Au cours de l’été, nous avons tous entendu parler de l’épidémie de grippe A (H1N1) qui devrait ressurgir cet automne. Si les autorités affirment qu’un vaccin sera disponible bientôt, d’autres voix nous rappellent qu’il faut aussi mettre l’accent sur des mesures d’hygiène de base afin d’éviter la contagion. Ces mesures, qui sont à la portée de tous, comprennent notamment le lavage des mains, le port d’un masque ou encore une hygiène respiratoire « courtoise » (tousser ou éternuer dans un mouchoir ou dans son coude).

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In this interview, Professor Joshua Silver from the University of Oxford presents one of the technologies developed by the Center for Vision in the Developing World: adaptive eyeglasses. These glasses are fluid-filled corrective lenses, adjustable by the wearer who learns the process of self-refraction, e.g., determining the level of correction required. Professor Silver also explains why this product is a low cost technology and why the shape of the glasses matters. He finally shows how this innovation impacts on the life of people in developing countries.

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Depuis plusieurs années, les médias parlent fréquemment des cellules souches, des possibilités thérapeutiques de ces dernières et des espoirs suscités. En effet, grâce à leurs propriétés, les cellules souches laissent entrevoir des nouvelles perspectives curatives pour certaines maladies et plus particulièrement les maladies neurodégénératives telle la maladie d’Alzheimer ou de Parkinson. Mais que sont exactement les cellules souches ? Quel est leur rôle? Et quels sont les enjeux qui leur sont reliés ? Nous allons tenter de répondre à ces questions dans notre dossier.

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This video provides an introduction to stem cell research. It answers many questions: what are stem cells? Where do they come from? What is their role in our bodies ? How do they develop ? It also presents the clinical applications of stem cells research as well as its limits and the challenges encountered.

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This short video explains how scientists grow cells and problems they might encounter doing so. It also features how scientists work in laboratories.

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Is there a difference between a fetus outside a woman’s uterus as a result of a miscarriage or an intentional abortion? The answer to this question is important because some stem cell scientists view tissue of aborted fetuses as the right tool for the job in their laboratory.

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In this video, a philosopher, an ethicist, a researcher, a patient and two religious men (Christian and Muslim) discuss talk about embryonic stem cell research. This video features their different point of viewpointss about the ethical and legal issues at. play. Research is going at a fast pace, consequently controversial issues surrounding the stem cell research should be addressed swiftly.

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Many countries around the world have enacted laws to govern stem cell research (SCR) (see map). Stem cell laws are commonly found in dedicated statutes (for e.g., in Australia and Germany) or in legislation which deals primarily with reproductive technologies (such as in vitro fertilization (IVF)) and related research (as is the case in Canada and the United Kingdom).

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The number and variety of Assistive Technologies (AT) available to people with disabilities have grown steadily in recent years. However, for users of AT, two issues remain fundamentally unchanged: the high cost of the technologies they require and the lack of appropriate training and technical support. In fact, it is not uncommon for AT users to pay many times the original price of a device designed for average users, just to acquire AT that makes such device only partially accessible. In terms of support, I have thought of writing a horror story book compiling the anecdotes AT users have shared with me over the years.

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The growing popularity of GPS-based mobile phones has radically changed the world of the blind. Economical mobile phone-based GPS systems are now available to help individuals navigate town and country. Navigating along streets and pathways with the help of electronic maps resident in the phone’s memory requires only reasonably priced text to speech software to make the phone’s display usable. When combined with the traditional cane and guide dog, these recent advances in the state of the art confer a new degree of independence for blind people.

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