இனக்கொலையாளி ராஜபக்சவைத் தூக்கிலிடப்போவதாக அறிவிப்பதும், சில காலங்களுக்கு மக்களின் எதிர்ப்பை மட்டுப்படுத்தி இலங்கை அரசைக் காப்பாற்றுவதும் அந்த இடைவெளிக்குள் தமது பல்தேசிய நிறுவனங்களுக்கு ஒப்பந்தங்களைப் பெற்றுக்கொள்வதும் வழமையாகிவிட்டது. இலங்கையில் நடைபெற்ற பொது நலவாய நாடுகளின் தலைவர்களின் மாநாட்டோடு கூடவே நடைபெற்ற பொதுநலவாய வர்த்தக மாநாட்டில் கலந்துகொண்ட நிறுவனங்களில் goldshield-pharmaceuticals என்ற பல்தேசிய பெருவியாபாரிகளும் அடங்குவர். இலங்கையில் பல வர்த்தக ஒப்பந்தங்களை நிறைவேற்றி பிரித்தானியாவின் தேசிய நலனை உறுதிப்படுத்தியதாக அந்த நாட்டின் பிரதமர் டேவிட் கமரன் பாராளுமன்ற உரையின் போது கூறியிருந்தார். இன்று goldshield-pharmaceuticals இன் உதவித் தலைவர் டொம் ஹிக்கின்ஸ் இலங்கையுடன் பொது நலவாய மாநாட்டின் போது சுகாதாரத் துறையில் ஒப்பந்தம் செய்யப்பட்டதாகக் கூறியுள்ளார்.
இந்த நிறுவனம் இலங்கையில் நானோ தொழில் நுட்பத்தை மருத்துவத்தில் அறிமுகப்படுத்துவதற்கான ஒப்பந்தத்தை மேற்கொண்டுள்ளதாக அறிவித்துள்ளது. கொமன்வெல்த் மாநாட்டின் போதே இந்த பல மில்லியன் ஒப்பந்தம் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டதாகத் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
இந்த நிறுவனத்தின் முதலாவது நானோ தொழில் நுட்பம் இலங்கை நோயாளிகளிடம் பரிசீலக்கப்படுகின்றது. மனிதர்களை சில இரவுகளுக்குள் கொத்துக்கொத்தாகக் கொலைசெய்வது எப்படி என்று வன்னி மண்ணில் பரிசோதித்தது போன்ற இன்னொரு ஆரம்பமா என்ற கேள்விகள் எழுகின்றன.
பிரித்தானியா போன்ற ஏகபோக அரசுகளின் பிடியிலிருந்து நாட்டைப் பாதுகாப்பதாக சிங்கள மக்களின் ஆதரவைத் தக்கவைத்துக்கொள்ளும் மகிந்த ராஜபக்சவே இலங்கையின் இலவச மருத்துவத்தையும் இலவசக் கல்வியையும் அழித்து ஏகபோக அரசுகளுக்கு விற்பனை செய்யும் மிருகத்தனமான வியாபாரி.
தெற்காசியாவில் சிறந்த இலவச மருத்துவச் சேவை இலங்கையிலேயே காணப்படுகிறது. மருத்துவத்திற்கு என ஐ.எம்.எப் அண்மையில் இலங்கை அரசிற்குக் கடன் வழங்கியிருந்தமை அறிந்ததே. மக்களின் உழைப்பில் வரிகட்டப்படும் ஐ.எம்.எப் இன் கடன் தொகை பிரித்தானிய பல்தேசிய நிறுவனத்திற்கு இலாபமாக வழங்கப்படும்.
இவற்றையெல்லாம் கண்டுகொள்ளாத தமிழ் பிழைப்புவாதத் தலைமைகள் பிரித்தானியப் பிரதமர் டேவிட் கமரனை அடுத்த ‘தேசியத் தலைவர்’ ஆக உருவாக்கிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள்.
இலங்கையில் தேசிய இன ஒடுக்குமுறைக்கு உள்ளாக்கப்படும் தமிழ்ப் பேசும் மக்கள் அணிதிரட்டப்படுவதும் அதற்கான தந்திரோபாயங்கள் வகுக்கப்படுவதுமே இன்றைய பிரதான அரசியல் கடமை. போராட்டத்தினூடாக மட்டுமே இலங்கையில் ஒடுக்கப்படும் பெரும்பான்மை மக்களின் ஆதரவோடு சுய நிர்ணய உரிமைக்கான போராட்டத்தை வெற்றியை நோக்கி நகர்த்த முடியும்.
இலவசக் கல்வியைத் தகர்க்கும் வெடிகுண்டுடன் இலங்கையில் இறங்கிய இளவரசர் சார்ள்ஸ்
உலகவங்கி இலங்கைக்கு மீண்டும் கடனுதவி : இலவச மருத்துவம் முற்றாக அழிக்கப்படும்
இலங்கையின் இலவச மருத்துவ சேவையையும் கட்டண சேவையாக மாற்றும் மகிந்த அரசு
Nanotechnology In Medicine: Huge Potential, But What Are The Risks…???
Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at the atomic and molecular scale to create materials with remarkably varied and new properties, is a rapidly expanding area of research with huge potential in many sectors, ranging from healthcare to construction and electronics. In medicine, it promises to revolutionize drug delivery, gene therapy, diagnostics, and many areas of research, development and clinical application.
This article does not attempt to cover the whole field, but offers, by means of some examples, a few insights into how nanotechnology has the potential to change medicine, both in the research lab and clinically, while touching on some of the challenges and concerns that it raises.
What is Nanotechnology…???
Read it…
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/244972.php
Sri Lanka provides free universal healthcare. Yes, one of the few countries in the world with free healthcare and education, both of which have
been national priorities for decades.
Both the Government and Private sector have been rapidly building and improving infrastructure, quality of services and human capital base in the
healthcare sector. For instance, as a part of the National Health Master Plan (2006-2016) the base hospital in Nuwara-Eliya which already had all
the major specialties is under reconstruction to include more modern facilities including extra wards and surgical theatres with an upgraded ICU,
blood bank and much more.
Not surprisingly the overall numbers are looking quite good. Here are some statistics from the Central Bank (for 2012) which depict the progress
in the Health sector:
■Government Hospitals: 593
■Private Hospitals:197
■Qualified Doctors: 17,129 (a doctor per 1,187 persons)
■Qualified Nurses: 29,871 (a nurse per 683 persons)
■Average Life Expectancy: 75 years
■Infant Mortality: 9.5 per 1000 births (a regional low)
Infant mortality
Country or territory CIA
2013 estimates ->UN
Afghanistan 119.41 ->
Albania 13.65 ->
Algeria 22.57 ->
American Samoa 9.5 ->
Andorra 3.73 ->
Angola 81.75 ->
Anguilla 3.42 ->
Antigua and Barbuda 13.72 ->
Argentina 10.24 ->
Armenia 17.59 ->
Aruba 12.12 ->
Australia 4.49 ->
Austria 4.2 ->
Azerbaijan 27.69 ->
Bahamas, The 12.89 ->
Bahrain 9.93 ->
Bangladesh 47.30 ->
Barbados 11.13 ->
Belarus 3.67 ->
Belgium 4.23 ->
Belize 20.82 ->
Benin 58.54 ->
Bermuda 2.47 ->
Bhutan 39.97 ->
Bolivia 39.76 ->
Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.97 ->
Botswana 9.90 ->
Brazil 19.83 ->
British Virgin Islands 13.93 ->
Brunei 10.81 ->
Bulgaria 15.60 ->
Burkina Faso 78.30 ->
Burma 46.31 ->
Burundi 58.86 ->
Cambodia 52.70 ->
Cameroon 58.51 ->
Canada 4.78 ->
Cape Verde 25.13 ->
Cayman Islands 6.35 ->
Central African Republic 95.04 ->
Chad 91.94 ->
Chile 7.19 ->
China 15.20 ->
Colombia 15.46 ->
Comoros 67.12 ->
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 74.87 ->
Congo, Republic of the 72.45 ->
Cook Islands 14.81 ->
Costa Rica 8.95 ->
Cote d’Ivoire 61.66 ->
Croatia 5.96 ->
Cuba 4.76 ->
Cyprus 8.82 ->
Czech Republic 3.67 ->
Denmark 4.14 ->
Djibouti 51.77 ->
Dominica 12.38
Dominican Republic 11.99 ->
Ecuador 18.48 ->
Egypt 23.30 ->
El Salvador 19.05 ->
Equatorial Guinea 73.12 ->
Eritrea 39.38 ->
Estonia 6.82 ->
Ethiopia 58.28 ->
European Union 4.49
Faroe Islands 5.82 ->
Fiji 10.46 ->
Finland 3.38 ->
France 3.34 ->
French Polynesia 4.83 ->
Gabon 48.02 ->
Gambia, The 67.63 ->
Gaza Strip 16.00 ->
Georgia 14.2 ->
Germany 3.48 ->
Ghana 39.70 ->
Gibraltar 6.42 ->
Greece 4.85 ->
Greenland 9.63 ->
Grenada 10.81 ->
Guam 5.61 ->
Guatemala 24.32 ->
Guernsey 3.49 ->
Guinea 57.11 ->
Guinea-Bissau 92.66 ->
Guyana 34.45 ->
Haiti 50.92 ->
Honduras 19.28 ->
Hong Kong 2.89 ->
Hungary 5.16 ->
Iceland 3.17 ->
India 44.6 ->
Indonesia 26.6 ->
Iran 40.2 ->
Iraq 38.86 ->
Ireland 3.78 ->
Isle of Man 4.22
Israel 4.03 ->
Italy 3.33 ->
Jamaica 13.98 ->
Japan 2.17 ->
Jersey 3.9 ->
Jordan 15.26 ->
Kazakhstan 22.32 ->
Kenya 42.18 ->
Kiribati 36.5 ->
Korea, North 25.34 ->
Korea, South 4.1 ->
Kuwait 7.68 ->
Kyrgyzstan 29.73 ->
Laos 56.13 ->
Latvia 8.8 ->
Lebanon 14.81 ->
Lesotho 51.93 ->
Liberia 70.93 ->
Libya 12.26 ->
Liechtenstein 4.36 ->
Lithuania 6.9 ->
Luxembourg 4.33 ->
Macau 3.15 ->
Macedonia 8.11 ->
Madagascar 46.13 ->
Malawi 76.98 ->
Malaysia 14.12 ->
Maldives 25.5 ->
Mali 106.49 ->
Malta 3.62 ->
Marshall Islands 22.15 ->
Mauritania 57.48 ->
Mauritius 10.89 ->
Mexico 16.26 ->
Micronesia, Federated States of 22.71 ->
Moldova 13.28 ->
Monaco 1.81 ->
Mongolia 34.78 ->
Montserrat 14.16 ->
Morocco 25.49 ->
Mozambique 74.63 ->
Namibia 45.62 ->
Nauru 8.36
Nepal 41.76 ->
Netherlands 3.69 ->
New Caledonia 5.54 ->
New Zealand 4.65 ->
Nicaragua 21.9 ->
Niger 87.98 ->
Nigeria 72.97 ->
Northern Mariana Islands 5.59
Norway 3.47 ->
Oman 14.46 ->
Pakistan 59.35 ->
Palau 11.77 ->
Panama 11.1 ->
Papua New Guinea 40.84 ->
Paraguay 21.48 ->
Peru 20.85 ->
Philippines 18.19 ->
Poland 6.3 ->
Portugal 4.54 ->
Puerto Rico 8. ->
Qatar 6.6 ->
Romania 10.44 ->
Russia 7.19 ->
Rwanda 61.3 ->
Saint Helena 15.25
Saint Kitts and Nevis 9.2
Saint Lucia 12.7
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 7.12
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13.46
Samoa 20.95 ->
San Marino 4.58
Sao Tome and Principe 50.48 ->
Saudi Arabia 15.8 ->
Senegal 53.93 ->
Serbia 6.28 ->
Seychelles 11.6 ->
Sierra Leone 74.95 ->
Singapore 2.59 ->
Slovakia 6.35 ->
Slovenia 4.08 ->
Solomon Islands 16.7 ->
Somalia 101.91 ->
South Africa 42.15 ->
South Sudan 69.97 ->
Spain 3.35 ->
Sri Lanka 9.24 ->
Sudan 54.23 ->
Suriname 27.99 ->
Swaziland 57.19 ->
Sweden 2.73 ->
Switzerland 3.8 ->
Syria 14.63 ->
Taiwan 4.55 ->
Tajikistan 36.16 ->
Tanzania 45.1 ->
Thailand 15.41 ->
Timor-Leste 40.9 ->
Togo 48.28 ->
Tonga 12.78 ->
Trinidad and Tobago 25.74 ->
Tunisia 24.7 ->
Turkey 22.23 ->
Turkmenistan 39.48 ->
Turks and Caicos Islands 11.29
Tuvalu 32.61 ->
Uganda 62.47 ->
Ukraine 8.24 ->
United Arab Emirates 11.25 ->
United Kingdom 4.5 ->
United States 5.9 ->
Uruguay 9.2 ->
Uzbekistan 20.51 ->
Vanuatu 17.15 ->
Venezuela 19.75 ->
Vietnam 19.61 ->
U.S. Virgin Islands 6.94 ->
Wallis and Futuna 4.55
West Bank 13.98
Western Sahara 57.5 ->
Yemen 51.93 ->
Zambia 68.58 ->
Zimbabwe 27.25 ->
Doctors per 10.,000 people
World 13.9
Afghanistan 1.9
Albania 11.1
Algeria 12.1
American Samoa (NA)
Andorra 39.1
Angola 1.7
Anquilla (NA)
Antigua and Barbuda (NA)
Argentina (NA)
Armenia 28.5
Aruba (NA)
Australia 38.5
Austria 48.6
Azerbaijan 33.8
Bahamas 28.2
Bahrain 14.9
Bangladesh 3.6
Barbados 18.1
Belarus 37.6
Belgium 37.8
Belize 8.3
Benin 0.6
Bermuda (NA)
Bhutan 0.7
Bolivia (NA)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 16.9
Botswana 3.4
Bouvet Island (NA)
Brazil 17.6
British Indian Ocean Territory (NA)
British Virgin Islands (NA)
Brunei Darussalam 13.6
Bulgaria 37.6
Burkina Faso 0.5
Burundi (NA)
Cambodia 2.3
Cameroon 0.8
Canada 20.7
Cape Verde 3.0
Cayman Islands (NA)
Central African Republic 0.5
Chad 0.4
Chile 10.3
China 14.6
Christmas Island (NA)
Cocos (Keeling Islands) (NA)
Colombia 14.7
Comoros (NA)
Congo 1.0
Congo (Dem. Republic of) (NA)
Cook Islands 28.9
Costa Rica (NA)
Cote d’Ivoire 1.4
Cote d’Ivoire 1.4
Croatia 27.2
Cuba 67.2
Cyprus 27.5
Czech Republic 37.1
Denmark 34.2
Djibouti 2.3
Dominica (NA)
Dominican Republic (NA)
Ecuador 16.9
Egypt 28.3
El Salvador 16.0
Equatorial Guinea (NA)
Eritrea (NA)
Estonia 33.4
Ethiopia 0.3
Faeroe Islands (NA)
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (NA)
Fiji 4.3
Finland 29.1
France 33.8
French Guiana (NA)
French Polynesia (NA)
French Southern Territories and Antarctic Lands (NA)
Gabon (NA)
Gambia 1.1
Georgia 42.4
Germany 36.9
Ghana 0.9
Gibraltar (NA)
Greece (NA)
Greenland (NA)
Grenada 6.6
Guadeloupe (NA)
Guam (NA)
Guatemala 9.3
Guinea 1.0
Guinea-Bissau 0.7
Guyana 2.1
Haiti (NA)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands (NA)
Honduras 3.7
Hungary 34.1
Iceland 34.6
India 6.5
Indonesia 2.0
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 8.9
Iraq 6.1
Ireland (NA)
Israel 31.1
Italy 38.0
Jamaica 4.1
Japan 21.4
Johnston Atoll (NA)
Jordan 25.6
Kazakhstan 38.4
Kenya 1.8
Kiribati 3.8
Korea (Dem. Peo. Rep. of) (NA)
Korea (Republic of) 20.2
Kuwait 17.9
Kyrgyzstan 24.7
Lao People’s Democratic Rep. 1.9
Lao People’s Democratic Rep. 1.9
Latvia 29.0
Lebanon 35.4
Lesotho (NA)
Liberia (NA)
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 19.0
Liechtenstein (NA)
Lithuania 36.4
Luxembourg 27.8
Macedonia (The former Yugoslav Republic of) 26.2
Madagascar 1.6
Malawi 0.2
Malaysia 12.0
Maldives 16.0
Mali 0.8
Malta 32.3
Marshall Islands 4.4
Martinique (NA)
Mauritania 1.3
Mauritius (NA)
Mayotte (NA)
Mexico 19.6
Micronesia (Federated States of) 1.8
Midway (NA)
Moldova (Republic of) 36.4
Monaco 70.6
Mongolia 27.6
Montenegro 20.3
Montserrat (NA)
Morocco 6.2
Mozambique 0.3
Myanmar 5.0
Namibia 3.7
Nauru 7.1
Nepal (NA)
Netherlands (NA)
Netherlands Antilles (NA)
New Caledonia (NA)
New Zealand 27.4
Nicaragua (NA)
Niger 0.2
Nigeria 4.0
Niue 60.0
Norfolk Island (NA)
Northern Mariana Islands (NA)
Norway 41.6
Oman 20.5
Pakistan 8.1
Palau 13.8
Panama (NA)
Papua New Guinea 0.5
Paraguay (NA)
Peru 9.2
Philippines (NA)
Pitcairn Island (NA)
Poland 20.7
Portugal (NA)
Qatar 27.6
Reunion (NA)
Romania 23.9
Russian Federation 43.1
Rwanda 0.6
Saint Helena (NA)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (NA)
Saint Lucia (NA)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (NA)
Samoa 4.8
San Marino 48.8
Sao Tome and Principe (NA)
Saudi Arabia 9.4
Senegal 0.6
Serbia 21.1
Seychelles (NA)
Sierra Leone 0.2
Singapore 19.2
Slovakia 30.0
Slovenia 25.4
Solomon Islands 2.2
Somalia 0.4
South Africa 7.6
Spain 39.6
Sri Lanka 4.9
Sudan 2.8
Suriname (NA)
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (NA)
Swaziland 1.7
Sweden 38.7
Switzerland 40.8
Syrian Arab Republic 15.0
Tajikistan 19.0
Tanzania (United Rep. of) 0.1
Thailand (NA)
Timor Leste (NA)
Togo 0.5
Tokelau (NA)
Tonga 5.6
Trinidad and Tobago 11.8
Tunisia 12.2
Turkey 17.1
Turkmenistan (NA)
Turks and Caicos Island (NA)
Tuvalu 10.9
Uganda 1.2
Ukraine 35.2
United Arab Emirates 19.3
United Kingdom 27.7
United States of America 24.2
Uruguay 37.4
Uzbekistan 25.4
Vanuatu 1.2
Venezuela (NA)
Viet Nam 12.2
Virgin Islands (U.S.) (NA)
Wake Island (NA)
Wallis and Futuna Islands (NA)
West Bank and Gaza (NA)
Western Sahara (NA)
Yemen 2.0
Zambia (NA)
Zimbabwe 0.6
Puerto Rico (NA)
Average life expectancy
RANK
COUNTRY (YEARS) DATE OF INFORMATION
1 Monaco
89.63
2013 est.
2 Macau
84.46
2013 est.
3 Japan
84.19
2013 est.
4 Singapore
84.07
2013 est.
5 San Marino
83.12
2013 est.
6 Andorra
82.58
2013 est.
7 Guernsey
82.32
2013 est.
8 Switzerland
82.28
2013 est.
9 Hong Kong
82.20
2013 est.
10 Australia
81.98
2013 est.
11 Italy
81.95
2013 est.
12 Liechtenstein
81.59
2013 est.
13 Canada
81.57
2013 est.
14 Jersey
81.57
2013 est.
15 France
81.56
2013 est.
16 Spain
81.37
2013 est.
17 Sweden
81.28
2013 est.
18 Israel
81.17
2013 est.
19 Iceland
81.11
2013 est.
20 Anguilla
81.09
2013 est.
21 Netherlands
81.01
2013 est.
22 Bermuda
80.93
2013 est.
23 Cayman Islands
80.91
2013 est.
24 Isle of Man
80.87
2013 est.
25 New Zealand
80.82
2013 est.
26 Ireland
80.44
2013 est.
27 Norway
80.44
2013 est.
28 Germany
80.32
2013 est.
29 Jordan
80.30
2013 est.
30 United Kingdom
80.29
2013 est.
31 Greece
80.18
2013 est.
32 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
80.13
2013 est.
33 Austria
80.04
2013 est.
34 Malta
79.98
2013 est.
35 Faroe Islands
79.98
2013 est.
36 Luxembourg
79.88
2013 est.
37 European Union
79.86
2013 est.
38 Belgium
79.78
2013 est.
39 Taiwan
79.71
2013 est.
40 Virgin Islands
79.61
2013 est.
41 Finland
79.55
2013 est.
42 Korea, South
79.55
2013 est.
43 Turks and Caicos Islands
79.40
2013 est.
44 Wallis and Futuna
79.27
2013 est.
45 Puerto Rico
79.07
2013 est.
46 Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
79.06
2013 est.
47 Gibraltar
78.98
2013 est.
48 Denmark
78.94
2013 est.
49 Portugal
78.85
2013 est.
50 Guam
78.66
2013 est.
51 United States
78.62
2013 est.
52 Bahrain
78.43
2013 est.
53 Chile
78.27
2013 est.
54 Qatar
78.24
2013 est.
55 Cyprus
78.17
2013 est.
56 Panama
78.13
2013 est.
57 British Virgin Islands
78.12
2013 est.
58 Costa Rica
78.06
2013 est.
59 Cuba
78.05
2013 est.
60 Albania
77.77
2013 est.
61 Slovenia
77.66
2013 est.
62 Dominican Republic
77.62
2013 est.
63 Sint Maarten
77.61
2013 est.
64 Czech Republic
77.56
2013 est.
65 Georgia
77.51
2013 est.
66 Kuwait
77.46
2013 est.
67 Northern Mariana Islands
77.45
2013 est.
68 Argentina
77.32
2013 est.
69 Saint Lucia
77.22
2013 est.
70 New Caledonia
77.13
2013 est.
71 United Arab Emirates
76.91
2013 est.
72 Mexico
76.86
2013 est.
73 Uruguay
76.61
2013 est.
74 Paraguay
76.60
2013 est.
75 French Polynesia
76.59
2013 est.
76 Brunei
76.57
2013 est.
77 Poland
76.45
2013 est.
78 Dominica
76.39
2013 est.
79 Morocco
76.31
2013 est.
80 Slovakia
76.24
2013 est.
81 Croatia
76.20
2013 est.
82 Algeria
76.18
2013 est.
83 Sri Lanka
76.15
2013 est.
84 Ecuador
76.15
2013 est.
85 Aruba
76.14
2013 est.
86 Bosnia and Herzegovina
76.12
2013 est.
87 Antigua and Barbuda
75.91
2013 est.
88 Libya
75.83
2013 est.
89 Lithuania
75.77
2013 est.
90 Tonga
75.60
2013 est.
91 Macedonia
75.58
2013 est.
92 West Bank
75.46
2013 est.
93 Tunisia
75.46
2013 est.
94 Lebanon
75.46
2013 est.
95 Hungary
75.24
2013 est.
96 Cook Islands
75.15
2013 est.
97 Syria
75.14
2013 est.
98 Saint Kitts and Nevis
75.07
2013 est.
99 Colombia
75.02
2013 est.
100 China
74.99
2013 est.
101 Mauritius
74.94
2013 est.
102 Maldives
74.92
2013 est.
103 Serbia
74.79
2013 est.
104 Barbados
74.75
2013 est.
105 Oman
74.72
2013 est.
106 American Samoa
74.68
2013 est.
107 Solomon Islands
74.66
2013 est.
108 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
74.62
2013 est.
109 Saudi Arabia
74.58
2013 est.
110 Romania
74.45
2013 est.
111 Gaza Strip
74.40
2013 est.
112 Malaysia
74.28
2013 est.
113 Venezuela
74.23
2013 est.
114 Bulgaria
74.08
2013 est.
115 Thailand
74.05
2013 est.
116 Seychelles
74.01
2013 est.
117 El Salvador
73.93
2013 est.
118 Estonia
73.82
2013 est.
119 Armenia
73.75
2013 est.
120 Montserrat
73.65
2013 est.
121 Grenada
73.55
2013 est.
122 Jamaica
73.44
2013 est.
123 Latvia
73.19
2013 est.
124 Egypt
73.19
2013 est.
125 Uzbekistan
73.03
2013 est.
126 Turkey
73.03
2013 est.
127 Brazil
73.02
2013 est.
128 Peru
72.98
2013 est.
129 Samoa
72.94
2013 est.
130 Vietnam
72.65
2013 est.
131 Nicaragua
72.45
2013 est.
132 Vanuatu
72.38
2013 est.
133 Palau
72.33
2013 est.
134 Marshall Islands
72.31
2013 est.
135 Philippines
72.21
2013 est.
136 Micronesia, Federated States of
72.07
2013 est.
137 Trinidad and Tobago
71.96
2013 est.
138 Indonesia
71.90
2013 est.
139 Fiji
71.87
2013 est.
140 Belarus
71.81
2013 est.
141 Bahamas, The
71.69
2013 est.
142 Azerbaijan
71.61
2013 est.
143 Greenland
71.54
2013 est.
144 Guatemala
71.46
2013 est.
145 Suriname
71.41
2013 est.
146 Cape Verde
71.28
2013 est.
147 Iraq
71.14
2013 est.
148 Honduras
70.81
2013 est.
149 Iran
70.62
2013 est.
150 Bangladesh
70.36
2013 est.
151 Kazakhstan
69.94
2013 est.
152 Russia
69.85
2013 est.
153 Moldova
69.82
2013 est.
154 Kyrgyzstan
69.75
2013 est.
155 Korea, North
69.51
2013 est.
156 Turkmenistan
69.16
2013 est.
157 Mongolia
68.95
2013 est.
158 Ukraine
68.93
2013 est.
159 Bhutan
68.44
2013 est.
160 Belize
68.40
2013 est.
161 Bolivia
68.22
2013 est.
162 Guyana
67.68
2013 est.
163 India
67.48
2013 est.
164 Timor-Leste
67.06
2013 est.
165 Nepal
66.86
2013 est.
166 Tajikistan
66.72
2013 est.
167 Pakistan
66.71
2013 est.
168 Papua New Guinea
66.66
2013 est.
169 Nauru
66.05
2013 est.
170 Burma
65.60
2013 est.
171 Tuvalu
65.47
2013 est.
172 Ghana
65.32
2013 est.
173 Kiribati
65.11
2013 est.
174 Madagascar
64.85
2013 est.
175 Yemen
64.47
2013 est.
176 Gambia, The
64.09
2013 est.
177 Sao Tome and Principe
63.86
2013 est.
178 Togo
63.62
2013 est.
179 Cambodia
63.41
2013 est.
180 Kenya
63.29
2013 est.
181 Eritrea
63.19
2013 est.
182 Laos
63.14
2013 est.
183 Comoros
63.12
2013 est.
184 Equatorial Guinea
63.12
2013 est.
185 Sudan
62.95
2013 est.
186 Haiti
62.85
2013 est.
187 Djibouti
61.99
2013 est.
188 Mauritania
61.91
2013 est.
189 Western Sahara
61.90
2013 est.
190 Tanzania
60.76
2013 est.
191 Benin
60.67
2013 est.
192 Senegal
60.57
2013 est.
193 Ethiopia
60.00
2013 est.
194 Burundi
59.69
2013 est.
195 Guinea
59.11
2013 est.
196 Rwanda
58.85
2013 est.
197 Liberia
57.81
2013 est.
198 Cote d’Ivoire
57.66
2013 est.
199 Sierra Leone
56.98
2013 est.
200 Congo, Democratic Republic of the
56.14
2013 est.
201 Congo, Republic of the
55.60
2013 est.
202 Cameroon
55.02
2013 est.
203 Angola
54.95
2013 est.
204 Mali
54.55
2013 est.
205 Botswana
54.47
2013 est.
206 Burkina Faso
54.43
2013 est.
207 Niger
54.34
2013 est.
208 Uganda
53.98
2013 est.
209 Zimbabwe
53.86
2013 est.
210 Malawi
52.78
2013 est.
211 Nigeria
52.46
2013 est.
212 Lesotho
52.30
2013 est.
213 Mozambique
52.29
2013 est.
214 Gabon
52.15
2013 est.
215 Namibia
52.03
2013 est.
216 Zambia
51.51
2013 est.
217 Somalia
51.19
2013 est.
218 Central African Republic
50.90
2013 est.
219 Afghanistan
50.11
2013 est.
220 Swaziland
50.01
2013 est.
221 Guinea-Bissau
49.50
2013 est.
222 South Africa
49.48
2013 est.
223 Chad
49.07
2013 est.
NT – Yale Scientific
Microbots: Using Nanotechnology In Medicine
JENNA KAINIC FEBRUARY 5, 2013 1
The human body houses a complex of twisted pathways, labyrinths of tunnels unimaginably small. The biological systems responsible for the flow of the blood, oxygen, and electrical impulses that sustain us are intricate and delicately coordinated. And so, when these systems go wrong, when our bodies are vulnerable to cancers and diseases, it seems at first it would be ideal to have medicine that can perform on a scale as small and complex as the circuitry on which it acts. Rather than exposing the whole body to toxic chemotherapy drugs, imagine cancer treatments that could deliver drugs directly to malignant cells. Consider swallowing a device that could travel through your body, looking for signs of irritation and illness.
Such a world seems surreal and evokes images of science fiction stories and children’s books. However, the possibility of having tiny robots navigate the smallest passages of the human body is not far from being a reality. In fact, important steps have already been taken towards the creation and use of such nanotechnologies. When perfected, these microbots will enable doctors to explore and mend patients’ ailments with greater insight and precision.
First Steps
The first step towards using nanotechnology in medicine occurred in 2001, when Given Imaging introduced the PillCam. The PillCam is a capsule containing a light and camera that a patient swallows. Images beamed wirelessly from the capsule can be analyzed and used for diagnostic purposes, thus replacing procedures like the traditional endoscopy, in which a flexible tube containing a flashlight and camera is inserted into the digestive tract. The PillCam, at about the size of a normal pill, is ideal for use in the passageways of the gastrointestinal system since it can be swallowed. However, the digestive system is comprised of relatively large pathways compared to those of the arteries and capillaries, which can be as small as a few micrometers in diameter. The PillCam is thus still too large to travel through the entire circulatory system. Additionally, the device lacks a means of navigating itself through the body; it merely travels passively along the natural course of the digestive system.
The PillCam is about the size of a large pill and can be swallowed. Courtesy of afutured. com.
Thus, in order to explore passageways like those in the circulatory system, scientists needed to find a means of creating a smaller device that would be able to propel itself against the flow of the bloodstream. The difficulty of this task was largely in the size of the technology needed. Any traditionally built battery-powered motor would be far too large to fit through passages only micrometers thick.
Drug-Delivering Devices
Scientists have managed to overcome this obstacle by using magnets instead of motors to propel the devices. Dr. Sylvain Martel, the founder and director of the NanoRobotics Laboratory at the École Polytechnique de Montréal, and his team have developed microcarriers that are able to pass through the larger arteries. These microcarriers are navigated by the magnetic coils of an MRI machine and have successfully delivered drugs to rabbits’ livers.
Similarly, a team in Dresden has created microtubes made of titanium, iron, and platinum. According to a paper written by this team on their research, these rolled-up microbots are capable of “the selective loading, transportation, and delivery of microscale objects in a fluid.” Like Martel’s technology, external magnets control the motion of these tubes. However, these microbots are also propelled by microbubbles. The tubes are partially filled with hydrogen peroxide, which, in a reaction catalyzed by the platinum, decomposes into oxygen and water. The force of the bubbles ejected from the tube during this reaction propels the microtubes through the body’s passageways. Additionally, the diameter of these tubes is at around five micrometers, about one-tenth the size of the microcarriers utilized by Martel’s team, thus enabling them to transverse much smaller arteries.
According to an article written by Martel, “the [technology’s] first real application will be in treating cancers.” These drug-delivering microbots are preferable to current means of fighting cancer because they can bring the medicine directly to the tumor, helping to avoid killing healthy cells along with the cancerous ones.
An artist’s depiction of a nanobot performing cell surgery. Courtesy of Nanotechnology News Network.
Bacterial Microcarriers
Another solution to the problem of size can be found in nature. The MC-1 strain of bacteria, discovered in 1993, is magnetic and propels itself with spinning tails. This strain is ideal for use as microcarriers of drugs because, at 2 micrometers in diameter, it is small enough to navigate even our bodies’ tiniest capillaries and can be controlled by use of a relatively weak magnetic field. Martel’s team has already tested this system on mice, guiding a swarm of drug-carrying bacteria to tumors in the animals’ bodies. A team at Purdue University has performed similar experiments in mice, adhering genes to the surface of bacteria to alter gene expression in cells. In test cases, mice were injected with bacteria carrying genes for luminescence. The scientists found that certain organs in the animals’ bodies successfully expressed the luminescent genes, suggesting that these bacteria could be used for altering the gene expression in diseased cells.
Though this bacteria-driven technique does navigate through more of the human body than its man-made counterpart, this method is not without faults. In Martel’s experiments, for example, most of the bacteria never reached the tumors. The bacteria has a half-life of about 30 or 40 minutes, so many of the bacteria died before reaching the tumor. Additionally, many were misdirected by the strong currents in the animals’ larger vessels. Martel offers a hybrid solution to this problem. His team is currently pursuing the possibility of using man-made microbots to transport the drug-carrying bacteria through the larger vessels to get closer to the tumors. Then, when the microbots are unable to go farther through the small vessels, they would release the bacteria. Since, in this scenario, the bacteria would be dispatched closer to the target, the hope is that there would be a greater likelihood in reaching the tumor.
Diabetes Regulation
In addition to cancer treatment, microbots are also being considered potentially useful for other medical purposes. For example, a team in Australia has proposed a concept and simulation using nanobots to regulate diabetes. Diabetes patients have to test their blood multiple times daily to ensure that their glucose levels are stable. The Australian team proposes using nanorobots to travel through patients’ bloodstreams and send data about glucose levels to external electronic sources. Using nanorobots would enable doctors to receive data from many different locations simultaneously throughout the body and allow for a more continuous monitoring of blood sugar levels without the pain and inconvenience of self-testing. Additionally, unlike the technologies explored for drug-delivery, these nanobots would not require active motion. Rather, they could travel with the natural flow of the bloodstream, sensing blood sugar levels along the way. Their passive movement makes it much easier for scientists to design these structures, which do not have to include any means of propelling or navigating themselves through the circulatory system. Like the proposals for cancer treatment, these nanotechnologies afford a more convenient and precise methodology for diabetes regulation.
An artist’s representation of a theoretical nanobot treating a blood cell. Courtesy of Nanotechnology 4 Today.
Looking Ahead
Though these microscopic methods of treatment and diagnostic tests are not yet perfected, scientists are getting closer to realizing a world of medicine that is able to navigate the minute scale of our bodies’ smallest pathways. Concepts of and experiments on medical nanotechnology are presenting doctors with new potential for treating their patients precisely and conveniently. As Martel notes in an article in IEEE Magazine, “There is no shortage of possibilities… a real-life fantastic voyage is just beginning
Medical Nano Technology – Scientific American
http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=medical-nanotechnology