Knowledge Update

​London, Jan 6 (IANS) Global warming is replicating conditions that triggered an abrupt sea level rise of several meters in the ocean around Antarctica some 15,000 years ago, warns a study.

"The changes that are currently taking place in a disturbing manner resemble those 14,700 years ago," said one of the researchers Michael Weber from University of Bonn in Germany.

At that time, changes in atmospheric-oceanic circulation led to a stratification in the ocean with a cold layer at the surface and a warm layer below. 

Under such conditions, ice sheets melt more strongly than when the surrounding ocean is thoroughly mixed. 

This is exactly what is presently happening around the Antarctic, said the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

"The reason for the layering is that global warming in parts of Antarctica is causing land based ice to melt, adding massive amounts of freshwater to the ocean surface," Chris Fogwill from the Climate Change Research Center in Sydney explained.

"At the same time as the surface is cooling, the deeper ocean is warming, which has already accelerated the decline of glaciers in the Amundsen Sea Embayment (in West Antarctic ice sheet)," Fogwill added.

To investigate the climate changes of the past, the scientists studied the frozen "climate archive" - drill cores from the Antarctic ice sheet. 

"The largest melt occurred 14,700 years ago. During this time the Antarctic contributed to a sea level rise of at least three meters within a few centuries," Weber noted.

The research team used isotopic analyses of ice cores from the Weddell Sea region -- southernmost tip of the Atlantic Ocean - which now flows into the ocean about a quarter of the Antarctic melt.

Through a combination of ice sheet and climate modelling, the isotopic data showed that the waters around the Antarctic were heavily layered at the time of the melting events, so that the ice sheets melted at a faster rate. 

"The big question is whether the ice sheet will react to these changing ocean conditions as rapidly as it did 14,700 years ago," co-author Nick Golledge from Antarctic Research Centre in Wellington, New Zealand, said.

​London, Jan 6 (IANS) Consuming foods such as bananas, potatoes, grains and legumes that are rich in resistant starch may help check blood sugar, enhance satiety as well as improve gut health, a study has found.

Resistant starch is a form of starch that is not digested in the small intestine and is therefore considered a type of dietary fibre.

"We know that adequate fibre intake -- at least 30 grams per day -- is important for achieving a healthy, balanced diet, which reduces the risk of developing a range of chronic diseases," said Stacey Lockyer, Nutrition Scientist at British Nutrition Foundation, a Britain-based charity. 

Apart from occurring naturally in foods, resistant starch is also produced or modified commercially and incorporated into food products.

Unlike the typical starch, resistant starch acts like a type of fibre in the body as it does not get digested in your small intestine, but is is fermented in the large intestine.

This dietary fibre then increases the production of short chain fatty acids in the gut, which act as an energy source for the colonic cells, thus improving the gut health and increasing satiety.

According to the researchers, there is consistent evidence that consumption of resistant starch can aid blood sugar control. It has also been suggested that resistant starch can support gut health and enhance satiety via increased production of short chain fatty acids.

"Whilst findings support positive effects on some markers, further research is needed in most areas to establish whether consuming resistant starch can confer significant benefits that are relevant to the general population. However, this is definitely an exciting area of nutritional research for the future," Lockyer said.

The study was published in the journal Nutrition Bulletin.

Washington, Jan 6 (IANS) Humans likely established permanent settlements on the high-altitude Tibetan plateau at least 7,400 years ago, much before the advent of agriculture 5,200 years ago, says a study.

The findings are based on an extensive analysis of human handprints and footprints found in 1998 in fossilised hot spring mud near the village of Chusang on Tibet's central plateau, at an elevation of 14,000 feet above sea level. 

Analysis of the archaeological site indicated that the prints were made by people at least 7,400 years ago, and possibly as early as 13,000 years ago. 

The findings, published in the journal Science, challenge the previously held view that permanent human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau began no earlier than development of an agricultural economy between 5,200-3,600 years ago.

"Although an agropastoral lifeway may have enabled substantial population growth after 5,000 years, it by no means was required for the early, likely permanent, occupation of the high central valleys of the Tibetan Plateau," the researchers wrote.

The research sheds new light on human colonisation of high-elevation environments, said one of the researchers, Randy Haas from University of Wyoming in the US.

For example, researchers have been puzzled by the striking differences in how Tibetans and Andean highlanders adapted physiologically to the rigors of life at high elevations.

"High-elevation environments were some of the last places in the world that humans colonised, and so they offer something of a natural laboratory for studying human adaptation," Haas said.

New York, Dec 24 (IANS) You do not have to use your fingertips to play a game on Snapchat now, just scan your face in the new 'Selfie Lens' and "enter" into the screen to score some points.

​Washington, Jan 5 (IANS) America's largest department store chain Macy's said it is shutting down 68 stores and cutting more than 10,000 jobs, the media reported. The announcement on Wednesday was issued alongside an unfavourable earnings report, showing comparable store sales dipped 2.1 per cent last quarter, reported CNN. The news caused its stock to plunge nearly 10 per cent during after-hours trading Wednesday. Macy's said it expects to layoff about 3,900 workers as a result of the upcoming store closures, and another 6,200 jobs will be cut as the company works to streamline its management team, according to a press release. A few stores have already been shuttered, but 63 will close down between now and mid-2017, leaving about 660 US stores left open, said the report. The closings are among the 100 stores Macy's said last August that it intends to shutter. Mark Cohen, a professor at Columbia Business School, said it's not the last time Macy's will make this type of announcement. "It's a very hard day for the folks involved obviously, but I would also say it's inevitable," Cohen said. "And there's definitely more to come." Terry Lundgren, who is preparing to step aside as Macy's CEO this year, said he expects 2017 sales to decline at a similar rate to the company's holiday performance.

​Las Vegas, Jan 5 (IANS) With an aim to deliver tailor-made devices to customers to meet their needs and fit their usage habits, Chinese tech giant Lenovo on Thursday announced a new range of laptop and tablet products at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017) here. Lenovo showcased its premium work and play experience device ThinkPad X1, Miix 720 detachable, new gaming sub-brand Lenovo Legion and two laptops under the new sub-brand -- Lenovo Legion Y720 and Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop at the event. "Our approach to innovation is to ensure we are constantly evolving and understanding how technology is infused within every individual, business and home," Gianfranco Lanci, President and Chief Operating Officer at Lenovo, told reporters here. The next generation of ThinkPad X1 products cater to the need of professionals who blur the line between work and personal PC use. Lenovo's 5th generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon -- available in classic ThinkPad Black and new metallic silver colours -- is the lightest 14-inch business notebook that weighs just 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) and packs a 14-inch IPS display into a new sleek 13-inch form factor. The new X1 Carbon offers up to 15 hours of battery life and has been redesigned to include Thunderbolt 3 ports (the fastest port available on a PC), super-fast LTE-A Wireless WAN and WiFi certified WiGig options that deliver superior performance and connectivity. "Over 80 per cent of our consumers were concerned about battery life. Other thing the customers were worried about is colours, so we are now offering a choice of silver colour this year," Dilip Bhatia, Vice President of Global Marketing, User and Customer Experience Lenovo PC and Smart Device Business Group, said. Taking a note of increased cybercrime threats, the new device offers enhanced security features. It comes with a fingerprint sensor with a dedicated chip that handles biometric processing and helps secure and simplify the Windows Hello login experience with a new face recognition Infrared camera. Adding to the list is the updated ThinkPad X1 Yoga which is flawlessly flexible, offers true multi-mode capabilities and delivers stunning colours on the only 14-inch notebook with an OLED screen. Also, a redesigned rechargeable pen and improved "rise and fall" keyboard complete the improved experience. "Rise and Fall" feature pulls in the keys of the device when working in tablet mode, giving a flat surface feeling. Also when a user folds the laptop after turning it off, it again pulls in the keys to keep the display free from any marks and scratches. Alongside continuing to impress with its lightweight, modularity and serviceability is the ThinkPad X1 Tablet. The device has unique modules that offer port expansion and up to five hours of additional battery life and an integrated projector option. Meanwhile, the Miix 720 Windows detachable combines a 12-inch QHD+ display and precision touchpad-enabled keyboard with up to 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and Thunderbolt 3. One can simply remove the keyboard to instantly transform the Miix 720 into a touchscreen tablet. Paired with a multifaceted Lenovo Active Pen 2, the Miix 720 is ideal for effortless note taking or bringing creative concepts to life. "Why Mixx 720 is better than its competitors? Its simple; the 150-degree tablet kickstand easily adjusts to the users' preferred viewing angle, ensuring comfort and entertainment," Bhatia added. The Thunderbolt Lenovo Active Pen 2 is sold separately and may be hard bundled or optional depending on the geography. Also to meet the evolving needs of the gaming community, the company also launched a new gaming sub-brand Lenovo Legion and two powerful gaming machines under this name -- Lenovo Legion Y720 Laptop and Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop. "The reason why we launched these gaming laptops is we needed to provide legitimacy to our product. Legion is all about the community of gamers. In future we will have a line of gaming desktops under the legion sub-brand," Bhatia noted. The new devices allow a greater gaming experience powering VR through the latest NVIDIA graphics, sound with Dolby Atmos and increased performance with the 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. The devices ThinkPad X1 Carbon -- which starts from $1,349 -- and ThinkPad X1 Yoga -- which starts from $1,499 -- will be available in February. While ThinkPad X1 Tablet (starts from $949) will be available in March, Miix 720 (keyboard included) which starts at $999.99 will be available in two colour options champagne and iron gray beginning in April 2017. Lenovo Active Pen 2 starts at $59.99 will be available beginning in February. While, the Lenovo Legion Y720 Laptop is price range starts from $1,399.99 and will available from April, Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop will be available from February at price range starting $899.99.

​Las Vegas, Jan 5 (IANS) Taiwan-based tech major ASUS on Thursday showcased its latest lineup products at Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017) here. Featured products include ProArt PA32U, the world's first 32-inch direct-lit LED 4K UHD high-dynamic-range (HDR) monitor, Designo Curve MX38VQ, a 37.5-inch ultra-wide QHD monitor with a 2300R curvature, ASUS HiveSpot and HiveDot Mesh Wi-Fi System for reliable, ultra-fast and secure wireless coverage. Other products include mini PCs VivoMini UN65U, and the VivoMini VC66 and VM65 Series. ProArt PA32U has a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3-enabled USB 3.1 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort 1.2 support. These ports also enable display daisy-chaining, which allows users to connect two 4K UHD displays for increased productivity and more versatile viewing. MX38VQ monitor features 8W stereo speakers incorporating Harman Kardon and ASUS SonicMaster audio technologies, as well as a Qi wireless charging pad on its stand for Qi-enabled devices. ASUS HiveSpot and HiveDot Mesh wi-fi system is a modular, high-speed wireless mesh-networking system for the home that eliminates wi-fi dead spots and dropped connections. With the compact ASUS HiveSpot or ASUS HiveDot mesh-networking nodes, users can enjoy a single-sign-on Wi-Fi network with seamless and secure whole-home coverage. VivoMini UN65U is powered by the latest 7th Generation Intel Core (Kaby Lake) processors, features a dual-storage-bay design, which users can specify with up to a 1TB 2.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD), up to a 512GB M.2 solid-state drive (SSD), or a combination of both for added flexibility. VC66 series PCs are compatible with any monitor, HDMI-equipped TV, or projector and includes four USB 3.0 ports on the front panel for added convenience as well as HDMI, DisplayPort++ and DVI ports. Designed to provide faster performance and stunning 4K UHD visuals, VivoMini VM65 is powered by up to a 7th Generation Intel Core i7 (Kaby Lake) processor and features discrete NVIDIA GeForce 930M Optimus graphics.

​New York, Jan 5 (IANS) Tech giant Apple on Thursday confirmed it plans to invest $1 billion in Japanese telecom giant SoftBank's massive $100 billion Vision Fund.

According to a report in TechCrunch, the fund is a joint effort between SoftBank and the government of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) that reportedly seeks to

​Phnom Penh, Jan 5 (IANS) The state-owned Cambodia Post will launch an online shopping platform in March in a move to tap the current rise in e-commerce activity, a media report said on Thursday.

​Sydney, Jan 5 (IANS) With nearly 76 per cent of the world's population becoming 'overfat', it has become the new pandemic that has quietly overtaken the world, a study has showed. 'Overfat' has been defined as a condition of having sufficient excess body fat to impair health. "This is a global concern because of its strong association with rising chronic disease and climbing healthcare costs, affecting people of all ages and incomes," said lead author Philip Maffetone, CEO of MAFF Fitness in Australia. In addition to those who are overweight and obese, others falling into the overfat category include normal-weight people, the researchers said. "The overfat category includes normal-weight people with increased risk factors for chronic disease, such as high abdominal fat and those with characteristics of a condition called normal-weight metabolic obesity," Maffetone added. "The overfat pandemic has not spared those who exercise or even compete in sports," he said. While the obesity epidemic has grown considerably over the last three to four decades, the study casts light on the much higher numbers of people who may have unhealthy levels of body fat. It also indicates that 9-10 per cent of the world population may be underfat. "While we think of the condition of underfat as being due to starvation, those worldwide numbers are dropping rapidly. However, an ageing population, an increase in chronic disease and a rising number of excessive exercisers or those with anorexia athletica, are adding to the number of non-starving underfat individuals," Maffetone explained. This leaves as little as 14 per cent of the world's population with normal body-fat percentage, showed the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.