MONDAY 15 MAY 2017

Tried hard to be a jerk on ‘Baywatch’ set: Priyanka

CAMPUS | 4 FOOD | 9MES wins table tennis

& badminton medals

Sesame fried rice with spring

vegetables & egg

Email: dohatoday@pen.com.qa

’ MES w

BOLLYWOOD | 11

OUTREACHOUTREACH INITIATIVESINITIATIVES

CMU-Q conducts an activity involving around 40 students as part of its outreach initiatives which highlight new academic and career paths for youth.

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COVER STORY MONDAY 15 MAY 201702

The Peninsula

A group of ambitious high school students gath-ers on a Saturday in the bright and airy majlis area at Carnegie Mel-

lon University in Qatar (CMU-Q). They are divided into two groups as buyers and sellers and got into a makeshift trading floor. The buzz in the air grows as the students gain confidence.

The activity involved around 40 students as part of CMU-Q’s out-reach initiatives which highlight new academic and career paths for youth. Nazli Bhatia, visiting assist-ant teaching professor of organisational behaviour, says,

“The students were so enthusiastic, the ones who finished first turned to their friends to help them. It was a great learning experience.”

The Qatar Foundation’s partner campuses in Education City have a unique mandate to prepare the next generation for an economy that is actively under construction. With many sectors of the knowledge-based economy still developing, how can young people understand the types of careers that they can pursue?

The wide opportunity CMU-Q takes a novel approach

to the problem. Through a suite of

carefully crafted workshops, out-reach workshops let young people experience life as a stock trader, a computer pro-grammer, an entrepreneur, an information sys-tems analyst, or a l a b o r a t o r y scientist.

O u t r e a c h workshops offer a glimpse into the four fields at CMU-Q as bio-logical sciences, business admin-i s t r a t i o n , computer sci-ence and information systems.

“As the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math-ematics infuse nearly every industry, including business, the choice can be daunting. CMU-Q’s outreach workshops give high schoolers a lit-tle taste of what is possible,” says John O’Brien, associate dean of CMU-Q.

Workshops include Tajer, the stock exchange simulation; Young Entrepreneurs; Biotechnology Explorers, which gets students into the lab to solve problems; Ibtikar, where students use tech tools to

solve business problems; and Mind-craft, an introduction to computing and programming.

“Each of the workshops is designed to bring living examples to different STEM careers, so when students decide what they want to study in university, they have an idea of what is out there for them,” says Damian Dourado, director of pre-college programs at CMU-Q.

Essential skillsThe Winter Institute is held each

year at the end of January: an invi-tation-only programme for Qatari

high school students where over the course of a week, they explore the field of computer science, learn basic computational skills, and see how computer scientists can shape the future of Qatar.

Computing is such an essential skill, CMU-Q has adapted the Alice interactive educational software for a Middle East audi-ence. The original Alice software was devel-oped at the Pittsburgh campus of Carnegie Mellon, and guides stu-dents through the

basics of programming as they cre-ate virtual worlds and animations.

In 2008, H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser expressed an interest in bringing the software to Qatar, so CMU-Q submitted a proposal to localise Alice for a Middle East audi-ence. Qatar National Research Fund’s National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) funded the project in 2012.

In the 2016-17 academic year, Alice was used in 12 government and international schools in Qatar. CMU-Q provides training work-shops for teachers, as well as ongoing school support. In the spring, CMU-Q holds a program-ming competition to showcase the skills the Alice students have acquired.

Saquib Razak, an associate teaching professor of computer sci-ence and the lead principle investigator of the Alice Middle East project, said, “Each year we are delighted to see such a brilliant effort from the students. We are amazed by what they can do, including a number of projects that we didn’t think were possible with Alice.”

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education is planning to roll out Alice ME in all Qatar schools that offer courses in ICT in the 2017-18 academic year.

Highlighting new academic and career paths

COVER STORYMONDAY 15 MAY 2017 03

Easing the transitionFor Ilker Baybars, dean and

CEO of CMU-Q, the outreach work-shops lay the groundwork as for a successful transition to university.

“Our goal is to get students excited about these areas of study, to inspire them to pursue fields that will ultimately drive the future of Qatar,” he said.

“We put significant resources into our outreach efforts: our fac-ulty, staff and students continually tweak and tailor the experience so young people will be enlightened and inspired. It is worth it: the more we can show them now, the stronger and more directed the young people of Qatar will be as they begin their post-secondary

studies and launch their careers in a knowledge-based economy,” he added. To ease the transition, CMU-Q offers a capstone outreach workshop called the Summer Col-lege Preview Program (SCPP). Held over three weeks, secondary stu-dents entering their last two years of school can experience university

life while strengthening their col-lege applications.

“The students learn what will be expected of them at the university level. They take classes, improve test-taking skills, and do a project in their specific area of interest. Each year I see students leave SCPP energised to study and get into a

good, challenging university pro-gram,” says Dourado.

The outreach workshops are working. Nearly one quarter of CMU-Q students in last year’s incoming class completed SCPP; some students did the program twice to learn about a second field of study.

Outreach workshops offer a glimpse into the four fields at CMU-Q as biological sciences, business administration, computer science and information systems.

CAMPUS MONDAY 15 MAY 201704

Rajagiri Public School conducts parliament election

Rajagiri Public School Doha conducted elec-tions for the school parliament. Each class had three candidates

and all students cast their vote on the election day at a election booth with a booth officer. They took their turn in the queue before the booth and cast their votes with all the for-malities. They carried home the indelible mark on their index fin-ger with pride.

The counting was done in each class soon after the voting and the winners were declared by the

Principal. The fight was so tight that in one class it was a tie and a re-lectin was ordered. The elected candidates were formally convened in the principal’s chamber and were briefed about the second round of election. Lamis Quisar was elected the School Leader and Arya Perb-hakar was elected the Deputy Leader.

The class teachers were the booth officers. The academic administrator and the coordinators were the returning officer and the supervisors. The principal was the election commissioner.

Table tennis teams of MES Indian School won the CBSE Qatar cluster table tennis

tournament in the Under 14 and 17 boys and Under 17 girls category hosted by Birla Public School on May 10.

All the winners have qualified to take part in the CBSE national table tennis tournament to be held in India in November. It is remark-able that Under 17 boys table tennis team of MES Indian School made

it to the CBSE national tournament for the 15th consecutive time.

Following players comprised the winning teams under various categories:

Kashif Minhaj, Manish Ravi Varrier, Antony Paul Brite and Mohamed Sahl Sameer (Under 17 Boys). Gopalan Sunil, Mishal Mohammed Riyas, Mohammed Omer Ali and Elliot Joseph (Under 14 Boys). Midhila Sunil Kumar, Sta-cey Singh, Nihan Kader and

Fathimath Samra (Under 17 Girls).Kunheedu AP and Shahana Kader, teachers of the physical education department of the school trained the teams.

Badminton Championship

The Under 17 badminton team of MES Indian school won the CBSE Qatar cluster badminton tournament hosted by Al Khor Inter National School on May 9.

With this win, the Under 17 badminton boys’ team of MES Indian School has qualified to take part in the CBSE national badmin-ton tournament to be held in India in November.

The players who represented the winning team are as follows: Saif Syed Mohamed, Shaffin Rey-ods and Punit Pande. Binoy K K, teacher in the physical education department of the school was the coach.

MES wins table tennis & badminton medals

CAMPUS MONDAY 15 MAY 2017 05

Gulf English School launches plastic recycling initiative

A group of teachers, stu-dents and parents at Gulf English School (GES) have initiated a campaign to tackle the

menace of plastic waste by collect-ing plastic bottle caps and recycling them for better use.

Over 650kg of bottle caps have been donated, which is close to 300,000 individual caps! These donated bottle caps will be handed over to relevant recycling compa-nies to produce recycled products and thereby help communities move towards zero waste.

Titled ‘From Waste to Wonder’, the activism and awareness cam-paign at GES is inspired by the fact that over 8 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the world’s oceans

each year. World-wide, nearly 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is for sin-gle use. Plastic lasts forever as it is not bio-degradable. Everything that has ever been made from plastic still exists. In around 700 years plastic will start to break up (degrade). Plas-tic does not decompose or biodegrade and get absorbed by nature, it ‘photo-degrades’ – which means they will turn into smaller toxic parts.

The United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP), esti-mated that land-based sources account for up to 80 percent of the world’s marine (sea) pollution, 60 to 95 percent of the waste being plastics debris. (plastic-pollution.

org) In line with this, the response from the GES community to collect plastic waste has been outstanding.

“We are overwhelmed and delighted by the response to this campaign. As a school, we would like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to every single member of the school and wider community that has con-tributed to this great cause, with special thanks going to Sheikh Faisal and Sheikha Maha who have been involved and have set a wonderful example for all the GES community. GES would also like to thank Arcadis and their employees for reaching out to us, getting involved and, of course, for their wonderful contri-bution of bottle caps,” said SaraHowe-Eal event the campaign organiser.

DPS-MIS shines at Annual Inter Gavel Club Contest

Reuben Suju Varghese of DPS- MIS bagged the first place in both the International and Table Topic category of the Annual

Inter Gavel Club Contest 2017. Samiksha Arora stood third in the Evalua-

tion category of the contest.The Annual Inter Gavel Club Contest is a pub-

lic speaking contest that provides a platform for speakers to share their ideas and in this process, they overcome their fear of public speaking and increase their confidence.

To participate in the annual contest, one must secure a rank in their own club and then move on to compete with the winners of different clubs at the annual inter gavels contest held at Divi-sion level. The contest was for four categories, International Speech, Table Topics (impromptu speech), Humorous Speech and Evaluation of Speeches.

The topic of the winning speech was “Chang-ing Gears”. The message to the audience was to slow down and enjoy life to the fullest.

MARKETPLACE MONDAY 15 MAY 201706

Centrepoint’s latest initiative #MakeTimeForFamily

The Middle East has always been a region that places high importance on fam-ily values. However, recent studies show that

there is an increasing imbalance between time spent at work versus quality family time. Centrepoint, Middle East’s largest fashion retailer, conducted a survey last year that showed over 48% of respondents claimed that they do not get suffi-cient time with their family. This year the brand surveyed over 500 people across the region and found that close to 40% state that they’ve missed outon a special occasion due to work obligations.

Research has shown that close bonds to family and having a strong emotional support system have a significant positive impact on our health. Centrepoint has taken it upon itself to encourage families in the region to balance their priori-ties and make time for loved ones to celebrate the World Family Day today. The region’s leading retailer understands the benefits that qual-ity family time can have on an individual’s well-being and wants to play its part in the happiness of

its customers across the Middle East.In these tech-drenched, imme-

diate-gratification days, individuals are in a constant need to be living in the fast track and striving for success-ful career growth. With many parents working longer hours, there is lesser time spent with children. The recent survey also showed that over a fifth of the respondents have less than one meal a day with their families, lead-ing to loved ones complaining that they do not get to spend enough time with them. Studies have shown that a start of a healthy work life balance

is having a meal with your children away from distractions such as the TV, video games and cell phones. This goes a long way in encouraging con-versations that you would like to, or need to have with your children.

Among the respondents surveyed, an overwhelming 96% live with fam-ilies. This continues to be a popular trend in the region and the numbers are significantly higher than families in the Western world. However, despite a high rate of individuals liv-ing with families, lack of quality time spent with family continues to be an issue that can be addressed.

However, it is heartening to note that a majority of the respond-ents claimed that they treasure meaningful one-on-one time spent together with family. In particular, parents surveyed said that balanc-ing your priorities as parents also teaches children to bring balance to their lives.

Centrepoint’s latest initiative, #MakeTimeForFamily highlights the most important factor in balancing your priorities through a campaign that stems from the brand’s contin-ued work in support of families in the run up to World Family Day.

Centrepoint has partnered with Fun City to gift free rides passes across stores in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and select stores in KSAfor every purchase made today.

Simon Cooper, Head of Cen-trepoint, says,” It wasn’t always the case where I realised how much I have been consumed by work obli-gations until I started missing on important events. Promising my personal time to my family at least once a day is important to develop that quality time with them. I want my children to start balancing their priorities and we at Centrepoint have always encouraged our loyal customers to never take quality time with family for granted and create irreplaceable memories.”

This year, Centrepoint stores will have a special Family shopping counter in store during May. The brand is sharing family conversa-tion series on social media to show different scenarios of parents putting their families first,and is also launching a video contest on social media encouraging fans to share their own shared family moments as short videos, in order to win family vouchers.

The Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, Qatar Chapter held its Annual Members’

Night 2017 titled “CONGREGARE 2017” on May 11 in Doha. The event was held for the eighth consecu-tive year with the participation of the popular singer from Sri Lanka Saman De Silva who entertained the event with his Baila music of the 1980’s and the 1990’s. He is known to be the Baila Chakrawarthi (King of Baila) in Sri Lanka

The chief guest for the event was A S P Liyanage, the Ambassa-dor of Sri Lanka to Qatar. The

ambassador hailed the profession-alism displayed by the Chapter in its activities over the years and mentioned that the Chapter plays a major role in shaping up the image of the Sri Lankan expatri-ates in Qatar.

Thivanka Jayasinghe, Chair-man of the Members Relations Committee of the Institute of Char-tered Accountants of Sri Lanka was the guest of honour. Jayasinghe represented the President of the CA Sri Lanka. Jayasinghe, in his speech to the members hailed the achievement of the Chapter in the short period of time from its

inception as the first overseas chapter and fast become the most active and leading Chapter around the world playing the role model for other Chapters. He also read out a message from the President of the mother Institute.

The event started with the tra-ditional lighting of oil lamps by the chief guest, guest of honour and the executive committee.

A video segment to reflect the

activities carried out in the preced-ing year and a presentation about the past presidents of the Chapter as a tribute. The event included various musical segments, dancing segments, raffle draws and enter-tainment for children as well.

The event was attended by the members of The Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, Qatar Chapter, invited guests and their families.

Chartered Accountants of

Sri Lanka hold annual event

COMMUNITYMONDAY 15 MAY 2017 07

Doha Singers unveils Spring Concert ‘MOVIE MAGIC’

The Doha Singers is gear-ing up for their spring concert “MOVIE MAGIC: Your Favourite Holly-wood Hits”, bringing

alive your favourite movie moments from such blockbusters as of Dirty Dancing, An Officer and a Gentlemen, Titanic, Love Actu-ally, Skyfall, and many more. Doha Singers teams up with the AFCENT, the US Air Forces Central Com-mand Band, as well as students from the International School of London, Qatar at the QNCC on May 19, for one their showiest and

grandest concerts yet.“We are delighted that this year

we are performing on a bigger platform where we are expecting an audience of over 400 people and we are happy to introduce the AFCENT, the US Air Forces Cen-tral Command Band, who will be performing for the first time in Qatar,” states John Warren, chair-man of the Doha Singers committee.“This gives our per-formances a new edge and motivates our team to perform get better every year.”

The collaborative effort comes

after weeks of dedicated rehears-als by volunteering members of the Doha expat and military com-munities, joining together people from various nationalities and pro-fessional backgrounds through a common love of music. This pas-sion for music is highlighted through a selection of songs that are as iconic as the movies in which they were first introduced to the public.

“Our aim is to make sure each piece we sing connects with our audiences and the emotions that were invoked when they viewed

these classic movies for the first time,” explains Claire Daniels, Musical Director of the Doha Sing-ers. “It has been such a pleasure working with the amazing talent of our local communities, who have dedicated their time to enrich the local musical scene and share these favorites from the silver screen.”

“We are delighted to share the stage with the Doha Singers and looking forward to put together a rocking show for our audiences,” Justin Lewis, Musical Director of the AFCENTadds.

Division E of Toastmasters

holds annual conference

Division E, of Toastmasters International, the first divi-sion in Qatar, a nonprofit

organisation focusing on public speaking and leadership skills held its Annual Conference on April 28 at Al Waha Club-ballroom, Al Khor Community. It was the biggest event conducted by Division E with more than 200 toastmasters and guests present from all over Qatar.

The conference was conducted successfully under the able leader-ship of Division Director DTM VirendraNath and Conference Chair TM Girish Jain. The event was graced by the presence of DTM George Thomas - Past International Director, DTM Sonny Varghese - Past Region Adviser, DTM Mohammed Salim -District 20 Club Growth Director, DTM Raghavan Menon - TLI Chair and TM Nahar

Al Mutawa - DTAC 2018 conference chair and many other high profile dignitaries.

The day-long event with the theme ‘Discover...The Magic of Words’ kicked off by a motivational keynote speech on leadership by DTM George Thomas. The event proceeded with speech contests in four categories - International, Humorous, Table Topics and Eval-uation. DTM Manzoor Moideen and TM Deepak Shivankar emerged Champions for first two categories and TM Anil Nair bagging the first place in last 2 categories.

The ceremony for Falcon Awards for leadership was con-ducted by Division-E Club Growth Director, TM HPS Bhullar with Doha Toastmasters, first club in Qatar sweeping most awards. Doha Toast-masters bagged the ‘Outstanding

Club of the Year’ award, its Presi-dent TM Abdul Nassar was awarded the ‘Outstanding Toastmaster of the Year’ and its VP Public Relations of Club TM Niloufer Samal was rec-ognised for the Best Newsletter and The Best Website. TM Jayakumar Menon was awarded the ‘Best Area Director’ and TM Nirmala Raghura-man, the ‘Best Leader of the Year’. Newly-formed NIA Club begged

‘Best New Club’ award and 2 very

vibrant clubs - Dakes Toastmasters and Abha Ladies Toastmasters awarded the ‘Most Improved Clubs of the year’. A glittering Banner parade ceremony was also con-ducted by TM Rajesh VC and Division E e-newsletter was also released on this occasion. Earlier, the Conference Chair TM Girish Jain welcomed the gathering and thanked his team assisted by many enthusiastic senior Toastmasters.

FOOD MONDAY 15 MAY 201708The Washington Post

6 to 8 servings

This tart dessert gets its name from the consistency of the baked filling, which seems like a combi-nation of moist spongecake and creamy custard.

It is best served the same day it is made.

IngredientsFor the crust1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for

the work surface1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup solid vegetable

shortening1/4 cup ice-cold water

For the filling1 cup sugar4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted

butter, at room temperature2 large egg yolks, well beaten,

plus 2 large egg whites, beaten until stiff

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 cup whole milk2 tablespoons flour1/2 teaspoon salt

StepsFor the crust: Lightly flour a

work surface.Use your clean hands or two

forks to combine the flour, salt and shortening in a mixing bowl. Add the water and stir just until a crum-bly dough forms.

Transfer the dough to the work surface; knead it together to form a smooth dough, then use a rolling pin to roll it out to a round that measures 10 inches across. Fold the dough over the rolling pin to trans-fer it to an 8-inch pie plate (not deep-dish, and preferably metal). Fit in the dough and crimp the

edges around the rim. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until just firm, or up to a day or two.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.For the filling: Combine the

sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld mixer; beat on medium-low speed, until well incorporated and a little fluffy. Stop to scrape down the bowl.

On low speed, add the egg yolks, lemon zest and juice, beating until well combined. Stop to scrape down the bowl. The mixture may look a

bit curdled; this is okay. Add the milk and sprinkle in the flour and salt; beat on low speed just until well incorporated.

Gently fold in half the beaten egg whites, being careful not to deflate them; once any signs of white have disappeared, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

When ready to bake, place the pie pan on a baking sheet, discard-ing the plastic wrap. Use a fork to poke a few sets of holes in the bot-tom of the pie dough crust.

Pour the filling into the pie shell; transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake (middle rack) for about 1 hour; the filling will be set with a few nicely browned spots, and the crust will be just lightly golden.

Let it sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition : Per serving (based on 8): 390 calories, 5 g protein, 46 g carbohydrates, 21 g fat, 11 g satu-rated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 27 g sugar.

Lemon Sponge Pie

FOODMONDAY 15 MAY 2017 09

Ellie Krieger The Washington Post

4 servings, HealthyMade with whole-grain rice

and brimming with colourful spring vegetables, this healthful meal in a bowl feels like an indulgence.

Ingredients3 tablespoons peanut oil or

canola oil8 ounces asparagus (1/2 bunch),

woody ends trimmed, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces

1 cup shredded carrot1 cup peas, fresh or frozen (not

defrosted)4 scallions, thinly sliced, the

dark-green part also thinly sliced and reserved for garnish

1 tablespoon peeled, freshly grated ginger root

2 large cloves garlic, mincedPinch crushed red pepper

flakes3 1/2 cups very cold cooked

brown rice2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons low-

sodium soy sauce1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil2 tablespoons toasted (white)

sesame seeds4 large eggsSalt (optional)

StepsHeat 2 tablespoons of the oil in

a very large nonstick skillet or well-seasoned wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften.

Add the carrots and peas; cook for 1 minute, then add the scallion, ginger, garlic and crushed red pep-per flakes. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring, then add the rice; cook, stirring, until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds. Reduce the heat to low to keep

warm as you cook the eggs.Heat the remaining tablespoon

of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet; fry just until the whites are cooked but the yolks are still runny.

To serve, spoon the fried rice and vegetables into individual bowls. Place an egg on top of each portion. Garnish with scallion greens and season lightly with salt, if desired.

Nutrition: Per serving: 480 cal-ories, 16 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, 23 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 185 mg cho-lesterol, 540 mg sodium, 8 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar.

Sesame fried rice with spring vegetables & egg

HEALTH MONDAY 15 MAY 201710

Using pluripotent stem cells, researchers have developed a 3D model of the human

lung that could advance our under-standing of a variety of respiratory diseases.

The researchers used the new lung “organoids” — tiny 3D struc-tures that mimic features of a full-sized lung — to generate mod-els of human lung diseases in a lab dish. By reproducing an organ in a dish, researchers hope to develop better models of human diseases, and find new ways of testing drugs and regenerating damaged tissue.

“Researchers have taken up the challenge of creating organoids to help us understand and treat a vari-ety of diseases,” said lead investigator of the study Hans-Wil-lem Snoeck, Professor at Columbia University Medical Centre in the US.

“But we have been tested by our

limited ability to create organoids that can replicate key features of human disease,” Snoeck said.

The lung organoids created in Snoeck’s laboratory, however,

include branching airway and alve-olar structures, similar to human lungs, according to a study pub-lished in the journal Nature Cell Biology. To demonstrate their

functionality, the researchers showed that the organoids reacted in much the same way as a real lung does when infected with respira-tory syncytial virus (RSV).

Additional experiments revealed that the organoids also responded as a human lung would when carrying a gene mutation linked to pulmonary fibrosis.

Respiratory syncytial virus is a major cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants and has no vaccine or effective antiviral ther-apy. A lung transplant is currently the only cure for idiopathic pulmo-nary fibrosis, a condition that causes scarring in the lungs.

“Organoids, created with human pluripotent or genome-edited embryonic stem cells, may be the best, and perhaps only, way to gain insight into the pathogenesis of these diseases,” Snoeck said.

Men who sleep early may have healthier sperm

For men wanting to become a father, going to bed before midnight may be key to health-ier and fitter sperm, a study has showed. The

study showed that those falling asleep between 8 and 10pm, had the best sperm motility, meaning the sperm are better swimmers and have a greater chance of fertilising an egg. On the other hand, men who went to bed after midnight had lower sperm counts and their sperm died much sooner too. Sleeping for six hours or less made this even worse, as did lying in bed for more than nine hours.

Late bedtimes and inadequate rest are harm-ful because they increase levels of antisperm antibody — a type of protein produced by the immune system which can destroy healthy sperm, led by researchers from Harbin Medical University in China, the Daily Mail reported.

Previous study revealed that men getting six hours a night had sperm counts that were 25 percent lower than in men snoozing a full eight hours. For the study, published in the journal Medical Science Monitor, the team monitored sleeping patterns in 981 healthy men instructed to go to bed between 8pm and 10pm, between 10pm and midnight, or after midnight. They were also told to set their alarms so they got six hours’ sleep or less, seven to eight hours, or nine hours or longer. Scientists took regular semen sam-ples to check sperm count, shape and motility.

3D human lung model to shed light on respiratory diseases

Lifestyle changes such as improved diet, increased physical activity and weight loss may help prevent osteoarthritis,

a common form of arthritis.Osteoarthritis disproportionately affects

post-menopausal women who are more pre-disposed to the condition because of biology, genetics and hormones. Currently there is no effective treatment for this painful ailment, with only painkillers available to treat symp-toms and no known cure. “For too long osteoarthritis has been known as the ‘wear and tear disease’ and it has been assumed that it is part and parcel of getting older. How-ever, this is not the case and what we have learnt is that we can control and prevent the onset of this painful condition,” said lead study author Ali Mobasheri, Professor at the University of Surrey in England.

In the study published in the journal Nature Reviews Rheumatology, the research-ers identified a crucial link between metabolism and osteoarthritis.

Metabolic changes, caused by a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle, trigger the genetic reprogramming of cells in the body and joints. Such metabolic changes impact upon the cells

ability to produce energy, forcing it to gen-erate alternative sources to function. The stress this places on cells leads to the over-production of glucose, which when not used for energy transforms into lactic acid, which is difficult for the body to flush out. Abnor-mal levels of this acid in the body leads to the inflammation of the joint’s cartilage which impedes on movement and causes pain, the study said. By identifying metabolic changes in cells, it is potentially possible to control or significantly slow down the symptoms of osteoarthritis, alleviating the suffering of mil-lions of people, the researchers said.

“It is important never to underestimate the significance of a healthy diet and lifestyle as not only does it impact upon our general well being but can alter the metabolic behaviour of our cells, tissues and organs,” Mobasheri said.

Exercise and good diet could help prevent osteoarthritis

BOLLYWOODMONDAY 15 MAY 2017 11

S S Rajamouli’s magnum opus “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” has officially joined the Rs1bn club in Tamil Nadu. It is the second

film after superstar Rajinikanth’s Tamil science-fiction actioner “Enthiran” to achieve the rare feat.

“It took 16 days for the film to officially cross Rs1bn in Tamil Nadu. Rajinikanth’s ‘Enthiran’ was the first film to gross over Rs1bn in Tamil Nadu and after seven years, ‘Baahubali 2’ has repeated the feat,” trade analyst Trinath said.

Having already amassed over Rs14bn world-wide and counting, “Baahubali 2” is the biggest Indian grossing film.

Trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai tweeted on Sun-day: “’Baahubali 2’ crosses magic Rs1bn mark in Tamil Nadu. Gross Rs1bn (approximately) in 16 days. Net Rs815 million. Likely share Rs520 mil-lion. Wow.”

Starring Prabhas and Rana Daggubati as the male protagonists, the film is about the warring battle between them for the ownership of an ancient kingdom.

Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan and Sathyaraj played pivotal roles.

Indian actress Pri-yanka Chopra, who is making her

Hollywood debut with “Baywatch”, says she tried hard to be a jerk on the set of the upcoming action comedy film.

Priyanka will be seen as the antagonist Victoria Leeds in “Bay-watch”, which also features Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Zac Efron. “We got on really well, though I tried really hard to be a jerk, I couldn’t because everyone was super fine,” Priyanka said on the red carpet of Miami premiere on Saturday.

“Also, I was flying in and out as I was shooting ‘Quantico’ and

‘Baywatch’ together. But I did try

to go a little method in my walk and in my talk. I am happy to be here. ‘Baywatch’ is great summer fun. By the way, don’t take your

kids (to theatres),” she added.Talking about her co-stars, Pri-

yanka said: “Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron were a little more con-scientious than me.” Priyanka shared a few photographs from the premiere on Twitter. “Thank you for the love Miami! ‘Baywatch’ pre-miering on May 25 in a theater near you,” she wrote alongside a video in which she showed the fans, who gathered to see the stars. “Bay-watch” will release in India on June 2.

Tendulkar’s film will keep cricket fever alive after IPL

The cricket fever will not end with the conclusion of Indian Premier League (IPL) on May

21. The loyal fans can take it from the fields to big screens by watching cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar’s film “Sachin: A Billion Dreams” on May 26.

It will be the first film releasing on Friday at the end of IPL this year. The movie will encapsulate Ten-dulkar’s struggle and unknown and little known facts about him.

Ravi Bhagchandka, the producer of the movie, said in a statement: “My distributor and I felt this is an ideal date as we will be coming on the Fri-day following the IPL fever with the story of the biggest cricket sensation alive, Sachin Tendulkar.”

The makers had seen 10,000 hours of archived footage to do some research for the film. Produced by Bhagchandka of 200 Not Out and Shrikant Bhasi of Carnival Motion Pic-tures, it is being helmed by James Erskine.

Megastar Rajinikanth’s next yet untitled Tamil project is not based on the life of

Mumbai’s late underworld don Haji Mastan, makers have clari-fied. In a statement, the makers said: “The film is not based on the life of Haji Mastan. It’s not even a biopic. It’s just a fictional story set in Mumbai.” The film marks the reunion of “Kabali” director Pa Ranjith with Rajinikanth. It was widely reported that the 66-year-old star will play the don, who lived in Mumbai between 1926 and 1994, in the film which will roll from next week.

On Saturday, Sundar Shaekhar, who claims to be the son of Haji Mastan, sent a legal notice to Rajinikanth, requesting him to not portray his father as a “smuggler and don”. To be produced by

Dhanush, the film will have music by Santhosh Narayanan. The mak-ers are currently recreating the popular Dharavi slum in the city.

“On a budget close to Rs5 crore, Dharavi set is currently being con-structed in Chennai and predominant portion of the film will be shot there,” a source from the film’s unit said.

‘Baahubali 2’ amasses over Rs14bn worldwide

Rajinikanth’s next film not based on Haji Mastan

Tried hard to be a jerk on ‘Baywatch’ set: Priyanka

HOLLYWOOD MONDAY 15 MAY 201712

Reuters

The surprise success of the first “Guardians of the Galaxy,” with its intergalactic gang of

misfits and quirky tone, launched Marvel Studios into making action movies starring lesser-known comic book figures that could make audiences laugh.

Two years later, the bet that comedy could help catapult charac-ters such as the “Guardians,”

“Ant-Man” and “Doctor Strange” into box office stars has paid off again.

The “Guardians,” led by actor Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill, debuted in 2014 with more than $700m at the global box office. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” opened in the United States last week and has already grossed more than $500m worldwide. “The first ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ film allowed us to perhaps go a little bit further, not just in humor, but types of charac-ters,” Kevin Feige, Chief Executive of Marvel Studios, said.

Comedy has flavoured Marvel movies since 2008’s “Iron Man” featured star Robert Downey Jr.’s cocky one-liners.

Many of the studio’s upcoming releases, including “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Thor: Ragnarok,” are expected to build humor into their audience appeal.

The “Guardians” franchise has

gone farther by putting comedy at the core of the movie. Audiences fell in love with the roguish Peter, no-nonsense Gamora, the alien Drax who didn’t understand irony and the bromance between Rocket Raccoon and tree-alien Groot.

“Laughter is the way you hook the audience, and then you can scare them, then you can hopefully touch them emotionally deeper than they were expecting to in a film about a tree and a raccoon and aliens that don’t understand met-aphors,” Feige said in April.

“Humor is the secret into the audience’s other range of emotions,” he added. It’s also part of Marvel’s strategy to keep audiences coming back for repeat viewings, which Feige compared to the fan-favorite

“Star Wars” films or the “Harry Pot-ter” franchise.

Disney-owned Marvel has seven upcoming films mapped out until 2019, including “Spider-Man: Home-coming,” a joint production with Sony Pictures due in July. The film taps the teen comedy genre in the retelling of Spider-Man’s origin story as his alter-ego Peter Parker navi-gates the perils of high school.

But comedy has not always paired well with superheroes. George Clooney’s 1997 “Batman & Robin,” which featured goofy jokes, was savaged by critics and was one of the worst-performing

superhero films, grossing $238m worldwide according to BoxOf-ficeMojo.com.

In contrast, Christopher Nolan’s three-part “Dark Knight” franchise for Warner Bros recast Batman in a gritty light that won rave reviews and grossed more than $2bn world-wide from 2005 to 2012.

The success of 2014’s “Guardi-ans” proved that Marvel could have a hit with its lesser-known comic book properties, such as pint-sized hero “Ant-Man,” played by comedic actor Paul Rudd, and the mind-bending “Doctor Strange,” in which Benedict Cumberbatch delivered witty retorts in the vein of Iron Man.

Even “Thor: Ragnarok” har-nessed a comedic talent. Feige said New Zealand director Taika Wai-titi films have “really gut-wrenching drama in some moments and really hilarious, over-the-top humor in other moments.”

Waititi debuted a short video last year that showed the brawny but dim superhero sharing a house with a computer salesman in Aus-tralia and trying to craft emails to Captain America and Iron Man.

In April’s “Ragnarok” trailer, Thor enters a gladiator arena and roars with laughter when he sees his opponent is the Hulk, a fellow Marvel Avenger comrade, shout-ing “We know each other! He’s a friend from work!”

IANS

Veteran actress Goldie Hawn says she would not make a movie

with her daughter and actress Kate Hudson because the expectations would be too high. The 71-year-old says she would love to work with Hudson but believes that it would come with “too much baggage”, reports latimes.com.

“We would love it, but it’s really interesting - unless it’s something great, honey, you don’t do it. And I’ll tell you another thing: mother and daughter, or son or whatever

- sometimes it doesn’t work. You have to look at the real-ity, because we’re very well known apart. There’s a lot of expectation coming into it. You want to talk about bag-gage,” Hawn said. Hawn has returned to the big screen with

“Snatched”, featuring alongside actress Amy Schumer, after taking a 15 year hiatus.

Singer Katy Perry is likely to fill the first judge’s chair on the new

“American Idol”.Sources familiar with the

talks told tmz.com Perry is very interested, and is open to scheduling potential tour dates around the show’s schedule. It is also said ABC Network is fully on board as well. Earlier, negotiations were on with former “Amer-ican Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson, but now she will be seen as a coach on “The Voice” show.

Goldie Hawn won’t make movie with Kate Hudson

Humorous ‘Guardians’ set Marvel on new path for superhero movies

Katy Perry likely to judge new ‘American Idol’

TECHNOLOGYMONDAY 15 MAY 2017 13

AP

Microsoft will try to make Windows 10 more versa-tile with a wave of new

features for creating memories, exploring virtual scenery and hop-scotching from personal computers to mobile devices.

The added bells and whistles will roll out later this year as part of “Fall Creators Update” that will be pro-vided for free to 500 million personal computers, smartphones and tablets powered by Windows 10.

Microsoft previewed the update recently in Seattle during its annual conference for applications devel-opers. The company didn’t specify when it will be available; a preview for early testers was released Thursday. The latest changes come on the heels of a free update that began to roll out last month.

“We are building Windows to be the platform that empowers eve-ryone to create,” Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s top Windows executive, wrote in a blog post .

Some of the upcoming tools represent another step in Micro-soft’s attempt to catch up with two of its biggest rivals, Apple and

Google. Along that vein, a new fea-ture called Story Remix will automatically identify the best pho-tos and videos to help people create highlights of their experiences.

Microsoft also is opening up Windows 10 so it works better with the smartphones and tablets run-ning on Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android software. A growing dependence on those mobile devices has reduced the role that Windows-powered PCs play in peo-ple’s lives.

That shift to smartphones and tablets also is one of the reasons the next Windows 10 update will include a multi-faceted clipboard to let you copy text, images and other content on a PC and paste it on a phone, even iPhones and Android, as though the PC and phone were one. The tool is simi-lar to what Apple already offers with Universal Clipboard in iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.

Another upcoming feature will let you start working on a document on a Windows 10 PC and pick up where you left off on a rival phone.

In another concession to the popularity of Apple’s products, iTunes software will be added to

the Windows Store — an announce-ment that evoked some of the loudest cheers in Thursday’s crowd. That development will be particu-larly helpful for students using a streamlined version of Windows designed for classrooms. That recently introduced version, Win-dows 10 S, can’t get apps directly from third parties such as Apple, as regular Windows 10 users can.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is vying to be more of a trailblazer by expand-ing its exploration of a new technological frontier that allows people to blend the real world with three-dimensional projections of life-like images. The Redmond,

Washington, company calls the emerging field “mixed reality” because it melds the artificial with things that are actually happening around us. The concept is more com-monly known as augmented reality. Another format that immerses peo-ple in completely fabricated situations is known as virtual reality.

Microsoft plans to introduce a new headset and motion control-ler in time for the holiday season. The equipment, to be made by Acer, will sell as a package for $399, far less than the $3,000 to $5,000 Microsoft charges for another mixed reality headset called HoloLens.

US researchers have devel-oped a “revolutionary” process for 3D printing

stretchable electronic sensory devices that could give robots the ability to feel their environment, according to a study.

The discovery, published online in the journal Advanced Materials, is a major step forward in printing electronics on real human skin, researchers said.

The new process was devel-oped by engineers at the University of Minnesota using a one-of-a-kind 3D printer they built in the lab, Xinhua news agency reported yes-terday. The multifunctional printer is equipped with four nozzles, to print different kinds of specialized

“ink” that make up the layers of the device. These flexible 3D printed sensors can stretch up to three times their original size, accord-ing to the study. “This stretchable electronic fabric we developed has many practical uses,” Michael McAlpine, a University of Minne-sota mechanical engineering

associate professor and lead researcher on the study, said in a statement.

“Putting this type of ‘bionic skin’ on surgical robots would give sur-geons the ability to actually feel during minimally invasive surger-ies, which would make surgery easier instead of just using

cameras like they do now. These sensors could also make it easier for other robots to walk and inter-act with their environment.”

Researchers believe the new 3D printing technique could also be used to print electronics directly on real human skin.

This ultimate wearable tech-nology may could eventually be used for health monitoring or by soldiers in the field to detect dan-gerous chemicals or explosives. Conventional 3D printing using liq-uid plastic is too hot and too rigid to use on the skin.

However, all the layers of “ink” used in this new technique can set at room temperature, making for

“endless” possible applications.

Microsoft aims to create a more versatile Windows 10

3D printed bionic skin could allow robots ‘feel’

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

The third film in Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar trilogy, which chronicles the

exploits of a powerful political figure.Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

NOVO — Pearl ROYAL PLAZA

MALL

LANDMARK

King Arthur: Legend of The Sword (Action) 2D 11:30am, 12:00noon, 1:30, 2:00, 4:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 9:30, 11:00, 11:30, 11:45pm & 12:00midnight 3D 11:00am, 4:00 & 9:00pmGuardians of The Galaxy 2 (Action) 3D 10:00am, 3:30 & 9:00pm 2D 12:45am, 3:00, 6:15, 8:45 & 11:45pm Spark: A Space Tail 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 & 8:00pm The Rezort 10:00pm & 12:00midnight The Dinner 10:00am, 2:30, 7:00 & 11:30pm Kalb Balady (Arabic) 12:30, 5:00 & 9:30pm Fast & Furious 8 (Action) 11:00am, 4:10 & 9:10pm Bank Alhaz (2D/Arabic) 1:40, 6:40 & 11:50pmRevenger (2D/Thriller) 11:00am, 3:15, 7:30 & 11:45pm Bashtery Ragel (2D/Arabic) 1:00, 5:15 & 9:30pm The Boss Baby (2D/Animation) 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00 & 9:00pm Guardians of The Galaxy 2 (3D IMAX/Action) 11:30am, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm

Meri Pyaari Bindu (2D/Hindi) 2:15pm The Boss Baby (2D/Animation) 2:15pm Spark: A Space Tail (2D/Animation) 2:15 & 4:00pm Bashtery Ragel (2D/Arabic) 4:15pm The Dinner (Drama) 6:15pm Sarkar 3 (2D/Hindi) 4:30, 5:45 & 8:15 pmKing Arthur: Legend of The Sword (2D/Action) 7:00 & 8:45pm Kalb Balady (2D/Arabic) 9:15pm Georgettan (2D/Malayalam) 10:45pm The Rezort (2D/Horror) 11:30pm

Spark: A Space Tail (2D/Animation) 2:00 & 3:45pmMeri Pyaari Bindu (2D/Hindi) 2:00pm The Dinner (Drama) 4:45pmSaravanan Irukka Bayamaen (2D/Tamil) 2:30pm The Boss Baby (2D/Animation) 5:30pm Radha (2D/Telugu) 4:15pm Sarkar 3 (2D/Hindi) 6:00 & 11:15pm Bashtery Ragel (2D/Arabic) 7:00pm King Arthur: Legend of The Sword (2D/Action) 7:15, 8:30 & 11:00pm The Rezort (2D/Horror) 9:15pm Kalb Balady (2D/Arabic) 9:30pm Georgettan (2D/Malayalam) 11:00pm

The Boss Baby (2D/Animation) 2:30 & 4:30pm Spark: A Space Tail (2D/Animation) 2:30 & 6:30pm Radha (2D/Telugu) 4:30 & 11:00pm Sarkar 3 (2D/Hindi) 2:15 & 4:45pm The Dinner (Drama) 7:15pm King Arthur: Legend of The Sword (2D/Action) 7:00 & 9:15pm Bashtery Ragel (2D/Arabic) 9:30pm The Rezort (2D/Horror) 11:30pmKalb Balady (2D/Arabic) 11:30pm

MONDAY 15 MAY 2017

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

CINEMA PLUS14

AL KHORBaahubali 2(Tamil) 11:15am, 5:15 & 11:15pm Baahubali 2 (Hindi) 2:45 & 8:30pm Baahubali 2 (Malayalam) 2:15 & 7:45pm Georgettan (Malayalam) 2:15 & 8:15pm Meri Pyaari Bindu (Hindi) 11:45am, 5:15 & 10:45pm Sarkar 3 12:00noon, 5:45 & 11:30pm

ROXYSpark: A Space Tail 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 & 8:00pm Georgettan 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm King Arthur: Legend of the Sword 2:00, 4:40, 7:20, 10:00pm & 12:30am Meri Pyaari Bindu 2:00 & 5:00pm Guardians of The Galaxy 10:00pm & 12:40am Sarkar 3 8:00 & 11:40pm

SARKAR 3

ASIAN TOWNGeorgettan (Malayalam) 5:45, 8:30 & 11:15pm Baahubali 2 (Hindi) 6:30pm Saravanan Irukka Bayamaen (2D/Tamil) 3:30, 6:00, 11:00pm

CROSSWORD CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

ALL IN THE MIND

08:00 News08:30 101 East 09:00 The

Guantanamo 22 10:30 Inside Story11:00 News11:30 UpFront12:30 Witness13:00 NEWSHOUR14:30 Inside Story15:00 Digital

Dissidents 16:00 NEWSHOUR17:30 Talk to Al

Jazeera18:00 Newsgrid19:30 Counting the

Cost20:00 News20:30 Inside Story21:00 NEWSHOUR22:00 News22:30 The Stream23:00 Shadow War In

The Sahara

13:05 Star Darlings

13:10 Good Luck Charlie

13:35 Austin & Ally

14:55 The Zhuzhus

15:45 Elena Of Avalor

18:50 Best Friends Whenever

19:20 Liv And Maddie

19:45 Hank Zipzer 20:10 Jessie 20:35 Cracke 21:05 Bizaardvark 21:55 Star Darlings 22:00 Shake It Up 22:25 Sabrina

Secrets Of A Teenage Witch

14:40 Mutant Planet

15:35 Tanked17:25 Animal Cops

Houston18:20 Lone Star

Law19:15 Saving A

Species: Gorillas On The Brink With...

20:10 Cats 10121:05 Animal Cops

Houston22:00 Lone Star

Law22:55 Mutant

Planet23:50 Swimming

With Monsters: Steve Backshall

00:45 Bondi Vet

13:05 How Do They Do It?

13:30 Storage Hunters UK

16:00 Gold Divers16:50 Diesel

Brothers17:40 Street

Outlaws18:30 How Do

They Do It?

19:20 Treasure Quest: Snake Island

20:35 Storage Hunters UK

21:00 Gold Divers21:50 Rebel Gold22:40 Outback

Truckers23:30 Diesel

Brothers

King Features Syndicate, Inc.

BRAIN TEASERSMONDAY 15 MAY 2017 15

Yesterday’s answer

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku

is a number-placing puzzle based on a

9×9 grid. The object is to place the

numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so

that each row, each column and each

3×3 box contains the same number

only once.

APRIL, AQUARIUS, ARIES,

AUGUST, CANCER,

CAPRICORN, DECEMBER,

FEBRUARY, GEMINI,

JANUARY, JULY, JUNE,

LEO, LIBRA, MARCH, MAY,

NOVEMBER, OCTOBER,

PISCES, SAGITTARIUS,

SCORPIO, SEPTEMBER,

TAURUS, VIRGO.