The Polypill

Experts are hailing a pill that combines five drugs into one tablet as the magic bullet to heart-related problems.

What is the Polypill?

The polypill contains five drugs that experts believe can halve the risk of strokes and heart attacks in middle-aged people.

It contains aspirin to thin the blood, a statin drug to lower cholesterol levels and three blood pressure-lowering medications - an ACE inhibitor, a beta-blocker and a diuretic.

It also includes folic acid to reduce the level of homocysteine in the blood which is another risk factor for heart disease.

Combining all of the drugs into one easy to take tablet should improve compliance.

What is the big idea?

Doctors want to use the polypill against the worldwide epidemic of cardiovascular disease.

Currently, doctors treat high risk patients but many who would benefit from treatment do not receive it.

The polypill idea is for mass prescription to everyone over a certain age - 50 for men and 60 for women - not just those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease.

By doing this, tens of millions of lives could be saved worldwide, experts believe.

Yet a decade since its first inception, a marketable product is still at least five years away.

Why is it taking so long?

The polypill does not promise big profits for pharmaceutical companies.

Although the tablet would be taken on a daily basis by millions of people, the five constituent medicines are cheap and are already available separately. These are non-patented drugs.

What has the latest study shown?

It is a proof of concept study that shows the constituent drugs can be safety combined and work in the way intended, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Reassuringly, few patients had side effects and the pill was well tolerated.

More work is now underway to see if the pill cuts deaths and disease by as much as experts hope.

What do critics say?

Critics are concerned that people will see the polypill as an excuse not to address lifestyle issues, such as poor diet and lack of exercise, linked with cardiovascular disease.

And one size fits all may not work.

Each of the constituent drugs has side effects. By combining them you do not get rid of those risks.

By and large, the benefits far outweigh any risks, but Professor Peter Weissman of the British Heart Foundation said: "If money was no issue I would want to know exactly what my cardiovascular risk is and I would want my doctor to treat each of those risk factors optimally rather than the fire and forget approach that the polypill will produce."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7973588.stm

Matthew Chapter 1 & 2 (CG Sharing-21 Mac 09)

圣经历史年代表
BC 2000年 族长时期-亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各、约瑟
BC1700年 约瑟的家属进入埃及
BC1260年 摩西带领以色列人出埃及
BC1220年 约书亚带领百姓进入迦南地
BC1210年 士师时代的开始
BC1020年 君王政体的开始
BC 935年 所罗门死后，国家分裂成南、北两国
北国-以色列（首都：撒玛利亚）
南国-犹大（首都：耶路撒冷）
BC 722年 亚述（首都：尼尼薇）攻陷撒玛利亚
BC 587年 巴比伦（首都：巴比伦）攻陷耶路撒冷
圣殿被毁
被掳到巴比伦
BC 539年 波斯时代
犹太人回到耶路撒冷
BC 515年 重建圣殿竣工/完成
BC 333年 希腊时代-亚历山大大帝
BC 198年 西流基时代
BC 167年 哈斯摩年时期-犹太人叛变
BC 63年 罗马攻占耶路撒冷 – 罗马时代
BC 37年 希律大帝指派分封王管理巴勒斯坦
BC 4年 耶稣诞生 (http://mathewshia.blogspot.com/2008/12/why-jesus-born-was-not-born-on-ad-0-0.html)

马太福音
作者：马太=神的恩赐
未信主前名叫利未，是个税吏
时期：AD70前（圣殿被毁之前）AD60-AD70
目的：根据旧约，证明基督就是神要差来的弥赛亚
对象：犹太人
引用旧约：33次
1和2章独记的事迹
1）天使向约瑟显现（一18-25）
2）博士朝拜耶稣（二1-12）
3）基督逃难埃及（二13-15）
4）希律杀婴（二16-18）
家谱对犹太人的重要性:
1)当时较尊贵的大家族都能说出自己的家谱
2)证明耶稣就是旧约神所应许的那位

一章
1
亚伯拉罕-万国必因你的后裔（单数）得福，就是基督（创二十六4）
大卫-应许大卫必坚定他的国直到永远，显然是指耶稣基督（代上二十二10）
亚伯拉罕-大卫 = 14代
大卫-约西亚 = 14代
耶哥尼雅-基督 = 14代
3-6
四个女子 1）他玛氏（创三十八）－扮妓女从犹大（公公）生儿子
2）喇合氏（书二）耶利哥的妓女
3）路得－摩押女子
4）乌利亚的妻子（拔示巴）（撒下十一，十二）
16
语气变了－耶稣是女人的后裔（创三15）
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STORY TIME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
18-24
马太尽量避免提到约瑟是耶稣的父亲。
太二13，21 – 他母亲 显示基督是女人的后裔，由生灵怀孕。
18
从圣灵怀了孕-没有罪性，马利亚的身体只是神使用的器皿
19-20
约瑟-尊重婚姻，义人（敬畏神的行为），行事谨慎
21
耶稣=救主
所以我们常说信耶稣-相信耶稣能把我们从罪恶里拯救出来
22
应验1/4

二章

1
博士 -敬畏神，有神特别的启示/指引
-天文学家
-认识基督，肯定地说那生下来作犹太人之王的
4-6
犹太人的王=基督 -基督就是旧约应许要来的王
-连希律都知道，流露出当时犹太人热切盼望弥撒亚
祭司长，文士vs博士 = 知识vs行动
7-8
希律的阴险和硬心=财富，权势所影响
11
强调博士只拜那小孩，没有拜马利亚-所以马利亚不是神
黄金：代表君王
乳香：当时主要用于会幕坛上所烧的香
没药：药。当时明显的用途是薰尸
14
约瑟毫不犹豫，马上地遵行神的命令
15
应验2/4
希律的计谋不但没有破坏神的计划，反而应验了旧约的话
17
应验3/4
23
应验4/4

结论
约瑟 -完全遵命（太一24-25）
-攻克己身（太一25）
神评估人不凭着人的外貌，地位，财势等等，而是敬虔，灵命深度

创vs太 - 活了几岁，死了vs生
-人的堕落vs神的救赎

圣经历史年代表 The Bible History Timeline

BC 2000年 族长时期-亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各、约瑟
BC1700年 约瑟的家属进入埃及
BC1260年 摩西带领以色列人出埃及
BC1220年 约书亚带领百姓进入迦南地
BC1210年 士师时代的开始
BC1020年 君王政体的开始
BC 935年 所罗门死后，国家分裂成南、北两国
北国-以色列（首都：撒玛利亚）
南国-犹大（首都：耶路撒冷）
BC 722年 亚述（首都：尼尼薇）攻陷撒玛利亚
BC 587年 巴比伦（首都：巴比伦）攻陷耶路撒冷
圣殿被毁
被掳到巴比伦
BC 539年 波斯时代
犹太人回到耶路撒冷
BC 515年 重建圣殿竣工/完成
BC 333年 希腊时代-亚历山大大帝
BC 198年 西流基时代
BC 167年 哈斯摩年时期-犹太人叛变
BC 63年 罗马攻占耶路撒冷 – 罗马时代
BC 37年 希律大帝指派分封王管理巴勒斯坦
BC 4年 耶稣诞生

希律家谱 Genealogy of King Herod

希伯来人、以色列人、犹大人、犹太人的区别

希伯来人、以色列人、犹大人和犹太人大体上指的是同一个民族，只是在该民族的不同历史时期有不同的叫法，其中也包含些微的差异。

希伯来（译自英语Hebrew，在犹太语中意为“渡过”）现在的犹太人原来是居住在阿拉伯半岛的一个游牧民族，最初被称为希伯来人，意思是“渡河而来的民”。 因为根据《圣经》记载，犹太人的族长亚伯拉罕率领其族人从两河流域的乌尔城（Ur）渡过幼发拉底河和约旦河来到当时被称为“迦南”（Canaan）的巴勒斯坦，此后，这些古犹太人便被称为“希伯来人”（见《圣经·创世纪》第14章13节）

所以，一般说来，“希伯来人”主要是用来称呼从亚伯拉罕到摩西时期（大约从公元前2000年到公元前1250年间的七百多年间）的古犹太人。


以色列人的名称是希伯来人征服迦南的过程中开始出现的。据《创世记》载，希伯来人的第三代祖先原名雅各。一天夜里，雅各与天使角力获胜。天使 说：“你的名，不要再叫雅各，要叫以色列，因为你同神同人较力，都得了胜。”从此雅各便以“以色列”为名，意为“与神角力取胜者”。后来，雅各娶妻纳妾， 共生了12个儿子，并发展成12个部落，统称“以色列人”。

到了公元前1025年，以色列人建立了统一的王国。公元前933年，统一王国分裂，北方10支派组成北国以色列，南方的犹大支派与便雅悯支派组成南国犹大。公元前722年，北国为亚述所灭，10个支派或流散异邦，或为外族同化，史称“失踪的10个支派”。

公元前586年，耶路撒冷沦陷，南国犹大国灭亡。以色列人沦为“巴比伦之囚”。但在流放的过程中，他们的生活习惯、民族意识和宗教感情与当地人迥然有别。波斯帝国消灭巴比伦后，犹大人被允许回国重建耶路撒冷圣殿，以后犹大国相继沦为希腊和罗马帝国的属国。最终因起义反对罗马人，公元前70年耶路撒冷被罗马大军攻破，圣殿被拆毁，犹大人被迫流落到世界各地，开始自称为犹太人。
“犹太人”（Jew）来自希伯来文“犹大”（Judah）一词的希腊文与拉丁文译名，最初只是希腊、罗马人对犹太人的蔑称，后逐渐为世界通用，失 去贬义，凡以色列民族留存下来的后代均称为“犹太人”。于是犹太人与希伯来人、以色列人一脉相承，沿用至今，成为对这个民族的统称。

Source: http://wangle1101.blog.sohu.com/71618041.html

How insulin could reduce scarring

Each year in the UK six million people undergo some sort of surgical procedure.

Many are left with scars. Some are hardly noticeable, but others can be deep and disfiguring.

Now a group of scientists think they have come up with a way of reducing all scarring, including those from burns and trauma, by the speedy use of an old drug.

The scientists have found that by injecting insulin within a short time of the injury they can have a real impact on reducing formation of scar tissue.

One-off treatment

Injected in small quantities, the drug can switch off the mechanism which encourages tissue to grow, and reduces the chances of an unsightly scar.

Researchers from the Middlesex-based Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust (Raft) Research Institute tested it out on 15 women who had had breast reduction surgery.

During the study, the women had the insulin injected into one of the breast scars, while having a placebo (dummy) injection on the other.

The results were promising, with the insulin treatment leading to significantly less scarring, and a patent for the treatment is pending.


Click here to see how treatment results differed
Now the team is planning to test the technique on a larger group of patients across three hospitals over the next three months.

You will still have a scar, it is just that the scar will not be as prominent

Norbert Kang

"Basically what we found was a new use for the old drug insulin," said Dr Claire Linge, one of the study leaders.

Crucial timing

Insulin is well known for treating diabetes, but its ability to aid the wound-healing process has also been recognised.

But Dr Linge, whose work is backed by NHS Innovations East, said it was the timing of the treatment that they had found to be crucial.

"If you add insulin at a very specific time after wounding - within 24 hours - it does something very different and something that nobody has ever seen before.

"It reduces the amount of scar-tissue-producing cells at a stage during wound healing.


The drug only works if used within hours

"You need those cells there to help close the wound and fill it up with a bit of tissue.

"But to survive, we need to close that wound as soon as possible and it completely overruns and ends up producing too much tissue which results in a scar.

"What the insulin does is it allows the initial cells to be produced and shut the wound, but it shuts them off very quickly so it switches off the wound healing process before it can form a scar."

One-off treatment

Mr Norbert Kang, a consultant plastic surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital and member of the Raft team, said the treatment also has the benefit of being a one-off injection.

"You do not have to be given a treatment over and over again it is just given at the time the wound is generated," he said.

"It is radically different from other anti-scarring treatment because what it is doing fundamentally is changing the biology of the scar formation."

But Mr Kang said the results were sometimes hard to evaluate.

"You will still have a scar it is just that the scar will not be as prominent as the scar you would have had if you had not had the treatment," he said.

Therapy need

Dr David Becker of University College London, who has researched wound healing and scar prevention, said there was a huge demand for effective techniques.

"Most people would like to be able to reduce the size of scars, but as yet there are no approved therapeutics that are able to do this.

"The way that we have evolved is for our body to expect a wound to be badly infected and to mount a robust inflammatory response in order to prevent the wound becoming septic, which could kill us.

"Targeting early events in tissue repair, as Dr Linge is doing here, may stop the reaction being over the top."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7685909.stm, 15 Mac 2009

Hard to breathe

12 March 2009 - I felt a just little bit of difficult in breathing at the moring at 930am just during my walking journey to college. Although I tried breathing at a faster pace, but I still felt that I have not enough oxigen within me. This felling lasted for around 15 minutes only after I reached college and seated for a while. I felt like I'm not getting a full breath of air.

Excellent Nature Photography! A MUST SEE

TEN tips for 2009

1) Do not get into trouble. 2.) Aim for greater heights.
3) Stay focused on your job.

4) Exercise to maintain good health. 5) Practice Team work,
6) Rely on your trusted partner to watch your back.
7) Save for rainy days.
8) Rest and relax.
9) Always smile when your boss is around.
10) Nothing is impossible.