"Egyptian archaeologists have announced the discovery of at least 200 mummies, some of them wearing gold masks, in a huge cemetery in the western desert," a BBC News report said. The burial area is near an oasis in the desert and in the city of Bawiti, about 300 km southwest of Cairo. According to the Egyptian Middle East News Agency, the cemetery may contain more than 10,000 mummies. It was renamed Vale das Mumias. The ten kilometer long cemetery dates back 2000 years, at the beginning of the Greco-Roman era. Some of the mummies discovered so far were covered with linen or lined with plaster of paris, others wore gilded masks "with splendid patterns of ancient Egyptian deities on their chests," explains antiques director Zahi Hawass.
Pests plague Africa
The World Health Organization's attempts to completely eradicate polio in Africa by the end of the year have been frustrated, reports the Cape Times. The war in Angola has brought polio to epidemic proportions in that country. Neil Cameron, director of communicable disease control at the South African Ministry of Health, said it could be another ten years before polio eradicated in Angola. In addition, neighbors from Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are trying to deal with outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever and bubonic plague. Leprosy remains a problem in the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Niger and Nigeria. All of this, along with the fact that malaria is widespread across much of the continent, is a major concern because, as Cameron noted, "borders are not an obstacle to disease".
"The most essential substance for life"
"Water is the most vital substance because the body is essentially fluid," reports the Toronto Star. "Even a 20 percent drop in body water can be fatal." In addition to regulating body temperature, water "transports nutrients and waste to and from organs through the bloodstream and body system". It also lubricates the joints and colon, which helps prevent constipation. “The average adult needs two to three quarters of water a day. Drinking coffee, soda, or alcohol can increase the need for pure water as it can contribute to dehydration. According to a nutritionist, thirst shouldn't remind you to drink water because if you're thirsty, you are likely already dehydrated. The document states that "drinking one glass every hour during the day will meet most people's water needs".
Fell asleep at work
"Some Canadian companies are realizing the benefits of napping at work," says the Toronto Star. Employers have created "wake-up rooms" for night workers. "The rooms are poorly lit, cool, quiet, and have alarm clocks, sofas, or lounge chairs," says Star. But “old perceptions take a long time to disappear. The companies that offer dormitories usually don't pass them on. Mary Perugini, a sleep doctor at the Sleep Disorders Center at the Royal Ottawa Hospital, said, "We work longer, our stress levels are higher, and we keep consuming more. It would be beneficial to be able to sleep 20 minutes a day. It would certainly increase." Productivity (s) would keep stress down. "
Threat to reduce glaciers
The world's largest ice mass outside the polar regions will disappear in 40 years if the current melting rate continues, reports the Sunday Telegraph in London. A combination of rising global temperatures and the relatively low latitude of the Himalayas threaten the region's 15,000 glaciers. The Gangotri Glacier, one of the sources of the Ganges, has shrunk by almost a third in the last 50 years. Syed Hasnain, a scientist who monitors the glaciers, warns that if the current rhythm continues, “rivers like the Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra, which get about 70 to 80 percent of their water from snow and melting snow, will run out "The result would be". an ecological disaster, "he warns. Meanwhile, the risk of severe flooding increases. As glaciers shrink, lakes form surrounded by fragile walls of ice, rocks and sand. As the melting continues, the walls burst, sending devastating floods into the valleys below.
The dangers of tobacco for children
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50% of children worldwide are at risk from exposure to tobacco smoke, reports the London Guardian. Conditions associated with secondhand smoke include asthma and other breathing difficulties, sudden infant death syndrome, middle ear disease, and cancer. Research also shows that children of smokers suffer academically and have more behavioral problems. If both parents smoke, their children are 70% more likely to have health problems, and even having a family smoker is 30% more likely. WHO urges parents to educate themselves about health in order to recognize the dangers of smoking to the family and to ban smoking in schools and other places frequented by children.
Tourism triumphs
According to the forecasts of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), "the number of international tourist arrivals will rise from the current 625 million per year to 1.6 billion in 2020," announced the UNESCO courier. These tourists are expected to spend more than $ 2 billion, "making tourism the world's leading industry". So far, Europe has been the most popular travel destination. France is the most visited country with 70 million visitors in 1998. However, by 2020, China is expected to take first place. International travel, however, remains the prerogative of the privileged few. In 1996, only 3.5% of the world's population traveled abroad. The WTO is forecasting a value of 7% for 2020.
The dangers of the mini-break?
The minibreak, a vacation weekend that is currently being promoted by the European travel industry as a quick and easy way to recover from the stresses of life, can actually "do more harm than good," the newspaper reports. London Guardian. According to the World Health Organization cardiologist Dr. Walter Pasini, packing, running to an airport and flying, as well as changes in temperature, food, and time zone all contribute to exhaustion and are potentially dangerous. It takes a few days for the body to relax and adapt to a different climate and lifestyle. If this is not the case, circulation and sleep are negatively affected. Dr. Pasini's study "found that those who took a few days off were 17% more likely to have a heart attack and 12% more likely to have a car accident than those who took a week or more. Free". Says the document: "My message is not that short breaks are inherently dangerous, but that people need to take care of themselves and prepare properly," said Dr. Pasini, quoted in the London Daily Telegraph. "People are now taking shorter and shorter vacations trying to fix everything in a few days, but it's not a good way to relax. In fact, it's very stressful."
Rattlesnake Revenge
"Rattlesnakes can attack you from beyond the grave, and this strange form of posthumous vengeance is surprisingly common," reports New Scientist. Of 34 patients treated for rattlesnake bites in Arizona, United States, over a period of 11 months, 5 said the snake attacked them after they died, according to two doctors investigating the phenomenon. One victim shot a snake, cut its body under the head, waited for it to stop moving, then raised its head. He threw himself on him and bit him with both hands. Previous studies have shown that a rattlesnake's severed head "will attempt to attack objects shaken in front of it an hour after it dies," the magazine said. Herpetologists believe that it is "a reflex action triggered by infrared sensors in the" organ of the fossa, "a structure between the nostril and the eye that senses the body's warmth". Dr. Jeffrey Suchard warns that a decapitated rattlesnake should be treated like a "very small snake". “If you really need to touch,” he said, “I suggest you use a very long stick.