Self-evaluation

My oral presentation was about Ken Men and I did it with Marina Costa.

At the presentation in general, I think we did quite good, because the resources we used (PowerPoint, two videos and a lot of images) were focused on the topic. Furthermore, we also did 10 minutes approximately, so 5 minutes per person.

The body language wasn’t our best part of the oral presentation, because I read a little bit one paragraph that was so difficult, but what I did, looking the video, is that I looked at the audience and not always to the same person. I’m quite proud of me because I’m a shy person but this day, I wasn’t.

We also tried to organize work in the best way possible and in my opinion we did. We could do it better because the audience could understand more what we were talking about, but I think it has been sufficiently well.

Looking at the video, of course we present new information because some topics we explained we didn’t know before, but I realize that we could put some examples more to be the information more clearly.

Listening what I said I believe that vocabulary was quite difficult and some words that people might not understood. I tried to put connectors between each sentence but it was difficult in this moment. However, as I have seen on the video, I did a good pronunciation but I talked a little bit slack and I realized that I have to open more the mouth when I talk, because the people could understand me better.

First liver cancer 'chemo-bath' in the UK

A “chemo-bath” which delivers toxic cancer drugs to just one organ in the body has been used on patients in the UK for the first time.

Chemotherapy drugs kill rapidly growing cells such as cancers, but they also attack healthy parts of the body, rather than just the tumor. These drugs are normally injected into the veins of the patients. It results in side effects such as fatigue, feeling sick, hair loss and damage to fertility.

Doctors believe targeting just one organ can prevent side effects. They also say it means they can give higher doses without causing damage to the patient.

Now, two patients in the UK have received chemotherapy focused on just their liver. The operation works by inflating balloons inside blood vessels on either side of the liver to isolate it from the rest of the body. The liver is then pumped full of chemotherapy drugs, which are filtrated out before the liver is reconnected to the main blood supply. It means only a tiny fraction of the chemotherapy dose ends up in the body.

Dr Brian Stedman suggested that any organ which could be easily separated from the blood supply, such as the kidney, pancreas and lungs, would be suitable for this kind of approach. However, he said the method was “in its infancy” and he was “not sure this is the finished product or the end of the story”.

I'm really proud of this move forward because we know that cancer is a terrible desease that some people couldn't exceed it and a lot of people is keeping it. Although, this doctor said that this method is in its infancy, is a light for a lot of people who is ill and a lot of scientists who are studying about this and to improve it, too. I really hope in few years they could have a quite good and sure method to kill cancer just on the affected organs. 

When I saw and read this news I was really impressed for this advance and because few months ago I was thinking to be, in the future, an investigator of cancer cells. I don't want to be now, but it also interests me because is really  usefull for our future descendents and also arouse me something to investigate or to be something related in this world of science. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20270400

Denmark to abolish tax on high-fat foods

The Danish government has said it intends to abolish a tax on foods which are high in saturated fats. The measure was believed to be the world’s first so-called “fat tax”. Foods containing more than 2.3% saturated fat were subject to the surcharge. But authorities said the tax had inflated food prices and put Danish jobs at risk.

The Danish tax ministry said it was also cancelling its plans to introduce a tax on sugar. The ministry said one of the effects of the fat tax was that some Danes had begun crossing the border into Germany to stock up on food there.

Nowadays 47% of Danes are overweight and 13% are obese.

The tax was introduced in October 2011, however, the decision to get rid of the tax was agreed as part of the center-left minority government‘s budget negotiations.

On the one hand, I agree with the government to abolish a tax on foods wich are saturated, even if the population needs it for their healthy. But on the other hand, they can eat what they want so they are responsible of their wieght anf healthy, and the government doesn't have to inflate fat foods. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20280863 

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Healthy eating for teenagers

Teenagers’ diets should sustain growth and promote good health. During this time, a number of physiological changes occur that affect nutritional needs, including rapid growth and considerable gains in bone and muscle (especially in boys). This is also a time when teenagers begin to develop real independence from their parents and they often choose food in response to peer pressure or as an act of defiance against parents. As a result of a nutrition survey, the average consumption teenagers reveal that they eat a lot of saturated food, calories, sugar and salt, while starchy carbohydrates and fiber is low in their diets.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional. Rapid growth, coupled with a fast lifestyle and poor dietary choices, can result in iron-deficiency anemia. The survey also highlighted that teens had a calcium intake below the recommended level, which has serious implications for their future bone health. The teenage years are very important to development of the bones. The richest source of calcium in most people’s diet is milk and dairy products.

Ideally, foods in the diet should be rich energy and nutrients: plenty of starchy carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals, chapatis, couscous and potatoes); plenty of fruit and vegetables; two to three portions of dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cheeses); two servings of protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans and pulses); not too many fatty foods; limit sugar-rich food and drinks; and an important point would be take regular exercise.

A consequence of this lifestyle is that women are dissatisfied with their weight. And another important consequence caused by fatty and sugary foods is acne.

In my opinion, I agree with this news because it’s all true. Apart of the survey, all of us, teenagers, eat what we like if you can’t look fat or if it’s harmful for yourself. In my case I try to do a healthy diet in my way, or making my own meals to keep a fit body and a healthy way of life, but sometimes the wishes can be much more than your strength, so I also eat fatty food, but not a lot. I sometimes eat sugar and carbohydrates because I’m a person who likes food and sample it. However, it’s so difficult for a busy person, even if this person studies, like me, and has a busy life. I try to combine the school, the diets, the exercise, the private life, etc., but sometimes you can’t and you eat what you want to vent you.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/treatments/healthy_living/nutrition/life_adolescence.shtml 

Ovulation hormones make women 'choose clingy clothes'

Women are more likely to select clingy clothes when they are ovulating. But the University of Minnesota, study of 100 women, found these hormonal shopping habits were triggered by the proximity of attractive women. Women at different stages of their menstrual cycle were shown images of attractive women living locally or far away. Then, they were asked to choose clothes and accessories which they would like to buy. As a result, women who were ovulating and who had seen photos of attractive local women were most likely to buy “sexier” clothes than those shown photographs of unattractive women.

Dr Kristina Durante, who led the research, said: “The desire for women at peak fertility to unconsciously choose products that enhance appearance is driven by a desire to outdo attractive rival women. If you look more desirable than your competition, you are more likely to stand out. In order to entice a desirable mate, a woman needs to assess the attractiveness of other women in her local environment to determine how eye-catching she needs to be to snare a good man”.

Dr George Fieldman, a London-based psychotherapist, said: “What this study reveals is that people are only semi-conscious of the underlying reasons behind the choices they make in the context of buying sexy clothes”.

This news is quite interesting for me, mainly because I’m a girl and I didn’t know or realize didn’t about this. In my case, I can’t investigate for myself the reason of buying certain clothes, because I don’t live in a city and I don’t go shopping every week, but if I could, I would try if I buy more having menstrual cycle than not. However, what I’ve done, that also it is mentioned on the news, is that I sometimes have followed a famous girl for her way of dress up. And also, asses the attractiveness of other women in the same place that determine the eye-catching of a pretty man I like.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10878750 

Dreams

I have secrets that I’ll never reveal, I have dreams that I hope to achieve and things I will never do again. Secrets are things you have done and never reveal because of the shame or because you feel bad of this. All of us have a lot of secrets, even if we have more experiences than others. I’m a person who has lived a lot of things and occasions, who has visited a lot of cities and cultures, and who has learned a lot of everyone who has passed in my life, but there has to happen a lot of time to be quite mature on me.

Something really different are dreams. I don’t have a dream since I was younger, like a lot of people have around, but I have little dreams that I wish to carry out in my near future. For example and the typical ones are: get my 2nd Batxillerat and pass the Selectivitat, enter to a university that I’d like, find my mate and make a family. Other things that are not on my planning way and I don’t know if I’m going to do or want to realize farther, are; go to USA, Australia and a lot of places more, go to Erasmus, live with a friend for a while in a very different places from here, make a funny and comedy film and be the protagonist, have a lot of different animals, get well playing an instrument, etc.

Actually, it’s not really good to make dreams because it’s not the reality. Sometimes you have to disconnect, but I think we have to follow our way and not run to the future, although we often do it, but just walk and see the opportunities that life gives you, farther of the bad things. It’s easy to say and hard to make it possible, but we have to be optimists with ourselves, because we only have one life. I’m going to do it, would you?

Britain's oldest man marks 110th birthday

Britain’s oldest man is celebrating his 110th birthday.

Mr Dean, who was born in Tunstall, Staffordshire, on 4 November 1902, says the secret of his longevity is being lazy, but his family says it may be down to a potion he drank in India. He has lived through two world wars and 24 British prime ministers.

He was the former church minister Reg Dean, from Wirksworth, and he continued to work as a minister until he retirement at the age of 80, and he has been married three times. His son, Cristopher said the family had its own theory about his long life.

Just before World War I, he was out in India and he was given an elixir by a local there and he drank his muddy mixture for living more than 100 years, and here he is now.

Now, Mr Dean became British’s oldest man. The current world record holder is 115 year old, from Japan.

The interviewer asked how he felt, and he said: “A year older than when I was 109! It has been a long year but I feel much better now. I can’t stay enough, it’s all very kind and I didn’t expect it and of course, I shall have another birthday celebrations when I am 130”.

In one hand, Mr Dean is a lucky man because he could live a lot of experiences, movements, jobs, etc., but in the other hand he is ill now, and he has passed a lot of problems and situations in his life that I think he would be in peace, but still living for their family, too.

I’m proud of him to reach here and I hope he could get his wish to celebrate his 130 birthday. It will be so difficult.

In conclusion, I hope to celebrate so much birthday celebrations and could live so many years like him, to see my grandchildren, and even my great-grandchildren.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-20197070

Human papilloma virus, HPV

There are over 100 strains of human papilloma virus (HPV), and a lot of them can infect the genital and oral tissues of men and women. Some strains do slowly cause warty growths and some increase the risk of cancer in the affected tissue.

HPV is passed by genital contact, usually during vaginal sex as well as during oral sex.

Most people with HPV don’t develop symptoms or further health problems. However certain types of this illness can cause some symptoms like genital warts, cellular changes that lead to cancer of the cervix and possibly other less common but serious cancers including: vulvar cancer, cancer of the vagina, cancer of the penis, anal cancer, etc. It’s also possible to have HPV present years after sexual contact with an infected person, and also, to be exposed more than one strain of HPV.

There are two vaccines that have been produced to protect against HPV: Cervarix (before they become sexually active, to protect against 2 strains) and Gardasil (to protect against four strains). These vaccines consist in three vaccines, and they are only for girls and not for boys, although many argue that they should do it.

In my opinion, the papilloma virus can change your life like another virus, but you can prevent it using protections while you do sex and other kind of things. You have to be responsible of yourself, and also do the vaccine I think is a good action to forestall it. I also agree that boys should do this vaccine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/hpv.shtml

Mario Casas

Mario Casas was born in la Coruña, on the 12^th June in 1986. He is a young Spanish actor and one of the best ones. He does his job quite good and with much effort.

At first, he thought he could be a footballer, a policeman or a fireman, but suddenly he saw that his specialty is the interpretation. He started on the publicity and realizing few series and films, nevertheless and inadvertently, he was already infiltrated in this world. All of us knew that he would be an actor who would really excite us with his words and enjoy any of his films.

In the last five years, Mario Casas has done a lot of films with a lot of famous actors too. He is so young but has a long way to go, to succeed and to be even better.

Personally, he is one of my favorites actors, not only because he is very handsome and attractive, if not because he transmit me something that is really difficult to do. He makes me participate on each film he does and cry in all of them. In my point of view, he is particularly good in his job and I hope he will continue along this way and I will continue exciting these feelings that I like so much.

Halloween

Do you celebrate Halloween?

In my case, I don’t like Halloween, so it’s a reason that I don’t celebrate it at home. It is an English festival and not a Catalan tradition, but it has arrived here from American films and English classes at schools.

However, when I was younger I used to celebrate it with my friends. At the evening, after having dinner, we dressed up costumes, we make-up like ghosts, and we planned how we would do it that night. Then when we were ready, we rang at the doors of our neighbor’s houses. We sometimes met nice people who gave us sweets and presents, furthermore, there were other kind of people who didn’t open us the door.

When we got cold and we had a lot of sweets, we came home and distributed the presents.

But now, I’ve grown up so I don’t do this, but there are some adult parties here that teenagers can enjoy this night.

Maybe I will go at one of these parties with my friends, but in my case, it won’t be for the Halloween night, if not to have a great time with them.