Disrupting the ‘heart’s tornado’ in arrhythmia

A biomedical engineer at WUSTL has determined love taps are better than love jolts in addressing defibrillation.When it comes to affairs of the heart, love taps are preferred over love jolts. That is the result of a team of heart researchers including Igor Efimov, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, trying to effect a better implantable heart defibrillator. Efimov and his colleagues have modeled a system where an implantable heart defibrillator focuses in on rogue electrical waves created during heart arrhythmia and busts up the disturbance, dissipating it and preventing cardiac arrest.

Washington University scientists and recipients of this year’s Faculty Achievement Awards to give presentations for the Assembly Series

Philip Stahl, prominent cell biologist and physiologist and Jonathan Turner, internationally recognized for his accomplishments in computer networks and telecommunications, will receive Washington University’s 2004 Faculty Achievement Awards and summarize their scholarly work at an awards ceremony, as part of the Assembly Series on Sept. 23.

Retired physician shares his vitality with community in need of it

St. Louis Jewish LightFlanceFor retired physician I. Jerome Flance, more than 60 years of helping people as a doctor and teacher wasn’t quite enough. So six years ago, at age 87, he accepted the appointment of special associate for community redevelopment and began what is planned to be a 10-year project to revitalize the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood. Read more in the following article published by the St. Louis Jewish Light Simcha magazine.

Osteoporosis cases increase among younger adults

St. Louis Post-DispatchOsteoporosis is the cause of more than 1 million bone fractures each year — injuries which can be devastating to the elderly. The condition, however, seems to be spreading among the young, even those in prime physical shape. Kathryn Diemer, director of the Bone Health Program, talks about the increase of cases in younger adults in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, which focuses on a 34-year-old marathon runner.

Allergy season hits late this year

The season for sneezin’ is here.Ragweed pollen counts appear to have peaked in early September this year, nearly a month later than usual. H. James Wedner, chief of the division of allergy and immunology, comments on what this means for allergy sufferers in this article by Tina Hesman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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