The silent struggle of air hostesses

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor recently starred in a biopic based on the life of Ashok Chakra awardee Neerja Bhanot, an air hostess, who was shot while saving the passengers from terrorists in the ill-fated Pan Am Flight 73 in 1986. After completing the movie, Sonam had claimed that her respect for air hostesses increased post 'Neerja'. However, sadly, the profession still fails to garner the respect it deserves in the eyes of people. Behind the exotic travel destinations, prim and proper clothing, plastered smiles, flawless skin, perfectly manicured hands and the supposedly glitz and glamorous world of the air hostesses, there's a world of enormous struggle, vigorous training sessions, difficult passengers, strenuous working hours, and endless fitness tests that often gets ignored.

The extensive training programme involves full-day fire drills, mock evacuations, mimicking emergency landings, first-aid training and arduous theoretical exams as well. Swati Sharma, working as an air hostess with one of the renowned Asian airlines says, "We're given a big-fat manual of safety and first-aid instructions that needs to be learned by heart. Though, we're not trained to become doctors but the prying eyes are on us when it's a matter of life and death on board."

Sonam Kapoor admitted the importance of safety training at a promotional event for her movie 'Neerja'. She was heard saying, "I realized that 60 per cent of the training is for safety and emergency. There is a hijack training, safety training and being in the service industry, you really feel that you have a duty towards your clients and guests."

Besides getting trained for emergency situations, Swati also talks about the yearly refresher courses and medical tests that every air hostess needs to undergo in order to carry forward in the profession. "Basically, we've to prove each year that we're fit for being air hostesses, unlike getting a one-time degree," she adds.

Rhythm Kapoor, another air hostess, working with a well-known international airline adds, "Apart from being physically and mentally strong, we are supposed to take special care of our skin and body weight. I've heard of incidents where air hostesses were grounded for having acne on their face." While the requirement for becoming an air hostess is no less than that of an aspiring model/actress, yet the job is not as glamorous as it sounds.

They're often called 'glorified ayahs' and, Rhythm reveals that some of the passengers actually treat them as their domestic servants, especially the Indian ones. She further discloses that there have been cases where first-time travellers from lower strata of society have actually peed on their seats, unaware of how to use airplane toilets, and without any remorse as they expect the so-called 'ayahs' to clean up their mess. Besides this, passengers have no qualms in venting out their anger on the air hostesses every now and then, even for a trivial matter of a desired food item not being available on the menu.

If this wasn't enough, there have also been incidents where passengers have misbehaved with the air hostesses expecting them to "sleep with them." Nidhi Arora, an air hostess with a domestic airline reveals, "Once a passenger held me by my skirt (well, that was his way of calling me) and later, he made an indecent proposal to me in front of hundred-odd people, some 40,000 ft above the sea level! Ironically, even after all this, I had to snub him politely because we are trained not to be rude."
Rhythm Kapoor stresses that the airlines' policy on sexual harassment cases has become more stringent over the years. Now, the airlines regularly send out emails to the employees on how they can raise their voice when such an incident occurs and how the air hostess can alert the captain, who in turn, will alert the air traffic controller to take the accused passenger in police custody as soon as they land.

Delhi-based life coach Ramon Llamba explains the mindset behind the uncouth behaviour of passengers, "Human psychology is such that they love to exercise control and this fuels their emotional needs. When people pay for a flight, they feel they have actually bought the rights to own that particular space, including the flight attendants, and hence that's one area where they become superior and exercise control." Talking of the effect of misbehaviour on air hostesses, the psychiatrist says, "Any kind of misbehaviour leaves a dent on a person's personality, "This tampers the self-confidence and the ability to perform suffers, making them scarred for a lifetime in certain cases." She wants people to understand that buying an airplane ticket doesn't give them the right to own the people associated with it and urges the passengers to be more compassionate and humane towards the flight attendants.

Paradoxically, despite all this, the profession is looked down upon on several occasions and the misconceptions, vices associated with it are deeply etched in the minds of people, which perhaps will take some more generations to fade away./timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Trend: Full of frills

Rills are no longer Victorian, and ruffles are not decadent -they're hot this season, what with many A-listers out there flaunting their frilly, ruffle-y awesomeness on the red carpet! Look at actress Dakota Johnson -she dazzled in a golden ruched-at-shoulders outfit at the premiere of a film.She's not alone, from Cate Blanchett to our own designers' fave baby Sonam Kapoor, everyone has tried the frills-and-trims look at various events. Here are some of the stars, who've pushed frills and ruffles onto the comeback route. Experts predict a runway full of frills this year, go, get these looks already...

DEEPIKA PADUKONE

A bustier top combined with heavy , ruffled skirt, almost bordering on the can can style does it for DP .

The gorgeous lass showed off her figure, and kept the her hair up top bun, for that added height.

Totally desirable!

SONAM KAPOOR

Bringing frills closer home is Sonam Kapoor, in this lovely cocktail saree-gown. Tiered, frilled and very , very feminine. Keep the colours neutral, though. Don't want to look like a peacock, do we?

ROONEY MARA

She looked sensational at this film's premiere, in a champagne-coloured long, frilly dress. Rooney kept it simple, with just the bur gundy lip colour adding that dash of vibrancy .

Copy the look, divas!

FREIDA PINTO

Chic, yet girly, we think her frilly white shirt is very uptown.Pair it with a long brocade skirt or a pair of bright shorts, and you are good for that casual dinner with friends. Minimal makeup, attractive earrings... there you go

CATE BLANCHETT

Tiered, ruffled, and tied! Cate, who has made rock ing the red carpet an everyday event, often goes for ruffled, frilly outfits.

Here she is, keeping it minimal, and yet letting the tiered-ruffled dress take centrestage. TIZIANA ROCCA

Ruffles, bling, black... Tiziana's outfit has it all. While the ruffles take off the severity of the bustier cut, the minimal acces sories add just that hint of bling. Keep the eye-makeup heavy, babes!

NOT THIS

 Jane Fonda could have flown away on a windy day, her pleats looked strong enough for that! Here's the lesson, divas: don't go over board with the ruffles./timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Singer Selena Gomez has upped the oomph quotient in a preview of her new music video for 'Hands to myself'.

Singer Selena Gomez has upped the oomph quotient in a preview of her new music video for 'Hands to myself'.

The singer took to Twitter to announce that she'll finally release the racy music video on December 21, reports aceshowbiz.com. "#HandsToMyselfVideo. Monday," she simply wrote along with the 15-second preview.

The announcement came along with a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) image in which the scantily clad singer is seen flaunting her curves while making seductive moves in front of a mirror.The forthcoming video stars model Christopher Mason. In the 15-second teaser, he appears to caress the 23-year-old singer as she lies on the bed in nothing but an underwear. 'Hands to Myself' is the third single to be lifted off Gomez's album 'Revival', which debuted at No.1 on Billboard 200 upon its release in October. The song serves as a follow-up to 'Good for you' and 'Same old love' that both made it into the top 10 of Billboard Hot 100./timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

6 tips to sleep better at night

Ask a young school child tips on how to sleep better, and they would just say do one thing, keep all their books away and tuck themselves into that Chhota Bheem designed quilt and slowly go into the land of candies, chocolates, action heroes and fairies.

Do you remember that once upon a time you too were the same?

Cut to circa 2016, advancement of technology, and a stress life has left you with more of worries and less of sleep. Less sleep leads to bad skin, bad hair, hormonal imbalances and a host of other problems. So, if you have been getting less sleep and thinking ways to get more sound sleep, here are some handy tips which will help you to have a proper and sound sleep.

-Turn off the electronic gadgets. One of the main reason that we are awake till late in the night is due to these gadgets which have made communication open 24*7. Keep your work away from your bed time routine. Less sleep also affects on your work output. So keep all your gadgets on silent mode and away from your bed.
-Stick to a sleeping schedule. It is important to stick to a sleeping pattern. Set a time when no matter what you will go to sleep, and also make sure you also fix a time to wake up. Initially you will find it a little difficult to adjust to new timings but soon you will get used to it. They don't say early to bed, early to rise for a reason.

-Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Create an environment which is cool and quiet. You can opt for room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.

 -Use bed, pillows, bed-covers and bed sheets which makes you comfortable. Many still prefer simple floral printed bed-sheets to make them feel like they are amidst a garden. Whatever soothes you use them.

 

-Do not watch any horror visuals before going off to bed. For that matter any disturbing visuals which will keep you awake pushing sleep away from you.

-Do not skip workouts. Regular exercise helps you sleep better, as long as you avoid doing it right before bedtime. A post-workout burst of energy can keep you awake. Try to finish your workouts 3 to 4 hours before your bedtime./timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Anti-cancer diet!

Whether you have a history of cancer in your family or you've been diagnosed with the disease, there are certain lifestyle choices, which includes your diet, that can make a huge difference in helping you prevent cancer. 

"What you eat and what you don't" has the potential to adversely affect your health. You may not be aware some foods can actually increase the risk of cancer, while others support your body and strengthen your immune system. Research shows that as many as one-third of all cancer deaths are linked to diet and physical activity. A case in point start making smart dietary choices and reduce your risk for cancer. Follow these healthy and effective anti-cancer diet approved by doctors and experts around the globe.

1) Focus on cancer-fighting fruits and vegetables

Diets high in fruit, like oranges, berries, peas, bell peppers, dark leafy greens and other foods high in vitamin C may lower the risk of stomach, lung and esophageal cancer while vegetables containing carotenoids such as carrots, brussels sprouts and squash, help reduce the risk of lung, mouth, pharynx, and larynx cancers. Diets high in non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, and beans, is considered effective for stomach and esophageal cancer. Foods high in lycopene, such as tomatoes, guava, and watermelon, may lower the risk of prostate cancer. The less processed the better.

2) Include fiber in your diet

Stock up on fiber-rich foods. Fiber plays a key role in cleaning your digestive system. It helps keep food moving through your digestive tract and it also moves cancer-causing compounds out before they can create any trouble. A fiber-rich diet may help prevent colorectal cancer and other digestive system cancers, including stomach, mouth, and pharynx.

Found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, an ideal fiber-rich diet may include brown rice, whole-grain bread, popcorn, raisin bran, barley, oatmeal, pear, banana, apple, carrots, celery, bell peppers, raspberries, apples, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, mango, apricots, citrus fruits, dried fruit, prunes, raisins, legumes, lentils, black beans, split peas, lima beans, baked beans, kidney beans, pinto, chick peas, navy beans, black-eyed peas, broccoli, spinach, dark green leafy vegetables, peas, artichokes, corn, tomatoes, brussels sprouts.

3) Water 

Drink plenty of water. It is essential for fighting cancer. It stimulates the immune system, removes waste and toxins, and transports nutrients to all of your organs.

4) Limit alcohol

That includes wine too. Alcohol consumption has been linked to increased risk of mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver and breast cancers. Therefore it is best advised to keep a check on your alcohol intake. Men should limit to no more than two drinks a day while women should keep it at one drink per day, says Dr Archit Pandit, Consultant, Max Super Speciality Hospital.

5) Alternate options for drinks

Doctors would advice you to opt for tea, coffee & less fruit juice.

6) Cut down on meat

We know you love meat, but how will you relish it when you don't even have a good health? That's why experts suggests you eat less of the red meat and cut down on processed meat. Too much of red meat has the potential to increase your cancer risk. Choose fish, poultry, or beans instead of beef, pork or lamb. When you eat meat, choose lean cuts and eat smaller portions. Prepare meat by baking, broiling, or poaching at lower temperatures, rather than by frying in fat or broiling/grilling at excessively high temperatures. FYI, research shows that vegetarians are about 50 percent less likely to develop cancer than those who eat meat.

7) Be careful of fats

Diet high in saturated fats have been linked to increased risk for many types of cancer. But cutting down on fat entirely is not the answer, either. Because there are some types of fat that actually help protect against cancer. Saturated fats and trans fat are the fats that are damaging. While saturated fats are found mainly in animal products such as red meat, whole milk dairy products, and eggs. Trans fats are found in liquid vegetable oils.

Choose olive and canola oil over the regular vegetable oil. Avoid anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

8) Limit fast food

Fried foods and packaged foods, which are high in trans fats needs a check. Limit foods like potato chips, cookies, crackers, french fries, and doughnuts to fight the cancer.

9) Prepare your food in healthy ways

Eating healthy food is not the end of the solution. But how you prepare your so called healthy food is eqally important too. The way you cook your food can either help or damage your anti-cancer efforts. When cooking vegetables, steam until just tender using a small amount of water. This preserves more of the vitamins. Overcooking vegetables removes many of the vitamins and minerals. If you do boil vegetables, use the cooking water in a soup or another dish to ensure you're getting all the vitamins.

10) Use immune-boosting herbs and spices.

To add flavor not just to your food but to your health too, use garlic, ginger, and curry powder. They have the right amount of valuable nutrients to fight cancer.

11) Eat at least some raw fruits and vegetables. 

They have the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals, although cooking some vegetables can make the vitamins more available for our body to use./timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Yes, Sony makes phones. And they're coming back to the US

Sony is virtually invisible in the US, but it's vowing to make buying its Android phones easier. Now it just needs to get people to seek out an Xperia device.

Don't call it a comeback. Sony phones never really made much of an impression in the first place.

The Sony brand is a household name when it comes to televisions and the PlayStation video game console, yet few people in the US know the Japanese conglomerate also makes phones.

Sony wants to change that, and has vowed to return to the US in a bigger way with its newly unveiled smartphone family.

"We're committed to coming to the US with these Xperia X phones," said Don Mesa, head of North American marketing for Sony Mobile, in an interview Monday. "This year represents a new chapter."

Sony is yet another company to use this year's Mobile World Congress trade show as a springboard to re-enter the mobile business and as a chance to present itself as a legitimate premium alternative to Apple's iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy S line. Hewlett-Packard on Sunday unveiled a Windows 10 phonethat can turn into a laptop, its first handset in two years, while the CEO of onetime phenom Nokia hinted at a return to the phone business.

One of the key reasons for Sony's struggles has been a mixed relationship with the carriers, the wireless providers through which most people buy phones. The company saw moderate success at T-Mobile, but struggled when it switched its focus to the larger Verizon. In June, Sony showed off the Xperia Z4v, which it customized for the US's largest carrier, but delayed the phone for so long that it actually released the next-generation Xperia Z5internationally first. Verizon scrapped the then generation-old Xperia Z4vbefore it was even released.

In February, Sony quietly released the Xperia Z5 in the US through Amazon, several months after its debut elsewhere.

For the midtier Xperia X, low-end Xperia XA and premium Xperia X Performance, as well as the Xperia Ear Bluetooth headset accessory, Sony will forego the traditional route of selling through a carrier and offer the phones on its own site or through retailers such as Amazon. Mesa said he was still working through the deals with other retailers, including physical stores.

The advantage of going directly to the customer is a phone maker's ability to present its whole product lineup in the best light and to "tell the story behind it," Mesa said. In addition, bypassing the carriers means Sony can bring buyers the latest phones as they become available around the world. "We've always held back," he said.

But the direct-to-consumer strategy is risky, and plenty of competitors are also going that route. Chinese companies such as Huawei, ZTE and Alcatel have all set up their own online shops -- some through Amazon -- to sell their phones. The devices tend to be cheaper, although they usually pack in quality components.

"We have to show our clear technical advantage," Sony Mobile US President Kunihiko Shiomi said in an interview. "This is not easy, but we have to try."

Sony won't likely be able to just sit back and hope for the phones to take off.

"A lot of it will depend on things like marketing spend (which I don't anticipate much)," said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas. "The new smartphones don't do too much to stand out against the competition."

Mesa said Sony hadn't figured out how much it would commit to marketing and building the brand in the US. "We won't spend willy-nilly," he said.

Sony hopes to target people who stream a lot of videos and other consumer content. It'll lean on established brands such as PlayStation, Mesa said, although he squashed the idea that Sony had considered giving its phones the PlayStation name./cnet.com/news/

Arab Region Universities Tackle Workplace Gender Gap

Through courses and workshops, universities are preparing women to succeed in the region's workforce.

Across the Middle East and North Africa, there are more women attending universities than men, according to the World Bank. But the workplace tells a different story: Arab women still lag behind in employment.

To address this gender disparity, many Arab region universities, programs and organizations are working to empower Arab women to succeed by preparing them for the workplace.

One such success story is Egyptian national Marian Nasr Hanna. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in business with concentrations in banking, finance and economics from Lebanese American University, Hanna found employment in Egypt. Hanna works as an export team leader for UnipakNile Ltd., which manufactures corrugated carton containers and exports part of what is produced. In her role, she supervises a team of two and manages the company's Ireland account.

 After she graduated in 2012, she joined the company as a cost analyst. She worked on projects to reduce the company's expenses in both Egypt and Lebanon and moved up the ranks. The company is part of Indevco Group, which Hanna was introduced to in her first year at university. The corporation held a workshop as part of a program organized by the Middle East Partnership Initiative Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship Program, in which Hanna was a scholarship recipient.

The initiative's collaboration with the university supports future leaders, particularly women – most of the scholarship recipients are young Arab women. Hanna says the activities, workshops, community service and leadership classes she had at LAU "opened new opportunities for me and gave me a sense of what I want to do."

But finding employment isn't always easy for grads. While gender equality in education has advanced, fewer than one in three women is in the MENA region's labor force, according to a 2015 report.

When Iraqi national Ola Fathallah graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture from German Jordanian University in 2014, it took a while for her to find a job, she says, mainly because she was not a Jordanian citizen. But eventually, things turned around.

"A previous professor of mine, who taught me design classes at university, hired me in his office, and I've been working there for 10 months now," says Fathallah, who works at architecture firm OMB as a junior architect.

Fathallah is helping design a residential compound in Amman, producing computer drawings of plans, sections, elevations and architectural details for the project.

Universities and civil society institutions can play a big role in helping female Arab international students understand their local labor market, says Jamie McAuliffe, president and CEO of Education for Employment, which provides professional and technical training to job seekers in the MENA region.

For example, he cites mentorship programs that connect students with experienced professionals and their networks, and orientation sessions on the local labor market. McAuliffe says equipping women with "skills for tapping their personal networks, negotiating salaries and inquiring about workplace benefits can address key barriers that young women often face," like lack of flexible working hours and transportation to work.

McAuliffe says prospective students should evaluate a school's career support services, as "universities that track the employment rate of their graduates are more accountable than those that do not." He says these types of schools are more likely to offer hands-on training in CV writing, interviewing and job search skills.

For students planning to remain abroad, he says to consider if that country's economy is growing and offers job opportunities that match their strengths. Finally, he says students should remember that "your first position out of university may not be your dream job, but it's the crucial first step to getting there."

Employment not only offers Arab women financial independence, but has the potential to boost the economy of the region. The report on female employment, which was co-produced by McAuliffe's organization, notes that if women's participation in the region's workforce equaled men's, the regional gross domestic product could rise some 47 percent, resulting in the Middle East and North African economy reaching $600 billion annually, or $2.7 trillion by 2025.

Many schools have sought to empower their female Arab students, like Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, originally founded to educate Emirati women. Fatima AlDarmaki, the university's assistant provost for student affairs, says the school provides services to all students ranging from career counseling to soft skills training to job placement of seniors and interns.

The university's College of Communication and Media Sciences, for example, has an internship program orientation for women that includes a workshop that prepares them to work in a coed environment. "Those who graduated from the university are also provided with training programs to increase their employability," wrote AlDarmaki, in an email.

Lina Abirafeh, director of LAU's Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World, says the institute provides support and access to internships, informal mentoring and support and career-building skills for female students seeking assistance. She says these and other services provided by the institute can help "prepare women to enter the workforce and advance gender equality and human rights in the Arab world and beyond."

 Fathallah says in the architecture firm where she works, women and men are treated equally. She says her boss is "open-minded and very intellectual." And, the female-to-male ratio in the firm is already challenging the norm.

"The number of women who are working in my office is higher than the number of men. Seven women and four men," says Fathallah, also proudly noting female architects outnumber male architects 3-2 at the firm./usnews.com/

Fat-Burning Strategies that Work

One of the best ways to burn off fat is to change old habits that are only causing you to lose your battle against the bulge! How to do that? Try a more straightforward approach to weight loss. In today’s post, we are listing down ways to slim down and torch fat for good:

Set a Realistic Goal

It is all too easy to overestimate the effects of a certain weight loss program. And it takes commitment to stick to a healthy lifestyle. Instead of focusing too much on how much fat you could lose, think about the amount of fat you can actually burn. Start by setting a realistic goal. Setting a realistic goal will motivate you to stick to your fitness program. You simply cannot expect to lose 20 pounds overnight! Our advice is to consult with a dietician or a health professional for a safe, healthy weight loss. It helps if you keep a food diary. A food diary will motivate you to stay on track and avoid temptation.

Identifying False Hunger

Did you know that thirst is often mistaken for hunger? Instead of eating whenever you feel like it, learn to identify real from false hunger. Over the course of a day, the body’s blood sugar level dips and spikes. When the blood sugar level dips, it triggers intense hunger pangs. At this point, the brain will signal the body to crave carbs and other fattening foods. You don’t have to satisfy every craving.

Instead of giving in, dry drinking water, herbal tea, or even coffee whenever you feel a pang of hunger when you just ate. Going out for a walk, doing meaningful work and distracting yourself also helps to stay away from binging.

Turn to High-Intensity Exercises

There is no way to avoid working out especially if you want to boost fat loss. High-intensity workouts like cardio exercises are an amazing fat-burner. These exercises keep the heart rate up and the muscles toned while torching fat! You can take your fitness routine a notch higher by giving high-intensity interval training a try!

A high-intensity interval training or HIIT is comprised of different vigorous moves in a fixed set. All it takes if 20 minutes to complete a single workout and you’re done. Fitness experts agree, HIIT is one of the best fat-burning workouts there are.

Keep Moving

Apart from dedicating time for regular exercise, you want to keep moving so the body burns off more fat. Turn any household chore into a fat-busting workout. Mowing the lawn, re-arranging the furniture, playing catch with the family dog, or doing bits of yard work burns a lot of calories.

If you love watching TV, make a point to do bits of weight training during the commercial breaks. You can also set up the treadmill near the TV so you can watch your favorite shows while working out. Finally, keep a jumping rope in handy so you can skip rope during your free time.

Opt for Balanced Meals

Never deprive yourself of food if you want to avoid bingeing. Instead of sticking to a very restrictive diet, focus your meals on fresh veggies, unrefined grains, and lean cuts of meat. A balanced meal will fill you up nicely so you don’t overeat!/healthydietbase.com/

Dodo Birds Weren't 'Dodos' After All

Dodos weren't as dumb as their reputation suggests. New research finds that these extinct, flightless birds were likely as smart as modern pigeons, and had a better sense of smell.

Dodos (Raphus cucullatus) had gone extinct by 1662, less than 100 years after their island home of Mauritius became a destination for Dutch explorers. The birds, unfamiliar with humans, were initially fearless. This made them easy pickings for hunters and also cemented their reputation as dullards.

A new computed tomography (CT) scan of a rare, intact dodo skull reveals that these birds had brain-to-body sizes that are similar to those of modern pigeons. 

"It’s not impressively large or impressively small — it's exactly the size you would predict it to be for its body size,” study researcher Eugenia Gold of Stony Brook University said in a statement, referring to the dodo's brain. “So if you take brain size as a proxy for intelligence, dodos probably had a similar intelligence level to pigeons."

And pigeons aren't that dumb. Studies find that they're capable ofrecognizing and remembering human faces. They're also very trainable and have mathematical abilities similar to those of rhesus monkeys.

Gold, an anatomist, was interested in learning more about the dodo's ecology, as this bird is mostly known through the contemporaneous accounts of the sailors and settlers who brought about the animal's demise. A few living dodos were brought back to Europe, she and her colleagues wrote today (Feb. 23) in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. But those animals were kept confined and fed human food, making them fat. Wild dodos may not have looked like the portly birds seen in European illustrations.

Gold and her colleagues conducted a CT scan of the dodo skull, which was at the Natural History Museum, London. They also scanned the skull of the dodo's closest relative, the Rodrigues solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria). This flightless bird lived on the Indian Ocean island of Rodrigues and went extinct in the 1700s, due to overhunting and other human activities. Using the scans, the researchers then reconstructed virtual "casts" of the bird brains.

A virtual cast of the dodo brain, based on computed tomography (CT) scans of a rare, intact dodo skull, is seen on the right. The middle image is a cast of the dodo's closest relative, the also-extinct Rodrigues Solitaire. Both flightless birds had enlarged olfactory bulbs, labeled "ob." To the left is the brain of a modern pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica).
Credit: © AMNH/E. Gold

View full size image

The scans showed a brain that compared with the body-to-brain ratio of modern pigeons. Unusually, the olfactory bulb of the brain, responsible for processing smells, was particularly large. Dodos, with their diet of fruit, shellfish and small land animals, might have relied heavily on smell for finding food, Gold and her colleagues wrote. In comparison, birds that fly tend to have smaller olfactory bulbs and larger optic bulbs, because they depend more on sight to navigate and to find prey.

Another odd feature was an extreme bend in one of the dodo's semicircular canals. These inner-ear organs are responsible for balance; it's possible, the researchers wrote, that the unique bend was simply a quirk of variability, the result of the semicircular canals being less crucial to a flightless bird than to its flying relatives. But to test that idea, researchers would need to study the semicircular canals of many dodos./livescience.com/

Vaginal 'Seeding' Not Proven Safe, Experts Say

A growing number of pregnant women are asking doctors about a procedure that involves wiping down the skin of a newborn delivered by cesarean section with a gauze carrying their mothers' vaginal fluid, in an attempt to transfer helpful bacteria. Now, a group of doctors who are seeing this at their hospitals are urging caution.

The idea behind this process (sometimes called "vaginal seeding") is to transfer the bacteria present in the mother's vagina — which babies naturally come into contact with, if they are born vaginally — to babies born via C-section. Some experts say that these bacteria have the potential to reduce the risk of disease in children, and a small study published earlier this month showed that the procedure did likely affect the bacteria present in and on the babies.

However, in an editorial published today (Feb. 23) in The BMJ, other experts not involved in that study argued that there is not enough data to show that vaginal seeding is safe. 

It is possible that infants may develop severe infections from exposure to vaginal pathogens, the authors wrote in the new editorial. Women may carry pathogens in their vaginal fluid such as group B streptococcus bacteria, herpes simplex virus, and the bacteria that cause chlamydia and gonorrhea, even without having any symptoms, according to the editorial.

The authors acknowledged that there is growing evidence that suggests that the bacteria can be manipulated to benefit infants' health.

In the small, recent study, 11 infants who were delivered by C-section and were swabbed with their mother's vaginal fluid shortly after birth, were found to have levels of bacteria similar to those of seven infants who were delivered vaginally. However, the authors of that study noted that more research is needed to determine if the procedure is beneficial — and that it could take another 10 to 15 years for the procedure to be approved.

Until there is evidence that vaginal seeding is beneficial, the authors of the new editorial have advised staff at their hospitals to not perform the procedure. "We believe the small risk of harm cannot be justified without evidence of benefit," they wrote.

In addition, because the simplicity of the procedure makes it easy for mothers to do it themselves, the authors recommend that health professionals inform women about the possible risks. Health professionals should also keep vaginal seeding in mind when examining newborns who may have infections, as it could be a potential cause, they wrote.

The authors of the editorial noted that other events in early life — namely, breast-feeding and antibiotic exposure — also have "a powerful effect on the developing microbiota" in an infant.

"Encouraging breast-feeding and avoiding unnecessary antibiotics may be much more important than worrying about transferring vaginal fluid on swab," the authors concluded./livescience.com/

Kalamazoo Shooting: When Is a Person Brain Dead?

Abigail Kopf, a teenage victim of a shooting this weekend in Kalamazoo, Michigan, remains in critical condition.

But based upon the possibility that Kopf could die from her injuries, at the request of and with the permission of her parents, the team treating Kopf contacted an organ donationorganization, Dr. Aaron Lane-Davies, the medical director of Bronson Children's Hospital in Kalamazoo, where Kopf is being treated, said in a statement.

It was widely reported that Kopf squeezed her mother's hand, raising hopes that she might recover.

In the statement emailed from a hospital spokeswoman to Live Science today, Lane-Davies said that the treatment team had not yet begun to conduct a series of exams that is used to determine whether a person is brain dead. Kopf was not declared brain dead, he said.

Organ donation can only occur after a person has died, and in order to determine if a person is brain dead, a series of physical exams is required, Lane-Davies said. 

A person is declared brain dead when the individual has no brain function, no reflexes and cannot breathe on his or her own, said Dr. Patrick Lyden, the chairman of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who is not involved in treating Kopf. (Reflexes include responses that the brainstem would normally control, such as the pupil contracting when a bright light is shone in the eyes, and the gag reflex.)

When a person is brain dead, there's no chance that the individual could regain the ability to wake up, understand communication, care for himself or herself, or function again, Lyden told Live Science.

This is different from when a person is in a coma — in a coma, the brain is still functioning, but the person is not awake, he added.

The guidelines to determine brain death can vary slightly from hospital to hospital, Lyden said.

But as a rule of thumb, a neurologist or a neurosurgeon would perform a neurological exam on the patient, Lyden said. This exam would consist of trying to wake the patient up by stimulating that person, looking for eye movement, looking at the patient's pupils, looking for motor function and checking a patient's other reflexes, he said.

There are also a number of other tests that aren't necessarily required, Lyden said. For example, doctors may perform an electroencephalogram (EEG) to see if the person has any brain activity (someone who is brain dead would have no brain activity), he said. 

Another test, known as an "apnea test," looks at whether or not a person can breathe on his or her own, he said./livescience.com/

Why Crows Hold Funerals

Someone is dead. There's a body, attended by a number of concerned and watchful figures, all in black.

The lifeless corpse belongs to a crow, and the dark-garbed group congregating nearby is a gathering of its fellow crows, sometimes referred to as a "murder."  That name is particularly apt in this case, as murder is what holds their attention. Their vigilance over a dead crow serves a purpose — one that's a matter of life and death, according to a new study in the journal Animal Behavior. By sticking close to a crow that was killed, other crows may improve their chances of learning about predators they need to avoid.

Human rituals for dealing with the dead are numerous and varied. But animals in the wild are not widely known to behave in an unusual way when confronting a dead animal of their own species. In fact, the researchers said in the study, "few animals have been reported to show more than a passing interest." African elephants will touch, groom or otherwise attend to a dead elephant, and scientists have noted similar behavior in bottlenose dolphins, chimpanzees and certain species of jays and magpies, the researchers reported. 

And for birds in particular, a growing body of evidence suggests that their interactions with dead members of their own species serve a critical purpose — "to assess danger and trigger anti-predator behaviors," the scientists said in the study.

Morbid curiosity

Crows are widely recognized as highly intelligent. They can solve puzzles inspired by Aesop's Fables, and learn how to use tools by watching more experienced crows in action. Studies have shown that crows hold grudges, remembering the faces of humans who mistreated them even after years had passed.

And once you get on the wrong side of a crow, not only are they probably going to remember you, but they're likely to tell their friendsabout you, too.

The scientists cited an earlier study showing that American crows gather and act aggressively, behavior known as "mobbing," in response to audio playback of a crow's distress call, played near a dead crow. And the crows later avoided the territories where dead crows had been found, even if those locations had plenty of food.

Clearly, crows could learn to be wary of areas where their fellow crows turned up dead. The researchers wanted to know if they would also learn to associate dead crows — and threats to themselves — with specific predators.

Constant vigilance

The researchers went to great lengths to design the "threats" they used to test the crows. They set up feeding areas for urban wild crows and sent trained volunteers to visit, carrying different objects that were carefully selected to test the crows' alarm responses: taxidermy crows arranged in poses suggesting that they were dead, and taxidermy red-tailed hawks, which prey on crows, posed on a branch as though they were still alive.

Then, volunteers would visit the feeding areas. Sometimes they would carry the "dead" crow, sometimes they would carry the "live" hawk, and sometimes they would carry both at the same time. To make things easier for the researchers (and more surreal for passers-by) the volunteers were masked, eliminating the possibility that variations in their expressions would affect the crows' responses.

The crows reacted by vocally scolding and mobbing the volunteers carrying the "dead" crows, the posed hawks and the two taxidermy birds at the same time. After one of these encounters, the crows also appeared more watchful of the feeding area, taking longer to approach the food.

And the crows also appeared to remember the masks worn by the volunteers who held the dead birds. Even if a mask-wearer only carried a dead crow once, the crows continued to scold that person whenever they appeared, for up to six weeks.

The scientists conducted similar tests with another urban bird, the rock pigeon, and observed that they hardly even noticed when a deadpigeon was paraded in front of them, a dramatic contrast to the organized and negative reaction of the crows to the sight of a fallen comrade. And the crows were similarly unconcerned about the presence of a dead pigeon, reserving their scolding and mobbing for humans accompanying dead crows and suspected predators.

The study results suggest that not only do crows notice and react to the sight of a dead crow, but they also quickly learn to associate danger and threat with humans who appear in close proximity to dead crows, recognizing them as a distinct and different caws for alarm./livescience.com/

Moving electrons around loops with light: A quantum device based on geometry

Scientists demonstrate versatile, noise-tolerant quantum operations on a single electron 

While a classical bit found in conventional electronics exists only in binary one or zero states, the more resourceful quantum bit, or ‘qubit,’ is represented by a vector, pointing to a simultaneous combination of the one and zero states. To fully implement a qubit, it is necessary to control the direction of this qubit’s vector, which is generally done using fine-tuned and noise-isolated procedures.

Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Institute for Molecular Engineering and the University of Konstanz have demonstrated the ability to generate a quantum logic operation, or rotation of the qubit, that—surprisingly—is intrinsically resilient to noise as well as to variations in the strength or duration of the control. Their achievement is based on a geometric concept known as the Berry phase and is implemented through entirely optical means within a single electronic spin in diamond.

Their findings were published online Feb. 15, 2016, in Nature Photonics and will appear in the March print issue. “We tend to view quantum operations as very fragile and susceptible to noise, especially when compared to conventional electronics,” remarked David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering and senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, who led the research. “In contrast, our approach shows incredible resilience to external influences and fulfills a key requirement for any practical quantum technology.”

QUANTUM GEOMETRY

When a quantum mechanical object, such as an electron, is cycled along some loop, it retains a memory of the path that it travelled, the Berry phase. To better understand this concept, the Foucault pendulum, a common staple of science museums, helps to give some intuition. A pendulum, like those in a grandfather clock, typically oscillates back and forth within a fixed plane. However, a Foucault pendulum oscillates along a plane that gradually rotates over the course of a day due to Earth’s rotation, and in turn knocks over a series of pins encircling the pendulum.

The number of knocked-over pins is a direct measure of the total angular shift of the pendulum’s oscillation plane, its acquired geometric phase. Essentially, this shift is directly related to the location of the pendulum on Earth’s surface as the rotation of Earth transports the pendulum along a specific closed path, its circle of latitude. While this angular shift depends on the particular path traveled, Awschalom said, it remarkably does not depend on the rotational speed of Earth or the oscillation frequency of the pendulum.

“Likewise, the Berry phase is a similar path-dependent rotation of the internal state of a quantum system, and it shows promise in quantum information processing as a robust means to manipulate qubit states,” he said.

A LIGHT TOUCH

In this experiment, the researchers manipulated the Berry phase of a quantum state within a nitrogen-vacancy center, an atomic-scale defect in diamond. Over the past decade and a half, its electronic spin state has garnered great interest as a potential qubit. In their experiments, the team members developed a method with which to draw paths for this defect’s spin by varying the applied laser light. To demonstrate the Berry phase, they traced loops similar to that of a tangerine slice within the quantum space of all of the potential combinations of spin states.

“Essentially, the area of the tangerine slice’s peel that we drew dictated the amount of Berry phase that we were able to accumulate,” said Christopher Yale, a postdoctoral scholar in Awschalom’s laboratory, and one of the co-lead authors of the project.

This approach using laser light to fully control the path of the electronic spin is in contrast to more common techniques that control the NV center spin, through the application of microwave fields. Such an approach may one day be useful in developing photonic networks of these defects, linked and controlled entirely by light, as a way to both process and transmit quantum information.

A NOISY PATH

A key feature of the Berry phase that makes it a robust quantum logic operation is its resilience to noise sources. To test the robustness of their Berry phase operations, the researchers intentionally added noise to the laser light controlling the path. As a result, the spin state would travel along its intended path in an erratic fashion. However, as long as the total area of the path remained the same, so did the Berry phase that they measured.

“In particular, we found the Berry phase to be insensitive to fluctuations in the intensity of the laser. Noise like this is normally a bane for quantum control,” said Brian Zhou, a postdoctoral scholar in the group, and co-lead author.

“Imagine you’re hiking along the shore of a lake, and even though you continually leave the path to go take pictures, you eventually finish hiking around the lake,” said F. Joseph Heremans, co-lead author, and now a staff scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. “You’ve still hiked the entire loop regardless of the bizarre path you took, and so the area enclosed remains virtually the same.”

These optically controlled Berry phases within diamond suggest a route toward robust and fault-tolerant quantum information processing, noted Guido Burkard, professor of physics at the University of Konstanz and theory collaborator on the project.

“Though its technological applications are still nascent, Berry phases have a rich underlying mathematical framework that makes them a fascinating area of study,” Burkard said./news.uchicago.edu/article/

Top 5 Selling Cars of 2015

1. FORD F-150 / MSRP: $33,580
The Ford F-150 and other F-Series pickup trucks from the  Ford Motor Company
were the top selling car of 2015. Ford sold more than 695,144 of the trucks this year
which was almost 20,000 more than in 2014. The F-150 is also one of the most fuel
efficient trucks ever produced by the auto manufacturer with a fuel economy
rating of 18 MPG (city) and 26 MPG (highway). The maximum speed of the popular
pickup truck is more than 105 MPH (107 to be exact), and the vehicle can go from
zero to 60 MPH in a sports car-like 5.6 seconds. The stock engine in the auto is a
3.5 liter V-6 with the choice to downgrade to a 2.7 liter V-6 or upgrade to a 5.0 liter
V-8 when buying the vehicle new. The power ratings of the truck engines range from
282 to 385 horsepower.

2. CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 / MSRP: $27,285
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a top selling car for the 2015 calendar year seeing
more than 537,552 trucks sold. With a starting price point in the $20K’s, the
popular pickup truck also gets good gas mileage with an 18 MPG (city) and 24 MPG
(highway) overall rating. The stock engine of the vehicle is a 4.3 liter V-6 engine
rated at 420 horsepower that produces a maximum speed of 99 MPH. The zero to
60 MPH time of the Silverado is only 5.7 seconds, and the truck is sold standard
with rear-wheel drive. When buying the auto new, drivers can choose to upgrade to
all-wheel drive as well as to get a bigger engine with the Chevy 5.3 or 6.2 liter
V-8 engine.

3. DODGE RAM 1500 / MSRP: $26,145
The Dodge Ram 1500 is one of the top selling cars of 2015. The auto manufacturer
sold more than 400,000 of the popular trucks this past year, and the base engine in
the vehicle is a 3.6 liter six-cylinder. Dodge gives shoppers the opportunity to
upgrade to a 5.7 liter Hemi eight-cylinder engine rated at 395 horsepower if the
driver demands more power out of his or her truck. The overall fuel economy
rating of the base engine is 17 MPG (city) and 25 MPG (highway), and the auto has
a maximum speed of 107 MPH. The max tow rating for the Ram 1500 with the V-8
engine is 10,640 lbs.

4.TOYOTA CAMRY / MSRP: $23,070
The Toyota Camry is one of the top selling cars for 2015. The auto manufacturer 
sold more than 392,000 of the automobiles during the year, and the well-established 
brand continues to be popular with consumers. The stock engine in the car is a V-4 
rated at 178 horsepower. Consumers can also choose to upgrade to a V-6 rated at 
268 horsepower, and a six-speed automatic transmission is stock on all Camrys.
Toyota also produces a hybrid version of the car rated at 43 MPG, and the overall 
fuel efficiency rating of the gas powered Camry is 25 MPG (city) and 35 MPG 
(highway). The maximum speed of the auto is 115 MPH, and it can go from zero 

to 60 MPH in 7.9 seconds.

5. TOYOTA COROLLA / MSRP: $17,230
The Toyota Corolla is a very popular automobile sold today, and the vehicle is one 
of the top overall selling autos for 2015. The Corolla brand is well-established, and 
is known for being highly reliable. The stock engine for the vehicle is a V-4 rated
at 132 horsepower. Although the car’s zero to 60 MPH time is a bit slow at 10.5
seconds, the auto does have a top overall speed of 111 MPH. The Corolla has been 
known for getting above average gas mileage for year, and its gas mileage rating is 
29 MPG (city) and 37 MPG (highway). Toyota saw a 7% improvement in sales of the 
automobile during 2015, seeing a total of 330,887 of the automobiles sold on 

the market.

Why $800 isn't an insane price for an HTC Vive

Commentary: PC VR systems are expensive. Deal with it. But also know that the Vive includes its special controllers.

Everyone panicked about the price of the Oculus Rift, the first high-end VR system for PCs, when it was announced a few months ago. $600 for a VR headset? That's crazy. Indeed, founder Palmer Luckey even apologized for implying the price was going to be lower. Then came the HTC Vive's price reveal this week: $800 -- or, okay, $799. (US; we don't know international pricing yet). Suddenly everyone got even angrier.

But the price of the Vive isn't even that bad. The Oculus Rift costs $600. It comes with a headset, a little desktop position sensor, a remote control, and an Xbox One controller, plus two free games for those who preorder: Eve Valkyrie and Lucky's Tale. But you don't get Oculus' fancy new Touch controllers, which debut later this year.

The HTC Vive gives you a headset, full-room sensors, two wireless Vive game controllers for dual-handed play, and two games if you preorder (Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption). If the Oculus Rift included the Touch controllers, would its package price approach $800 too? Considering the price of high-end PC controllers, it's entirely likely.

The Vive's dual controllers, and how they work, are a lot better than an Xbox controller

The Vive's included tech is considerably more advanced out of the box than the Oculus Rift. It has full-room position sensing, which means you can take a walk in a holodeck-like environment, versus the Rift's slightly more restrictive room movement. It has a camera that can help you see around you even with the headset on. And most importantly, its included controllers are fantastic.

They're designed to let you move and control things in VR, and feel like the best fusion of a game controller and something new. Oculus has its futuristic Touch controllers on the horizon, but right now all you get is an Xbox controller. And trust me, it's not the same.

The HTC Vive, at least, aims to be a "complete set" out of the box: room sensors, the headset, the controllers. The Oculus Rift, in its current about-to-debut mid-2016 form, won't have all the pieces you might want. It means the Vive might even be the better deal.

Too expensive for you? Then PC VR isn't for you

Either way, you'll still need a PC with graphics specs that are pretty high. And we have no idea how many peripherals VR hardware makers will try to sell us down the road.

VR for PCs is high-end, elaborate stuff. Amazing, but elaborate. And most definitely the stuff of early adopters. Still feel like the price is too high? Get a mobile VR headset instead. High-end PC VR gaming isn't meant for everyone. And it's not priced to be, either.

But I don't think the price is the issue here. It's what games you can play, and how easy it is to set up and use. Oculus and Valve will be going head-to-head in the PC space, and we don't know, yet, which will win. These are the very first days.

We'll be reviewing both the Vive and the Rift when they launch this spring, but until then, I'd just suggest that if you thought the Oculus Rift was expensive, the HTC Vive isn't really any different. You're going to pay a lot for bleeding-edge VR technology. Just know you get more in the box with the HTC Vive, even if it costs a little bit more up-front./cnet.com/