A new national study among 696 physicians revealed that more than one-third of physicians (37%) reported that there was “somewhat of a risk” that the H1N1 swine flu could result in a catastrophic pandemic, the highest level since an April study in which 49% of physicians reported that there was “somewhat of a risk” for a pandemic.
The study was conducted last night by HCD Research using its MediaCurves.com(R) website, and the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO), as part of a series of studies which were conducted during April, May and June to obtain physicians’ perceptions of the H1N1 virus. The studies are being conducted on a weekly basis to measure physicians’ perceptions regarding their personal and professional views on the issue. To view detailed results go to: www.hcdi.net or www.mediacurves.com.
When asked what top three sources they use to obtain information on H1N1 swine flu, physicians listed government agency communications (77%) as their top choice, followed by the news media (71%) and medical associations (55%), similar to previous studies.
With summer in full swing, women everywhere are pulling out their sunscreen, jumping into their swimsuits and heading to the salon for manicures and pedicures. Starting this month, purchasing that perfect shade of nail lacquer that makes you look great has an added bonus - it can also help women undergoing cancer treatment feel better.
Today, Look Good…Feel Better, a national public service program that helps women cope with appearance-related changes from cancer treatment, announced a partnership with OPI Products Inc. to honor both groups’ 20th anniversaries: OPI launched its nail lacquers 20 years ago, the same year Look Good…Feel Better conducted its first workshop. To mark this milestone, during July and August OPI will contribute a portion of the proceeds of every bottle of its Bubble Bath Nail Lacquer sold, with a minimum contribution of $25,000, to the Personal Care Products Council Foundation to benefit Look Good…Feel Better.
“We saw the celebration of these 20th anniversaries as an ideal opportunity to raise awareness and recognition for Look Good…Feel Better,” said Louanne Roark, executive director of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation and the Look Good…Feel Better program. “We are thrilled to have the support of OPI in this endeavor. The funds raised will help us reach even more women coping with the side effects of cancer treatment.”
The OPI Bubble Bath Nail Lacquer benefiting Look Good…Feel Better will be available in at least 10,000 participating salons and retail locations nationwide beginning this July. Point-of-purchase displays will provide more information about the Look Good…Feel Better program and where to find available workshops.
“We are very excited to support such a worthwhile initiative for Look Good…Feel Better and be a part of this wonderful tradition of caring,” said Suzi Weiss Fischmann, executive vice president and artistic director, OPI Products Inc. “The partnership was a natural fit because OPI shares the common goal of helping women to look and feel beautiful.”
OPI is a member of the Personal Care Products Council and is also a strong supporter of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, whose dedicated mission is the Look Good…Feel Better program, the centerpiece of the global cosmetic and personal care products industry’s philanthropy.
Carl Zeiss has developed a unique series of solutions addressing the different methods for brain mapping and soft tissue imaging. “Scientists are right now attacking one of the last secrets of mankind: imaging and reconstruction of the brain,” Dr. Dirk Stenkamp, Member of the Board at Carl Zeiss SMT explains. “We specifically enable the acquisition and analysis of cell images at ultra-high resolution. For that purpose we have developed an extensive range of solutions, based on the sophisticated use of advanced electron and ion-beam microscopes,” Stenkamp adds.
At center stage, with a combination of a special detector system and large framestore, the SIGMA FE-SEM is enabling extremely fast imaging of huge areas of thin sections. ”With this system, which is currently being evaluated by several leading research institutes worldwide, throughput is increased by a factor of 100,” application product specialist Dr. Stewart Bean from Carl Zeiss SMT´s Cambridge facilities says.
Extremely thin sections can be investigated by simultaneous milling and imaging using ZEISS CrossBeam workstations like the NVision 40 or the new AURIGA. This leading-edge FIB/SEM instrument provides high resolution and now also features the possibility of investigating nonconductive samples using a unique local charge compensation method. NVision CrossBeam systems are already successfully in the field for soft tissue analysis at various institutes, including EPFL in Lausanne (Switzerland) and many others.
The ORION Helium-ion microscope offers totally new imaging possibilities. “Biological samples especially profit from the unprecedented depth of focus and the high contrast, that are inherent characteristics of imaging with helium ions,” Mohan Ananth, Product Manager and application specialist at the US headquarters of Carl Zeiss SMT points out.
Whenever resolution below one nanometer is required, the LIBRA 120 PLUS energy filtering TEM from Carl Zeiss SMT provides the highest contrast imaging of soft tissue. LIBRA 120 PLUS especially matches the extreme demands in revealing structural and 3-D information of beam sensitive or frozen hydrated specimens at the nano scale. With the LIBRA 200 FEG energy filtering TEM, resolution in the Angström and even sub-Angström range can be provided.
“We are in dialogue with researchers all over the world in order to meet their demanding requirements – now and in the future and as a part of our company mission. We are proud to be making a contribution to research work that will change our world,” Stenkamp explains.
Hair loss is normally hereditary. But today, medical technology aims to provide hair loss solutions, something that has been around for some years now.
Scalpure, LLC a company based in Austin, TX, has introduced a hair loss product that is doing wonders for both male and female hair loss. Scalpure provides a new and very effective all natural approach to a problem that has long bewildered the World. Scalpure is exclusively available at http://www.Scalpure.com.
It is well-known that the cause of male and female pattern hair loss revolves around DHT (Dihydrotestosterone). Certain individuals, both men and women, are genetically predisposed to produce more DHT; however all of those individuals do not experience hair thinning, hair loss, and eventual baldness.
Through extensive research Scalpure learned that the individuals that keep their full heads of hair while producing more DHT display clean hair roots when examined under a high-powered microscope. The individuals with high DHT levels, average DHT levels or even low DHT levels that experience male or female pattern hair loss display an accumulation of DHT, sebum and debris on their hair roots. That build-up prevents the hair roots from receiving the necessary nutrients that normal blood flow is trying to deliver.
This shortens the growing stage (anagen) and/or lengthens the resting stage (telogen phase) of the follicle. This process causes hairs to get progressively finer and finer until they actually starve to death. DHT-induced hair loss is responsible for 95% of all male and female pattern hair loss.
HealthcareJobsOnDisplay.com, a brand new website for healthcare professionals and employers is preparing for launch in June 2009. The name says it all, it’s a site dedicated to just Display ads, aka Graphic ads, aka Branding ads, aka bigger ads with pretty pictures.
“Employers and candidates will notice a difference right away from the very 1st search,” says Ron Feldstein, founder and president of HealthcareJobsOnDisplay.com. “Our search function is the most important piece of the puzzle and we wanted to be different, not like every other job board out there, so we made sure that Branded, Creative, Display ads populate from the 1st search and it’s all right there initially so employers have a chance to stand out, right out of the box.”
Job seekers will be encouraged to post resumes and will be eligible for gift cards. The 1st, 100th, 250th, 500th, 1100th, 1250th, 1500th, 2100th, 2250th, & 2500th resumes posted receive a free $50 gift card. The 1000th, 2000th, & 3000th resume posted receives a free $100 Gift Card.
Various pricing packages are available, ranging from 1-1000, and even though employers essentially get 2 display ads for each ad purchased, the cost of the ads are lower than many job board postings without any branding or design.
“With a creative team in place and a recruitment ad agency staff for support, we have the flexibility to create a visual, branding experience for employers and job seekers, something we feel is currently missing in the Job board universe - we’re really excited, concluded Feldstein.”
Mammography has long been the standard for detecting breast cancer in its early stages, however dense breast tissue can make tumors difficult to find. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, women with dense breast tissue are five times more likely to develop breast cancer.
Now a new type of ultrasound treatment, the Acuson S2000 Automated Breast Volume Scanner (ABVS), may help find what traditional mammography misses. In fact, a study published in 2008 found that adding a screening ultrasound examination to routine mammography revealed 28 percent more cancers than mammography alone. Recently FDA approved, ABVS is the world’s first multi-use automated breast volume ultrasound system.
This diagnostic tool provides a three dimensional view of the breast, allowing physicians to analyze the breast from front to back, top to bottom, and side to side; detecting even a small beginning of cancer. The system is also more comfortable for the patient because it’s non claustrophobic and radiation free.
Electrophysics, a Sofradir Group company, has introduced four new high performance mid-wave infrared (MWIR) cameras designed to meet the demanding requirements of scientists, engineers and laboratory managers that require exceptional infrared performance. The cameras are useful in a wide range of applications including high speed infrared imaging, target signature radiometric data collection, tracking and infrared imaging spectroscopy.
The infrared cameras feature very high performance, high sensitivity (less than 20mK) and high frame rate (up to 320 fps). Incorporating Sofradir advanced MCT focal plane array technology, the SSC™ MWIR product line http://www.electrophysics.com/infrared-cameras/ is comprised of four models. The SSC-320M and SSC-320BB feature 3-5 µm and 1-5 µm (respectively) spectral response with 320×256 resolution.
The SSC-320 cameras incorporate a 30µm pixel pitch detector that has very deep wells, ideal for photon-starved applications. For higher resolution applications, there are the SSC-640M and SSC-640BB which incorporate a 15µm pixel pitch detector which allows more pixels on target (or smaller optics).
“Our new SSC midwave and broadband cameras deliver a new level of performance and quality for use in the most demanding applications,” states Chris Alicandro, Electrophysics Director of Sales. “Our comprehensive and flexible high performance camera line is supported by powerful software applications and a complete range of infrared optics to meet the needs of customers and their diverse applications,” concluded Alicandro.
The SSC camera line incorporates MCT (Mercury Cadmium Telluride) focal plane arrays fabricated by Sofradir, a worldwide leader in high quantum efficiency infrared imaging arrays. A range of custom aperture/filter configurations are available upon request.
TranscriptionGear.Com, the nation’s leading supplier of dictation software and transcription solutions, announces the release of a new generation of the popular GearDictate software for PC based dictation. Since its original release nearly eight years ago, GearDictate has been installed at hundreds of sites with professionals who dictate directly to the PC. Used extensively in healthcare and law firms, GearDictate is digital dictation software that operates on a standard computer and integrates with professional grade dictation microphones making PC dictation simple and comfortable. GearDictate creates several different audio file formats, many of which are compatible with most standard transcription software packages including TranscriptionGear.Com’s own GearPlayer.
Due to the global initiatives to eliminate lead in manufacturing, cassette or tape based recording is quickly disappearing. Popular cassette based recording products are in short supply or have disappeared from the marketplace driving the need for more digital dictation technology. GearDictate fills this need by making use of the existing PCs in offices and clinics for recording dictation.
This newest version of GearDictate adds many new pace-setting features to meet the expanding options of digital recording technology. Now, GearDictate boasts features such as silence detection, which automatically removes periods of silence from the dictation when recording to speed up transcription. Automatic updates help a user stay current and demographic input makes routing jobs easy. Visual and audio notifications have been improved to work in conjunction with dictation microphones and for hands-free use. The smart look of GearDictate is logical and simple to use.
“GearDictate has always made the chore of dictation easier with its integration to professional dictation microphones,” notes TranscriptionGear.Com Chief Technical Officer, Robert Sintic. “This new GearDictate focuses on creating a simple functionality for users to enjoy and new features that boost productivity.”
Teva Neuroscience, Inc. today presented results from a clinical pharmacology study in which AZILECT (rasagiline tablets) did not increase the risk of tyramine sensitivity at the maximum approved dose of 1 mg. The presentation was made during the 13th International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in Paris, France.
This study assessed the potential risk of hypertensive crisis due to the interaction between high doses of oral tyramine and therapeutic doses of rasagiline, which is indicated both as monotherapy in patients with early Parkinson’s disease (PD) and as adjunctive treatment in patients receiving levodopa. The study supported the selectivity of rasagiline for inhibition of MAO-B at currently approved doses.
“We are pleased with the results, which met our primary objectives,” said Jon Congleton, general manager of Teva Neuroscience. “This study provides continuing evidence of the value of AZILECT. The results demonstrated a low potential for MAO-A and therefore a selectivity for MAO-B inhibition.”
Tyramine is an amino acid found in certain foods and beverages, including some air-dried and fermented meats, some aged cheeses and most soybean products. Nonselective MAO inhibitors, such as phenelzine sulfate, interfere with the breakdown and elimination of tyramine in the body.
Selective MAO-B inhibitors do not interfere with tyramine breakdown and elimination. Patients who take nonselective MAO inhibitors need to be cautious with the foods they eat to prevent an abnormal build-up of tyramine, which could lead to an episode of extremely high blood pressure, potentially leading to stroke or heart attack.
Sparton Corporation’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Sparton Medical Systems, Inc., is the contract design and manufacturing partner to Neuronetics, for the Company’s NeuroStar TMS Therapy System. NeuroStar was just named a Medical Design Excellence Award winner and will be honored at a ceremony at the Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) East Conference and Exposition, June 10, 2009, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
The award recipients will be announced at this ceremony while Sparton Medical Systems and other named suppliers will be in attendance along with Neuronetics. The Medical Design Excellence Award is organized and presented by Canon Communications LLC (Los Angeles) and is the only awards program that exclusively recognizes contributions and advances in the design of medical products.
A comprehensive review of entries was performed by an impartial panel of third-party jurors with expertise in biomedical engineering, human factors, industrial design, medicine and diagnostics.
This award winning product, The NeuroStar TMS Therapy System, is the first and only TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) device cleared by the FDA for the treatment of depression. TMS Therapy is a non-systemic (does not circulate in the bloodstream throughout the body) and non-invasive (does not involve surgery) form of neuromodulation which stimulates nerve cells in an area of the brain that is linked to depression, by delivering highly focused MRI-strength magnetic pulses. Patients being treated by NeuroStar TMS Therapy do not require anesthesia or sedation and remain awake and alert. It is a 40-minute, outpatient procedure that is prescribed by a psychiatrist and performed in a psychiatrist’s office. The treatment is typically administered daily for 4-6 weeks.
The engineering group from Sparton Medical Systems, Inc. provided project leadership, mechanical and electrical design, and coordination of outside development partners for the design of the electromechanical console. The console integrates software, precision mechanical components, and electronics into a system that drives Neuronetics’ core MRI-strength magnetic technology for therapeutic use.
“Sparton Medical has been a key development partner as Neuronetics has grown from a start-up to a full service medical device company,” observes Mark Riehl, VP Product Development and Operations at Neuronetics. “The contributions of the Sparton team have been essential to the successful design, implementation and manufacturing of our first product, the NeuroStar TMS Therapy System.”
Carl Zeiss has developed a unique series of solutions addressing the different methods for brain mapping and soft tissue imaging. “Scientists are right now attacking one of the last secrets of mankind: imaging and reconstruction of the brain,” Dr. Dirk Stenkamp, Member of the Board at Carl Zeiss SMT explains. “We specifically enable the acquisition and analysis of cell images at ultra-high resolution. For that purpose we have developed an extensive range of solutions, based on the sophisticated use of advanced electron and ion-beam microscopes,” Stenkamp adds.
Hair loss is normally hereditary. But today, medical technology aims to provide 
Electrophysics, a 
