viernes, 26 de noviembre de 2010
Strong Solar Farside Activity
Space Weather News for Nov. 26, 2010
http://spaceweather.com
SOLAR FARSIDE ACTIVITY: The Earth-facing side of the sun is relatively quiet, but the farside is alive with activity. On Nov. 26th, NASA's twin STEREO spacecraft and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) observed eruptions from multiple farside blast sites. Visit http://spaceweather.com to view movies of these events and for more information about when the active regions might turn to face Earth.
RADAR MOON: Earlier this week, the Moon passed through the beam of the US Air Force Space Surveillance Radar in Texas. An electrical engineer in Georgia recorded the echo and made a simple image of the Moon based on the reflection. Sights and sounds of the "radar Moon" are featured on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.
miércoles, 4 de agosto de 2010
Autores al aire
Authors on the Air: 'Nigella Fresh'; 'Higher Education?'; 'Encountering Heaven and the Afterlife'
Compiled by Diane Patrick
Aug 04, 2010
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This morning on Today, Nigella Lawson served up Nigella Fresh: Delicious Flavors on Your Plate All Year Round (Hyperion, 978-1401310424, $19.99).
Fox and Friends hosted Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, authors of Higher Education? How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids--and What We Can Do About It (Times Books, 978-0805087345, $26).
On The Leonard Lopate Show: Amitava Kumar, whose A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Bomb (Duke Univ. Press, 978-0822345787, $21.95) is recently out in paperback. From PW's starred review: "An arresting and heartrending work of public protest and valuable social analysis, this work contributes forcefully to a subtle, human-scaled accounting of 21st-century geopolitics."
This evening, The Daily Show talks to Bruce Henderson, whose book is Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War (Harper, 978-0061571367, $27.99; Tantor unabridged CD, $34.99). PW declared "This often riveting account sheds new light on an oft-told true story."
Moody Radio's In the Market with Janet Parshall interviewed James Garlow, author of Encountering Heaven and the Afterlife: True Stories From People Who Have Glimpsed the World Beyond (Bethany House, 978-0764208119, $14.99; Oasis Audio unabridged CD, $27.99), which is just out this week.
Due to the nature of live programming, scheduling is subject to change.
Booksellers can order these titles through Ingram at ipage.
Authors on the Air is compiled by Diane Patrick. To be included in this compilation, email author appearance information to dpatrick@publishersweekly.com (at least TWO days in advance, please).
"Pétalos que lastiman" (Revista Proceso, 1 de agosto de 2010)
La polémica desatada por el tibio señalamiento del Instituto Federal Electoral (IFE) a la Presidencia de la República por su desbordado activismo durante las más recientes campañas electorales, no es el indicador de una renovada autonomía del Instituto Electoral sino una muestra más de la soberbia con la que se conduce el Ejecutivo Federal. El IFE no "se extralimitó" en sus funciones ni "censuró" al Presidente, como ha sido señalado por la Secretaría de Gobernación. Muy por el contrario, los consejeros electorales se contentaron con una acción muy menor que simplemente les lava la cara dentro de un contexto de ilegalidad e inequidad en materia electoral que ellos mismos han permitido.
La resolución del IFE del 21 julio deja totalmente impune la grosera intervención de Felipe Calderón para favorecer al Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) en las elecciones estatales del 4 de julio. De manera irregular en plena campaña electoral, el 15 de junio Calderón transmitió un mensaje por cadena nacional para "informar" sobre sus acciones en materia de seguridad pública. Este informe no contenía ninguna información nueva, importante o de urgente transmisión y únicamente fue un esfuerzo de legitimación pública de las acciones del gobierno federal.
Calderón también súbitamente decidió que cuatro días antes de las elecciones era el momento adecuado para "informar" sobre la eventual eliminación del impuesto de la tenencia para automóviles. El día siguiente, el jueves, 1 de julio, al Presidente se le ocurrió que era el momento idóneo para compartir con la ciudadanía los grandes "logros" de su gobierno en materia de empleo. Así mismo, en días previos ya había emitido un mensaje en cadena nacional sobre la muerte del candidato del Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) al gobierno de Tamaulipas y tanto él como el Secretario de Gobernación habían convocado conferencias de prensa para llamar a un "Diálogo nacional" sobre el tema de la inseguridad pública.
El anuncio que Calderón hiciera el 1 de julio fue particularmente grave porque tuvo lugar durante los tres días de "veda" cuando está estrictamente prohibido cualquier acto de campaña electoral. De manera descarada, Calderón decidió llenar este vacío informativo mandatado por la ley con sus proclamas exageradas sobre la supuesta efectividad de su programa económico.
Habría que recordar que ésta no es la primera ocasión que el actual presidente ha llegado al extremo de utilizar la propaganda gubernamental para influir en las campañas electorales. Tal y como denunciamos en su momento en estas mismas páginas (Proceso, 10 de mayo de 2009), apenas habían iniciado las campañas federales para renovar la Cámara de Diputados el año pasado cuando Calderón decidió aparecer en Cadena Nacional para "informar" sobre sus grandes logros en el combate al Virus de la Influenza H1N1 y para presentarse como el héroe del momento.
Todos estos actos de propaganda constituyen una violación flagrante de la norma. El artículo 41 de la Constitución señala sin rodeos la prohibición de "toda propaganda gubernamental" durante las campañas electorales federales y locales. La norma contiene algunas excepciones para "campañas de información" en materia educativa y de salud o "las necesarias para la protección civil en casos de emergencia". Los mensajes de Calderón, sin embargo, no entran en ninguna de tales supuestos. Por más que la violencia del crimen organizado implica una "emergencia" nacional, los discursos no informaban sobre ninguna acción específica en materia de protección civil ni formaba parte de "campaña informativa" de ningún tipo.
Ni siquiera Vicente Fox, Ernesto Zedillo o Carlos Salinas, ninguno de los cuales destaca por su respeto a la legalidad, se habían atrevido a llegar tan lejos, aún en un contexto en que la ley era omisa en la materia. Paradójicamente, hoy que sí contamos con una disposición constitucional explícita, Calderón demuestra aún menos respeto por la legalidad y la equidad que sus antecesores.
Ante esta situación, en su resolución del 21 de julio el IFE dejó totalmente impune las acciones de Calderón durante de la semana previa a las elecciones. Con respecto a la Cadena Nacional del 15 de junio, la autoridad se limitó a emitir una burocrática y gris resolución en que "declara fundada" la queja del PRI porque el discurso "no se ajustó" a las prohibiciones constitucionales. Eso es todo. Escondiéndose detrás de una lectura exagerada del artículo 108 Constitucional, los consejeros no se atrevieron a emitir reclamo formal alguno ni a exhortar a Calderón para que no volviera a incurrir en prácticas similares.
El IFE tampoco sancionó a la Secretaría de Gobernación, que organizó la Cadena Nacional, o a los otros Secretarios que acompañaron a Calderón en las conferencias de prensa. La autoridad se negó a sancionar al Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) por su responsabilidad como beneficiario de la propaganda o incluir los recursos erogados por la Presidencia en estas comunicaciones dentro de los gastos electorales del PAN. Los consejeros ni siquiera se atrevieron a dar vista al Congreso de la Unión, a la Fiscalía Especializada para la Atención de Delitos Electorales o a la Secretaría de la Función Pública.
Pero el gobierno federal no permite que se le toque ni con el pétalo de una rosa. En lugar de aceptar con humildad este tibio señalamiento emitido por la autoridad electoral, se lanzó contra los consejeros reclamando que su resolución "carece de toda lógica". El mensaje es claro: Calderón no permitirá el menor margen de independencia aunque sea simbólica de parte de los consejeros. Su subordinación al ejecutivo debe ser total.
En los hechos, la presidencia ganó la polémica de manera contundente. De manera paralela a los "infomerciales" en Oaxaca y el "Dictamen de validez" de la elección presidencial de 2006, las autoridades electorales una vez más se niegan a actuar aún cuando reconocen la existencia de graves violaciones a la ley. La mancha de impunidad en materia electoral se extiende y se fortalece, generando un escenario verdaderamente sombrío para las elecciones de 2011 y 2012.
www.johnackerman.blogspot.com
Temblores espaciales retumban en la cercania de la tierra
Temblores espaciales retumban en la cercanía de la Tierra
Investigadores de la NASA han descubierto "temblores" en el campo magnético de la Tierra, los cuales parecen estar conectados con las auroras y podrían tener un impacto importante en el estado del tiempo en el espacio.
Estruendos sin sonido
Lluvia de auroras
Campos magnéticos sacudidos
¡Cuidado con el temblor espacial!
Julio 27, 2010: Utilizando la flota de cinco naves espaciales THEMIS, de la NASA, los investigadores han descubierto un fenómeno relacionado con el tiempo en el espacio que tiene la potencia de un terremoto y desempeña un papel importante en el proceso de hacer resplandecer las auroras boreales. Lo llaman "temblor espacial".
Un temblor espacial es un temblor que tiene lugar en el campo magnético de la Tierra. Se puede detectar principalmente en la órbita terrestre, pero no se limita al espacio exterior. Los efectos pueden incluso alcanzar la superficie de la Tierra.
Derecha: Un temblor espacial en acción. Haga clic aquí para dar comienzo a la película de una simulación por computadora creada por Walt Feimer, del Laboratorio de Visualización Científica, del Centro Goddard para Vuelos Espaciales.
"Se han detectado reverberaciones magnéticas en estaciones terrestres de todo el mundo, de una manera similar en la cual los detectores sísmicos registran un gran terremoto", dice el investigador que lidera el proyecto THEMIS, Vassilis Angelopoulos, de la Universidad de California en Los Ángeles (UCLA, por su sigla en idioma inglés).
Ésta es una buena analogía porque "la energía total de un temblor espacial puede compararse con la de un terremoto de magnitud 5 o 6", según Evgeny Panov, del Instituto de Invesgitación Espacial, en Austria. Panov es uno de los autores principales de un artículo de investigación que anunció estos resultados en la edición de abril de 2010 de Geophysical Research Letters (Cartas de Investigación en Geofísica o GRL, por su sigla en idioma inglés).
En el año 2007, el proyecto THEMIS descubrió los precursores de los temblores espaciales. El fenómeno comienza en la cola del campo magnético de la Tierra, la cual es estirada, como si fuera una manga de aire, por el viento solar que se mueve a millones de kilómetros por hora. En ocasiones, la cola puede estirarse tanto y someterse a una tensión tan grande, que cuando recobra su forma original lo hace súbitamente, como una banda elástica que experimenta una torsión excesiva. El plasma del viento solar atrapado en la cola se precipita hacia la Tierra. En más de un evento, las cinco naves del proyecto THEMIS se encontraron en la línea de fuego cuando uno de estos "chorros de plasma" barrió la región. Claramente, los chorros iban a hacer contacto con la Tierra. ¿Qué ocurriría entonces? Para averiguarlo, la flota de naves espaciales se desplazó más cerca de nuestro planeta.
"Ahora lo sabemos", dice David Sibeck, el científico que es integrante del proyecto THEMIS, en el Centro Goddard para Vuelos Espaciales. "Los chorros de plasma causan temblores espaciales".
Arriba: Durante un temblor espacial, el campo magnético de la Tierra se sacude de manera análoga a cómo lo hace el suelo durante un terremoto. Crédito de la imagen: Evgeny Panov, Instituto de Investigación Espacial de Austria. [Imagen ampliada]
Según el proyecto THEMIS, los chorros se estrellan contra el campo geomagnético a aproximadamente 30.000 km por encima del ecuador de la Tierra. El impacto causa un proceso de rebote, en el cual el plasma de hecho rebota hacia arriba y hacia abajo, siguiendo el campo magnético que está reverberando. Los investigadores lo llaman "repulsión repetitiva de flujo". Es parecido a una pelota de tenis que rebota hacia arrriba y hacia abajo sobre un piso alfombrado. El primer rebote es grande, y los rebotes sucesivos son de amplitud decreciente debido a que la energía se disipa en la alfombra.
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"Durante mucho tiempo, hemos sospechado que algo de esta naturaleza estaba ocurriendo", dice Sibeck. "Sin embargo, al observar el proceso in situ, el proyecto THEMIS ha descubierto algo nuevo y sorprendente".
Lo sorprendente de esto son los vórtices de plasma, enormes bucles de gas magnetizado tan grandes como la Tierra misma, que se forman alrededor de la región donde el campo magnético está siendo sacudido.
"Cuando los chorros de plasma golpean la magnetósfera interna, aparecen y desaparecen vórtices que giran en direcciones opuestas a ambos lados del chorro de plasma", explica Rumi Nakamura, del Instituto de Investigación Espacial, quien es uno de los co–autores del estudio. "Creemos que estos vórtices pueden generar corrientes eléctricas sustanciales en el ambiente cercano a la Tierra".
Si actuaran en conjunto, los vórtices y los temblores espaciales podrían tener un efecto apreciable sobre la Tierra. Las colas de los vórtices podrían dirigir partículas hacia la atmósfera terrestre, haciendo resplandecer auroras y creando ondas de ionización que interfieren en las comunicaciones por radio y en el GPS (Global Positioning System o Sistema de Posicionamiento Global, en idioma español). Al arrastar campos magnéticos superficiales, los temblores espaciales generan corrientes eléctricas en el piso sobre el que caminamos. Las sobrecargas de corriente en el suelo pueden tener profundas consecuencias ya que, en casos extremos, pueden deshabilitar redes de energía en áreas muy extensas.
Derecha: Un mapa creado por el proyecto THEMIS que muestra flujos de plasma durante un temblor espacial. Los ejes están dados en radios terrestres, por lo que cada bucle es aproximadamente del tamaño de la Tierra. [Imagen ampliada]
Después de que el proyecto THEMIS descubrió los chorros y los temblores, Joachim Bim, del Laboratorio Nacional de Los Álamos, en Nuevo México, llevó a cabo una simulación por computadora del proceso de rebote. Y quién lo diría, los vórtices aparecieron de acuerdo con lo establecido por las mediciones del proyecto THEMIS. Además, las simulaciones sugieren que el proceso de rebote puede ser observado desde la superficie de la Tierra, en forma de ondulaciones y remolinos que aparecen en las auroras. Las estaciones en la Tierra informan precisamente sobre un fenómeno parecido.
"Aunque es un proceso complicado, todo concuerda", dice Sibeck.
El trabajo aún no está terminado. "Todavía tenemos mucho que aprender", agrega. "¿Cuán grandes pueden ser los temblores espaciales? ¿Cuántos vórtices pueden girar en torno a la Tierra en un momento dado —y cómo interaccionan entre sí?"
Manténgase en contacto para obtener más respuestas proporcionadas por el proyecto THEMIS.
Vórtices que giran
Remolinos de plasma
Richter predice
uno de magnitud seis
lunes, 2 de agosto de 2010
Autores al aire
Tonight on The Daily Show: science writer Mary Roach, whose Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void (W. W. Norton, 978-0393068474, $25.95; Brilliance Audio unabridged CD, $29.99) pubs today.
Talk of the Nation interviewed professor and bestseller Andrew Hacker, co-author of Higher Education? How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids--and What We Can Do About It (Times Books, 978-0805087345, $26), which pubs tomorrow.
Authors on today's Sirius XM Book Radio's Pia Lindström Presents:
Nonfiction author Joseph Wallace with his debut novel Diamond Ruby (Touchstone, 978-1439160053, $16; Blackstone Audiobooks unabridged CD, $32.95), based on the true story of a lady pitcher who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in exhibition play. PW wrote "Sharply sketched, convincing historical characters like Ruth and Dempsey add to the considerable appeal of Wallace's gritty but fun period baseball tale."
Jim Knipfel, whose new book is These Children Who Come at You with Knives, and Other Fairy Tales: Stories (S&S, 978-1439154120, $14). PW declared "Funny, sarcastic, and disturbing, Knipfel's stories will cause readers to squirm in their seats and laugh out loud at the same time."
Playwright David Mamet discusses his children's book The Trials of Roderick Spode, "The Human Ant" (Sourcebooks, 978-1402238307, $15.99). PW's review had this to say: "The series of misadventures is gently amusing, but it's hard to imagine anyone without Mamet's fame getting the book published—certainly not in hardcover and at this price."
Authors on today's Leonard Lopate Show:
Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt examined No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about Your Beauty Products--and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 978-0738213965, $14.95).
Rick Moody talked about his ninth book, The Four Fingers of Death (Little, Brown, 978-0316118910, $25.99), which pubbed last week. PW thought "No amount of familiarity with Moody's body of work will prepare a reader for this distressingly impertinent exercise in bafflement."
On The Wendy Williams Show: Playboy beauty and reality-show star Kendra Wilkinson, author of Sliding Into Home (Gallery, 978-1439180914, $25).
Due to the nature of live programming, scheduling is subject to change.
Booksellers can order these titles through Ingram at ipage.
Authors on the Air is compiled by Diane Patrick. To be included in this compilation, email author appearance information to dpatrick@publishersweekly.com (at least TWO days in advance, please).
Observan OVNIs
North Carolina - 05-14-10 - I had pick up my son from school at about 3:05 PM. On the way home we came to a stop sign at a high ridge. I looked to the right, and that's when I saw it just over the tree line.
I could not believe it, but it was so big, so clear. I asked my son, "Do you see that? - He said yes!"
The craft was 1500 ft away and only 50 ft over the tree tops. The craft was a disk shape, but on each end was like a ball. It had to be 350 to 400 feet long. It was in the direction of my house and shops.
I did not want to move as it was just hovering over the trees. Under the craft the air looked like the air over a road on a hot summer day. After about 2 minutes, I had to try to get closer.
I turned right and sped after it. As I drove down the hill I lost sight of it, and when we got to where it had been, it was gone. I drove around and back to where we originally saw it, but it was just gone. Source: www.mufon.com
North Carolina - 07-18-10 - A strong storm system rolled through the Raleigh-Durham area of NC tonight and wiped out power in parts of Durham for about two hours. Within minutes of the power being turned back on, we saw a bright, orange light slowly emerge from the horizon of the woods and travel over our neighborhood.
It was making no sound, and as soon as it hit a certain height in the sky, it immediately started to move faster.
Within a minute, the orange light had become smaller, flashed twice and disappeared. If you held a silver dollar in the sky with your arm straight it would be the approximate size of the UFO. Source: www.mufon.com
North Carolina - 07-21-10 - We were sitting on the deck of our beach house at Sunset Beach, NC, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean facing due south. About 9:30 PM as we were talking, one of our family members (there were four of us that witnessed this) said "What is that?"
I looked to the sky and there were two orange/yellow lights in the sky above the ocean directly out from our deck... they seemed to be fairly close to together (more apart than two headlights coming toward you), and were fairly bright, like a street light from about a 100 yards away.
There was a pretty bright moon out over the ocean, and they were just under the moon, so they were pretty high up (unless they were much closer to shore than we thought, but definitely not on the water).
After about two seconds, the left-most light turned off, then three or four more lights to the right all came on. They were on for another 3-5 seconds, then all of them went dark.
There was no sound of any engines in the air. All of the lights were in a parallel line with the horizon. During the time the lights were on, they didn't move at all.
We first thought fireworks, like when they reach their zenith, and right before they explode, but these lights couldn't have been fireworks as they floated still for several seconds, and were in such perfect parallel order. Source: www.mufon.com
North Carolina - 07-22-10 - I was fishing with a couple of friends and my 2 sons on the beach. At about 10:00 PM, one of my friends jumped from his chair and yelled, "Did you see that, did you see that? Please tell me I'm not the only one that saw that."
He told me he had just seen 2 bright, orange lights high in the sky. They only stayed on for about 5 seconds and then disappeared.
Our other friend also saw it, but myself and my sons did not. I sat down in one of the other chairs and started to watch the sky. The moon was very bright and the beach and skies were fairly light.
My 2 friends stood near their fishing poles. I had asked where exactly they had seen the lights so I could focus my time on that area. They told me it was to the left of the moon and pointed to a star as reference.
It was about 5 minutes after that that I was sitting there watching, when all of a sudden 6 lights in a triangle shape came on. The lights were very, very bright and orange. It was almost as if they were illuminating or glowing.
They were pointed in my direction, as if they were coming my way. I had yelled to my friends to look up in the sky. My one friend looked up and saw the lights and said it was almost exactly what he had seen a few minutes earlier, only they were in a different part of the sky. They were to the left of the moon. Source: www.mufon.com
miércoles, 28 de julio de 2010
Autores al aire
This morning on The Today Show: bestseller Lis Wiehl, co-author of Hand of Fate (Thomas Nelson, 978-1595547064, $24.99; Oasis Audio unabridged CD, $29.99), the second novel in the Triple Threat series, which PW said "offers an exciting if familiar plot."
On The Wendy Williams Show, Father Alberto Cutié discussed his upcoming book Dilemma: A Priest's Struggle with Faith and Love (Celebra, 978-0451232014, $25.95), which pubs in January.
On The Leonard Lopate Show, food journalist Laura Shapiro served up Perfection Salad: Women and Cooking at the Turn of the Century (Univ. of California Press, 978-0520257382, $16.95). PW thought "This serious study is lively entertainment, spiced by the author's wit and wry perceptions."
The Diane Rehm Show chatted with longtime Forbes magazine correspondent Richard Morais, whose debut novel is The Hundred-Foot Journey (Scribner, 978-1439165645, $23). From PW's review: "Morais delves into a rich, imagery-filled culinary world that begins in Bombay and ends in Paris, tracing the career of Hassan Haji as he becomes a famed Parisian chef. Regardless of one's relationship with food, this novel will spark the desire to wield a whisk or maybe just a knife and fork."
This evening, The Daily Show hosts military historian Robert O'Connell, whose new book is The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic (Random House, 978-1400067022, $27; Tantor unabridged CD, $39.99). PW's review declared "O'Connell has established the new standard for studies of the second conflict between Rome and Carthage. In dramatic and comprehensive fashion, he describes the rivalry, based on temperament and territory, that led to the slaughter at Cannae in 216 B.C.E. and beyond."
Jimmy Kimmel Live interviews Lisa Ling, co-author of Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home (William Morrow, 978-0062000675, $26.99).
Due to the nature of live programming, scheduling is subject to change.
Booksellers can order these titles through Ingram at ipage.
Authors on the Air is compiled by Diane Patrick. To be included in this compilation, email author appearance information to dpatrick@publishersweekly.com (at least TWO days in advance, please).
Could Drinking Help Thwart Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Could Drinking Help Thwart Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Early study suggests it might, but that's no reason to imbibe heavily, experts say
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- Drinking alcohol may help keep rheumatoid arthritis at bay, possibly because it dampens the body's immune response, new research suggests.
Alcohol consumption may also protect people who already have the autoimmune disease from developing a more debilitating form.
"This actually isn't a new concept. There have been other articles [stating] that alcohol might be protective," said Dr. Guy Fiocco, assistant professor of internal medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and director of rheumatology at Scott & White in Temple, Texas. "[But] I don't think we're going to be advocating alcohol to prevent rheumatoid arthritis."
Nor do the study authors advise drinking as a cure for arthritis. "We would wish to point out that, at the moment, that our findings are preliminary, and would not recommend that patients drink alcohol with the specific purpose of treating their arthritis," said Dr. James Maxwell, lead author of the study and a consultant rheumatologist at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust in England.
"We would also remind patients to observe recommended government limits for alcohol consumption," he added.
According to background information in the study, published online July 28 in Rheumatology, previous studies were mostly conducted in mice. The benefit of ethanol exposure for these rodents seemed to be due to higher levels of testosterone, the researchers wrote.
For this study, the authors compared 1,004 healthy participants to 873 people with rheumatoid arthritis. Both of those groups were divided into four groups: nondrinkers, those who drank 1 to 5 days a month, the ones who drank 6 to 10 days a month, and those who drank more frequently.
"We found that arthritis was progressively less severe as alcohol frequency increased, with a definite difference compared to nondrinkers even in the least frequent alcohol consumption group," Maxwell said.
The teetotalers had quadruple the risk of having rheumatoid arthritis compared with those who drank in the highest category.
And the more often one drank, the less damaging the rheumatoid arthritis tended to be, including healthier joints as shown on X-rays and less inflammation.
The association was seen in both men and women, though it was stronger in males.
Although no one can pinpoint a reason for the link with certainty, "essentially we think that alcohol may be having an effect by reducing the immune response, which leads to joint inflammation, and also that it may have a mild pain-killing effect," said Maxwell.
"There's a little information that alcohol can suppress the immune system," added Fiocco. "What's been reported is that people who drink excessive alcohol actually have higher levels of the cytokines that lead to the inflammation and moderate amounts of alcohol actually may lower these levels."
This finding is slightly different than what is reported in the current study (that the severity of the disease decreased with more alcohol).
Because the researchers assessed drinking frequency, rather than the amount of alcohol consumed, it is not clear how much alcohol might be helpful, they said.
And Maxwell stressed that their preliminary findings need to be replicated in the future.
"There are limitations to any research which asks patients to report their exposure to something (such as alcohol) over a period of time," Maxwell added. "We would therefore recommend that a future prospective study should be performed to further assess the impact of alcohol consumption on rheumatoid arthritis, a study recording alcohol consumption at the time rather than asking about it later."
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has more on rheumatoid arthritis.
SOURCES: James Maxwell, M.D., consultant rheumatologist, The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, England; Guy Fiocco, M.D., assistant professor, internal medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, and director, rheumatology, Scott & White, Temple, Texas; July 28, 2010, Rheumatology, online
Last Updated: July 28, 2010
Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
sábado, 10 de julio de 2010
Solar Activity Surges on the Eve of South Pacific Eclipse
Space Weather News for July 10, 2010
http://spaceweather.com
A LIVELY SOLAR ECLIPSE: Fast-growing sunspot 1087 is crackling with C-class solar flares. A spectacular eruption recorded by the Solar Dynamics Observatory is featured on today's edition of Spaceweather.com. This surge in activity comes on the eve of a total eclipse of the sun over the South Pacific. Will eclipse chasers see material blasting away from the sun when the Moon hides the blinding stellar surface? It's a possibility. Stay tuned to http://spaceweather.com for updates and pictures from the path of totality.
SUNSET CONJUNCTION: Look west at sunset. Venus is passing by 1st magnitude star Regulus. They're only a little more than a degree apart. Bright Venus catches the eye first. As the glow of sunset fades, Regulus pops out of the twilight a little below Venus. The view through binoculars is superb.
SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Did you miss the last big solar flare or geomagnetic storm? Don't let that happen again. Turn your cell phone into a full-featured space weather alert system: http://spaceweatherphone.com
jueves, 17 de junio de 2010
Hubble Photographs Jupiter Impact Site
Space Weather News for June 16, 2010
http://spaceweather.com
HUBBLE SEEKS DEBRIS, FINDS NONE: Even the Hubble Space Telescope cannot find any debris where a meteoroid apparently hit Jupiter on June 3rd. Today, researchers released new HST images of the impact site, which show nothing but uninterrupted clouds. The non-detection is consistent with a relatively small asteroid or comet fragment making a shallow strike in Jupiter's high atmosphere. Links to photos and more information may be found at http://spaceweather.com
NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: Observers in Europe are reporting brightening displays of noctilucent clouds (NLCs). That's to be expected. Late spring and early summer often bring the strongest displays of these electric-blue clouds wafting across the top of Earth's atmosphere. Visit today's edition of http://spaceweather.com for photos, observing tips--and a possible connection between NLCs and sunspots.
miércoles, 16 de junio de 2010
Thoughtful, Impactful Father's Day Gift Ideas + Free Shipping
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Dear Supporter,
Last minute doesn't mean less thoughtful: Father's Day is right around the corner, and if you haven't snapped up the perfect gift yet, we can help. Shop for dear old Dad today and find an untraditional, no-ship gift that's sure to please. Our Gifts That Give More™ department is full of great ways to honor all the Fathers in your life while helping to support a cause that is close to his heart (and yours!).
For as little as $10, you can purchase our Give Books to U.S. Children in Need Gift That Gives More™. This donation will support the work of First Book, a non-profit organization with a single mission to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Through Gifts like these, First Book has provided more than 50 million new books to children in need!
Each of these direct donation opportunities come with a full-color pdf that you can print for your recipient; all are 100% tax-deductible in the U.S.; and, all are a truly unique way to give twice--once to your gift recipient and once to the cause! Click here to view all these amazing Gifts.
Done with your Father's Day shopping? Find great deals for yourself and save with free standard shipping on your $20 U.S. or $50 international order! Hurry: This offer ends at the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, June 16th.
Thank you for supporting the causes you and your family care about.
Sincerely,
Tim Kunin & Greg Hesterberg
timkunin@theliteracysite.com
greghesterberg@theliteracysite.com
The Literacy Site
The Literacy Site store
P.S. Two Days Only: Free Garnet Earrings! Shop now through Thursday, June 17th (11:59 p.m. PT) to receive a stunning pair of Enchanted India Garnet & Sterling Earrings free with your $20 order.
Free Shipping On $20 U.S.
($50 Int'l) Orders!*
funding for a worthy cause.**
Savor the beauty of fresh blossoms with our Indian Bouquet Embroidered Tote. Each tote purchased helps support a school for mentally challenged children in India. Was $22.95, now 15% off!
Need some new arm candy that won't break the bank? Check out our Bags & Purses department today and save 15% on all selections! Savings end soon: Shop now!
Wrap yourself in beauty with our luxurious Floating Cloud Silk Batik Dress. Handmade and hand-painted by artisans in Indonesia: 100% silk. $64.95
Help foster education and literacy with our Pay a Teacher's Salary in Afghanistan Gift That Gives More™. Your direct donation will cover a teacher's salary for one month: $40.
Bathe your home in color with our Nature's Beauty Glass Suncatcher; a pretty accessory that can double as a tree ornament in the winter! Handmade in Ecuador and fairly traded. $12.95
Prices and availability subject to change.
*See Current Promotions page for details.
**Excludes all Gifts That Give More™.
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The Literacy Site, One Union Square, 600 University Street, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101 1-888-355-4321
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sábado, 12 de junio de 2010
MNN Daily Briefing: Dolphin Diplomacy
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BP PHONE HOME: Saturday's U.S.-U.K. World Cup soccer match isn't the only trans-Atlantic grudge match playing out this weekend. As Americans' anger over the 
DOLPHIN DIPLOMACY: It may not help them survive the Gulf oil spill, but a new study has discovered that bottlenose dolphins are apparently master diplomats, capable of defusing fights with a few subtle clicks and squeaks. Marine biologists have long believed these mammals mainly rely on whistling to communicate, but Italian researchers based at Sardinia's Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute have now shown the importance of another, little-known tool in the dolphin vocabulary: "burst-pulsed sounds." On top of complementing dolphins' other vocalizations, which already help them navigate highly complex social communities, burst-pulsed sounds also serve a variety of other purposes, the researchers say, including putting upstarts in their place, submitting to dominant dolphins and even talking down would-be attackers. "Burst-pulsed sounds are used in the life of bottlenose dolphins to socialize and maintain their position in the social hierarchy in order to prevent physical conflict," says Bruno Diaz, the study's lead author, "and this also represents a significant energy saving." Dolphins' well-known tonal whistles allow them to stay in contact with each other over long distances and to coordinate hunting strategies, according to the study, while the more elaborate burst-pulsed sounds are mostly used "to avoid physical aggression in situations of high excitement, such as when they are competing for the same piece of food," Diaz says. Unfortunately for the Gulf of Mexico's large bottlenose population, though, the deadly and ever-expanding oil spill there probably won't listen to reason. (Source: 
CLIMATE CONTROL: The U.S. Senate may not be quite ready to pass a comprehensive climate-change bill this year, but it showed Thursday that it's at least not entirely opposed to curbing the emissions that fuel Solar Flares and Radio Bursts
Space Weather News for June 12, 2010
http://spaceweather.com
ACTIVE SUNSPOT: A new sunspot has popped up and it is crackling with solar flares. Today, AR1081 has unleashed a series of M- and C-class eruptions plus at least one strong shortwave radio burst detected by amateur radio astronomers on the Pacific side of Earth. High resolution movies of the flares and an audio recording of the solar radio burst may be found at http://spaceweather.com.
SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like to turn your phone into a space weather monitoring system? Sign up for Space Weather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com
lunes, 7 de junio de 2010
Help Feed U.S. Families In Need + Free Shipping Offer!
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Dear Supporter,
According to a 2008 report prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 7 million households in America are considered to have very low food security, the highest level recorded in 13 years. This means that people in these homes had much less to eat and often skipped meals due to lack of food.
In these times of need, many families turn to food assistance programs and nonprofit organizations, like our charity partner Feeding America®, to help fill their pantries and their bellies. Today, June 7th (through 11:59 p.m. PT), you can do your part to continue their amazing work by shopping in our do-good store. Place your order at The Child Health Site store to help feed a U.S. family...at no additional cost to you. Shop now to support the cause.
You can also increase your impact by helping fund the work of our charity partner Feeding America through the purchase of either our Feed a U.S. Family Gift That Gives More™ or our Feed U.S. Kids with The Backpack Program Gift That Gives More™. Easing the worries of families who are concerned with where their next meal is coming from will go a long way toward helping break the cycle of hunger and poverty. And, when you make your 100% tax-deductible donation, we'll provide you with a full-color pdf certificate of acknowledgement that makes a thoughtful Father's Day gift. You can help the 7 million households in America get the help they need: Start today.
Shop To Help Save Lives...And, Save!
Starting today, through Wednesday, June 16th (11:59 p.m. PT), when you spend a mere $20 in our do-good store ($50 for international orders), you'll receive free standard shipping! It's our way of saying thank you for clicking and shopping on behalf of children in need: Your purchases at The Child Health Site store provide basic, but vital healthcare for children all over the world. Start your savings spree in our Gifts For Kids department where you'll find a great selection of charming toys and treats for the young people in your life.
Thank you for helping to positively impact the world each and every day!
Sincerely, Tim Kunin & Greg Hesterberg
timkunin@thechildhealthsite.com
greghesterberg@thechildhealthsite.com
The Child Health Site
The Child Health Site store
Free Shipping On $20 U.S.
($50 Int'l) Orders!*
Pack up the savings: All selections in our Bags & Purses department are now 15% off! Discounts will be reflected in your shopping cart at check out. Shop now!
Our popular Indian Bouquet Hand-Embroidered Dress features an intricate hand-stitched floral design and is now available in both White and Black! $39.95
Handmade and fairly traded, our Ugandan Waxcloth Shoulder Bag is transformed from unused scraps of material into gorgeous designs by women artisans. Perfect for daytrips and getaways: $24.95.
Be eco-chic in our Trashy Chic Recycled Charm Bracelet! Made of recycled food wrappers and cleaning materials; one person's trash truly is another person's treasure! $7.95
Wrap yourself in soft summery style with our Cozy Floral Bamboo Tee. This comfy, and naturally hypoallergenic shirt is handmade and fairly traded from India. $36.95
Prices and availability subject to change.
*See Current Promotions page for details.
**Excludes all Gifts That Give More™.
More ways to make a difference...
 Dolls For Refugee Kids |  Sumatran Coffee |  Over 70% In Savings! |  2 Styles On Sale |  Handmade Tunic |
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viernes, 4 de junio de 2010
Jupiter Impact Event Caught on Video
Space Weather News for June 3, 2010
http://spaceweather.com
SOMETHING HAS JUST HIT JUPITER: Veteran amateur astronomers Anthony Wesley of Australia and Christopher Go of the Philippines have independently observed an impact event on Jupiter. The strike occurred at 20:31 UT on June 3rd and produced a bright flash of light in the giant planet's cloudtops. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images and video.
72 Hours to Act: Polar Bear Homes, Lives at Risk
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Dear Raul, Polar bear mothers are particularly sensitive to noise and other disruptions. Construction, road traffic, airplanes and other noisemaking activities can cause these beloved wild bears to abandon their cubs, leaving them to die without the important lessons that only a mother bear can teach. With the Fish and Wildlife Service set to revise the Arctic Refuge's 15-year management plan, we only have until Monday (June 7th) to make our voices heard. We only need 800 messages from caring people in your state like you to meet our goal of 40,000 messages. Will you help? The Arctic Refuge is home to polar bears, grizzly bears, caribou, musk oxen, Dall sheep, wolves and rare wolverines. It's also an important area for millions of migratory birds, many of which make their way across your state on their way to the Arctic Refuge.
With the lives of threatened polar bears and other arctic wildlife hanging in the balance, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering how exactly to manage the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It's up to us to ensure that these federal officials act on behalf of the Arctic Refuge…and the wildlife that call this special place home. Please take action right now!
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