I am working on a new GLOBAL problem! PLEASE, visit to share, teach, OR tell us how youAre helping!
By hearing how YOU are helping, we can thank you, compliment you, & find ways, we can be doing more! T
hankYou, LisAnne
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/climatecrises/
Nothing says "summer" more than sunshine, lazy days at the pool (or beach), and barbecue. Sweet corn on the cob, juicy watermelon, and hearty burgers are staples of the season. But this year more than ever, people are thinking critically about the choices they make when it comes to buying groceries. Attitudes are changing in response to increased fuel prices, recent natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and environmental concerns. These factors contributed to the thriving local-food movement, with farmers' markets popping up across the country, organic-grocery chains like Whole Foods Market offering local fare, and even the most haute-cuisine restaurants committing themselves to local sourcing. This month, MWW challenges you to learn about the food system and consider the impacts of your family's purchasing decisions. Start by visiting Local Harvest, a resource for finding local-minded businesses and farmers' markets near you.
Feeling lost in the lingo of food issues? Here are a few key definitions to help demystify foodie jargon:Slow Food—A countermovement to fast food, created in 1989 and that seeks to raise awareness of where our food is grown and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.100-mile Diet—Challenges participants to eat only foods grown within a 100-mile radius of where they live. That's right—if the salt and pepper in those shakers came from outside that distance, they aren't going on your food.Locavore—Someone who commits himself or herself to buying and eating locally, often using the 100-mile-diet guidelines. Locavores believe that less processing and shipping leads to more nutritious, eco-friendly, and tasty food. Fair Trade—A consumer-led movement that makes efforts to fairly compensate farmers in developing countries for the time and resources spent growing and producing goods. Organic—Label given to goods grown and/or produced within a list of monitored guidelines (e.g., no use of any artificial fertilizers or chemicals).Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)—An organism whose DNA structure has been altered or modified in some way. Today there is a growing debate over the safety and environmental effects caused by genetically engineered foods.
An Associated Press-Yahoo! News poll has found that the American public hasn't taken to Michelle Obama yet, especially whites. And it's got a question about Cindy McCain: Who is she?
I have supported this FINE man, since Nov '07, when I "FELT" his honor & integrity! HE IS the real deal! I'm telling you, WHATEVER they thrown at him, he is calm, poised & intelligent in his response!
I have COMPLETE trust in his continuation of the leading of America TO a bright future! I heard something today about his economic team! WELL, BE PATIENT YA'LL: I trust HIS choices!
I believe we are about to be a part of some VERY PROgressive things
Just look at how he has AMAZED us thus far!
TO BE A PART OF the HOPE in stemcells: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/lmbfreespirit/
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I am proud to say: JUST TRUST~ the universe provides!
YA, I know, well then why did we have bush?....
PERHAPS WE NEEDED a WWWWWAAAAKKKKKKEEEEE-UP! ;)*
A gift from the universe/god/higher power...
A GIFT to restore our honor & dignity in the world, with truth, honor, & a lil' thing called hope!
YES WE CAN & we are!!!!!!!!!
http://www.billfarkas.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?2309.last
Research on stem cells is advancing knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. This promising area of science is also leading scientists to investigate the possibility of cell-based therapies to treat disease, which is often referred to as regenerative or reparative medicine.
Stem cells are one of the most fascinating areas of biology today. But like many expanding fields of scientific inquiry, research on stem cells raises scientific questions as rapidly as it generates new discoveries.
The NIH developed this primer to help readers understand the answers to questions such as: What are stem cells? What different types of stem cells are there and where do they come from? What is the potential for new medical treatments using stem cells? What research is needed to make such treatments a reality?
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a very common neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 2% of the population over 65 years of age. PD is caused by a progressive degeneration and loss of dopamine (DA)-producing neurons, which leads to tremor, rigidity, and hypokinesia (abnormally decreased mobility). It is thought that PD may be the first disease to be amenable to treatment using stem cell transplantation. Factors that support this notion include the knowledge of the specific cell type (DA neurons) needed to relieve the symptoms of the disease. In addition, several laboratories have been successful in developing methods to induce embryonic stem cells to differentiate into cells with many of the functions of DA neurons.
In a recent study, scientists directed mouse embryonic stem cells to differentiate into DA neurons by introducing the gene Nurr1. When transplanted into the brains of a rat model of PD, these stem cell-derived DA neurons reinnervated the brains of the rat Parkinson model, released dopamine and improved motor function.
Regarding human stem cell therapy, scientists are developing a number of strategies for producing dopamine neurons from human stem cells in the laboratory for transplantation into humans with Parkinson's disease. The successful generation of an unlimited supply of dopamine neurons could make neurotransplantation widely available for Parkinson's patients at some point in the future.
Stem cells have two important characteristics that distinguish them from other types of cells. First, they are unspecialized cells that renew themselves for long periods through cell division. The second is that under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become cells with special functions such as the beating cells of the heart muscle or the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.
Scientists primarily work with two kinds of stem cells from animals and humans: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells, which have different functions and characteristics that will be explained in this document. Scientists discovered ways to obtain or derive stem cells from early mouse embryos more than 20 years ago. Many years of detailed study of the biology of mouse stem cells led to the discovery, in 1998, of how to isolate stem cells from human embryos and grow the cells in the laboratory. These are called human embryonic stem cells. The embryos used in these studies were created for infertility purposes through in vitro fertilization procedures and when they were no longer needed for that purpose, they were donated for research with the informed consent of the donor.
Stem cells are important for living organisms for many reasons. In the 3- to 5-day-old embryo, called a blastocyst, stem cells in developing tissues give rise to the multiple specialized cell types that make up the heart, lung, skin, and other tissues. In some adult tissues, such as bone marrow, muscle, and brain, discrete populations of adult stem cells generate replacements for cells that are lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease.
It has been hypothesized by scientists that stem cells may, at some point in the future, become the basis for treating diseases such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and heart disease.
Scientists want to study stem cells in the laboratory so they can learn about their essential properties and what makes them different from specialized cell types. As scientists learn more about stem cells, it may become possible to use the cells not just in cell-based therapies, but also for screening new drugs and toxins and understanding birth defects. However, as mentioned above, human embryonic stem cells have only been studied since 1998. Therefore, in order to develop such treatments scientists are intensively studying the fundamental properties of stem cells, which include:
This primer on stem cells is intended for anyone who wishes to learn more about the biological properties of stem cells, the important questions about stem cells that are the focus of scientific research, and the potential use of stem cells in research and in treating disease. The primer includes information about stem cells derived from the embryo and adult. Much of the information included here is about stem cells derived from human tissues, but some studies of animal-derived stem cells are also described.
Removing lead from petrol was supposed to prevent damage to children's mental development. Now it seems that traffic fumes may still be impairing their learning - because of the soot particles it contains.
When Shakira Franco Suglia at Harvard University and her colleagues studied 200 children in nearby Boston they found that scores on verbal reasoning, visual learning and other tests were lower in those exposed to more traffic fumes. The IQ of children from areas of the city with above-average pollution levels was 3 points below those in cleaner areas, even after controlling for socio-economic factors (American Journal of Epidemiology, DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwm308).
That puts the impact of soot on a par with lead and other toxic substances that damage brain development, says Franco Suglia.
Since soot levels rise with traffic volume, Franco Suglia recognises that some other aspect of traffic may be the cause. However, ...
Subscribe today at only USD $4.95 for your first 4 issues and get New Scientist, the world's leading science & technology news magazine delivered direct to your door every week
As a magazine subscriber you will benefit from instant access to:
Explore ways to save:
In a state with as many people as California, taking even small steps to save energy can make a big difference.
Learn what the collective impact would be if every California household took these actions!
If all Californians replace their old, inefficient gas furnaces with energy-efficient ones, it'll be like taking 250,000 cars off the road*.
Save approximately 5% of your monthly heating costs during winter with an ENERGY STAR qualified furnace.
$200 to $300 in rebates for qualifying furnaces with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating of 92%.
45% of a home's heat loss comes from inadequate insulation. Increase your home's efficiency by installing R-30 attic insulation and R-13 wall insulation. You'll save up to $17 monthly (or up to 25%) on your winter heating costs.*
R-30 attic insulation and R13 wall insulation. $0.15/sq.ft. rebate.
Studies indicate that 10% to 30% of heated or cooled air is lost – along with the money spent to heat or cool that air – through leaky ducts. Seal any leaks and save up to $13 monthly* (or 5 to 20%) on your winter heating costs.
Duct Testing and Sealing. Up to $600 in rebates.
Lower your furnace thermostat 3 to 5 degrees (health permitting) when you're home. You can save up to $13 monthly* (or up to 20%) on winter heating costs.
$200 to $300 rebate for qualifying natural gas furnaces.
If all Californians replace their old, inefficient water heaters with energy-efficient ones, it'll be like taking 101,700 cars off the road*.
Save up to 10% on your water heating costs with an energy-efficient water heater.
Qualifying water heaters with an "Energy Factor" (EF) rating of .62 or higher. $30 rebate.
If all Californians replaced their old, inefficient clothes washers with energy-efficient ones, it'd be like taking 61,200 cars off the road*.
Energy-efficient clothes washers use up to 35 to 50% less water and up to 50% less energy per load.
Qualifying clothes washers. $35 to $75 rebate.
If all Californians replaced their old, inefficient dishwashers with energy-efficient ones, it'd be like taking 41,700 cars off the road*.
Qualifying dishwashers with an Energy Factor (EF) of .65 or greater. $30 to $50 rebate.
Do you know where in your house money and energy are going to waste? Take a FREE energy audit and find out how you can help fight global warming at home while saving money on your utility bill.
Do it yourself or hire a professional. Learn more.
© 2008 Efficiency Partnership | Terms of use | Energy Hotline: 1-866-431-FLEX
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/lmbfreespirt/