WEIGHT TO CIRCULATE

      Lifting weights offers many benefits, such as bigger and stronger arms, chest, delts and legs. And let’s not forget that it can make you more attractive to the opposite sex. Of course, in addition to these mostly superficial benefits, weight training is good for fitness, injury prevention, anti-aging and your overall health as well. To the surprise of many, research now shows that lifting weights can improve your cardiovascular system function, which makes sense when you consider that weight training increases blood flow to working muscles. The most recent study to support this was presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM); it demonstrated that lifting weights provides similar cardiovascular benefits as cardio exercise.

      Researchers from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim) had 62 obese adults take part in 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training(less than 90% of their maximum heart rate, or MHR), moderate-intensity cardio (70% of MHR) or high-intensity weightlifting (five sets of leg presses with their four rep max). Scientists reported that while the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) group had the most significant increases in VO₂ max (a measure of aerobic fitness) and endothelial function (the ability of their blood vessels to dilate during exercise), both the weight-training and moderate-intensity cardio groups had similar increases in both measures. 

 

(TIM SCHEET PhD)

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY IN HEART ATTACK

        The wireless system, which enables on-call cardiologists to view full ECGs on "smart" phones, has cut in half the time it takes to begin the treatment of heart attack with catheter-based techniques such as angioplasty and stenting.
      "We have found a way to receive electrocardiograms from home, from another hospital, from our cars--anywhere we are," said Vivek N. Dhruva, D.O., academic chief fellow in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-New Jersey Medical School, who presented the paper. "In only 4 months, we went from being in the bottom 10 percent of hospitals in the time to treatment of heart attack to being in the top 10 percent of hospitals."
The so-called door-to-balloon time--the time between arrival at the hospital and initial inflation of an angioplasty balloon to open a blocked coronary artery--has become a recognized marker of the quality of care delivered to heart attack patients. Current guidelines have set a goal of no more than 90 minutes, a deadline that many hospitals struggle to meet.
At UMDNJ, for example, it took an average of 61 minutes in 2005 just to notify a cardiologist that a patient with a heart attack had arrived at the emergency room. Coupled with the assignment of on-call cardiologists to more than one hospital and the catheterization laboratory's 5 PM closing time, it was virtually impossible to begin catheter-based treatment within 90 minutes. In fact, the average door-to-intervention time--an alternative term used in this study to reflect the full range of catheter techniques available to interventional cardiologists--was nearly 146 minutes in 2005.
Under the guidance of Marc Klapholz, M.D., director of the Division of Cardiology at UMDNJ, the wireless system went live in June 2006. It enables paramedics to use Bluetooth technology to send an ECG not just to the emergency room but also to a receiving station in the cath lab. From there the electrocardiogram is automatically converted to a PDF file and forwarded via the hospital intranet to several e-mail addresses set up just for that purpose. The on-call cardiologist receives a text message with instructions to download the electrocardiogram for viewing on a smart phone. The file also includes the phone number of the paramedic who initiated transmission of the electrocardiogram, so the cardiologist can immediately be in contact with the ambulance crew. Patients who are clearly having a heart attack are whisked directly to the cath lab.
Using the wireless system, cardiologists are now notified an average of 15 minutes before the patient even arrives at the hospital. From June to December 2006, the average door-to-intervention time fell to 80 minutes. Today, it is lower still, averaging just 73 minutes.
Establishing the wireless system took 6--8 months of planning and involved staff from cardiology, the emergency department, and emergency medical services. Representatives from administration, admitting, information technology, and telecommunications played a key role as well, Dr. Klapholz said.
"We had a commitment from multiple stakeholders within the institution to make this a priority," he said. "Everyone was on-board and that's why we were successful."

source: Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions

AΘΛΗΤΙΣΜΟΣ: ΜΕΓΙΣΤΗ ΔΥΝΑΜΗ

Μυϊκή υπερτροφία: Αύξηση μυϊκής μάζας

Ενδομυϊκή συναρμογή: Η συγχρονισμένη συμμετοχή όσο το δυνατόν περισσότερων κινητικών μονάδων σε ένα μυ.( κινητική μονάδα = ενότητα που αποτελείται από μυική και νευρική ίνα)

ΣΤΟΧΟΣ	ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΕΠΙΒΑΡΥΝΣΗΣ	ΑΡΧΑΡΙΟΙ ΑΣΚΟΥΜΕΝΟΙ	ΠΡΟΠΟΝΗΜΕΝΟΙ
Μυϊκή υπερτροφία (Μέθοδος των επαναλαμβανόμενων υπομέγιστων εντάσεων)	Ένταση  :	40-60%	50-85%
	Επαναλήψεις:	10-15	4-10
	Σετ/άσκηση:	2-5	3-8
	Διαλ. μεταξύ των σετ:	2΄-4΄	2΄-5΄
Ενδομυϊκή συναρμογή (Μέθοδος των μέγιστων εντάσεων μικρής διάρκειας)	Ένταση  :	ΔΕΝ ΕΦΑΡΜΟΖΕΤΑΙ	80-100%
	Επαναλήψεις:		1-5
	Σετ/άσκηση:		3-6
	Διαλ. μεταξύ των σετ:		3΄-5΄
Συνδυασμένη  μέθοδος μυϊκή υπερτροφία και ενδομυϊκή συναρμογή Πυραμιδική μέθοδος	Ένταση  :	40-50-60%	α) 50-60-65-70%  β)75-80-85-90% γ) 85-90-95-85% και άλλοι συνδυασμοί
	Επαναλήψεις:	8-10-12	α) 12-10-8-7             β) 7-6-4-2                   γ)  4-2-1-3
	Σετ/άσκηση:	1-1-2	α) 1-1-2-2                       β) 1-1-2-2                 γ) 1-2-1-2
	Διαλ. μεταξύ των σετ:	2΄-4΄	2΄-5΄

BIGGER AND STRONGER

           You know the rules when it comes to getting bigger or stronger: To add muscle mass, you should train with a weight that allows you to perform about 8-10 reps per set; to gain strength, you should train with weights that limit you to 3-6 reps per set. But you also know the maximum that some rules are made to be broken. When training for mass or strength, following these basic rules most of the time is good, but breaking them occasionally is even better. According to recent research out of Japan, high repetitions-in the 25-35range- may have a place in a program that builds both mass and strength. The key is knowing exactly how to incorporate this high-rep protocol into an effective training program. (Dwayne, Jackson PhD)

Wimax and Telemedicine

             Congestive heart failure (CHF) patients in Baltimore City will be using a new FDA-approved electronic health monitoring device to help manage their heart disease at home as part of a new Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) study.
            With funding from the National Institutes of Health, lead investigator and associate professor Patricia Abbott, PhD, RN, will measure whether having an Intel Health Guide-which allows patients to monitor their conditions, participate in learning modules, and connect with clinicians online-in CHF patients' homes can improve their health. "We need to find ways to reach the medically underserved, and I think technology is one way that we can begin to build those bridges," says Abbott.
               With telehomecare devices provided by Intel Corporation, this is the first study to use the technology in community-dwelling African American CHF patients. It is also the first such study to form a unique partnership with Clearwire Corporation, which will support the Internet connectivity requirements of the Health Guide by providing access to its 4G WiMAX wireless connection, now live in Baltimore.
According to Abbott, wireless technology may be an important tool as telehomecare for chronic disease management becomes more common place. "Not having to pull cables or wires into a patient's home or require telephone lines is a critical step in the battle to reduce barriers to access to healthcare services, particularly in underserved populations," she says.
                As part of a larger NIH-funded study led by JHUSON professor Miyong Kim, PhD, RN, Abbott's pilot study will involve 60 inner-city, home-dwelling, African-American patients. Half of the patients will receive the Health Guides, while the others will receive usual care. Researchers want to find ways to accelerate the use of technology to keep patients in their homes, rather than in the hospital, Abbott said. "Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of how to work more efficiently with patients who have chronic disease utilizing newer technological approaches. The research shows us that an informed and engaged patient may have fewer complications and has higher levels of satisfaction with the healthcare system."
Using the simple, touch-screen device, patients will be able to take their own blood pressure, weight, and other measurements. Patients can connect with researchers through video and voice over IP and access a library of educational videos about chronic diseases. An important component of this study is in the construction and testing of intelligent branching logic, which creates an interactive session for the patient while taking measurements and answering health questions. The device will also be programmed to remind patients about medications, the basics of sodium and fluid management, and medical appointments. The outcomes of the study will demonstrate the impact of such interactivity on heart failure knowledge and disease self-management.
                 Abbott said this technology will help better engage patients and close the digital divide. "We know that our current ways of working with chronic disease patients is not working as well as it should," she said.

source: digitalcommunities

ELECTRONICS:Fiber Optics

          Optical fiber is the medium of choice for high capacity digital transmission systems and high speed local area network. Besides these applications, optical fiber also can be used to transmit microwave signals for cable television, cellular radio, WLAN and microwave antenna remoting. To transmit microwave over optical fiber, the microwave signal is converted into optical form at the input of the fiber and at the output of the fiber, it is converted back to electrical signal. The main advantage of fiber transmission of microwave is reduced losses relative to metallic media (e.g. copper coaxial cable). This results in longer transmission distance without signal amplification or use of repeaters.
            There are two approaches to optical signal modulation and recovery. The first type is IMDD (Intensity Modulation Direct Detection) and the second type is Coherent Detection. In IMDD, the optical source intensity is modulated by the microwave signal and the resulting intensity modulated signal passes through the optical fiber to a photodiode where the modulation microwave signal is converted back to electrical domain. In Coherent Detection, the optical source is modulated in intensity, frequency or phase by the microwave signal. The modulated signal passes through the optical fiber to the receiver where it is mixed with the output of a local oscillator (LO) laser. The combined signal is converted to electrical domain using a photodiode. This produces an electrical signal centered on the difference frequency between the optical source and the LO laser (i.e. intermediate frequency). This signal is further processed to recover the analog microwave signal.
RFoG (Radio Frequency over Glass) is the cable operators' implementation of microwave transmission over optical fiber in which the coax portion of the HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coax) is replaced by a single fiber, passive optical network architecture (PON). RFoG allows cable operators to deploy fiber connectivity to customer premises (FTTP) while keeping its existing HFC and DOCSIS infrastructure. Like the HFC architecture, video controllers and data networking services are fed through a CMTS/edge router.
These electrical signals are then converted to optical and transported via a 1550 nm wavelength through a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) and a passive splitter to a R-ONU (RFoG Optical Network Unit) located at the customer premises. R-ONUs terminate the fiber connection and convert the traffic to RF for delivery over the in-home network. Video traffic can be fed over coax to a set-top box, while voice and data traffic can be delivered to an embedded multimedia terminal adapter (eMTA), The return path for voice, data, and video traffic is over a 1310 nm or 1590 nm wavelength to a return path receiver, which converts the optical signal to RF and feeds it back into the CMTS and video controller.
          The advantage of radio-over-fiber technology is that it centralizes most of the transceiver functionality by transmitting the microwave signals in their modulated format over fiber. This reduces the number of access points to antennas with amplifiers and frequency converters. In-building passive picocell for GSM or UMTS is implemented using radio-over-fiber. Wireless base stations are located in a central communications room and their outputs/inputs fed through RF multiplexers to lasers/photodiodes contained within the optical transceiver hub. The modulated optical signals are linked to/from the remote antenna units (AUs) in the building using single-mode optical fiber. The base station uses a combined detector/optical modulator, which is directly coupled to the antenna, so that no electrical amplification or other processing is required.

source:EZinearticles

ELECTRONICS:New Transistor Technology

          MIT engineers have demonstrated a technology that could introduce an important new phase of the microelectronics revolution that has already brought us iPods, laptops and much more.
          The work was presented at the recent IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting by Dae-Hyun Kim. Kim is a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Jesus del Alamo, an MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science and member of MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL).
"Unless we do something very radical pretty soon, the microelectronics revolution that has enriched our lives in so many different ways might come to a screeching halt," said del Alamo.
The problem" Engineers estimate that within the next 10 to 15 years we will reach the limit, in terms of size and performance, of the silicon transistors key to the industry. "Each of us has several billion transistors working on our behalf every day in our phone, laptop, iPod, car, kitchen and more," del Alamo noted.
             As a result, del Alamo's lab and others around the world are working on new materials and technologies that may be able to reach beyond the limits of silicon. "We are looking at new semiconductor materials for transistors that will continue to improve in performance, while devices get smaller and smaller," del Alamo said.
             One such material del Alamo and his students at the MTL are investigating is a family of semiconductors known as III-V compound semiconductors. Unlike silicon, these are composite materials. A particularly hot prospect is indium gallium arsenide, or InGaAs, a material in which electrons travel many times faster than in silicon. As a result, it should be possible to make very small transistors that can switch and process information very quickly.
Del Alamo's group recently demonstrated this by fabricating InGaAs transistors that can carry 2.5 times more current than state-of-the-art silicon devices. More current is the key to faster operation. In addition, each InGaAs transistor is only 60 nanometers, or billionths of a meter, long. That's similar to the most advanced 65-nanometer silicon technology available in the world today.
"The 60-nanometer InGaAs quantum-well transistor demonstrated by Professor del Alamo's group shows some exciting results at low supply voltage (e.g. 0.5V) and is a very important research milestone," said Robert Chau, senior fellow and director of transistor research and nanotechnology at Intel, a sponsor of the work.
Del Alamo notes, however, that InGaAs transistor technology is still in its infancy. Some of the challenges include manufacturing transistors in large quantities, because InGaAs is more prone to breakage than silicon. But del Alamo expects prototype InGaAs microdevices at the required dimensions to be developed over the next two years and the technology to take off in a decade or so.
"With more work, this semiconductor technology could greatly surpass silicon and allow us to continue the microelectronics revolution for years to come," del Alamo said.
http://www.mit.edu