On the other hand
2018 may have ended but that does not mean Israel’s cutting-edge technological achievements have ceased…writes Michael Kuttner.
In fact, 2019 promises to be another vintage year during which the Jewish State’s contributions to humanity accelerate for the benefit of all concerned.
SKIN DEEP
Australia and New Zealand have some of the highest rates of melanoma in the world. This Israeli invention should, therefore, be of special interest for those sunning themselves down under.
The startup’s patented prototype scanner, BlueSky, is based on DOSI (differential optical spectro-polarimetric imaging) technology that the researcher invented. He says it provides real-time data not otherwise available to dermatologists.
In preliminary clinical studies at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva, DOSI technology achieved a 100% detection rate in 77 skin lesions. A proof-of-concept (POC) study of 139 lesions, carried out in five clinics in Jerusalem, Rome and Texas, showed nearly 92% specificity and 100% sensitivity.
In the proof of concept, the new DOSI method in correlation to histology proved about four times better than a simple clinical prognosis using standard dermoscopy. A senior dermatologist in Tel HaShomer hospital, says he believes the BlueSky prototype shows great potential for helping dermatologists make a more certain melanoma diagnosis and could even be used at home by patients to check their own moles.
According to the World Health Organization, about 132,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed worldwide each year. Melanoma kills an estimated one American every hour and is particularly prevalent in Australia and New Zealand. These are three of the seven countries in which DOSI is patented.
THIRD MOST EDUCATED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
Israel is the third most educated country, according to 2017 data compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
OECD calculated the percentage of each country’s population between the ages of 25 and 64 who have completed a two- or four-year degree beyond high school – including both academic and vocational programs.
The data shows that 50.9% of Israelis in the target age bracket have a higher-education degree. The report noted that Jewish Israelis enter college at a later age than most Western counterparts because most serve in the military for at least two years after high school.
The United States came in at No. 5, with only 46.4% of its population in the target age group having completed a higher-education program – even though half of the world’s top-ranking universities are American.
South Korea came in at No. 4, with 47.7% having completed a higher-education program, but it tops the list of most educated people aged 25-34 (66.6%).
Japan is No. 2 (51.4%) and the most educated country in the world is Canada (56.7. %) – although Canada faces an over education, underemployment problem.
MOO – THE IRISH NEED ISRAEL’S HELP TO COMBAT COW POLLUTION
The Irish Senate recently voted to boycott Israeli companies. They soon discovered that was a losing strategy.
A Netanya based hi-tech company will carry out a project in Ireland to increase herb yields and reduce soil pollution resulting from cattle growth.
Ireland is one of the world’s most successful countries in raising cattle, seeing as 95% of its area is covered with green vegetation. As a result, the Irish raise 2 million cows, in a country with 4 million people. Unfortunately, the process of raising cattle has polluted the land and water reservoirs, as the cow faeces seeps into soil and water resources.
The project is designed to help Ireland cope with water pollution, which has reached a critical level of about 30% while growing the Irish dairy industry.
The innovative systems will monitor and map out the water flows in Ireland, and provide models of flow and seepage in the land allocated for the initial experiment. Based on the models, the company will produce recommendations on specific locations where cows should graze, where to place them, traffic routes, and ways to disperse their faeces.
The recommendations will allow the dispersion of manure in optimal locations to improve grassland growth and reduce pollution.
THE ETERNAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL
Watch this thought-provoking video which graphically demonstrates the miracle that is Israel:
