On the other hand
Israel is being inundated by a rare spring rain storm accompanied by thunder, lightening, hail, torrential rain and flash floods. Damage and fatalities have ensued.
On the other hand the torrent of innovations and good news keeps pouring forth all year round to the benefit of all.
BREAKTHROUGH IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS
Researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Center in Tel Aviv say they have developed a new and accurate way to screen for early breast cancer, using an electronic nose to analyze breath and a urine test analysis.
The study showed that the researchers managed to detect breast cancer with more than 95 percent average accuracy using two inexpensive commercial electronic noses (e-nose) that identified unique breath patterns in women with breast cancer. In addition, they used gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze substances found in urine. The statistical analyses of urine samples submitted by both healthy patients and those diagnosed with breast cancer yielded 85 percent average accuracy, the researchers said.
This new approach utilising urine and exhaled breath samples, analyzed with inexpensive, commercially available processes, is non-invasive, accessible and may be easily implemented in a variety of settings.
MARATHON MIRACLE
Britain’s Simon Kindleysides, a 34-year old man paralysed from the waist down, set out at 10 a.m. on Sunday and in 36 hours walked the London Marathon, becoming the first paralysed man to complete the course on foot. To perform his feat, he used Israeli technology — the ReWalk exoskeleton, a suit for patients with spinal cord injuries that helps them walk independently with the help of computers and motion sensors.
TEENAGE INNOVATORS
Twin 17-year-old Israeli students have developed a special system designed to identify wildfires at an early stage before they spread, preventing damage and even saving lives.
Their system takes aerial photos taken by satellite or cameras attached to observer balloons, which then analyses and compares them using an algorithm for image processing.
The algorithm analyses the color of the image by infrared and ultraviolet waves according to the time of the photograph, and compares the images at different times in order to ascertain if there is an indication of a fire. If one is detected an alert is then sent to the relevant authorities with the coordinates of the fire.
GREEN TEL AVIV
Tel Aviv stands as the 16th greenest city in the world, according to a study by online travel specialist TravelBird. The GreenCities 2018 index takes into account both natural and man-made areas, pinpointing recommended urban destinations for eco-conscious travelers.
Overall, about 23% of Tel Aviv is comprised of green space, offering 96 sq.m. per capita.
According to how TravelBird tabulates farmland, Tel Aviv also enjoys some 55 sq.m. of orchards, vineyards and farms per person – comprising 13.5% of the city.
In recent years, the Tel Aviv municipality has taken a number of steps to become eco-friendlier.
From the bike-sharing program Tel-O-Fun to its new car-sharing service, the city is trying to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
The city is also home to more than 260,000 trees covering some 20 square miles. That comes out to around 5,000 trees per square kilometer. And city officials continue to increase green space by refurbishing pedestrian walkways and planting shrubs and trees in empty lots.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ISRAELI?
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