an addictive crunch, and the quick cooking time means they could be made on a whim, which is a plus when it comes to snacks, and especially ones like these which are best eaten hot.

I experimented with seasoning

for them as well, enjoying them with a sweet-spicy mix of brown sugar and chili powder, with smoked paprika and garlic, and with the Middle Eastern-accented version in this recipe: a mixture of cumin, coriander and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

When I first made these, as I munched away on them from the snack bowl, I couldn’t help but think about how they had the essential elements of a falafel, and how good they would be as a protein-rich layer of crunch in a salad. So I built this salad around them. Its base is the crisp lettuce, tomato, cucum-ber and red onion that are often piled on top of a falafel sandwich, and it is dressed with the sand-wich’s classic lemon-tahini dressing. The aromatically spiced crispy chickpeas that are the salad’s inspi-

ration are tossed in at the end.6 servingsThis salad gets its inspiration

from the elements that fill a falafel sandwich, with warm, crunchy, cumin-spiced chickpeas, crisp let-tuce, cucumber, tomato and red onion in a lemon-tahini dressing.

Enjoy it as a starter or as part of a mezze spread, or double the por-tion and have it as a main course with some warm pita.

IngredientsFor the dressing3 tablespoons tahini, well

stirred3 tablespoons water2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice2 tablespoons finely chopped

fresh flat-leaf parsley1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepperFor the salad2 hearts of romaine lettuce,

shredded (about 7 cups)1/2 English cucumber, quartered

and sliced1 cup halved grape tomatoes1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion1/2 teaspoon ground cumin1/2 teaspoon ground

corianderPinch ground cayenne pepper1/4 teaspoon saltOne 15-ounce can no-salt-

added chickpeas2 tablespoons olive oil

StepsFor the dressing. Whisk the

tahini, water and lemon juice together in a medium bowl, until creamy and well blended. Stir in the parsley, salt and black pepper.

For the salad: Toss the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and red onion together in a large bowl. Combine the cumin, coriander, cayenne pep-per and salt in a small bowl. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then dry them as thoroughly as possible by placing them on top of a paper towel in a bowl and patting them dry with an additional paper towel. Remove and discard any skins that fall off, but don’t worry about getting them all.

Heat the oil in a medium skil-let over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas and cook for 8 to 10 min-utes, shaking or stirring occasionally until they have crisped and become lightly browned. Stir in the spice mixture and toss to coat, then trans-fer the chickpeas to a plate.

Add the dressing to the salad and toss to incorporate, then toss in the chickpeas and serve.

Nutrition: Per serving: 220 cal-ories, 9 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 2 g satu-rated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, 8 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar.

Salad with crispy spiced

chickpeas and tahini dressing

HEALTH WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 201710

Compounds found in grape skins and seeds can kill colon cancer cells and may even-

tually lead to treatments to help prevent the condition, say research-ers including one of Indian origin.

“The combination of resveratrol (found largely in grape skins) and grape seed extract is very effective at killing colon cancer cells,” said Jairam K P Vanamala, Associate Professor of Food Sciences at Penn-sylvania State University in the US.

“And what we’re learning is the combination of these compounds is not toxic to healthy cells,” Van-amala, who is also a faculty member at the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, said.

The findings, published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, could pave the way for clinical testing of the compounds on human colon can-cer, which is the second most

common cancer in women and the third in men. If successful, the com-pounds could then be used in a pill to help prevent colon cancer and lessen the recurrence of the disease in colon cancer survivors. The researchers found that grape com-pounds can kill colon cancer stem

cells both in a petri dish and in mice.“We are particularly interested

in targeting stem cells because, according to cancer stem-cell the-ory, cancerous tumours are driven by cancer stem cells,” said Van-amala. For the animal study, the researchers separated 52 mice with

colon cancer tumours into three groups, including a control group and groups that were fed either the grape compounds or sulindac, an anti-inflammatory drug, which was chosen because a previous study showed it significantly reduced the number of tumours in humans.

The incidence of tumours was suppressed in the mice consuming the grape compounds alone by 50 per cent, similar to the rate in the group consuming the diet with sulin-dac. When taken separately in low doses, resveratrol and grape seed extract are not as effective against cancer stem-cell suppression as when they are combined together, according to the researchers.

If successful in human trials, the compounds could be taken in low doses using currently available sup-plements for grape seed extract and resveratrol, according to the researchers.

IANS

Altering the make-up of bacteria in the gut through diet, pro-and prebiotic sup-plements, faecal matter transplants or

antibiotics might reduce the symptoms of autism, suggests new research.

The findings, published in the journal Fron-tiers in Cellular Neuroscience, are based on a review of more than 150 papers on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and gut bacteria. The review high-lighted many studies showing that restoring a healthy bal-ance in gut bacteria can treat ASD symptoms.

“Efforts to restore the gut microbiota to that of a healthy person has been shown to be really effective” explained Qinrui Li of Peking University, China.

“Our review looked at taking probiotics, prebiotics, changing the diet -- for example, to gluten -- and casein-free diets, and faecal matter transplants. All had a positive impact on symptoms,” Li added.

These include such things as increased sociability, a reduction in repetitive behaviour, and improved social communication -- all hugely beneficial to the life of an ASD sufferer.

“To date there are no effective therapies to treat this range of brain developmental disorders,” Li pointed out. “The number of people being diagnosed with ASD is on the rise. As well as being an expensive condition to manage, ASD has a huge emotional and social cost on fam-ilies of sufferers,” Li said.

The link between the gut and ASD is well-k n o w n a m o n g sufferers: Problems like diarrhoea, consti-pation and flatulence a r e c o m m o n l y reported. The root of gastro-intestinal prob-lems like these is an imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut. Many of the

papers reviewed support the idea of a gut-brain axis - a way in which factors in the gut can affect processes in the brain.

So these gastro-intestinal problems may have a more sinister side. The overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut inevitably leads to an overproduction of by-products - including tox-ins. These can make the gut lining more permeable. Then toxins, by-products and even undigested food can get into the bloodstream and travel to the brain.

Grape compounds can kill colon cancer cells

Changing diet may treat autism Rapid blood test for

malaria diagnosis

Researchers have developed an automated rapid blood test that could make malaria diag-nosis faster and more reliable than it is now.

The new method enables the diagnosis of the dis-ease with 97 per cent accuracy, Technical University of Munich (TUM) said. According to WHO, malaria claimed the lives of approximately 430,000 people throughout the world in 2015. A major problem asso-ciated with this infectious tropical disease is the difficulty in obtaining a fast and reliable diagnosis.

Up to now it was diagnosed mainly by means of the microscopic detection of pathogens in the blood by medical technicians -- a time-consum-ing method. The new rapid test uses a combination of 30 different blood values that can be deter-mined using an automated process.

The method was developed by Professor Oliver Hayden from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Jan van den Boogaart from Siemens Healthineers, a medical technology com-pany headquartered in Erlangen, Germany.

The researchers carried out a statistical eval-uation of the blood parameters of healthy participants and malaria patients. Based on this they were able to identify a set of 30 blood val-ues which presented quantifiable deviations from the norm in people suffering from the disease.

HOLLYWOODWEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 2017 11

AFP

Carrie Fisher had a cocktail of drugs including cocaine and ecstasy in her system when

she suffered a fatal mid-air heart attack, a coroner’s report revealed. The “Star Wars” actress — who cat-apulted to stardom as the space epic’s rebel warrior Princess Leia — was rushed to hospital in Los Angeles on December 23 after collapsing on a flight from London and was pro-nounced dead four days later.

There were quantities of alco-hol and opiates in her system, according to the toxicology report, which suggested “exposure to her-oin, but that the dose and time of exposure cannot be pinpointed”.

Tests revealed the cocaine would have been taken within the previous three days, according to the report, which gave the cause of death as sleep apnea — a breathing disorder — and “other undeter-mined factors” including heart disease and “multiple drug intake”. They also showed “remote expo-sure” to the recreational drug MDMA, better known in its pill form

as ecstasy.A press release from the coro-

ner’s office on Friday indicated that drugs were found in 60-year-old Fisher’s system, but it did not go into detail. “Fisher suffered what appeared to be a cardiac arrest on the airplane, accompanied by vom-iting and with a history of sleep apnea,” the final report stated.

Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, said in a statement released to celebrity magazine People on Fri-day that her mother had “battled drug addiction and mental illness

her entire life” and “ultimately died of it”. Born in Los Angeles in Octo-ber 1956, the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher became an international star with the release of “Star Wars” in 1977, followed by two sequels.

The space saga is now part of pop culture legend and a worldwide fan favorite. Fisher was back in the spotlight after reprising her iconic role in 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and will appear for a final time as Leia in “The Last Jedi,” due for release in December.

The early 1980s were marked by problems with alcohol, drugs and depression for Fisher, who became known for her searingly honest semi-autobiographical writ-ing. She turned her best-selling debut “Postcards from the Edge” into a film of the same name in 1990 starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine.

Over the years she gave various interviews about her diagnosis of bipolar disorder and addiction to pre-scription drugs and cocaine, which she admitted using on the set of “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980). Asked by Vanity Fair in 2006 how she per-suaded “Star Wars” director George Lucas to give her the part of Princess Leia, she said: “I slept with some nerd. I hope it was George.”

Fisher was returning from the London leg of a tour promoting her headline-grabbing memoir “The Princess Diarist” when she col-lapsed 15 minutes before landing in Los Angeles, where paramedics and hospital staff were unable to revive her. Reynolds, who was 84, suffered a fatal stroke the day after her daughter’s death.

AFP

Rap mogul Jay Z will release his latest album at the end of this month, the Tidal music

streaming service said, confirming weeks of rumors that the artist was preparing a new project.

The album, titled “4:44”, will be available on June 30 exclusively to Tidal subscribers and to customers of Sprint, the telecom giant that bought a one-third stake in the music streaming platform earlier this year.

The announcement comes on the heels of highly anticipated reports that Jay Z’s pop diva wife Beyonce recently gave birth to twins, making their superstar family a party of five.

A 30-second trailer released late on Sunday featuring lyrics from

the rapper hinted at the prospect of an album — which was then con-firmed just after midnight by Tidal and Sprint.

“Jay Z is a global icon and we’re giving customers an incredible opportunity to be among the first to experience his new album 4:44,” Sprint chief executive Marcelo Claure said. Enigmatic promotion efforts began appearing for the project this month when cryptic banners reading “4:44” popped up online and in New York’s Times Square.

The signs turned out to be advertisements for a mysterious film available on Tidal featuring the actors Mahershala Ali, Lupita Nyong’o and Danny Glover, for which a black-and-white trailer featuring Ali as a boxer was later rolled out.

The latest clip includes similar visuals and the same soulful elec-tronic score—and this time closes with four lines from Jay Z. The album will be the rapper’s first since 2013’s “Magna Carta Holy Grail.”

Though fans now have a release date, it remains unclear whether the album and film will be separate entities or a visual album akin to the

conceptual “Lemonade” that Beyonce put out last year. That intri-cate project was first released exclusively via Tidal before being offered on Apple’s iTunes.

Jay Z bought Tidal in 2014 from Aspiro, a Norwegian company whose shares are listed in Sweden, and has tried to make it the pre-ferred platform for music afficionados through exclusives, original video content and high-quality audio.

But even with the rapid growth worldwide in streaming, Tidal has struggled and remains a small player in a market dominated by Sweden’s Spotify.

Sprint’s purchase of the Tidal stake for an estimated $200 million surprised many industry watchers, some of whom had doubted the service’s long-term health.

Jay Z to release new album teased in Tidal clip

Carrie Fisher autopsy reveals cocaine & ecstasy

TECHNOLOGY WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 201712

IANS

With the balance between children’s screen time and other activities

going for a toss in more and more homes, a group in the US state of Colorado has for the first time sought ban on sale of the device to those below the age of 13.

Tim Farnum, founder of the non-profit group Parents Against Underage Smartphones, or PAUS, is leading the charge on a proposed ballot initiative in Colorado that would be the first of its kind in the country, USA Today reported.

Farnum’s proposal follows news that children as young as 13 are now being treated for exces-sive use of smartphones and video games at a facility in the US. The reSTART Life Center near Seattle helps youngsters with addiction to digital technology, including video games, Sky News reported in April.

The PAUS proposal would ban the sale of smartphones to kids

younger than 13, or more likely to parents who intend to give the smartphone to kids in that age bracket, the report said.

Looking at his own children struggling with the psychological effects of always having such devices in hand, Farnum believes that smartphone apps are designed to be addictive, which is not a good thing for children. The proposal would require retailers to submit reports to the state government ver-ifying that they had inquired, before selling the smartphone, about who was intended to use it. It also wants to penalise those retailers who repeatedly sell phones to be used by young children.

PAUS’s proposal is still a long way off from becoming reality and it would have to gather nearly 300,000 signatures required to get on the ballot in November 2018, the report said. Experts have long warned about the adverse effects of excessive phone use. A top addic-tion therapist in Britain recently

said that giving children smart-phones is akin to “giving them a gram of cocaine”.

“I always say to people, when you’re giving your kid a tablet or a phone, you’re really giving them a bottle of beverage or a gram of coke,” Mandy Saligari, a Harley Street rehab clinic specialist, was quoted as saying by The Independ-ent. But despite the relevance of Farnum’s proposal, many have already expressed displeasure with the idea. Their primary argument is that it is up to parents to decide whether their kids would use smartphone or not.

Colorado Senator John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, was quoted as say-ing that while he understands the reasoning behind the proposed law, he thinks it oversteps the govern-ment’s role into private family life.

“Frankly, I think it should remain a family matter,” he said. Enforcing the proposed law could also present a logistical nightmare, he observed.

US group favours ban on sale of smartphones to kids under 13

In a bid to inspire art enthu-siasts to brush up their knowledge, Google on Tues-

day announced the latest updates in its Search and Maps to enhance the art search expe-rience. All art-related search queries would now deliver more relevant results and an interac-tive knowledge panel will allow users to dive deeper into their topics of interest. Google has also added a new feature ena-bling a panoramic view that gives key insights about the art-works on virtual museum visits.

With more than 500 million art-related searches on Google, the Google Arts and Culture team worked with Google Search engineers to improve systems understanding in recognition of art-works. Google made use of visual recognition software to scan the walls of participating museums all over the world, identifying and categorising more than 15,000 works.

Using machine learning capabilities, Google has also introduced new updates to Maps to enhance your virtual tour experience and make it more informative. “Now as you walk through the rooms of the museums on Google Maps, you’ll see clear and useful anno-tations on the wall next to each piece,” the company said. The users will also be able to zoom into high-resolution imagery, getting them closer to iconic works.

Google updates Search and Maps for experiencing art online

Google made use of visual recognition

software to scan the walls of participating museums all over the world, identifying and categorising more than

15,000 works.

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

When outlaws on the lam invade the home of an unsuspecting,

seemingly innocent, frontier family to hide out for the night, an

unexpected game of cat and mouse ensues, leading to seduction,

role reversal, and ultimately, bloody revenge.Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

NOVO — Pearl ROYAL PLAZA

MALL

LANDMARK

The Mummy (2D/Action) 10:00, 11:00am, 12:00noon, 12:40, 1:20, 2:30, 2:40, 3:40, 5:00, 6:00, 7:20, 7:30, 8:20, 9:40, 10:00, 10:45pm & 12:00midnight Outlaws And Angels (2D/Action) 10:00am, 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 5:00, 9:15 & 11:30pm Bodom (2D/Horror) 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 & 11:00pm Guardians of The Galaxy 2 (2D/Action) 11:00am, 3:45 & 8:30pm Diary of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2D/Comedy) 1:45, 6:30 & 11:15pm The Boss Baby (2D/Animation) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00 & 4:00pm King Arthur: Legend of The Sword (2D/Action) 6:00, 8:30 & 11:00pm Howard Love Craft And The Frozen Kingdom (2D/Animation) 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00 & 5:00pmAlien Covenant (2D/Action) 7:00, 9:30pm & 12:00midnight Voice From The Stone (2D/Drama) 11:30am, 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30pm& 11:30 The Mummy (3D IMAX/Action) 11:30am, 1:50, 4:10, 6:30, 8:50 & 11:10pm

Raabta (2D/Hindi) 9:00pm The Mummy (2D/Action) 9:30pm Voice From The Stone (2D/Drama) 9:30pmOutlaws And Angels (2D/Action) 11:30pm Puthan Panam (2D/Malayalam) 11:30pmBodom (2D/Horror) 11:45pm

Raabta (2D/Hindi) 9:00pm The Mummy (2D/Action) 9:30 & 11:30pm Puthan Panam (2D/Malayalam) 9:00pmVoice From The Stone (2D/Drama) 11:30pmOutlaws And Angels (2D/Action) 12:00midnight

Raabta (2D/Hindi) 9:00pm The Mummy (2D/Action) 9:30pmPuthan Panam (2D/Malayalam) 9:00 & 11:30pmOutlaws And Angels (2D/Action) 11:30midnight Voice From The Stone (2D/Drama) 12:00midnight

WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 2017

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

CINEMA PLUS 13

AL KHORPuthan Panam (Malayalam) 12:00noon, 3:00, 9:00pm & 12:00midnight The Mummy (Action) 11:30am, 2:00, 9:45pm & 12:15am CIA: Comrade in America (2D/Malayalam) 11:45am, 2:30, 8:30 & 11:15pm

OUTLAWS AND ANGELS

ASIAN TOWNGodha (Malayalam) 10:30pm CIA: Comrade in America (2D/Malayalam) 8:00 & 10:30pm Puthan Panam (Malayalam) 8:00pm

ROXYDeep (2D/Animation) 3:00, 5:00 & 7:00pmPuthan Panam (Malayalam) 3:00, 6:00, 9:00pm & 12:00midnight The Mummy (Action) 3:00, 5:20, 7:40, 9:40, 10:00pm & 12:15am Raabta (Hindi) 3:00, 6:00, 9:00pm & 12:00midnight Bodom (Horror) 9:00 & 11:00pm

CROSSWORD CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

ALL IN THE MIND

08:00 News08:30 The Listening

Post09:00 Once Upon

a Time in Punchbowl

10:30 Inside Story11:00 News11:30 The Stream12:30 Soapbox

Mexico13:00 NEWSHOUR14:30 Inside Story15:00 Al Jazeera World16:00 NEWSHOUR17:00 News17:30 The Stream18:00 Newsgrid19:30 Witness20:00 News20:30 Inside Story21:00 NEWSHOUR22:00 News22:30 The Stream23:00 Witness

13:05 Star Darlings

16:40 Girl Meets World

17:05 Stuck In The Middle

19:15 Star Darlings

20:10 Jessie 20:35 Cracke 20:40 Bizaardvark 21:30 Stuck In

The Middle 21:55 Tsum Tsum

Shorts 22:00 Bunk’d 22:25 Miraculous

Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir

22:50 Lolirock 23:10 Sabrina

Secrets Of A Teenage Witch

13:45 Untamed China With Nigel Marven

15:05 Lion Man15:35 Tanked16:30 Swimming

With Monsters: Steve Backshall

19:15 Tanked21:05 Dr. Jeff: Rocky

Mountain Vet22:00 Insane

Pools: Off The Deep End

23:20 Lion Man23:50 Swimming

With Monsters: Steve Backshall

13:05 How Do They Do It?

16:00 Gold Divers16:50 Misfit

Garage17:40 Wheeler

Dealers18:30 How Do

They Do It?19:20 What On

Earth?20:35 Container

Wars21:00 Dive Wars

Australia21:50 Strip The

City22:40 Incredible

Engineering Blunders: Fixed

23:30 Misfit Garage

01:10 Dive Wars Australia

King Features Syndicate, Inc.

BRAIN TEASERS WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE 201714

Yesterday’s answer

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku

is a number-placing puzzle based on a

9×9 grid. The object is to place the

numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so

that each row, each column and each

3×3 box contains the same number

only once.

BRONZE, CHINA, COPPER,

CORAL, COTTON, CRYSTAL,

DIAMOND, EMERALD, GOLD,

IRON, IVORY, JADE, LACE,

LEATHER, LINEN, PAPER,

PEARL, POTTERY, RUBY,

SAPPHIRE, SILK, SILVER,

STEEL, TIN, WOOD, WOOL.