CYSTIC FIBROSIS

CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. It is produced by a mutation in the gene encoding the regulatory protein transmembrane conductance cystic fibrosis. The disease develops when neither allele is functional.  The name cystic fibrosis refers to the characteristic processes scarring (fibrosis) and cyst formation within the pancreas, It also receives the name mucoviscidosis.

CF affects multiple organ systems, causing abnormal and thick secretions of the exocrine glands.  It is characterized by weight gain and intestinal blockage caused by thick, bulky stools. Other symptoms appear later in childhood and early adulthood. These include growth retardation, advent of lung disease, and increasing difficulties by poor absorption of vitamins and nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections, other signs and symptoms include sinus infections, poor growth, etc.

Sufferers have a high concentration of salt (NaCl) in sweat, allowing make the diagnosis by analyzing, performing the sweat test. Also through prenatal genetic testing, birth through gibson and cooke.

Described more than 1500 mutations for this disease, most of them are small deletions or point mutations; less than 1% are due to mutations in the promoter or chromosomal rearrangements.

The main cause of morbidity and mortality is lung involvement, causing 95% of deaths. There is no curative treatment, however are possible treatments that can improve symptoms and prolong life expectancy. In severe cases, worsening the disease can impose the need for a lung transplant. The median survival for these patients worldwide is estimated at 35 years.

Mauna Rabhi Essamhi

THE RAVEN CYCLE

THE RAVEN CYCLE

The Raven Cycle is a book saga, written by the English author Maggie Stiefvater, that is composed of four books: The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King. A few months ago, I read the first one in English and, in this writing, I will try to explain its plot; although it is a bit complicated.

The Raven Boys tells Blue Sargent’s story. She lives in a little village, called Henrietta, where there’s two kinds of people: the ones, like her, that must have a job to bring money home, and the ones, like Richard Gansey III, that have everything done in their life and only have to worried about look pretty. Despite that, Blue’s family is a little bit different than the others. Her house is full of women, women with psychic powers. Starting by Maura (Blue’s mother), Neeve and Jimi (Blue’s aunts), Calla and Persephone (Maura’s old friends) and ending with Orla (Blue’s cousin).  The curious thing is that each one of them have wonderful psychic powers, as I said; all, but Blue. However, it’s true that she’s able to intensify the powers of the others when she is near them. Due to that, every St Mark's Eve, Blue goes with his mother to the cemetery; where they see the spirits of all people born in Henrietta who are fated to die during the next twelve months. Maura asks them their names and then she tells her daughter to write them down. Because of Blue's lack of psychic abilities, she’s usually unable to see the spirits; except one day, when she saw a teenage boy named Gansey. Blue’s whole family had told her, during all her life, that she would kill her true love with their first kiss. Something that Blue didn’t believe, until that night. What had happened had only two explanations: that boy was her true love or she was going to murder him.

Gansey Richard III was always with Ronan Lynch and Adam Parrish; and the three of them were known as The Raven Boys because they studied in the Aglionby Academy, the most prestigious one in all Henrietta. They were also known by Gansey’s obsession to find the sleeping Welsh king, Glendower. As fate, Blue met them by chance and join their search. 

The question is, how Gansey will die? 

or how Blue will kill him?

To my mind, this book is quite interesting. The story is unique; I have never read anything like that before. As I see it, the author’s style is so good, because, at any time, you get tired of reading. The chapters are pretty short and they always end at the time of greater tension, that makes you hurry to turn the page.  Actually, I have already finished reading the first three books and I'm waiting for the last one to be published. It's pretty stressful because the author loves making cruel jokes on twitter that makes you think about not reading the next book.

LAURA ALONSO MOLINA

A WEDDING AND STAIRS, NOT THE BEST COMBINATION

A WEDDING AND STAIRS, NOT THE BEST COMBINATION

 (some stories based on the video below)

Once upon a time, not far from here, a wedding took place in a small village. Love and happiness were flying in the air while bride and groom found a lovely place to celebrate their ceremony. Blind of love, the two didn't realise one important fact, until the wedding.

I was sitting, eating somo snacks to end boredom, when everyone turned around to see the bride. Then, with my mouth full of snacks, I looked excited how the time seemed to stop for a while when she was desdending the stairs. Unfortunatly, the magic was killed when the wedding dress, that the bride had bought with hope, caused her to fall down the stairs so resoundingly. As soon as this happened, some guys ran to help her. After comfirm that she was allright, everyone, unavoidably, started to laugh. At first, the bride didn't seem to be upset; but, a few seconds later, she ran away without warning.

The wedding was not as I expected. The bride ran away and I almost died when I chocked me with some snacks while I was laughing so hard (I'm wicked) Eventually, bride and groom got married a few days later without telling everyone. After all, they got their happy ending.

Laura Alonso Molina

The two metres long tail nightmare

Everybody has dreamed at least once about his/her wedding. And who doesn't love going to these big events ( even if it's only for the cake :D ) ? Children usually wonder about  how terrific their wedding would be but , as we all know , children grow up and become sensible adults. But what would happen if a young woman still had those childish ambitions? Let me tell you a story that happened to a cousin of mine. 

It all started a sunny Sunday in the state of Ohio , when my family and I went to my cousin's wedding expecting to have a really nice day only surrounded by our closest friends and relatives , since my cousin has never really been an outgoing person . Anyway, she's always been dreaming about her fabulous wedding and she's been always kind of a fool trying to get along with everybody despite how impossible it is. Still , I couldn't believe my eyes when we got to the later party and found out that half Ohio was also there!! Surely, she had prepared the best wedding ever to all those people(trying to impress them) and it was surely going to be the day of her dreams , when the unexpected occured. Eventually, musicians started playing Pachelbel's Canon in D and someone of all the strangers turned the lights off. Then , my cousin appeared at the very top of the stairs in her two metres long tail bride dress( can you imagine how gorgeous it was?) . The thing was that while she was walking down the stairs, suddenly , and to everybody's surprise , she fell from them! Next, some men helped her get up and so embarrassed as she was, she ended up running away from a non-sensitive and laughing crowd.

Luckily, it turned out to be just a scare since she wasn't hurt. Anyway, as soon as I got home I couldn't stop thinking that those details she didn't care about while she was planing everything to be perfect, were those that can actually mean the difference between a dream come true or a living nightmare,

Andrea Martínez Cazorla

CARDBOARD HEAD

 CARDBOARD HEAD 

Our philosophy teacher showed a short tale, in class, called "Cardboard Heard".

Although it may seems to be a little bit childish at first, it isn't.

This tale teachs so many important things in spite of being so short.

Because of that, I wanted to try to traduce it to you. So, here it is:

In a town called Anyone lived a citizen named Previous.

It was a normal city, like any other, where the people liked that everything were normal. It means that everything should be "in the measure", without big extravangances, or for less, or for more.

The citizen Previous was looked badly, because of his weird behaviour: he was assertive, he tried to be critical, but careful, he was innovative and creative, he dressed in an original way, not necessarily fashionable, he had a peculiar way of listening and talking to the others.

And the worst of all: he thought on their own.

This last characteristic makes him going through bad treatments.

All of these because he didn't accept any idea without trying to understand it before, he questioned the action's modes that seemed to be mechanical and without sense, he searched for alternatives to common, and he argued in a consistent but unusual way.

 

An authority of this city called Previous to tell him that he should not act in that eccentric way, because he could be antisocial. And he explained to him that, at best, he should be an applied specialist, a compulsive consumer and a passive citizen, like everyone else.

Previous left confused that meeting, but he accepted the advice and he went for a walk to a shopping center to practice his life as a compulsive consumer. He was surprised to find there a small and old clockmaking.

He came in and told the man who was behind the desk:

- Besides watches, do you also manage heads?

- The heads are like a clock -said the watchmaker-and to function well they need periodic reviews.

I need thirty days to find and fix the defect.

- But what will I do without a head for 30 days?

- Do not worry, I lend you this cardboard.

So, Previous went out with a new head of the store. And he was a success in city Anyone: he acted like everyone else and because of that, he did not bother anyone. His social life went so calmly that his mind fell asleep. 

Previous forgot to return to the store after thirty days. 

And so years and years went by ...

One day Previous went to the shopping center by chance, he saw the store and it seemed to be familiar to him. 

He came in and asked:

-Sir, Did I leave something here and forget to pick it up?

The clockmaker replied:

- At last! I have waited for years ...

I have here his head. I have found no defect in it. Rather, it's such an original and unique model!

It's gorgeous!

- Really? Did I leave my head here?

But I feel so well with this one ...

I live pacefully, I have money, people do not reject me when I say what I think, because I don't longer think for myself. The truth is that I don't want my head back, I prefer this model of cardboard.

 The clockmaker felt so sorry for Previous because of seeing what happened to him. But he understood it, because he used to see weird things. 

He put that brilliant head in a glass case and did not forget to write:

ATTENTION!

Here lies a free head!

Previous had decided not to complicate his life with that thing of thinking by his own ...

Laura Alonso Molina

MINIONS

WHAT ARE MINIONS?

Small yellow beings, created with the same mutant DNA's chain (Looking for the perfect workers, they were created by a mix of mutant DNA, fatty acids and two cups of mashed bananas), who was living on Earth since before humanity... 

What is their rason for living? 

Their instinct always leads them to find the GREATEST villain of every age to serve him...

If they aren't slaves of some villain, 

his life is meaningless, 

they are gradually turned off, 

they fell lifeless. They could even died :(

How do they look like? What is their character?

There are a lot of minions, friendly and funny, serious and dull, fat and thin, tall and short, with two eyes and one eye, with more hair and less hair, too much choice to define them in the same way. But, absolutely everyone of them are so cute and a little bit stupid and goofy, but, that doesn't mean that they aren't great and loyal friends.



Regarding their clothes, their description is quite simply. They always wear a cowboy dungarees with a front pocket where it is carved a G (A initial that represents their current villain's name, Gru), round glasses which enlarge their eyes widely (the most characteristic appearence,that they have always worn from the beginning), and a simple black shoes. 

What do they like?

They especially love bananas and everything related to parties. Nobody knows why :/
Besides eating bananas and throwing parties, they also love singing and they seem to do it really good :)

What about their humour?

They have a pretty peculiar one; on whose top is found a word that makes them crack up laughing...

And their language?

The most curious thing about these little yellow creatures is their peculiar language, that nobody understands wholly, except, possibly, them.It's a mix of Indian, French, Spanish and Italian words. 

Some examples: 

ENGLISH                         BANANA LANGUAGE

Hello! ----------------------------------- Bello!

Goodbye! ------------------------------ Poopaye!

Thank you! ---------------------------- Tank yu!

Are you ready? ---------------------- Machi da?

Can we start? ------------------------- Pwede na?

Fire! Fire! ------------------------------ Bee Do! Bee Do!

I'm hungry! --------------------------- Me want mantoca!

Ugly! ----------------------------------- Bananonina!

I swear... ------------------------------- Underwear...

We love you! ------------------------ Tulaliloo ti amo!

I hate you! ---------------------------- Tatata bala tu!

Toy -------------------------------------- Baboi

By your side --------------------------- Te lah keh

What ------------------------------------ Po ka

One -------------------------------------- Hana

Two --------------------------------------- Dul

Three ------------------------------------ Sae

Apple ------------------------------------- Bable

Ice cream ------------------------------- Gelato

For you ---------------------------------- Para tu

Chair --------------------------------------Chasy

I'm sorry --------------------------------- Bido

Kiss ---------------------------------------- Muak

Don't look at me anymore! ---------Stop luk at tu! 

I'm cooking meal --------------------- Banana planachi

What are their names?

We only know a few names of all of them, especially we know the names of the most famous ones. 
Who are they? Take a look...

¿Minions on the screen?

They have been part of two films where they are Gru's servants, and these little creatures have been so successful on display that, this summer, a new film (based on everything that happened to the minions before Gru) will premiere...

 Some videos...

Enjoy them!!

LAURA ALONSO MOLINA

INTO THE WOODS: Be careful what you wish for...

INTO THE WOODS 

“Into the Woods” is a new musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Walt Disney Pictures, that has been released a few days ago. It's based on the acclaimed Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Take a look if you want:

-Plot-

The story talks about a young couple, a baker and his wife, who wants to end with a curse thrown to their family by a witch; who found the baker's father robbing her garden when his mother was pregnant, some years ago. 

This curse doesn't allow to them to have any kids, preventing them to fulfilled his dream of starting a family.

When the couple talk with the witch, she offers to them a little deal: she will lift the curse, but only if they get for her 4 specific objects: 

* A cape as red as blood

* A cow as white as milk

* Hair as yellow as corn

* A slipper as pure as gold

These demands will take them to cross with Jack, who is searching for a buyer for his cow; with Cinderella, who was running from prince at midnight; with Litlle Red Riding Hood, who was going to his grandmother's house; and Rapunzel (the Witch's adopted daughter) who lives in a tower in the woods...

What will happened???

-Most important characters-

Meryl Streep as The Witch













Emily Blunt as The Baker's Wife

James Corden as The Baker











Anna Kendrick as Cinderella














Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince

Johnny Depp as The Wolf

Lilla Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood










MacKenzie Mauzy as Rapunzel

Billy Magnussen as Rapunzel's Prince

Tracey Ullman as Jack's Mother

Daniel Huttlestone as Jack

Christine Baranski as Cinderella's Stepmother

Tammy Blanchard as Florinda

Lucy Punch as Lucinda

-Some clips-

• Cinderella and Cinderella's Prince have a quick meeting in the woods...

•  The Little Red Riding Hood  (Lilla) goes in to The Baker's store. As she gets all the food that she can hold your hands (in the face of The Baker's ghastly look and The Baker Wife's compassionate eyes) sings a beautiful song (the girl's is amazing), called "Into the Woods". Finally, she leaves, but follow by both of the shop's owners; because, as you know, they really need that reddish cap...

• The Witch sing a persuasive song, called "Stay With me", to her darling daughter, Rapunzel, when she goes to visit at her little dwelling, her prison: the tower...

• The Witch gets REALLY angry with The Baker and his wife's job...

be careful what you wish for...

LAURA ALONSO MOLINA :)