July 4th-United States Independence day.

"Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness), it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government."

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), from the Declaration of Independence

July 4th is more than a celebration that happens in summer,it's the most important Holiday/celebration for Americans living around the world and of course for United States of America.

It's the day USA celebrates its independence from England,it was America's official split from Britain's rule and the beginning of the American Revolution.

United States only had 13 colonies at the time of the signing,in that time England was ruled by King George III,and the major problem between US and England was "Taxation without Representation",the colonists didn't have any opportunity for complaining,they didn't have voice in the decisions of English Parliament,those 13 colonies couldn't negotiate with King George III and he sent extra troops to the colonies to help control any rebellion that could arise due to people's anger,but it took more than a single day and a few hours as it can be just thought,it was a hardworking process fighting for the freedom and independence because the original resolution was introduced by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia on June 7, 1776, and called for the Continental Congress to declare the United States free from British rule.

On June 11, 1776, the colonies' Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia formed a committee for preparing an appropiate document that would formally separate USA from Great Britain,it was the document that we know as the Declaration of Independence,and it was adopted by Congress on July 4th although the resolution that had led to the writing of the Declaration was actually approved two days earlier.The committee included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. The document was written by Jefferson, who was considered an eloquent writer.

But before the Declaration was approved,on April 1775 when King George's troops advanced on Concord, Massachusetts,prompting Paul Revere's midnight ride that sounded the alarm "The British are coming, the British are coming." The battle of Concord,was famous for being the "shot heard round the world",it would mark the unofficial beginning of the American Revolution.

After several changes to the document written by Jefferson,a vote was taken late in the afternoon of July 4th. Of the 13 colonies, 9 voted in favor of the Declaration, 2 - Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted No, Delaware undecided and New York abstained.The next day
copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed.On July 6, The Pennsylvania Evening Post became the first newspaper to print the extraordinary document.

The Declaration of Independence has become United States' most important symbol of liberty.

Although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, July 4th has been accepted as the official anniversary of United States independence. The first Independence Day celebration took place the following year - July 4 1777.

Sandra Villanueva

Updated

Today Mexico is celebrating Cinco De Mayo.

The 5th Of May.It commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862.

It's very important to mention and think why it's is a big victory for Mexico: because the Mexican army was weaker in many senses,comparing it with the French army/troops, Mexicans didn't have the weapons the French army had,nor the experience about fighting a fierce-long battle but the Mexican army exhibited great courage and determination to defend themselves against France,fighting a fierce battle and winning against all odds,showing how a small army with not so many options,nor sophisticated weapons can win with order and grouping as a solid army.That is why May 5th is a day of Mexican pride, unity and patriotism. 
 

Andador-Hall 5 de Mayo, Queretaro

Stem Cell Treatment Offers Hope For Osteoarthritis Patients

April 12th, 2008 11:40 a.m. EST

Nidhi Sharma - AHN News Writer

London, England (AHN) - British scientists have identified a type of stem cell treatment which offers hope to the patients of osteoarthritis. The technique, which uses a patient's own stem cells to replace lost cartilage, is already being tried out on goats and would soon be tested on humans as early as next year.

Sold...my home for almost 16 years was sold...it sounds plain and even it is a happy news,we will be receiving the money and it will be invested and spent in things we still need to do to my current home,besides buying a new van for me...
I know I should be happy,yes,I am,I can't say it doesn't make me happy knowing all of the above besides that the house won't be abandoned anymore...but I can't avoid feeling this pain in my heart,a pain caused by all those memories for all those years I lived there in that pink house in Tijuana,B.C.,in the Altabrisa neighborhood,with the number 14450...

If you could...If you were...

"You could be very pretty if you tried."...A dear friend of mine was talking in my favorite forum IS about this phrase that 'a good friend of her' told for her,this phrase was said not really with good intention,actually what person in the world who can be called friend can go and tell it to a very sweet and innocent girl who is younger than 20 and still in the process of developing her personality and her life?

I must say that as soon as I read those words and the way she was wounded,it came to my mind 'a collection' of bad memories from the past,in which that phrase and many other similar ones were said to me,not only from friends but from my own family...

Stem cells help mice with muscular dystrophy: Study

From: Yahoo News.

By Julie Steenhuysen
Sun Jan 20, 1:22 PM ET

A therapy using embryonic stem cells helped restore muscle function in mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common form of muscular dystrophy in children, U.S. researchers said on Sunday.

They said the study is the first to show that transplanted embryonic stem cells can restore muscle in genetically engineered mice with the disease.

Stem cells are the body's master cells, acting as a source for the various cells and tissues in the body. Those taken from days-old embryos, called embryonic stem cells, can produce all of the body's cell types.

Nervous System Can Reorganize Itself and Use New Pathways to Restore Walking after Spinal Cord Injury

Newswise and UCLA-Health care

A UCLA study demonstrates that the nervous system can reorganize itself after spinal cord injury and use new pathways to restore the cellular communication required for walking. Published in the January edition of Nature Medicine, the discovery could lead to new therapies for the estimated 250,000 Americans who suffer from paralysis following traumatic spinal cord injuries.

2007's World AIDS Day theme/slogan is: "Leadership"

Since the first time we started listening,knowing,reading and thinking about AIDS a few advances have been made,though there is still a fierce battle to be fought against the poor response to HIV/AIDS pandemic crisis around the world in some key areas: ignorance, lack of information, myths, tabooes, prevention, care and treatment and research.

Maybe the research and finding a possible cure for it, is what is more urgent,because that would stop deaths of people who live with AIDS,no matter the way they contracted the terrible disease,all of them are victims who are suffering....

We must never forget that none of us is exempt of AIDS, maybe a friend of ours,a lover (or a former one),a son, a brother, sister,etc has already gotten this disease, no matter if we are straight, heterosexual, gay, adult, married, single or even a baby,and also disabled people... there is always a risk if we get sick or have an accident and we get infected blood,if we don't use protection when we have sex, etc....risks are unlimited.

"Leadership"=Trying to inspire all citizens around the world to take the lead in fighting and breaking down ignorance and fear about HIV, if we talk to those who still don't know about AIDS,or if we talk to those who can be an important key for finding a cure and developing a vaccine against HIV,we will be an active member of our world and we will be doing our best for at least saving a life...one life is enough!

All people is invited to join the effort and participate for fighting AIDS in our world...if you don't join, if apathy gets you...one day you might regret had avoided to at least speak your mind on the issue...

How can people participate?:

• For those who are talented for writing: you can write something about AIDS,reflexing your thoughts,post it in your site,blog,forum,etc...
• If you are good for speech,try joining a live campaign and speak your mind live and direct...
• You can also visit someone who is sick,already infected and at least give him/her a word of hope,be sure you'll give a good reason for smiling to someone who is already sick with HIV virus.
• Design posters,images if you are good at it.
• Or simply Wear a Red Ribbon,it can even just be posted in your site,blog,forum,etc...

A prayer for those suffering AIDS and a thought of hope for the finding of a cure...

Thank you for the time spent on reading this info...

Sandra Villanueva.

Stem cell breakthrough uses no embryos

By Malcolm Ritter, AP Science Writer

Scientists have made ordinary human skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells, a startling breakthrough that might someday deliver the medical payoffs of embryo cloning without the controversy.

Laboratory teams on two continents report success in a pair of landmark papers released Tuesday. It's a neck-and-neck finish to a race that made headlines five months ago, when scientists announced that the feat had been accomplished in mice.

The "direct reprogramming" technique avoids the swarm of ethical, political and practical obstacles that have stymied attempts to produce human stem cells by cloning embryos.

Scientists familiar with the work said scientific questions remain and that it's still important to pursue the cloning strategy, but that the new work is a major coup.

"This work represents a tremendous scientific milestone -- the biological equivalent of the Wright Brothers' first airplane," said Dr. Robert Lanza, chief science officer of Advanced Cell Technology, which has been trying to extract stem cells from cloned human embryos.

For people who suffer Spinal Cord Injury,the news about the possibility for finding/developing a cure to SCI,will always give us new hopes...a hope we live for and we won't stop the fight about Stem Cells Research...we wait and won't hesitate on the fight!

Sandra Villanueva

ScienceDaily (Originally published on November 9th, 2007)

New experimental therapies are being -- or soon may be -- tested in clinical trials that could open the doors to a "golden era" for research to improve the treatments of people with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, stroke, and other severe movement disorders, scientists say.

"The studies highlighted here reflect decades of basic science research that have led to some measure of understanding the events taking place in traumatic neural injury and disease, and how these events can be modulated to improve function," says Aileen Anderson, PhD, of the University of California, Irvine.

"As a result of this work, we have the exciting opportunity to begin testing these pathways in the clinical setting in an attempt to minimize the progression of damage and, in some cases, perhaps repair it," says Anderson.

The new therapies include an experimental, custom-made antibody to NOGO-A, one of several inhibitory proteins for nerve fiber growth that are produced naturally in the human spinal cord and brain. It soon will be evaluated as a therapy for patients who are newly paralyzed from spinal cord injury.