India not to undertake human space flight before 2017: ISRO

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Bangalore:India will not undertake a human space flight before the year 2017 and is likely to use a next-generation rocket for the ambitious mission, the cost of which would be reworked, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation K Radhakrishnan said on Monday.

Mr Radhakrishnan, also Department of Space Secretary and Space Commission Chairman, confirmed that the venture is not part of the 12th five-year plan (2012-2017). However, he said that there are funds to continue with pre-project studies and develop critical technologies associated with the proposed mission.

ISRO officials noted that the space agency currently does not have an operational GSLV, after two unsuccessful missions, one with Indian cryogenic engine and another with the imported Russian one in 2010.

Mr Radhakrishnan said GSLV with indigenous cryogenic engine and stage would be flight-tested in January-February next year.

"If you look at the scenario today, we do not have a programme (human space flight) declared as such (yet to get Cabinet approval)", he told reporters in response to questions. ISRO's proposed human space flight programme was much talked about in the second half of the last decade. However, the twin-failures of the GSLV saw to it that it lost momentum. In 2008-09, it was estimated that a sum of Rs 12,400 crore would be required for undertaking the mission. "We need to rework (on that figure)", Mr Radhakrishnan said.

GSLV-Mk II (rocket) was proposed to be used for the mission then, but Mr Radhakrishnan on Monday said it would be able to carry a two-member crew only, while GSLV-Mk III which is under development would have additional mass left for conducting scientific experiments besides a two-member crew.

"We feel it (GSLV-Mk III) would be a better vehicle (for the mission)", he said.

Mr Radhakrishnan, however, said ISRO already has a budget of Rs 150 crore for conducting pre-project studies and developing critical technologies including environmental control, space suit, reentry and crew escape system. The rocket must have man-rating, he noted.

The mission is aimed at building and demonstrating the capability for carrying humans to low earth orbit and their safe return to earth.

In the year 2008, the buzz was that India would likely to have the human space flight during 2014-15, which now appears to be surely missed.

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Caraway City Council paid tribute to All American Red Heads

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The Caraway city council paid tribute to the All American Red Heads for their national honor and made plans for new Fire Department building and street repairs at the council meeting held Thursday, Sept. 13.

The city proclaimed Sept. 7 as American Red Heads Day in recognition of them being named into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in Springfield Mass. The team's home base was in Caraway while owned and managed by Orwell Moore.

The council voted to hire an architect to complete work on the new Fire Department building.

"The application for the $50,000 grant is due by Nov. 1," Mayor Barry Riley said. "It is a requirement that we use an architect. His fee is 10 percent of the grant money received and will be taken out of the grant itself."

Riley reviewed estimates in constructing the building which could run from $86,000 to $100,000 overall.

The council discussed plans for the ongoing main street resurfacing project, which involves removal of all old asphalt (12 inches in height) and laying a three-inch layer of new asphalt, to allow proper drainage downtown. The main street area involves pavement from New York Street to St. Louis Street and includes work on eight-inch water lines and four water hydrants.

Bid received on the project included $115,000 from API Asphalt of Jonesboro and $125,550 from Atlas Asphalt Inc. of Jonesboro.

The Craighead County Road Department has agreed to remove the excess asphalt and make repairs on the roadbed.

Terry (Couch) will have two people helping him with the water lines and hydrants," Riley said. "This will save us a lot of money.

"All street corrections to entrances and exits along main street will be taken care of. The expenses would come out of the General Fund and sales tax accounts. We are looking at the cost with hopes of starting in the spring."

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Caraway City Council paid tribute to All American Red Heads

New gene offers hope for preventive medicine against fractures

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Public release date: 18-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mattias Lorentzon, University of Gothenburg mattias.lorentzon@medic.gu.se 46-031-342-4929 University of Gothenburg

A big international study has identified a special gene that regulates bone density and bone strength. The gene can be used as a risk marker for fractures and opens up opportunities for preventive medicine against fractures. The study, led by the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, was published in the journal PLoS Genetics.

The international study, which involved more than 50 researchers from Europe, North America and Australia and was led by Associate Professor Mattias Lorentzon and Professor Claes Ohlsson at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, is based on extensive genetic analyses of the genetic material of 10,000 patients and experimental studies in mice.

Through the combined studies, researchers have succeeded in identifying a special gene, Wnt16, with a strong link to bone density and so-called cortical bone thickness, which is decisive to bone strength.

The genetic variation studied by the international research network could predict, for example, the risk of a forearm fracture in a large patient group of older women.

"In the experimental study, we could then establish that the gene had a crucial effect on the thickness and density of the femur. In mice without the Wnt16 gene, the strength of the femur was up to 61 per cent lower," according to Mattias Lorentzon at the Institute of Medicine, the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

The discovery opens up opportunities to develop new medicines to prevent the most common fractures.

"Low cortical bone mass is a decisive factor in, for example, hip and forearm fractures. Unfortunately, the treatments currently used for brittleness of the bones have very little effect on the cortical bone mass," says Mattias Lorentzon.

"If we can learn to stimulate the signaling routes of the Wnt16 gene, we could strengthen the skeleton in these parts too, thereby preventing the most common and serious fractures. The discovery of Wnt16 and its regulation of cortical bone mass is therefore very important," according to Mattias Lorentzon.

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Med school admits largest class ever

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The Alpert Medical School welcomed its largest class ever this year totalling 120 students following the opening of the schools downtown facility last fall. With the building constructed in downtown Providences Knowledge District able to accommodate more students, the school matriculated 11 additional students in this years class, up from 109 in the class of 2015. The school has expanded from 310 students in 2001 to 421 students this year, according to Ed Wing, dean of medicine and biological sciences.

The admittance of the Med Schools largest-ever class was made possible by the new facility, Wing said. Admitting classes of 120 will expand the school to 480 students in the next few years, he said.

Its a terrific building, Wing said, adding that the schools old space in the BioMedical Center did not allow for expansion. Everything in the (new) building has allowed us to provide better education.

The Med School also witnessed a surge in applications for spots in the class of 2016, with a roughly 20 percent increase from 2,825 applicants in 2011 to 3,344 applications in 2012, according to Philip Gruppuso, associate dean of medical education and professor of pediatrics.

There is in general a physician shortage in the United States, Gruppuso said. He noted that the Association of American Medical Colleges has called for a substantial increase in the countrys supply of doctors and that the University is hoping to aid this goal. Gruppuso said the Med Schools expansion was part of a long-term process that occurred after administrators received permission from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the national accrediting organization for medical degree programs.

Wing said administrators have nothing definite planned to expand the student body any further than 480 students.

The Med School hired more staff to accommodate the larger building, but they did not need to hire more faculty members, Wing said, adding that the school boasts a total of 2,000 faculty members, including 600 full-time clinical faculty. The Med School revamped its curriculum but did not add additional classes or expand the size of courses.

Gruppuso said the University is still considered a small medical school according to national rankings of medical degree programs by size.

We had space and resources and faculty to be able to meet the needs of this number of students, he said. We were very confident this (expansion) was not going to result in any kind of erosion of the quality of the medical program.

As part of its expansion, the Med School introduced a new academy model of advising and training last year, with each class divided into three academies of around 40 students in order to facilitate greater advising services and a better sense of community. Each academy space provides locker and study space, designated advisers and other training services to students to help break down the student body into smaller sections.

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Med school admits largest class ever

Med School admits largest class yet

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The Alpert Medical School welcomed its largest class ever this year totalling 120 students following the opening of the schools downtown facility last fall. With the building constructed in downtown Providences Knowledge District able to accommodate more students, the school matriculated 11 additional students in this years class, up from 109 in the class of 2015. The school has expanded from 310 students in 2001 to 421 students this year, according to Ed Wing, dean of medicine and biological sciences.

The admittance of the Med Schools largest-ever class was made possible by the new facility, Wing said. Admitting classes of 120 will expand the school to 480 students in the next few years, he said.

Its a terrific building, Wing said, adding that the schools old space in the BioMedical Center did not allow for expansion. Everything in the (new) building has allowed us to provide better education.

The Med School also witnessed a surge in applications for spots in the class of 2016, with a roughly 20 percent increase from 2,825 applicants in 2011 to 3,344 applications in 2012, according to Philip Gruppuso, associate dean of medical education and professor of pediatrics.

There is in general a physician shortage in the United States, Gruppuso said. He noted that the Association of American Medical Colleges has called for a substantial increase in the countrys supply of doctors and that the University is hoping to aid this goal. Gruppuso said the Med Schools expansion was part of a long-term process that occurred after administrators received permission from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the national accrediting organization for medical degree programs.

Wing said administrators have nothing definite planned to expand the student body any further than 480 students.

The Med School hired more staff to accommodate the larger building, but they did not need to hire more faculty members, Wing said, adding that the school boasts a total of 2,000 faculty members, including 600 full-time clinical faculty. The Med School revamped its curriculum but did not add additional classes or expand the size of courses.

Gruppuso said the University is still considered a small medical school according to national rankings of medical degree programs by size.

We had space and resources and faculty to be able to meet the needs of this number of students, he said. We were very confident this (expansion) was not going to result in any kind of erosion of the quality of the medical program.

As part of its expansion, the Med School introduced a new academy model of advising and training last year, with each class divided into three academies of around 40 students in order to facilitate greater advising services and a better sense of community. Each academy space provides locker and study space, designated advisers and other training services to students to help break down the student body into smaller sections.

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Med School admits largest class yet

Teens Mirror Parents' Distracted Driving Habits In New Liberty Mutual Insurance/SADD Survey

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BOSTON, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey from Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) finds an alarming percentage of teens report their parents make poor and risky decisions while driving. According to more than 1,700 teens surveyed countrywide, dangerous driving behaviors among parents, while their teen is in the car, range from texting or speeding to driving without a seatbelt and even under the influence of alcohol. Even more concerning, surveyed teens repeat their parents' poor driving habits in nearly equal amounts.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/teens-mirror-parents-distracted-driving-habits-in-new-liberty-mutual-insurancesadd-survey-169851596.html

The survey found teens observe their parents exhibiting the following behavior at least occasionally: 91 percent talk on a cell phone while driving, 88 percent speed and 59 percent text message while driving. With teens reporting nearly half (47 percent) of parents have driven at least occasionally without a seatbelt, 20 percent under the influence of alcohol, and 7 percent under the influence of marijuana, the survey reveals parents may not be the best role models for their teens behind the wheel. This, despite teens reporting in past Liberty Mutual/SADD research that parents are their primary driving influence.

Given the high percentage of teens who report their parents engage in unsafe driving behavior while their teen is in the car, it follows that two-thirds (66 percent) of teen drivers report their parents live by different rules than the ones they expect of their teens. With so many parents not abiding by their own safe-driving rules of the road, a "do as I say, not as I do" policy may be undermining the parent/teen driving relationship.

"The best teacher for a teen driver is a good parental role model," said Stephen Wallace, senior advisor for policy, research and education at SADD. "Parents and teens should have an active and ongoing dialogue about safe driving behavior and take the conversation one step further by signing a Parent/Teen Contract. But parents have to demonstrate good driving behavior from the onset so new drivers understand that safe driving rules apply to everyone equally."

Teen Driving Behavior

The distracted driving behavior reported by teens mirrors the poor driving habits of their parents in nearly equal amounts. Among the more than 1,700 teens surveyed, a high percentage report making poor decisions while driving. In fact, 90 percent of teens report talking on a cell phone while driving and 94 percent of teens speed (at least occasionally), with nearly half (47 percent) of teens speeding often or very often. Nearly 80 percent of teens report sending text messages while driving, 16 percent have driven after using marijuana, 15 percent have driven under the influence of alcohol and 33 percent report driving without a seatbelt.

The link between the observed and self-reported driving behaviors reveals parents are modeling destructive driving behavior, and their teens follow suit. The following is a side-by-side comparison of the survey data reported when teens were asked how frequently they engage, and witness their parents engaging, in the following behavior:

Liberty Mutual Insurance/SADD 2012 Teen Driving Survey

Parental Driving Behavior

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Teens Mirror Parents' Distracted Driving Habits In New Liberty Mutual Insurance/SADD Survey

Verilux Introduces HappyLight Liberty

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WAITSFIELD, Vt., Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The new HappyLightLiberty from Verilux, the Healthy Lighting Company, means good news for everyone who has experienced decreased mood and energy levels, increased appetite, sleeplessness and other symptoms of the Winter Blues. Up to six times smaller than other energy lamps of comparable light output, Liberty is ideal for easy and convenient use at home, work or dorm room. It delivers a true 10,000 LUX of light intensity, so users can be farther from the lamp and move around more freely during operation while still receiving a useful amount of light.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120918/CG75801-a)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120918/CG75801LOGO-b)

With the great light comes a great value: At $99.95, Liberty is half the price of other light therapy devices of similar output and quality.

"We've heard from people across the country who love the energizing effects of HappyLights but want more freedom to move during their light therapy sessions without compromising results," said Verilux CEO Ryan Douglas. "Liberty's flexibility makes it easy to use in a way that is best and most satisfying for our customers. It's ideal for home-based employees, office workers who get limited exposure to outdoor light, shift workers and college students, as well as people who want to personalize their light therapy sessions to better meet their needs and goals."

HappyLight Liberty provides Natural Spectrum daylight exactly how, where and when it's needed to help the body recalibrate and stabilize, and improve focus and productivity. The bright light is a drug- and stimulant-free pick-me-up that increases energy for exercise and helps curb carb cravings. Like all of Verilux's light therapy products, HappyLight Liberty does not emit UV rays.

"Our engineers worked for more than two years to develop a light therapy lamp that could deliver the required output to sustain the light's natural effects while significantly minimizing the size and cost of the lamp," said Douglas.

Customize Your Light. HappyLight Liberty is the first energy lamp on the market with interchangeable Optix lenses for light personalization. One is a white high-energy lens that allows more light to shine, while the other, a tinted comfort lens, produces a softer light ideal for people with light sensitivities. The lenses change easily with a few simple steps and no tools.

HappyLight Liberty has a dual-intensity brightness control. Mixing and matching the lenses with the light intensity offers a range of options for users to control their individual programs.

"After 20 years of developing light therapy products, we've learned that no two people view and react to light in the same way. By including features like the two lenses and the intensity controls, we made sure Liberty offered the flexibility to let each user customize a program to meet his or her individual needs," Douglas continued. "For even more convenience, it offers a user-friendly tilt feature as well as a wall-mount option."

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Verilux Introduces HappyLight Liberty

Libertarian Party VP candidate visits Delaware

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - The Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee is visiting Delaware as he continues a tour of eastern states.

Jim Gray planned to meet with supporters at Dover restaurant Tuesday evening before an appearance at Delaware State University student center.

Gray also scheduled stops Tuesday at Hood College in Frederick, Md., and American University in Washington.

Gray is a former trial court judge in Orange County, Calif., who also worked as a criminal defense attorney in the Navy JAG Corps and a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Chinese ships approach islands in dispute with Japan

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Six Chinese surveillance ships have entered Japanese waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea The Japanese government and coast guard said six Chinese surveillance ships entered Japanese waters on Friday near disputed islands in the East China Sea, adding to tensions between the Asian giants. It was the first intrusion by Chinese vessels into what Japan says are its waters since Tokyo ...

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Chinese ships approach islands in dispute with Japan

Mitt Romney Leaked Fundraiser Video "Full Video" – Video

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17-09-2012 20:32 Mitt Romney told a group of donors in a surreptitiously taped private fundraiser that voters who back President Obama are "entitled" and "dependent on government." Romney told the donors: There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. ... These are people who pay no income tax. My job is is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. Romney seems to be referring to the estimated 47 percent of Americans who did not owe federal income taxes in 2011 because their incomes were so low that they qualified for a tax credit, or because they didn't work at all. Last year, 22 percent of people who didn't owe income taxes were elderly people on Social Security, and an additional 17 percent were students, disabled people or the unemployed. More than 60 percent of the group were low-income workers, many of whom qualified for the child tax credit or the earned income tax credit. (These workers did pay payroll taxes for Social Security and other programs.) Romney campaign ...

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Mitt Romney Leaked Fundraiser Video "Full Video" - Video

Health care workers in Santa Clara county must get flu shot or wear a mask

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A controversial new mandate will force thousands of health care workers in Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties to get flu shots this fall -- or wear a mask at work the entire influenza season.

San Francisco and Sacramento counties already have similar mask mandates aimed at curbing the spread of the deadly disease and convincing health care workers to practice what they preach. Alameda County is considering a similar rule.

While patient advocates applaud the new requirement, a nurses union said forcing employees to wear a mask on the job for five months of the year is ineffective and would stigmatize them with a scarlet letter.

The mandate comes after an analysis by this newspaper in December revealed that nearly one-third of employees at many Bay Area hospitals failed to get a flu shot during the 2010-11 season, and at some institutions, half of workers were unprotected.

"This is really to protect the most frail, and persons at highest risk in these facilities," said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, health officer for Santa Clara County.

"The vaccine compliance rates in health care workers are just too low."

The new rule applies to all employees who have contact with patients in hospitals, clinics, ambulance companies, adult day health centers, nursing homes and other health facilities.

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that nearly everyone age six months and older receive a flu vaccination

Each year in the United States, five to 15 percent of people become ill with the flu, and nearly 36,000 die. Seniors, infants, pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions are at greatest risk.

Fenstersheib issued an order in July imposing the vaccination mandate for the upcoming flu season in Santa Clara County, from Nov. 1 to March 31.

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HCN to Sell SRZ Management Entity

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Close on the heels of the acquisition of Sunrise Senior Living Inc. (SRZ) one of the largest providers of senior living services in the U.S., Health Care REIT Inc. (HCN), a leading health care real estate investment trust (:REIT) that operates senior housing and health care real estate, has decided to offload its management company business.

To materialize the decision, Health Care REIT has penned an agreement with the affiliates of investment firms Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), Beecken Petty OKeefe & Company, and Coastwood Senior Housing Partners LLC, to form a new entity that would acquire the divested business. Health Care REIT would invest about $26 million for a 20% ownership stake in the joint venture.

The divested business would include the existing management contracts of Sunrise Senior Living along with the 125 communities set to be acquired by Health Care REIT. The newly-formed joint venture entity would subsequently induct all the employees of the erstwhile Sunrise Senior Living and operate under the Sunrise brand.

The current deal is effective within the framework of the previously announced merger of Health Care REIT and Sunrise Senior Living, under which the former would acquire all the outstanding shares of the latter for $14.50 per share in an all-cash transaction. The company expects to partially fund the acquisition from the proceeds of the divestment of the management business.

With a median age of eight years, the acquisition will enable Health Care REIT to own high-quality private pay senior housing communities in high-barrier-to-entry affluent markets. In addition, the company is likely to gain operational synergies as an experienced and dynamic management team from Sunrise Senior Living, with over 30 years of experience, comes on board.

Besides improving the economies of scale, the acquisition would further enable Health Care REIT to gain access to higher yielding embedded investment opportunities, as more ownership stakes in joint venture properties come up for grabs. The senior housing sector is a highly-fragmented market with limited new supply and positive growth indicators, with the over-85 demographic growing at three times the rate of the overall population.

Health Care REIT invests across the full spectrum of senior housing and healthcare real estate properties. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, the company also provides an extensive array of property management and development services. Founded in 1970, the company was the first REIT to invest exclusively in healthcare facilities. Health Care REIT provides senior housing operators and healthcare systems with a single source for facility planning, design and turn-key development, property management, and monetization or expansion of existing real estate. We maintain our Neutral recommendation on Health Care REIT, which currently has a Zacks #3 Rank that indicates a short-term Hold rating.

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HCN to Sell SRZ Management Entity

Health care costs to bulge along with obesity

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(CNN)

America is getting fatter, according to a new report, and bulging waistlines will rack up big health care expenditures within the next two decades.

The report, from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, draws on previously published government data to make predictions about what consequences an upward obesity trend would have for individual states.

It also projects that the health of the country -- and the dollars spent on the health care system -- would benefit from even a 5% reduction in the average body mass index. The report is called "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found, in data published in August, that Mississippi is the country's leader in adult obesity, at 34.9%. That number could rise to 66.7% by 2030, the new report found.

The new analysis also projected that obesity rates in 13 states could rise above 60% among adults by 2030. By that year, every state in the nation may have adult obesity rates above 44%, including 39 states with rates higher than 50%, the report said.

This is consistent with a 2012 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which concluded that by 2030, 42% of adults will be obese. That study forecast $550 billion in health care spending from now to 2030 as a result of rising obesity rates.

Just how fat?

But some experts are skeptical about how accurately obesity trends can be predicted. Methods of calculating how fat Americans will be in the future vary greatly, and there's no accepted standard of determining it, said David B. Allison, director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was not involved in the new study.

"I don't mean for a moment that we should not be taking steps to reduce obesity," Allison said. "If it increases in prevalence, it would be a more serious problem. And even if it decreases in prevalence, without us intentionally doing anything in the immediate term, I'd be shocked if it's going to vanish."

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Health care costs to bulge along with obesity

Bulging waistlines, higher health costs

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- America is getting fatter, according to a new report, and bulging waistlines will rack up big health care expenditures within the next two decades.

The report, from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, draws on previously published government data to make predictions about what consequences an upward obesity trend would have for individual states.

It also projects that the health of the country -- and the dollars spent on the health care system -- would benefit from even a 5% reduction in the average body mass index. The report is called "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found, in data published in August, that Mississippi is the country's leader in adult obesity, at 34.9%. That number could rise to 66.7% by 2030, the new report found.

The new analysis also projected that obesity rates in 13 states could rise above 60% among adults by 2030. By that year, every state in the nation may have adult obesity rates above 44%, including 39 states with rates higher than 50%, the report said.

This is consistent with a 2012 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which concluded that by 2030, 42% of adults will be obese. That study forecast $550 billion in health care spending from now to 2030 as a result of rising obesity rates.

Just how fat?

But some experts are skeptical about how accurately obesity trends can be predicted. Methods of calculating how fat Americans will be in the future vary greatly, and there's no accepted standard of determining it, said David B. Allison, director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was not involved in the new study.

"I don't mean for a moment that we should not be taking steps to reduce obesity," Allison said. "If it increases in prevalence, it would be a more serious problem. And even if it decreases in prevalence, without us intentionally doing anything in the immediate term, I'd be shocked if it's going to vanish."

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Bulging waistlines, higher health costs

These 9 startups belong in a futurist’s guide to health technology (infographic)

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A futurist map of disruptive healthcare technology of the future offers a stunning projection of what will be possible. Whats interesting is that much of it is already beginning to take shape in some form or another.

Developed by trend forecasting studio Envision Technologys futurist Michell Zappa with Patrick Schlafer and Colin Popell of Prokalkeo, and featured in FastCompany, the themes focus on developments in telemedicine, augmentation, diagnostics, regeneration and biogerontology over the next 30 years.

Here are nine startups that embody some of the disruptive healthcare technology included in Zappas awesome innovation orb. Wed also like to get your thoughts on other startup companies you think belong in this guide. Post them in the comment space below and tell us what theyre doing to disrupt healthcare.

Diagnostics

UE Lifesciences is a breast cancer diagnostics startup that uses fingertip sensors to detect tumors. Its Intelligent Breast Exam can distinguish between normal breast tissue and a tumor. Breast cancers are stiffer and less mobile than the surrounding tissue, according to a paper documenting the device. It provides a non-invasive, radiation-free alternative to mammograms.

Regeneration

What could be more futuristic than growing skin from plants? Invasion of the Body Snatchers, anyone? Not quite. Eqalix is working with three Philadelphia institutions to grow synthetic skin from soybean protein. CEO Joseph P. Connell sees applications for diabetic foot ulcers, bed sores, trauma and burns. Connell said the synthetic skin addresses the biggest problem in wound healing closing a large wound surface. Also, by using synthetic grafts, there wont be a need to track down and harvest donor arteries in the patients body or from another person. The technologies were developed by researchers and clinicians from Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania and The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

Augmentation

Ekso Bionics makes exoskeletons for people who have been paralyzed from spinal cord injuries. Heres how it works: electrical motors move the frames joints, mimicking the actions of muscles. The technology has been licensed to Lockheed Martin for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Telemedicine

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These 9 startups belong in a futurist’s guide to health technology (infographic)

The Fraser Institute: Canada Leads North America in Economic Freedom, Tied With Australia for Fifth Spot Globally; U.S …

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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sep 18, 2012) - Canada is among the top five most economically free countries in the world, well ahead of the United States which has fallen to 18th overall, according to the Fraser Institute''s annual Economic Freedom of the World report.

Canada, with an economic freedom score of 7.97 out of 10, tied with Australia to rankfifth out of 144 nations and territories included in the Economic Freedom of the World: 2012 Annual Report. Last year, Canada ranked sixth overall.

"Canada''s relatively high level of economic freedom has resulted in stronger economic growth, higher income levels, and less pain from the global recession," said Fred McMahon, Fraser Institute vice-president of international policy research.

"Meanwhile, other nations embraced heavy-handed regulation and extensive over-spending in response to the American and European debt crises. Consequently, their levels of economic freedom decreased."

The United States, long considered a champion of economic freedom among large industrial nations, continues its protracted decline in the global rankings. This year, the U.S. plunged to 18th, its lowest-ever ranking and a sharp drop from second overall, the position it held in 2000. Much of this decline is a result of high spending on the part of the U.S. government.

Hong Kong again topped the rankings of 144 countries, followed by Singapore, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Australia and Canada tied for fifth overall.

Research shows that people living in countries with high levels of economic freedom enjoy greater prosperity, more political and civil liberties, and longer life spans.

Globally, the average economic freedom score rose slightly to 6.83 in 2010, the most recent year available, after plummeting to its lowest level in nearly three decades with a score of 6.79 in 2009.

The annual Economic Freedom of the World report is the premier measurement of economic freedom, using 42 distinct variables to create an index ranking of countries around the world based on policies that encourage economic freedom. The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and security of private property. Economic freedom is measured in five different areas: (1) size of government, (2) legal structure and security of property rights, (3) access to sound money, (4) freedom to trade internationally, and (5) regulation of credit, labour, and business. The full report is available at http://www.freetheworld.com.

Canada''s scores in key areas of economic freedom (from one to 10, where higher values indicate higher levels of economic freedom) are:

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The Fraser Institute: Canada Leads North America in Economic Freedom, Tied With Australia for Fifth Spot Globally; U.S ...

Economic Freedom of the World Report 2012: Hong Kong comes in first; U.S. ranks 18th

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The Hong Kong Exchange and Clearings Ltd. flag, left, the People's Republic of China flag, center, and the Hong Kong SAR flag are displayed outside the stock market in Hong Kong, China, on Friday, Aug. 5, 2011. (Jerome Favre - Bloomberg) It is the 100th anniversary of Milton Friedmans birth this year, adding particular significance to the release of the Economic Freedom of the World Report, which Friedman was instrumental in creating.

The Fraser Institute, a Canadian think tank, announced the release Tuesday. The report is supported by the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation as well as the Searle Freedom Trust. Authors and contributors hailed from a variety of institutions, including Florida State University, Southern Methodist University, Beloit College, the Cato Institute, the World Bank, and the World Economic Forum.

The report ranks countries, measuring the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. The report is compiled using 42 variables to measure economic freedom across five areas.

The global economic crisis is mentioned early on in the report as a factor in the decline in overall economic freedom between 2007 and 2009 and the slight uptick most recently. The authors write that responses to the economic crisis have reduced economic freedom in the short term and perhaps prosperity over the long term, but the upward movement this year is encouraging.

Hong Kong takes the top spot again this year, with Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Bahrain, Mauritius, Finland and Chile making up the rest of the top 10 in order from most to least economically free.

The United States has fallen in the economic freedom rankings consistently for the last decade, but is still well ahead of Mozambique and Burundi, which are each tied for the 10th worst spot of the 144 nations and territories ranked.

Innovation does not factor prominently in the report, but entrepreneurship does, with the final chapter dedicated entirely to exploring how institutions promote entrepreneurship and growth. The study authors conclude most notably that, while few entrepreneurial ventures noticeably drive overall job creation, self-employment and small firms are a large component of overall job creation.

The report comes in the wake of the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness report, in which the United States also slipped from fifth to seventh place.

Let us know what you think of the reports conclusions in the comments.

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Economic Freedom of the World Report 2012: Hong Kong comes in first; U.S. ranks 18th