dt page 01 march 02 - the peninsula · 2016-09-11 · investigated epithelial cells in relation to...

Kabir Bedi hails Bollywood dance and music

HEALTH & FITNESS | 9 ENTERTAINMENT | 11

e

T | 11

University of Calgary hosts Canadian

Parliament members

Manage your weight to lead a healthy

life

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2016 @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatarEmail: [email protected] thepeninsulaqatar

P | 3

CAMPUS | 5

Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar

showcased the latest developments

in biomedical research at the sixth

Annual Research Retreat.

RESEARCH RETREAT

COVER STORY

| 03WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2016

The Peninsula

The latest developments in bio-

medical research were show-

cased at Weill Cornell Medicine-

Qatar (WCM-Q) at the sixth An-

nual Research Retreat held recently.

The event featured poster pres-

entations by research specialists, stu-

dents and postdoctoral fellows ex-

plaining the findings of projects con-

ducted at the university over the past

year.

Among 84 poster presentations

the best three were selected in differ-

ent categories.

First place in the student catego-

ry was awarded jointly to second-year

medical students Eman Mosleh, for her

poster presentation of a project that

investigated epithelial cells in relation

to lung cancer, and Abdulaziz Al Thani,

for his presentation about gene thera-

py for peanut-induced anaphylaxis.

In the research specialists category

Iman Al Azwani came first with a post-

er about genetic profiling of the criti-

cally endangered Spix’s macaw, which

is native to Brazil. In the postdoctor-

al fellows category, Vimal Ramachan-

dran was first with a poster about the

effect on cholesterol of a specific type

of microRNA.

Dr Javaid Sheikh, Dean of WCM-Q,

said: “I have been very impressed with

the quality of the research presented

here today and hugely encouraged by

the appetite for inter-organisational

collaboration that is in evidence.

“R&D is truly the backbone of a glo-

bally competitive, knowledge-driv-

en economy and events such as the

Research Retreat serve as a power-

ful vehicle for encouraging partner-

ships among institutions and individu-

als, which is so crucial for the support

of innovation.”

More than 200 leading scientists

from WCM-Q and other national elite

institutions convened to discuss the

many pioneering research projects

being conducted at the college and

in collaboration with local stakehold-

ers including Hamad Medical Corpo-

ration (HMC), Hamad Bin Khalifa Uni-

versity (HBKU) and Qatar Biomedical

Research Institute (QBRI), which in-

clude investigations into type-2 dia-

betes, cardiovascular disease, obesi-

ty and DNA analysis of the Qatari ge-

nome, among many others.

Perhaps the key theme to emerge

from the Research Retreat this year

was a commitment to continue WCM-

Q’s drive to translate cutting-edge re-

search into commercially valuable in-

tellectual property (IP) that will boost

Qatar’s transition to a knowledge-

based economy founded on a sustain-

able national research and develop-

ment (R&D) agenda.

Dr Khaled Machaca, Associate Dean

for Research at WCM-Q, said: “The Re-

search Retreat is critical for the college

because it really highlights the cutting

edge science that is ongoing here at

all levels of our research enterprise, in-

cluding faculty, post-doctoral associ-

ates, research specialists and students.

This is really important for the future of

scientific research in Qatar.

“We are now entering a new phase

in research and development, which is

very important for Qatar at the nation-

al level. In the initial phase we estab-

lished a strong research programme

and attracted top scientists from all

over the world, thanks to the generous

support of Qatar Foundation and Qatar

National Research Fund.

“Now it’s about using that contin-

ued support to leverage the facilities

and capabilities that have been estab-

lished in order to develop IP that can

be the engine of the emerging knowl-

edge-based economy of Qatar, deliv-

ering sustainable economic growth in

the long-term,” he said.

The event featured presentations

of cutting-edge research by six lead-

ing scientists from WCM-Q, Weill Cor-

nell Medicine in New York and HMC. Dr

Abdul Badi Abou-Samra, Chair of the

Department of Internal Medicine and

HMC, spoke about collaboration be-

tween WCM-Q and HMC researchers.

The keynote address was given by

guest speaker Dr Raymond DuBois, Di-

rector of the Biodesign Institute at Ar-

izona State University, who explained

the role of inflammation in the pro-

gression of colorectal cancer and the

opportunities presented by the estab-

lishment of a purpose-built research

facility supported by government.

WCM-Q showcasesresearch developments

Dr Raymond DuBois, Director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, and Dr Javaid Sheikh, Dean of WCM-Q.

CAMPUS

04 | WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2016

Birla Public School team won silver medal in CBSE Qatar Cluster Chess Tournament for under 14 age group. The picture shows winners with school vice-principal

and head of Physical Education Department.

BPS team wins silver medal in CBSE chess tournament

DPS-Modern Indian School (DPS-MIS) organised a Support Staff Felicitation Function recently. It acknowledged and appreciated the contribution of the support

staff, comprising members of the Housekeeping, Transport and Security departments, in the smooth functioning of the school. Lieutenant Muhammed Munwir

Al Shammri, Traffic Officer, South Security Department, was the special guest. Faisal Al Hudawi, Community Reach Out Office Coordinator, Ministry of Interior, and

members of the Executive Committee attended. Azim Abbas, Director, Transport & Security, congratulated the support staff. The support staff were presented

with a token of appreciation by the school management. They were also felicitated for ideal driving, 100 percent attendance and their long association with the

school which spanned from 5 to 10 years.

DPS-MIS honours support staff

CAMPUS


CBSE Board exams begin at IIS CentreThe Central Board for Secondary

Education (CBSE) examinations for

students of Class XII began at Ideal

Indian School (IIS) Centre yesterday.

Some 272 students from class

XII, including students from Doha

Modern Indian School and Bhavan’s

Public School are appearing for the

examinations at the centre. After

attending the prayer the students

moved to the examination hall. The

teachers gave a pep talk to help them

overcome stress. The first paper was

English and the examinations will be

concluding on April 12..

University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ) welcomed members from the Canadian Parliament at its campus. The visiting delegation took a tour of the campus, met

students and faculty and learned more about the programmes offered at the university. The picture shows Senator Percy Downe, Dr Kim Critchley, Dean and CEO,

UCQ, M P Ginette Petitpas Taylor, M P Ziad Aboultaif, and Senator Dennis Dawson.

UCQ hosts Canadian Parliament members

HBKU Press makes QMJ archive collection available onlineHBKU Press, the new publishing arm

of Hamad bin Khalifa University,

said that the full archive of Qatar Med-

ical Journal is now fully digitised and

available on the online open access

portal QScience.com, making it wide-

ly available to read and share. Work-

ing with Hamad Medical Corporation,

the backdated files from 1997 have

been processed into PDF format and

made available electronically for the

first time.

This represents HBKU Press’s com-

mitment to the widening of access to

major scholarly resources. Functionali-

ty incorporated by the archive includes

full text PDFs of each article and full

text searching, the inclusion of all im-

ages and graphics, a press release said.

In today’s digital environment, re-

searchers consume information faster

than ever before and are keen to share

their outcomes and ideas. The world of

academia is part of this trend and our

end-users and authors now expect re-

search to be easily discoverable, acces-

sible and engaging.

Christopher Leonard, Head of Aca-

demic and Journals Publishing at HB-

KU Press’ QScience portal said: “It has

been a monumental effort to get all

of the issues of Qatar Medical Jour-

nal online and free to read for anyone

with an internet connection. The en-

during popularity of the older content

within the journal has been reflected

in the number of requests we have

had for articles from many years ago

- requests which no longer need to be

made as all the articles are available to

everyone now.”

Dr Mohammed Hammoudeh Qa-

tar Medical Journal Editor-in-Chief said:

“We believe that we are in the begin-

ning phase of a major movement to-

ward globalisation of medical and

health education. By providing a plat-

form where the older content can be

viewed it allows for a healthy debate

about the challenges, and innovations

in global medical and health education.”

It provide free access to the full

text of its peer-reviewed research ar-

ticles and offers the gold road to open

access for all of its journal articles. ht-

tp://www.qscience.com/loi/qmj

MARKETPLACE / COMMUNITY


Cultural Forum, a socio-cultural

initiative of expatriate Indians

living in Qatar, has marked the

Qatar National Environment Day

with a colourful ceremony at the Cultur-

al Forum Hall in Nuaija recently. The pro-

gramme was inaugurated by Dr Saif Ali

Al Hajir, Director of Friends of Environ-

ment Centre, by distributing seeds for

organic farming to a number of families.

Dr Al Hajri said conservation of the

natural environment is a collective re-

sponsibility. “We all should play our

part in safeguarding our surround-

ings and environment. As Indians, you

have a great example in your Father of

Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who placed

much significance on environment pro-

tection. We all should be torch-bear-

ers of our civilisation and preserve our

mother nature for the generations to

come,” he said.

During the celebration, Dr Al Hajri

has formally launched a new initia-

tive for women under the title Cultur-

al Forum “Nadumuttam,” with the ob-

jective of nurturing different skills of

female expatriates. The initiative is

aimed at encouraging women folks to

share knowledge and expertise there-

by helping each other grow in fields of

interest and utilising their free time in

manner that is most beneficial to the

society at large.

Also addressing the audience, K

AShafiq, Secretary of the Kerala Chap-

ter of Welfare Party of India, said wom-

en can play a detrimental role in social

change and the welfare and progress

of a community is rested mainly with

its women folks.

Taj Aluva, President of Cultural Fo-

rum (CF), presided over the ceremo-

ny, which was also attended by Ham-

ida Qader, Vice-Principal, MES Indi-

an School; Femida Kunjumuhammad,

Head of Junior Section at MES Indian

School, and Aparna Nair, Project Coor-

dinator at Hamad Medical Corporation.

Shahida Jaleel presented a documen-

tary on organic farming and Najma Na-

seer shared her ideas on the methods

to be adopted in organic framing. Ra-

jeena Ali, CF Vice-President, welcomed

the guests and Thahira Farooq, CF Sec-

retary, proposed vote of thanks. Abida

Subair compered the programme.

Cultural Forum celebrates Qatar Environment Day

Burger King celebrated its 20th year in Qatar with a special ceremony held at its flagship Suhaim Bin Hamad Street restaurant branch. US Ambassador Dana Shell

Smith and senior officials from Premier Food Services, the exclusive franchisee for Burger King in Qatar, attended. Camille Aoun, General Manager of Premier

Food Services, thanked the ambassador for her support. The ambassador and Aoun congratulated two long-serving employees.

Burger King celebrates 20 years in Qatar

FOOD


By Joe Yonan The Washington Post

We all love shortcuts to a good soup —

and by “good,” I mostly mean one that

has well-developed flavour, the kind

that can sometimes take a little time.

That’s why we buy bouillon cubes, why we make our

own stocks and broths and freeze them, why we sock

soup away in the freezer to be eaten another day.

For years, I’ve been making my own soup bas-

es: concentrated versions of soups that take up less

space in the freezer than a finished batch and can

be defrosted, thinned out and finessed in a few dif-

ferent directions. I got the idea from Italian cooking

maven Lidia Bastianich, making one base that fea-

tures roasted sweet potato and another that uses

white beans.

Recently, another great idea for a soup base en-

tered my kitchen, from Miyoko Schinner, the vegan

author and “cheese” maker. In her book The Home-

made Vegan Pantry, she writes about a cream of

broccoli soup concentrate that employs rice and

cashews to give it that creamy mouth feel without

any dairy products. And here’s what I love about it

most: It cooks in under a half-hour.

Cream of broccoli soup concentrateMakes 5 cups; enough for five 1 ½-cup servings

of soup MAKE AHEAD: The soup concentrate can be

portioned into airtight containers in 1-cup amounts

and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to

3 months.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil1 medium onion, diced2 ribs celery, diced2 ½ cups water, or more as needed½ cup long-grain white rice½ cup raw, unsalted cashews2 tablespoons Vegan Bouillon (see recipe be-

low; may substitute 3 vegetable bouillon cubes or 1 tablespoon powdered vegetable stock)

1 teaspoon sea salt1 head broccoli (may substitute 11/2 pounds

broccoli florets)

StepsHeat a little water or oil in a medium saucepan

over medium heat. Add the onion and celery; cook,

stirring frequently, for 10 to 12 minutes or until ten-

der.

Add the 2 ½ cups of water, the rice, cashews, Ve-

gan Bouillon and salt, stirring to incorporate; then, if

you’re using broccoli florets, add about half of them

to the saucepan. If you’re using the head of brocco-

li, use a vegetable peeler to peel the stems, then cut

the stems into very thin slices and add them to the

mix; cut the broccoli tops into small florets and re-

serve them. Cover and reduce the heat to low; cook

for 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and

there’s not much more than ½ cup of water left in

the pot.

Scatter the reserved broccoli florets or tops over

the surface of what’s in the saucepan; cover and let

them steam for 5 minutes or until they are crisp-ten-

der. (Alternatively, you can steam them in a separate

pot.) Use a slotted spoon to transfer the florets to a

bowl.

At this point, there should be very little liquid left

in the saucepan. Remove from the heat and uncov-

er to let the mixture cool a bit, then transfer it to a

blender, working in batches as needed. Remove the

centre knob in the lid so steam can escape, and cov-

er the opening with a paper towel to avoid splash-

ups; puree until smooth, silky and creamy. If the mix-

ture is too thick to blend evenly, add ¼ cup or so of

water, but keep in mind that the concentrate should

be thick.

Return the mixture to the saucepan, then stir in

the cooked broccoli florets. The concentrate is ready

for use or for storing.

To reconstitute and heat the soup, use ½ cup

of water for every 1 cup of the concentrate, adding

more as desired.

Vegan bouillon

Makes 1 cup; enough for sixteen 1-cup servings of

broth MAKE AHEAD: The bouillon paste can be stored

in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to

6 weeks or refrigerated for 3 to 4 months.

Ingredients½ cup nutritional yeast¼ cup porcini mushroom powder (may substi-

tute 6 tablespoons shiitake mushroom powder)¼ cup white miso¼ cup canola or other neutrally flavored oil3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce1 tablespoon onion powder1 tablespoon granulated garlic (powder)1 tablespoon celery seed2 teaspoons sea salt

StepsCombine the nutritional yeast, mushroom powder,

white miso, oil, soy sauce, onion and garlic powders,

celery seed and sea salt in a food processor; process

to form a thick, smooth paste.

Use right away, or transfer to an airtight container.

Forget canned soup and make your own concentrate

FASHION


By Marie-Louise Gumuchian Reuters

It will be a fairytale wardrobe for

Dolce & Gabbana fans next winter,

with the Italian fashion brand pre-

senting enchanting fantasy crea-

tions for its latest womenswear line at

Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

Against a backdrop of an open sto-

ry book, golden carriage and a clock

ticking towards midnight, Domenico

Dolce and Stefano Gabbana sent mod-

els out in a typically colourful and vi-

brant collection of richly-embellished

dresses with patterns referring to sto-

ries such as Cinderella and Snow White.

Sparkling sequined mice, carriages,

hand mirrors stitched with “Who Is the

Beautiful?”, fairy godmothers and gold

slippers were among the decorations

adorning glittering dresses. Cinderella’s

ball gown was given a modern make-

over in a shimmering fitted light blue

dress with enlarged shoulders.

Prince charming was also referred

to in the “Fashion Fabulous Fanta-

sy” show in dark suits made of jackets

embellished with regal references and

wide trousers that ended just below

the knee. Some jackets even had tails

at the back.

On one black dress, “Dreaming Of

My Prince” was written out in sequins

while one of the bags models carried

was designed to look like a small gold-

en carriage with wheels.

The fairy tale decorations also

came on sequined oversized jump-

ers, worn with cropped trousers, and

footwear that consisted of Cinderella-

style transparent and shiny bejewelled

heels.

The designers also used plenty of

floral, cat and apple prints on dress-

es, trousers and tops. Cut out flowers

decorated shoulders of coats and flat

headpieces.

Black and white tweed coats and

large dresses also had embroidered

sparkling flowers. Models also wore

long shirt dresses as well as black lace

outfits. For the finale, they changed in-

to short pink and silver sparkling dress-

es.

At Philipp Plein’s show on Saturday

night, the theme was more action he-

ro, with the German designer calling

his collection “Superheroine Extrava-

ganza”.

The show opened with fire-spit-

ting trucks carrying models, who lat-

er stepped off to unveil a mainly black

collection with dabs of gold and shiny

silver.

Plein, who said he took inspira-

tion from Catwoman and The Aveng-

ers, presented black body suits, some

transparent and cut out at the sides

and embellished with sparkles.

Black evening dresses also had

revealing sparkling slits. Short black

dresses had touches of lace.

Outerwear consisted of bomb-

er jackets, parkas and furry black or

white coats. Beanie hats and sports

shoes added an athletic touch to the

collection.

In show notes, Plein said the line

was for “highly-charged fearless wom-

en who brave the world with control,

femininity and bravado”. The design-

er, known for his spectacle-like fashion

shows, had singer Chris Brown per-

forming on the night.

In Milan, Cinderella goes to Dolce & Gabbana

Cinderella’s ball gown was given a modern makeover in a shimmering fitted light blue dress with enlarged shoulders.

HEALTH & FITNESS


By Fatima Shakeel The Peninsula

Today, in our society many peo-

ple face the difficulty of increase

in weight. According to 2015

World Health Organisation sta-

tistics, the ratio of overweight and obes-

ity in the world’s population has more

than doubled since 1980. According to

them 1.9 billion adults fall in the cate-

gory of overweight of which over 600

million were found to be obese. Among

children, 42 million under the age of 5

are overweight and obese.

Five to 10 years back the mortali-

ty of underweight people used to be

higher than people who were over-

weight, but now obesity causes more

deaths than famine and starvation.

Overweight is associated with multiple

health problems like high cholesterol

levels which leads to high blood pres-

sure, cardiovascular disease and type

2 diabetes. The question which comes

to mind is that why people today gain

more weight compared to people in

the past? Following are some causes

of weight gain.

Sedentary lifestyle

Sedentary lifestyle is a manner of

living which constitutes of minimal to

no physical activity due to which food

eaten mostly becomes fat. Nowadays,

most daily activities are carried out

while sitting for instance; office work

where a major portion of the day is

spent sitting in front of the computer.

Similar examples are reading books,

playing games, watching television or

using and iPad.

Overeating or binge eating

As I mentioned above major part

of our daily activities are associated

with sitting. While carrying out those

activities,we begin consuming vari-

ous eatables or drinks ie chips, cookies,

sweets, drinks. All of these food items

comprise of empty calories which are

detrimental to the health. Furthermore,

while consuming such items one does

not realise how much we ate which re-

sults in over eating. Such eating habits

when combined with stress can lead to

serious binge eating which can be ex-

tremely dangerous to one’s health.

Consumption of processed food

Since all of us are very busy in our

lives, we look for ease and comfort

in everything including food choices.

Most people today prefer to eat proc-

essed food. Processed food is high in

calories as compared to food which

is freshly made and also it does not

provide enough nutrients which fresh

foods provide.

Tempting advertisements

The major cause of obesity during

these days is tempting advertisements

and promotional offers whether they

are on billboards, television, in malls

or anywhere else. They portray deli-

cious food pictures which grab one’s at-

tention and make them want to have

them.

Yoyo diets

Every individual wants to lose

weight quickly without going through

vigorous physical activities, and these

types of diets offers weight reducing

drugs and single food group based di-

ets like cabbage diet etc. These diet

plans are very easy to adapt and real-

ly help in losing weight. However, in the

long run they are incredibly unhealthy

for the body and drugs always have

side effects. Furthermore, once such

plans run their course and people start

following their normal routine; weight

gain strikes back!

Tips to manage your weight

Make a healthy choiceTry to plan your meal beforehand,

what you will have in breakfast, lunch

and in dinner. Follow the food plate

procedure, which includes all food

groups ie fruits, vegetables, milk, meat

and bread and cereals. Do not skip any

food group.

Limit portion sizes

It is very important to limit your

portion size. For example, if you are

having a plate full of rice for lunch or in

dinner cut it down into half. Try to learn

about adequate portion sizes for differ-

ent age groups.

Add colours

Vegetables and fruits are the main

source of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

These foods include fewer calories and

more nutrients. It fulfils your appetite

and kills your hunger pangs.

Go for fibre-rich food

Fiber-rich foods are very impor-

tant in a healthy diet; it plays a ma-

jor role in weight loss, fibre-rich foods

helps in binding cholesterol from your

body and helps in excretion as well. Fi-

bre rich foods are whole grain bread,

whole grain oats and brown rice, avoid

refined foods.

Cut down calories

Best way of reducing weight is reduc-

ing calories in your diet which automati-

cally leads to weight loss. Try to choose

food items which are less in calories, a

preferred choice would be raw fruits and

vegetables. Fill half of your plate with

vegetables, ¼ with meat based foods

and ¼ with whole grains. Meat based

food should be boiled and baked since it

would reduce calories in them.

Improve cooking procedures

Try to cook your food in less oil, it

would be still better to bake, boil or

steam since these procedures help in

retaining nutrients in the food. Avoid

fried and oily foods which are high in

calories.

Have frequent meals

Instead of having 3 large meals with

6 hours difference each, try to have fre-

quent meals. Expand your meals in a

day to 5 with 2 hours difference each.

Remember to limit your portion sizes.

Avoid processed food

Confectioneries and processed

food items are high in calories so it is

better to strictly avoid them, use whole

grain snacks, oat bars, or chickpeas in-

stead of them.

Alter daily routine

Try to walk to nearby places instead

of using car, use stairs instead of lifts

and elevators, and park your car at a

distance so that you can have a good

walk back home.

Excercise daily

Daily exercise and walk brings a lot

of difference. Daily 30 minutes workout

or walking maintains your weight.

Manage your weight to lead a healthy life

ENTERTAINMENT


By Caitlin Moore The Washington Post

Sweeping Southern landscape?

Check. Mismatched relationship

between a rich girl and a laid-

back boy (who often goes shirt-

less)? Check. A medical crisis that may

determine the fate of the relationship?

An overwrought plot twist? A repeat-

ed catchphrase that will soon be past-

ed across tweens’ Tumblr pages every-

where? Check, check and check.

Such are the attributes of The Choice, the latest book-turned-film from

author Nicholas Sparks. But they’re al-

so the hallmarks of almost every other

movie based on the best-selling writ-

er’s romance novels. (See: The Note-

book, A Walk to Remember, Dear John,

The Longest Ride, etc., etc.) The Choice

is nothing if not consistent, following the

well-worn footsteps of its predecessors.

The film tells the complicated love

story of Travis (Benjamin Walker), a

smooth-talking veterinarian used to get-

ting his way, and Gabby (Teresa Palm-

er), an uptight, career-focused medical

student. They begin as neighbours, their

meet-cute precipitated by Travis playing

his music a little too loudly while Gab-

by is hitting the books. Her reaction to

his transgression sets the tone for their

relationship throughout the film: overre-

acting and emotional, she nearly jumps

down his throat with her grievances;

while he, calm and charming, tries to

placate her.

One of the biggest problems with

the film is this very dynamic: While Palm-

er and Walker do seem to have natural

chemistry, Palmer’s acting is so overripe

that it seems as though every sentence

Gabby speaks ends with an exclamation

point. This makes Travis’ sudden, deep

interest in her somewhat unbelievable.

(Perhaps this is why Travis keeps talking

about Gabby “bothering” him — some-

thing he says to her often. It’s fitting, giv-

en her annoying manner.)

After Travis helps Gabby through

a pet-related emergency, they start to

bond a bit through more regular inter-

action, including (accidentally deep) dis-

cussions about deities. Still, the speed

with which the relationship progresses

feels forced. Early on, there are know-

ing looks from Travis’ sister (Maggie

Grace, the victim of an unflattering bru-

nette wig or an unforgivable hairstylist),

who utters such unsubtle lines as “Uh-

oh, you just met your wife,” despite hav-

ing seen the couple interact only once

or twice.

Metaphors in the film are used as

big, blinking, neon signs: He’s a one-

chair kind of guy, but he put out a sec-

ond one. And logic and natural pacing

go out the window, despite a nearly

two-hour running time. Travis and Gab-

by go from yelling at each other one

minute to having a civil conversation the

next. Soon they’re boating with friends

and sharing a homemade meal.

If you’ve seen the trailer, you know

there’s a car accident that leaves Gab-

by hooked up to medical equipment - a

plot point that propels the last third of

the film. Consequently, the film relies on

Walker to supply much of the heavy lift-

ing, acting-wise, from that point on. He’s

an able lead, strong but subtle in his

emotional scenes. (It’s not a true Sparks

movie unless you tear up, and you will.)

There are some characters that draw

attention away from the main relation-

ship, but it’s hard to become invested

in Travis’s father (Tom Wilkinson), or his

clumsy attempts to court a new love,

much less Gabby’s innocent bystand-

er of a boyfriend (a wooden Tom Well-

ing). Their subplots are all just paths that

wind their way to the central love story.

The Choice arguably raises more

questions than it answers: How can

Gabby go on a spiel about what kind of

man Travis is, based on the number of

chairs he has in his yard? Why do the

puppies born to Gabby’s golden re-

triever look like chihuahuas? How is it

that Travis’ hair stays in the exact same

style, despite the film’s nearly decade-

long storyline? And why is it that Gabby

is surrounded by books when we meet

her, but then never seems to crack one

again? Anyone not expecting any more

than another simple entry in the Sparks

catalogue will not be disappointed.

There are no surprises here - OK, may-

be one - and you can expect some light

welling-up of the tear ducts and a few

laugh-out-loud moments, sandwiched

between corny dialogue and dramatic

acts of love.

Once again, Sparks delivers the

goods to his waiting fans. But if you’ve

never seen a movie based on one of his

books before, this second-rate “Choice”

may not be the best introduction.

One of the biggest problems with the film is this very dynamic: While Palmer and Walker do seem to have natural chemistry, Palmer’s acting is so overripe that it seems as though every sentence Gabby speaks ends with an exclamation point. This makes Travis’ sudden, deep interest in her somewhat unbelievable.

The Choice is familiar, if sub-par Nicholas Sparks

ENTERTAINMENT


By Kishori Sud IANS

Acclaimed actor Kabir Bedi,

who has featured in interna-

tional projects like The Bold

and the Beautiful and Prince

of Persia: The Sands of Time, says the

culture of song and dance in Indian

cinema is its USP.

“With corporatism coming in, films

are being made more in an Amer-

ican kind of style here which wasn’t

the case earlier. Back then, we used

to take long time to make films and

today we are making them much fast-

er. But the differences have narrowed

a lot,” the 69-year-old Bedi, who has

been in the industry for over four dec-

ades, said in an interview.

“In terms of special effects, Holly-

wood is better but in the variety of

content, our cinema is expanding fast.

What makes Bollywood unique is its

use of song and dance. That is re-

spected a lot today. Nobody can do

song and dance better than Bolly-

wood. Not even Broadway,” he added.

Talking about the song and dance

sequences, the veteran actor also

shared that currently, the young crop

of filmmakers is making more of real-

istic films which can be understood by

the global audience.

“It is not just about singing and

dancing around the trees but younger

people are making more realistic films

and more films are being made which

appeal to the international audience,”

said Kabir, whose popular Italian TV

series Sandokan took Europe and Lat-

in America by storm in the late 1970s.

Last year, he launched its DVD in India.

Asked if the content of films has

gone down as compared to the old

era?

“I have been in the business long

enough to know that all times we have

made good films and we have made

bad films. But the only thing is, the

films of the old era... we remember the

ones which were good, not the ones

which were bad,” the “Khoon Bhari

Maang” actor said.

“It seems that we have made more

good films in the early days, but it’s not

true. Ten years from now, we will look

back and see that we have made as

many good films today, as we had be-

fore,” he added.

With more and more film festivals

getting launched across the globe, Ka-

bir believes that it is a good platform

for filmmakers of different countries to

meet one another.

“The more film festivals there are,

the better it is. Film festivals are great

also because film makers meet each

other and talk...People think that we

are in the same industry so we meet

each other; we don’t. Meeting filmmak-

ers from other parts of the world leads

to interesting ideas and collaborations,”

he said.

“It’s the joy to know people in the

community and also by having film fes-

tivals in a city, people get to see differ-

ent kinds of films,” Kabir added.

Talking about his upcoming projects,

the Octopussy actor believes that “talk-

ing about something in the pipeline

can end up to the pipe drain”. He add-

ed, “It’s best that I talk only about the

tangible as here it’s more words than

actions”.

Bedi hails Bollywood dance and music

Special screening of Zubaan held in MumbaiFashion social network Roposo

held an exclusive screening of

the upcoming musical drama

film Zubaan in Mumbai.

The screening took place Satur-

day at PVR Juhu as a build-up to the

film’s official release across theatres

on March 4.

The event was marked by the

presence of the film’s star cast Sarah

Jane Dias and Vicky Kaushal, along

with its director Mozez Singh and pro-

ducer Guneet Monga.

The screening was held in collab-

oration with 1018mb — a venture by

actor Saumya Tandon and ex-Invest-

ment banker Saurabh Singh. Along

with promoting the fashion of Zu-

baan on Roposo, the Zubaan team al-

so ran contents on the social network

through which a few lucky winners

bagged the opportunity to meet and

greet the stars from the film.

Roposo spokesperson Avinash

Saxena said in a statement: “We saw

a natural collaboration between the

youth-centric and trendy look of Zu-

baan as we are all for promoting a

personal sense of style and fashion

that aspirational users can relate to.”

“The screening is a part of a se-

ries of activities that we have planned

to execute to build maximum buzz

around the film before its actual re-

lease.” The film showcases Sarah as a

fashionista. The tie-up with Roposo

has seen her and Vicky make profiles

on Roposo as well as post their liking

for the fashion network endorsing it

among their fans through platforms

like Twitter and Instagram.

Exclusive stills from the film have

been shared by Roposo besides de-

signing new looks for Sarah on its

platform as part of the cross-promo-

tional activities.

Sarah said: Â“I think it’s great

that Roposo is covering ‘Zubaan’

from a fashion point of view. The

looks in the film are unique and ur-

ban-fusion inspired; this makes it

very desirable for all those fashion-

istas out there.”

Zubaan, written and directed by

Mozez Singh, is the coming-of-age

story of a young boy who loses faith

and drifts away from music only to re-

discover himself through it.

Monga elaborated on the collabo-

ration with Roposo saying: “‘Zubaan’

is a story about discovering yourself

through music. It’s a coming of age

journey of a young man from faith-

lessness to faith.”

TECHNOLOGY


By Dina Bass Bloomberg

Jennifer Marsman recently test-

ed a lie detector of her own de-

sign on her boss at Microsoft. Do

you work for the best company

in the world, she asked. Yes. Oops! Ac-

cording to the software, that was prob-

ably a fib. Will she get a promotion this

year? Yes! This time her manager was

most likely telling the truth.

No, Microsoft isn’t getting into the

law-enforcement game. Marsman, 37,

is a “principal developer evangelist,”

whose job is to tirelessly advocate for

machine learning — a form of artifi-

cial intelligence that uses data to make

predictions about everything from

quarterly sales to when a cow will get

pregnant.

The lie detector, cobbled togeth-

er from algorithms and a 14-pronged

headset that measures brain waves, is

a kind of party trick Marsman deploys

to show software developers how to

use Microsoft’s Azure Machine Learning

tools. Boisterous and known to spout

Harry Potter references, Marsman plays

a crucial role for a company that was

early to machine learning but is now

competing with Google and Amazon

to commercialize the technology.

The stakes are high. In the coming

years, machine learning will change the

world-making computers exponential-

ly smarter and helping companies cut

costs, figure out where to invest and

a whole lot more. Bloomberg Intelli-

gence analyst Anurag Rana describes

the technology as “one of the biggest

differentiators for software companies

for years to come.” Without it, he says,

“you’re not going to be able to sell your

product.”

Though Microsoft has been work-

ing on machine learning for at least

20 years, divisions like Office and Win-

dows once harnessed its predictive

qualities only sparingly. “The reaction

of many people there was ‘We know

how to do things, why are you ques-

tioning my views with your data,’” says

Pedro Domingos, a University of Wash-

ington computer science professor

who wrote a book on machine learning

called “The Master Algorithm.”

Microsoft truly embraced the tech-

nology when it started Bing in an at-

tempt to catch up with Google. Satya

Nadella ran engineering and technical

strategy for the search division before

becoming chief executive officer two

years ago and has been sprinkling ma-

chine learning like fairy dust on every-

thing his company touches. “Microsoft

is now in this place where they have

machine learning very deeply embed-

ded,” Domingos says. “They’re invest-

ing a lot in making machine learning

less Wild West.”

Like Google and Amazon, which

have both used the technology to im-

prove their own products, Microsoft

is weaving machine learning into its

own operations. This isn’t simply about

helping the company save money and

function better; the more Microsoft us-

es the technology itself, the easier it is

to explain and sell. “Customers are con-

fused,” says Joseph Sirosh, lured from

Amazon in 2013 to oversee engineer-

ing for Microsoft’s machine learning ef-

forts. “Cutting through that noise has

been a bit of a challenge. It has been

also hard for our own field and sales

people to go talk to customers and ed-

ucate them about all the use cases.”

CFO Amy Hood’s finance depart-

ment has come to rely on algorithms-

using them to help forecast sales and

how many licenses the company will

sell in a given period. “It turns out to

be very, very accurate for that applica-

tion,” Sirosh says. “Amy Hood is a big

fan of this. She can sleep nicer know-

ing that a machine learning model pre-

dicted her quarter.”

Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, 25, is a

data cowboy-he chose his own title-on

the Azure Security Data Science team.

He uses machine learning algorithms

to predict suspicious behavior on Mi-

crosoft’s networks. Security teams are

already pretty good at finding an attack

once they know what they’re looking

for; Kumar has to find them before an-

yone has that information.

To train his algorithms to recognise

malicious behaviour, he feeds them ac-

tual attacks by Microsoft’s Red Team of

internal hackers paid to break into the

company’s networks as well as threat

reports coming in from Microsoft’s se-

curity centre. That allows him to build

models that can recognize real ex-

ploits. All kinds of companies and in-

dustries are already using Microsoft

technology. Japanese farmers are

tracking cows, which walk more when

ready to conceive, so they can insemi-

nate the cow at the optimal moment.

An Australian wine company is using

similar algorithms to predict grape

yields. A hospital about an hour from

Microsoft is using Azure tools to help

figure out which cardiac patients are

most likely to require re-admission.

Norway’s eSmart Systems uses Azure

Machine Learning to forecast energy

grid usage and turn down home heat-

ing when demand is high.

Matt McIlwain, a managing director

at Madrona Venture Group in Seattle,

says Microsoft’s machine learning is as

good or better than rival technology.

But he says Microsoft still suffers from

the perception that it’s playing catch-

up. “How do people find out that Mi-

crosoft has really cool machine learn-

ing capabilities that they can use?” he

says. “They’ve got to get their story out

there.”

That’s where Jennifer Marsman

comes in. She travels the world dem-

onstrating her lie detector and spark-

ing conversations about potential us-

es for machine learning. Medical ap-

plications come up a lot. People have

asked about using the technology to

predict seizures, monitoring the eld-

erly at assisted living facilities and de-

ciding whether a football player injured

during a game should go to hospital or

back onto the field.

Lie detection is a killer app in Microsoft

Microsoft truly embraced the technology when it started Bing in an attempt to catch up with Google. Satya Nadella ran engineering and technical strategy for the search division before becoming chief executive officer two years ago and has been sprinkling machine learning like fairy dust on everything his company touches.

SCIENCE


By Eric Roston Bloomberg

Microsoft founder Bill Gates

made news last week when

he called for an “energy

miracle” that would halt cli-

mate change and reduce the cost of

energy. “I don’t mean something that’s

impossible,” he wrote in his annual let-

ter. Gates wants a miracle akin to the

polio vaccine or the personal compu-

ter.

Hundreds of potential minor mira-

cles are on display this week at the an-

nual confab of the Advanced Research

Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), a

part of the US Department of Ener-

gy. The event features keynote speak-

ers including Senator Lisa Murkowski

(; Victor Abate, General Electric’s chief

technology officer; and Jim Yong Kim,

president of the World Bank.

Unlike the polio vaccine, which was

developed in a lab, or early personal

computers, famously assembled in a

garage, even simple energy technolo-

gies may require things like rare-earth

magnets, advanced chemical coatings,

nanoscale catalysts, and the engineer-

ing know-how to put a million com-

ponents together so that they work.

Companies and institutions working on

these things, the nuts and bolts of the

energy revolution, will show up in force

at the ARPA-E summit this week.

Here are three of the minor mira-

cles included in the conference’s En-

ergy Innovation Summit technology

showcase: The miracle of the power

wardrobe

Putting on and taking off sweaters

and jackets has been a chore for hu-

mans in temperate regions since peo-

ple first slung animal pelts over their

shoulders. The staff of Otherlab, an

idea-driven engineering and comput-

ing company, call themselves “mischie-

vous scientists, practical dreamers.”

They’re developing, among other whiz-

bang stuff, materials that change thick-

ness and insulation depending on the

ambient temperature. Smarter cloth-

ing could mean less heating and air

conditioning.

Three universities are also expect-

ed to show off power- thread research

this week. At Stanford, for exam-

ple, scientists are developing clothing

that’s transparent to infrared energy

— meaning the body can radiate heat

almost as if it were unclad. That’d be

helpful in summer; for winter, they’re

looking at clothing that contains metal-

lic nanowire to help keep body heat in.

For those comfortable in their cur-

rent wardrobes, the University of Mar-

yland and several partners are work-

ing on a “roving comforter” robot that

follows individuals around and keeps

them warm or cool. The miracle of

clean vehicles

Current Motor Co, an Ann Arbor,

Michigan, startup, has developed what

it calls a “mini-fleet-in-a-box” — elec-

tric, cargo — ferrying motorcycles pack-

aged in a portable box-slash-solar-

charging-station. The bikes can reach

speeds of 70 miles per hour and trav-

el up to 50 miles per charge, and are

built to carry either a driver and “sub-

stantial cargo” or two riders and less

stuff, according to the company.

The rechargeable motorbikes may

be the showcase’s only concept that’s

ready to imagine into a Mission: Im-

possible movie. Plenty of other gadg-

ets and materials being developed

may bring alternative vehicles clos-

er to market. Ceramatec, an engineer-

ing company, has received more than

$2 million from ARPA-E to develop a

vehicle fuel cell that doesn’t heat up

as much as current technology or re-

quire as much platinum. The miracle of

any technology with “ultra” in its title

A lab at the University of Colora-

do at Boulder spun out Solid Pow-

er in 2012 to develop a better, cheap-

er electric-car battery, which ARPA-E

grants the techie title “ultrahigh-ener-

gy, safe and low-cost all solid-state re-

chargeable battery for electric vehicles.”

A microelectronic research group at

Georgia Institute of Technology has es-

tablished proof-of-concept for a pow-

erful energy storage technology that

can charge and empty faster than bat-

teries. The group’s “ultrahigh-perform-

ance supercapacitor” takes advantage

of the unusual properties of graphene,

or molecular sheets of carbon, that are

being investigated for many different

potential uses.

Other “ultra”-named technologies

might bring more efficient solar power,

more sensitive battery monitors, and

rare-earth metals production that uses

much less energy. Living through a mi-

raculous time

Hundreds of labs and startups are

trying to make energy miracles. Getting

the technologies to work, scale up, and

survive are the first steps. Gates’s crit-

ics, such as renewable- power investor

Jigar Shah and liberal climate expert

Joe Romm, have argued we already

have the technology we need to clean

up the energy that powers the econo-

my—we just need to get on it. Maybe

so. But it would also be cool to have

rechargeable motorcycles that can roll

right out the back of a truck.

Current Motor Co, an Ann Arbor, Michigan, startup, has developed what it calls a “mini-fleet-in-a-box” — electric, cargo — ferrying motorcycles packaged in a portable box-slash-solar- charging-station. The bikes can reach speeds of 70 miles per hour and travel up to 50 miles per charge, and are built to carry either a driver and “substantial cargo” or two riders and less stuff, according to the company.

Energy miracles Gates hoping for

Action Hero Biju (2D/Malayalam) 2:15 & 11:00pmColonia (2D/Drama) 4:45pm Aarathu Sinam (2D/Tamil) 2:30pmThe Faith of Anna Waters (2D/Horror) 6:45pmKanithan (2D/Tamil) 8:30pm Unnatural (2D/Horror) 5:00pmBarbie: Spy Squad (2D/Animation) 2:30 & 4:00pm Deadpool (2D/Action) 5:30 & 11:15pmZoolander (2D/Comedy) 7:30 & 9:30pmKings of Egypt (2D/Action) 6:30 & 8:30pmThe Revenant (2D/Drama) 10:45pm

ROYAL PLAZABarbie: Spy Squad (2D/Animation) 2:15 & 3:30pm The Faith of Anna Waters (2D/Horror) 5:00pmKings of Egypt (2D/Action) 7:00, 9:15 & 11:30pmColonia(2D/Drama)3:00 & 6:45pm Unnatural(2D/Horror) 3:00pmNeerja (2D/Hindi) 5:00pm The Revenant (2D/Drama) 8:45pm Zoolander (2D/Comedy) 7:15 & 11:15pmDeadpool (2D/Action) 5:00, 9:00 & 11:30pm

ASIAN TOWN

NOVO

MALL

LANDMARKVILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

NEERJA

BABY BLUES

ZITS

Neerja is a portrayal on the life of the courageous Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on the Pan Am flight 73 in 1986. The flight was hijacked by a terrorist organization.

14 WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2016

CINEMA PLUS

Deadpool (2D/Action) 10:00, 11:00am, 12:10, 2:20, 3:20, 4:30, 6:50, 9:10, 10:00, 11:30pm & 12:10amKings of Egypt (2D/Action) 11:30am, 12:00noon, 4:40, 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 & 11:55pm Zoolander 2 (2D/Comedy) 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 & 11:00pm Barbie Spy Squad(2D/Animation)10:00, 11:40am, 1:20, 3:00&4:40pmUnnatural (2D/Horror) 6:00, 8:00, 10:00 & 11:50pmThe Faith of Anna Waters (2D/Horror) 11:10am, 3:10, 7:10 & 11:10pmColonia (2D/Drama) 1:00, 5:00 & 9:00pmAlvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2D/Animation) 10:20am, 12:10, 2:00, 3:50 & 5:40pmHow To Be Single (2D/Comedy) 7:30, 9:40 & 11:50pmCriminal Activities(2D/Crime)10:30am, 12:20, 2:10, 6:00, 9:50&11:40pmHow To Be Single (2D/Comedy) 7:30, 9:40 & 11:50pmHail Caesar (2D/Comedy) 1:10, 5:30 & 7:40pmKings of Egypt(3D IMAX/Action)10:30am, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30&11:00pm

Action Hero Biju (Malayalam) 5:30, 7:00, 8:15, 9:45 & 11:00pmPavaada (Malayalam) 8:15pm Kanithan (Tamil) 7:45pmAarathu Sinam (Tamil) 10:30pm

Barbie: Spy Squad (2D/Animation) 2:15 & 4:15pm Unnatural (2D/Horror) 3:30pm Colonia (2D/Drama) 9:45pmThe Faith of Anna Waters (2D/Horror) 5:00pmDeadpool (2D/Action) 6:45pm Kanithan (2D/Tamil) 2:00pmAction Hero Biju (2D/Malayalam) 4:30 & 8:30pmThe Revenant (2D/Drama) 9:00 & 11:00pmAarathu Sinam (2D/Tamil) 2:00pmZoolander 2 (2D/Comedy) 5:45pmKings of Egypt (2D/Action) 7:00 & 11:30pmNeerja (2D/Hindi) 7:00pm Tere Bin Laden (2D/Hindi) 11:30pm

EASY SUDOKU

15WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2016

Yesterday’s answerEasy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 1

to 9 in each empty cell so every row, every

column and every 3x3 box contains all the

digits 1 to 9.

Yesterday’s answer

How to play Hyper Sudoku:A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like a normal Sudoku.

HYPER SUDOKU

Yesterday’s answer

How to play Kakuro:The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers.

KAKURO

ACROSS

1 Almost a controlling interest

5 “More’s the pity”

10 Spanish getaway locale

14 Second major figure in the Bible

alphabetically

15 Clued in

16 TV tavern named after its proprietor

17 Charles Lamb collection first published in 1823

19 Question persistently

20 Dispel the doubts of

21 They’re never free of charge

23 New school?

24 First letter in “Thanatos”

25 Track star known as the Buckeye Bullet

27 Pink elephant, e.g.

29 Exhibit extreme exhaustion

30 Small, playful sort

33 Subterranean toiler

34 When many verge on adolescence

36 Duty on gasoline or tobacco

39 Annual gala usually held in September

40 Lump in the throat

41 Back 42 Highway caution

43 One-named German singer who was a

one-hit wonder

44 Remote chance, informally

47 Prince and Journey output

49 Gas regulator

53 Novelist Santha Rama ___

54 Tip jar deposits 55 Cried “Uncle!”

56 Upscale hotel chain

58 Informal group that includes the

Universities of California, Michigan and

Virginia

60 Easily walked over

61 Opposite of dystopian

62 Son of Agrippina

63 Oxford bottom

64 Ceaselessly

65 Sombre

DOWN

1 Goes after, as a task

2 Leave red-faced

3 Charter

4 Mexican rolled tortilla dish

5 Untagged?

6 Put off paying

7 Worth noting

8 Melodious

9 School heads

10 Small, playful sort

11 Bad things to hit

12 Yellow garnish

13 Resort near Snowmass

18 Viva voce

22 Bit of swamp flora

25 Bit of black magic

26 City west of Provo Peak

28 False divinity

30 No. on a business card

31 Whipper snapper?

32 Makes minuscule modifications in

34 “Land ___!”

35 Natal opening?

37 “___ that special?”

38 Words from an Italian lover

39 All-___ (four-wheel-drive system on old Toyotas)

41 Flying saucer 44 Phony

45 Emergency rescue, briefly

46 Unhinged, say

47 Something a bakery produces

48 Detach, in a way

50 Wrench, essentially

51 Opposite of “mourir” 52 Diplomat

55 Impart a false brilliance to

57 Adopted “South Park” sibling

59 Device-linking system, for short

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

B E N Z M A C H S C E N EC R O W A B A A C O C O AC A R E E R I S T R U I N S

M I S S T H E T A R G E TE T A C H O C H P SS U B W A Y F A R E E F T ST R A M P B E T A I O NA R T D E C O P A R T T W OT E E D O V E C U Z C OE T S Y M I N D T H E G A P

E R E G O B I E R SA P P L E T U R N O V E RK O A L A B A N N E R A D SO P T E D E V I E S L O PN E E D Y R E E D E D G Y

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22 23

24 25 26

27 28 29

30 31 32 33 34 35

36 37 38 39

40 41 42

43 44 45 46

47 48 49 50 51 52

53 54 55

56 57 58 59

60 61 62

63 64 65

CROSSWORD

However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number.Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.

BRAIN TEASERS

Hoy en la HistoriaMarch 2, 1931

1836:�� 1933: The movie King Kong had its world premiere, featuring special effects culminating in the giant ape atop the Empire State Building1986:�� 2011: Government minister Shahbaz �� blasphemy laws, was assassinated

Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, whose reforming policies of glasnost and perestroika contributed to the end of the Cold War, was born

��!�"�� #�$%� &'(�"�)*

Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

dt page 01 march 02 - the peninsula · 2016-09-11 · investigated epithelial cells in relation to...

Documents