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Monday, February 27, 2012
Northern Lights Mystery May Be Solved (SPACE.com)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]SPACE.com - Scientists may have solved a longstanding mystery about the origin of the energetic particles that cause Earth's dramatic aurora displays.
Deadly disease won't stop wedding bells for Temple City man
TEMPLE CITY - Manny Sosa won't let a deadly disease stop him from marrying the woman he loves.
Sosa, 44, is battling end-stage liver disease related to Hepatitis C and is now on a list to receive a liver transplant. He and his fiance, Adriana Tafoya, 32, hope the ravaging disease will spare him until then.
"There are things that I haven't yet learned that I need to," Sosa, a tall man with striking features, said recently from the couple's Temple City home. "I think there are things I can offer people, love and advice, from the things I've experienced in my life."
On Monday, the couple will exchange vows at an intimate ceremony at the Maxwell House in Pasadena. The whole event - from the couple's attire, to the
catering and venue - is being donated by area vendors through Wish Upon a Wedding, a nonprofit that grants weddings for those facing life-threatening illnesses and other serious circumstances.Sosa, who has five children but never married, said he is "in shock" by everyone's generosity.
"I told them, `why would you guys help us?"' said Sosa, who owned a real estate investment firm before doctors ordered him to stop working years ago. "I was very touched, especially because I wouldn't be able to do it because of my sickness and my finances."
Sosa and Tafoya's wedding will be the third for the Southern California Chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding, one of two dozen chapters throughout the nation.
"We try to make them feel like guests at their own wedding so they don't have the stress leading up to it," said Stacey Gitten, a chapter spokeswoman. "They can just bask in the moment of their special day and get to this milestone that many feel like they will never get to."
The night Tafoya, a single mom, met Sosa through a mutual friend in 2006, she told her mother that she had met the man she was going to marry. She even found a muscular photo of him that she placed on her computer at work, even though the two were friends who spoke once every few months.
"I just let it happen," Tafoya said. "I said `I'm not going to chase after his guy because he's going to be mine someday.' I just knew it."
Nearly three years later, Sosa asked her out on a date. The two immediately became inseparable even as the illness would hit Sosa particularly hard that year, landing him frequently in the hospital for weeks at a time.
"I feel no matter what, I want to be there right next to him," Tafoya said. "I want to be there by his side. I just never want ... for him to go through it alone."
His life since he was diagnosed, he said, has been a physical and emotional roller coaster.
He was put on the transplant list once before and then taken off after Tafoya, his domestic partner, lost her job and their health insurance.
Sosa has growths in his stomach and behind his spleen, which are periodically checked by doctors for cancer. Doctors are also carefully monitoring a potentially dangerous blood clot near his liver.
At times, he has felt so much pain from his illness, which also inflames his gallbladder, that he has curled up on the bathroom floor in the fetal position.
That's when you know it's bad, Sosa said, since he has a "high tolerance" for pain.
"When I was a kid and people would do things to me, I wouldn't even cry," he said.
Sosa, a former gym rat who loved lifting weights, maintains a strict low-sodium diet to avoid uncomfortable water retention and is prohibited from rigorous exercise or heavy lifting. He takes about 10 different kinds of medicine a day.
"What's weird about this disease, I'll wake up and I'll feel good," he said. "I'll think today's going to be a good day, but you start walking around a little bit and all of a sudden - boom - you hit a brick wall, just real exhausted."
Although Sosa isn't considered sick enough yet to get bumped to the top of the transplant list, he looks forward to having a healthy liver one day and leading a new and very different life with his soon-to-be wife.
"I can't wait to feel normal," he said. "I can't wait to eat like a normal person, where people are enjoying their food."
But in the meantime, he said, he doesn't want people to see him as being sick.
"When I was first sick, I lost 40 or 50 pounds. I would hear in the next room, `Oh my God, he looks horrible," he said. "People were crying, feeling sorry for me. I didn't really want to be remembered as somebody like that. I want them to remember me as positive, as a fighter."
brenda.gazzar@sgvn.com
626-578-6300, ext. 4496
Source: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_20043858?source=rss
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Climate change may have caused Mayan civilization's collapse
For unknown reasons, the ancient Mayan civilization then disintegrated more than a millennium ago. The number of people declined catastrophically to a fraction of the empire's former size, and the ruins of its great cities are now largely overgrown by jungle.
The collapse of the ancient Mayan civilization may have been linked to relatively modest dry spells, researchers now say.
Skip to next paragraphThe?ancient Mayan empire?once stretched across an area about the size of Texas, with cities and fields occupying what is now southern Mexico and northern Central America, including the countries of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. The height of the Mayan empire, known as the Classic period, reached from approximately A.D. 250 to at least A.D. 900.
The ancient Maya had what was arguably the most advanced civilization in the Americas. For instance, they made dramatic breakthroughs in astronomy that helped them very accurately predict where the moon and other planets would be in the sky centuries in the future. They also left behind many books and stone inscriptions regarding the?stories of their gods?and the history of their divine kings and queens.
For unknown reasons, the ancient Mayan civilization then disintegrated more than a millennium ago. The number of people declined catastrophically to a fraction of the empire's former size, and the ruins of its great cities are now largely overgrown by jungle. [Photos: First Glimpse into a Mayan Tomb]
Scientists have long drawn connections between?the slow decline of the ancient Maya, which took about two centuries, "to climate change, and especially to drought," said researcher Mart?n Medina-Elizalde at the Yucatan Center for Scientific Research in Mexico. "No sound estimates had been made about the severity of this drought, but some have suggested extreme scenarios."
To see how much rainfall the ancient Maya saw before the demise of their civilization, the researchers combined the four most detailed records of past climate changes known regarding the civilization's collapse ? three from nearby lakes and one from a stalagmite, a mineral formation that grows upward from a cave floor. This helped develop a model of "the region's balance between evaporation and rainfall," Medina-Elizalde said.
The scientists found that rainfall in the region decreased episodically for periods as long as a decade at a time.
"Our results show rather modest rainfall reductions between times when the Classic Maya civilization flourished and its collapse between 800 to 950," said researcher Eelco Rohling, a paleoclimatologist at the University of Southampton in England. "These reductions amount to only 25 to 40 percent in annual rainfall, but they were large enough for evaporation to become dominant over rainfall, and open water availability was rapidly reduced. The data suggest that the main cause was a decrease in summer storm activity."
The timing of these dry spells might help explain why modest reductions in rainfall still may have helped cause the demise of a well-established civilization.
"Summer was the main season for cultivation and replenishment of Maya freshwater storage systems and there are no rivers in the Yucatan lowlands," Rohling said.
It appeared to Rohling that the ancient Maya had become reliant on continuous rainfall supplies, and had stretched the capacity of their farmlands to a fine limit based on normal levels of rain. "Then, even a rather subtle climatic change was enough to create serious problems," he told LiveScience. "Societal disruptions and abandonment of cities are likely consequences of?critical water shortages, especially because there seems to have been a rapid repetition of multiyear droughts."
Rohling emphasized they are not saying that climate ended the ancient Mayan civilization. "We are documenting that there was a reduction in rainfall, and that reservoirs of water were evaporating," he said. This may in turn have led to societal unrest or diseases or both, "which are more likely to explain the actual collapse of society."
The scientists noted that the droughts they saw during the demise of the ancient Mayan civilization were similar in severity to those projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the near future in the same region. [10 Surprising Results of Global Warming]
"There are differences too, but the warning is clear ? what seems like a minor reduction in water availability may lead to important, long-lasting problems," Medina-Elizalde said. "This problem is not unique to the Yucatan Peninsula, but applies to all regions in similar settings where evaporation is high. Today, we have the benefit of awareness, and we should act accordingly."
The scientists detailed their findings in the Feb. 24 issue of the journal Science.
Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter?@livescience?and on?Facebook.
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Saturday, February 25, 2012
Daily Devotional: Put to Death Therefore What is Earthly in You ...
Daily Devotional: Put to Death Therefore What is Earthly in You
February 25
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Put to death therefore?what is earthly in you:?sexual immorality, impurity,?passion, evil desire, and covetousness,?which is idolatry.? Colossians 3:5
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To constantly fight against sin is a big part of mortification.? We need to recognize the enemy we are dealing with and that he is to be destroyed by all means possible.? The battle is a hazardous one that deals with issues of eternity.? When a man sees his lust as a trivial thing, it is an indication that he is not mortified.? We cannot go forward unless we recognize the danger of our own hearts.? We need to be intimately acquainted with the ways, wiles, methods, advantages, and occasions in which lust has won the victory.? This is the way that men deal with their enemies.? They search out their plans, ponder their goals, and consider how and by what means they have prevailed in the past.? Then, they can be defeated.? This is a most important strategy.? If you do not utilize this great strategy, your warfare is very primitive.? We need to know how sin uses occasions, opportunities, and temptations to gain advantage.? Search its pleas, pretences, reasonings, strategies colours, and excuses.? We need to trace this serpent in all of its windings, and to recognize its most secret tricks: ?This is your usual way and course; I know what you aim at.?? Even when one thinks that a lust is dead because it is quiet, we must labour to give it new wounds and new blows every day.? The soul in this condition has the upper hand.? Sin is under the sword and is dying.? Frequent success against any lust strengthens us.? When the heart recognizes at any time sin and temptation at work, seducing and forming sinful imaginations to get you to fulfill its lusts, the heart must immediately see it for what it is, bring it to the law of God and the love of Christ, condemn it, and follow It to the uttermost.? These weapons will lead to a great degree of success.
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Proverbs and Ken Wingate following them shows us the way to possess the jewel of all jewels in a well-adorned life: wisdom that is rooted in the knowledge of, and reverential love for, God. Here is true wisdom that will prove to be worth its weight in gold in every age and culture. Ken Wingate now brings it into our needy culture, and I for one am grateful to him for sharing his gift as a father with other fathers and mothers, and sons and daughters too.
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Here then is a book for parents to read on their own; for teenagers to read on their own; for parents and teenagers, who are willing to take the family challenge, to read round the table after dinner or on other occasions. It points us to Gods way. It promises us God?s grace. What could be better for us than that?
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Friday, February 24, 2012
WriteAndCorrect.com ? Health Fitness
Health fitness involves exercising and working out to look and feel better. Your physical and mental well being depend on it. Exercising can reduce your chances of heart disease and diabetes. It can also reduce the effects of depression and eliminate stress. The physical and mental benefits of health fitness are well worth the efforts. They will ensure you are able to live a healthier, happier life. Do you want to just live your life or do you want to enjoy your life? The choice is yours.
Health fitness involves finding activities that are going to improve your current fitness level. Everyone?s current level of fitness is different so improving your fitness level can be walking for 10 minutes and for someone else it can be jogging an extra ? mile. The point is you have to start somewhere and you should only compare yourself to where you want your health fitness level to be in the next year. Set realistic goals that are challenging but achievable.
There are too many ways to improve your health fitness to count. You get to choose the activities that you are able to participate in that you enjoy. This is one way to motivate yourself. If you enjoy football then go play it twice a week. If you hate aerobics then don?t do it. Look for another exercise that will help your heart but that you like doing. For too long in our society exercise has been viewed as something dreadful that we avoid at all costs. If you want your health fitness goals to be possible then turn the entire situation into something positive.
Health fitness isn?t all about exercise either. How many of us take the time to meet our own needs on a regular basis? Not very many of us. Our careers and families keep us plenty busy. Take some time for yourself at least once a week for one hour. Use this time to do something for only yourself. It can be as simple as enjoying a bubble bath or reading a good book. Take up a hobby you enjoy or learn a new skill. This quality time will help you unwind and relieve stress. It is a very important part of health fitness. Our mental health can cause physical health problems for us as well as affect our diet and sleep patterns.
Eating properly also plays an important role in health fitness. You will feel sluggish and irritable if you consume large amounts of carbs, fats, and sugar. They give you a temporary boost of energy but not for long. Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables will help you maintain energy levels all day long without the fluctuation. You will also consume less calories but feel full all day long. Health fitness is a very important issue that more of us need to focus our attention on. It affects both our physical well being and our mental well being. Health fitness gives us the opportunity to be the healthiest we can. You will look and feel better than you have in a long time.
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Source: http://writeandcorrect.com/health-fitness/
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H5N1 bird flu infection may be more common, less deadly, than thought
The World Health Organization says the H5N1 bird flu kills nearly 60% of people who become infected, but a study released Thursday suggests the true fatality rate may actually be much lower.
Virologists at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City examined data on blood samples collected from more than 12,000 people in Asia, Europe and Africa and found evidence of H5N1 infection in 1% to 2% of cases. Most of those people did not become ill with the flu, according to a report in the journal Science, and none of them died.
The findings, which used data from 20 previously published studies, suggest that many more people have been infected with H5N1 flu viruses than the 586 officially confirmed by the WHO as of Wednesday; if so, the fatality rate could be lower than the 59% reported by the global health agency.
"The World Health Organization criteria that are currently being used for confirmation of H5N1 infections are good for the identification of very severe cases, but they do not pick up the cases that are mild or asymptomatic" because such patients are less likely to seek treatment in a hospital, said postdoctoral researcher Taia Wang, who led the study.
Flu experts have speculated before that the WHO's surveillance system is patchy and misses an unknown number of cases. There is no scientific consensus about what the true fatality rate is.
Gregory Hartl, a WHO spokesman in Geneva, acknowledged Thursday that the agency's criteria for confirming bird flu cases might underreport mild cases. But he said it was more likely that officials were missing cases of bird flu deaths.
In some regions of the world where people have contracted H5N1, including parts of Asia, patients are unlikely to go to a hospital "until very late, if at all," Hartl said. Anyone who died from bird flu outside of a hospital would not be included in the official tally.
Even if the fatality rate is substantially lower than 60%, bird flu still has the potential to pose a very serious danger to humans if it were to mutate in a way that allowed it to spread easily between people. So far, cases of direct human-to-human transmission have been rare.
"You could reduce the seriousness of this virus twentyfold and it would still exceed that of the 1918 Spanish flu," said Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
The H1N1 flu responsible for the 1918 outbreak had a fatality rate of about 2%. But it killed as many as 50 million people worldwide because it spread easily between people.
Flu researchers have been studying H5N1 to see if has the potential to become more contagious in people, and two research groups have created strains that pass easily between lab ferrets, which react to influenza much as humans do.
In December, fears of an H5N1 pandemic led a U.S. government biosecurity advisory board to seek restrictions on the publication of that research. The request angered scientists who said they needed to share their findings in order to develop vaccines and prepare for a possible pandemic.
But the biosecurity panel, of which Osterholm is a member, said the data could be dangerous if it wound up in the wrong hands.
Scientists and public health officials are still debating how to proceed. Last week, the flu researchers agreed to continue a moratorium on the research and further delay publication of their findings while the issues are sorted out.
eryn.brown@latimes.com
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