Could the Nuclear Power Plants in Japan be a possible threat?

     Recent reports have confirmed more than 3,000 deaths and thousands of missing people during the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that Japan endured. Many people are concerned for the damage that was done to the nuclear power plant, located in Fukushima. The tsunami right after the earthquake, made sever damage to the nuclear plants cooling capabilities. This short animation, from New York Times, will demonstrate how the nuclear reactor shuts down and what occurs during a meltdown. The Tokyo Electric Power Co, interviewed by BBC News, had this to say,

“The crisis at the plant - which contains six nuclear reactors - has worsened since the earthquake struck. Explosions rocked the buildings housing reactors one and three on Saturday and Monday.

On Tuesday morning, a third blast hit the building of reactor two, while a fourth damaged the building of reactor four, where a fire also broke out in the unit's spent fuel storage pond.

Reactor four had been shut down before the quake for maintenance, but its spent nuclear fuel rods were still stored on the site.

Officials said the explosions at the first three reactors, and possibly the fourth as well, were caused by a buildup of hydrogen”

This sort of damage to the nuclear plant could be very life threatening. When the nuclear reactors overheat to high temperatures, it slowly releases various amounts of radiation into our atmosphere. If this continues to get out of hand, the radiation could reach unbelievable temperatures that could take the lives of many people living in Japan. Not only that, it would continuously remain in our atmosphere and travel to different parts of the earth. Eventually everyone would experience an increase amount of radiation where they live. This is why it is so crucial for the Tokyo Electric Power Co to keep the Fukushima nuclear plant under control.

Then the Tsunami Hits...

      Reported roughly around 8 am pacific time zone, a massive 8.9 magnitude quake hits the coasts of Japan, causing massive destruction. Shortly after, a tsunami swept inland in various places, flooded major crop fields, homes and people. From BBC News, a map of Japan shows which parts of the country was impacted by the tsunami. Watching Japan suffer in such a tragic way is truly horrifying. All our hearts go out to Japan.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

      Having one of the strongest Earthquake security systems in the world, Japan was still not strong enough to endure the quake. So far, it was reported from BBC News, that the Tsunami killed three hundred people in Sendai and more than five hundred people are known to be missing. The only thing we can do now is pray for a safe recovery for Japan.

Anesthesia May Cause Cognitive Risks in Young Children

Could anesthesia in young children be a possible threat to their health? Its been known to be used in millions of surgical procedures, in which in some cases, it could lead to cognitive problems or learning disabilities. A Federal Panel was assigned to meet on Thursday to evaluate the research  that suggests Anesthesia could harm young children. Whether informing parents whose children are facing surgery should know of possible cognitive or behavioral risks is still controversial. Reported in The New York Times, Dr. Rappaport, who is studying this case, goes on to say

“We don’t know what this means for children at this time,” Dr. Rappaport said, adding, “That’s exactly why it’s so critical that we get all of the necessary information.”

In the meantime, he said, “how do we communicate what we do know at this point without causing undue concern in parents and in physicians?” Medical advances are allowing more fragile and premature infants to survive birth, often to require critical surgical procedures.

So far it seems doctors are uncertain what to do at this given point in time. It’s been proven in studies of monkeys and rodents that have shown brain cell death, if exposed to anesthesia at a very young age. However, trying out a test such as thing one, on  humans is far more complex, and often lacks strength because the research doesn’t account for children various experience to whether learning deficits were coincidental. However, Dr. Nancy Glass, a pediatric anesthesiologist  had this to say,

“We’re all concerned,” Dr. Glass said, but “we don’t believe that there is data yet that says to us either that we should change our technique or that we should frighten parents about allowing us to anesthetize their children for necessary surgery.”

It seems to be very uncertain what the outcome of anesthesia actually does to a child’s body, but knowing different types of cognitive and behavioral disabilities, it would be nice to try and prevent more children from getting these disabilities.

True Athlete

The 18 year old Shane Lauer, suffers from Duchenne Muscular Distrophy (DMD), a degenerative disease that affects the muscles throughout the body. The story of Shane Lauer's life, is one that is truly inspirational. Knowing that the life expectancy of DMD is to the mid-twenties, Shane's legal guardians, Ben and Carissa Mortenson believe every child should live a life to its fullest. Founder and director of Athletes Serving Athletes (ASA), David Slomkowski knew Shane had it in him to compete in a race. It was a 4 mile run that Shane ran with Ben Mortenson and said,

"Shane was so competitive ... he's losing control of his hands, but somehow he holds these straps for two hours so I won't have to stop." Mortenson recalled that Shane wore the finishers' medal every day for a month.

During the 2009 Baltimore Marathon, coming in at 3 hours and 47 minutes, Shane had won the race. Pleased to see the results, Slomkowski agreed that it is Shane would is the athlete,

"Shane has the will of a warrior ... I'm just a piece of equipment. My identity is irrelevant."

A truly captivating story of the young Shane Lauer, who was able to face his disability and reach for his dreams. In the Young Life organization, Capernaum is known for meeting and interacting with extraordinary children such as Shane. It’s a true honor to be able to be-friend them and get the chance to interact with them every week. Shane had this to say after he had won his race,

"It's important to trust those who want to help you," said Shane. "Despite my disability, God has given me the ability to race and be competitive."

Just like Shane, it’s important for all of us to strive for the best and overcome our own problems that hold us back.

An Update on the Current Conditions in Libya...

Just recently, it was known world wide that Libya now rises in conflict with itself, as it begins to transition into democracy. Many also question Col. Muhammar el-Qaddfi's claims and purpose in this fight amongst themselves.

A New Discovery in Dieting with HCG

    Considering that American's are constantly obsessed with being healthy and having the "perfect body", this particular article would appeal to many, especially women who are trying to lose weight. The new discovery of a diet plan with hormones, also attracted any skeptics, as well as those individuals that are desperately seeking a way to lose weight. Reported by The New York Times,

"The regimen combines daily injections with a near-starvation diet, and patients, mostly women, are often enticed by promises that they can lose about a pound a day without feeling hungry. Perhaps even more seductively, they are frequently told that the hCG will prompt their bodies to carry away and metabolize fat that has been stored where they least want it — in their upper arms, bellies and thighs".

Any person with some common sense would know that a "near-starvation diet" can't be beneficial to their health. Its been known that an average human body that remains completely motionless, for example, sitting on the couch all day watching tv, would need at least 1500 calories just to allow they body to preform its basic functioning. Starvation for a few days only sheds off excess water weight. It will however, destroy the way your metabolism flows throughout the body, and eventually disable the way your digestive system operates. In combination with hormonal injections and a limiting 500 calorie diet, the new diet plan with HCG does not seem very promising.