Stem cells are “blank” cells that can divide into any type of cells the body need to produce to regenerate after an illness…read more.

What is interesting (and I didn’t know) is that you can store these cells to be used later in life if needed.

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“Am bătut palma cu Iovov, va juca în Ghencea în retur” » “Ne va cîştiga 8-10 meciuri!”

Sa crezi asta si sa afirmi asta cand esti o ECHIPA de fotbal mi se pare cel putin penibil. Sa-ti iei un jucator care “sa-ti castige” niste meciuri este o filozofie cel putin ciudata asta in situatia in care fotbalul este un joc de echipa.

Afirmatia de mai sus imi aduce aminte de Banel Niculita: alearga pe tot terenul ca bezmeticul si pierde mingea la primul fundas care-i iese in cale.

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Miss Klass, a model for Marks & Spencer and a former singer with the pop group Hear’Say, was in her kitchen in the early hours of Friday when she saw two teenagers behaving suspiciously in her garden.

The youths approached the kitchen window, before attempting to break into her garden shed, prompting Miss Klass to wave a kitchen knife to scare them away.

Miss Klass, 31, who was alone in her house in Potters Bar, Herts, with her two-year-old daughter, Ava, called the police. When they arrived at her house they informed her that she should not have used a knife to scare off the youths because carrying an “offensive weapon” – even in her own home – was illegal.

Jonathan Shalit, Miss Klass’s agent, said that had been “shaken and utterly terrified” by the incident and was stepping up security at the house she shares with her fiancé, Graham Quinn, who was away on business at the time.

He said: “Myleene was aghast when she was told that the law did not allow her to defend herself in her own home. All she did was scream loudly and wave the knife to try and frighten them off.

“She is not looking to be a vigilante, and has the utmost respect for the law, but when the police explained to her that even if you’re at home alone and you have an intruder, you are not allowed to protect yourself, she was bemused.

“Her questions going forward are: what are my rights, and what are you actually allowed to do to defend yourself in your own house?”

The Sunday Telegraph’s Right to Defend Yourself campaign is seeking a change in the law to provide greater rights and immunity from prosecution for householders in dealing with intruders.

Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, said: “This incident just shows why things are still very confused on this issue and why we need a change in the law.”

A spokesman for Hertfordshire Police said: “We got a call at 12.45am on Saturday to reports of the owner of the property hearing noises outside their address.

“Officers were in attendance and checked the property.

“There was no one around although they could see footprints in the snow. No property had been taken and there were no intruders. It was treated as a trespass incident.

“Words of advice were given in relation to ensuring suspicious behaviour is reported immediately.”

Source:  The Telegraph



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The force has been given a €500,000 government grant to develop the mobile weapons detector, which would use similar technology to the scanners being introduced at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, the paper says.

The aim is to develop a prototype ready for production within three years.

The paper bases its claim on a confidential document which suggests the scanner could first be used as an alternative to random body searches in high risk areas. The mobile detector would enable the search to be carried out more quickly and would only be used on people suspected of carrying concealed weapons, police spokesman Paul De Kruijf told the paper.

The document also mentions the possibility of carrying out long-distance scans and mass scans on crowds at events such as football matches. In addition, the scan could be combined with a sniffer detector which would analyse an ‘air sample’ from a suspect for traces of drugs or explosives, the paper says.

Giampiero Gerini, a professor at Eindhoven University of Technology told the paper the technology to develop such scans is now mature. ‘The biggest challenge is making it portable and ensuring it can carry out a scan in seconds,’ the NRC quotes him as saying [...]

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VENEZUELA. Românii care înfundă puşcăriile lui Hugo Chavez pentru trafic de droguri ascundeau stupefiantele în intestine, pantaloni şi geamantane mici cu fund dublu.

După ce, ieri, a prezentat povestea Aurorei Cernat, arestată pentru trafic de droguri şi întemniţată într-un penitenciar venezulean, unde a născut un băieţel, azi, EVZ arată cum au fost prinşi şi condamnaţi în ţara lui Hugo Chavez alţi cetăţeni de origine română, în cursul anului precedent.

„Cărăuşii” români de cocaină au căzut în mâinile Gărzii Naţionale venezuelene după acelaşi scenariu: s-au pierdut cu firea în timp ce aşteptau la punctele de control ale aeroportului „Simon Bolivar”, au fost scoşi din rând, percheziţionaţi până la piele şi dincolo de ea (multora li s-au făcut radiografii la stomac), reţinuţi şi trimişi în închisori.

Aproape toţi îşi îndesaseră pe gât şi în geamantane aceeaşi cantitate de stupefiante, 1 kilogram – greutate pe care capii reţelelor de droguri par să o considere optimă pentru a fi transportată de un „bidon”. Acesta este, în argou, termenul folosit pentru cei care consimt să joace rolul de recipiente umane în afacerea trecerii stupefiantelor peste graniţă, vârându-şi droguri în organism şi bagaje.

Legea venezueleană prevede pedepse cu închisoarea de la 8 la 10 ani, în caz că drogurile sunt purtate în valize, şi de la 4 la 6 ani, dacă sunt transportate prin înghiţire.

Un „scaun” lung de trei zile

Potrivit Elenei Linca, şefa misiunii diplomatice româneşti în Venezuela, deţinuţii români provin din rândul aşa-zişilor „căpşunari” plecaţi la muncă în Spania şi Italia. Capturat pe 27 aprilie 2009, Răzvan Ion Citulete (28 ani) a fost ţinut trei zile la Spitalul „Naval Dr. Raul Perdomo Hurtado”, din Caracas, până a defecat 100 de pacheţele cu prafuri albe.

Nu îşi făcea nevoile singur, ci în prezenţa martorilor, a căror depoziţie a servit la proces. Când pacheţelele au fost desfăcute, iar conţinutul analizat, s-a confirmat că Răzvan Ion Citulete scosese prin anus 988 de grame de cocaină. Drogul avea o puritate de 93 la sută. Românul nu ducea deloc stupefiante în bagaje, le ascunsese pe toate în el însuşi.

A ajuns la Spitalul „Raul Perdomo Hurtado” după ce, la altă unitate sanitară, i se făcuse în regim de urgenţă o radiografie la tubul digestiv. Verdictul medicilor: avea „corpuri străine” în stomac.

Frica l-a dat de gol în faţa celor de la Brigada Antidrog a Gărzii Naţionale, când aştepta să se urce într-o cursă Lufthansa, cu destinaţia Madrid. Plecat mai de mult din România, Citulete avea domiciliul în capitala Spaniei, unde făcuse zidărie înainte de a intra în reţelele narcotraficanţilor.

A fost condamnat la 2 ani şi 8 luni de închisoare, pe 17 iulie anul trecut. Pedeapsa reprezintă două treimi din minimul prevăzut de lege şi a fost hotărâtă ţinându-se cont că nu avea antecedente penale.

Cu prafurile în pantaloni

Tot la laboratorul de radiologie al Spitalului „Raul Perdomo Hurtado” s-a aflat şi că Răzvan Bobi Dobrican nu era un pasager oarecare. Dobrican îşi cumpărase bilet la o companie aviatică portugheză, aştepta să se îmbarce pe ruta Porto-Amsterdam şi ducea în stomac 70 de pacheţele cu cocaină.

Pe 8 iunie, a fost condamnat de o instanţă la 2 ani şi 8 luni de închisoare. Dobrican e şofer, are 29 de ani şi, până să fie încarcerat în America Latină, se stabilise la Budapesta.

Marcel Ion (26 de ani), de profesie ospătar, născut la Fălticeni, a fost prins pe aeroportul din Caracas împreună cu o prietenă de naţionalitate spaniolă, pe 26 martie. Potrivit sentinţei date de in stanţa penală din statul Vargas, femeia pitise pacheţelele cu cocaină în lenjeria intimă şi între picioare. În total: 900 de grame de prafuri, drămuite în 62 de legături de plastic.

Tot atâtea punguţe de cocaină ascunsese şi Marcel Ion în pantaloni, doar că românul îşi umpluse şi stomacul cu prafuri albe, depistate la un control radiologic. Cei doi au fost condamnaţi la câte opt ani închisoare, pe 20 mai. Românul şi amica sa spaniolă aveau domiciliul la aceeaşi adresă în Cordoba şi trebuiau să ajungă la Lisabona. [...]

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Se doarme greu in "trenul foamei"

Acceleratul care leagă Moldova de Banat are cel mai lung traseu din ţară şi, totodată, este recunoscut drept cel mai chinuitor de către clienţii Căilor Ferate Române.

Botezat încă din comunism „trenul foamei”, pentru că transporta spre „Banatul făgăduinţei” mii de persoane sărace din Moldova, acceleratul Iaşi – Timişoara rămâne, după zeci de ani, în ciuda garniturii de vagoane noi care-l formează din când în când, „o armă mortală”, care atacă orice om de bun-simţ.

E locul în care, după 847 de kilometri parcurşi, timp de 16 ore, orice om normal va cere instituirea cel puţin a pedeapsei cu munca silnică, dacă nu câţiva ani de închisoare, pentru persoanele certate cu igiena care-şi fac veacul aici. În urma călătoriei dus-întors, reporterii EVZ „au scăpat” cu o alergie, o hemoragie nazală şi o aftoză bucală.

Un traseu cât o ţară

15.00, fix: trenul cu cel mai lung traseu de pe calea ferată românească pleacă din gara Iaşi Nord, linia 2C, spre destinaţia Timişoara. Frânează brusc, după câţiva metri, apoi prinde viteză. După 11 minute apare „naşu’”. „Bună ziua. Biletele la control!”. Ţac, ţac.

O femeie în civil îi urmăreşte suspicios pe călătorii care întind biletele. Controlorul mulţumeşte şi trânteşte, cu toată puterea, uşa compartimentului. O cauză sau o urmare a faptului că, fără excepţie, toate uşile compartimentelor din tren zdrăngănesc încontinuu, indiferent de vechime.

Avem loc într-un vagon vechi, modelul de clasa a doua cu şase locuri. E drept, sunt mai confortabile decât cele din varianta „modernă” a vagonului din acceleratul de Iaşi, cu opt locuri în compartiment, pe scăunele în care o persoană de 100 de kilograme nu are cum să încapă. Pe lângă geam trage frigul. Sunt minus 4 grade Celsius. Deja doamnele în vârstă se plâng de dureri de măsele.

Vânzătorii ambulanţi

Peste traverse, trenul se smuceşte din toţi rărunchii. Ferestrele aburite de respiraţia călătorilor apar şi mai slinoase. „Măcar nu pute”, crede unul dintre companionii din compartiment. Nu putem decât spera la aşa un noroc.

Trenul, cunoscut din anii ’80 ca „trenul foamei”, e populat îndeobşte cu moldoveni săraci, muncitori chercheliţi şi ţărănci care nu au văzut apă curentă. Printre ei dau din coate vânzătorii ambulanţi.

Primul apare la nici jumătate de oră după ce atelajul s-a pus în mişcare. Vinde unghiere, cu 2 lei bucata. Îi urmează altul, cu o ofertă specială pentru oameni inteligenţi şi croitorese de ocazie: cuburi Rubik, cu 5 lei, şi aţe, alături de cutii de balsam chinezesc, cu 3 lei.

Sunt o specie aparte, sunt aproape violenţi: deschid compartimetul, aruncă pe un scaun liber „oferta” şi pleacă fără să zică nimic. Ţi-e şi teamă ca la întoarcere să nu te jefuiască sau să nu te ia la palme, dacă nu cumperi nimic [...]

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Some very interesting pictures showing the winter in UK and abroad.

[View with PicLens]

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The practice of fasting has been around for centuries. It was traditionally employed as a religious ritual used to exercise self-discipline and heighten spiritual awareness. But recently the practice of abstaining from eating has become a trendy way to obtain fast weight loss results.

While one-day fasts pose no serious threat for healthy adults, longer fasts (more than 24 hours) can have grave results. Whether it’s a “water-only” fast used to detox, skipping meals or surviving on only cabbage soup or grapefruit, the body only recognises one thing – starvation. When you don’t consume enough calories to sustain essential functions (such as keeping the heart beating or the lungs breathing), the body reacts by drawing on its own reserves to provide energy. This puts your body under stress – not rest – and is certainly not the answer to permanent weight loss.

So, before you skip even one meal, feast on a bowl of tasty cabbage soup, or finish that first grapefruit, read about the top three dangers of starvation dieting – and find out what you should be doing to keep your metabolism revved up and burning more calories.

The Fast Track To Dieting Dangers

1. Fasting results in rapid initial weight loss
Under normal circumstances, the principle fuel for the body is glucose. The brain, in particular, must receive a constant supply of glucose in order to function properly. During a period of calorie restriction, glucose, which is stored in the liver as glycogen, is used first to supply energy.

Glycogen is stored with water, so when it is broken down for energy, water will be released as well. It is this fluid that is responsible for the rapid weight loss that occurs in the first one to two days (anywhere between three to five pounds per day) of severely calorie-restricted diets, such as the Hollywood Miracle Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet and The Grapefruit Diet, all of which claim that you can lose 10 pounds in two days.

Consequences: If it sounds too good to be true, it is: this weight loss won’t last. When normal eating is resumed, glucose and water stores will be replenished and the original body weight will be attained. The rapid loss of fluid can also lead to the loss of electrolytes and dehydration, so the only things that are “cleansed” from the body are the minerals needed for muscle contractions, nerve transmissions, regulation of body fluids and other physiological functions. The sudden drop in sugar in the blood, as glycogen stores are diminished, will result in tiredness, confusion and mood swings. These are the symptoms that are often mistakenly thought to be the first step in the cleansing process of a detox diet.

2. Cutting calories slows down weight loss
The liver stores only enough glycogen (energy) to last for one day, so when fasting lasts longer than 24 hours, the body will then turn to muscle to produce glucose for energy. After following a very low calorie diet or fast for one week, 30 percent of the total weight loss is muscle and the rest is fluid.

The amount of muscle in the body sets your metabolic rate (the rate at which you burn calories). So, as muscle is lost, they perform less metabolic work, saving calories and hence energy. In short, your rate of weight loss will slow down.

In fact, most two- to three-day crash diets that claim to burn fat only burn away metabolically active muscle tissue and actually hinder long-term weight loss. The same applies when skipping meals. When you eat a meal, overall metabolism is increased due to the energy required for digestion and absorption of the meal. Skipping a meal will have the reverse effect, decreasing the metabolism, which lasts until you eat something.

Overall, the body will then save – rather than burn – calories to ensure it has adequate energy during the times of fasting. So, meal skipping to avoid unwanted calories is a counterproductive method for sustained weight loss.

Consequences: When calorie levels are increased to a normal level, weight gain will be faster and the weight will come back as fat, since your metabolic rate has slowed, and you may even end up heavier than before you began dieting! The loss of muscle will have an effect on your ability to maintain weight loss in the long term, unless muscle is regained by exercising.

3. Fasting results in fatigue
Body protein provides most of the energy needed during the first few days of a fast, but after that the body will adapt to using fat for energy in an attempt to preserve muscle.

Fat is then metabolised to ketones, which can be used by the brain for energy. However, prolonged inadequate carbohydrate intake results in the build-up of ketones, which become toxic, resulting in a condition called ketosis.

Consequences: The kidneys and liver become burdened with toxic waste from the breakdown of fat and muscle tissue and the body’s normal functions are disrupted. Ketosis can cause fatigue, constipation, nausea and vomiting. The potential long-term side effects of ketosis include heart disease, bone loss and kidney damage.

In addition, the lack of calories will deprive your body of essential vitamins and minerals so hair, nails and skin will show signs of deterioration. Ironically, if you’re using fasting as a means of detoxifying or cleansing the body, you will actually be achieving the opposite effect.

The TRUE Fast Track To Weight Loss

The safest, most sensible route to achieving long-term weight loss is adopting healthy eating habits, which endure long after the pounds have been lost. You’ll also want to keep your metabolism revved up to burn calories rather than save them. This can be achieved by:

Having breakfast. A morning meal kick-starts your metabolism after your body has been deprived of food throughout the night. Skipping breakfast keeps your metabolism running slow and you will save rather than burn any calories you eat later in the day.

Snacking frequently. Eating smaller, frequent meals will keep your metabolism working throughout the day. Snacking also prevents you from becoming too hungry. The hungrier you are, the less control you have over what and how much you eat.

Exercising. Cardio fitness activities (walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, aerobics, dancing) speed up your metabolism for several hours after your workout so additional calories will be burned off long after you stop moving.

Lifting weights. This activity will build and tone muscle, which burns up to five times more calories than fat (even when your body is at rest). More muscle means more calories burned and more weight lost over time.

Eating according to your activities. If you do most of your physical activity during the day, make breakfast and lunch larger meals so you have enough energy to get everything done.

Drinking plenty of water. Your metabolism needs water to function properly. Remember, the recommendation is 1-2 litres per day.

NOTE: Fasting and fad diets can be very dangerous for individuals with chronic conditions such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, liver or kidney disease, infection or pregnancy.

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Alexandra are nevoie de ajutor

(The following article is taken from Alexandra Vasilescu’s blog via Mircea Badea’s blog. This is the English translation of Alexandra’s pledge for life.)

Zimbrul.net is supporting the fund raising campaign for Alexandra.

Alexandra Mihaela Vasilescu, a 6 and a half years old little angel has started first year in school September last year. Instead to learn to write, read and count Alexandra is learning to bear the pain. After a routine check the diagnostic came quick and brutal: leukaemia! The little girl is now at Fundeni Research Institute Hospital (Bucharest, Romania) under the supervision of Dr. Anca Nicolita and going through the pain of cytostatic treatment.

Alexandra’s life is dependent of a transplant. To survive, the little girl needs all our help to raise money for the operation and the cost of this medical intervention is high: 130,000 euros (~ £130,000). The life is priceless; however, for Alexandra Vasilescu there is a price to continue to go to school, to grow up…

The race for life has already started but she needs money to start to look for a compatible donor into the Register for International Donors.

Any amount donated, no matter how much you give will increase Alexandra’s chances to survive. The money can be donated into the following banck accounts open on Alexandra’s mum name:

RON-Romanian Lei:
RO89BRDE426SV34420524260
RO33RNCB0646097207720001

Euros:
RO85BRDE426SV34420604260; swift BRDEROBU
RO06RNCB0646097207720002; swift RNCBROGU

Or simply donate by Pay-Pal.

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1. Povestea Alexandrei