Workshop discusses African telemedicine

A workshop which discussed how satellite telecommunications might be useful for improving and complementing African healthcare systems was held in Brussels last month, Spaceref reports.

The workshop addressed not only improvements to existing healthcare systems but also how to efficiently respond to major health needs in remote areas of Africa and landlocked countries. Experts presented concrete examples of telemedicine-via-satellite services in order to demonstrate the relevance of space technology.

This was the first step by the European Commission`s Directorate General for Development and ESA`s Directorate of European Union (EU) and Industrial Programmes in implementing common initiatives within the framework of the EU/African Union Infrastructure Partnership.

A French study commissioned by the French Union for the Clothing Industries, has revealed French men and women are getting taller and heavier, and the average woman in France has gone up a dress size since 1970, reports News Journal Online.

The French Institute of Textiles and Clothing used 3D imaging to measure about 12 000 people nationwide. It aims to help clothing designers understand the sizes and shapes of their clients.

The study released last week, measured people from ages five to 70, in locations from shopping malls to offices to ensure a cross-section of the population. It was carried out from 2003 to 2005 using 3D imaging technology that automatically noted 85 different measurements.

Israeli Company Fluorinex Active has developed a technology that it claims can protect teeth from cavities for five years with one simple electrical treatment, according to Isracast.

The company is working on a small device which, together with a fluoride-based gel, will impose an efficient ion exchange process through an electro-chemical reaction in which fluor ions displace the hydroxide ions at the outer layer of the tooth.

This is intended to produce a new mineral layer with significantly improved chemical and physical resistance to the aggressive bacteria and the resulting acidic environment in the mouth.