israel21c.org/health/top-10-israeli-strides-against-parkinsons/
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Find out about the most promising research in Israel to find preventions, treatments and cures. As many as 10 million people worldwide (one million in the United States alone) suffer the tremors, impaired balance and rigidity associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a chronic and progressive disorder caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain’s muscle-movement control areas. The cause is unknown and there is no cure, only medication to manage symptoms. Against that bleak landscape, Israeli researchers are working hard to better understand, prevent and treat the brain disorder. Here are 10 exciting examples of Israeli ingenuity that could revolutionize options for PD patients.Top 10 Israeli strides against Parkinson’s
Azilect, a popular drug to treat PD symptoms, was innovated by Technion-Israel Institute of Technology professors John Finberg and Moussa Youdim and commercialized by Israel’s Teva Pharmaceuticals. The drug is prescribed for patients in 56 countries.
Youdim, 72, is now co-director of the Technion’s Eve Topf and US National Parkinson Foundation Centers of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research. He is one of the Israeli formulators of a next-generation drug, Ladostigil, which is still in clinical trials for both PD and Alzheimer’s patients.
TIME magazine designated Israeli company InSightec’s magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound as one of the 50 best inventions of 2011.
Neurosurgeons and physicists at leading research hospitals in Switzerland, Korea, Tokyo, Canada and the United States are currently using InSightec’s ExAblate Neuro experimentally to treat essential tremor, a common movement disorder, through MR-guided focused ultrasound.
The first Parkinson’s patients in a Phase III study are being enrolled this year, with the hope of devising a full treatment protocol to receive FDA approval for InSightec’s non-invasive treatment of tremors related to PD.
3. Brainsway
A clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Brainsway, a specialized deep TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) therapy, for PD patients concluded last November with promising preliminary results.
After the 27 PD patients received 12 non-invasive treatment sessions over the course of 30 days, they showed significant improvement in mobility. Their tremor and rigidity symptoms improved after just the first treatment. In addition to positive studies completed in Israel and in Italy, another trial is still under way.
4. ElMindA
The Israeli company ElMindA could revolutionize the diagnosis and management of PD and other brain-related disorders with its trademarked, non-invasive procedure for mapping network activation points in the brain.
This 15- to 30-minute procedure would be a major advance because blood tests and imaging are of limited value for diagnosing brain diseases and documenting the effects of treatment.
The ElMindA technology is currently being used for drug development research with leading pharmaceutical companies and in research with academic research centers throughout the United States and Europe. Last year, the company began the process of applying for FDA clearance for clinical use.
5. Guided imagery
In 2010, neurologist Dr. Ilana Schlesinger did a successful experiment at Rambam Healthcare Campus in Haifa using guided imagery to tame the tremors of PD patients. It was, she said, the first time anyone ever succeeded in completely stopping tremors without medication. The effects lasted for a short while after each session, as reported in the International Journal of Movement Disorders. Schlesinger received inquiries about the technique from the United States, South America and even Afghanistan.
6. NurOwn
Researchers at Jerusalem’s Hadassah University Medical Center are studying the ability of enhanced autologous stem cells (taken from the patients’ own bone marrow) to stop the progression of PD and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The specially modified stems cells, called NurOwn, are produced by Petah Tikvah-based BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics. Former American prizefighter Muhammad Ali’s daughter, Rasheda, sits on BrainStorm’s advisory board. She’s following NurOwn clinical trials closely to see how it might help people with PD, like her dad.
youtu.be/djh5UcWlHRA
The protein ARTS, central to the natural process of programmed cell death (apoptosis), is the subject of scrutiny by Dr. Sarit Larisch, head of the Cell Death and Cancer Research Laboratory at the University of Haifa. She leads breakthrough research into why the brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine become damaged in PD.
She explains that when apoptosis is too sluggish it can result in cancer, while if it goes into overdrive it can result in diseases such as Parkinson’s.
“By inhibiting the expression of ARTS in stem cells, we can increase their numbers,” Larisch tells ISRAEL21c. “In terms of Parkinson’s, we are looking into small molecules that can cross the blood-brain barrier and prevent death of neurons by preventing or blocking the expression of ARTS. This is still at a very preliminary stage.”
8. Green tea?
The main antioxidant in green tea could be a potent way to prevent PD and other neurodegenerative diseases, according to research done by Prof. Moussa Youdim (see No. 1, above) and Dr. Silvia Mandel, co-director of the Parkinson Foundation Centers at the Technion.
The substance, EGCG, can enter brain cells and keep neurons from dying. Mandel found that even after many neurons have already been damaged, the green tea antioxidant is capable of rescuing the remaining healthy ones. If taken in moderation, she suggests, green tea may be part of both a prevention and anti-progression strategy.
9. Protecting brain cells
Last July, neurologists at Beilinson Hospital (Petah Tikva) and at Tel Aviv University’s School of Medicine announced the identification of a protein that protects dopamine-producing brain cells from PD. Mutations of this protein are associated with an increased risk of PD and other brain disorders.
The hope is that a drug could be synthesized to mimic the action of this natural protein, and prescribed for people in the early stages of the disease. There are three years of research behind this breakthrough and likely many more years of studies and trials ahead.
10. A phone call for diagnosis
Innovative new voice analysis software developed at Israel’s eXaudios Technology can decipher your emotional and physical state in real-time — and eventually could help diagnose and evaluate the severity of conditions such as PD and autism through analysis of a phone call.
PD is one of several diseases that affect intonation. In fact, voice disturbances may be one of the first or early indicators of the disease. Close to 90 percent of people with PD are at risk of communication difficulties such as reduced vocal volume, inconsistent voice production, hoarseness, reduced clarity or articulation of syllables and decreased breath support for speech.
israel21c.org/health/magical-printers-produce-clothes-medical-devices/
Meet the Israeli-American company behind the amazing 3D printing technology that allows a disabled little girl to move her arms. In his February 12 State of the uniion address, US President Barack Obama announced that ”3D printing … has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything.” It’s a huge claim, but one Israeli-American company is already leading the way with a series of quite extraordinary products that are most definitely transforming our lives. “It does seem like magic,” says Joe Hiemenz, spokesman for 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys, which has dual headquarters in Minneapolis and Rehovot, Israel. Indeed it was magical when preschooler Emma Lavelle was able to use her arms for the first time with the help of a custom-designed robotic exoskeleton made with a Stratasys Dimension 3D printer – so magical that the device has been nicknamed “Magic Arms.” The little girl has a congenital disorder that compromises her joint mobility and muscles. Researchers at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Philadelphia knew of a metal exoskeleton for adults suffering similar conditions, but it was too big and heavy for a child. The Stratasys printer enabled them to fashion a lightweight alternative that has been nominated for the Designs of the Year 2013 awards by London’s Design Museum. “It works identical to an inkjet printer — forming a product layer by layer, but making it from some kind of plastic or resin,” Hiemenz tells ISRAEL21c. “A head puts down the material in very thin layers following a tool path created by a CAD [computer-assisted design] file, so whatever you have designed through CAD is going to come out. In the case of Magic Arm, it was plastic coming out of the printer in molten form.” This is the same sturdy plastic used in LEGO bricks. ‘Tech couture’ US-based Stratasys and Israel-based Objet – both leading manufacturers in the 3D printing field – merged in 2012. The line of printers assembled in Israel retains the Objet brand name, marketing VP Arita Mattsoff tells ISRAEL21c. At Paris Fashion Week in January, Dutch designer Iris van Herpen unveiled two ensembles from her new haute couture collection that were made with an Objet Connex multi-material 3D printer. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Prof. Neri Oxman, who was born in Israel, produced the intricate printed outfits in collaboration with Austrian architect Julia Koerner, a lecturer at UCLA-Los Angeles, and Belgian software developer Materialise. The designer had sought out Oxman after seeing her 3D-printed “Imaginary Beings: Mythologies of the Not Yet” display last spring in Paris. “The Connex line has unique abilities to print different material qualities simultaneously,” says Mattsoff. “The van Herpen skirt and dress have a combination of rigid and flexible parts made of three different material properties. You could not make this dress without the Connex technology. It allows you to really attempt new things in a unique way.” Oxman said, “The incredible possibilities afforded by these new technologies allowed us to reinterpret the tradition of couture as ‘tech couture,’ where delicate handmade embroidery and needlework is replaced by code.” Van Herpen told Fashion Week reporters that she believes “it will only be a matter of time before we see the clothing we wear today produced with this technology, and because it’s such a different way of manufacturing, adding layer-by-layer, it will be a great source of inspiration for new ideas.” Endless possibilities Those new ideas are not limited to fashion or even to medical and dental devices. “This industry started about 25 years ago to make prototypes mainly for the aerospace and automobile industries, and other high-end applications that have deep pockets to explore new technologies,” says Hiemenz. “They’re not prototypes anymore; they’re real products now.” The medical applications are among the most dazzling, he adds. The 3D printing process has been used to make custom orthotics for disabled American veterans, a better device to treat clubbed feet and even a sophisticated heart surgery tool. The process allows for creating complex interior passages inside devices to carry air or liquids. Design News magazine recently named Stratasys a Golden Mousetrap awards finalist for its Mojo 3D Printer, its Objet30 3D Printer, and its Objet line of digital materials. The Objet product line won the 2012 Leadership in Engineering Program from US publication Design World, and the Objet260 Connex received an innovation award from Dental Advisor magazine. Hiemenz says that the news about Magic Arms has resulted in a flood of inquiries from parents hoping that the printed exoskeleton could help their child, too. A foundation is being set up for this purpose at the initiative of Eric Jenson, who produced a video showing Emma and her Magic Arms. The goal is to make 50 of these exoskeletons per month, perhaps giving them free to disabled children in developing nations.The 3D printers that are revolutionizing our lives
Emma using her Magic Arms printer-made exoskeleton.
In the same way that your computer’s printer deposits ink onto paper to form words and pictures, three-dimensional printers put plastics and resins on all sorts of materials to make anything from clothing to advanced medical devices.
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What about Jewish children murdered in their beds by Palestinian terrorists?
The Jewish children are in their homes, the Palestinian children are used by their elders as cannon fodder to make Israel look bad.
That is the truth whether you want to believe it or not.
Are the examples below also evil?
Whether you believe it or not the fact is Israel does a lot of GOOD in this world!!!
israel21c.org/environment/top-10-ways-israel-fights-desertification/
Israel has gained a worldwide reputation for its ability to turn barren desert into useful and arable land. ISRAEL21c takes a look at the country’s top 10 eco-strategies. This past year’s erratic and violent weather is only a small taste of what’s to come, climate scientists predict, as the impact of global warming starts to hit. Weather will become more unpredictable, flooding will become even fiercer, and droughts and famine more widespread as land increasingly gives over to desert. With desert covering a large part of its surface, Israel has had to quickly develop solutions for its lack of arable land and potable water. Israeli research, innovation, achievements and education on this topic now span the globe in tackling problems common to all desert dwellers. “We’ve done a lot of research on ecosystem response to drought because we have this problem on our doorstep,” says Prof. Pedro Berliner, director of Israel’s foremost research center for desert research, the Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev Desert. ISRAEL21c looks at Israel’s top 10 advances to combat desertification, putting special focus on the work done by researchers at the Blaustein Institute. 1. Looking to the ancients They lived in the Land of Israel more than 2,000 years ago in the heart of the Negev Desert, yet found a way to survive and thrive. How did the Nabateans build a sustainable community that provided food, firewood and fodder for animals? This is Prof Pedro Berliner’s area of interest. He has developed a modern-day version of the Nabatean floodwater collection system, Runoff Agroforestry Systems, and travels the world teaching farmers in countries such as Kenya, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Mexico how to implement it. His low-tech approach redirects floodwaters to dike-surrounded plots or hand-dug pits in which trees or shrubs are planted. Going one step further than the Nabateans, “In our system we not only plant trees and between them rows of crops, but gave the old a new twist by using legume shrub-like trees which can absorb atmospheric nitrogen through their root system,” Berliner says. Soil fertility is maintained at practically no cost, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the system. 2. Making the most from the sun In developing nations, people still cut trees for firewood. This causes desertification from lack of vegetation to hold the soil and its nutrients in place. Rain washes away the topsoil, leaving worthless sand behind. Israel’s advances in off-grid solar energy power plants for individual homes or villages can help change that by offering a clean, renewable alternative. Ben-Gurion Prof. David Faiman has developed a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cell perfect for developing nations facing deforestation, and he is just one of dozens of Israeli researchers and companies working in this direction. “Israel is helping combat desertification by making solar power a viable alternative to the conventional way of chopping down trees for firewood,” Berliner tells ISRAEL21c. 3. Help fish swim in the desert Vast desert land does not need to go to waste when practical high-value crops –– especially alternative ones like aquaculture –– can very much thrive there. Professors Shmuel Appelbaum and Dina Zilber from Ben-Gurion University helped perfect a system to grow fish in the desert. Their system takes low-quality brackish water –– water that has a high salt content –– and pumps it up onto land into pools for raising marine fish. This provides an entirely new source of protein, and income, for desert-dwellers. The conditions in some deserts are also optimal for raising aquarium fish, and Israel is starting to harvest attractive guppies for export to Europe. 4. Alternative crops in the sand As with aquaculture, a number of drought-tolerant crops can thrive in the hot desert sun. Fed with brackish or low-quality water, algae for either biofuels or neutraceuticals present a novel way to grow a high-value product on seemingly valueless land. Several Israeli companies and research institutions are working to create the optimal environment for this plant-based microorganism, as well as genetic engineering to make algae contain more lipids that can be transformed into biofuel. Ben-Gurion University, the Weizmann Institute and the Technion Israel Institute of Technology have joined forces to accelerate this research. Meanwhile, companies like Seambiotics already have commercial products harvested straight from the desert. Other alternative crops that Israel is growing in the desert include argan trees for cultivating its prized oil. Formerly the trees could only grow in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Israel also has a national program for irrigating olive groves with brackish water. “It is working well and definitely the only place where this is being done,” says Berliner. 5. Green building If Israel is known for its expertise in building desert-adapted houses it’s because the blueprints were designed and tested in the desert by the Blaustein Institute. The school’s Desert Architecture and Urban Planning unit focuses on homes that require no air-conditioning, even during the day when the heat is most intense. The university’s eco-architect Isaac Meir specializes in passive low-energy architecture (PLEA) for hot, arid climates. Factors such as wind direction, sun angles and daily temperatures are taken into consideration. Climate Responsive Architecture – A Design Handbook for Energy Efficient Building, the book he co-authored in 2001, has garnered attention globally. 6. More crop per drop You can’t talk about Israel’s success in making the desert bloom without mentioning drip irrigation and the companies that have made Israel a farmer’s best friend in hot, dry climates. These companies include Plastro, Netafim and NaanDan Jain. Unlike much of the innovation in Israel that starts in the lab or research institute, modern drip irrigation was pioneered in the field by farmers, and is widely used across Israel to get the best crops using the least water. Israeli drip-irrigation techniques are constantly shared with other countries through the Foreign Ministry’s MASHAV Center for International Cooperation. 7. Roots of research The government-owned agricultural research organization, the Volcani Institute in Beit Dagan, is known for producing genetic variants of plants that perform very well in less than ideal conditions. The center’s scientists not only study drought resistance in plants, but also breed new varieties of vegetables and fruits to get the maximum yield of product per volume of water used. This enables Israeli farmers and seed-sellers to find a wide market for their wares. The center has also done remarkable research on ancient strains of wheat, such as the emmer variety eaten during biblical times, as well as pest resistance and biological control methods that use fewer resources and chemicals. Unrelated to the Volcani, but located nearby in Rehovot, is the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University. Scientists here have done incredible work on improving Israeli tomatoes and field crops, among other projects. 8. Afforestation If done correctly, tree planting can reverse desertification by supporting the earth as plant life grows its roots into the sand, and helps to create a cycle of nutrients that nourish the soil. Israel is the only country over the last 100 years to see a net gain of trees. Donating money every year to plant trees via the Karen Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund is a worldwide Jewish priority, and a model that many countries have copied as they attempt to afforest their lost lands. KKL-JNF also conducts research to understand what trees grow well in the desert, surviving on winter runoff alone, and which do better in wetter, more temperate zones like the Galilee region. 9. Rain dancers Back in the 1950s, the Israeli government under Golda Meir founded MASHAV in order to share Israel’s newfound expertise in desert agriculture. MASHAV runs a variety of programs, but is best known for its training seminars in Israel and wherever needed –– Africa, the Middle East, South America, Central America, India, China — on techniques ranging from greenhouse management and irrigation to fish farming and dairy farming. The MASHAV-sponsored program TIPA has so far helped more than 700 Senegalese farming families earn a living using drip irrigation. 10. Wastewater management Almost all of Israel’s successes listed above rest on the fact that Israel has been able to excel at wastewater management on a scale that no other country has ever matched. A whopping 50 percent of Israel’s irrigated water comes from recycled wastewater, according to Berliner, and much of this recycles through JNF planted forests. The country that comes closest to Israel’s level of water reuse is Spain, which only reuses about 20% of its liquid resource.Top 10 ways Israel fights desertification
Palm trees growing in the Arava desert in southern Israel. Photo by Flash90.
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