Monthly Archives: February 2018

Medical, Research, Science

Inside Track: ‘Head rush’

MIND & BODY

THE CONNECTION between cardiovascular activity and mood is more than a feeling; it’s scientific fact. There is a growing body of evidence to show that exercise doesn’t just make you happier, it makes you smarter, enhancing your ability to solve problems, brainstorm ideas, and by thinking faster.

Exercise improves your cognitive functioning no matter what your age. Cognitive functioning refers to the mental processes – awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgement – by which knowledge is acquired. While earlier research efforts have focused on children and the elderly, study populations have broadened significantly in recent times, the results proving that everybody – as well as every brain – can benefit from regular exercise.

Many studies have been completed on the relationship between physical activity and mental performance and have found that most had a shared conclusion. One such finding is that the short-term effects of a bout of exercise can lead to a greater focus and for individuals to make fewer errors in decision making. Several of the studies also found that during and/or following a bout of vigorous exercise (typically, running or cycling for 20 minutes to an hour), individual performances on tests measuring ‘executive control’ (the processes involved in achieving goals in a changing environment) improved significantly when compared with pre-exercise scores.

The use of exercise to spark creativity is hardly a novel idea. Among today’s creative exercisers, the award-winning writer Joyce Carol Oates says she avoids rest days because her craft depends on running: ‘There isn’t any piece of my writing that didn’t evolve through running,’ says Oates, who runs daily on the country roads near her home.

It’s not just literary types who see the benefit. The chief operating officer of a global junk-removal business based in Vancouver, for instance, knows his miles are anything but junk. The executive says that when out running a mental zone is soon found within that allows many of life’s problems to be solved. The business chief has a whole office of fitness diehards – and, keeps an eye out for similar types who may wish to join the firm in the future. ‘We look to hire athletes,” says the director, who finds fit people more focused and engaged.

Investigators elsewhere would also tend to agree. Previous tests carried out at the University of Ulm, in Germany, for example, asked a group of subjects to run 30 minutes twice a week for six weeks. Another group remained sedentary for the same time period. Following each session (or non-session), participants were examined to measure concentration. The runners scored higher, but it didn’t end there. The lead researcher concluded: ‘Twelve weeks after they stopped running, we could still see some effects.’

Scientists now know that the body’s dopamine and epinephrine levels are responsible for this effect. These neuro-transmitters, which enhance communication between key areas of the brain, climb during physical activity. The effects are fleeting, however, peaking about 20 minutes into exercise and petering out shortly after its conclusion, but other neurochemicals may take over where those leave off, responsible for the longer-term effects reported by researchers.

One of the next areas of intense study and research will be the exact prescription. Many agree that we need dose-response studies to see just how much exercise will produce the best cognitive results.

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Arts, Drama

Whodunnit: ‘Double Identity’

DOUBLE IDENTITY: A LATERAL THINKING DRAMA & CONUNDRUM 

Sleuth

Issue No. 5 in the Whodunnit series. Tap into your inner detective by solving this case.

Note: This was previously a live case. The real identities of the people concerned have been changed

“I don’t see how they got away, Oliver.” Kaysen Forrest was a big man with a friendly smile for everybody, usually, Today, he was downright serious – a large sum of cash had been stolen from the office of his seedling and nursery business several days beforehand. “I spotted them at the end of the passageway, near the doors. Okay, it was a bit dark, but I clearly saw a pair of men, under six foot, dressed in company overalls. I could see that the one nearest me was carrying a doctor’s medical case. It seemed really strange, so I went after them, and I was through the doors myself in less than thirty seconds. But there was no sign of them at all. The only person out there was Chris Biddle. He heard them run off, but he didn’t see anything. The thing is, my stockyard must be a hundred yards wide, and I can see at least another three hundred yards clear. If they’d gone round the side, they’d have run straight into Chris, and besides, there are fences to climb that way. I’d have definitely heard that. No, they just vanished.”

Oliver James frowned thoughtfully. “It does sound odd. I don’t suppose they could have had a vehicle of some sort?”

Kaysen shook his head. “I don’t believe so, no. I can’t think of anything both fast and silent enough to get out of my line of sight up the road, let alone without making lots of noise. The police clearly thought I’d gone mad. They took the descriptions, and said they’d pursue all leads, but they didn’t seem optimistic. One even pointed out that stolen cash was difficult to recover.”

“Well, why don’t we try another angle. Who knew you had a decent amount of money on site at the time?”

“I bank on Tuesdays. That weekend was unusually good because those orchids I placed in the Imperial had created a lot of interest. So, anyone who was working over the weekend could have guessed – Heather Reeves, Aubrey Fenton, Isaac Brunson, Angelo Delgado, and obviously Chris. But on Tuesday morning, Heather was on the shop floor helping people, Angelo had Monday and Tuesday off, Aubrey was with me in the meeting room we’re in, going over the order lists, Isaac was on the tills, and Chris was tidying the stockyard. Besides, even if one of them had tipped off a couple of goons that it was going to be a good day to turn me over, it doesn’t explain the vanishing act.”

“No,” Oliver said. “It doesn’t, does it. Still, let’s stick with this for a moment. What can you tell me about the staff?”

“Heather’s a real sweetheart. She’s kind and helpful, no matter how rude or bossy the customers get. She’s been here for eighteen months or so. I’ll lose her to marriage one of these days, but I won’t mind, so long as she’s happy. Aubrey has been on board since the start. He’s my right hand. I’d be at sea without him. I can’t face the idea that he might have betrayed me like that. Isaac is a steady hand, if you know what I mean. Been here three years. A very calm and capable young man. He’s awfully sweet on Heather, but he’s too shy to chance his arm. I’m thinking maybe I should provide some better chances for nature to take its course there. He’d look after her, that’s for sure.”

“Chris has worked here for a year or so. He’s quiet, but he’s got deep waters. Surprisingly knowledgeable about all sorts of topics, on account of his being a bookworm. You’ll never catch him without at least something to read. Angelo, finally, has only been working with us for a month or so, but he knows his cultivation practices like nobody’s business. Green thumbs from here to midnight. Get him talking bulbs, and you’ll never shut him up. Where does that get us?”

“I’m not sure,” Oliver confessed. “How about a look at where these guys vanished?”

“Sure, why not?” Kaysen did his best to summon up a smile, but he was clearly finding it difficult to contain his dismay.

The passage from the meeting room led straight through the building towards the back. It was a long, dimly lit corridor of plastered stone, painted in a leafy shade of green. There were several doors along its length, on both sides. Near the end, the corridor met the hallway which ran from the stock entrance straight along the back to the heated storerooms. The staff restroom doors were opposite the end of the passage, separated by a wide mirror. When they got to the junction, Kaysen pointed right, along the back of the building.

“My office is up there. And that’s the stockyard door to the left of the conveniences.”

The wide double-doors out into the stockyard were open. Oliver stepped out and looked around. Kaysen had a point.  The yard was a good hundred yards across. It was dotted with saplings mostly, but none of them big enough to hide a man for more than an instant. The trade gate was at the far side, open, with the road beyond it.

“Kaysen,” Oliver said finally. “I think I know who did this.”

 

Who does Oliver suspect, and why?

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Britain, Foreign Affairs, France, Government, Politics, Russia, Syria, Ukraine

UK blames Russia for ‘huge cyber-attack’

SECURITY

War of words: The Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson

BRITAIN has publicly blamed the Russian government for a “reckless and destructive” cyber-attack.

In an extraordinary move likely to spark a diplomatic storm, the Foreign Office accused the Kremlin of “malicious cyber activity”.

The attack, which occurred last year, targeted Ukraine and spread across Europe. Its primary targets were the Ukrainian financial, energy and government sectors.

But it was designed to spread further and affected other European and Russian firms in June.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson accused Vladimir Putin of “ripping up the rule book”.

Mr Williamson said: “We have entered a new era of warfare, witnessing a destructive and deadly mix of conventional military might and malicious cyber-attacks.

“Russia is ripping up the rule book by undermining democracy, wrecking livelihoods by targeting critical infrastructure, and weaponising information. We must be primed and ready to tackle these stark and intensifying threats.” Ukraine has been locked in a simmering conflict with Russia-backed separatists since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.

Foreign minister for cyber-security Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said the UK’s decision to identify the Kremlin as responsible for the attack underlines the fact the Government will not tolerate “malicious cyber-activity”.

He said: “The UK Government judges that the Russian government, specifically the Russian military, was responsible for the destructive Not-Petya cyber-attack of June 2017.

“The attack showed a continued disregard for Ukrainian sovereignty. Its reckless release disrupted organisations across Europe costing hundreds of millions of pounds.”

He added: “The Kremlin has positioned Russia in direct opposition to the West, yet it doesn’t have to be that way. We call on Russia to be the responsible member of the international community it claims to be rather than secretly trying to undermine it.

“The United Kingdom is identifying, pursuing and responding to malicious cyber-activity regardless of where it originates, imposing costs on those who would seek to do us harm.

“We are committed to strengthening, co-ordinated international efforts to uphold a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace.”

His comments point to UK intelligence agencies discovering evidence indicating the involvement of the Russian military.

Meanwhile, the Defence Secretary has risked igniting a diplomatic firestorm by claiming there is no point in Britain listening to Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Williamson has taken aim at the French president amid growing concerns in London at his hard-line position on Brexit.

He spoke out after Mr Macron threatened to launch strikes on the Syrian government for allegedly using chemical weapons against civilians. Mr Williamson, who has been tipped as a potential future Prime Minister, said the UK felt no need to “copy” decisions in neighbouring countries.

“What is the point in listening to French politicians,” he said. “We have our own foreign policy, we don’t need to copy.”

He said he would “dutifully study” Mr Macron’s comments but refused to be drawn on a change in the UK’s policy.

The UK refused to join retaliatory strikes launched by Donald Trump in Syria last year over suspected chemical weapons use. Former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon later said Britain would support similar actions if “legal, proportionate and necessary”.

Mr Williamson’s dismissal of Mr Macron, during a ministerial meeting at NATO’s Brussels headquarters, will stoke fears that ties between Paris and London are under increasing strain.

Mr Macron threatened a major escalation in Syria this week by threatening to launch air strikes against president Bashar al-Assad’s government.

The warning followed claims that Syrian government forces dropped a chlorine bomb from a helicopter on Saraqeb, a rebel-held town, earlier this month.

The Syrian Government has denied the accusations, while Mr Macron said that French officials had yet to find enough evidence to launch a strike.

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