Soldier 'regrows' leg after experimental operation

US soldier 'regrows' leg after experimental operation...

A U.S.soldier who had most of his leg muscle blown off in Afghanistan has become the first to see it grow back in a pioneering experimental operation.

Marine Isaias Hernandez lost 70 per cent of his right thigh muscles when an enemy mortar exploded as he tried to carry out repairs to a truck in Afghanistan.

With such severe muscle damage Hernandez would ordinarily have had his leg amputated.

But a re-think in the way soldiers are treated led to the wounded warrior being injected with a growth promoting substance extracted from pig bladders.

Re growth: Corporal Isaias Hernandez, right, at Brooke Army Medical Centre has undergone pioneering surgery

The revolutionary treatment gives hope to the hundreds of maimed veterans returning from conflicts with severe limb trauma.

Stephen Badylak, the tissue engineering director at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh said: 'It was a remarkable recovery.'

Since the experimental growth hormone was used, Hernandez has regained most of the strength in his right thigh.

The wounded Marine's recovery is particularly exciting for scientists as it involves the regeneration of skeletal muscle which ordinarily does not grow back.

The new treatment could in theory revolutionise how not just how soldiers are treated, but all potential amputees.

In preparation for the operation, corporal Hernandez was made to build up the remaining 30 per cent of muscle left on the damaged thigh.

Surgeons then sliced into the thigh, placing a thin slice of a substance called extracellular matrix.

The surgery is the result of a $70 million investment by the U.S. military into regenerative medicine research.

Life-changing: Corporal Hernandez was injured in Afghanistan but has received the miraculous treatment in the U.S.



Honour: Hernandez saluting at the dedication of a monument marking the events of World War II during a ceremony in Texas

Marine Hernandez was 19 when he was gearing up his truck in Afghanistan ahead of a long journey.

As he approached the vehicle an enemy mortar exploded, throwing shrapnel into his exposed body parts.

Fortunately the Marine, he was carrying a TV which shielded the upper half of his body.

Speaking to The Australian, Corporal Hernandez said: 'Pretty much anything that wasn't covered, arms and legs, was hit.'





Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005595/US-soldier-Isaias-Hernandez-grows-leg-pig-bladder-hormone-injection.html#ixzz1QivHvy4E

Johan's Ark...

Johan's Ark...



After doomsday vision, man builds full-sized, seaworthy  ark

"I dreamed that a part of Holland was flooded," Dutch-native Johan Huibers said in an interview with Today. "The next day, I get the idea to build an ark." That Huibers did — this brick-like behemoth of a boat is "Johan's Ark."



The almost-finished vessel you see pictured above is actually Huibers' second whack at making an ark of his own. The first was a half-sized replica, though this time the Dutch construction company director decided to go whole hog. It's even seaworthy, and Huibers plans for his ark to float along the Thames in London ahead of the 2012 Olympics.



Though we really have no way of knowing, Biblical scholars peg Noah's Ark as being somewhere around 300 cubits in length, 50 wide and 30 high. In feet, that translates into a vessel 450 feet long — or about the same as a Romulan Bird-of-Prey — and 75 feet wide and 45 high. In other words, it's like a narrower, longer football field, or half the length of the Titanic. Read: pretty big.



The amount of time that Noah had to build the original Ark is also something that's rather hotly debated, but the answer usually falls anywhere between a couple of decades to dozens of years. (Dude was apparently hundreds of years old when he heard about his star-making flood, so we'll forgive him a little lethargy.) Johan did it in three years, though he also had to spend $1.6 million in the process. Just like the ark of old, inside you'll also find a gallery of animals — life-sized, but fake — including a $11,000 model elephant.



These days, Johan Huibers isn't looking to survive a world-ending flood, however. In fact, when asked by NBC News if he thought it would see him through such a calamity safely, he said, "No, I don't think so." Still, it makes for a pretty sweet tourist attraction, and the size of it is certainly impressive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan's%20_Ark

http://www.neatorama.com/2011/06/22/johans-ark/

Kiwipete

Icann increase web domain suffixes...

Icann increases web domain suffixes...

A global internet body has voted to allow the creation of new website domain suffixes, the biggest change for the online world in years.



The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) plans to dramatically increase the number of domain endings from the current 22.



Internet address names will be able to end with almost any word, and be in any language.



Icann will begin taking applications for the new domain names next year.



"Icann has opened the Internet's addressing system to the limitless possibilities of the human imagination," said Rod Beckstrom, president and chief executive officer for Icann.



"No one can predict where this historic decision will take us."


A breaking story...more news to emerge on this subject.


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Thoughts come out; worlds collide: Silent relaxing sunday--wait it's Saturday. A day lost and found! :)

Thoughts come out; worlds collide: Silent relaxing sunday--wait it's Saturday. A day lost and found! :)

Montessori Writer's Thoughts: Lost and Found in Life

Montessori Writer's Thoughts: Lost and Found in Life

Matariki - the Maori New Year in New Zealand...

Matariki - the Maori New Year...

Matariki – A Celebration in New Zealand/Aotearoa

During Matariki we celebrate our unique place in the world.

We give respect to the whenua on which we live,

and admiration to our mother earth Papatūānuku.

Throughout Matariki we learn about those who came before us.

Our history. Our family. Our bones.

Matariki signals growth.

It’s a time of change.

It’s a time to prepare, and a time of action.

During Matariki we acknowledge what we have

and what we have to give.

Matariki celebrates the diversity of life.

It’s a celebration of culture, language, spirit and people.

Matariki is our

Aotearoa Pacific New Year.

I te wā o Matariki, ka whakanui tātou i tō tātou mana motuhake i tēnei ao.

He manaaki i te whenua e noho nei tātou i runga, he mïharo ki tō tātou whaea,

ki a Papatūānuku.

I te roanga atu o Matariki, ka ako tātou i ngā āhuatanga ō rātou mā

kua hoki ki te kāinga tūturu.

Ko ngā mahi me ngā kōrero o mua. Ko ō tātou heke. Ko ō tātou wheinga.

Ko Matariki te tohu o te tupu.

He wā e puta kē ai.

He wā whakariterite, he wā kōkiri kaupapa.

I te wā o Matariki, he mahara atawhai ki ngā taonga kei a tātou inaianei,

hei koha atu hoki a taihoa.

He whakanui a Matariki i ngā tini ähuatanga o te oranga.

He whakanui hoki i te tikanga, i te reo, i te wairua me te iwi.

Ko Matariki tō Aotearoa tau hou.



(Te Taura Whiri I Te Reo Māori)







What is Matariki?

Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or the Seven Sisters and what is referred to as the traditional Maori New Year. The Maori New Year is marked by the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next new moon. The pre-dawn rise of Matariki can be seen in the last few days of May every year and the New Year is marked at the sighting of the next new moon which occurs during June. Matariki events occur throughout New Zealand and the timing of the events varies depending on Iwi and geographical differences.



Some Iwi recognize and celebrate a different cluster of stars called Puanga or Puaka. Matariki, Puanga or Puaka are generally celebrated during the months of June and July. Common principles apply to all celebrations whether they are Matariki, Puanga or Puaka. The duration of events and activities varies from a few hours to two months.



The clusters of stars that signal the New Year and celebrations for Maori are also observed and celebrated widely throughout the Pacific. There are opportunities further down the track to align Pacific celebrations and festivals.



The Pleiades are also observed and celebrated throughout the world as they relate to important cultural and mythological events that celebrate concepts and activities related to unity, gatherings, harvesting and planting, paying tributes to ancestors and looking ahead to the future. Over centuries the Pleiades have been celebrated by the Greeks, Japanese, Chinese, Vikings, Africans, American Indians, Australian aborigines and throughout the Pacific.



New Zealand culture and heritage is core to Matariki events. While the Matariki events and celebrations are primarily kaupapa Maori driven, they are inclusive of all communities throughout Aotearoa. There are strong signs now that Matariki is playing a key role in building a better understanding between cultures, particularly the Maori and pakeha cultures. As one Matariki coordinator mentioned “Matariki is an easily accessible entry point for pakeha and other non-Maori to celebrate and understand our culture”.

Visit Matariki 2011

Todays evangelicals embracing the worlds deadliest cults...

Today's evangelicals embracing the world's deadliest cults...

Pastor Wilson Ewin's latest 76 page book thoroughly documents the fact that Roman Catholicism is indeed the world's deadliest cult. It further documents the way in which Charismatic error and New-evangelical compromise have given Romanism an unwarranted and unscriptural opportunity to deceive millions of uninformed believers. In an effort to give this important documentation the earliest and widest possible readership, brother Ewin has given us permission to reproduce the major portion of his book. Additional copies of this special edition of FOUNDATION can be obtained from the Fundamental Evangelisitic Association, PO Box 6278, Los Osos, CA 93412, 805-528-3534. However, the full text of Pastor Ewin's original publication which includes important graphics and photographs with helpful captions can be obtained from

Introduction

During this period of ecumenism when churches are coming closer together is it right to be critical of Roman Catholicism? Should we not accept and respect each other's positions and work together in love for church unity? Little do some Evangelicals understand that Romanism is the same as in the 16th century-ever worse than in the days of Luther, Calvin, Farel and Zwingli. On the essential matter of the gospel, Rome has not changed nor does she claim to have changed. Vatican II (1962-1965) clearly affirmed every Roman Catholic doctrine contested by the Reformers. Evangelicalism must understand once and for all that the root error back in 1517 was Rome's official doctrine that we could and must earn righteousness with God by our own good works. A man's righteousness with God consists partly of the work of Jesus Christ and partly of his own work. Justification was by faith plus works.



It is no different in our time. When a religious system is in error concerning fundamental truths such as the atonement and justification by faith, etc., thereby propagating a Philistine gospel, we can neither cooperate with such a church nor support it. Our supreme guideline is not sentimentality nor mere opinion, but the Bible.



Entire denominations are now closer to Rome than Jerusalem. They are moving Rome-ward. There is a trend whereby certain Protestant ministers falsely so called are converting to the Roman religion. Thrilled with Vatican II changes, they fail to see that Roman Catholicism changes in order not to change; that there has been a change of image but not substance. Since the time of Luther the papacy has been reformed so that recent popes have led exemplary lives. There are no Tetzels hawking indulgences. Simony and nepotism are not a serious problem and red hats are not handed to teenagers or to those of royal blood. While there is still persecution of Evangelicals in some parts of the world, the Inquisition is no longer in practice. Nevertheless, Rome is still the harlot. She is still the false church proclaiming another gospel.



Now, more than any other time since the 16th century Reformation, God is looking for Christians to stand in the gap; to be watchmen, courageous enough to pay, as Huss did, the flaming price of martyrdom-that awful fate of untold millions who suffered similar agonizing deaths at the hands of the papal Inquisition. Remember: there is a battle to be fought (Ephesians 6:16-20). There is an enemy to be overcome (1 Peter 5:8, 9). There is a watch to maintain (Jude 3, 4, 17-23).


Read more: http://www.kingdomoflight.org/fundamental_evangelistic_associa.htm

The biggest twit on Twitter...

The biggest twit on Twitter...

Justin Bieber has just cracked 10 million followers on Twitter — that's a whole lotta Beliebers!;

The 17-year-old tween dream has more people following his texty updates than Britney Spears and Barack Obama — but he's still not Number One on the Twitter charts.



Yep, Lady Gaga hot the ten million mark two weeks ago — seems more people are into face horns than bowl cuts these days.



Not that the Biebs gives a crap. "I love u... changing my life everyday," he Tweeted.



"I'm from a town of 30,000... so u guys are 333 times my town! CRAZY! NeverSayNever."