2008: April 24th Good News (Child Saved from Submerged Car, Menstrual Blood Can Repair Hearts!, more...)

Good Morning All,

Whew! Today it was HARD to find articles. After such an easy day yesterday, I had forgotten that days like today existed. For some reason, there were simply a plethora of bad or neutral articles today. Never fear however, as I have still found you some lovely articles. :)

Today I would like to highlight two articles. The first is an article about some endangered birds, native to a particular part of New Zeeland, which today are being transported out of their artificial nesting places and back into their native homeland. The second is an unusual article about employing rats as mine sniffers. Apparently they can find in 20 minutes what a human can find in 2 days. IMPRESSIVE!

Anyway, I hope you like today's articles! I am going on a company trip tomorrow. I am bringing my laptop, but I might not have internet access...If I do, I'll see you tomorrow! If not, I'll see you Saturday! :)


Today's Top 5:
1. Child Saved from Submerged Car in Rural Anamosa Iowa (wcco.com)
2. Scientists Say Menstrual Blood Can Repair Hearts
3. Some Products Can Help You Shop Green (Honolulu Star Bulletin)
4. Rats to Sniff Out Landmines in War-ravaged Northern Uganda (Earth Times)
5. Chatham Petrel Chicks Returned to Chatham Island (Scoop News)

Honorable Mentions:
1. Daredevil Gran’s 10,000ft Jump for Charity (IC Wales)




Today's Top 5:
1. Child Saved from Submerged Car in Rural Anamosa Iowa
http://wcco.com/iowawire/22.0.html?type=local&state=IA&category=n&filename=IA--ChildRescued.xml
Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:40:03 GMT
ANAMOSA, Iowa (AP)

A 2-year-old eastern Iowa girl has been rescued from a car that ended up upside down in a river in rural Anamosa.
Jones County authorities say the child was trapped for almost seven minutes Wednesday night before deputies pulled her out.
A passer-by reported the accident and was in the water trying to rescue the child when deputies arrived.
Deputy Brian Eckhardt says the girl spit up a little water and was cold, but she seemed OK. She was taken to Jones Regional Medical Center.
The car was carrying two adults and three other young children, all from Anamosa, when the driver apparently lost control and went into Buffalo River.




2. Scientists Say Menstrual Blood Can Repair Hearts
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/250126.asp
24 April 2008

Scientists obtained menstrual blood from nine women and cultivated it for about a month, focusing on a kind of cell that can act like stem cells.
Some 20 percent of the cells began beating spontaneously about three days after being put together in vitro with cells from the hearts of rats. The cells from menstrual blood eventually formed sheet-like heart-muscle tissue.
The success rate is 100 times higher than the 0.2-0.3 percent for stem cells taken from human bone marrow, according to Shunichiro Miyoshi, a cardiologist at Keio University's school of medicine, who is involved in the research.
Separate in-vivo experiments showed that the condition of rats who had suffered heart attacks improved after they received the cells derived from menstrual blood.
Miyoshi said women may eventually be able to use their own menstrual blood.
"There may be a system in the near future that allows women to use it for their own treatment," Miyoshi told AFP on Thursday.
Using one's own blood could solve a major problem in the use of cells -- a patient's immune system rejecting them.
Miyoshi said menstrual blood could be used to build stockpiles of cells which have a variety of matching HLAs, or human leukocyte antigens, a key part of the human immune system.
The cells can be stored for a long time in a tube the size of a finger and cultivated when necessary, he said.
"In proper storage, we would be able to stock up a tremendous count of cells in a small space. If they are not used for 100 years, they could stay there for 200 years or 300 years" waiting for a perfect match, he said.
In a strict sense, the connective cells harvested from menstrual blood cannot be called stem cells, which can turn into any type of cell in the body, Miyoshi said.
But they also have high potential to develop into muscle cells, suggesting the blood could in time be used to treat muscular dystrophy, he said.
The study has been conducted jointly by researchers from private Keio University and the National Institute for Child Health and Development.
Initial results were recently published in the online edition of the US journal Stem Cell.
Miyoshi said the age of donor women does not seem to affect the capability of the cells.
He said that while the rats being studied showed improvements in the heart, such as increased power of contraction, he was "not entirely happy" with results of the experiment.
"I guess this can't be ready for clinical use yet. There should be a definite factor that turns the cells into a heart and we want to find it," he said.
Stem cells are considered key because they can turn into any types of cells in the body and potentially used to help replace damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs.
They can harvested from embryos but destroying a viable embryo poses ethical questions. The process is opposed by the Roman Catholic Church and US President George W. Bush.
Adult stem cells can derive from such organs as bone marrow but it requires painful, invasive procedures.
Scientists in Japan and the United States recently bypassed the ethical problem by transforming human skin cells into stem cells which had the same properties as embryonic stem cells. — AFP



3. Some Products Can Help You Shop Green
http://starbulletin.com/2008/04/24/features/story03.html
By Nadine Kam
nkam@starbulletin.com

Earth Day has passed, but concerns over the planet's dwindling supplies of oil, clean water, arable land and mineral resources are not going away. Here are a few companies offering ways to think about the individual's role in preserving the planet.
Shoes gain a second lifeNike is hosting its annual Reuse-a-Shoe event Sunday at Niketown in Waikiki, part of its recycling mission aimed at getting people to think of meaningful ways to eliminate waste.Bring in old athletic shoes (any brand), which will be ground up to make new sport surfaces like soccer fields, basketball courts and playgrounds. This year's goal is to collect 30,000 pairs of shoes.
The collection runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2080 Kalakaua Ave. There will be free refreshments from Jamba Juice, face painting, deejay music, giveaways and environmental displays. Mayor Mufi Hannemann arrives at 2 p.m. to present awards to the schools that collected the most shoes.
Outrigger Corp. is collecting shoes among employees and will deliver them at the event, encouraging other companies to participate as well.
Among the day's highlights is a Creative Kicks Contest inviting all to try turning old athletic shoes into works of art. Entries will be accepted from 9 a.m. to noon at Niketown. Prizes of new Nikes will be awarded in categories of Most Creative, Most Earth-Friendly and Best Overall Shoe Re-use, in four age divisions starting from kindergarten. (Participants must be present to win, and only one entry will be accepted per person.)
Nike created the Reuse-a-Shoe program in 1993. Visit www.nikereuseashoe.com or call 983-5804.
No paper or plasticShasa Emporium has developed its own branded Eco bags made by ChicoBag.The bags are colorful, lightweight and ultracompact to provide a stylish yet sustainable alternative to throwaway plastic and paper bags. The bags can be folded and carried in a pocket, purse, backpack or car glove box.
The bags, made of sturdy woven nylon, expand to 18 inches square, folding down to 3 by 4 inches. They can be machine-washed in cold water and drip-dried.
According to ChicoBags, the average American uses 300 to 700 plastic shopping bags per year. That number comprises three to seven gallons of crude oil.
The bags sell for $8 at Shasa Emporium, Kahala Mall, and the boutique is offering a one-time 10 percent discount to those using Shasa Eco bags (some restrictions apply). Call 735-5122.
Also, the Outrigger Condominium Collection is offering its guests a free reusable travel tote when they stay a minimum of two nights at any Outrigger resort condominium. Reservations: (800) 688-7444.
The totes are green with a monstera leaf design, and measure 16 by 16 by 4 inches. Additional totes are $2.99 each.
Nix the fancy wrapWhile most beauty companies build their marketing around layers of fancy packaging, Lush takes the opposite approach. A majority of Lush products are formulated so that they can be sold "naked," with no packaging at all.Their products include bath bombs and shampoo and bubble bath bars sold in solid, dry forms that don't dissolve until they meet up with water. Any packaging, including gift wrap, is biodegradable.
One reminder of the company's association with the Earth is its Geo Phyzz bath bomb ($6.95), made of sea salt and red clay from Molokai.
Selected for their high level of purity, the Hawaiian volcanic sea salts (30 percent) are combined with coarse sea salts (40 percent) and seaweed to help relax tired muscles and moisturize. The bomb, shown above, is scented with cypress, sandalwood oils and pine.
Geo Phyzz is at Lush's Ala Moana and Royal Hawaiian Center boutiques, or online at www.lushusa.com.




4. Rats to Sniff Out Landmines in War-ravaged Northern Uganda
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/201123,rats-to-sniff-out-landmines-in-war-ravaged-northern-uganda.html
Posted : Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:08:00 GMT
Author : DPA Category : Africa (World)

Kampala, Uganda - Armies of well-trained rats are set to be deployed to the minefields of northern Uganda to put their keen sense of smell to good use and locate some of the hundreds of landmines left behind after a 20-year war, local media reported Thursday. The state-run New Vision reported that the rat programme can demine 100 square-metres in 20 minutes while a landmine expert can do the same work in two days.
"The concept uses the African giant pouched rats which live for eight years and have a high sense of smell," Christophe Cox, the head of Apopo, a Belgian demining group, told the New Vision.
"We train them to detect landmines," he said.
Apopo says the rats, who weigh too little to set off the mine, are trained to walk lanes in mine fields in order to sniff out the explosives. They are thought to be less expensive and less erratic than dogs, the other common animal mine detector.
It's not known how many people have been killed by landmines in northern Uganda, which were likely laid by the Lord's Resistance Army, a cult-like rebel group close to signing a peace deal with the government.
The violence has lulled in the last few years and northern Ugandans have attempted to begin a new life after war.
The Ugandan government and the UN development agency UNDP, have since 2005 been undertaking a demining programme in areas where people are returning home from camps for the displaced.
The practice has been used in Mozambique after that country's devastating civil war.




5. Chatham Petrel Chicks Returned to Chatham Island http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0804/S00058.htm
Thursday, 24 April 2008, 12:06 pm
Press Release: Department of Conservation

Chatham Islanders this week celebrated the first return of an endangered bird species to the main Chatham Island.
Forty-three nationally endangered Chatham petrel chicks have been moved from their former home on Rangatira (South East Island), to artificial burrows within the predator free Sweetwater Conservation Covenant, in the south of the main Chatham Island.
“It’s a privilege to be involved in this joint project along with the Taiko Trust and the Chatham Island community, says Department of Conservation spokesperson Dale Williams.
Chatham petrels formerly bred in the forested areas of Pitt Island, Mangere, Rangatira and Chatham Island. But due largely to the impacts of predation by kiore (Pacific rat) and cats, they have been absent from all those sites except Rangatira for the last 100 years.
Between 2002 and 2004, Chatham petrel chicks were transferred from Rangatira Island into the predator-fenced section of the Ellen Elizabeth Preece Conservation Covenant on Pitt Island. Already, seven pairs of petrels have returned there to breed. The transfer of Chatham petrel to Sweetwater follows on from this success.
The transfer to Sweetwater has been made possible by the landowners, Liz and Bruce Tuanui, and the Taiko Trust, who have predator-proof fenced the two and a half hectares with the aim of restoring seabirds to the site. This includes the critically endangered Chatham Island taiko species which were successfully transferred there for the first time in 2007
“It’s an exciting time for the trust and its volunteers to have the chicks back home, “says trust chairperson Liz Tuanui.
“It opens up wonderful opportunities for the children of the Chathams to follow through from their participation last year in building some of the burrow boxes. It now means they can follow the progress of a chick until it comes back as a breeding adult. You can’t get better than that.”
Antje Leseberg, the DOC ranger responsible for selecting the petrel chicks for the transfer, said the wing length and weight of all the chicks was recorded leading up to the transfer day and only those that fell within strict size criteria were moved to Sweetwater. The other chicks were left to fledge on Rangatira.
The chicks were gathered from their burrows during the early hours of Monday morning (21 April), placed in cardboard boxes, transported by fishing boat, and then taken by road to the Sweetwater Conservation Covenant.
Eight chicks had a brief stopover for a ceremony where local iwi and the Chatham Islands Mayor were joined by the community to honour the birds’ return and wish them a safe passage on to Sweetwater.
The Taiko Trust and DOC will invite the children to visit in the next few weeks to watch the chicks being fed by expert contractor, Helen Gummer, specialist volunteers, and DOC staff, until they are ready to fledge in approximately three weeks time. The birds will remain at sea for 2-4 years before returning to the site to eventually breed. ENDS


Honorable Mention:
1. Daredevil Gran’s 10,000ft Jump for Charity
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/04/24/daredevil-gran-s-10-000ft-jump-91466-20810052/
Apr 24 2008 by Staff Reporter, South Wales Echo

A DAREDEVIL dinner lady is taking to the skies to raise funds for charity.
Grandmother-of-seven Rita Spinola, who has worked at St Paul’s Church in Wales School in Grangetown for 34 years, will attempt a 10,000ft skydive in memory of the friends she has lost to cancer.
The 69-year-old, a regular line dancer and skittles player, said she had never done anything quite so hair-raising before.
“I’ve been to Disneyland Paris with my grandchildren and I went on all the rides with them,” she said. “But never something like this.”
Rita, who has lived in Llanmaes Street, Grangetown, all her life, will do the sky dive at Swansea Airport on May 25. All the funds she raises will go to Cancer Research Wales.
Since last August Rita, who has diabetes, has seen five of her friends die of cancer and wanted to do something special to remember them.
She had the idea to do the stunt after seeing a leaflet from the charity on sponsored events people had done before.
“I’ve been so upset thinking about my friends and I wanted to do something different to remember them,” said Rita. “I saw a picture of somebody doing a sky dive, and I decided I’d like to give it a go. It’s never too late. I’m not old yet.
“I’m sure my friends would be proud of what I’m doing. They’ll be up there clapping me on when I jump out of that plane.”
On the big day, Rita will freefall for 5,000ft and float in a parachute for the final half of the descent, attached to an experienced sky diver.
“I’m not scared about doing the sky dive,” she said. “To start with I was worried about landing in case I broke a leg, but I’ve heard the instructors know how to do it properly.”
Her husband Dalton added: “This is going to be a one-off for Rita, she’ll never do anything like it again. It’s a brilliant thing to do.”
Headteacher at St Paul’s Susan Jones said everyone at the school was behind Rita, who is a popular member of staff.
“We’re all really excited for her and amazed that she is so brave to do this,” she said.
“We’re going to have a special assembly for her the day before she does and we’ll all be cheering for her.”