2012/06/10 18:04:54 Taipei, June 10 (CNA) Around 60 church members, medical students and English teachers ran up Taiwan's tallest building on Sunday to raise funds for children in Swaziland.The group, consisting of members from the Catholic Taichung Diocese, Annie's English School and the School of Medicine at Fu Jen Catholic University, participated in the marathon climb up 2,046 stairs to the 91st floor of the Taipei 101 tower."Last year we climbed Taiwan's highest peak Yushan to raise funds for Swaziland," said Frances Chou, convener of the event and a member of the Catholic church."This year we want to climb Taipei 101, Taiwan's tallest building, to call attention to our ally in southern Africa and to show Taiwan's love for them," she said.She said the group's participation in the Taipei 101 event was part of a global initiative led by the U.S.-based charity Heart for Africa, which sent teams last year to climb mountains in countries such as Taiwan to raise funds for orphans and vulnerable children in Swaziland.The group is raising funds this year to buy 10,000 pairs of socks for children in Swaziland, who are often unable to afford warm clothes and socks in winter, Chou said.Chou's group is also raising money for medical supplies for AIDS patients in Swaziland, which is said to have one of the highest HIV rates in the world.Some members of the group, including doctors, will travel to Swaziland in July on medical missions and distribute the socks and relief supplies to people there, Chou said.Rockey Chao, a doctor in the group, said many of the children he had been in touch with on previous visits to Swaziland were orphans whose parents had died of AIDS. He called on the Taiwanese public to donate generously to help such children."I want to say thank you very much. This is not the first time you have donated your time and energy to raising money for Swaziland," said Njabuliso B. Gwebu, ambassador of Swaziland in Taiwan"I know today is Sunday, when most of us are thinking of resting after a long week. But you have taken this precious time to share the love with the people of Swaziland," she said before the group began the race.Over 4,000 contestants participated in the annual race up Taipei 101 on Sunday. This year, NT$4 million (US$133,645) from the event will be donated to help visually impaired people in developing countries.
Monday, June 11, 2012
mHealth Company AliveCor Names Judy Wade President, CEO & Director
June 08, 2012 08:03 AM Eastern Daylight TimeSAN FRANCISCO--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--AliveCor, the developer of a breakthrough mobile electrocardiogram (ECG) device, today announced that Judy Wade has been appointed President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director. Ms. Wade is responsible for building the organization, developing the strategic roadmap for AliveCor's unique technology capabilities, and ensuring successful commercialization and regulatory clearance for AliveCor's products. Upon 510(k) marketing clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the company plans to launch its ECG device for iPhone in the human health market as well as in the animal health markets."Judy brings invaluable international strategy and go-to-market experience, and immediate expertise in mobile applications. This knowledge will be essential as we introduce our products globally to medical and veterinary professionals and, eventually to consumers." "I am delighted to be a part of AliveCor and help realize the vision created by Dr. David Albert and his co-founders Bruce Satchwell and Kim Barnett," commented Ms. Wade. "Our innovative technology's transformative potential for providing physicians, healthcare providers and their patients with accessible and cost-effective healthcare was the reason for my joining the team."Prior to AliveCor, Judy was the President and CEO of Hands-On Entertainment, a leading developer of mobile and social applications. Before that, she was the Vice President of Strategy and Emerging Business at Linden Lab and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Kapor Enterprises Inc., the investment company of Mitch Kapor, a pioneer in the personal computing industry. Judy Wade was also a Partner at McKinsey & Company where she worked in McKinsey's New York, Johannesburg (as an original founder), and San Francisco offices."The Board is thrilled to have attracted someone with the skills and experience of Judy to lead AliveCor," said G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill & Company, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AliveCor and an investor in AliveCor. "Judy brings invaluable international strategy and go-to-market experience, and immediate expertise in mobile applications. This knowledge will be essential as we introduce our products globally to medical and veterinary professionals and, eventually to consumers."
About AliveCorAliveCor aims to provide medical professionals, patients, and consumers worldwide with mobile-powered devices, data, and analysis to identify, prevent, and manage life-altering diseases from anywhere in the world. As a first offering, AliveCor has developed a clinical-quality, low-cost mobile ECG device, which enables patients to monitor their heart health anywhere, at any time, and provides physicians with an additional heart health assessment tool. AliveCor's mobile ECG device is designed to work in conjunction with a variety of mobile platforms, including iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.In 2011, AliveCor raised $3.3M in a Series A financing with Burrill & Company, Qualcomm Incorporated, acting through its venture investment arm, Qualcomm Ventures, and the Oklahoma Life Science Fund. The company's mobile ECG device has been used in clinical studies at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the USC Center for Body Computing. AliveCor is seeking US 510(k) marketing clearance of its mobile ECG device for the iPhone. For more information, please visit www.alivecor.com or e-mail info@alivecor.com.AliveCor, the AliveCor logo, and all other AliveCor product names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of AliveUSA, Inc. dba AliveCor in the United States and/or other countries. All other company names and marks mentioned in this release are trademarks of their respective owners.
mHealth: Embraced by developing world, resisted by developed countries
June 08, 2012 | Eric Wicklund, Contributing EditorIT used to score top states in emergency preparedness HITECH Act 'lit a fire' under health systems Kiwi companies bring healthcare IT expertise to the U.S. IT helps drive $232B personalized medicine market Remote monitoring technology improves pacemaker performance HealthNow selects Benefitfocus for enrollment technology Technology helps drive high cost of U.S. healthcare PwC predicts top 10 issues in 'seminal year' for healthcare Medical homes prove worth, in U.S. and abroad Healthcare Information Xchange of N.Y. connects with athenahealth via cloud
隱形眼鏡使用不當‧刮傷角膜傷疤如蜈蚣2012/06/11
【台北訊】臨床發現有些隱形眼鏡族因為使用不當，造成隱形眼鏡刮傷角膜。眼科醫師提醒，最近門診常有因配戴不合適隱形眼鏡，造成角膜像蜈蚣般的刮傷痕跡，嚴重者可能會因傷口發炎化膿造成失明，隱形眼鏡族要留意。 大學眼科總院長林丕容表示，其實並非每個人都適合配戴隱形眼鏡，臨床經驗，約有三分之二近視患者因角膜過敏、乾澀、紅腫，無法長期使用隱形眼鏡。最近門診因配戴隱形眼鏡而導致角膜受傷的案例，每週約有近百人，且有逐漸增加趨勢。知名作家蔡詩萍表示，他在10多年前是900度的高度近視患者，由於需要長時間用眼寫作，長時間配戴隱形眼鏡容易造成眼睛乾澀過敏，因為喜歡游泳，隱形眼鏡相當不方便。因此10多年前就選擇以近視雷射手術矯正，術後隔天早上起床，他居然可以清晰看見書架上書背的書名，所以，他分享自己的心得。林丕容說，LASIK雷射手術是有效解決近視的方法之一，目前主流的「飛秒無刀雷射＋前導波技術」，可以根據個人角膜度數，進行客製化視力矯正。飛秒無刀雷射利用電腦操作雷射光製作角膜瓣，取代傳統手動板層刀，讓手術執行更為精準安全，加上先進的前導波功能，可以減少眩光及提高夜視品質。因有前述優點，2008年美國軍方及太空總署核准美國軍人及太空人均可施作。他強調，並非每個民眾都適合動近視雷射手術，不是想做就能做，必須通過嚴謹的檢查。而台灣其實已有近百位眼科醫師做過手術，顯示眼科醫師對這項手術的安全性是很有信心的。林丕容幾年前就替同是眼科醫師的太太，以及多位醫師動過手術，到現在也都很滿意。他表示，手術後只有小於1%的人度數會回退，即使度數回退，可依個人情況，再進行雷射矯正治療，多數可再回復良好視力。
Nanotechnologists develop a 'time bomb' to fight cardiovascular disease
June 10, 2012 Atherosclerosis, resulting in a narrowing of the arteries and the development of cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death worldwide. Until now, no treatment could target diseased areas exclusively, in order to increase drug efficacy and reduce side effects. To help bridge this gap, a group of Swiss researchers from UNIGE, HUG and the University of Basel have developed a veritable 'time bomb,' a treatment that can recognize the diseased areas and treat only them. In Switzerland, more than 20,000 people (37% of all deaths) die of cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis each year. Treatment options are currently available to people who suffer from the disease but no drug can target solely the diseased areas, often leading to generalized side effects. Intravenous injection of a vasodilator (a substance that dilates blood vessels), such as nitroglycerin, dilates both the diseased vessels and the rest of our arteries. Blood pressure can thus drop, which would limit the desired increased blood flow generated by vasodilatation of diseased vessels and needed for example during a heart attack. In order to increase the effectiveness of treatments against atherosclerosis and to reduce side effects, a team of researchers from UNIGE, HUG and the University of Basel have developed nanocontainers having the ability to release their vasodilator content exclusively to diseased areas. Nanotechnology in medicine Though no biomarker specific to atherosclerosis has been identified, there is a physical phenomenon inherent to stenosis (the narrowing of blood vessels) known as shear stress. This force results from fluctuations in blood flow induced by the narrowing of the artery and runs parallel to the flow of blood. It is by making use of this phenomenon that the team of researchers has developed a veritable «time bomb», a nanocontainer which, under pressure from the shear stress in stenosed arteries, will release its vasodilator contents. By rearranging the structure of certain molecules (phospholipids) in classic nanocontainers such as liposome, scientists were able to give them a lenticular shape as opposed to the normal spherical shape. In the form of a lens, the nanocontainer then moves through the healthy arteries without breaking. This new nanocontainer is perfectly stable, except when subjected to the shear stress of stenosed arteries. And that's exactly the intention of this technological advance. The vasodilator content is distributed only to the stenotic arteries, significantly increasing the efficacy of the treatment and reducing side effects. "In brief, we exploited a previously unexplored aspect of an existing technology. This research offers new perspectives in the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease," explains Andreas Zumbuehl from the Department of Organic Chemistry at UNIGE. "Nanomedicine is a discipline stemming from general nanoscience but which orients itself towards medical research. The interdisciplinary collaboration between chemistry, physics, basic science and clinical medicine in a highly technical environment could lead to a new era of research," states Till Saxer of the Cardiology and General Internal Medicine Departments at HUG. "The nano component is present in all disciplines, but the most interesting aspect of nanomedicine is its overview allowing the development of clinical products that integrate this global medical point of view from the earliest onset of research projects," states Bert Müller, Director of the Biomaterials Science Centre (BMC) at Basel. When chemistry gets involved How did scientists manage to change the shape of the nanocontainers so that they resemble a lens? By rearranging the structure of molecules, chemists at UNIGE replaced the ester bond that links the two parts of the phospholipid (head and tail), with an amide bond, an organic compound that promotes interaction among phospholipids. Once modified, the molecules are hydrated then heated to form a liquid sphere which will relax to solidify in the form of a lens upon cooling. The researchers then modelled the cardiovascular system using polymer tubes blocked to varying degrees to represent healthy and stenotic arteries. Next, an artificial extracardiac pump was connected to these arteries in order to reproduce the shear stress induced by the narrowing of the vessels. The nanocontainer was injected into the system and samples were taken from both healthy and stenosed areas. It turns out that the active drug was found in higher concentrations in diseased areas than in non-diseased areas and that the concentrations there were significantly greater than if the drug had been distributed in a homogenous manner. Provided by University of Geneva
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