tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295341362024-03-12T17:34:01.258-07:00GCOAThe Gulf Coast Ophthalmology Association's BlogHelenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-33388690684690818412007-07-26T18:32:00.000-07:002007-07-26T18:34:01.689-07:00Foresight Is 20/20<div style="text-align: justify;">Adults choose eye-glasses based mostly on fit and style. But kids' glasses have to withstand the abuses of tree climbing, the playground and boisterous games of tag. For kids younger than 10, David Coats, an ophthalmologist at Houston's Texas Children's Hospital, recommends frames made of plastic, because they're "more likely to withstand a blunt force." Choose clear, impact-resistant lenses made of Trivex ($70 to $150) or polycarbonate ($50 to $100), which also have the bonus of providing 100 percent UVA and UVB protection. Stuart Danker, a pediatric ophthalmologist from Baltimore, also recommends photochromic lenses that darken in the sun and clear up in the shade ($65 to $90; transitions.com).<br /><br />Pay attention to fit. Anything too big or too heavy can slide down and leave the child looking through the wrong part of the lens. Kids' heads are shaped differently from adults', and a good optician will make sure the glasses fit at three crucial points: the widest part of the face (it should match the width of the glasses), along the nose (a child's nose bridge is flatter than an adult's, and uneven weight distribution can affect nose development) and behind the ears (the frames should point straight back and wrap gently around the ear without pressing into the head). Now they can focus on fun.<br /><br />By Charlene Dy</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-34888174637124739562007-07-26T18:30:00.000-07:002007-07-26T18:31:38.542-07:00Best Hospitals<div style="text-align: justify;">Legend for chart:<br /><br />A: Rank<br />B: Region<br />C: Hospital<br />D: Reputation (%)<br /><br />A B<br /> C D<br /><br />1 South<br /> Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami 72.2<br /><br />2 South<br /> Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore 65.0<br /><br />3 Northeast<br /> 8 Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia 56.5<br /><br />4 Northeast<br /> Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston 31.4<br /><br />5 West<br /> Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles 30.2<br /><br />6 Midwest<br /> University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City 18.2<br /><br />7 South<br /> Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. 16.2<br /><br />8 West<br /> Doheny Eye Institute, USC University Hospital, Los Angeles 15.0<br /><br />9 West<br /> University of California, San Francisco Medical Center 7.6<br /><br />10 Midwest<br /> Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis 7.0<br /><br />11 South<br /> Emory University Hospital, Atlanta 6.9<br /><br />12 Midwest<br /> Cleveland Clinic 6.4<br /><br />13 Northeast<br /> New York Eye and Ear Infirmary 6.2<br /><br />14 Northeast<br /> New York-Presbyterian Univ. Hosp. of Columbia and Cornell 5.9<br /><br />15 Midwest<br /> Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. 5.1<br /><br />16 Midwest<br /> University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, Ann Arbor 4.2<br /><br />17 South<br /> Cullen Eye Institute, Methodist Hospital, Houston 3.4<br /><br />U.S. News & World Report, L.P.</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-43071824674445524352007-07-13T04:15:00.000-07:002007-07-26T18:48:12.877-07:00Examine the Top 20 Companies in Late and Early Stage of Glaucoma Projects inside<div style="text-align: justify;">Dublin - <a href="http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c62320">Research and Markets</a> has announced the addition of Ophthalmology and Optometry - Glaucoma Drug Pipeline Report to their offering<br /><br />"Ophthalmology and Optometry - Glaucoma Drug Pipeline Report" contains detailed information on the current drug pipeline. This report provides insight into the pipeline status of glaucoma drugs by company and by stage as well as a summary of the latest news and developments in this area.<br /><br />Scope of the report:<br /><br />Each Therapy Area Pipeline Report provides the user with real detail on drug pipelines, by company and by stage, for each specific therapy area. The latest news, by company, also ensures that each report is fresh and up-to-date.<br /><br />In addition to new developments and disease specific pipeline projects, each report also contains extensive information in tabular format on a company's full product pipeline and products by phase of development with regard to the therapy area.<br /><br />Full pipeline details, by stage, are provided and include detailed product descriptions, information on partnering activity plus clinical trial intelligence. Each Therapy Area Pipeline Report also provides detail on the top 20 companies with products in the early stage of development and the top 20 companies with products in the late stage of development. Finally, each report also provides a comparison with other major indications in the disease hub based on Marketed Products vs. Pipeline Products.<br /><br />Key benefits<br /><br /> * Understand a company's strategic position by accessing detailed independent intelligence on its product pipeline for specific therapy areas.<br /> * Keep track of your competitors and partners by better understanding their product pipeline.<br /> * Monitor a company's research effectiveness by determining pipeline depth and number of products in development by clinical phase for specific disease areas.<br /> * Maintain a critical competitive advantage.<br /><br />Content Outline:<br /><br />UPCOMING PATENT EXPIRES BY THERAPY AREA<br /><br />Glaucoma Pipeline Overview<br /><br /> * -% of Projects (By Phase of Development)<br /> * -No. of Projects by Phase of Development<br /> * -Marketed Products Vs. Pipeline Products<br /><br />Company Overview - Pipeline Projects<br /><br /> * -Company Overview - Pipeline Projects<br /> * -Legend<br /> * -Top 20 companies in late stage Glaucoma Projects<br /> * -Top 20 companies in early stage Glaucoma Projects<br /><br />Full Pipeline View<br /><br /> * -Pre Clinical Pipeline View<br /> * -Phase I Pipeline View<br /> * -Phase II Pipeline View<br /> * -Phase III Pipeline View<br /> * -Pending Approval Pipeline View<br /><br /><a href="http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c62320">researchandmarkets.com</a></div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-6925033571291070662007-06-30T13:02:00.000-07:002007-07-26T18:35:45.324-07:00Cat's Eye Implants May Help Humans See<div style="text-align: justify;">In "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Geordi La Forge is a blind character who can see through the assistance of special implants. While the Star Trek character "lives" in the 24th century, people existing in the 21st century may not have to wait that long for this illuminating technology. Kristina Narfstrom, a University of Missouri, Columbia, veterinary ophthalmologist, has been working with a microchip implant to help blind animals "see." She indicates that the preliminary results are promising.<br /><br />"About one in 3,500 people worldwide is affected with a hereditary disease, retinitis pigmentosa, that causes the death of retinal cells and, eventually, blindness.<br /><br />"Our current study is aimed at determining safety issues in regard to the implants and to further develop surgical techniques," Narfstrom explains. "We also are examining the protection the implants might provide to the retinal cells that are dying due to disease progression with the hope that natural sight can be maintained much longer than would be possible in an untreated patient."<br /><br />Narfstrom is involved primarily with Abyssinian and Persian cats that are affected with hereditary retinal blinding disease. The cat's eye is a good model to use for this type of research because it is very similar to a human eye in size and construction, so surgeons can utilize the same techniques and equipment. Cats also share many of the same eye diseases with humans. The Abyssinian cats that Narfstrom is working with typically start to lose their sight when they are around one or two years old and are completely blind by age four.<br /><br />During surgery, Narfstrom makes two small cuts in the sclera, the outer wall of the eyeball. After removing the vitreous, which is the gelatinous fluid inside the back part of the eyeball, Narfstrom creates a small blister in the retina and a tiny opening, large enough for the microchip, which is just two millimeters in diameter and 23 micrometers (one-millionth of a meter) thick. The chip includes several thousand microphotodiodes that react to light and produce small electrical impulses in parts of the retina.<br /><br />"We are really excited about the potential uses for this technology and the potential to create improved vision in some of the millions of people affected worldwide with retinal blindness," Narfstrom relates. "This technology also may be beneficial for pets that have similar diseases because this technology can benefit both animals and humans."</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-86230652131605180572007-06-26T18:27:00.000-07:002007-07-26T18:28:08.992-07:00Myth Of The Month<div style="text-align: justify;">No matter how many times Mom warned you about this, it's simply not true, says Marguerite McDonald, M.D., a clinical professor of ophthalmology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center. "Reading in poor lighting will not physically change the eye in any way," she says. "The reason for this misconception is that bright light actually enhances your ability to read because it constricts the pupil, making it easier to focus and see clearly." Younger women may read in dim light for hours on end without any serious consequences, says McDonald. But once you hit your early 40s, this habit may have other effects, such as short-term tension headaches and tired eyes. The reason: "The eye lens becomes more opaque and less flexible as you get older, which makes it difficult to see things at close range to begin with, let alone in poor lighting," she says. "Eventually we'll all need a bright lamp in order to curl up with a good book."<br /><br />Shape, Jun2007</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-10334356788142077942007-06-21T15:44:00.000-07:002007-07-26T18:45:26.249-07:00West Virginia University remembers founder of Eye Institute<div style="text-align: justify;">By Eric Bowen<br /><br />Jun. 19--Ophthalmologist Robert Trotter had a promising career in ophthalmic research at Harvard. But when he found out in the early 1960s that WVU was building a new medical school without an ophthalmology department, he decided to make it his work to ensure the school would include a department for eye specialists.<br /><br />Trotter uprooted his family and moved back to Morgantown. For two years, he worked part-time in his brother's eye practice while he filed for grants and lobbied for money to build an ophthalmology department without the university's support.<br /><br />In 1961, when he finally got a government grant, he founded the only department of ophthalmology in the state. It has grown into what is now the WVU Eye Institute.<br /><br />Trotter died last year, and WVU remembered him Monday with a memorial service at the institute he worked so hard to build. He was recognized as a Distinguished Mountaineer through a proclamation from Gov. Joe Manchin.<br /><br />"We're so happy to have this kind of institution," said Lionel Chisholm, vice chair of the WVU department of ophthalmology. "It all started with the commitment of Dr. Trotter. I think he deserves a tremendous amount of credit."<br /><br />Trotter was a 1936 graduate of WVU and went on for medical training at Temple University, then Harvard to study ophthalmology. After founding the ophthalmology department, he served as chair for 20 years, until 1981, training dozens of doctors in ophthalmology.<br /><br />When he left WVU, Trotter worked in private practice before retiring in 1988.<br /><br />Trotter's wife, Jodie, said that founding the WVU ophthalmology department was a tremendous accomplishment for her late husband. He went through lean times as a clinician for two years before he received the money to build the department.<br /><br />"It had to be the highest point of his life," she said. "It was that important to him."<br /><br />Trotter was dedicated to WVU students, Jodie Trotter said. He was rough on his students, but they learned a lot from him.<br /><br />"I think there were some that might have called him colorful names, but when it was all over, they knew it was for the best," she said.<br /><br />Robert Trotter had a vision for what could be achieved at WVU when he came back to the state, said Fred Butcher, vice president for health sciences. Though WVU was just beginning to build a prominent medical school in West Virginia, he could see a future for the university.<br /><br />He also wanted to care for the people of West Virginia, Butcher said. He came back home to lend his skills to the next generation of ophthalmologists.<br /><br />"I think [Trotter] had instincts about what was going to happen here," Butcher said. "Things were coming up out of a cow pasture on top of a mountain. Now look what's here today."</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-59009537554671333482007-03-07T11:00:00.000-08:002007-07-26T18:43:56.291-07:00Years of refinement have made laser eye surgery better than ever<div style="text-align: justify;">When Cindy Duong decided to pitch her contact lenses and have surgery last summer to correct her nearsightedness, she assumed she'd get LASIK. The procedure, in which a tiny flap is cut across the top of the eye's clear, dome-shaped cornea and folded back so a laser can reshape the tissue underneath, is easily the most common type of laser eye surgery, making up 87 percent of all procedures last year. But Duong's doctor said that the cornea in her left eye was too thin to both cut the flap and contour her cornea as LASIK (short for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) surgery requires. Instead, her doctor suggested she consider a procedure she'd never heard of called photorefractive keratectomy.<br /><br />The PRK procedure doesn't entail a flap. Instead, the surgeon removes the very top layer of cells from the cornea, often by scraping them away after loosening them with alcohol, and then uses a laser directly on the exposed surface to shape it. Although the Food and Drug Administration approved PRK in 1995, a few years earlier than LASIK, the latter quickly surpassed PRK in popularity. That's because patients who had LASIK usually experienced clearer vision right off the bat and felt little pain or scratchiness in their eyes post-surgery. With PRK, the eyes generally take several days to heal comfortably, and vision remains blurry for the first few days or weeks.<br /><br />Duong had PRK on her left eye and LASIK on her right. As expected, she noticed an immediate improvement in the vision in her right eye and felt no discomfort. Meanwhile, her left eye was irritated, and her vision was blurry for about a week. But then a funny thing happened. As the weeks passed, she noticed that her left eye caught up with and then surpassed the eyesight in her right eye. Her left-eye vision was slightly clearer, and she had fewer problems seeing at night. "Now, my PRK eye is much better than my LASIK eye," says the 26-year-old chemist from Chicago. "At night, there's definitely a blurriness in my right eye more than my left."<br /><br />Duong isn't the only fan of PRK. Although LASIK remains the laser eye surgery of choice, in the past few years, more eye surgeons have been performing PRK. In some cases, they are turning away from LASIK entirely, say experts. Between 2005 and 2006, the percentage of all laser eye surgeries that were performed using PRK and other "surface ablation" techniques-in which tissue is ablated or removed from the surface of the eye rather than from the inside as it is with LASIK-rose from 8 percent to 13 percent, according to Market Scope, an ophthalmic research company. Meanwhile, the actual number of laser surgeries declined slightly during that time, from 1.41 million to 1.38 million. "Surgeons today are doing a higher percentage of PRK than in the past, and their mix is changing," says Dave Harmon, president of Market Scope.<br /><br />Two other surface-ablation techniques, LASEK and Epi-LASIK, are essentially newer versions of PRK. Instead of removing the very top layer or "skin" of the eyeball, they push it to one side and then replace it following laser surgery on the surface of the cornea. Research is inconclusive, but many experts say these newer techniques don't actually reduce the discomfort caused by the surface ablation.<br /><br />To understand how laser eye surgery works, it helps to know how nearsightedness and farsightedness typically occur and how the surgery corrects them. In someone with normal vision, light rays of an image pass through the cornea and the lens behind it and focus directly on the retina, producing a clear image. This nerve-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye converts the image into electrical impulses that travel along the optic nerve to the brain. If someone's eyeball is too long, however, the light rays focus in front of the retina and, if too short, on a point behind it. The surgeon can't change the actual shape of a person's eyeball. However, using a computer-controlled ultraviolet beam of light called an excimer laser, he or she can reshape the cornea, the eye's principal focusing mechanism, to improve visual acuity. (Laser eye surgery can also correct astigmatism, a blurriness that typically occurs when the surface of the cornea is uneven.)<br /><br />Fool the eye. Refractive surgeons, who generally correct people's vision by changing how light rays "refract," or bend in the eye, discovered that by working inside the eye, as they do with LASIK, they could fool it into not recognizing that it had been wounded by the laser. After surgery, the eye didn't feel painful, since pain is a response to wound healing. And because the eye's surface hadn't been interfered with, vision recovery was immediate. Similarly, LASIK sidestepped a problem that plagued early PRK procedures: A patient's vision was sometimes clouded by a whitish haze caused by scarlike tissue that developed after the surgery. "You've given the eye a loud message that there's been an injury, and the eye will respond with healing," says Richard Foulkes, an adjunct professor of ophthalmology at the University of Illinois, who performed the surgery on Duong. "Too vigorous healing would cause hazing."<br /><br />Thanks to an antibiotic eyedrop called mitomycin C, the hazing problem has been almost eliminated in the past five years and with it one of the major downsides to PRK. And the use of contact lenses to act as bandages to protect the eyes during the first several days following surgery makes recovery from PRK less painful. At the same time, surgeons have discovered that LASIK isn't necessarily the miracle cure for bad eyesight that it originally appeared to be. For one thing, although a patient's vision is initially better with LASIK, as the weeks and months pass, studies indicate that people who've had PRK may achieve a slight edge in improved eyesight. Dry-eye problems, the No. 1 complication of laser eye surgery, also tend to occur more frequently with LASIK since the surgery cuts into the cornea and severs some of the corneal nerves that stimulate tears.<br /><br />Finally, there's the flap itself. Most flaps are cut with a mechanical blade called a microkeratome. If the flap is too thick or too thin or cuts an uneven plane, it can affect the outcome of the surgery. The flap could wrinkle or not reseal itself properly. And in some patients, cutting a flap carries a slight risk of structurally weakening the cornea itself, which can lead to a very serious condition called ectasia, in which the cornea bulges out. Although many early laser eye surgery problems have been resolved in the more than 10 years that the procedure has been performed, those that remain are almost always related to the flap, says Marguerite McDonald, a clinical professor of ophthalmology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center. Word to the wise: "You can't have problems with the flap if you don't have one," she says.<br /><br />About 3 percent of people who have laser eye surgery continue to suffer from complications six months after the procedure. Now, new technology is making laser eye surgery more accurate and safer. Instead of a mechanical knife, more surgeons are starting to use a laser called the IntraLase to cut the flap for LASIK surgery. With the IntraLase, surgeons can much more precisely control the depth and diameter of the flap. "IntraLase is the closest we've come to getting accuracy that matches surface ablation," says Foulkes.<br /><br />Precise map. In the past, surgeons simply programmed a person's prescription into the laser to tell it how to trim the cornea. Now, more refractive surgeons are using "wavefront" technology for both LASIK and PRK that creates a more precise map of the unique optical landscape of a patient's eyes. With wavefront, the laser can be set to deal with "higher-order aberrations"-there are about 20 of them-that are responsible for things like glaring and starbursts, says Jim Salz, a clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of Southern California. "We have a better chance of making your vision 20/20," Salz says, "and fewer optical problems."<br /><br />Laser eye surgery isn't typically covered by insurance, and it's not cheap, especially using the new technology. At Salz's Los Angeles practice, LASIK with wavefront and IntraLase costs $2,800 per eye. PRK is a bit less expensive, at $2,300 per eye without wavefront. Prices may be lower in different parts of the country, and high-volume centers may charge significantly less than $2,000 an eye. But price and whiz-bang technology aren't the only elements to consider in the decision-making process. "No amount of technology can make up for an inferior surgeon," says Glenn Hagele, executive director of the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance, a consumer information group. On its website (www.usaeyes.org), the council lists eye surgeons it certifies who meet its standards for postoperative visual acuity and patient satisfaction, among other things. In addition, the group's list of "50 tough questions for your LASIK doctor" tells potential patients what to ask any doctor they're considering for LASIK or other refractive eye surgery.<br /><br />Not everyone is a suitable candidate for laser eye surgery. People with very high corrections may not get satisfactory results, for example. But even with a good surgeon working on an ideal candidate, the results can be subpar. "There's no smoking gun," says David Hartzok, executive director of the Vision Surgery Rehab Network in Rockford, Ill., which offers support and assistance to people who've had complications following eye surgery. "More than half the time, we simply don't know why some patients have problems."<br /><br />After laser eye surgery, about 90 percent of patients achieve at least 20/40 vision, the legal minimum in many states for driving without glasses, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Up to 10 percent of patients need enhancement surgery to fine-tune the results of the original procedure. But being able to read an eye chart isn't the only measure of a successful surgery, and it's in this area that many patients continue to have problems.<br /><br />Andrew Jankovich had the Cadillac of LASIK eye procedures. His Cincinnati surgeon used the IntraLase laser to cut the flap and wavefront technology to guide the laser that reshaped his corneas. Following the surgery, his vision was 20/15, and his doctor said everything looked fine. But almost immediately, he noticed that his left eye was scratchy and irritated. Instead of going away, the problem worsened, and he now has severe dry eye. It's been a year now, and he says he constantly feels as if there's a hair in his eye or a raw spot there. Special eyedrops make it slightly better, but it never goes away. If he could make the choice again, Jankovich says, "I'd wear 3-inch-thick glasses instead."<br /><br />For many people, ditching their glasses is a big part of the appeal of laser eye surgery. But before you pony up thousands of dollars, make sure you understand the potential risks and limitations. Only then can you make a clear-eyed choice.<br /><br />BEHIND THE SCENE<br /><br />In LASIK eye surgery, the surgeon cuts a small flap across the surface of the cornea-- the clear window on the front of the eye that transmits and focuses light. Next, the flap is folded back, and the surgeon reshapes the cornea using a laser that vaporizes the tissue. With photorefractive keratectomy, the procedure is similar except that the surgeon doesnt create a flap before using the laser to trim the cornea.<br /><br />The problem<br /><br />Nearsightedness and farsightedness are generally caused by differences in eyeball shape. LASIK and PRK correct for this by recontouring the cornea.<br /><br />Normal eye: Light rays focus directly on the retina.<br /><br />Nearsighted: Light focuses in front of the retina when the eye is too long.<br /><br />Farsighted: Light focuses on a point behind the retina when the eye is too short.<br /><br />By Michelle Andrews (fairview.org)</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-75392775430994771382007-02-17T18:48:00.000-08:002007-07-26T18:49:57.266-07:00Inspire Announces Licensing Agreement<div style="text-align: justify;">Inspire (NASDAQ:ISPH) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing prescription pharmaceutical products in disease areas with significant commercial potential and unmet medical needs. The research and development programs of Inspire are driven by extensive scientific experience in the therapeutic areas of ophthalmology and respiratory/allergy, and supported by expertise in the field of P2 receptors. Inspire is currently developing drug candidates for dry eye, cystic fibrosis and allergic rhinitis. Inspire's U.S. specialty sales force promotes Elestat (epinastine HCl ophthalmic solution) 0.05% for allergic conjunctivitis and Restasis (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion) 0.05% for dry eye, ophthalmology products developed by Allergan, Inc. Elestat and Restasis are trademarks owned by Allergan. AzaSite(TM) and DuraSite are trademarks owned by InSite Vision Inc. For more information, visit www.inspirepharm.com.<br /><br />At the time of writing shares are up 4% to $7.67 with over 324,000 in volume. This momentum comes as Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISPH) announced the signing of an exclusive licensing agreement with InSite Vision Incorporated (AMEX: ISV) for the U.S. and Canadian commercialization of AzaSite(TM) (1.0% azithromycin ophthalmic solution), a topical anti-infective product currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis.<br /><br />MarketGainer.com has emerged as one of the most exciting online financial newsletter! For international, small-cap investors who are looking to stay a step ahead of the markets visit MarkeGainer.com.<br /><br />Under the terms of the agreement, Inspire has acquired from InSite Vision exclusive rights to commercialize AzaSite for ocular infections in the United States and Canada. AzaSite contains the drug azithromycin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, formulated with DuraSite , InSite Vision's patented drug-delivery vehicle.<br /><br />The agreement provides that Inspire will pay InSite Vision an upfront license fee of $13 million and an additional $19 million milestone payment contingent upon regulatory approval by the FDA. Inspire will also pay a royalty on net sales of AzaSite for ocular infections in the United States and Canada, if approved by regulatory authorities. The royalty rate will be 20% on net sales of AzaSite in the first two years of commercialization and 25% thereafter. Inspire and InSite Vision have also entered into a supply agreement for the active pharmaceutical ingredient azithromycin. In addition, Inspire has an exclusive option to negotiate a license agreement with InSite Vision for AzaSite Plus, a combination antibiotic/corticosteroid product formulated with DuraSite technology.<br /><br />Christy L. Shaffer, Ph.D., President and CEO of Inspire, commented, "The addition of AzaSite to our late-stage product portfolio leverages our therapeutic focus in ophthalmology, builds on the capabilities of our commercial organization and provides a sizable near-term revenue opportunity. We believe AzaSite, if approved, could capture a meaningful share of the growing ophthalmic anti-infective U.S. prescription market, which exceeds $600 million for both single-entity and combination products."<br /><br />"We look forward to the completion of the FDA's review of the AzaSite New Drug Application (NDA) by the end of April 2007, as determined by the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA). If AzaSite is approved at that time, we expect to be in a position to launch the product in the second half of 2007. Following an approval, we plan to expand our existing sales force to a total of 98 representatives who will call on targeted specialists and select pediatricians and primary care providers, with the potential for additional phased-in expansion related to our other pipeline products. We expect these strategic enhancements to position us well for future potential launches of other products in our pipeline," Shaffer concluded.<br /><br />Terrence P. O'Brien, M.D., Professor of Ophthalmology and Charlotte Breyer Rodgers Distinguished Chair in Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami, commented, "AzaSite represents an exciting new potential treatment option for external ocular infections, including bacterial conjunctivitis. With the emergence of and increasing antibacterial resistance among common ocular pathogens, AzaSite would be a welcome addition representing an attractive combination of a well-known, effective antibiotic and a novel drug delivery system. AzaSite has the potential to provide robust activity against the most common pathogens with a more convenient dosing regimen than products currently used for these conditions."<br /><br />InSite Vision has executed a worldwide, exclusive royalty-bearing licensing agreement with Pfizer Inc. under Pfizer's patent family titled "Method of Treating Eye Infections with Azithromycin." Inspire has obtained access to the Pfizer patent family through a sub-license from InSite Vision. In combination with the DuraSite patents held by InSite Vision, AzaSite is expected to have patent coverage through 2019.<br /><br />Inspire will discuss this licensing agreement during a conference call scheduled for 10:00 am ET on February 16, 2007. To access the conference call, U.S. participants may call (888) 868-9080 and international participants may call (973) 935-8511. The conference ID number is 8460144. A live webcast and replay of the call will be available on Inspire's website at www.inspirepharm.com. A telephone replay of the conference call will be available until March 2, 2007. To access this replay, U.S. participants may call (877) 519-4471 and international participants may call (973) 341-3080. The conference ID number is 8460144.<br /><br />About AzaSite(TM)<br /><br />AzaSite is azithromycin 1.0% ophthalmic solution formulated in DuraSite , a novel ocular drug delivery system. Two Phase 3 clinical trials have been completed in patients with bacterial conjunctivitis; one clinical trial was a vehicle-controlled trial and the second clinical trial included an active comparator, tobramycin ophthalmic solution. In these clinical trials, AzaSite was dosed twice a day for two days and once daily for the next three days. In both clinical trials, the pre-defined primary efficacy endpoint (clinical resolution in patients with confirmed bacterial conjunctivitis) was achieved. Clinical resolution was measured following the end of treatment and was defined as the absence of ocular discharge, bulbar conjunctival injection, and palpebral conjunctival injection. Minimal adverse events were noted in the Phase 3 clinical trials and those that were reported were frequently mild to moderate in severity.<br /><br />About Azithromycin<br /><br />Azithromycin is a semi-synthetic antibiotic that is derived from erythromycin and has been available under the trade name Zithromax by Pfizer Inc. since 1992. Azithromycin is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the United States, with an excellent safety and efficacy profile that is most notable for its once-a-day dosing feature.<br /><br />About Bacterial Conjunctivitis<br /><br />Bacterial conjunctivitis is a common ocular surface microbial infection characterized by inflammation of the conjunctivae, which are the mucous membranes covering the whites of the eyes and the inner side of the eyelids. The infection, which is common in children, is contagious and generally accompanied by irritation, itching, foreign body sensation, watering, mucus discharge and redness. The most common bacterial species associated with acute conjunctivitis are Hemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pnuemoniae, and Staphylococcus species.<br /><br />This article is available for viewing in the Featured Articles Section on our website. To view this article and comparables join us at www.marketgainer.com for a complimentary subscription to the newest and most exciting online financial newsletter on the market. No Credit Card information needed.<br /><br />The Financial Information and Financial Content provided by Marketgainer.com is for informational purposes only and should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or endorsement, recommendations, or sponsorship of any company or security by Marketgainer.com. You acknowledge and agree that any request for information is unsolicited and shall neither constitute nor be construed as investment advice by Marketgainer.com to you. It is strongly recommended that you seek outside advice from a qualified securities professional prior to making any securities investment. Marketgainer.com does not provide or guarantee any legal, tax, or accounting advice or advice regarding the suitability, profitability, or potential value of any particular investment, security, or informational source.<br /><br />All material herein was prepared by based upon information believed to be reliable. The information contained herein is not guaranteed by Market Gainer to be accurate, and should not be considered to be all-inclusive. The companies that are discussed in this opinion have not approved the statements made in this opinion. This opinion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. This material is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities. Market Gainer is not a licensed broker, broker dealer, market maker, investment banker, investment advisor, analyst or underwriter. Please consult a broker before purchasing or selling any securities viewed on or mentioned herein.<br /><br />This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a companies' annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.<br /><br />Source: M2PressWIRE, Feb 16, 2007</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-58059070414540340492006-12-10T13:40:00.001-08:002006-12-10T13:40:49.997-08:00Why Is Cornea Free of Blood Vessels?<div align="justify">Scientists at Harvard University's Department of Ophthalmology's Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, say they are the first to learn why the cornea, the clear window of the eye, is free of blood vessels--a unique phenomenon that makes vision possible. The key, indicate the researchers, is the unexpected presence of large amounts of the protein VEGFR-3 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3) on the top epithelial layer of normal healthy corneas.<br /><br />According to the most recent findings, VEGFR-3 halts angiogenesis (blood vessel growth) by acting as a "sink" to bind or neutralize the growth factors sent by the body to stimulate the spread of blood vessels. The cornea long has been known to have the remarkable and unusual property of not having blood vessels, but the exact reasons for this had remained unknown.<br /><br />These results not only serve to solve a profound scientific mystery, but hold great promise for preventing and curing blinding eye disease and illnesses such as cancer, in which blood vessels grow abnormally and uncontrollably, since this phenomenon, normally present in the cornea, can be used therapeutically in other tissues.<br /><br />"This is a very significant discovery," emphasizes Reza Dana, an associate professor at Harvard University Medical School and the senior author and principal investigator of the study. "A clear cornea is essential for vision. Without the ability to maintain a blood-vessel-free cornea, our vision would be significantly impaired or nonexistant."<br /><br />The cornea, one of only two tissues in the body that actively keep themselves vessel-free (the other is cartilage), is the thin transparent tissue that covers the front of the eye. It is the clarity of the cornea that allows light to pass onto the retina and from there to the brain for interpretation. When the cornea is clouded by injury, infection, or abnormal blood vessel growth, vision severely is impaired, if not destroyed.<br /><br />Scientists have been wrestling with the "clarity" puzzle for many decades. While some previous studies have revealed small clues, none have pointed to one major mechanism, until now.<br /><br />Source: USA Today Magazine</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-27384843720908691762006-12-04T01:05:00.000-08:002006-12-10T13:42:54.807-08:00Seeing a Reason to Support a Car Show<div align="justify"><strong>• IF I COULDN'T SEE, I DON'T</strong> think I could write these words. It would be difficult to read them, too.<br /><br />If I couldn't see the things that give me the greatest joy — my family, my friends, my cars, my life — I just don't know how I'd survive.<br /><br />I was thinking about this the other day gazing upon ladies in stylish hats and men wearing a mix of lust and lost-love emotion. They stood on the lawn of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Estate in tony Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, here to enjoy the many fine and glorious cars assembled for the EyesOn Design car show. They were here to take in the beauty, to reminisce and, just maybe, add something to their "gotta have" wish list.<br /><br />Few of these people realized that with their participation — the money they spent on tickets and commemorative posters and such — they would help the blind see.<br /><br />That's because the EyesOn Design car show, a mainstay for the area and within the collector community, is not just a wonderful event, but it is the carrot dangled to bring 40 world-renowned doctors, scientists and researchers from nine countries to Detroit's doorstep. They come to attend a congress devoted to the goal of creating artificial vision through the development of a microchip.<br /><br />EyesOn Design is the single largest fundraiser for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology, and the conference is one reason for that organization's being. It's good that T understand about car shows because the conference topics are clearly beyond me; its subjects include such lighthearted cocktail banter as "bio-hybrid visual prosthesis research" and "high-resolution epiretinal stimulation of mammalian ganglion cells." Sheesh.<br /><br />Perhaps I should not have been surprised to know the EyesOn show, while not as famous as a Pebble Beach, has an international following. And not just by the junketeering eye docs. This is a show, after all, held on the grounds of an auto baron's estate. That alone has to be worth a few hundred at the gate.<br /><br />It's a pity that EyesOn hasn't gathered greater U.S. appeal, though CM, Nissan and Bridgestone, along with others, lend their support. And no, it is not a "true" show of elegance where cars are judged for authenticity and restoration to within an inch of their brass grommets.<br /><br />EyesOn just has the admirable goal [something many other shows around the country also aim to do — be socially responsible first, entertaining second) of wanting to make this a world in which people can see. As an able-bodied car guy, that's more than enough reason to get my money.<br /><br />By Dutch Mandel, AutoWeek</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-7878799222010982082006-11-01T22:06:00.000-08:002006-12-10T13:43:31.307-08:00Bahrami to be recognized with 2006 Drotman award<div align="justify">HOSSEIN Bahrami, MD, MPH, will be honored with the Jay S. Drotman Memorial Award at the 134th APHA Annual Meeting.<br /><br />Bahrami, a graduate of the School of Medicine in Tehran, Iran, is a PhD candidate in epidemiology and a MHS candidate in biostatistics at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. In nominating Bahrami for the Drotman award, APHA member Ian B. Berger, DrPH, MD, cited his "outstanding commitment to public health, preventive medicine, and in particular, preventive ophthalmology."<br /><br />Bahrami, who has completed a medical internship and earned an MPH from Johns Hopkins, has authored 33 published papers in highly respected professional journals including the American Journal of Epidemiology, American Journal of Gastroenterology and Investigative Ophthalmology. He has authored or co-authored three public health books in Farsi and produced numerous oral and poster sessions illustrating his interests in research. Bahrami's recent oral presentation at the 2005 APHA Annual Meeting, "Glaucoma: Transition to a New Paradigm," focused on the complexities of the disease and public health concerns with early recognition and treatment.<br /><br />Bahrami's research interests include cardiovascular disease, heart failure, metabolic syndrome, preventive ophthalmology, hepatitis, glaucoma and clinical and genetic epidemiology. Among his professional experience, Bahrami has worked as a member of the Sport Medicine Committee of the Medical Confederation of Sports Organizations in Tehran, a member of the Tuberculosis Research Team at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences Student Research Center and as a clinician in private practice in Tehran. He is a member of the Science Advisory Board in Arlington, Va., and the Johns Hopkins University Peer Editing Service as well as coordinator of research projects for the Digestive Disease Research Center at Tehran University of Medical Sciences.<br /><br />Among his volunteer appointments, Bahrami serves on the APHA Governing Council, is a student member of the APHA Science Board and is a member of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health's Academic Affairs Committee, Elections Committee and Awards Committee.<br /><br />Source: Nation's Health</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-72346030791977601702006-10-15T13:39:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:42:44.045-07:00Everything You Need To Know About Having Happy & Healthy Eyes<div align="justify">Even after almost 40 years, Van Morrison is still in love with that brown-eyed girl. And Coldplay's Chris Martin routinely rocks out on "Green Eyes" (even though it's about a former girlfriend, pre-Gwyneth). Obviously, the eyes do have it, whether they're Spanish eyes, brown eyes that have turned blue (somebody explain that one to me), or Bette Davis eyes. Ah, but my eyes? Sometimes they just don't live up to the hype. In fact, if the eyes are the windows to the soul, as Dante so poetically put it, then my soul is tired and bloodshot, not to mention nearsighted and in need of bifocals. If, like me, nobody's going to write a song about your peepers until they get some TLC, read on.<br /><br /><strong>BRIGHT-EYE BASICS</strong><br />Next time you see your mother, tell her that reading in low light is not going to wreck your eyesight. Mitchell Friedlaender, MD, of Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, says so. "You can't harm your vision by overusing your eyes," he says. But everything else your morn told you--to eat your veggies, take your vitamins, and get plenty of sleep--will do your eyes a world of good, he says. (And who wants to jeopardize their good looks because of eyestrain, anyway?)<br /><br />In fact, researchers now think healthy food and lifestyle choices (whether it's quitting smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, or eating lots of colorful fruits and vegetables that have eye-healthy antioxidants) improve the odds that your eyes will look their best and brightest. Those good choices can also help you avoid or delay eye problems that sometimes occur later in life, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and cataracts.<br /><br />How important is eating right? A National Eye Institute study showed that a specific combination of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants reduced AMD risk by 25 percent for some people. The combo: 400 IU of vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene, 80 mg zinc, and 2 mg copper. Giacomina Massaro-Giordano, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's Scheie Eye Institute, also recommends carotenoids (like lutein and zeaxanthin) and antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E, which help protect the retina from the damaging effects of the sun. For the veggie-averse, a supplement might be the answer, but check first with your primary care physician.<br /><br />Regular eye checkups are essential to good eye and whole-body health, says ophthalmologist Susan Stenson, MD, clinical professor at New York University School of Medicine. Many health conditions (high blood pressure and diabetes, for example) have a major impact on your eyes, she says. "By treating the disease," she adds, "you're protecting your eyes."<br /><br /><strong>Fight computer fatigue</strong><br />Position your computer screen directly in front of you and slightly below eye level.<br />Don't put the computer in front of a window or bright light source.<br />Avoid working on a computer in a dark room. The light should be on, but should not be brighter than the computer screen.<br />Use an antiglare screen to eliminate glare and reflections.<br />Have a shaded lamp nearby when reading papers, and make sure it doesn't throw light onto the screen.<br />Increase the text font size to avoid eye-strain and squinting. Black text on a white background is easiest on your eyes.<br />Consider buying a pair of weaker reading glasses just for use with your computer. Reading-strength glasses are probably too strong for the distance between your eyes and the screen. Or ask your eye doctor about computer glasses, which are made specifically for long hours in front of a monitor.<br />Typical age when you need reading glasses. The culprit: presbyopia.<br />The three O's<br />Eye docs and eyeglass dispensers seem to be everywhere. But are they all created equal? Here's the scoop.<br /><br />OPTICIANS typically fill and dispense prescriptions for glasses and contact lenses. Not all states require that an optician have a license, though, so look for certification from the American Board of Opticianry or the National Contact Lens Examiners.<br /><br />OPTOMETRISTS examine, diagnose, and treat eye diseases and disorders, and fit and dispense corrective eyewear. In some states they can treat glaucoma and eye infections. They've completed college and optometry school, are certified by a national board of examiners, and must have state licenses.<br /><br />OPHTHALMOLOGISTS are MDs qualified to diagnose and treat all eye conditions and diseases, including procedures such as cataract removal and laser surgery. They've completed college, medical school, and a residency, and many have specialty training as well.<br /><br /><strong>Not pretty in pink<br /></strong>Dry, itchy, uncomfortable eyes can look bad and feel worse. Here are some of the most common ailments, plus a rare one that's been in the news.<br /><br /><strong>Legend for Chart:</strong><br /><br />A - Symptoms<br />B - What it could be<br />C - Cause<br />D - Treatment<br /><br />A<br /><br />B<br /><br />C<br /><br />D<br /><br />Pink tinge to whites<br />of eyes, burning,<br />discharge, dryness,<br />itching, light sensitivity,<br />pain or discomfort,<br />stickiness,<br />tearing, swelling<br /><br />Conjunctivitis, an<br />inflammation of<br />the conjunctiva, the<br />mucous membrane<br />that lines the visible<br />part of the eye<br />and the inner eyelid<br /><br /><strong>Infection or allergy<br /></strong><br />See a doc; antibiotic<br />drops are<br />usually prescribed<br />for bacterial<br />conjunctivitis. And<br />don't rub your eyes(!)<br /><br />Dry, gritty, sticky<br />eyes<br /><br />Dry eye, a lack of<br />lubrication and<br />moisture<br /><br />Can range from<br />squinting at the<br />computer (the more<br />you squint, the<br />less you blink) to<br />age, systemic<br />disease, or medication<br />side effects<br /><br />Many dry-eye complaints<br />are temporary<br />and easily<br />relieved with<br />over-the-counter eye<br />drops. Chronic<br />dryness may<br />require a doc visit.<br /><br />Tearing, red, itching<br />eyes<br /><br />Allergies<br /><br />Allergens, such as<br />pollen, cat dander,<br />dust, or mold<br /><br />Oral allergy meds<br />may help, or either<br />OTC or Rx eyedrops.<br /><br />Redness, excessive<br />tearing or discharge,<br />rapid onset<br />of blurred vision,<br />pain in and around<br />the eyes<br /><br />Infection<br /><br />If you're a contact<br />lens wearer, you<br />could have microbial<br />fungal keratitis,<br />but this is very rare<br /><br />Anytime you have<br />eye pain, call a doctor.<br />If you're wearing<br />contact lenses,<br />remove them.<br /><br />In the blink of an eye<br />You blink an average of 15 to 20 times per minute, each time lubricating and cleaning your eyes. If you're really engrossed in something (like the latest best seller), you blink less often. If you're tired or somebody asks you a question you aren't ready for, your blinking is likely to become more rapid.<br /><br /><strong>3 things to keep out of your eyes<br />SPIT</strong><br />Yes, you've been desperate and wet a contact lens with spit once or twice. But that was back in junior high when you didn't know better. Now you do. Carry a purse-size bottle of rewetting solution with you.<br /><br /><strong>OLD MAKEUP</strong><br />The shelf life for eye-area cosmetics is shorter than that of other products because of the risk of eye infections. Replace mascara and eyeliner every 3 months, and all other eye makeup and creams every 6 months. If you have an eye infection, stop using all eye products, discard those you were using, and see your eye doctor. And never share eye makeup or try samples at the cosmetic counter.<br /><br /><strong>CHEMICALS</strong><br />Better geeky than sorry: Wear safety glasses when you're using cleaners or spray painting. If a chemical gets in your eye, wash it out with cool running water (keep your good eye upstream). If wearing contacts, remove them, rinse again, and head to the doc.<br /><br /><strong>Protect your peepers<br />The bad news</strong><br />Only 16 percent of adults wear sunglasses when they head out in the sun for an extended time.<br /><br /><strong>The good news<br /></strong>When it comes to the evils of ultraviolet rays (sunlight that ages skin and makes skin cancer more likely), some eye doctors are starting to preach protection almost as loudly as dermatologists do. "Your eyelids can get sunburned just like skin elsewhere on the body," says ophthalmologist Susan Stenson, MD. "And both the cornea and retina can experience burn from unprotected high-intensity UV exposure." If you're a contact lens wearer, you are getting some UV protection, but it can't match the protection of sunglasses. And exposure to UV rays can accelerate age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts. At right is a collection of sun specs that combine protection and style.<br /><br />For more details on the sunglasses shown here, see our Buyer's Guide on page 210.<br /><br />Frames in a darker color, like the deep-brown tortoise on these Revo shades ($239), are better at blocking UV rays.<br /><br />Amber-colored lenses like the ones on these Ray-Ban sunglasses ($80) are very good at shielding your eyes from the sun.<br /><br />Oversize sunglasses, like this pair from Two Eyes ($55), are certainly fashionable--and they're great protectors, too.<br /><br />Shades needn't be expensive to be effective. Case in point: these Isaac Mizrahi for Target sunglasses ($19.99).<br /><br />Classic aviators like these from Shades of Juicy by Juicy Couture ($220) flatter many face shapes.<br /><br />Help prevent crow's-feet with UV-blocking wraparound frames like these from Donna Karan ($299).<br /><br /><strong>Look sporty, be smart</strong><br />Why wear protective sports glasses? Approximately 40,000 sports-related eye injuries occur in the United States each year. So reach for shatterproof lenses such as polycarbonate, which can withstand a ball traveling at 90 mites per hour. The frames should protect the sides of your eyes, too. Some glasses have sweat strips, antifogging lenses, and other special features.<br /><br />For racquetball and squash, nVue from Wilson ($60) offers three interchangeable lenses and ventilation that prevents fogging.<br /><br />If you need prescription swimming goggles, the Sable 922 by See Worthy ($120) offers three sizes of nosebridges and a no-slip buckle head-strap.<br /><br />Spec-tacular! Glasses have come a long way since Ben Franklin crafted bifocals from two pieces of glass (today progressive bifocals and trifocals don't even have a line). Fashions have changed, too, although as you can see here, what goes "out" soon comes back "in" again.<br /><br />In the '70s, women's-rights activist Gloria Steinem made aviator glasses her signature--proof that a woman could look smart and sexy.<br /><br /><strong>EYE-OPENING INNOVATIONS </strong><br />Tired of glasses or contacts? Not to worry. New ways of banishing corrective lenses seem to be popping up all the time.<br /><br />First there was laser refractive surgery, which is still the most popular technique. The original form of this procedure is PRK, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1995 and is still used in some situations. Today the most popular version of laser refractive surgery is LASIK, which involves reshaping your cornea with a keratome machine and ultraviolet light. It has been done on nearly 5 million people, both nearsighted and farsighted, in the United States. After a brief recovery period, most nearsighted patients can ditch their glasses or contacts forever--or at least until they need reading glasses or bifocals for the fine print. Now there are a couple of new techniques that can solve that problem (called presbyopia), too. A new monovision version of LASIK corrects one eye for long-distance vision and the other for close-up sight.<br /><br />There's also conductive keratoplasty (CK) for the middle-aged squint. It's a blade-free process that uses radio waves to reshape the cornea. A word of warning: The procedure may wear off over time.<br /><br />If the idea of anything cutting your eye freaks you out, there's new hope for you. Bladeless distant-vision surgery uses "extremely short little bursts of light, putting localized pressure on the cornea," says Roger F. Steinert, MD, president of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. The light bursts produce bubbles that slice the cornea, much as a blade would.<br /><br />These surgeries are not for everyone, and careful prescreening with a qualified surgeon is a must. Andrew Caster, MD, FACS, author of The Eye Laser Miracle: The Complete Guide to Better Vision, recommends that you make sure the surgeon is board-certified and experienced with the procedure.<br /><br /><strong>DON'T: Throw a raw steak On an injured eye</strong><br />It may have worked for John Wayne after a punch-up, but that was just movie magic. There's absolutely nothing in raw meat that helps heal a black eye.<br /><br /><strong>DO: Patch the injured eye, and head to the doc</strong><br />Whatever the injury--a scratch, blow, bungee cord in the eye (it's more common than you think)--it could cause retinal detachment. Cover the eye and get to the ER or doc.<br /><br /><strong>Rules of contact(s)<br /></strong>The recent eye-infection scare got contact lens wearers worried about tainted cleaning solutions and outbreaks of fungal keratitis. Truth is, contact lenses are very safe, and problems--particularly dangerous ones--are rare. In fact, there are over 30 million contact lens wearers in the United States, and only about 100 cases of fungal keratitis were reported during the outbreak. More common are infections caused by plain ol' bad habits. That's why if you wear contact lenses, you should always:<br /><br />• Wash and dry your hands before handling lenses.<br /><br />• Do a "rub and rinse" before storing lenses each night to minimize germs, even if you're using a no-rub lens cleaner.<br /><br />• Keep your contact lens case clean and replace it every 3 to 6 months. Use fresh solution each night.<br /><br />• Remove the lenses and see a doc if your eyes become red or irritated, or if your vision changes.<br /><br />Windsor-style glasses with round wire rims were intro'd in the 1880s, but have been worn in more recent years by John Lennon and Whoopi Goldberg.<br /><br />Cat-eye glasses aren't just for Tracey Ullman's wacky characters. They're all the rage. Buy a vintage pair, and put in your own Rx.<br /><br />Plastic frames never go out of style: from horn rims (think Annie Hall) to sidewinders (Austin Powers), to today's popular small-framed "nerd" glasses.<br /><br />H Health.com has details on how to donate used eyeglasses or sign up to donate your eyes to an eye bank.<br /><br />Sunglass must-have: The "100 percent UV protection" label, which means they block the ultraviolet rays that do the most skin and eyed<br /><br />Look for: Large or wraparound frames that protect the skin on your eyelids and the sides of your eyes.<br /><br />No-brainer protection: If you don't like changing glasses when you go in and out, get photo-chromic lenses that darken when exposed to UV rays (they work better than the,<br /><br />We like: Classic shades that never go out of style, like these by Robert Marc. For more sunglasses.<br /><br />By: Strickland, Pam, Health</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1160943516368661502006-10-15T13:17:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.669-07:00Lobbyists win code-review battles; physicians still face cuts in 2007<div align="justify">Despite some victories in preserving and improving 11 Medicare payment codes, ophthalmologists will sec some significant changes in 2007 unless Congress intervenes to stop acrossthe-board cuts.<br /><br />The payment code analysis, mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Mcdicaid Services (CMS) and called the Five-Year Review, determines whether physicians are appropriately compensated for their work. Specialty medical societies were asked to offer what they thought were misvalued procedures, and CMS devised its own list of codes to be reviewed. After much lobbying by the American Academy of Ophthahiiology{AAO), American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), and other medical societies, CMS has agreed to make more moderate changes to the codes used by ophthalmologists. The revised codes, called Work Relative Value Units (RVUs), will be effective Jan. 1.<br /><br />"We did a lot better than others thought we would," said Cathy Cohen, AAO vice president for governmental affairs. "We were able to convince them to increase the work value for a number of codes." The AAO surveyed and presented data for 25 codes that could be adjusted, and won increases for 11 codes, according to Cohen. Values for another 11 codes challenged by CMS were maintained at current levels, and minor decreases were ordered for the physician work value portion of three codes: cataract with IOL (66984), photodynamic therapy for choroidal neovascularization (67221), and correction of trichlasis epilation by forceps (67820).<br /><br />Meanwhile, nearly all codes relating to office visits—^evaluation and management— saw significant improvements, including increases by as much as 37%. "We succeeded on every code we proposed as undervalued," Cohen said. "We have a good track record." The team of physicians representing ophthalmology was particularly challenged in defending the code value for performing cataract surgery with an IOL, because survey data showed the procedure now takes less time than it did 5 years ago. In its alert, ASCRS noted that the intraservice physician time required for cataract surgery has decreased from 50 to 30 minutes.<br /><br />However, the group said the decrease in time spent reflects a decrease of only low-intensity work (suturing). The code was considered particularly critical given the volume of these cases for most ophthalmologists. Ophthalmology Times' telephone call to ASCRS' Nancey McCann was not returned by press time. Stephen A. Kamenetsky, MD, AAO's official presenter at the Relative Value Update Committee (RUC), stressed that cataract surgery deserves higher payment because the technical difficulty of the procedure— through a small incision with a foldable or injectable lens and a self-sealing corneal incision— has increased even though the time required to perform it has decreased.<br /><br />"The time that was eliminated was related to the lower-intensity work of ere-ation of a large wound and its subsequent closure, and was more than compensated for by the increase in skill required for the newer cataract operation," he said, adding that the RUC accepted that reasoning. "This confirmed the AAO position that time alone is a poor measure of physician work and that using it as a proxy for work to determine payment will stifie innovation for all specialties." Advocacy groups were also concerned about key retina codes that they feared would be slashed under the review. However, wo were successful in getting decisions about those codes deferred for at least a year until CMS'Current Procedural Terminology committee can evaluate them, Cohen said.<br /><br />Dr. Kamenetsky said these codes—for vitrectomy and other common retina procedures— are under review because they no longer describe today's procedures. The AAO will submit revised and updated codes later this year, he said. "We believe that the values obtained will accurately refiect the physician work for these codes and will result in fair reimbursement for retinal specialists," he said.<br /><br />In spite of these positive results. Congress and CMS continue to try to rein in spending. For example, even though ophthalmology won work value increases on many codes, under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, the payment for some codes will be reduced to preserve "budget neutrality." "Unless Congress increases the amount of money in the pool, any increases the RUC recommends has to be paid for within the pool," Coben said. Congress also has established a muchcriticized volume target formula—the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). Under this formula. Medicare payments will be cut 5.1% beginning in January.<br /><br />In addition. Congress has pledged a 1.1% per year cut (for each of the next 4 years) related to practice expense (PE) policy changes. "They offered a very similar PE proposal a year ago and the academy pulled together a coalition and was successful in derailing it," Cohen explained. "They put it on hold and spent a year re-looking at it, and came up with basically the same proposal. We're the most significantly affected, and that's why we're convinced there's something wrong."<br /><br />Still, lobbyists representing ophthalmology are encouraged by the code victories and are working on alternate ways to provide fair compensation for physicians. "The challenge is: How do we pay for it?" Cohen posed<br /><br />By: Webb, Jennifer A.. Ophthalmology Times</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1160942776187121282006-09-23T22:02:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.598-07:00Epi-LASIK favored over tPRK for myopia treatment<div align="justify">Better predictability, less induced corneal spherical aberration occur in findings<br /><br />By Cheryl Guttman Reviewed by Osamu Hieda, MD<br /><br />San Francisco—Treatment of low-to-high myopia with transepithelial PRK (tPRK) has poorer predictability and results in greater induction of corneal spherical aberration compared with epi-LASIK, reported Osamu Hieda, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Dr. Hieda and his colleague Shigeru Kinoshita, MD, department of ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan, compared the two surface ablation procedures in two groups of 19 eyes each based on data collected at 6 months postoperatively and using multiple linear regression analysis.<br /><br />The tPRK was performed using the EC-5000 Flexscan (Nidek) epithelial laser scraping technique and epi-LASIK was performed using the Epi-Lift (Gebauer) and EC-5000 laser. Predictor for outcome The results showed the type of surgery was a significant predictor for refractive outcome with overcorrection more likely in the tPRK eyes. With both techniques, there was a significant correlation between attempted spherical equivalent reduction and induced fourth-order corneal aberration, such that higher corrections were associated with greater increases in spherical aberration. However, the multiple regression analysis showed type of surgery was also a significant predictor of induced corneal spherical aberration with tPRK resulting in an approximate 0.2 im greater increase at all levels of correction compared with epi-LASIK.<br /><br />"These findings were consistent with the hypotheses we established before undertaking this study," Dr. Hieda said. "In tPRK with the Flex-scan, the cornea is not ablated to an equal depth from the center to the periphery due to inconsistencies in epithelial thickness across the cornea. Flexscan also has the effect of myopic overcorrection. Eor these reasons, that technique leaves residual epithelial cells in the corneal periphery that lead to a decrease in optical zone diameter, overcorrection, and greater induction of corneal spherical aberration." The eyes in the two study groups were matched for attempted correction. Mean preoperative sphere and cylinder values in the epi-LASIK eyes were -5.78 and -0.67 D, respectively, and were -6.35 and -0.74 D in the tPRK eyes, respectively. There were also no significant differences between groups in gender distribution (about 60% female) or laterality.<br /><br />However, the epi-LASIK group was significantly older than the patients in the tPRK group (mean 33 versus 26 years) and had a greater mean corneal thickness (548 versus 517 pm), A 9-mm epithelial flap was raised in the epi-LASIK procedures. The tPRK procedure used a 45-im deep, 8- to 8.5-mm epithelial laser scrape. All surgeries were performed using the same treatment nomogram (93% X sphere) and same ablation profile (OATZ Mo. 6; 4.5-mm optical zone, 8-mm transition zone), Corneal wavefront analysis was performed using the OPD-Scan (Nidek) at a 6-mm zone for up to sixthorder Zernike polynomials. To illustrate the differential effect of the two surgeries. Dr. Hieda presented wavefront maps from both eyes of a single patient who underwent tPRK in the left eye and epi-LASIK contralaterally for identical preoperative refractions. At 6 months after the surgery, ocular higher-order aberrations were 0.31 pm in the epi-LASIK eye and 1 im in the tPRK eye (Figure 1). "The difference could be explained in part by the fact that epi-LASIK induced less corneal spherical aberration," Dr. Hieda said</div><p align="justify">Ophthalmology Times, 9/15/2006 </p>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1160942275538908662006-09-22T18:32:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.533-07:00Of fetal testing and libido boosters<div align="justify">• Scientists at Xenomics have discovered a way to detect possible genetic diseases in a fetus by screening the mother's urine. In some chromosomal disorders, such as Gaucher's disease and Down syndrome, key pieces of fetal DNA pass through the mom's kidneys. The company is developing tests that can detect disease telltales at seven weeks, six sooner than today's more invasive procedures, and can also reveal the gender.<br /><br /><br />• In the British Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham reaffirmed the link between vision problems and erectile dysfunction drugs. They studied men who had histories of heart trouble, and found that those who had taken Viagra or Cialis were 10 times as likely to have optic nerve damage as those who had not.<br /><br /><br />• For women, meanwhile, caffeine may offer a natural boost to the libido. Scientists at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Tex., found that female rats were more interested in sex after a dose of caffeine, according to Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. In the test, females returned for second encounters with males more quickly if they had received a moderate amount of the stimulant. The researchers are planning further studies to assess the effects of repeated exposure to caffeine.<br /><br />The McGraw-Hill Companies, Copyright 2006<br /></div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1160942205639646682006-09-15T21:02:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.476-07:00The world in focus<div align="justify">If you have faulty eyesight, getting it corrected is relatively straightforward — assuming you live in the developed world. But in poorer countries the network of optometrists, ophthalmologists and glasses makers is either inadequate or non-existent. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, there is one optometrist to every million people, compared with one to every 4000 in the UK. People there have little choice but to make do with poor vision, and all the social and economic consequences that brings.<br /><br />Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are visually impaired. Only a fraction of them receive vision correction, though, and most of those are in the developed world. Physicist Joshua Silver is trying to do something about it. While playing around with adjustable lenses one day, he discovered that he could correct his own slight near-sightedness, and that gave him an idea.<br /><br />Silver set up a company to produce low-cost adjustable spectacles that can correct the vision of both far-sighted and near-sighted people. Now that the spectacles have been trialled in Africa and Asia, Silver tells Justin Mullins how they could help up to a billion people with vision problems in the developing world — and how atomic physics led him to the idea<br /><br /><strong>How does an atomic physicist get involved in vision correction?<br /></strong>I have a habit of developing little bits of technology that interest me. I came to vision correction while playing around with certain types of lenses and mirrors that have the particular feature that you can change their power easily.<br /><br /><strong>But what have lenses got to do with atomic physics?<br /></strong>Atomic physicists use light to study the properties of atoms, so we need optical elements such as mirrors and lenses. Optics is an integral part of experimental atomic physics.<br /><br /><strong>How do these lenses work?<br /></strong>Each lens is a fluid-filled chamber bounded by a thin, clear plastic membrane. By changing the amount of fluid in the chamber, you change the curvature of the membrane. So what you have is a lens with variable power.<br /><br /><strong>It's one thing playing around with variable-power lenses. It's quite another turning them into spectacles. How did that happen?<br /></strong>I'm slightly myopic. I need my vision corrected by about a dioptre and a half in each eye — a dioptre is a unit of measurement of the power of a lens. I found that if I looked through the lens I had made and changed the power, I could accurately correct my own vision. That made me think that this could be a way for other people to do the same.<br /><br />It also made me wonder how many people there are in the world who need vision correction and don't have it.<br /><br /><strong>How many are there?<br /></strong>In 1994 I met up with Björn Thylefors, an ophthalmologist who was, at that time, director of the World Health Organization's blindness prevention programme in Geneva. He said the number was about a billion. In our first conversation, I somewhat arrogantly told him that I thought I had a method which could deal with that problem. He said to me, "If you can do that, you should." And that set me off.<br /><br /><strong>How do you correct the vision of so many people?<br /></strong>In the developed world, you go to an optometrist to get a prescription, the prescription is made up into a pair of glasses, and off you go. But that requires an infrastructure and a relatively large number of trained professionals. There is something like one optometrist for every 4000 people in the UK, for instance. In some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the ratio is one optometrist to a million people. In Mali it's one to 8 million people. You could try to create more professionals, but it's very hard to do that. It would cost a fortune, and the infrastructure is not there for them to slot into. Another problem is that when you train professionals in developing countries, they often emigrate.<br /><br /><strong>What's your plan?<br /></strong>My plan is very simple. If you can make a device that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and can be self-administered, then you cut out the middleman and the bottleneck in treatment. That is what the adaptive spectacles are all about. My company, Adaptive Eyecare, now has a production line in China that makes these spectacles.<br /><br /><strong>Who is using your glasses?<br /></strong>We've delivered 10,000 pairs to Ghana, which are being given out as part of an adult literacy programme. In Ghana, people were being taught to recognise words in large letters on a blackboard in the classroom, but weren't being given vision correction, and so couldn't read most types of print when they got home. Our spectacles solved that problem.<br /><br /><strong>So if you are sitting in a classroom in Ghana and you are given a pair of adaptive spectacles, how do you correct your own vision?<br /></strong>The amount of fluid in the lens, and hence its curvature, is controlled by a removable syringe. Initially you set the spectacles so that they are at a high power compared to the power you actually need. You cover one eye and look, ideally, at an eye test chart, although other objects can work — such as the leaves on a nearby tree. Then you gradually change the power of that lens until your vision is at its sharpest, and repeat for the other eye. The whole process takes less than a minute. Then you set the lenses and discard the syringe. If you follow the protocol correctly, you should end up with accurately corrected vision.<br /><br /><strong>How accurately can people correct their vision?<br /></strong>The evidence we have so far is that people can self-correct to about the same accuracy as if they were corrected by an optician. The glasses can't correct every type of vision error — they can't correct astigmatism, for instance — but they should work for more than 90 per cent of people requiring correction.<br /><br /><strong>And the cost?</strong><br />We think that a few days' income is an affordable target, and that varies from country to country. But it means that we need to be able to mass-manufacture the device at a cost in the region of one US dollar or so. Most modern ophthalmic lenses — even very high-quality ones — cost around a dollar, and we've got to be competitive with that. I'm sure we can be. But you've got to remember that there are other costs related to the manufacturing process that have to be taken into account, which makes it complex to calculate the price for the end-user.<br /><br /><strong>How long before you achieve your goal of adaptive spectacles for all who need them?<br /></strong>The WHO has set a target of getting vision correction to most people who need it by 2020. If we've made a significant dent in that number by then, I think we will have achieved our goal.<br /><br />"People can self-correct as well as if they were treated by an optician"<br /><br /><strong>Profile<br /></strong>Joshua Silver is an atomic physicist at the University of Oxford who studies highly charged ions. He began his work on low-cost spectacles in the mid-1990s. His company, Adaptive Eyecare, is now supplying adaptive spectacles to the developing world (see <a href="http://www.adaptive-eyecare.com">www.adaptive-eyecare.com</a>).<br /><br />By: Mullins, Justin, New Scientist</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1160942053279426342006-09-12T20:30:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.415-07:00Best Hospitals<div align="justify">In the specialties on this and the next page, ranking is based solely on reputation. Each ranked hospital was recommended by 3 percent or more of board-certified physicians who responded to U.S. News surveys in 2003, 2004, and 2005.<br /><br /><strong>Chart Legend:</strong><br />A - Rank<br />B - Hospital<br />C - Reputation (pct.)<br /><br />A B<br />C<br /><br />1 Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami -<br />South 76.8<br /><br />2 Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore -<br />South 74.4<br /><br />3 Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia -<br />Northeast 63.1<br /><br />4 Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston -<br />Northeast 41.3<br /><br />5 Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles -<br />West 34.7<br /><br />6 University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City -<br />Midwest 21.9<br /><br />7 Doheny Eye Institute, USC University Hospital, Los Angeles -<br />West 17.6<br /><br />8 Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. -<br />South 14.3<br /><br />9 New York-Presbyterian Univ. Hosp. of Columbia and Cornell -<br />Northeast 7.7<br /><br />10 University of California, San Francisco Medical Center -<br />West 7.6<br /><br />11 Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis -<br />Midwest 7.2<br /><br />12 New York Eye and Ear Infirmary -<br />Northeast 7.1<br /><br />13 Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. -<br />Midwest 6.5<br /><br />14 Cullen Eye Institute, Methodist Hospital, Houston -<br />South 6.0<br /><br />15 Cleveland Clinic<br />Midwest 5.7<br /><br />16 University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor -<br />Midwest 5.6<br /><br />17 Emory University Hospital, Atlanta -<br />South 3.4<br /><br />18 Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, New York -<br />Northeast 3.3<br /><br />Note: Rounding may produce apparent ties.<br /><br /><strong>Glossary<br />Regions</strong><br />Northeast: Conn., Maine, Mass., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Pa., R.I., Vt.<br /><br />South: Ala., Ark., D.C., Del., Fla., Ga., Ky., La., Md., Miss., N.C., Okla., S.C., Tenn., Texas, Va., W.Va.<br /><br />Midwest: Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kan., Mich., Minn., Mo., N.D., Neb., Ohio, S.D., Wis.<br /><br />West: Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Hawaii, Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.M., Ore., Utah, Wash., Wyo.<br /><br /><strong>U.S. News Score</strong><br />Summarizes quality of inpatient care. Reputation and mortality each make up one third of the score. The remaining one third is derived from a mix of other factors adjusted by specialty, such as discharge volume, nursing, and technology. The top hospital in a specialty is scored at 100. In Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation, and Rheumatology, ranking is based solely on reputation.<br /><br /><strong>Reputation (pct.)</strong><br />Percentage of responding board-certified physicians surveyed by U.S. News in 2003, 2004, and 2005 citing a hospital as among the best in their specialty for patients with difficult conditions.<br /><br /><strong>Mortality ratio<br /></strong>Compares actual with expected in-hospital deaths of Medicare patients treated in 2001, 2002, and 2003, after adjusting for severity. A ratio of 1.00 means the rates of actual and expected deaths are the same. Above 1.00 is worse than expected; below 1.00 is better. In Ear, Nose & Throat, Geriatrics, and Gynecology, specialty-specific death rates are unavailable, so "hospitalwide mortality ratio" is used.<br /><br /><strong>Discharges</strong><br />Number of Medicare inpatients discharged during 2001, 2002, and 2003 after receiving certain defined types of care.<br /><br /><strong>Nurse/patient index</strong> </div><div align="justify">A ratio indicating the balance of nurses to patients. Higher is better. Nurses must be R.N.'s and on staff, not pro-vided by agencies or other outside sources. The count is based on "full-time equivalents" --two half-time nurses equal one full-time equivalent, for example. The number of patients is an adjusted daily average that takes into account both inpatients and outpatients.<br /><br /><strong>Nurse Magnet facility</strong><br />"Yes" means that as of April 30, 2004, the hospital met specific standards for nursing excellence, set by the American Nurses Association.<br /><br /><strong>Key technologies</strong><br />How many important technology services the hospital provides, such as magnetic resonance imaging. The maximum number varies by specialty from 3 to 9. Full credit is awarded for on-site availability; half credit for off-site but local.<br /><br /><strong>Patient/community services</strong><br />How many of various services are offered, such as pediatric intensive care, infection isolation room, pain management program, and interpreters. The maximum number varies by specialty.<br /><br /><strong>Trauma center</strong><br />"Yes" indicates the hospital has been certified by the state as a Level 1 or 2 trauma center that can provide advanced care for severely injured patients.<br /><br /><strong>NCI cancer center<br /></strong>"Yes" means the hospital is designated a "clinical" or "comprehensive" cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, indicating an advanced mix of research and clinical care.<br /><br /><strong>Hospice/palliative care</strong><br />"H" signifies a hospice program, defined by the American Hospital Association as one that provides pain relief and other services for terminally ill patients and their families. "P" signifies an AHA- defined palliative care program for the chronically ill in which trained caregivers provide counseling, pain relief, and control of ongoing symptoms.<br /><br /><strong>Epilepsy center</strong><br />"Yes" indicates the hospital has a Level 4 epilepsy center as defined by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.<br /><br /><strong>Geriatric services</strong><br />How many of eight services for older patients are offered, such as adult day care, arthritis treatment center, and patient representative.<br /><br /><strong>Gynecology services</strong><br />Offers none, one, or both of two services: birthing rooms and obstetric care.<br /><br /><strong>Medical/surgical beds</strong><br />Number of intensive care surgical beds (only in Kidney Disease).<br /><br />U.S. News & World Report, L.P.</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1160941874900689362006-08-03T18:21:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.358-07:00We See the Future Better Than 20/20<div align="justify"><strong>The Bionic Eye 2 2010 RESEARCHERS HAVE ALREADY RESTORED SOME SIGHT TO THE BLIND. WHY NOT GIVE THEM SUPER VISION?<br /></strong><br />Steve Austin had that enviable telescopic squint. Star Trek chief engineer Geordi La Forge saw darkness as daylight with his 24th-century ocular implants. And now it looks like a generation of very real people who have lost their sight are next in line for such seemingly sci-fi vision. "I'm hesitant to use the word 'superpower,'" says Armand R. Tanguay, Jr., an electrical-engineering professor at the University of Southern California who is building the world's first implantable camera for the blind. But if the device works, he says, "a blind person will have abilities you and I don't."<br /><br />Tanguay's intraocular camera is part of a multimillion-dollar USC effort backed by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation to develop an artificial retina to restore sight to people whose light-sensitive cells have burned out as a result of decay or disease. That's 10 million people. The project is paying off: Six blind volunteers now have an electrode-studded sliver of silicone tacked to one of their retinas. A digital camera mounted to sunglasses feeds images wirelessly to this implant, whose 16 electrodes zap retinal nerves to produce impressions of light in the brain. Although the resolution is crude next to the 100-million-pixel resolution of a healthy eye, the volunteers can distinguish cup from plate, light from dark, and they can tell when someone strolls past on the sidewalk.<br /><br />"And we can do better," says USC ophthalmology professor Mark Humayun, the surgeon who pioneered retinal implants and now directs the university project. He intends to implant a 60-electrode sensor with nearly four times the resolution of the original by early 2006 and a 256-electrode chip a few years later. His ultimate goal is 1,000 electrodes. "That should allow people to recognize a face and read," Humayun says. He's giving himself less than a decade to do it.<br /><br />It's no slam-dunk. "Imagine throwing your TV set in the ocean and making it work," says Robert Greenberg, CEO of Second Sight, the California firm that builds the retinal implants. The eye is filled with saltwater that can corrode electrodes. And then there's the fact that humming electronics can sear nerves and blood vessels.<br /><br />This is why Tanguay's plan to put the camera inside the eye is so bold. The aspirin-size device he's building consists of an aspherical glass lens and a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) sensor--which produces less heat than a conventional CCD (charge-coupled device)--packed in a watertight tube. The camera would sit just behind the pupil, in the small pouch where the eye's crystalline lens normally is. For people with artificial sight, not only would an implantable camera mean no more goofy spy-cam sunglasses, they wouldn't have to sweep their heads constantly to scan their surroundings--that's what the eye does, naturally.<br /><br />Tanguay says his camera's three-millimeter focal length will make objects appear crisp no matter how far or close they are, something even the eye can't manage. And he could use a sensor tuned to infrared light, the basis for night-vision scopes, so blind people could see in the dark. One of his colleagues, biomedical engineer James Weiland, prefers the Bionic Man archetype. "You could hook our system up to an electron microscope and give someone super vision," he says. He's only half joking.<br /><br /><strong>THE ROAD TO ARTIFICIAL VISION<br />[1929]</strong><br />German neurologist 0tfrid Foerster electrically stimulates the visual cortex of a human volunteer's brain, causing his subject to "see" small points of light.<br /><br /><strong>[1968]</strong><br />Giles S. Brindley of the University of Cambridge implants 80 electrodes under the scalp of a 52-year-old woman who had gone blind. When he applies electricity, the woman sees spots of light.<br /><br /><strong>[2004]</strong><br />Armand Tanguay and his colleague Noelle Stiles conduct the first experiment to implant a digital camera in an eye, replacing a dog's natural lens with a glass lens and a sensor.<br /><br /><strong>[2010]<br /></strong>USC researchers conduct the first human trial of an implantable digital camera connected to a 256-electrode retinal implant.<br /><br /><strong>[2014]</strong><br />The introduction of n 1,000-eleclrode implant allows blind volunteers to recognize faces and read half-inch type for the first time.<br /><br /><strong>DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSOR</strong><br />An external microprocessor encodes images from the interocular camera into a form suitable for the electrode array. Leaving heat-generating electronics outside the body prevents damage to sensitive nerves and vessels.<br /><br /><strong>ELECTRODE ARRAY</strong><br />The electrode array is fixed to the retina with a single tack through the sclera, the eye's tough white rind. Each platinum electrode stimulates nearby nerve cells to produce a localized sensation of light. Simulations show that this 256-electrode array could allow blind subjects to see large objects.<br /><br /><strong>SEE IT? BELIEVE IT<br /></strong>A seven-by-four-millimeter camera with a light sensor, implanted in the eye, wirelessly beams an image to a small digital image processor outside the body. Once processed, the image is transmitted back to the internal antenna and fed via cable to an electrode array mounted on the retina, stimulating the nerves to produce sight.<br /><br />By: Stroh, Michael, Popular Science</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1160941562836358162006-08-02T22:13:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.299-07:00Waking up that lazy eye<div align="justify">In amblyopia-"lazy eye"-the brain prefers images from one eye over the other. Most doctors treat the condition in children by patching the good eye for part of each day, but assume that the practice doesn't work past age 10. Some doctors give up on patching at age 7.<br /><br />A U.S.-Canadian study now finds that children up to age 17 can make significant gains in vision by wearing a patch.<br /><br />Researchers identified 507 children with amblyopia and randomly assigned half of them to wear a patch from 2 to 6 hours a day for 24 weeks. If needed, the kids also received prescriptions for eyeglasses. All the children were between 7 and 17 years old.<br /><br />Children ages 7 to 12 who wore patches were four times as likely as those who didn't to improve their vision in the weak eye by two rows on the standard 11-line eye chart that doctors use to assess eyesight, the scientists report in the April Archives of Ophthalmology. Kids with amblyopia usually have a lazy eye that reads down to only the middle of the chart. People with normal vision see down to about the 10th row.<br /><br />Children 13 to 17 also gained some visual clarity by wearing a patch, but only if they hadn't received such therapy earlier in their lives. Their gains were smaller than those of 7-to-12-year-olds but still significant, says study coauthor Richard W. Hertle of the University of Pittsburgh.<br /><br />Long-term follow-up might reveal whether the vision improvements are permanent, Hertle says.<br /><br />By: N. S., Science News</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1160941417645041842006-07-26T22:40:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.242-07:00The Match of a Lifetime<div align="justify">Grappling on court for more than half their lives, two brothers have taken sibling rivalry to a whole new level.<br /><br />My brother Dave and I grew up in Tampa, Fla., playing all the usual sports. Five years older, I taught him the basics of base ball and other games, and I prevailed over him in most head-to-head competition. One day in 1971, while I was a student at Trinity College in Connecticut, Dave called, all fired up because he had seen an unbelievable tennis match between the best high school girl and boy players in Florida, and the girl had won. Her name was Chris Evert.<br /><br />This was a huge story in Florida--comparable, locally anyway, to Billie Jean King beating Bobby Riggs. Dave had been so inspired by Evert's game that he had flung himself into tennis; he even laid claim to a reputation as a "pretty good player." I understood what he really meant. It was a challenge, tossed out to a dominant brother. But I knew I could beat Dave in any sport.<br /><br />When I came home from college months later, Dave and I, both dressed in whites, went to the Davis Island Tennis Club to play. Surprisingly, everyone seemed to know Dave. He cracked open a can of balls, grinning.<br /><br />I knew from the start that I was in trouble. I lost the first set 6-0. In the second, I suffered the worst humiliation of my athletic career. Instead of winning points quickly and efficiently, Dave began to toy with me. He ran me from side to side, keeping the ball just within my reach. As my face grew redder, his grew increasingly gleeful, until he became bored and closed me out.<br /><br />When we shook hands, I felt disgraced. My kid brother hadn't just beaten me, he'd done so in front of his friends. A part of me was proud for Dave. He knew that tennis required practice, he had worked diligently, and had every right to win. But I vowed to get even. I decided I'd become a better tennis player than Dave.<br /><br />I became obsessed with tennis that summer, abandoning my former sports of choice, football and crew. I took a job at the Palina Ceia Country Club, where I arrived at 6 A.M. every day to water, roll, and sweep the Har-Tru courts. Starting at the bottom of the ladder, I worked my way up. Someone was always willing to play, and Tommy Mozur, the club's teaching pro and a two-time college All-American, kindly hit with me now and then, gratis. I improved a lot but at the end of the summer Dave beat me soundly again. He had a two-year head start in the game. How was I supposed to catch up?<br /><br />Back at college in the fall I kept up the pace. I found practice partners and entered local tournaments. But the next summer Dave still had the upper hand in our matches. It didn't matter to me that he was better at playing guitar and golf. The thing that really counted for both of us was the rivalry on the tennis court. That's how much we'd come to love the game.<br /><br />The year I graduated from college, I came home more confident than ever. When we played our match, in front of Mozur and others, Dave quickly won the first set. But in the second, I found an edge to peel in his game. I could exploit the weakness in his one-handed slice backhand by hitting hard approach shots to it and coming to net. I jumped to a 4-0 lead when Dave announced for everyone to hear that I was going to lose the next six games and the match. It was an incredibly arrogant boast designed to make me see red. I fought furiously, but Dave lifted his game and made good on his prediction.<br /><br />That fall, I left for medical school in Alabama. I was always either studying or playing tennis. By then, Dave and I were pretty good players. While we were both baseliners, Dave was more of a retriever and I was more inclined to attack an opponent's weakness. When Dave and a girlfriend came to visit for a weekend, I suggested that Dave and I enter the Mobile, Ala., city tournament. We ended up in different halves of the singles draw but still met in the final.<br /><br />We drew a decent crowd, and Dave's girlfriend sat in the front row. We split sets and battled dead even into a tiebreaker. I felt I had a chance when, after getting a minibreak, Dave glanced at his girlfriend. He looked dejected. I felt a pang of pity--after all, he was my kid brother. But as he lined up to receive the next point, I knew that all he wanted to do was hit a shot that beat me. And if he did that, it would be another in a long series of humiliations that went too far back. I steeled myself, reached match point, and put away an overhead to win. I had finally beaten my brother.<br /><br />That wasn't the end of the story. In retrospect, it was just the end of the beginning. My win inspired Dave. Finally, I'd emerged as a real rival. In the ensuing years, we continued to play--we fought it out at weddings and family reunions, at graduations and funerals. We played in Florida, Alabama, Texas, Connecticut, Iowa, Arizona, Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina.<br /><br />We bought a trophy, engraving it after each match with the date, the place, and the name of the winner. Family and friends bore witness to these battles, and in later years helped us recall details of particular matches. One nephew has been watching us claw at each other for 20 years.<br /><br />At Sanibel, Fla., shortly after I turned 40, I succumbed to fatigue and lost to Dave. Feeling old, I returned home to Baltimore, boosted my workouts, and lost some weight. At our next meeting, in Scottsdale, Ariz., I had the stamina to win a three-setter, just like the first time I beat him. I was just as elated.<br /><br />Another 10 years went by and we found ourselves in the new millennium. I was in my 50s by then but playing the best tennis of my life. Dave, too, was a warrior, with a high ranking in his age group and a boundless appetite for the tournament game. We clashed again over Christmas in 2002 in Baltimore. I played well, but Dave was flawless, so much so that after the match my only reaction was pure appreciation.<br /><br />When we got home, it was snowing heavily. Three of my five children wanted to go snow-tubing, and they persuaded Uncle Dave to join us. Time and again, we held onto each other and zoomed down the steep hill that I live on. Late in the day, the snow turned to sleet. On our last run, we picked up incredible speed. I knew as we approached the first curve that we weren't going to make it. Unable to turn, we were launched into the air off a lip. All I could see in front of me was Dave, heading for a tree. He crashed into it headfirst. He landed in the snow, face-up, and lay motionless.<br /><br />I called his name; no response. I ripped off his coat and--thankfully--found he was breathing. We trundled him into the car and to the hospital, where the ER doctor said that Dave had a severe concussion and amnesia. He needed a CT scan immediately. I went over to Dave to try to communicate how sorry I felt. It occurred to me to test his memory as best I could.<br /><br />I leaned over and said, "Dave, do you remember our tennis match today? How badly I beat you?"<br /><br />His eyes slowly opened. He smirked weakly, muttering, "Fat chance. I pummeled you!"<br /><br />Luckily Dave had no lasting head injury, just a broken scapula. As I put him on the plane for Tampa, he was in obvious pain, holding his left arm close to his chest. I couldn't help myself. I wondered, Is he going to have trouble tossing the ball on his serve? That could be an advantage for me in our next match...<br /><br />Alas, I had no such luck. Four months later, in Tampa, Dave beat me again. But, as we both know, in this 30-year war there is always a tomorrow.<br /><br />By: Gottsch, John, Tennis</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1150450705969783752006-06-16T02:36:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.187-07:00From Landscaping to Lasik Surgery<div align="justify">BY BARBARA SCOFIDIO<br /><br />THE BABY BOOM GENERATION is leading a new trend -lifestyle incentives—by choosing rewards such as cosmetic surgery, family/adventure travel, and home improvement items over cold, hard cash, A recent survey of 73 I top sales employees conducted hv Anderson Pt'riormance Improvement Co., I lastings, Minn., found winners redeeming their award points for the former as well as electronics, clothes, and jewelry.<br />The reason for this upswint; in lifestyle incentives is simple: lack of time. Aging boomers are faced with increasing demands on their time, and have been forced to put aside activities that used important to them, such as home improvement.<br />So they are choosing incentive rewards including new appliances; landscaping; swimming pools; exterior house painting; and new carpeting, decks, flooring, and windows for their homes.<br />These seasoned professionals are not motivated by cash rewards because they feel compelled to use die money to pay off hills or put it toward college tuition.<br />They prefer "teel-good" items such as electronics, clothing, and jewelry. More companies are also reimbursing incentive winners for approved, individualized lifestyle items, such as gift certificates to favorite stores or even elective surgery, such as jilastic or lasik surgery.<br />The boomer generation also wants more time with their families, which is evidenced bv the rise<br />in individual incentives, especially trips they can take with their children.<br />Companies are also finding that immediate payofts, rather than long-term incentives, get strong results with this age group. As a result, there has been growth in on the spot rewards for achieving a particular result laid out in an incentive program.<br />How are companies adjusting their traditional plans to fulfill these new expectations?<br />Are employers ready to reinvigorate their incentives after several years of belttightening?<br />Without question. In just the past year, Anderson Performance Improvement has seen an increase of noncash incentives of about 40 percent among its clients.</div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1150449454155476172006-06-16T02:15:00.000-07:002008-12-13T06:14:09.546-08:00Basik Lasik: Tips on Lasik Eye Surgery<div align="justify">Produced in cooperation with the American Academy of Ophthalmology.<br /><br />If you're tired of wearing glasses or contact lenses, you may be considering Lasik eye surgery — one of the newest procedures to correct vision problems. Before you sign up for the surgery, get a clear picture of what you can expect<br /><br />The Facts<br /><br />Lasik is surgery to a very delicate part of the eye.<br />Hundreds of thousands of people have had Lasik, most very successfully.<br />As with any surgery, there are risks and possible complications.<br />Lasik may not give you perfect vision. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) reports that seven out of 10 patients achieve 20/20 vision, but 20/20 does not always mean perfect vision.<br />If you have Lasik to correct your distance vision, you'll still need reading glasses around age 45.<br />Lasik surgery is too new to know if there are any long-term ill effects beyond five years after surgery.<br />Lasik surgery cannot be reversed.<br />Most <a href="http://www.healthinsurancequotesonline.us/">insurance</a> does not cover the surgery.<br />You may need additional surgery — called "enhancements" — to get the best possible vision after Lasik.<br /><br />Understanding Your Eyes<br />To see clearly, the cornea and the lens must bend — or refract — light rays so they focus on the retina — a layer of light-sensing cells that line the back of the eye. The retina converts the light rays into impulses that are sent to the brain, where they are recognized as images. If the light rays don't focus on the retina, the image you see is blurry. This is called a refractive error. Glasses, contacts and refractive surgery attempt to reduce these errors by making light rays focus on the retina.<br /><br />Refractive errors are caused by an imperfectly shaped eyeball, cornea or lens, and are of three basic types:<br /><br />myopia — nearsightedness; only nearby objects are clear.<br />hyperopia — farsightedness; only objects far away are clear.<br />astigmatism — images are blurred at a distance and near.<br />There's also presbyopia — "aging eye." The condition usually occurs between ages 40 and 50, and can be corrected with bifocals or reading glasses.<br /><br />Are You a Good Candidate for Lasik?<br />Lasik is not for everyone.<br /><br />You should be at least 18 years old (21 for some lasers), since the vision of people younger than 18 usually continues to change.<br />You should not be pregnant or nursing as these conditions might change the measured refraction of the eye.<br />You should not be taking certain prescription drugs, such as Accutane or oral prednisone.<br />Your eyes must be healthy and your prescription stable. If you're myopic, you should postpone Lasik until your refraction has stabilized, as myopia may continue to increase in some patients until their mid- to late 20s.<br />You should be in good general health. Lasik may not be recommended for patients with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, glaucoma, herpes infections of the eye, or cataracts. You should discuss this with your surgeon.<br />Weigh the risks and rewards. If you're happy wearing contacts or glasses, you may want to forego the surgery.<br />Understand your expectations from the surgery. Are they realistic?<br />Ask your doctor if you're a candidate for monovision — correcting one eye for distance vision and the other eye for near vision. Lasik cannot correct presbyopia so that one eye can see at both distance and near. However, Lasik can be used to correct one eye for distance and the other for near. If you can adjust to this correction, it may eliminate or reduce your need for reading glasses. In some instances, surgery on only one eye is required. If your doctor thinks you're a candidate, ask about the pros and cons.<br />Finding a Surgeon<br />Only ophthalmologists (Eye MDs) are permitted to perform Lasik. Ask your Eye MD or optometrist for a referral to an Eye MD who performs Lasik. The American Academy of Ophthalmology website (http://www.eyenet.org/) feature "Find an Eye MD" can provide you with a list of their members who perform Lasik. Ninety-five percent of all ophthalmologists (Eye MDs) are Academy members. Also, the International Society of Refractive Surgery website (http://www.locateaneyedoc.com/) will provide you with names of refractive surgeons.<br /><br />Ask your surgeon the following questions:<br /><br />How long have you been doing Lasik surgery?<br />How much experience do you have with the Lasik procedure?<br />How do you define success? What's your success rate? What is the chance for me (with my correction) to achieve 20/20? How many of your patients have achieved 20/20 or 20/40 vision? How many patients return for enhancements? In general 5-15% return.<br />What laser will you be using for my surgery? Make sure your surgeon is using a laser approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As of this publication's printing, the FDA has approved five lasers for Lasik; they are manufactured by VISX, Summit, Bausch and Lomb, Nidek and ATC. Contact the FDA for updates.<br />What's involved in after-surgery care?<br />Who will handle after-surgery care? Who will be responsible?<br />What about risks and possible complications?<br />Risks and Possible Complications<br />Before the surgery, your surgeon should explain to you the risks and possible complications, and potential side effects, including the pros and cons of having one or both eyes done on the same day. This is the "informed consent" process. Some risks and possible complications include:<br /><br />Over- or under-correction. These problems can often be improved with glasses, contact lenses and enhancements.<br />Corneal scarring, irregular astigmatism (permanent warping of the cornea), and an inability to wear contact lenses.<br />Corneal infection.<br />"Loss of best corrected visual acuity" — that is, you would not be able to see as well after surgery, even with glasses or contacts, as you did with glasses or contacts before surgery.<br />A decrease in contrast sensitivity, "crispness," or sharpness. That means that even though you may have 20/20 vision, objects may appear fuzzy or grayish.<br />Problems with night driving that may require glasses.<br />Flap problems, including: irregular flaps, incomplete flaps, flaps cut off entirely, and ingrowth of cells under the flap.<br />The following side effects are possible, but usually disappear over time. In rare situations, they may be permanent.<br /><br />Discomfort or pain<br />Hazy or blurry vision<br />Scratchiness<br />Dryness<br />Glare<br />Haloes or starbursts around lights<br />Light sensitivity<br />Small pink or red patches on the white of the eye<br />Surgery: What to Expect Before, During and After<br />Before: You'll need a complete eye examination by your refractive surgeon. A preliminary eye exam may be performed by a referring doctor (Eye MD or optometrist). Take your eye prescription records with you to the exams. Your doctor should:<br /><br />Dilate your pupils to fine-tune your prescription.<br />Examine your eyes to make sure they're healthy. This includes a glaucoma test and a retina exam.<br />Take the following measurements:<br />The curvature of your cornea and your pupils. You may be rejected if your pupils are too large.<br />The topography of your eyes to make sure you don't have an irregular astigmatism or a cone-shaped cornea — a condition called Keratoconus.<br />The pachymetry — or thickness — of your cornea. You need to have enough tissue left after your corneas have been cut and reshaped.<br />Ask you to sign an informed consent form after a thorough discussion of the risks, benefits, alternative options and possible complications. Review the form carefully. Don't sign until you understand everything in the form.<br />If your doctor doesn't think Lasik is right for you, you might consider getting a second opinion; however, if the opinion is the same, believe it.<br />If you qualify for surgery, your doctor may tell you to stop wearing your contact lenses for a while before the surgery is scheduled because contacts can temporarily change the shape of the cornea. Your cornea should be in its natural shape the day of surgery. Your doctor also may tell you to stop wearing makeup, lotions or perfume for a few days before surgery. These products can interfere with the laser treatment or increase the risk of infection after surgery.<br /><br />During: Lasik is an outpatient surgical procedure. The only anesthetic is an eye drop that numbs the surface of the eye. The surgery takes 10 to15 minutes for each eye. Sometimes, both eyes are done during the same procedure; but sometimes, surgeons wait to see the result of the first eye before doing the second eye.<br /><br />The Surgical Procedure: A special device cuts a hinged flap of thin corneal tissue off the outer layer of the eyeball (cornea) and the flap is lifted out of the way. The laser reshapes the underlying corneal tissue, and the surgeon replaces the flap, which quickly adheres to the eyeball. There are no stitches. A shield — either clear plastic or perforated metal — is placed over the eye to protect the flap.<br /><br />After: Healing is relatively fast, but you may want to take a few days off after the surgery. Be aware that:<br /><br />You may experience a mild burning or sensation for a few hours after surgery. Do not rub your eye(s). Your doctor can prescribe a painkiller, if necessary, to ease the discomfort.<br />Your vision probably will be blurry the day of surgery, but it will improve considerably by the next day when you return for a follow-up exam.<br />If you experience aggravating or unusual side effects, report them to your doctor immediately.<br />Do not drive until your vision has improved enough to safely do so.<br />Avoid swimming, hot tubs and whirlpools for two weeks after surgery.<br />Alternatives to Lasik<br />You may want to discuss some surgical alternatives to Lasik with your eye doctor:<br /><br />Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a laser procedure used to reduce myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism without creating a corneal flap.<br />Astigmatic keratotomy (AK) is an incisional procedure to reduce astigmatism.<br />Intrastromal corneal rings are clear, thin, polymer inlays placed on the eye to correct low myopia only. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/lasik.htm">http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/lasik.htm</a></div>Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534136.post-1149977943528722082006-06-10T15:18:00.000-07:002006-10-15T13:34:41.057-07:00first postHi!!!!Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278354127373493509noreply@blogger.com0