New York, June 7 (AP/UNB) — When dog owners go through a stressful period, they’re not alone in feeling the pressure — their dogs feel it too, a new study suggests.

Dog owners experiencing long bouts of stress can transfer it to their dogs, scientists report in a study published Thursday in Scientific Reports.

The Swedish researchers focused on 58 people who own border collies or Shetland sheepdogs. They examined hair from the dog owners and their dogs, looking at the concentrations of a hormone called cortisol, a chemical released into the bloodstream and absorbed by hair follicles in response to stress.

Depression, excessive physical exercise and unemployment are just a few examples of stress that can influence the amount of cortisol found in your hair, said Lina Roth of Linkoping University in Sweden.

Roth and her team found that the patterns of cortisol levels in the hair of dog owners closely matched that found in their dogs in both winter and summer months, indicating their stress levels were in sync.

She thinks the owners are influencing the dogs rather than the other way around because several human personality traits appear to affect canine cortisol levels.

The researchers don’t know what causes the synchronization in cortisol levels between humans and their pups. But a hint might lie in the fact that the link is stronger with competitive dogs than in pet pooches.

The bond formed between owner and competitive dogs during training may increase the canines’ emotional reliance on their owners, she said. That in turn could increase the degree of synchronization.

But why do people influence their dogs rather than vice versa? Perhaps people are “a more central part of the dog’s life, whereas we humans also have other social networks,” Roth said in an email.

The study results are no surprise, said Alicia Buttner, director of animal behavior with the Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha.

“New evidence is continually emerging, showing that people and their dogs have incredibly close bonds that resemble the ones that parents share with their children,” she said in an email.

But she said there isn’t enough evidence to assume that the influence goes only one way; it may go both ways.

“It’s not just as simple as owner gets stressed, dog gets stressed,” she said.

Many other factors could affect a person or dog’s stress levels and possibly even dampen them, she said.

Buttner said cortisol levels don’t necessarily indicate “bad” stress. They instead can indicate a good experience like getting ready to go for a walk, she said.

Roth and her team plan to investigate whether other dog breeds will react to their owners the same way.

In the meantime, she offered advice to minimize how much stress dog owners may be causing their pets. Dogs that play more show fewer signs of being stressed, she said.

So “just be with your dog and have fun,” Roth said.

Dhaka, June 3 ( UNB) - Coffee lovers who drink up to 25 cups a day can rest assured the drink is not bad for their heart, scientists say, reports The Guardian.

Some previous studies have suggested that coffee stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, with drinkers warned to cut down their consumption.

But a new study of more than 8,000 people across the UK found that drinking five cups a day, and even up to 25, was no worse for the arteries than drinking less than a cup a day.

The research, part-funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), is being presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester.
Experts from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) divided 8,412 people into three groups for the study.

The first group was of those who drink less than one cup of coffee a day, the second was of those who drink between one and three cups a day, and the third was those who drink more than three.

Some people in the latter group drank up to 25 cups a day, although the average number for people in this group was five cups a day.

Researchers found that even those drinking up to 25 cups of coffee a day were no more likely to have stiffening of arteries than those who drank less than one cup a day.

All the participants in the latest study underwent MRI heart scans and infrared pulse wave tests, and the results held true even after factors such as age, weight and smoking status were taken into account.

Dr Kenneth Fung, from QMUL, said: “Despite the huge popularity of coffee worldwide, different reports could put people off from enjoying it.

“Whilst we can’t prove a causal link in this study, our research indicates coffee isn’t as bad for the arteries as previous studies would suggest.”

Prof Metin Avkiran, associate medical director at the BHF, said the study “rules out one of the potential detrimental effects of coffee on our arteries”.

A second study presented at the same conference found that people admitted to several NHS hospitals with a cardiac arrest at a weekend did not face a higher risk of dying compared to those admitted during the week.

The study, led by experts at Aston University, included 4,803 people going to hospital with a cardiac arrest and assessed their five-year survival.

For those who have been to Holy Crab Bangladesh and were disappointed at their disappearance, have no fear because they reopened under the name ‘The Smokes Bangladesh’. I had been a fan of their chicken wings and shrimps and was really excited to try them again here. However, the ribs and brisket had outshone the prawns this time.

We ordered 3 meals and each came with 2 sides. The orders were Beef Brisket Meal with Texas Honey, Ribs (Full) Meal with Original BBQ sauce, and a portion of Shrimps. For the sides, we got sweet corn (2), mashed potatoes, mac n’ cheese, and steamed rice (2). One of my friends have been eating here for quite a while and asked the server to not smear the BBQ sauce on the briskets but instead serve it as a side. Honestly, that’s the way to order! The ribs and briskets were served within 15 minutes and we couldn’t wait to dig in.

The smoky flavor  of the ribs couldn’t be smelt from a distance and you could also see the fat which are an essential in briskets. Those lean cuts were really tender to eat and I was glad that the Original BBQ sauce wasn’t smeared atop the briskets. The mashed potato lacked the creaminess and had chunks of potatoes which I don’t like in my mash. The Mac N’ Cheese is actually a premium side for which you need to pay and extra Tk50. However, that too was a letdown unless you have it immediately. The cheese had become clumpy and the pasta wasn’t cooked al dente. I also felt the lack of cheddar cheese in my mac. Thus, my search for the perfect Mac N’ Cheese continues.

Moving on to the ribs; they were another hit! The ribs were glistening with the Texas Honey and the meat  was well charred. The meat came off the bone easily instead of a “fall off” and had some chewiness to it as well. There were some crispy fried onions used as garnish on top. The side, sweet corn, was just regular boiled ones.

Finally, came the portion of Prawns that I was looking so forward to eating with steamed rice and their special dirt sauce. Our experience at Smokes was going so well that this ended up being a huge disappointment. There was close to not seasoning on the prawns and the dirt sauce was rather oily and had no punch of pepper like it did in my previous experience. We were served complimentary brownies with ice cream which I would highly recommend you to try out! It was gooey and served warm which went exceptionally well with plain vanilla ice cream.

For those looking for good ribs in town, I would highly recommend this place.  Previously, The Holy Crab did a marvelous job with seafood but now The Smokes does a better job.

Ifreet Taheea

The holy month of Ramadan has a spiritual meaning to our lives. We try to prohibit ourselves from all the wrongdoings and excesses of human nature and express our gratitude to the Almighty by offering prayer five times a day. After a long day of restraint, it is just so peaceful to break the fast with our beloved families at Iftar.

After a month of fasting, Eid ul Fitr comes to spread joy among friends and families, bringing every one closer to each other.

To all the ladies out there, I know how important Eid is for us. Instead of the busy schedule of Ramadan, we try to make time to get the perfect dress, accessories & makeup for this special day. I know how hectic it can be going from shop to shop finding that perfect dress, matching shoes , and trying to figure out ‘the look’ we want to pull off on the day, with our make-up.

So I may not help you with the first two but let me assist you in the last one. For me make-up is an accessory. Just the perfect amount can make your look complete and overdoing it, can do the exact opposite.

But don’t worry I am going to help you step by step. Let’s start with a morning make up for eid day.

I know you all ladies buy a dress just to wear in the morning after shower - I call it ‘THE AFTER SHOWER DRESS’ - it’s basically a simple dress which is comfortable enough to attend guests but also the perfect amount of fancy for what is a special day.

So with a simple dress you want to keep your make up minimum also fresh since its morning and you are at home. You want to avoid layering tons of product on your face. Just stick to a light foundation and a loose powder to set it. Just a little amount of shades on your eyelids to make it pop, light wash of color on your checks and the right amount of your favorite highlighter to give you that healthy glow. You can also go with a thin line of liner or skip it entirely, depends on what you like. But don’t skip mascara because it will give your lashes just the right amount of lift. Ladies just make sure you add your own attitude to it.

Suha Tabil

New York , May 30 (AP/UNB) — From a tiny bottle of nail polish, a luxury fashion empire was born.

Designer Christian Louboutin says he was experimenting in his factory one day when he suddenly seized his assistant's bottle of red polish to blot out the usual black soles and try some bright color.

The experiment stuck, obviously. And now Louboutin's red-soled stilettos, featuring sky-high heels and fetching sky-high prices, are "utterly iconic as a symbol of erotic femininity," says Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT  — explaining why Louboutin has been chosen as this year's honoree of the museum's Couture Council.

The prestigious honor, awarded each year at the beginning of New York Fashion Week in September, usually goes to a clothes designer. But, Louboutin told The Associated Press this week, fashion lovers have a special relationship with shoes — more than with clothes, or at least different.

"The woman carries the clothes. But the shoes? They carry the woman," the Paris-based designer said Tuesday in a telephone interview. "So it's a very different interaction." The shoe, he said, "is a pedestal. But this little thing on your feet is also making you a different person, in a lot of ways. It's affecting the entire silhouette and the way you're going to walk and move."

There's another advantage, he adds, to footwear: The wearer can see it. "If you have a dress, you can't see it unless you have a mirror. But if you have a pair of shoes, you can still look at your feet. All the time."

Steele, at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), says shoes have always been an important part of the museum's voluminous collection, which includes some 4,000 pairs "and counting."

"People really obsess over their shoes," she says. She calls Louboutin's red soles "a stroke of genius — what a simple and yet effective thing, because red is coded for us as the color of passion and seduction and love ... but who would have thought to have put it on the sole of a shoe?"

Louboutin also designs men's shoes, but it's women's footwear he's famous for, especially the heels (though he designs flats, too). They range from hundreds of dollars per pair well into the thousands, depending on the adornment. They're loved by celebrities; "I'm throwing on my Louboutins," goes the chorus of a 2009 Jennifer Lopez song.

Louboutin, 56, says his career began with a childhood hobby of sketching shoes.

"When adults asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, I said I wanted to draw shoes," he says. "But I didn't think it was a real job."

He'd been designing for several years when he discovered the red-sole idea in the early '90s. A few weeks after the nail polish experiment, he says, he was in his Paris shop, watching a couple consider a pair of shoes with typical black soles. His female co-worker felt the man was "very handsome," Louboutin says, and watched as he turned over a pair of shoes to find nothing interesting on the soles. When the couple left, the co-worker remarked that she should have put her phone number on the soles.

Louboutin took that as a sign, he says, "that the sole should have its own identity."

He considered changing the color every season, but then realized that red — the color of blood, he points out — was unique. "I had many customers who would only wear black, but they wore red on their lips or on their nails," he says.

Louboutin's shoes are worn by fashionistas around the world — first lady Melania Trump seems to be a fan, often photographed in Louboutins like a towering yellow pair she wore recently in Japan.

Louboutin says only that he enjoys seeing who wears the shoes, and how. "My job is designing shoes and producing an object of desire for women," he says. "After that it's no longer in my hands, and I'm no one to judge who is wearing them or how you should wear them."

He adds that although celebrities are obviously good for business, his preference is to discover someone he doesn't know, looking good, in his shoes.

"I'm walking in the street, and I look at the shoes and they look good and I'm almost jealous," he says. "And then I look and it's a red sole, and I go woo-hoo!"

The Couture Council luncheon on Sept. 4 coincides with a new exhibit at The Museum at FIT: "Paris, Capital of Fashion," running Sept. 6 to Jan. 4.