HBT: Hot Beltre is entering MVP picture

Not literally. That would be awful! ?But he is hitting the baseball often and hitting it hard these days.

Last night he?tripled, homered and drove in three runs against Kansas City. He has hit?four home runs in his past five games, and has has been notching extra-base hits at an astounding rate: 18 of them in his last 14 games. Since his three-homer game against the Orioles on August 22, he has raised his slugging percentage 73 points, from .480 to .553.

If I?m voting Mike Trout is still my man, but Beltre has to be a part of the MVP conversation.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/06/adrian-beltre-is-on-fire/related/

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"Junk" DNA Holds Clues to Common Diseases

When the draft of the human genome was published?in 2000, researchers thought that they had obtained the secret decoder ring for the human body. Armed with the code of 3 billion basepairs of As, Ts, Cs and Gs and the 21,000 protein-coding genes, they hoped to be able to find the genetic scaffolds of life?both in sickness and in health.

But in the 12 years since then, very few diseases?almost all of them very rare?have been linked definitively to changes in the genes themselves. And large, genome-wide studies searching for genetic underpinnings for more common diseases, such as lung cancer or autism, have pointed to the nether regions of the genome between the protein-producing genes?areas that were often thought to contain ?junk? DNA that was not part of the pantheon of known genes.

An international consortium of hundreds of scientists has now deciphered a large portion of the strange language of this junk DNA and found it to be not junk at all. Rather it contains important signals for regulating our genes, determining disease risk, height and many of the other complex aspects of human biology that make each one of us different. The findings are described in 30 linked papers published online September 5 in Nature?and other journals and described at the consortium's Web site. (Scientific American?is part of Nature Publishing Group.)?

Called the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE), the group is focused on understanding not just the elements of the genome but also how they work together. "The complexity of our biology resides not in the number of our genes but in the regulatory switches," Eric Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute and collaborator on the ENCODE project, said in a press briefing September 5. Through more than 1,600 separate experiments, analysis of more than 140 cell types and a massive amount of data analysis, the group found about 4 million of these so-called switches and can now assign functions to more than 80 percent of the entire genome. Compare that to the roughly 2 percent of the genome that is responsible for the protein-coding genes that researchers have been relying on to look for diseases and traits. "The genome project was about establishing the set of letters that make up the blueprint," Green said. "When we finally put that blueprint together, we realized we could only really understand very little of it."

These newly catalogued switches not only activate and de-activate genes, but also control how much of each protein gets made and when. They are involved in epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation, which has been implicated in cardiovascular disease and other conditions. The new data promise to improve our understanding of many common diseases that might have similar genetic underpinnings. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have continuously come up short in identifying specific genes for common diseases, John Stamatoyannopoulos, associate professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine and ENCODE collaborator, said in the briefing. "Frustratingly, about 95 percent of information from these studies has been pointing to regions of the genome that do not make proteins," he said. But, now with the ENCODE data, they can begin to decipher what genetic switches and functions might be common within and among these diseases. "We're now exploring previously hidden connections between diseases that may explain similar clinical [symptoms]," he noted.

It will most likely be some time before these new findings, which are freely available, are put to use in approved therapies. "The pharmaceutical industry has largely given up on the genome," Stamatoyannopoulos said. "And I think this is going to tremendously reinvigorate the utility of the genome." These additional genetic elements, however, are already in use for screening and testing for diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and autoimmune diseases, Richard Myers, president of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Ala., noted in the briefing.

The group has funding to continue their efforts and does not anticipate a slowdown in discoveries going forward. "Our blueprint is remarkably complicated, and we need to be committed for the long haul to understand it," Green said. Compared with the publication of draft human genome 12 years ago?and with initial findings from the ENCODE project published over the past several years?"the questions that we can now ask are more sophisticated," Green said. And hopefully, those better questions will lead to more satisfying and medically useful answers.

Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
? 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/junk-dna-holds-clues-common-diseases-203000860.html

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Tutu: Bush, Blair should face trial at the Hague

LONDON (AP) ? Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu called Sunday for Tony Blair and George Bush to face prosecution at the International Criminal Court for their role in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq

Tutu, the retired Anglican Church's archbishop of South Africa, wrote in an op-ed piece for The Observer newspaper that the ex-leaders of Britain and the United States should be made to "answer for their actions."

The Iraq war "has destabilized and polarized the world to a greater extent than any other conflict in history," wrote Tutu, who was awarded the Nobel prize in 1984.

"Those responsible for this suffering and loss of life should be treading the same path as some of their African and Asian peers who have been made to answer for their actions in the Hague," he added.

The Hague, Netherlands, based court is the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal and has been in operation for 10 years. So far it has launched prosecutions only in Africa, including in Sudan, Congo, Libya and Ivory Coast.

Tutu has long been a staunch critic of the Iraq war, while others opposed to the conflict ? including playwright Harold Pinter ? have previously called for Bush and Blair to face prosecution at the Hague.

"The then-leaders of the U.S. and U.K. fabricated the grounds to behave like playground bullies and drive us further apart. They have driven us to the edge of a precipice where we now stand ? with the specter of Syria and Iran before us," said Tutu, who last week withdrew from a conference in South Africa due to Blair's presence at the event.

While the International Criminal Court can handle cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, it does not currently have the jurisdiction to prosecute crimes of aggression. Any potential prosecution over the Iraq war would likely come under the aggression category.

The U.S. is among nations which do not recognize the International Criminal Court.

In response to Tutu, Blair said he had great respect for the archbishop's work to tackle apartheid in South Africa, but accused him of repeating inaccurate criticisms of the Iraq war.

"To repeat the old canard that we lied about the intelligence is completely wrong as every single independent analysis of the evidence has shown," Blair said. "And to say that the fact that Saddam (deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein) massacred hundreds of thousands of his citizens is irrelevant to the morality of removing him is bizarre."

However, Blair said that "in a healthy democracy people can agree to disagree."

In Britain, a two-year long inquiry examining the buildup to the Iraq war and its conduct is yet to publish its final report. The panel took evidence from political leaders including Blair, military chiefs and intelligence officers. Two previous British studies into aspects of the war cleared Blair's government of wrongdoing.

The Iraq war was bitterly divisive in the U.K. and saw large public demonstrations. However, Blair subsequently won a 2005 national election, though with a reduced majority.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tutu-bush-blair-face-trial-hague-094855285.html

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Report: Apple to release 7.85-inch iPad in October

1 day

Rosa Golijan

iPad Mini? iPad Nano? iPad Air? We don't really know what Apple will call the smaller version of its popular tablet, but we've got a pile of reports from anonymous sources to suggest that the device is actually coming. The latest of these reports claims that the shiny new iPad will be a 7.85-inch gadget.

Bloomberg's Tim Culpan writes that four people familiar with Apple's plans listed out the companies which may supply parts for the device and in the process revealed its diagonal?measurement.

The detail fits with what we've heard before, that the smaller iPad will be close to eight inches diagonally (rather than 9.7 inches like the current models).?

Leaked parts have also?suggested?that the device will use a 19-pin connector like the next-generation iPhone and be offered in a choice of black or white.?Both 9to5?Mac's Seth Weintraub and Apple watcher?John Gruber?agree that chances are high that this smaller tablet will look a lot like a large iPod Touch, with?a smaller bezel.

Of course, the folks at?Apple certainly haven't given any official word regarding the existence of a smaller iPad. ?(It's their policy not to address such rumors, after all.)?So, for now just pick your favorite bit of gossip and let's keep speculating until the cows come home ? or until the Apple executives come to the Moscone Center for an?announcement.

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/report-apple-release-7-85-inch-ipad-october-974329

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Security in Christ - Worldwide Discipleship Association

My daughter defines ?friendship? as a relationship where ?you can just be yourself?. We all need relationships with people who love us and accept us completely, a place where we feel safe and secure. Every relationship is unique, but healthy relationships have this in common: they are based on trust, loyalty, and commitment. They are places where ?we can just be ourselves?.

An environment of honesty, good will, and unconditional love reassures us that we are relationally protected. When we are with people who love us in this way we are able to be transparent, which serves to deepen the relationship. We all need relationships with safe people who love us if we are to thrive and grow. This is also true in our relationship with God. If we feel loved and accepted by God we will approach Him in faith and with confidence. Conversely, if we feel condemned by God, we will not have a healthy relationship with Him. Being secure in our relationship with God requires two commitments. The first involves His eternal commitment to us, the second involves our commitment to stay in the relationship with Him.

God is committed to keeping us as His children.

Jesus spoke of His love for His followers by comparing Himself to a shepherd who walks in front of his flock, guarding them, leading them to good places, and reassuring them with his voice. ?I give them eternal life,? He said, ?and they shall never perish: no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father?s hand. I and the Father are one.? (John 10:27-30)

This remarkable assertion is founded on God?s unswerving commitment to those whom He loves. Because of His unending love and unstoppable power, He is willing and able to guard us. (II Timothy 1:12) Even our own sins and lack of faith will not lessen His commitment to those who are committed to Him. Timothy writes that ?if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.? (II Timothy 2:11-13) His love for us is not grounded upon our performance, it is grounded upon His perfect love and character.

Make no mistake, God is holy and hates sin. But we still sin, even though we don?t want to. When we do, we need to remember that God has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him. We have Someone who speaks to the Father in our defense ? Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He promises, ?If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.? (I John 1:8-2:2) Because Jesus Himself suffered temptations and yet did not sin, He is able to be the sacrifice for our sins and also to help us when we are tempted. Through Christ, God remains steadfast in His love to us.

If we feel loved and accepted by God we will approach Him in faith and with confidence.

We are committed to continue as His children.

Someone said that home is where they have to take you in when you knock on the door. Unfortunately, not all homes are so welcoming. But God always welcomes His children. And He wants us to be assured of our place in His family. Because we are His children, members of His family, we have a role also; our responsibility is to remain in His family.

John wrote his letter, the book of I John, so that people would know whether or not they were Christians. Central to his message was the confidence that Christians can have in their relationship with God. He writes: ?I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.? (I John 5:13) The confidence that He will never leave us causes us in turn to remain connected to Him, even when life is difficult.

John says, ?I write these things? so you can have this assurance; so you can know for sure you are a believer. What are ?these things? that he writes? He is referring to three evidences laid out in his letter that show a person that he has become a believer. These evidences are our love (4:7), our obedience (2:3-6) and our faith in Christ (4:15, 5:1a). It is not that we will demonstrate perfect love, obedience and faith but that we will experience each of these in ways we cannot explain apart from the fact that Christ is changing us on the inside. In these ways, the true believer remains faithful to the end, ?continuing in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.? (Colossians 1:23)

At times we all face doubts, accusations, and even suffering. When this happens, it is essential to remember that we are God?s children, committed to follow Him. The fact that we are

God?s children does not mean we never sin or disobey God. Nor does it mean our salvation is dependent on our obedience. It does mean that we continually participate with God in our sanctification, working with Him by faith to grow in

Christlikeness. As true believers we continue to ?work out our salvation with fear and trembling? because we love Him and trust Him, pressing on to fully gain the salvation that is already ours through Him. (Philippians 2:12) To?those who recognize both the divine and the human aspects of following the Living God, this approach is both mysterious and practical at the same time!

The confidence that He will never leave us causes us in turn to remain connected to Him, even when life is difficult.

Put another way, God has given us everything we need to live a godly, holy life and be sure of our salvation. But we must make every effort to grow in righteousness, remembering that we have been cleansed from past sins and called to live as children of God. This way we confirm that God has brought us securely into His family.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and?to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if?you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal Kingdom?of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 1:3-11

There is a basis for us to be secure in our relationship with God and be certain of our salvation. The basis of this security is God?s eternal love coupled with His ability to keep us to the end. This is confirmed in our lives when we have a trusting dependence on Him and a maturing character.

Summary

We can be secure in our relationship with God.

• A healthy relationship is based on trust, loyalty, and commitment.
• God is committed to keep us as His children.
• We can know we are God?s children and be committed to Him.
• God has equipped us to live godly, holy lives assured of our salvation.

Application Suggestions:

If you were God, what are some of the changes you would make in your own human character?

What are some of the signs in your life that God has begun that process of change?

Read and meditate on the book of I John.

WDA offers a complete set of Pocket Principles, along with Teaching Outlines and Lesson Plans at our WDA Store. Each Pocket Principle bundle can be ordered as an ebook pdf format.

Order the Knowing God Pocket Principle Bundle at the WDA Store

WDA Pocket Principle Bundle:?

• Knowing God: 10 Pocket Principles 54 Pages?

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You have been Reading ? Laying Foundations
Editor Note: this was previous published as a download. Read the whole ?Knowing God Series called ?Laying Foundations for Spiritual Growth??Series Pocket Principle here each week.

Source: http://www.disciplebuilding.org/2012/08/31/security-in-christ-wda-pocket-principle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=security-in-christ-wda-pocket-principle

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