Author Archives: marcia

Dead Dolphins Wash Up in Peru

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Peru investigates 877 dead dolphins

LIMA, April 22 (UPI) — Scientists say they are investigating the mysterious deaths of 877 dolphins washed ashore in Peru this year, many in advanced states of decomposition.

Peruvian Deputy Environmental Minister Gabriel Quijandria said an outbreak of Morbillivirus or Brucella bacteria could have been the cause. However, results of a histopathological analysis — which would determine whether contamination was the culprit — are expected in the coming days. Starvation, poisoning or interactions with fisheries have been ruled out as causes of death.

More than 80 percent of the dolphins washed ashore were in advanced states of decomposition, making it more difficult to determine the causes of death.

CNN reports the deaths are part of a worldwide trend. The International Fund for Animal Welfare said in February alone, 108 dead dolphins washed ashore in Cape Cod. Amateur video showed more than 30 dolphins washing ashore in Rio de Janeiro in March, which were later safely returned to the sea.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/04/22/Peru-investigates-877-dead-dolphins/UPI-20571335127242/#ixzz1tj44Mdqg

I Knew There Was A Reason I Love Tahini

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Sesame Seeds – Ten Amazing Health Benefits Of This Super-Seed

29th April 2012

By Sayer Ji – Wake Up World

Sesame (Sesamun indicum) is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world, prized as an oilseed for at least 5,000 years. While it is beginning to regain favor due to its exceptionally high calcium and magnesium content, few realize it is also one of the most potent medicinal foods still commonly consumed today.

In fact, its history as a medicine goes back 3600 years to Egyptian times where it was listed in the scrolls of the Ebers as a favored medicine.  Also, women in ancient Babylon were believed to use a mixture of honey and sesame seeds (havla) to prolong youth and beauty, and Roman soldiers ate the mixture for strength and energy.

In the past twenty years, a glut of scientific information has poured in demonstrating that sesame seed, and its components, have over three dozen documented therapeutic properties  Given these new revelations, it would seem that sesame would be just as at home in a medicine cabinet as it would be a kitchen cupboard.

Here are just 10 evidence-based medicinal properties of this food-medicine:

  1. Diabetes: A study published in 2011 in the Clinical Journal of Nutrition showed that sesame oil improved the effectiveness of the oral antidiabetic drug glibenclamide in type 2 diabetic patients. [1]  Another study published in 2006 in the Journal of Medicinal Foods showed that the substitution of sesame seed oil as the sole edible oil lowers blood pressure and glucose in hypertensive diabetics. [2]
  1. High Blood Pressure: A study published in 2006 in the Yale Journal of Biological Medicine showed that sesame seed oil has a beneficial effect in hypertensive patients on either diuretics or beta-blockers. Substitution of all dietary oils with sesame oil brought down systolic and dystolic  blood pressure to normal, in addition to decreasing lipid peroxidation (bodily rancidity) and antioxidant status. [3] One of the compounds identified behind sesame seed’s antihypertensive effects are peptides that act as angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors.[4]
  1. Gingivitis / Dental Plaque: Sesame seed oil has been used for oral health for thousands of years in the traditional Indian medical tradition known as Ayurveda in a process known as “oil pulling.” It involves swishing sesame seed oil in the mouth for prolonged durations and has been said to prevent teeth decay, halitosis, bleeding gums, dry throat, and for strengthening the teeth, gums and jaw. Clinical research now confirms that it compares favorably to chemical mouthwash (chlorhexidine) in improving plaque-induced gingivitis, [5] and that it is capable of reducing Streptococcus mutans growth associated with oral plaque formation. [6]
  1. Infant Health/Massage Oil: A study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research in 2000 showed that massaging infants with sesame oil improved both their growth and post-massage sleep, in comparison to control oils such as mineral oil.[7]
  1. Multiple Sclerosis (MS): In the animal model of MS, also known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, sesame seed oil protects mice from developing the disease by reducing IFN-gamma secretion, a key factor in initiating autoimmune inflammation and injury in the nervous system.[8] It has also been research for its potential beneficial role in another neurodegenerative condition, Huntington’s disease. [9]
  1. Antibiotic-Induced Kidney Damage: Sesame seed oil protects against gentamicin-induced kidney damage in rats by reducing oxidative damage caused by the antibiotic. [10]
  1. Atherosclerosis: Sesame seed oil prevents the formation of atherosclerotic lesions in mice fed an atherogenic diet. [11]  The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory lignan found within sesame seeds known as sesamol has been identified to be partially responsible for its anti-atherogenic properties. In fact, sesamol has been shown to possess over two dozen beneficial pharmacologically active properties, many of which may contribute to improving cardiovascular health.
  1. Depression: The sesame lignin sesamol was shown to exert an antidepressant-like effect in behavioral despair in chronically stressed mice, specifically by modulating oxidative-nitrosative stress and inflammation. [12]
  1. Radiation-Induced DNA Damage: Sesamol has been shown to protect against gamma radiation-induced DNA damage, likely through its antioxidant properties.  [13] It is capable of reducing mortality in radiation treated mice, in part through preventing intestinal and spleen damage. [14]   When compared to another powerful antioxidant, melatonin, it was found 20 times more effective as a free radical scavenger. [15]
  1. Cancer: Sesame contains a fat-soluble lignin with phytoestrogenic properties known as sesamin, and which has been studied for inhibiting the proliferation of a wide range of cancer cells, including:
  • Leukemia
  • Multiple Myleoma
  • Colon Cancer
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Breast Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Lung Cancer

Sesamin’s anticancer effects have been linked to the NF-kappaB signaling. [16]

Sesame deserves to be recognized, along with garlic, honey, turmeric and a select few other substances,  as an easily accessible and affordable food-medicine that, if consumed regularly, could quite possibly save lives.

for more information, footnotes, etc,. go to:    http://wakeup-world.com/2012/04/29/open-sesame-10-amazing-health-benefits-of-this-super-seed/

Merapi Volcano in Indonesia Activity

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Deformation Observed at Indonesia’s Merapi

Merapi in Indonesia seen on December 7, 2011. Image from Yudha Aria / Flickr.

 

I did want to pass along this piece of news I saw this morning on Merapi in Indonesia. Dr. Masako Iguchi from the Disaster Prevention Research Institute at Kyoto University has been studying deformation at Indonesian volcanoes using GPS for the past two years, specifically targeting Merapi, Sinabung and Guntur. Of those three, it looks like Merapi has already entered in a cycle of inflation after the impressive (and deadly) eruptions of 2010. Sadly, the article in the Jakarta Post does not offer any sense of magnitude of the inflation, but Dr. Iguchi does say that Merapi appears to experience rapid inflation before a new eruptive cycle begins. In other Merapi news, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and the National Space and Aviation Agency (Lapan) released images of the summit area of Merapi taken by a styrofoam drone – one of the first uses of drones to image active volcanoes that I’ve seen. The images from the drone that feel ~400 meters above the summit will be used to create a 3D map of the volcano. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for more news on Merapi.

from:    http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/category/eruptions/

Quantum Entanglement May Jump Time

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Weird! Quantum Entanglement Can Reach into the Past

Clara Moskowitz, LiveScience Senior Writer
Date: 30 April 2012 Time: 09:42 AM ET
Wackyphysics-banner
Scientists have entangled particles in such a way that a future decision can affect the past states of the particles.
Scientists have entangled particles in such a way that a future decision can affect the past states of the particles.
CREDIT: Jon Heras, Equinox Graphics Ltd.

Spooky quantum entanglement just got spookier.

Entanglement is a weird statewhere two particles remain intimately connected, even when separated over vast distances, like two die that must always show the same numbers when rolled. For the first time, scientists have entangled particles after they’ve been measured and may no longer even exist.

If that sounds baffling, even the researchers agree it’s a bit “radical,” in a paper reporting the experiment published online April 22 in the journal Nature Physics.

“Whether these two particles are entangled or separable has been decided after they have been measured,” write the researchers, led by Xiao-song Ma of the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information at the University of Vienna.

Essentially, the scientists showed that future actions may influence past events, at least when it comes to the messy, mind-bending world of quantum physics.

In the quantum world, things behave differently than they do in the real, macroscopic world we can see and touch around us. In fact, when quantum entanglement was first predicted by the theory of quantum mechanics, Albert Einstein expressed his distaste for the idea, calling it “spooky action at a distance.”

The researchers, taking entanglement a step further than ever before, started with two sets of light particles, called photons.

The basic setup goes like this:

Both pairs of photons are entangled, so that the two particles in the first set are entangled with each other, and the two particles in the second set are entangled with each other. Then, one photon from each pair is sent to a person named Victor. Of the two particles that are left behind, one goes to Bob, and the other goes to Alice.

But now, Victor has control over Alice and Bob’s particles. If he decides to entangle the two photons he has, then Alice and Bob’s photons, each entangled with one of Victor’s, also become entangled with each other. And Victor can choose to take this action at any time, even after Bob and Alice may have measured, changed or destroyed their photons.

“The fantastic new thing is that this decision to entangle two photons can be done at a much later time,” said research co-author Anton Zeilinger, also of the University of Vienna. “They may no longer exist.”

Such an experiment had first been predicted by physicist Asher Peres in 2000, but had not been realized until now.

“The way you entangle them is to send them onto a half-silvered mirror,” Zeilinger told LiveScience. “It reflects half of the photons, and transmits half. If you send two photons, one to the right and one to the left, then each of the two photons have forgotten where they come from. They lose their identities and become entangled.”

Zeilinger said the technique could one day be used to communicate between superfast quantum computers, which rely on entanglement to store information. Such a machine has not yet been created, but experiments like this are a step toward that goal, the researchers say.

“The idea is to create two particle pairs, send one to one computer, the other to another,” Zeilinger said.”Then if these two photons are entangled, the computers could use them to exchange information.”

from:    http://www.livescience.com/19975-spooky-quantum-entanglement.html

 

Strong Earthquake — Chile

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Strong earthquake close to La Serena and Coquimbo, Chile

Last update: April 30, 2012 at 1:05 pm by By 

Strong earthquake close to La Serena and Coquimbo, Chile
A strong earthquake shook houses close to the Chile cities of La Serena and Coquimbo
Coquimbo has a population of 161,137
Earthquake-Report.com calls this earthquake moderately dangerous for minor damage and minor injuries
Onemi Chile calls this earthquake : Sismo de mediana intensidad en las regiones de Atacama y Coquimbo
Intensity values :
Región: Atacama
Alto del Carmen: IV, Copiapó: IV, Tierra Amarilla: IV, Vallenar: IV
Región: Coquimbo
Canela: II, Coquimbo: V, La Serena: V, Ovalle: V (V=moderate shaking)
See also Experience reports below
Onemi indicates that all infrastructure and telecommunications kept working
An Experience report we received right after the earthquake struck mentions a duration of 1 minute 30 seconds for the the shaking, which is very long. A prolonged shaking increases the chance on damage considerably.
Update 08:10 UTC : Universidad de Chile reports a Ml magnitude of 6 luckily at a depth of 45 km. Universidad de Chile places the epicenter approx. 35 km out of the coast.
Contrary to many other earthquakes in Chile, this earthquake was located in the north of the country at a big distance from Santiago de Chile. Most earthquakes who are occurring in this area have a deeper hypocenter.
Update 08:18 UTC : USGS is mentioning a Mw5.5 at a depth of 32.3 km. USGS expects 116,000 people to have felt a moderate MMI V shaking. The earthquake happened at 03:39 local time!
Update 08:26 UTC : An inhabitant of nearby La Serena informed ER that no damage or disruption of basic services was noticed.  “No se reportan daños ni cortes de servicios básicos”
Update 08:50 UTC : We expect a final report to arrive within 4 to 6 hours (soon after daylight). Local newspapers are mentioning basic Onemi data, nothing else. Experience reports from our Chile readers make this report the “best available in the world” at the time of writing  .
Update 12:57 UTC : Electricity was cut off for a while in Sindempart Coquimbo. People reacted to the shaking to assemble on the secure locations in the coastal towns. This can be called auto-evacuation which produces after every major shaking. People are going to higher grounds as they do not know the epicenter and initial strength of the shaking, especially after the February 27 deadly tsunami in Chile. Better not take any risk than trusting SHOA or ONEMI they think (Shoa is the tsunami reporting agency).  The same attitude exists in other frequently shaken coastal towns around the world. At earthquake-Report.com we think that this is a wise decision, however we also know that the government reports are very accurate !

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/04/29/major-earthquakes-list-april-30-2012/

April 29-May 5

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Overall Color for the Week:    Bright L:avender

There are three large themes this week: 1} Loneliness 2) Sorrow 3) Physical symptoms.  Loneliness has many roots and causes, but this week it stems from an existential sense of not belonging.  This is not unusual in the current energy.  Things are falling apart and there is no real feeling of continuity or context.  Because of this, what once seemed a good idea or to be part of something now seems not quite right.  There can be a lot of emotion in the air this week.  It is best to step back and take a look at things.  This is not a good time to act, but it is a good time to marinate.

2) Sorrow;  Things past and things present.  All are experiencing change at this time, and it is out of your control.  THis is a week when you can find yourself looking back on things that have happened, seeing them in a new light, taking no responsibility, and moving forward.  There is always something of a feeling of loss when we let things go, even things we know do nto serve us.  It is nostalgia and what if coming up and taunting.  It is time to move on.  Take what you need from what has gone before and leave the rest behind.

3) Physical Symptoms:  The body is going through shifts and changes.  Many are disturbing, making you wonder if something is wrong.  There will be  off headaches, eyes flashes, feelings of vertigo, memory lapses.  These are all part of the new energy charging into the rifts that are opening up as the illusions of the old energies begin to dissipate.  Take time in what you do this week and listen to your body.

On the larger scale, things are going to be quite uncomfortable in all areas.  Expect some odd news to come out, and then be quickly retracted.  There is activity going on in Washington that is going to hit the news.  It revolves around taking away more of individual freedoms.  Expect new fringe groups to rise up on the right calling for even militant responses to things.  These will be exacerbated by their media stars, who will end up effectively putting their collective feet into their mouths.  The Earth is shifting and changing and there are movements that will be going on within large land masses, things not heard of before.  This can be a dangerous week in terms of Earth Changes.  Again, there is movement on the Sun, so take care to back up your electronics.  That galactic energy is moving closer, and it is exerting a pull on our solar system that can kead to strange effects.  Astronomers will be watching this.  The dimensions are getting closer, so there will be some popping in and out of things.  Look also for some things happening in the area of religions which will try to deal with all that is going on.  Travel can be tough this week.  This is all aprt of the coming together of various pieces of the larger puzzle that is 2012.

Sunday, April 29:    Frosty White

This is a day on which you will be wanting to bring things out into the open.  You are feeling as though what you have been working on is ready now for a larger audience.  While this may be true, the current atmosphere does not welcome novelty or unexpected events.  It is best to step back and develop a master plan.  Be the observer and see how people are acting and reacting.  The energies are crazier every day, making people’s reactions less predictable.  It is best to has an intuitive feel for what is going on before taking a step.  Aso use the wisdom of your heart to know which is the best audience.  Presenting things to the wrong people can cause them to become pushed aside.

Crystal Vibe:    Glory Blue Gate—-This stone assists one in transmitting and interpreting the light of the spirit as it enters in through the Throat.  Resonates with the Throat Chakra.

Monday, April 30:

There is a good possibility that this April will go out like a lion, so be prepared for confrontations.  When they happen, the best response is to step back and take a look at what exactly is going on and what exactly is being said.  Also, it is a good idea to remove yourself from that atmosphere.  Things tends to brew in small spaces today.  This includes mental as well as physical spaces.  This is a day on which you or others can become fixated on a certain thought or idea to the point of obsession.  Step back from that one also and take a look at it.  Right now, lots of things are surfacing, as hints of the greater pattern emerge. You are changing.  It is time to honor that and just be with the change.  Do not try to force it.

Crystal Vibe:    Psilomelane—-The energy of this mineral assists one in grounding.  It also can help in releasing stuckness and toxins in many of the layers of the body.  Resonates with the Root Chakra.

Tuesday, May 1:    Apricot

There is a peace in the morning that will be more than made up for in the afternoon as things begin to spiral out of control.  If you have things you are working on, back them up, set them in stone, get your models done before noon, because the energy of the afternoon today can shake things up.  Make sure you have everything you need before going out.  Check and double check, take along some extras just-in-case.  The Trickster is about, and he has some surprises in store.  Be alert for information that will be coming today in unusual ways.  The pattern is emerging in this energy and you will be glimpsing more of it.

Wednesday, May 2:    Cloudy White

Things are not clear today.  People are muddled and out of sorts.  This is not a day on which a lot of things will get done.  Put aside your expectations and enjoy the ride.  In the current energy many things that have been hidden or out of the way are popping to the surface.  If you are observant, aware, or even awake there is much that you can learn, especially about one issue that has been confounding you for some time now.  Be alert today and take nothing for granted.  You can learn much that way, as well as gain some important insights as to what is coming next.

Crystal Vibe:    Analcime—-This mineral works to bring into alignment energies that have vibrational frequencies that tend towards instability.  Resonates with the Crown Chakra.

Thursday, May 3:    Cherry Rose

What started slowly and without promise will end with a flourish, a zing, and a grand hurrah.  Take time today to savort every moment.  Yes, the morning can be confusing.  There are many different strands and elements in the air.  Nothing has settled, however by mid-morning, there will be a leveling out and a sifting through.  Things will be clearer.  Today is a day for seeing things as they are and knowing them in their true essence.  It is a day to step into your power.  To be strong enough to accept what you know is true and to act on that.  There will never be a better time.  The energies are settling today, albeit briefly.  If you can seize that time, then things will become more clear.  You can get some answers.

Crystal Vibe:    Morganite—This stone allows for leaving it behind, moving on, and opening to the wisdom of the true heart.  Resonates with the Heart Chakra.

Friday, May 4:    Rose Tint

The beat goes on, as they say.  More and more comes faster and faster.  It is time to see things for what they are.  The rapid pace allows for you to take what you desire and let the rest go.  Choose wisely.  There are decisions to be made in this energy that will affect you and your movement throughout this year.  There is a wise one deep within your soul.  If you are confused or uncertain, turn to the true wisdom of your heart which is linked to Universal Consciousness, and a light will shine.  This is a day for knowing that you are never alone.  Even in your most solitary and despairing moments, you are not alone.

Crystal Vibe:    Galena—-The energy of this mineral brings balance and perspective.  It can assist in bringing one into alignment with the here and now while opening a window to the larger picture.  Resonates with the Solar Plexus and Third Eye Chakras.

Saturday, May 5:    Hazy White

There is a kind of drowsiness that pervades the energy of the day.  Things will not be terribly clear.  You can see things that are not there and wonder if they are there, because, perhaps, they are there…. But then they could not be there…..  These kinds of exchanges will be common today.  It is important to ground yourself and stay centered throughout the day.  The balance ifs off right now, and nothing will be as it should.  Stay away from emotional conversations.  Look.  Observe.  Let action take a back seat to everything else.  This is not a time for doing, rathier it is a good day for marinating.

Crystal Vibe:    Vivianite—-This mineral takes the etheric and brings it into the physical through intention and awareness.  Resonates with the Third Eye, Crown, and Ninth Chakras.

 

Body Satisfaction and Confidence

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Big Girls Don’t Cry: Overweight Teens Who Are Satisfied With Their Bodies Are Less Depressed, Less Prone to Unhealthy Behaviors

ScienceDaily (Apr. 28, 2012) — A study to be published in the June 2012 issue of Journal of Adolescent Health looking at the relationships between body satisfaction and healthy psychological functioning in overweight adolescents has found that young women who are happy with the size and shape of their bodies report higher levels of self-esteem. They may also be protected against the negative behavioral and psychological factors sometimes associated with being overweight.

A group of 103 overweight adolescents were surveyed between 2004 and 2006, assessing body satisfaction, weight-control behavior, importance placed on thinness, self-esteem and symptoms of anxiety and depression, among other factors.

“We found that girls with high body satisfaction had a lower likelihood of unhealthy weight-control behaviors like fasting, skipping meals or vomiting,” said Kerri Boutelle, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Boutelle added that the positive relationship shown in this study between body a girl’s happiness with her body and her behavioral and psychological well-being suggests that improving body satisfaction could be a key component of interventions for overweight youth.

“A focus on enhancing self-image while providing motivation and skills to engage in effect weight-control behaviors may help protect young girls from feelings of depression, anxiety or anger sometimes association with being overweight,” said Boutelle.

Additional contributors included first author Taya R. Cromley, PhD, of UCLA; Stephanie Knatz and Roxanne Rockwell, UC San Diego; and Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, MPH, RD and Mary Story, PhD, RD, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

This study was supported by a University of Minnesota Children’s Vikings Grant.

from:    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120428000103.htm

On Maintaining Brain Health As One Ages

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Maintain Your Brain: The Secrets to Aging Success

ScienceDaily (Apr. 27, 2012) — Aging may seem unavoidable, but that’s not necessarily so when it comes to the brain. So say researchers in the April 27th issue of the Cell Press journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences based on counterintuitive evidence that it is what you do in old age that matters when it comes to maintaining a youthful brain rather than what you did earlier in life.

“Although some memory functions do tend to decline as we get older, several elderly show well-preserved functioning and this is related to a well-preserved, youth-like brain,” says Lars Nyberg, Professor of Neuroscience at Umeå University in Sweden.

Education won’t save your brain — PhDs are as likely as high school dropouts to experience memory loss with old age, the researchers say. Don’t count on your job either. Those with a complex or demanding career may enjoy a limited advantage, but those benefits quickly dwindle after retirement. Engagement is the secret to success. Those who are socially, mentally and physically stimulated reliably show greater cognitive performance with a brain that appears younger than its years.

“There is quite solid evidence that staying physically and mentally active is a way towards brain maintenance,” Nyberg says.

The researchers say this new take on successful aging represents an important shift in focus for the field. Much attention in the past has gone instead to understanding ways in which the brain copes with or compensates for cognitive decline in aging. The research team now argues for the importance of avoiding those age-related brain changes in the first place. Genes play a role, but life choices and other environmental factors, especially in old age, are critical.

Elderly people generally do have more trouble remembering meetings or names, Nyberg says. But those memory losses often happen later than many often think, after the age of 60. Older people also continue to accumulate knowledge and to use what they know effectively, often to very old ages.

“Taken together, a wide range of findings provides converging evidence for marked heterogeneity in brain aging,” the scientists write. “Critically, some older adults show little or no brain changes relative to younger adults, along with intact cognitive performance, which supports the notion of brain maintenance. In other words, maintaining a youthful brain, rather than responding to and compensating for changes, may be the key to successful memory aging.”

from:    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427163335.htm

Honshu, Japan — Earthquakes 4/29

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April 29, 2012 – 2 strong earthquakes along the coast of Honshu, Japan

Last update: April 29, 2012 at 3:43 pm by By 

Another strong coastal earthquake near Miyako, Honshu, Japan
This quake reported as M5.6 by JMA Japan (depth 20 km) had an epicenter a little out of the coast.
Max. JMA intensity 4JMA, below the damaging level.
The Quake was closest to Kuji and Miyako.

Image courtesy JMA Japan – dark orange highest intensity

Strong earthquake along the coast of Honshu, Japan
JMA Japan reports a magnitude of 5.8 at a depth of 50 km
Max. intensity : 5- (just below what Er considers a potential serious damaging level)
5- intensity at Asahi-shi Minami-horinouchi*
Earthquake must have been well felt in Tokyo
12 km S Choshi (pop 75,650)
46 km E Narita (pop 100,641) Narita is one of the Tokyo airports
93 km E Tokyo (pop 8,336,599)
Minor damage cannot be excluded in the 5- intensity area
The earthquake occurred at an intermediate depth what means that the intensity is weakened by the depth of the hypocenter
JMA Japan reports that the epicenter is located 6 km inland in a city called Tonosho.
Of course NO tsunami risk at this magnitude
Update 10:54 UTC : USGS data are pointing the epicenter in a highly populated region of Kanto in Japan. The earthquake happened 7km from Naruto. The nearest populated places are: Oami (19km), Katakai (10km), Togane (11km), Hasunuma (2km), Yokoshiba (5km), Asahi Yokaichiba (20km), Tako (14km), Narita (18km). The closest civilian airport is Tokyo Narita International (20km).

from:   http://earthquake-report.com/2012/04/29/major-earthquakes-list-april-29-2012/