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MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013 • [email protected] • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741
CAMPUS
COMMUNITY
HEALTH
SCIENCE
FOOD
LEARN ARABIC
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• Engineering careerawareness session by RasGas
• Qatar Foundationhosts delegationfrom QSE
• Experts warnof untreatableTB risk
• Exoskeletonsare hereto stay
• Foraged food finds wayto US tables
• Learn commonlyused Arabic wordsand their meanings
inside
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Samsung, HP pop-tops do laptop double duty
A survey by Bridgestone Corporation revealed that 47 A survey by Bridgestone Corporation revealed that 47 percent of Qatari motorists don’t check their tryes.
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Tyre hazard
2 COVER STORYPLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013
SafetyBy Fazeena Saleem
Proper tyre maintenance is an important safety measure often neglected. Tyres are the only contact between the vehicle and the road and importance of their proper maintenance cannot be overemphasised. However, a survey by Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tyre
and rubber company, has revealed that only a few people in Qatar check their tyres often.
The survey revealed that 47 percent of Qatari motorists didn’t check their tyres, consequently increasing chances of accidents.
Among those who check their tyres only a small percentage said they did it regularly. As many as 16 per cent respondents checked their tyres once a week and 33 per cent did it every three months.
Asked about the reason for not doing it regularly, most drivers — 19 percent respondents — admitted that they did not know how to do it.
Surprisingly, 57 percent didn’t know what the tread wear indicator wad meant. (Tread wear indicators are bars made of hard rubber lying crossways across the tread. You can’t see them on new tyres, but as the tread wears down, they become visible).
The survey also found that many drivers had no idea about how environment friendly were the tyres they were using.
And as many as 54 percent were unaware of the meaning of ‘tyre rolling resist-ance’ (Wasted energy as a tyre rolls) and its implications for the environment.
first
3PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013
Proper tyre maintenance and safety is simple and easy. Experts recommend getting in the habit of spending five minutes every month on tyres — to check them, including the spare ones.
Check your tread depthMore tread means more grip in the wet. It’s as simple as that. Check your tread depth regularly either with a tread gauge or by using the built-in tread wear indicator on your tyres. While the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, anything under 3mm (or 4mm for winter tyres) can seriously undermine performance and safety.
Check your tread depth:On all four tyresIn each main grooveIn at least 2 points along the groove
Check your tyre pressureTyres simply will not work without enough air. Make sure you check your pressure at least once a month and keep your tyres correctly inflated at all times. You’ll find the correct pressure for your vehicle in your operating manual and in most cases either under your fuel cap, on the inside of your door or in your glove compartment.
Check your tyre pressure:When your tyres are coldBefore long journeysWhen carrying heavy loads
Check for damage or irregular wearLook after your tyres and they will look after you. Check regularly for any signs of irregular wear, any sharp objects lodged in the tread and any cuts, tears, cracks or bulges. If in doubt, ask a specialist!
Check for damage or uneven wear regularly:On all four tyresOn both sides of the tyreOn wheel rims (which may damage your tyres)
Bridgestone held its third annual ‘Tyre Safety and Eco Station’ (TSES) campaign recently in Doha. The TSES multi-purpose station — on the ground floor of the City Centre Mall — was officially inaugurated by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim bin Faisal Al Thani, Chairman of Aamal QSC.
Visitors learnt about correct tyre care and maintenance for better road safety. Drivers were shown and practised how to check the proper tyre air pressure and tread wear to avoid the dangers of driving with under-inflated or over-inflated and worn-out or damaged tyres.
Children explored fun eco-educational activities in the TSES Kids Area.
“Bridgestone is committed to making the roads in Qatar a safer place for drivers and their families; for this reason we are back with the TSES education campaign for the third consecutive year,” said Deep Rajendran, Manager for Corporate Communications and Training at Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE.
“Figures from last year’s survey shows that there is still a lot to do education-wise and this is our purpose. At the Bridgestone TSES, drivers will not only be shown how to check tyres correctly, but will also be encouraged to test what they learn using simple procedures at the stand,” he added.
In a move to reduce road accidents, a 10-year National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) was launched in Qatar last month.
Ministries and many institutions as stakeholders provide a long-term vision of the mission to reduce road accidents, serious injuries and deaths due to crashes in Qatar.
The strategy is designed to save at least 800 lives and prevent 2,000 serious injuries over the next 10 years.
It lays its foundations for a safe road transport system that will benefit future generations. The Peninsula
Ministries and many institutions as Ministries and many institutions as stakeholders provide a long-term vision stakeholders provide a long-term vision of the mission to reduce road accidents, of the mission to reduce road accidents, serious injuries and deaths due to serious injuries and deaths due to crashes in Qatar.crashes in Qatar.
PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 20134 CAMPUS
RASGAS Company Ltd (RasGas) recently organised ‘Engineering Career Awareness Students Orientation Session 2013’ for
140 students from six schools in Qatar. It was held mainly to raise curiosity of high school students in the area of core engineering disciplines such as mechani-cal, electrical and chemical engineering. Presentations were made by two RasGas engineers. Students explored career
development opportunities available at RasGas.
Thamer Al Kaabi, Head of National Development at RasGas, gave an over-view about the RasGas Scholarship and Internship programmes and said: “RasGas strongly believes that education is vital for human capital development in our country.
“We hope this career awareness session will inspire our future high school graduates to take up engineering as their continuing
education stream.”Abdurrahman Al Mannai, Learning
and Development Manager at RasGas, said: “We believe we are accountable for ensuring the professional development of Qataris through supporting education across all ages, the transfer of knowledge and skills and being the employer of choice for Qatari nationals.
“As a platinum sponsor, RasGas supports Al Bairaq programme in partnership with
Qatar University, which will help secure a better mathematics and science standing in Qatar and spark interest in applied scien-ces and engineering among Qatari youth,” he said.
“Al Bairaq programme is aimed to create new, effective strategies to raise enrollment of Qatari youth in science-based studies following the approach ‘learning through conducting tesearch’,” he said.
The Peninsula
Engineering career awareness session by RasGas for 140 studentsStudents pose for a group picture along with RasGas officials.
Doha Bank offer to students
DOHA Bank, the leading private sector bank in Qatar, participated in Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar’s Professional Day 2013, at the university’s campus in Qatar Education City.
Professional Day is CMU-Qatar’s annual career and networking fair. Normally held in March each year, Professional Day is an opportunity for students interested in full-time positions or summer internships to connect with representatives of some of today’s leading companies. Doha Bank participated in the event to help students discover new opportu-nities for personal growth through a rewarding career at Doha Bank. The one-day pro-gramme allowed students to sub-mit their CVs for c o n s i d e r a t i o n by the bank’s human resources department.
Doha Bank Group CEO Dr R Seetharaman said: “Doha Bank is committed to supporting the State of Qatar’s drive to develop a comprehensive knowledge-based society that will drive future sustainability. The bank believes this is a key investment that public and private sector organisations should make to help build this knowledge base and support the youth of today. We are therefore honoured to be participating in the Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar’s annual Professional Day.”
Doha Bank offers graduates numerous development programmes to attract young talent and develop them into leaders of tomorrow. The Banking Trainee Programme, for example, grooms graduates to take on daily responsibilities, inclusive of executive mentorship and active experience in the bank’s operational units. This includes clas-sroom training, on-the-job training and e-learning opportunities offered by the human resources department.
Doha Bank also provides opportunities for high school students who wish to continue their education under the bank’s scholarship.
The duration of the scholarship extends to four to five years for university studies and two to three years for diplomas. Majors accepted for the scholarship programme include information technology, business administration, accounting, finance & banking, as well as law, marketing and human resources. Other fields related to core functions of banking are also considered. The Peninsula
IDEAL Indian School (IIS) recently organised a colourful evening for the tiny tots of Upper Kindergarten to mark their graduation to the primary section. Around 535 students donned convocation outfits
to receive certificates of promotion. Chief Guest Syed Abdul Hye, Vice-President of School Managing Committee, graced the occasion. The tiny tots were awarded for being the best students in academics and attending the school throughout the year with 100 percent attendance. They were presented with certificate by Hye, Head of Administration Abdul Rahim P P, Head of Co-curricular Activities Dr Abraham Kollamana and Head of Transport Yasir Muhyudeen. Mohd Fahad of KG C recited verses from the Holy Quran to commence the programme. Headmistress of the KG Section Shirley De’Sales welcomed the gathering.
In his keynote address, Hye stressed the need for developing intellectual curiosity among students. He emphasised on the school’s commitment to provide quality education. Principal Syed Shoukath Ali congratulated the students, their parents and teachers on crossing the first milestone in the world of education. He said that the school will continue to provide safe, caring and learning environment and warm treatment that make students feel at home.
The evening featured a mesmerising cultural extravaganza. The pro-gramme started with a welcome song performed by graduating students. Goan, Arabic and Rajastani dance presentations entertained the gathering. A spectacular skit Learn with Fun received appreciation from the audience.
The Peninsula
IIS kindergarten kids graduate
5COMMUNITY PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013
Earth Hour
LuLu Hypermarket Group observed Earth Hour on Saturday by switching off all neon and parking lights at their outlets in Qatar as part of their continuing commitments towards nature and society.
The W Doha hosts Nadia Ali
THE Crystal Lounge at The W Doha announced recently that the legend Nadia Ali will be hosting the most sought-after party in town. Nadia Ali is a world class, Grammy-nominated artist and will be pla-
ying to partygoers who will listen to the hottest music and dance the night away, under the lounges’ sparkling Baccarat “Zenith” chandelier of Crystal.
Crystal Lounge is notorious for its collaboration with the newest talent in the music, fashion and design industry, and Nadia Ali is no exception. The star has produced countless hits that have graced the charts world-wide. Nadia Ali’s career exploded when she leaped to the No. 2 spot on UK charts with her hit single Rapture which propelled her into the spotlight, and she became a music legend.
For those keen to step up their plans and stay in a W Suite, the ‘Weekend Escape’ package is ideal for guests to get ready and indulge in the pulsating nightlife. The buzzing package provides an insider access to the hottest night in town, and underlines Crystal Lounge’s position as the happening scene unseen in Doha.
AmjadHaidar, Manager of Crystal Lounge, said: “W Hotels is dedicated to offering insider access to a world of what’s new and next to amplify guests experiences. This year we have lined up exceptional talent, who when combined with our weekend packages which offer guests insider access to the lifestyle hospitality, buzzing nightlife and culinary experiences, creates an unbeatable experience.”
THE ST. REGIS DOHA turned off lights for Earth Hour to illuminate a powerful message about environmental awareness and action. With the year’s theme ‘Uniting People to Protect the Planet’ in mind, The St. Regis Doha activated a range of energy-saving measures. The hotel turned off exterior lighting and signage lighting; dimmed and turned off non-essential interior lighting and used candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and clubs. “It’s a privilege for us to support such a powerful movement with such a simple gesture,” said Tareq Derbas, General Manager, The St. Regis Doha.
Al Sadd Sports Club, the leading club in social responsibility in Qatar, participated in Earth Hour. Al Sadd’s first participation in this global initiative comes as an immediate response to Fifa’s call to reduce negative influences that sports organisations have on the environment. Al Sadd switched off all the lights in their main building — Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium — and the outside courts during the event. Salah Ahmadeen, Al Sadd’s CSR officer, said: “Al Sadd’s commitment to participate in this global event confirms serious efforts of the club towards delivering a responsible environmental message to the community.” Al Sadd remains committed to making a positive change in society through the power of sport. During the current season the club appointed star player Nadir Belhadj as an ambassador for the environment to lead club efforts in this regard.
Manchester Business School Middle East Centre (MBS), based in Dubai Knowledge
Village, will stage a free seminar open to the public, led by one of the school’s top faculty, and an open day for prospec-tive MBA students in Qatar this month.
MBS supports more than 1,400 part-time MBA students at the Middle East Centre, of whom around 8 per-cent are residents in Qatar. MBS Middle East Centre is the largest and fastest growing in the school’s international network.
MBS Open Day will be held tomorrow from 11am to 5pm at Al Ghariyah 3, La Cigale, Doha.
MBS Public Seminar will be held tomorrow from 6.30pm-8pm at La Ghariyah 2, La Cigale Doha
MBS Middle East Centre represen-tatives will be available at the Open Day to meet prospective students and MBA candidates, review and assess their CVs and application profiles, and hold one-to-one counselling sessions to explore options more personally.
MBS runs a highly successful part- time Global MBA programme for more than 1,400 working professionals in the region, from its centre in Dubai Knowledge Village.
Randa Bessiso (pictured) , Manchester Business School —
Director Middle East, said: “Our MBA Open Days are great platforms for us to meet prospec-tive MBA students and we are delighted to be hosting these events in Qatar. Our part-time MBA students are typically mid-career managers or specialists looking to switch career direction from a specia-list role to management,
or accelerate their management career. This route leads to the award of the same world class Manchester MBA degree awarded by the University of Manchester.” The Manchester Business School MBA is triple accre-dited and ranked 29th in the world, according to the Financial Times. The full schedule of Open Days is available online at http://www.mbs-uae.ac.ae/events.aspx The Peninsula
MBS free seminar, Open Day set
PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013 COMMUNITY66
QATAR Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development
recently hosted a delegation from the Qatar Society of Engineers (QSE). A welcoming committee led by Eng. Jassim Telefat, Technical Director of Qatar Foundation’s Capital Projects, and Ali Jassim Al Haidous, Qatar Foundation’s Director of Business Support, received several members from QSE at the Qatar Foundation Visitors Centre.
This visit was in line with QSE’s mis-sion to learn more about major projects taking place at Qatar Foundation and discuss ways of building partnerships and cooperating on current and future construction plans. QSE’s objectives complement Qatar Foundation’s con-tinuing efforts to contribute to scien-tific research and transfer knowledge through collaboration.
Ahmed Jassim Al Jolo, Chairman of the Qatar Society of Engineers, along with other delegates, including Ahmed
Salem Al Bakri, Tariq Al Khater and Khaled Al Nasr, were introduced to educational initiatives, community development plans and scientific research programmes undertaken by the foundation.
After the presentation, the delegates were shown an impressive 3D model of current buildings and future construc-tion projects at Qatar Foundation, inclu-ding the environmentally-friendly tram system, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies,
and Al Shaqab. Telefat guided visitors on a tour of the new 1,200-bed student housing project, which is equipped with solar-panelled roofs and wind turbines that generate energy in 10 kilometre gusts or higher.
He explained that the project aims to achieve platinum LEED certification from the US Green Building Council. Al Jolo signed the visitors’ book and was presented with a plaque from Qatar Foundation.
The Peninsula
The delegation from the Qatar Society of Engineers posing for a group picture.
Qatar Foundation hosts QSE delegation
The Malarvadi Children’s organisation (Qatar Chapter) recently honoured Republic Day painting competition winners at a function at the IIA auditorium Doha. The organisation conducted the competition on February 15 at Santhiniketan Indian School and Al Waha Club to mark India’s Republic Day, involving students from all Indian schools in Qatar. In all, 3,000 pupils participated in the competition. Dr Sreekumar Padmanabhan, Santhiniketan School President, Abdul Latheef KC, IIA ex-president, Subair Abdullah, Camlin Qatar MD, Noufal Kayyat, prominent artist, Shaji Chalad, and IIA Vice-President V T Faisal distributed trophies and certificates. Doha-based artist Salim Abdulla explained winning paintings.
Top Urdu poet for Abu Dhabi event
SHAUKAT Ali Naz, (pictured) one of the top local Urdu
poets in Doha, has been invited to participate in the 8th International Urdu Mushaira at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club, Abu Dhabi, on Thursday. Renowned poets from across the subcontinent and resi-dent poets from the UAE and other GCC states, including Nida Fazli, Amjad Islam Amjad, Manzar Bhopali, Anwar Shaoor, Abbas Taabish, Popular Meeruti, Rashid Noor, Ana Dehlvi, Rehana Qamar, Sohail Saqib, Dr Zubair Farooq, Zahoor-ul-Islam Javed, Dr Sabahat Wasti, and Dr Serwat Zehra, to name a few, will participate.
Shaukat hails from Lahore, Pakistan, and has been work-ing as Commercial Artist/Designer/Sales Executive for Qatar Neon Light Co, Doha, since 1976. He started writ-ing poetry in his school days and officially started writing since 1996. Shaukat has been the Programme Manager of Majlis Frogh-e-Urdu Adab, the world renowned Urdu literary forum based in Doha, Qatar, since 2008. He is also the President of Shaiqee-Ne-Fun, a socio-cultural-literary organisation of Pakistani expatriates since 2007.
His collection of ghazals and poems entitled Chahton ka Khumar was printed in 2009. Shaukat has participated in international Urdu Mushairas in Doha (four times), in Dubai and Bahrain (once) and many other mushairas in Pakistan and Doha, organised by Bazm-e-Urdu Qatar & Anjuman Muhiban-e-Urdu Hind Qatar. The Peninsula
Malarvadi honours painting competition winners
HEALTH 7
Health Tipsfrom DOCTOR
Infant reflux (sometimes called infant acid reflux) is the condition where the contents of the stomach are spit out, usually shortly after feeding. Spitting up (infant reflux) becomes less
common as a baby gets older, and it’s unusual if it’s still occurring after 18 months of age.
In a small number of cases, reflux can be a sign of a more serious problem, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), an allergy or a blockage. Spitting up and vomiting are the main symptoms of infant reflux. As long as your baby is healthy, con-tent and growing well, the reflux is not a cause for concern. Your child will in all likelihood outgrow it.
While your baby may act fussy or seem to be uncomfortable, it is very unusual for the stomach contents to be acidic enough to irritate the esopha-gus or throat, as happens with acid reflux.
Infant reflux is related to a number of factors, often in combination with one another.
In infants, the ring of muscle between the esopha-gus and the stomach — the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) — is not yet fully mature, allowing stomach contents to flow backward. Eventually, the LES will open only when the baby swallows and will remain tightly closed the rest of the time, keeping stomach contents where they belong.
Babies are lying flat most of the time, which makes reflux more likely. Moreover, their diet is completely liquid, also favouring infant reflux. Sometimes air bubbles in the stomach may push liquids backward. In other cases, your baby may simply drink too much, too fast.
Although infant reflux most often occurs after a feeding, it can happen anytime your baby coughs, cries or strains. In a small number of cases, the symptoms of infant reflux are caused by something else. Among the possibilities are allergic gastroen-teritis, Gastroesophael reflux disease (GERD), Eosinophilic esophagitis and obstruction
Contact your baby’s doctor if your baby isn’t gai-ning weight, spits up forcefully, causing stomach contents to shoot out of his or her mouth (projectile vomiting), spits up green or yellow fluid, spits up blood or a material that looks like coffee grounds, refuses food, has blood in his or her stool, has diffi-culty breathing or begins vomiting at age six months or older. Some of these signs may indicate more-serious conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or pyloric stenosis. In GERD, the reflux contains stomach acid which damages the lining of the esophagus. Pyloric stenosis is a rare condition in which a narrowed valve between the stomach and the small intestine keeps stomach con-tents from emptying into the small intestine.
Dr Nabeel Saif Hussein ShaifGP-Paediatrics
Healthspring World Clinic
Infant reflux
PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013
Disease experts called for decisive leadership and more research funding to fend off the
“very real” risk of an untreata-ble strain of tuberculosis (TB) emerging as more and more people develop resistance to existing drugs.
In a series of papers in the Lancet medical journal to mark World TB Day yesterday, they warned that health systems risked being overwhelmed by increasing numbers of drug-resistant TB patients.
Already, more than 30 percent of newly-diagnosed patients in parts of eastern Europe and central Asia have multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB, a form of the disease which does not respond to the two most potent drugs — isoniazid and rifampin. There were believed to be about 630,000 MDR cases out of some 12 million TB cases in 2011.
Extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB, thus far reported in 84 countries, does not respond to an even wider range of drugs.
“The widespread emergence of XDR tuberculosis could lead to virtually untreatable tuber-culosis,” wrote the authors of one study, led by Alimuddin Zumla, Director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases and International Health at University College London Medical School.
“With ease of international travel and increased rates of MDR tuberculosis... the threat and range of the spread of untreatable tuberculosis is very real,” they said.
TB was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) 20 years ago, but remains a leading cause of death by an infectious disease. On its website, the UN agency says at least $1.6bn is
needed annually to prevent the spread of the disease.
For their part, the study authors urged “a radical change in political and scientific thin-king”. “The global economic crisis and reduced investments in health services threaten national tuberculosis program-mes and the gains made in glo-bal tuberculosis control,” they wrote. “The world needs to acknowledge the serious threat of drug-resistant tuberculosis before it overwhelms health systems.”
Most needed are new drugs and better, quicker diagnostic tools. In 2011, 8.7 million people fell ill with TB and 1.4 million died, said the WHO. Over 95 percent of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income coun-tries, and it is among the top three causes of death for women aged 15 to 44.
In 2010, there were about 10 million orphans who had lost their parents to TB. It is also a leading killer of people with HIV.
The death rate did drop by 41 percent between 1990 and 2011, according to the WHO, which says the world is on course
to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reversing the spread of TB by 2015.
“We have gained a lot of ground in TB, but it can easily be lost if we do not act now,” WHO Director General Margaret Chan said. An airborne disease of the lungs, tuberculosis is usually treatable with a six-month course of antibiotics.
It is spread from person to person through the air and usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body such as the brain and kidneys. Resistance to TB drugs develops when treatment fails to kill the bacteria that causes it — either because the patient fails to follow their prescribed dosa-ges or the drug doesn’t work.
It can also be contracted through rare forms of the disease that are directly trans-missible from person to person. MDR TB in the United States can cost as much as $250,000 per patient to treat. XDR TB requi-res about two years of treatment with even more expensive drugs that often cause side-effects and offer no guarantee of a cure.
AFP
Umbrellas good shields from sun as well as rain: Study
If it’s streaming sunshine outdoors and the sunscreen isn’t handy, do as ladies in the past once did and grab an umbre-lla for shade, researchers say. According to a US study
published in JAMA Dermatology, any fully-functioning handheld umbrella can block more than three-quarters of ultraviolet (UV) light on a sunny day. Black ones do even better, blocking at least 90 percent of rays. “The umbrellas blocked between 77 percent and 99 percent of UV radiation,” wrote Suephy Chen and colleagues at Emory University in Atlanta.
Noting that umbrellas are widely used for shade in parts of Asia — up to 45 percent of women in China — as well as the Middle East, the researchers decided to see how well regular umbrellas actually blocked UV light.
Experts warn of untreatable TB risk
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ood,
two
sta
rs ok
ay,
on
e sta
r poor,
n
o sta
rs
waste
of
tim
e.
WP
-BLO
OM
BE
RG
By
An
n H
orn
aday
Ch
alk
it
up t
o p
rescie
nce o
r
just
dum
b luck
th
at
the w
ri-
ters o
f O
lym
pu
s H
as
Fa
llen
, an
effi
cie
nt
if u
nim
agin
a-
tive v
ersio
n o
f D
ie H
ard
in
th
e W
hit
e
House,
ch
ose t
o m
ake t
heir
movie
’s
vil
lain
a t
erroris
t m
aste
rm
ind f
rom
th
e K
orean
pen
insu
la. A
t a t
ime w
hen
North
K
orea abrogate
d it
s 50-year
arm
isti
ce w
ith
South
Korea just
days
befo
re
lau
nch
ing
a
possib
le
cybe-
ratt
ack
on
its
dem
ocrati
c n
eig
hbour,
O
lym
pu
s H
as
Fa
llen
at
least
posses-
ses t
he f
ris
son
of
tim
eli
ness a
mid
st
oth
erw
ise h
oary a
cti
on
-movie
cli
ch
es.
Gerard B
utl
er p
lays M
ike B
an
nin
g,
a S
ecret
Servic
e a
gen
t w
hose c
lose
rela
tion
sh
ip w
ith
Presid
en
t B
en
jam
in
Ash
er (
Aaron
Eck
hart)
an
d h
is s
on
Con
nor (
Fin
ley J
acobse
n)
is d
est
royed
aft
er a
resc
ue m
issi
on
goes
aw
ry. A
fter
that
harrow
ing p
rolo
gue, th
e fi
lm c
at-
ch
es u
p w
ith
Ban
nin
g a
s h
e m
isera-
bly
toil
s a
t a d
esk
job i
n t
he T
reasury
Departm
en
t, look
ing lon
gin
gly
out
the
win
dow
to t
he W
hit
e H
ouse h
e o
nce
navig
ate
d w
ith
gran
ula
r a
rch
itectu
ral
kn
ow
ledge a
nd m
ach
o a
ssuran
ce.
Th
ose q
uali
ties w
ill
com
e i
n h
an
dy
wh
en
a v
isit
from
th
e S
outh
Korean
prim
e m
inis
ter e
nds w
ith
Ash
er,
th
e
vic
e p
resid
en
t an
d t
he s
ecreta
ry o
f defe
nse
(pla
yed in
hyst
eric
al pit
ch
an
d
horrib
le w
ig b
y M
eli
ssa L
eo)
abducte
d
an
d h
eld
hosta
ge i
n t
he W
hit
e H
ouse
bun
ker.
D
irector
An
toin
e
Fu
qu
a,
wor-
kin
g
from
a
scrip
t by
Creig
hto
n
Roth
en
berger a
nd K
atr
in B
en
edik
t,
stages
th
e
tak
eover
of
1600
Pen
nsylv
an
ia A
ven
ue a
nd its
envir
on
s w
ith
un
sett
lin
g,
vis
ceral
mayh
em
, as
hun
dreds
of
civ
ilia
ns
are s
trafe
d, bom
-bed a
nd s
hot;
nearby, th
e W
ash
ingto
n
Mon
um
en
t crum
ble
s i
n a
dis
taste
ful
reen
actm
en
t of
the destr
ucti
on
of
Septe
mber 1
1,
2001.
Perh
aps w
e c
an
now
sti
pu
late
th
at
9/1
1 h
as earn
ed
perm
an
en
t “to
o soon
” sta
tus w
hen
it c
om
es t
o e
xplo
itin
g p
ote
nt
vis
ual
icon
ograph
y
in
th
e
nam
e
of
pop
en
terta
inm
en
t.A
fter
20
min
utes
of
un
mit
iga-
ted c
arn
age,
it’s
Ban
nin
g w
ho’s
left
sta
ndin
g.
Pla
yed w
ith
bla
nd h
um
orle
ssn
ess
by B
utl
er,
he d
ispassio
nate
ly d
odges
every b
ull
et
an
d b
ooby t
rap t
o g
ain
PLU
S |
MO
ND
AY
25
MA
RC
H 2
013
HO
LLY
WO
OD
NE
WS
MO
VIE
89
BO
LLY
WO
OD
NE
WS
Bol
lyw
ood b
ox o
ffice
fai
rly
dry
in fi
rst
quar
ter
A H
EA
DY
m
ix
of
dif
feren
-ti
al,
com
edy,
thril
ler
an
d
dram
as
hit
th
e B
ollyw
ood
box o
ffice a
nd e
nte
rta
ined t
he
audie
nces
in t
he fi
rst
quarte
r
of
2013
. It
has
how
ever b
een
quit
e a
dry s
pell o
n t
he b
usi
-ness
front,
wit
h just
one fi
lm
surpassin
g th
e R
s100-c
rore
mark
and t
he t
ota
l collecti
ons
am
oun
tin
g to
about
Rs450
crore, in
dust
ry insi
ders
say.
Of
around 4
0 H
indi
rele
a-
ses
so f
ar,
the b
ox o
ffice h
as
man
aged
to
garn
er
Rs440
crore t
o R
s450 c
rore, w
hic
h is
low
er t
han in t
he fi
rst
quarte
r
of
2012
, sa
id R
aje
sh T
hadani
of
Mult
imedia
Com
bin
es.
“T
he y
ear 2
013
has
not
been a
great
year s
o f
ar
for t
he fi
lm indust
ry. It
’s just
an a
verage y
ear.
Hardly
any fi
lms
have d
one
well. If
we c
om
pare t
he c
ollecti
ons
to last
year’s,
then t
here is
a d
rast
ic f
all
this
year,”
Thadani sa
id.
Ra
ce 2
, a m
ult
i-st
arrer s
equel
to 2
008 fi
lm R
ace
, w
as
the s
ingle
film
that
managed t
o b
reak t
hrough t
he h
ighly
rate
d R
s100-c
rore c
lub. B
ut
the f
act
that
a R
s60-c
rore fi
lm c
ross
ed t
he R
s100-c
rore m
ark
in t
wo w
eeks
aft
er its
rele
ase
was
no b
ig d
eal, a
ccordin
g t
o t
rade a
naly
st K
om
al
Nahata
. “I
t w
as
quit
e a
n e
xpensi
ve fi
lm. T
he fi
lm d
idn’t r
eally g
arn
er
any p
rofit
as
such for
the
indust
ry,”
said
Nahata
. T
hadani, t
oo, sa
id: “R
ace
2 m
ust
have just
covered t
he
makin
g c
harges,
but
no o
ne m
ade m
oney o
r g
arnered p
rofit
out
of
this
film
.”In
January,
Ma
tru
Ki B
ijle
e K
a M
an
dola
was
one o
f th
e m
ost
aw
ait
ed fi
lms,
but
even w
ith its
crit
ically lauded p
erfo
rm
ances,
the m
ovie
did
n’t
create
the
expecte
d e
xcit
em
ent
at
the t
icket
counte
rs
aft
er t
he fi
rst
week.
February s
aw
film
s like V
ish
wa
roop
, Sp
eci
al 26, A
BC
D: A
nyB
od
y C
an
Da
nce
, M
urd
er
3, K
ai P
o C
he a
nd Z
illa
Gh
azi
ab
ad in t
heatr
es.
Am
ongst
them
, A
ksh
ay
Kum
ar-s
tarrer S
peci
al
26,
Rem
o D
’Souza
’s 3
D d
an
ce-b
ase
d fi
lm A
BC
D:
An
yBod
y C
an
Da
nce
and A
bhis
hek K
apoor-d
irecte
d K
ai
Po C
he s
tood o
ut.
Dis
trib
uto
r S
anja
y G
hai fr
om
Mukta
Arts
said
: “O
nly
tw
o fi
lms
did
fair
ly
well —
Ka
i P
o C
he a
nd A
BC
D...
. K
ai
Po C
he c
ollecte
d a
pproxim
ate
ly o
ver
Rs5
0 c
rore, and t
hat
is o
uts
tandin
g a
s th
e fi
lm f
air
ly h
ad n
ew
faces.
“Even A
BC
D...
did
excepti
onally w
ell a
nd c
ollecte
d a
pproxim
ate
ly R
s40
crore.
Collecti
ons
of
Sp
eci
al
26 w
ere g
ood,
but
unfo
rtu
nate
ly d
istr
ibuto
rs
did
n’t
earn a
ny p
rofit
from
the fi
lm. It
collecte
d a
pproxim
ate
ly R
s70 c
rore,”
he a
dded. O
verall, th
e fi
rst
quarte
r h
as
been d
isapponin
ting, sa
id N
ahata
, addin
g: “I
f w
e c
om
pare t
he c
ollecti
ons
to 2
012
, th
en i
t’s
all t
he m
ore s
ad.
Barely
any fi
lms
have s
truck t
he c
hord lik
e A
BC
D a
nd K
ai
Po C
he h
ave.”
Am
on
g t
he l
ate
st r
ele
ase
s th
is m
on
th,
Joll
y L
LB
an
d S
ah
eb
Biw
i A
ur
Ga
ngst
er
Retu
rns
are s
aid
to h
ave g
arnered d
ecent
busi
ness
.“S
ah
eb
Biw
i A
ur
Ga
ngst
er
Retu
rns
has
don
e d
ecen
t busi
ness
. T
he fi
lm
man
aged t
o c
ollect
aroun
d R
s20 c
rores,
” T
hadan
i sa
id a
bout
the m
ovie
, w
hic
h is
said
to h
ave b
een m
ade o
n a
budget
of
just
Rs7
crore.
Besi
des,
the r
ele
ase
of th
e m
uch-p
ublicis
ed H
imm
atw
ala
, a r
em
ake o
f th
e
1983 e
ponym
ous
film
, is
sti
ll a
wait
ed t
ow
ards
the e
nd o
f M
arch. W
ith A
jay
Devgn a
nd s
outh
ern a
ctr
ess
Tam
annah B
hati
a’s
siz
zlin
g c
hem
istr
y a
nd t
he
overall r
etr
o look, te
am
ed w
ith p
ow
er-p
acked a
cti
on, one h
opes
the m
ovie
allevia
tes
the d
epress
ion in b
ox o
ffice’s
first
quarte
r g
raph.
Desp
ite t
he f
air
ly d
ry s
pell, tr
ade g
urus
are lookin
g a
head f
or a
brig
hte
r
second q
uarte
r w
ith b
ig-t
icket
film
s like C
ha
shm
e B
ud
door
rem
ake,
Ek
Th
i D
aa
yan
, S
hooto
ut
at
Wa
da
la,
Za
nje
er
rem
ake,
Yeh
Ja
wa
an
i H
ai
Deew
an
i,
Ya
mla
Pa
gla
Deew
an
a 2
and G
ha
nch
ak
ka
r lined u
p f
or r
ele
ase
.“T
his
is
just
the b
egin
nin
g;
all w
e c
an s
ay i
s w
e c
an h
ope f
or t
he b
est
. T
he K
hans’
film
s are y
et
to c
om
e, and it
als
o d
epends
on t
he c
onte
nt
of th
e
film
s th
at
are c
om
ing. I
am
hopin
g t
he u
pcom
ing g
ood fi
lms
will change t
he
fate
,” s
aid
Nahata
. S
anja
y G
hai sa
id: “I
n 2
012
, in
the b
egin
nin
g its
elf
, th
e b
ox
offi
ce h
ad s
om
e fi
lms
like K
ah
aa
ni,
Vic
ky
Don
or
and A
gn
eep
ath
, but
this
year
wit
h s
uch s
ad s
tart,
we s
till h
ope f
or t
he b
est
wit
h fi
lms
like H
imm
atw
ala
, D
hoom
3 a
nd C
hen
na
i E
xp
ress
.”
IA
NS
Kri
sten
Ste
war
t, O
ne
Dir
ecti
on w
in
twic
e at
Kid
s C
hoi
ce A
war
ds
GR
EE
N
sli
me
spew
ed
furio
usly
at
the
Kid
s C
hoic
e A
wards,
wh
ere
Tw
ilig
ht
Sa
ga
sta
r
Kris
ten
Ste
wart
an
d B
rit
ish b
oy b
an
d
One D
irecti
on w
on t
wo a
wards
apie
ce. S
tew
art,
22, esc
aped t
he
slim
e b
ut
plu
nged h
er h
ands
into
th
e g
reen
goo,
sayin
g s
he “
felt
like I
have fi
nally found m
y k
in-
dergartn
er s
elf
,” a
s sh
e a
ccepte
d
trophie
s fo
r m
ovie
actr
ess
and
favourit
e f
em
ale
butt
kic
ker.
Organ
isers said
m
ore th
an
350
mil
lion
vote
s
were
cast
online i
n m
ore t
han 2
0 c
ate
go-
rie
s, s
pan
nin
g fi
lm,
tele
vis
ion
, books,
musi
c a
nd s
port
for t
he
stunt-
filled a
nnual
aw
ard s
how
on y
outh
channel N
ickelo
deon.
Host
ed b
y T
ran
sform
ers
acto
r
Josh
Duham
el, w
ho i
s m
arrie
d t
o s
inger F
ergie
, th
e s
how
in L
os
Angele
s fe
atu
red p
erfo
rm
ances
by P
itbull a
nd C
hris
tina A
guilera. Jo
hnny D
epp a
nd
Katy
Perry a
ccepte
d o
range b
lim
p-s
haped t
rophie
s fo
r f
avourit
e f
em
ale
si
nger a
nd m
ovie
acto
r r
esp
ecti
vely
and b
oth
sta
rs
had w
ords
of
wis
dom
fo
r t
he a
udie
nce o
f kid
s and y
oung t
eens.
“This
is
such a
cool
aw
ard ... s
tay s
afe
, st
ay i
n s
chool, d
on’t
do d
rugs,
” Perry t
old
them
. D
epp s
aid
he w
as
“truly
honoured a
nd h
um
ble
d. T
hank
you f
or w
hat
you a
re, w
hic
h is
the f
utu
re.”
Sele
na G
om
ez,
20, th
e e
x-g
irlf
rie
nd o
f pop s
tar J
ust
in B
ieber,
took t
he
fem
ale
TV
actr
ess
aw
ard for h
er D
isney C
hannel se
rie
s W
iza
rds
of
Wa
verl
y P
lace
, even t
hough t
he s
how
cam
e t
o a
n e
nd m
ore t
han a
year a
go. B
ieber,
w
ho is
on t
our in E
urope, w
as
vote
d f
avorit
e m
ale
sin
ger a
nd w
as
am
ong
several st
ars
who d
id n
ot
make it
to a
ccept
their
aw
ard in p
erso
n.
No-s
how
s in
clu
ded O
ne D
irecti
on, w
ho a
re a
lso o
n t
our a
nd w
ho w
on
for favourit
e m
usi
c g
roup a
nd s
ong for W
ha
t M
ak
es
You
Bea
uti
ful, X
Fa
ctor
judge S
imon C
ow
ell (
favourit
e v
illa
in),
and R
oss
Lynch, 17
, w
ho w
as
nam
ed
favourit
e T
V a
cto
r f
or D
isney C
hannel’s
pop s
tar s
erie
s A
ust
in &
All
y.S
andra B
ullock,
Neil P
atr
ick H
arris
, D
uham
el, P
itbull,
Nic
k C
annon,
Dw
ayne T
he R
ock
Johnso
n a
nd d
oze
ns
of
audie
nce m
em
bers
got
covered
in s
lim
e g
ush
ing o
ut
from
wate
r c
annons,
prese
nte
r’s
podiu
ms,
ceilin
gs,
and e
ven t
he t
ail o
f a f
ake g
ym
nast
ic h
orse
.O
ther a
wards
went
to N
ickelo
deon’s
Vic
tori
ou
s fo
r t
op T
V s
how
, T
he
Hu
nger
Ga
mes
for favourit
e m
ovie
, W
reck
-It
Ra
lph for t
op a
nim
ate
d m
ovie
, and r
ace c
ar d
riv
er D
anic
a P
atr
ick a
nd b
ask
etb
all p
layer L
eB
ron J
am
es
for t
op a
thle
tes.
The K
ids
Choic
e A
wards
will
be b
roadcast
around t
he
world
in m
ore t
han 2
5 languages,
Nic
kelo
deon s
aid
.
For
Rih
anna’
s 1
2 m
inute
s, s
choo
l kid
s w
ait
for
hou
rs
SIN
GE
R R
ihanna t
urned u
p m
ore t
han t
hree h
ours
late
for a
n e
vent
where a
lmost
2,0
00 s
choolc
hildren w
ere w
ait
ing t
o m
eet
her.
The
24-y
ear-o
ld h
ad t
o a
ttend a
meet-
and-g
reet
sess
ion w
ith t
he s
tudents
of B
arrin
gto
n H
igh S
chool in
Illin
ois
and t
hank t
hem
for r
ais
ing $
40,0
00 for
Joplin t
ow
n, M
isso
uri, w
hic
h w
as
flatt
ened b
y a
tornado in M
ay last
year.
H
ow
ever,
bad t
raffi
c d
ela
yed t
he s
inger’s
arriv
al. “
Aft
er s
he w
as
late
for
more t
han t
hree h
ours,
we w
ondered if th
e e
vent
would
actu
ally h
appen,”
thesu
n.c
o.u
k q
uote
d l
ocal
offi
cia
l Je
ff A
rnett
as
sayin
g. “B
ut
because
her
staff
mem
bers
were a
lso w
ait
ing w
ith u
s, w
e felt
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SCIENCEPLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 201310
By Thomas Black
Wearable machines that enhance human mus-cle power are poised to leave the realm of
science fiction and help factory wor-kers hoist heavier tools, lighten sol-diers’ loads and enable spinal patients to walk.
Lockheed Martin and Parker Hannifin are joining a handful of star-tups in finding practical uses and, more important, paying customers for bio-nic suits inspired by novelist Robert Heinlein’s 1959 Starship Troopers and Stan Lee’s Iron Man comic-book character.
Sales of mechanical exoskeletons cap decades of scientific tinkering that included a 680kg General Electric clunker in the 1960s. Strapped to users’ bodies and powered by lithium-ion bat-teries, the emerging technology has led to some models that sell for about $70,000, weigh less than 50 pounds and are nimble enough to dance the Macarena.
“We’re now seeing a golden age in which we can produce this technology and derive benefit from it,” said Keith Maxwell, the business development manager for Lockheed’s programme.
The first commercial sale of a medi-cal unit — not for lab or hospital tests — came in September, pioneering a field that may produce $400m in annual revenue by 2020, according to technology consultant ABI Research. Lockheed says it hasn’t estimated the value of any contracts for its under-development military version, known by the acronym HULC, or for the nascent industrial market its Mantis device will enter this year.
The machines may follow a classic arc from Pentagon research project to fixture on an assembly line, similar to the development of lasers, said Paul Saffo, Managing Director of Foresight at investment advisory firm Discern in San Francisco.
“The medical devices get the most attention, the military funds it and the first mass application is industrial,” Saffo said. Developing technology for both civilian and military use would be a boost for Lockheed, the world’s largest defense contractor, as it con-fronts reductions in US arms spending. Parker Hannifin, the biggest manufac-turer of motion and control devices, is seeking to expand into the medical industry.
Commercial exoskeletons are just echoes of Hollywood’s take on Iron Man’s bulletproof garb and the armour that Heinlein envisioned for his futu-ristic warriors.
Ekso Bionics’ device for spinal patients looks like the lower half of a black metal skeleton able to stand by itself on foot pads. Parker Hannifin’s medical model breaks into five pie-ces and resembles elongated, plastic football thigh pads worn on the sides of users’ legs.
Electric motors amplify the strength in their wearers’ limbs or, in the case of the wheelchair-bound, to supply motive power. Computers and sensors help provide balance and guidance.
“There’s a huge wave of human augmentation coming,” said Ekso Bionics Chief Executive Officer Nathan Harding, whose Richmond, California-based company has devices in operation at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey and other spinal-cord injury centers. “It’s in its infancy.”
Argo Medical Technologies entered the market last year, with an exoske-leton to assist patients who have lost the use of their legs. Parker Hannifin’s Indego model also targets those users, and will go on sale in 2014 at a price the company says is competitive with Argo’s ¤52,000 ($67,230) unit.
In between those introductions will come Lockheed’s Mantis, which the Bethesda, Maryland-based company envisions as finding a home in any industry in which workers must hold heavy equipment that can cause fatigue and back injuries.
Mantis has a mechanical extension for a wearer’s arm and absorbs the strain from hefting a grinder or sander, Maxwell said. Tests found productivity gains of more than 30 percent, he said, and wearers showed their Macarena footwork to demonstrate the suits’ fle-xibility. “It turns workers away from being a weightlifter and into a crafts-man,” Maxwell said.
While Ekso Bionics’ Harding sees exoskeletons on an evolutionary path toward ever-greater sophistication — much as large portable phones of the early 1990s morphed into today’s smar-tphones — it may not be that easy to cut costs, simplify the technology and ensure widespread adoption.
“Even though there are processors and sensors, there’s still a lot of phy-sical matter that has to be machined
and built,” said Discern’s Saffo, who is also a consulting associate professor at Stanford University’s engineering school.
The other limitation is battery life. Batteries can be made only so powerful before turning into a bomb, Saffo said. Boeing knows the risks in working with larger versions of the lithium-ion cells found in mobile phones and other elec-tronic gadgets: It’s still trying to figure out the cause of electrical faults that grounded its 787 Dreamliner.
The exoskeleton industry is attrac-tive because the potential is vast and the large competitors are few, accor-ding to Lockheed and Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin.
Lockheed envisions a leap forward in battlefield mobility with its Human Universal Load Carrier — whose HULC acronym evokes images of Marvel Comics’ Incredible Hulk, a green, super- strong mutant and sometime-ally of Iron Man. HULC is intended to let a soldier lug a 200-pound pack with minimal effort over a 20km hike, Maxwell said.
Back strain is the most common non-combat injury because of the heavy packs soldiers carry, Maxwell said. Lockheed licensed some techno-logy from Ekso Bionics to produce the HULC, which is set to enter a second
development phase this year as the sys-tem is refined so it can be worn under a uniform.
Exoskeletons hold “tremendous potential” to ease those burdens, said David Accetta, a spokesman for the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Centre in Massachusetts. A field demonstra-tion is planned for May, he said by email. Lockheed said the programme hasn’t been affected by mandated bud-get cuts that began on March 1.
Parker Hannifin, which has been working with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., is targeting Indego at the estimated 700,000 Americans with spinal cord injuries, said Achilleas Dorotheou, the programme’s business unit manager. Another pool of poten-tial users: The estimated 600,000 stroke survivors, many who are left with difficulties walking, he said.
Michael Gore, 42, who hasn’t walked on his own since falling 11 years ago from the mezzanine of a North Carolina vinyl-siding factory, has used an Indego exoskeleton to traverse uneven terrain and climb stairs. He has been testing the model since 2010 at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a private, nonpro-fit hospital specialising in spinal-cord injury treatment. WP-BLOOMBERG
The Ekso Bionics exoskel-eton, at Mount Sinai Medical Centre in New York. Wearable machines that enhance human muscle power could help fac-tory workers hoist heavier tools, lighten soldiers’ loads and enable spinal patients to walk.
The exoskeletons are here
11FOOD PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013
By Marti Maguire
NO arugula could be found in the salad mix for sale this month at a new out-door food market in North Carolina.
Instead, tiny purple nettle flowers were scattered among the familiar pointed oval leaves of the chickweed plant.
Familiar, that is, because the plant grows wild in yards, fields and pave-ment cracks in the town of Carrboro, North Carolina, and across much of North America.
The unusual salad was one of the offerings at what organisers believe is the first US market devoted to wild food and herbs, a kind of non-farmer’s market that will be held monthly in the town near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A similar weekly market is schedu-led to open next month in Asheville, making North Carolina the latest hot spot in the growing movement toward eating food foraged from forests and fields rather than cultivated on farms.
The trend has gained cachet among foodies, with dishes featuring everything from exotic mushrooms found deep in forests to humble dande-lions that are the scourge of suburban lawns. Foraging tours have cropped up across the country and farm-to-table dinners are giving way to forage-to-table affairs.
Wild food expert “Wildman” Steve Brill, who leads tours in New York City’s Central Park, created a fora-ging app with descriptions of local plants and recipes. The head chef at Copenhagen’s Noma, named “the best restaurant in the world” three years running by Restaurant magazine, is known for foraging his ingredients.
From mushrooms to dandelions, foraged food finds way to tables
“Europe has embraced foraging for a while, and I think it’s really taking hold in this country now,” said Josh Lev, co-founder of the Wild Food + Herb Market in Carrboro. “It fits in with this idea of getting back to basics.”
Selling wild food raises questions about the value of paying for plants people could pick from their own yards. Lev said his market is aimed more at creating awareness of wild foods and herbs than making a profit from them.
“I’m trying to build a community of people who appreciate the plants that grow around them and what an important resource they are,” said Lev, an herbalist, inventor and artist who recently moved to North Carolina
from California. “We want to reconnect people to that kind of knowledge.”
The outdoor market is set up like a farmer’s market, with vendors signing up and selling their products. Many vendors also hold classes and tours. The market’s debut this month inclu-ded a walk through the town commons to teach participants how to identify common edible plants.
The educational efforts help new foragers distinguish between edible plants and those that are less palata-ble or even poisonous. Picking mushro-oms, in particular, requires expertise to avoid eating something harmful.
Judith and Phil Morse already had taken a wild food tour at the sugges-tion of a friend before they visited the market in Carrboro. They did not feel confident enough in their knowledge of what was edible to forage for dinner, but they were getting closer.
“You really do get tuned into the plant world,” said Phil Morse, 69, who lives in a nearby rural county. “It’s really given us a different perspective about food.”
Alan Muskat, a longtime forager who is organizing the Asheville mar-ket, said eating wild foods was not only cheap and healthy but good for the environment. “It really takes on the whole idea of agriculture, which is so foundational to the way we think about food,” he said.
Cornell University ecologist Antonio DiTommaso said he was encouraged by the growing interest in eating wild plants and thinks the trend could affect which crops are grown. He no longer buys lettuce in the summer, he
said, choosing instead to eat a mixture of plants from his yard in upstate New York.
He wondered how far the movement could go in supplanting traditional agriculture. “It might have been okay 10,000 years ago,” said DiTommaso, an assistant professor in the crop and soil sciences department. “If we get all of New York City running through our fields in upstate New York, I don’t know that there would be much left.”
Muskat, who studied philosophy and ecology at Princeton University, said he sold foraged mushrooms to high-end res-taurants for more than 15 years, often selling more than 500 pounds of them a year at prices of $12 to $40 a pound.
Foragers have met sporadic resis-tance, usually due to concerns that rare plants and mushrooms will be over harvested. Many public parks prohibit or at least restrict foraging. New York City parks adopted a non-foraging stance after noting an uptick in the number of people doing it there.
The national parks make exceptions for certain abundant foods, such as cactus pears in Arizona’s Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and berries at Cape Cod National Seashore. But even in those cases, the food can be taken solely for personal use, not for sale.
On a recent walk, Muskat was careful to pick only small pieces of a ginger-like root, leaving plenty to keep growing. He insists foraging is good for the long-term health of natural areas. “Foraging makes the woods more valuable,” Muskat said. “And when something has value, you protect it.”
Reuters
Alan Muskat (left) shows Bailey Baehr a dried version of reishi, “the mushroom of immortality” at Earthaven Ecovillage outside Asheville, North Carolina. The mushroom is typically collected in April and May. North Carolina has become the latest hot spot in the growing movement towards eating food foraged from forests and fields rather than cultivated on farms.
Rob Jones of Woodfruit at the opening day of the Wild Food + Herb Market in Carrboro, North Carolina.
PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013 TECHNOLOGY12
Epson launches easy-to-use desktop label maker in Qatar
BUILDING on its success in the business printing and labelling markets, Epson has announced the Qatar
launch of its new versatile and easy-to-use desktop label maker. Addressing desktop labe-lling needs, the LW-900P connects to a PC or Mac for fast, high-quality des-ktop label creation. This model is com-patible with a wide selection of Epson label tapes to cover virtually any labelling requirement, and offers saving with economical, nine-metre tapes.
The LW-900P allows sophisticated labels to be produced in the widest range of widths, and is simple to use. The included software enables label creation in just a few clicks, with a choice of pre-defined templates, fra-mes, symbols, barcodes and images. Alternatively, users can design their own, or import data in csv, xls(x) and txt formats to print each line of data in sequence. Once the design is printed, the LW-900P automatically cuts or half-cuts each label.
This model offers a large choice of font types, character sizes, symbols, borders and styles. The LW-900P also features barcode printing and has an exclusive function that can round label edges to help prevent peeling.
Epson’s wide selection of labels in 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 and 36mm widths cover practically every labelling need. The range includes standard, black, transparent, matte and writa-ble matte paper labels, index tab and flag or wrap cable labels, a variety of colours such as fluorescent and pastel, and two adhesive strengths. All Epson labels are very durable, resisting water and withstanding hot and cold conditions.
Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said: “We expect Qatar businesses to significantly benefit from this easy-to-use, high quality desktop label maker, which is also extremely fast and economical. Moreover, to help our customers get more labels for their money, the Epson LW-900P minimises the margins of each label to prevent tape wastage.”
The Peninsula
By Rich Jaroslovsky
THE one-two punch of Apple’s iPad and Microsoft’s Windows 8 has led to a new class of personal computer hybrids that look and work like regular laptops, but whose screens pop off to become fully functional tablets. I’ve recently been using two that share this
convertible form but represent opposite ends of the pricing spectrum.
The $1,200 Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro is a powerful, premium model competitive with the likes of Microsoft’s own Surface Pro. Hewlett-Packard’s Envy x2 is budget-priced at $699 and less potent — yet more successful in achieving its modest aims.
There is nothing really bad about the ATIV Smart PC Pro. (Except maybe for the name.) It just feels compromised as both a tablet and a laptop.
The ATIV’s technical specs are fine: It’s powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and includes four gigabytes of memory and 128 gigabytes of speedy solid-state storage. The 11.6-inch screen is capable of delivering full 1080p high-definition video.
The ATIV also comes with Samsung’s S Pen and the soft-ware to use it, so you can take notes or otherwise scribble onscreen in tablet mode. But you aren’t likely to want to do that too often, or for too long.
The ATIV is simply too heavy and ungainly — at 1.9 pounds undocked, it’s almost 50 percent heftier than Samsung’s similarly stylus-equipped Galaxy Note 10.1, which runs Google’s Android operating system.
The battery life, about five hours give or take, is poor for a tablet. It’s a little more acceptable in a laptop, but the ATIV suffers in that mode from ho-hum looks and design. With the keyboard attached, it weighs more than three and a half pounds and feels top-heavy with the lid open.
I also ran into a problem with one unit, a periodic chiming sound that seemed to indicate the screen wasn’t comple-tely seated in the keyboard dock, even though it appeared to be. A second unit provided by the company didn’t have that problem.
Samsung has made some truly gorgeous and capable Windows PCs, like the Series 9, a traditional clamshell laptop. The ATIV suffers by comparison. On looks alone, Hewlett-Packard’s Envy x2 has Samsung beat. The brushed aluminum and wedge shape evokes Apple’s MacBook Air, and the HP costs hundreds of dollars less than either of them.
There’s a reason it’s so much cheaper: It’s built around an
Intel Atom dual-core chip that has considerably less proces-sing oomph than the Core i5 used in those other machines. It also comes with only two gigabytes of memory and 64 gigabytes of storage, about the absolute minimum you can get away with these days in a computer running Windows 8.
If you don’t need much computing power, though, the Envy has some real attractions. It’s more usable as a tablet than many competitors. Most hybrids should probably just be thought of as laptops with detachable screens; you wouldn’t really want to use them as tablets for any length of time.
The Envy is an exception to that rule. The 11.6-inch screen is thin and light enough — a third of an inch and 25 ounces — so you can use it about as comfortably as a full-size iPad. (The Samsung used as a tablet weighs about two pounds.)
It accomplishes this by using two batteries, one in the screen and the other in the keyboard, thus reducing the weight when the screen is used alone as a tablet. And while the Envy’s screen isn’t a nice as the ATIV’s, it does have Beats Audio to add to the enjoyment of it as an entertainment device.
The seven-hour battery life for the tablet alone is better than the ATIV’s, but falls short not only of the iPad’s nine to 10 hours, but also the eight hours I coaxed from Microsoft’s Surface RT. In laptop mode, on the other hand, the Envy exceeds 10 hours, as its lack of processing power becomes a virtue. The other big virtue is the cost: Hunt around a bit, and you’ll find deals that push it below $600. Prices like those make it easy to appreciate the Envy x2’s merits, and to forgive its shortcomings. WP-BLOOMBERG
Samsung, HP pop-tops Samsung, HP pop-tops do laptop double dutydo laptop double duty
COMICS & MORE 13
Hoy en la HistoriaMarch 25, 2004
1942: American singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee1958: U.S. boxer Sugar Ray Robinson won the world middleweight title for an unprecedented fifth time1995: Border controls were removed permitting freedom of movement between seven EU countries 2009: Scientists reported that debris from an asteroid had been recovered for the first time after it fell to Earth
British prime minister Tony Blair made an official visit to Libya to meet President Muammar Gadaffi, signalling an end to Libya’s long period of international isolation
Picture: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS
ALL IN THE MIND Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal,vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.
ALBANY, ANNAPOLIS, ATLANTA, AUGUSTA, AUSTIN, BATON ROUGE, BISMARK, BOISE, BOSTON, CARSON CITY, CHARLESTON, CHEYENNE, COLUMBIA, COLUMBUS, CONCORD, DENVER, DES MOINES, DOVER, FRANKFORT, HARRISBURG, HARTFORD, HELENA, HONOLULU, INDIANAPOLIS, JACKSON, JEFFERSON CITY, JUNEAU, LANSING, LINCOLN, LITTLE ROCK, MADISON, MONTGOMERY, NASHVILLE, OLYMPIA, PHOENIX, PIERRE, PROVIDENCE, RALEIGH, RICHMOND, SACRAMENTO, SALEM, SANTA FE, SPRINGFIELD, ST PAUL, TOPEKA.
Baby Blues Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman
Zits by Dennis Young and Denis Lebrun
Hagar The Horrible Chris Browne
LEARNARABIC
Body parts:
Al’Lisan A tongue
Al Waj’eh A face
Al Uzh’n An ear
Al Yad A hand
Al Qadam A foot
PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013
PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013
HYPER SUDOKU
CROSSWORD
CROSSWORDS
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.
ACROSS 1 Goldeneye relative 5 Emergency extractor15 “Must’ve been
something ___”16 No night owl17 Jags of the 1960s and
’70s18 Eggbeater19 Election extension?20 Wrestling event21 Only one of the 13
Colonies not touching the Atl. Ocean
22 Go crazy24 Board provision26 They’re prepared to
sell snake oil27 Stock keeper28 Third qtr. closer31 See32 Ferris wheel in Dallas
that is the tallest in North America
34 Angle in botany35 Support36 El ___
37 Very turbulent situation
39 Slopes40 Lifesaving squad:
Abbr.41 Wrong42 Collector of dust
bunnies43 ESPN anchor Kolber44 Word before and after
“for”45 Moolah48 Ancient neighbor of
Judah49 Bladder50 Follower of “Help!”53 Feature of some
lenses54 ___ Line (international
boundary)55 Alfredo sauce brand56 One concerned with
bouquets57 Buzz producers
DOWN 1 Wells Fargo Center
event, informally 2 38-Down’s second
chance 3 They never end 4 Jazzman Montgomery 5 The Pink Panther and
others 6 Showed delight, in a
way 7 Certiorari, e.g. 8 Olympus OM-1, e.g. 9 Olive ___10 Browning equipment11 Smearing in ink?12 “The fix ___”13 Shedder of spores14 Mother of the Valkyries20 Three-time All-Star pitcher Pappas23 “Mack the Knife”
composer24 Annual “Hot 100”
publisher25 They’re historically
significant
27 Generated28 Cardinal for 22 years29 Newark suburb30 Security account?32 Robe material33 Fixes at an animal
hospital35 Complete38 Person making a mark39 Grouch42 Crack investigator’s
target?43 Buffalo pro
44 Quiet type45 It’s often knitted46 Designer Gernreich47 “___ Holden” (Irving
Bacheller novel)48 Very51 “Still Crazy” star, 199852 Family nickname53 Singsong syllable
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
J U N O P C B S S M A S HA T A N A R I A H I R E EG E N E O L O G Y E L C A RS P O U S E S L E L A N D
P E R S E V E R E N C EI S M M E R C I N E E DK I M O N O I R A N IE X E C S M C S B U D G E
C A S A S S A M I A ME R M A K N O L L N Y UQ U E S T I O N A I R EU S E S U P S P A C E R SA S T I R M I S P E L L E DL I M O N S M E E A L B AS A E N S U S S R T E A K
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.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.
YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
14
EASY SUDOKUEasy Sudoku PuzzlesPlace a digit from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so everyrow, every column and every 3x3 box contains allthe digits 1 to 9.
Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate
CINEMA / TV LISTINGS 15
14:00 English Sports
News
14:15 Basketball Nba
Atalanta @
Milwaukee
16:15 World Cup
Qualifier San
Marino V
England
18:00 English Sports
News
18:15 Boxing Abraham
V Steiglitz
19:45 World Cup
Qualifier Sweden
V Republic Of
Ireland
21:30 The Football
League Show
22:00 The Global
Game Featuring
Brazil V Russia
01:00 Futbol Mundial
01:30 Football Friendly
England U-21 V
Austria U-21
08:00 News
09:00 The Cafe
10:30 Inside Story
11:00 News
11:30 South2North
12:00 News
12:30 Rome and The
Margins
13:00 NEWSHOUR
14:00 News
14:30 Inside Story
15:00 Witness
16:00 NEWSHOUR
17:00 News
17:30 Talk To Al
Jazeera
18:00 NEWSHOUR
19:00 News
19:30 Counting the
Cost
20:00 News
20:30 Inside Story
21:00 NEWSHOUR
22:00 News
22:30 The Stream
23:00 The Family
13:15 How It’s Made
14:35 Auction
Hunters
15:05 Auction
Hunters
16:55 Border Security
19:10 Mythbusters
20:05 Superhuman
Showdown
21:00 James May’s
Man Lab
21:55 Curiosity
22:50 Inside The
Gangsters’
Code
13:00 Mysteries Of
The Moose
14:00 Dinofish
16:00 Hunter Hunted
18:00 World’s
Weirdest
19:00 Hooked
20:00 Mysteries Of
The Moose
21:00 Dinofish
22:00 Dive To Tiger
Central
23:00 Hunter Hunted
13:20 Jessie
14:35 Shake It Up
15:00 Gravity Falls
16:40 A.N.T. Farm
17:00 Twitches Too
18:20 Wizards Of
Waverly Place
19:10 Shake It Up
20:00 Austin And Ally
20:25 A.N.T. Farm
21:15 Jessie
22:05 Good Luck
12:00 The Decoy
Bride
14:00 Best In Show-
PG15
16:00 House Arrest
18:00 The Winning
Season
20:00 Grabbers
22:00 The Switch
13:45 The Animals’
Guide To
Survival
14:40 Shamwari: A
Wild Life
15:35 World Wild Vet
16:30 Ray Mears’
Wild Britain
18:45 Animal
Crackers
21:05 Wildest Arctic
22:00 Wildest Islands
22:55 Wild Things
With Dominic
Monaghan
14:05 Her Last
Chance
15:35 Sleeping With
The Devil
17:05 Futureworld
18:55 Savage Harvest
20:20 Joseph
Andrews
22:00 How I Spent
My Summer
23:40 Mgm’s Big
Screen
23:55 Equus
13:45 Logan’s Run
15:40 The Year
Of Living
Dangerously-
PG
17:30 The Sandpiper-
PG
19:25 Party Girl
21:15 Brigadoon
23:00 Something Of
Value
13:00 Ugly Duckling In
The Enchanted
Forest
14:30 The Smurfs
16:15 Adventures Of
Tintin
20:00 Sinbad: Legend
Of The Seven
Seas
TEL: 444933989 444517001
MALL CINEMA
1
Rise Of The Guardians (Animation) – 2.30 & 4.15pm
Jack Reacher (Action) – 6.00 & 8.15pm
The Hobbit: An expected Journey (Fantasy) – 10.45pm
2
Aatma (2D/Hindi) – 2.30 & 4.30pm
Olympus Has Fallen (2D/Thriller) – 6.30 & 9.00pmCelluloid (2D/Malayalam)
– 11.15pm
3
Croods (3D/Comedy) – 3.00 & 5.00pmSide Effects
(2D/Drama) – 7.00 & 9.15pmLove And Horror (2D/Romantic)
– 11.30pm
LANDMARK
1
Love And Honor (2D/Drama) – 2.30 & 4.30pmOz: The Great & Powerful
(3D/Action) – 6.30pmJack, The Giant Slayer
(3D/Drama) – 9.00pmSide Effects
(2D/Drama) – 11.30pm
2
Croods (3D/Comedy) – 3.00 & 5.00pm
Olympus Has Fallen (2D/Thriller) – 7.00, 9.15 & 11.15pm
3
Al Hafla (Arabic/2D) – 2.30pm
Side Effects (2D/Drama)– 4.30pm
Lucky Star (2D/Malayalam) – 6.30 & 9.00pm
A Good Day To Die Hard (2D)– 11.30pm
ROYAL PLAZA
1
Croods (3D/Comedy) – 3.00 & 5.00pm
Side Effects (2D/Drama)– 7.00pm
Olympus Has Fallen (2D/Thriller) – 9.00pm
Love And Horror (2D/Romantic) – 11.15pm
2Rangrezz (Hindi)
– 2.30, 5.00, 8.00 & 11.00pm
3
Contraband (Action)– 2.30 & 9.00pm
ATM (Horror) – 4.30 & 11.30pm
Gringo:How I Spent My Summer Vacation (Drama) – 6.30pm
QF RADIO 91.7 FM ENGLISH PROGRAMME BRIEF LIVE SHOWS Airing
TimeProgramme Briefs On the Programme…
TodayRISE 7:00 –
9:00 AMRise, a LIVE 2-hour morning show hosted and produced by Scott Boyes. It discusses a wide array of topics from Weather, News, Health tips, Sports News and interactive bits with the callers.
On the program today, Scott peaks with Dr. Christopher Larkosh, visiting professor of Portuguese from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. He is speaking at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Translation & Interpreting Institute this Friday on “The Shifting Spaces of Intercultural Translation.
INTERNATIO-NAL NEWS
1:00 PM The latest news and events from around the world.
FASHION 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Fashion is a LIVE 1-hour weekly show hosted and produced by Laura Finnerty. The show brings together the latest fashion trends along with exciting interviews with local and international designers.
We take a look at the weird and the wonderful with body modification! Laura chats with tattoo artist Marco about working with ink and looks at how various cultures around the world use the art form.
REPEAT SHOWSSTRAIGHT TALK
4:00 – 5:00 PM
A LIVE weekly 1-hour Political show produced and hosted by Nabil Al Nashar. The show will host discussions and debates about the latest world political news/ issues/events.
LEGENDARY ARTISTS
8:00 – 9:00 PM
The show tells the story of a celebrity artist that has reached unprecedented fame.
PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013
PLUS | MONDAY 25 MARCH 2013 POTPOURRI16
Editor-In-Chief Khalid Al Sayed Acting Managing Editor Hussain Ahmad Editorial Office The Peninsula Tel: 4455 7741, E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]
If you want your events featured here, mail details to [email protected]
Hey’Ya: Arab Women in Sport When: March 7-Jun 16 Monday–Thursday, Saturday: 9am-8pmFriday; 3pm-9pm (Sunday closed)Where: QMA Gallery, Bldg 10 What: The Qatar Museums Authority will exhibit ‘Hey’Ya: Arab Women in Sport’ at QMA Gallery in Katara Cultural Village. The exhibition was first held in London during the 2012 Olympic Games. The exhibit originated in Qatar, beginning at the Arab Games’ Athletes Village in December 2011, where photographer Brigitte and documentary filmmaker Marian Lacombe set up an outdoor studio, working with female athletes. They then travelled to 20 Arab countries from the Gulf to North Africa, documenting images and videos of 70 Arab sportswomen. Free entry
Forever NowWhen: Until March 31; 11am-6pmWhere: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
What: Forever Now proposes new readings based on works of five artists from Mathaf’s permanent collection. This exhibition unpacks new narratives that posit a unique understanding of five diverse artists: Fahrelnissa Zeid, Jewad Selim, Saliba Douaihy, Salim Al Dabbagh and Ahmed Cherkaoui. Free entry
Tea with NefertitiWhen: Until March 31; 11am-6pmWhere: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art What: Offer a critical perspective on how to perceive an artwork, particularly in and from the Arab world. Free entry
Designed To WinWhen: Until June 23; 10am-10pm Where: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art What: Katara Exhibition in Collaboration with the Design Museum in London.Designed to Win celebrates ways in which design and sport are combined, pushing the limits of human endeavour to achieve records and victories of increasing significance and wonder. There will be an extensive educational programme and visiting artists’ talks complementing the expo.
A Bridge to the MoonWhen: Until April 27; 10am-10pmWhere: Katara Gallery 2 - Bldg 18 What: Amal Al Aathem is one of the most prominent and proactive Qatari artists today, her reputation as a Qatari artist with a real voice and message has won her respect internationally. Her work has been widely exhibited in the region and in different parts of the world. Al Aathem believes that old philosophies have linked the moon, nature and the woman in a symbolic way, believing that the moon is the centre of the universe and the woman is thecentre of society.
Events in Qatar MEDIA SCAN
• People have suggested that experiences of vegetables and fruits farms selling their products in Al Mazrua yard should be applied on fish selling where fishers can sell their fish directly to traders and consumers.
• People have demanded that construction work sites be strictly monitored to ensure safety of pedestrians, as many contractors are putting plastic barriers on roads allowing only one lane for cars, endangering pedestrian’s lives.
• There was suggestion for establishing emergency lanes to ensure smooth movement of ambulances and traffic police to rescue people in case of accidents.
• Some people have supported celebration of Mother’s Day and some others have opposed.
• There was suggestion for studying the geographical distribution of schools in Doha as many schools are found to be
in area, causing traffic jams. • Some people were surprised over
job opportunities advertisements by some private companies which said “priority for Qataris” rather than “Qataris only”.
• There were talks about Ashghal works to develop Al Shamal road by establishing extra roads for bicycles, expanding bridges, preparing Metro station and other service roads.
• There was discussion in the social media after a GCC official issued a statement saying Al Jazeera was distorting Arabs’ image.
• People demanded a plan for Qatarisation in the hotel sector, saying the rate of Qatarisation in the sector ranged between 3 and 5 percent.
• Some teachers called for alleviating burden they are facing to complete professional licences, saying they don’t have enough time to meet all requirements.
A summary ofissues of the daydiscussed by the Qatari communityin the media.
IN FOCUS
Sunrise along the Corniche in Al Khor. A photo taken by a Peninsula Plus reader.
by Muhammed Thwayyib
Send your photos to [email protected]
Swedes mystified by seal pup found in forestSTOCKHOLM: A seal pup was found in a forest in eastern Sweden yesterday almost 6km from the closest body of open water, raising questions as to how it got there, Swedish media reported.
“A somewhat confused per-son called and said he was out walking in the woods where he had found a seal pup. I thought he was joking at first,” Uppsala police inspector Henrik Pederson told news agency TT.
Hunter Robert Sandefors, who was asked by police to take care of the pup, said the seal had pro-bably made its way into the woods on its own, based on tracks visible in the snow.
Police said the seal had pro-bably crawled 3km over sea ice and 3km into the woods. “He must have gotten separated from his mother and gotten lost and gone in the wrong direction,” Sandefors told public broadcas-ter Swedish Radio.
The seal was taken to the nearby Dalaelven river, where it was released and swam away.
AFP
