A team of scientists from the U.S., U.K. and New Zealand said they that have identified ways in which genes increase the chance of someone becoming a heavy smoker.A study by Duke University did an analysis of previous studies find out which genes affected smoking behavior. They then tracked 1,000 people living in New Zealand from birth to age 38, to see if those with a high-risk genetic profile took up smoking more quickly as teenagers and found it harder to stop smoking.Those with a genetic pro

The Korean term for hemorrhoids originally referred to various diseases that occur in the anal area, including hemorrhoids, tears and fistulas, but the term usually refers to hemorrhoids.Hemorrhoids were believed to be caused by dilation of submucosal venous plexus in the anus, but more recent studies have shown that they are not simply caused by the dilated venous plexus, but due to protrusion of the so called “anal cushion” consisting of blood vessels, muscles and connective tissue.  Symptoms

Interest in “two-jaw operation” has been steadily growing among those who have bimaxillary protrusion, a dentofacial deformity commonly found among Asians where the upper and lower incisors emerge forward, making the teeth and lips protrude. The operation, however, is a surgical method neither designed to correct the facial distortion nor to improve a person’s facial image. It was actually devised to treat diverse functional inconvenience such as the misalignment of the teeth. A facial contourin

Lie Sang-bong explores what drives him with ‘Fashion is Passion’

Aleksandar Hemon landed in the United States two decades ago, January 1992. He was 27, a young Bosnian journalist from Sarajevo arriving on a one-month visa, arranged through a cultural exchange program sponsored by the State Department. Just after he arrived, war broke out in Yugoslavia. Hemon was stranded. In the years since, as he settled into this country and became an acclaimed writer ― one of Chicago’s finest contemporary writers and arguably its most important literary talent since Saul B

Middle CBy William H. Gass (Knopf)There’s an amusing and apt anecdote about William H. Gass, whose exhausting but also exhilarating new novel, “Middle C,” has just been published.During a 1978 debate, novelist John Gardner explained how he and Gass were different by stating that “my 707 will fly and his is too encrusted with gold to get off the ground.”Gass ― who loves metaphor and surely enjoyed this one ― was quick with his reply: “There is always that danger. But what I really want is to have

The StorytellerBy Jodi Picoult (Atria/Emily Bestler Books)Jodi Picoult is a familiar name to those of us who race through the Hudson News stores at the airport just before we board a plane. We are smug in our certainty ― we know what we’re getting when we pluck one of her novels from the pile. Her prose goes down easy, and she fills her stories with characters confronted by moral quandaries and life-changing decisions.That’s certainly the case in “The Storyteller,” which opens with the narration

Culture Ministry looks to promote medical tourism clusters, MICE industries

Goo Hara from Kara and Yong Jun-hyung from B2ST are a couple no more.Music industry insiders said the two, who had been dating since 2011, have broken up. On Wednesday, Cube Entertainment and DSP Media both confirmed that Goo Hara and Yong Jun-hyung have parted ways.“Goo Hara and Yong Jun-hyung decided to remain good colleagues,” stated DSP Media. “Due to their busy schedules, the two weren’t able to see each other often, and they decided to end their relationship.”  Cube Entertainment also conf

BEIJING (AFP) ― The Chinese fashion brand that designed bags and clothes for the country’s new first lady has turned down the chance to make a fortune from her endorsement, saying Wednesday no similar items will be on offer.Peng Liyuan, long a household name in China as a military folk singer, has set off a media and Internet frenzy with her elegant style as she accompanies husband President Xi Jinping on a state visit to Russia and African countries. Picture slide shows on major Chinese web por

The Netherlands will celebrate its last Queen’s Day on April 30, its embassy in Seoul said Thursday.On the day Queen Beatrix will abdicate the throne and her oldest son, Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, will become King Willem-Alexander. From next year, King’s Day will be celebrated on the birthday of King Willem-Alexander, which falls on April 27. But since April 27 is a Sunday in 2014, it will be celebrated on April 26 once.  Since kings and queens in the Netherlands are not crowned, the c

Actress Han Hye-jin has denied rumors that she is planning to marry soccer star Ki Sung-yueng.Speculation that the two were going to tie the knot in June surfaced soon after Han and Ki confirmed to the press that they were dating. On Thursday afternoon Han tweeted that the rumors are not true. “The reason I stepped up today is because I felt that I needed to clear up the misunderstanding that is going around at the moment.” The actress broke up with her boyfriend of nine years, R&B artist Naul,