Bicarbonate Dialysis is better (Dialysis, part 3)

August 31, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 5 Comments

That earlier choice of acetate as the dialysate buffer is now (very early 80’s) becoming a problem. Oh, it was great when dialysis was slow (12 hours) and had “tight” membranes; but, now, with the more efficient membranes and shorter dialysis, the saw-tooth pattern that existed for toxins is now occurring for our blood buffer. During dialysis, the acetate replaces the bicarbonate buffer; after dialysis, the acetate is slowly converted to bicarbonate. Obviously, this is not the best situation for patients.

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Medicine, Technology

Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Therapy

August 30, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 36 Comments

The Framingham health study indicates that about 1 in 5 (both men and women) persons will develop heart failure over the course of their lives. Once there is a myocardial infarction (MI, â€œheart attackâ€), current therapy employs drug therapy, but that does not treat the underlying cause(s).Â There is a loss of heart tissue that requires regeneration and repair.

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Medicine

Cannabis found to alleviate chronic pain- but may be dose dependent

August 30, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 6 Comments

Dr. Mark Ware of McGill University reported in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association reported results (small study, 23 patients) that demonstrated reduced chronic neuropathic pain for those with damaged nerves. These patients suffered from pain caused by injuries to the nervous system from post-traumatic (e.g. traffic accidents) or post-surgical (e.g. cut nerves) events. Their pain has not been controllable via standard therapies. Four different potencies of cannabis (2.5%, 6%, and 9.4% of tetrahydrocannabinol- the active ingredient in cannabis, as well as a placebo – 0% active ingredient) were among the study parameters.

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Dialysis, Medicine, Technology

Dialysis glimpses, part 2

August 29, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 4 Comments

Now, we have a prepared concentrate solution, but we still have to prepare the flat plate units for each use. A few inventors have begun to improve on the design- a prepackaged flat plate unit (made of plastic and several layers of membranes so the unit is about 1 foot long and not five feet long). And instead of inserting needles into veins each time, a physician-inventor developed a surgical cannula (and improved on that design several times hence).

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Business Management, Dialysis, Medicine, Technology

Dialysis Glimpses from the 60’s and 70’s

August 27, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 19 Comments

Imagine this scenario. Dialysis as a therapy is just starting to ‘click’. Treatments are available in one of two modalities- coil or flat plate. The coil system (shown below) reminds one of a giant washing machine, with a bathing solution of warm salt water, bubbled carbon dioxide, and a plastic device (looking like a car “air filter”) inserted inside this mess, through which passes your blood. The “air filter” is a membrane that separates the solution from your blood; the impurities from your blood are whisked away by the solution.

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Medicine

New Hope On the Horizon for Alzheimer’s Sufferers

August 23, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 4 Comments

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Economy, Medicine, Taxes

Le Plus Ca Change, Le Plus Ca Meme Chose….

August 22, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 3 Comments

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Medicine

Virtual Reality Studies the Bystander Effect (and more???)

August 20, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. 17 Comments

Do you remember Anthony Burgess’ novel,” A Clockwork Orange”?

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Medicine

Does Acupuncture Work? Does Our Brain Care?

August 20, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A.

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Business Management

No, Ms. R, Businesses MUST be creative in their approach

August 18, 2010 Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A.

I read an article about a month ago that really riled me up. (That’s why I haven’t written about it until now.) A fairly well-known business consultant articulated that small business should NOT try to be creative in their business. This was substantiated by a series of reasons- most of which demonstrated that the exemplar businesses that either never studied their competitors (and, therefore, were certain their proposition was unique and creative) or were larger companies that had forgotten how to be creative.

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