Blogs

Good News From Israel Week of Nov. 12th 2013

By Steve

Posted on November 12, 2013

The Double Life of a Cancer Gene.Without the c-Kit gene, colon cancer cells grow in a disorderly, aggregated manner and are invasive (A); when c-Kit expression is restored in these cells, they revert to a more normal organization (B) The highlights include: A new Israeli wristwatch wakes diabetics if their blood-sugar level drops too low at night. A US couple donated $50,000 to advance Israeli medicine. A “Boycott Israel” supporter attacked Israel and then asked for its medical help. Israel is revitalizing European agriculture and wastewater recycling. Another record month for air passengers to Israel. Five years after being declared “dead”an Israeli completed the New York marathon.

Thanks to good news from Israel

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Cancer gene can prevent cancer spreading. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered that whilst the c-Kit gene can promote the early-stage growth of colon cancer cells, its presence later on stops the cancer spreading to other parts of the body. Another oncogene c-Myc has the same duality in breast cancer.

http://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/the-double-life-of-a-cancer-gene#.UnX_sVMy1pF

Enabling diabetics to sleep soundly. NightSense is an Israeli device worn by diabetics at night (the most dangerous time for diabetics) to detect sudden drops in blood-sugar levels (hypoglycemia). NightSense analyzes subtle changes in the movement of the hand that indicate changes in pulse and heart activity.

http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000891101&fid=1724

Amazing 3D medical holograms. Israel’s Real View is bringing fantasy to reality with 3-D holograms that doctors can use to save lives. Its advanced 3-D interactive visualization holographic system allows physicians to work with the patients’ true 3-D anatomy appearing as precise volumetric holograms floating in mid-air.

http://unitedwithisrael.org/israeli-company-brings-iron-man-like-holographs-to-real-life/
[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIj2xEd_z78&w=520&h=315]

5 children receive transplants. Within 72 hours the staff of Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikva successfully transplanted five organs into five small children. They included a 7-year-old girl whose father donated a liver lobe and a 5-year-old boy who received a kidney from his mother.

http://www.jpost.com/Health-and-Science/Surgeons-save-lives-of-5-children-via-organ-transplants-at-Schneider-330521

Pushing male fertility to the limit. (Thanks to Israel21c) Dr. Karen Tordjman of Tel Aviv University discovered a new genetic mutation in a sterile Androgen Receptor Insensitivity sufferer. She then used a treatment that theoretically had no hope, but within two years led to him successfully father three children.

http://israel21c.org/health/israeli-doctors-push-the-limits-of-male-fertility/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23808476

More amazing Israeli medical devices. (Thanks to Nevet – www.BroaderView.org) This video (part 1 of 2) contains details of three Israeli devices that I hadn’t even heard about before. They are EarDoc, Unfo and Qure I will include details about these devices next week together with Part 2 of the video. Stay tuned!

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrz6DHUDyOI&w=520&h=315]

$50 million to advance personalized medicine. Nancy and Stephen Grand, of San Francisco, have donated $50 million to Weizmann’s Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine. The INCPM focuses on genomics, protein profiling, bioinformatics, and treatment discovery to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease.

http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2013/11/06/nancy-and-stephen-grand-donate-50-million-to-name-the-israel-national-center-for-personalized-medicine-at-the-weizmann-institute-of-science

Baby saved with device just delivered. United Hatzalah volunteer medic Itzik Hillel saved the life of a one-month-old baby girl who had been left in a hot car. Itzik used a device called ResQme that shatters the car window without causing any risk to the child. The device had been distributed to medics only the night before.

http://www.jpost.com/Health-and-Science/Volunteer-medic-saves-trapped-babys-life-using-new-window-shatter-technology-330905

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Israel’s first Arab Chemistry Professor. Israel’s Channel 2 recently featured (with English subtitles) the life journey of Professor Ashraf Brik of Ben Gurion University’s department of Chemistry. Winner of the Teva Award for Excellence, Professor Brik was the first member of his family to pursue higher education.

http://www.aabgu.org/media-center/bgu-making-a-difference/faculty-profile-prof-ashraf-brik.html
[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im6kGkaUw9I&w=520&h=315]

A Bedouin explains. (Thanks to Hazel) Kamel Abu Nadi, a Bedouin from Israel’s Negev desert, believes that the Israeli government’s new plan of community and economic development in the Bedouin community – if implemented correctly – might bring about dramatic improvement in the quality of life of the Negev’s Bedouin.

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=bBr4gY4MPPI&w=520&h=315]

Syrians treated in Israel: A Syrian woman gave birth at Israel’s Ziv (Sieff) Medical Center in the central Galilee city of Tzfat. The 20-year-old woman was brought to the hospital in active labor by the IDF during the night from a village near Kuneitra, which was under Syrian military curfew with no access to a Syrian hospital. The hospital also treated three Syrians with shrapnel wounds.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/173553#.UnZselMy1pE
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/279698#.UndKRFMy1pE
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4450099,00.html

BDS member requests help from Israel. (Thanks to Joy Wolfe) Larry Rich, from Emek Hospital in Afula, Israel spoke to an audience of over 60 in the Scottish Parliament about Israel’s equal treatment of its patients and medical staff, whatever their religion. One supporter of boycotting Israel criticized the Jewish State and then had the gall to ask for Israel’s aid for someone with a serious medical condition. Larry agreed to help.

http://www.scottishfriendsofisrael.org/Jews_Arabs_can_care_for_one_another.html

UN award to Israeli NGO bringing electricity to Africa. Israel’s Innovation:Africa was awarded the UN Innovation award for bringing solar energy using Israeli technologies to African villages, medical clinics, orphanages and schools. 66 projects in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and Malawi have benefited 478,661 people.

http://jbnf.org/un-innovation-award-to-israeli-ngo-for-africa/

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Israeli water tech rescues EU farmers. Israeli drip-irrigation pioneer Netafim is leading the United Nations FIGARO project – an international consortium to develop new precision irrigation management technologies to increase water availability for Europe’s water-intensive crops. A pilot is running at nine EU sites, plus in Israel.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-water-tech-comes-to-rescue-of-eu-farmers/

Israeli treatment for Dutch wastewater. Israel’s Applied CleanTech has signed an agreement with several Dutch water and paper industry companies. If tests of Applied CleanTech’s groundbreaking Sewage Recycling System are successful, it will be implemented across the Netherlands providing huge environmental benefits.

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/israeli-sewage-mining-technology-to-clean-dutch-wastewater/2013/11/06/ [youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqTbxWXamY4 &w=520&h=315]

See the water flow. (Thanks to Israel21c) Visitors came from around the world to see the Israeli innovations at The Water Technology and Environment Control (WATEC) Exhibition and Conference in Tel Aviv. One company was Israel’s Curapipe who showcased its Trenchless Automated Leakage Repair (TALR) Solution.
http://israel21c.org/environment/watec-showcases-israels-smart-water-solutions/
[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys5jj9TMYug &w=520&h=315]

Two Israelis win French award for agriculture. (Thanks to Israel21c) The French Ministry of Agriculture has awarded the National Order of Agricultural Merit to Professor Pedro Berliner of Ben Gurion University for his research into agro-hydrology in desert regions, and Eli Ben-Zaken, one of the top winemakers in Israel.

http://israel21c.org/news/two-israelis-win-french-national-order-of-agricultural-merit

Israel’s rain man conserves school’s water. (Thanks to Israel21c) Science teacher Amir Yechieli showed his school how to capture and reuse the rainwater that collected on its roofs. 15 years later he has helped 120 schools and now heads a new water conservation company Yevul Mayim (Saving water).

http://israel21c.org/environment/israels-rain-man-conserves-school-water/
http://savingtherain.org//PAGE13.asp

Israel & Poland sign scientific cooperation deal. During the president of Poland’s visit to Israel, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in the first-ever scientific cooperation effort between the two countries.

http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/First-ever-scientific-cooperation-agreement-with-Poland-signed-in-Jerusalem-330685

Israel fixes its satellite. Israel’s Spacecom has resolved a problem with the power supply running its Amos 4 satellite just in time to finalise a $77 million deal to provide satellite communications services for ten years to an Asian customer.

http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000891594&fid=1725

Predicting your next call. (Thanks to Israel21c) Yissum, the research and development company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has introduced SEER a predictive speed dialer for smartphones. The algorithm utilizes past behavior to display likely contacts and enable the user to easily make a call with just one click.

http://israel21c.org/news/seer-app-predicts-your-next-call/

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Scottish University installs Israeli wireless system. (Thanks to Atid-EDI) Students at Abertay University are now enjoying 10 times more bandwidth than they had a year ago, now that the institution has installed the EtherHaul millimeter wave wireless system from Israel’s Siklu, the leader in E-band millimeter wave systems. Siklu’s products have also been installed in Kent, England to provide broadband to rural communities.
http://www.siklu.com/news/abertay/
http://www.siklu.com/news/cdn-rural-broadband/

Lockheed Martin discovers Israel. US Defense giant Lockheed-Martin plans to open a major subsidiary in Israel that will employ hundreds of people. In addition to building a branch for IT and cyber protection, it will seek to expand cooperation with Israeli defense companies and to work in the domestic security market

http://www.timesofisrael.com/lockheed-martin-to-open-major-subsidiary-in-israel/

Record month for air passengers. 1.24 million people flew via Ben Gurion airport in October 2013, 6% more than in October 2012. Passenger traffic from Jan to Oct 2013 is 7.5% higher than for the same period last year. The West Hall at Terminal 1 is now open for low-cost flights to Europe under the open skies agreement.

http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000890876&fid=1725

Israel has a water surplus. Despite delayed winter rains, Israel’s natural reservoir, the Kinneret, is over 1.65 meters above the lower red line. If Israel receives an average rainfall, its water company plans to open the Degania Dam – the first time since 1992. Israel may also scale back expensive desalinated water production.

http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000891490
https://twitter.com/kinbot

Israel and Vietnam establish agriculture R&D fund. Israel’s agriculture Minister Yair Shamir and Vietnamese government officials agreed to establish a joint agriculture research and development fund, and to complete a free-trade accord. Israeli exports to Vietnam last year jumped by 120% to $747 million.

http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Israel-and-Vietnam-establish-joint-agriculture-R-and-D-fund-work-toward-free-trade-agreement-330591

CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Carmel Caves are new UNESCO heritage. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has named the Carmel Caves site in northern Israel the newest World Heritage Site for “providing a definitive chronological framework at a key period of human development.”

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=12915

Enjoy more great Israeli music. Kol Cambridge’s Nov 7^th playlist from DJ Antithesis on Tel Aviv’s Radio TLV1 included songs from Itai Hariri, Roni Dotan, Harel Skaat and Yigal Bashan. Also click on the 31^st Oct edition at 45:45 and hear a plug for this newsletter.

http://tlv1.fm/episodes/2013/11/07/weekend-soundtrack-kol-cambridge-2/
http://tlv1.fm/episodes/2013/10/31/weekend-soundtrack-kol-cambridge/

Israeli versus Israeli. Thankfully, this refers to the first time in history that two Israelis have faced each other in a National Basketball Association game when the Houston Rockets outplayed the Dallas Mavericks 113-105. Forward Omri Casspi scored 12 points for the Rockets whereas guard Gal Mekel scored 11 points for Dallas.

http://www.jns.org/news-briefs/2013/11/3/omri-casspi-gal-mekel-are-first-israelis-to-face-each-other-in-nba-game

20,000 jog through Tel Aviv at night. The Tel Aviv Night Run had a carnival atmosphere as 20,000 runners wearing pink T-shirts enjoyed a well-organized nocturnal 10km jog through Tel Aviv’s streets.

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/nikes-tel-aviv-10k-night-run-well-worth-the-sweat/
http://israel21c.org/news/20000-joggers-take-part-in-tel-aviv-night-run/

Israeli who almost died runs NY marathon. Five years ago, in an explosion in Gaza, newlywed Aharon Karov was declared dead. Now he’s raising money for OneFamily Fund, the organization that helped him get back on his feet. He has just completed the New York Marathon in 4hrs 14min 31sec.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/five-years-after-near-death-israeli-runs-nyc-marathon/

THE JEWISH STATE

Barmitzvah signifies a coming of age. Israel-born Arik met and married Indian-born Bat Chen – a member of the Bnei Menashe sect of Indian Jews – soon after Bat Chen immigrated to the Jewish State in 1999. Now their son Benayahu is celebrating his Barmitzvah and Bat Chen feels that she is now a fully integrated Israeli.

www.breakingisraelnews.com/bnei-menashe-israeli-couple-celebrate-oldest-sons-bar-mitzvah-jerusalem/

Thousands at GA in Jerusalem. 3000 Jews from North America, Europe and Israel from across the political spectrum are attending the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly held in the historic homeland of the Jewish people. They will hear 140 speakers – half of them women – and discuss issues facing Israel and the global Jewish community.

http://www.generalassembly.org/