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FDA Approves Middle of the Night Sleeping Pill–Treatments Are Getting Specific–Is This Personalized Medicine?

Ok so a little humor as you are only supposed to have this sleeping aid if you already have some sleep under your belt.  It’s a lower dose so that one does not get up and take another full dose is what I get from this one. image

The middle of the night is kind of funny actually as it’s just a lower dose pill, what they not stop at to market!  I would think one could take a lower dose if their issues I sleeping were not as drastic, right?  Also the way the article reads it assumes that you have already taken one full strength pill so this is safer than a double dose.  I’m not a bit sleeping pill person and have taken a few in my life but I hate the sleeping pill hang over so when I have those occasional nights, the half glass of wine for me still works well.  BD 

Federal health regulators say they have approved the first insomnia pill designed for people who wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.

Transcept Pharmaceuticals' Intermezzo pill is a lower dose of the key ingredient in Ambien, the popular sleep medication first approved in 1992. FDA officials say the new pill offers a safer option than taking a second dose of zolpidem tartrate, the ingredient in Sanofi's Ambien, to get back to sleep.

"With this lower dose there is less risk of a person having too much drug in the body upon waking, which can cause dangerous drowsiness and impair driving," said Dr. Robert Temple, director for clinical science in FDA's drug center.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/24/fda-approves-first-middle-of-the-night-insomnia-pill/

Merck In Germany Fighting Merck in the US Over Facebook Page–German Merck Files Lawsuit & Wants Their Page Back- How Good Is That Privacy Over There..

German Merck and US Merck are two different companies and were separated imageyears ago.  Can one not start another Facebook page?  It’s not like these pages are “gold” for goodness sakes and there’s out opportunities, i.e. like the official company websites which where I would go anyway if needing any information as I spend no time on any business Facebook pages and turned my own page off a while back. 

Did the US Merck hack it:)  Funny that Facebook seems to care less for the most part other than checking to see if anything was hacked.  This would be funny with Merck hacking Merck.  BD 

FRANKFURT—German drug maker Merck KGaA has asked a New York City court to force Facebook Inc. to explain how the German company lost its page on the social-networking site to U.S.-based rival Merck & Co.

According to a filing in New York State Supreme Court, the German Merck intends to "initiate action based on the apparent takeover of its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/merck" by Merck & Co., the similarly named but separate competitor.

"We just want details about how our URL was taken over by the company and we are wondering why this happened," a spokesman for Merck KGaA said Thursday.

Representatives for Facebook and Merck & Co. of the U.S

Facebook "has not been cooperative" in restoring the page, and in several communications appeared nonresponsive or evasive in dealing with Merck KGaA, the filing added.

Merck KGaA said it entered into an agreement with Facebook for the exclusive use of the Web page in March of last year, but last month the drug maker discovered that it no longer had administrative rights to the page, which was filled with content related to Merck & Co.

http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20111124-39083.html?

High Frequency Trading Firm Fined $850k for Losing Control of an Algorithm in Rapid Succession Buying–Bad Math and Some Killer Algos At Work- Keep Occupying…

Ok, get this, the algorithm had only been created the night before and only had one or two hours of testing…hmmm…how about those algos in healthcare?  It does make you stop and think as we don’t have the “speed” issues as much but there are big influxes of data tables being searched today.  There’s more of this going on than most of us are aware of, only the ones who get caught.  This is part of the Occupy movement and why I said “Occupy Algorithms” as you can see what’s moving the money, the math. 

“Occupy Algorithms”–”The Attack of the Killer Algorithms Part 5” - Nothing Will Improve Until Audits and Actions Takes Place To Correct Formulas Built for Profit Only by Corporations And We Battle Back With Math

Not too long ago the SEC filed suit against this Quant who knowingly used software for 3 years that was not calculating correctly…get that, 3 years. 

SEC Sues Quant–Undisclosed Error in Trading Algorithm- Miscalculating “Risk”-Healthcare Software Evaluates This Factor Too

Where else but on Wall Street can one get “certified” to run servers on over clocked processors!  That’s another dangerous process and can lead to those algorithms going out of control too.  There’s software on those chips.

Gamers Are Not the Only Ones to Over Clock Processors-Turns Out It’s Done on Wall Street To Run Those Algorithms at Rocket Speed

It's very much algorithmic warfare, with no real thought given to collateral damage.  They get a fine and just keep on going?  BD 

The operator of futures and other derivatives markets fined Infinium Capital Management for malfunctions on Oct. 27 and 28, 2009, that led to what Reuters called “uncontrolled selling of e-mini contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. ‘’

In the third incident, on Feb. 3, 2010, Infinium appeared to lose control of an algorithm that lost control of an algorithm that “bought oil futures in rapid succession on the New York Mercantile Exchange.”

CME owns both the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, from which the group’s name derives, as well as the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Infinium's buying on Feb. 3 lat year led to a $1 surge in oil prices as the computer program sent thousands of orders per second, Reuters reported.

Infinium suffered a million-dollar loss, but did not admit or deny violating exchange rules in the incidents.

In the 2009 cases, CME found that Infinium errantly sold 6,958 December-dated e-mini Nasdaq 100 Index futures in the span of seven seconds early on Oct. 28.

A similar malfunction with the same so-called automated trading system happened on Oct. 7, though Infinium "took no further action to correct, modify, or disable" it before Oct. 28, according to the Reuters report.

http://www.securitiestechnologymonitor.com/news/high-frequency-firm-fined-malfunctions-computer-29627-1.html?ET=securitiesindustry:e3070:69991a:&st=email&utm_source=editorial&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SIN_DailyClose__112511

“Occupy Algorithms”–”The Attack of the Killer Algorithms Part 5” - Nothing Will Improve Until Audits and Actions Takes Place To Correct Formulas Built for Profit Only by Corporations And We Battle Back With Math

This is kind of a summary statement of what I have been saying for the last number of years.  The Occupy movement basically reinforces this with the imagefrustrations, loss of jobs and market that focuses only on financial gain with a serious loss of ethics.  The Occupy movement represents this for all of us in the 99% group.  You keep reading that the 1% keep getting richer and they are.  They have the “math” and algorithms on their side 100% that allows this to occur.

I guess through all of this we can really tell who doesn’t like math and formulas but it is what it is…it’s what was built and by living in the past and not coming to terms with the way IT Infrastructure runs the world, we get nowhere.  The protests are mounting and growing.  This is great for awareness, but what is the next step? 

We need to fix the math and hold corporations who used algorithms and formulas for greed gain accountable, in other words, it’s back to the math, I don’t care how many ways you slice it, that is the only answer. 

Nothing will happen until new code runs through those servers as IT Infrastructure runs almost all processes today in business and government.

We have just witnessed the failure and denial of our Congress in not coming to terms with this with the recent failure of the Super Committee – they don’t do math or understand how algorithms and corporations that create formulas have the power to move money.   They are not smart enough to take advantage of all the big data intelligence we have out there to gather enough intelligent information to make decisions, they have thrown in the towel due to digital illiteracy in thinking that making a few new laws will solve this problem, it won’t.  All we get is a return to a “default” topic of discussing abortions…the old blast from the past and nobody is ever going to agree on this topic and it’s waste of time for lawmakers to keep going over and over this topic when there are more important issues at hand. image

Michael Moore has done a great job in keeping the awareness alive both in person and with his last 2 movies, Sicko and Capitalism, but I remember reading articles written a year ago that the public was his next frustration with all of us “doing nothing”.  We are doing something now but not enough as we have not identified the enemy here and it will continue with the insanity until we embrace the knowledge it takes to fight back.  Until we do that, big corporations and their math and algorithms rule. 

It is interesting to further note that nobody gets this.  I have had a few folks ask me questions from both major publications to having protesters themselves ask me, and the answer to both sides is the same, it’s the math.  You read about it all the time in the news that someone was denied care, money, services and some still think a human did it…NOT…it’s the 24/7 servers that receive information about you and I that digest and give a decision on the data in the files…it’s not a human. 

Sadly though we do have “humans” also known as Congress that are looking worse every day, still living in the past and thinking that creating laws will solve all, well they can’t even hardly make laws anymore, so we are at a stand still.  They have the lowest public opinion on records and a lot of that goes back to their digital illiteracy.  Sure they can play Solitaire on the computer or mess around on Facebook but does that constitute any intelligence..NO.  They too are merely puppets of the math and live in the past. 

We are a very gullible and naïve society here in the US and way too many believe all the stats and reports thrown at them.  Certainly there are good numbers and legitimate studies done by all means, but when it comes to make a buck and moving money, the “dirty” algorithms supersede any opportunities we have as folks who write them are smart as well as those who direct programmers and marketers out there.  Again it is what it is.  If you take time to listen to this radio broadcast below it will all become very clear.  Again those in Congress can do all they want to increase their wealth and mostly they don’t understand it but hire the math whizzes to do it for them as all they care about is their own bottom line, with a few exceptions. 

“Numbers Don’t Lie, But People Do”–Radio Interview from Charles Siefe–Journalists Take Note, He Addresses How Marketing And Bogus Statistics Are Sources of Problems That Mislead the Public & Government

We talk about the battle of regulation today, let’s call it auditing instead.  We may have a little better chance with using the correct terminology of what really needs to take place as the word regulation send folks running for the hills, it does in Washington for sure.  That one word motivates a lot of people and companies to do some strange things out there for sure.  I said way back in August of 2009 that we needed a Department of Algorithms, what I meant was a means to audit the formulas and algorithms running through systems today because there’s a lot of “dirty math” out there, look at the banks.  I wrote that back when the Madoff story broke and we had a real ignorant situation going on here.  The man was never “audited” sufficiently and look what happened.  We had an SEC who was too digitally illiterate to act and had their pockets lined in many areas.  When you stop and look at the scheme Madoff had, it was not complicated but he played it to the hilt until the money behind the fake algorithms ran dry.

“Department of Algorithms – Do We Need One of These to Regulate Upcoming Laws?

How did they accumulate their wealth, algorithms and formulas that took advantage of the less digital literate and they are smart enough to pad the pockets of Congress and basically keep them in the dark too as they won’t complain if they have enough money to keep them happy.  It’s digital war fare out there and we have a President who’s doing his best but nobody’s buying the package of how numbers and math move money.  image

To make matters worse we have “bad science” out there today and the link below spells that out very well too.  These are the folks that “get math” that are trying to bring the message to the gullible and naïve.  Crazy and wacky newspaper lines distract and disrupt when it comes to what creates and cures cancer.  Anyone can crunch numbers, but what studies and results have value?  Think about it…we all hate it but it goes on without “audit”.  It’s a blood bath.  image

Bad Science and Bad Analytics That Misleads–TED Video Takes on Advertising on Steroids and Danger of Mis-Matched Analytics And Distortion of Clinical Trials (Video)

What’s a certificate like this worth today…not much and if you watch the video at the link above, it belongs to the doctor’s cat.

I gave up a long time ago with being impressed with what we call “experts” as they don’t exist.  The only “experts” out there are the ones who control the code and know how to write algorithms to move money and profit.  That’s a pretty powerful statement but again it is what it is, if you take the brave step out of denial and look at the world around you today.  You read in the news everyday that US corporations are hiring more employees outside the US…the algos tell them to do that for greater profits, it’s the math!  So yes we complain about it but that’s about all that ever gets done as how do you fight the battle for greed?  Learn math and call for “audits”…stop using the word regulation and let’s begin a new paradigm here with holding corporations and banks accountable for the math they use for profit.

Years ago this was not an issue, but it is today with the global economy and denial doesn’t do anyone any good.  Reports and data are skewed today with marketing imageas you can compare your data and numbers to whatever you want out there to make it look better, in other words 2 plus 2 is now equaling 5.  You have been sold and marketed.  In healthcare, all of the clinical trial data is not released so what do we get there, selective data for profits. 

We still continue to live in a world of distraction and again the news shows us garbage all the time and I do realize that transparency is alive and well but along with the good comes the garbage that distracts you too, wake up to that fact.

People are mis matching data to make a case and if you look at FICO you will see nothing less.  Anyone can crunch numbers but do they really apply?  Digital illiterates buy this up like crazy.  Sure you can crunch numbers to use for projections but when you take those same statistics and bring it down to an individual decision making process, i.e. what the Occupy movement stands for out there, you have insanity. 

Even the Netflix algorithm that determines what you like is only 60% accurate so when you see a company like FICO using such algorithms to give you a risk assessment on medical compliance, it’s insane, wrong and is just flat out marketing to sell more software and algorithms.  This is a pretty obvious example here with this one as we all know this is not right and nobody challenges the insanity and the claims they have.  Again crunch numbers if you want but when you bring insane numbers down to a screen that denies care and services and gets more money from the middle class, someone needs to “audit” that function.  Again, back to Congress they don’t do math so they don’t understand it and think a law will fix this…NOT. 

FICO Analytics Press Release Marketing Credit Scoring Algorithms to Predict Medication Adherence–Update (Opinion)

I had to laugh the other day at the press release that came out with more earth shattering news in a press release, we now have an “anal algorithm”.  Was that worth a press release…no but it sure was funny and again shows the great lengths marketing takes today to sell you on just about anything, even at that level and telling consumers that perhaps their doctors may not be aware of the sphincter algorithm.  Doctors laughed at this one big time and the example was made to show what one considers important or a break through today.  There’s a lot of “anal” out there today and it’s in Congress when it comes to any type of leadership with digital illiteracy and living in the past. 

”The Anal Algorithm”- An Algorithm To Address Treatment of Fecal Incontinence–Bowel Control Disorder Sphincter Therapy

This is a lot of what the Occupy movements stand for, useless rhetoric that distracts and keeps real solutions from being created.  I used to write code and am nowhere near being an expert by all means but did well enough to write a full medical records program a few years ago and I know the mechanics.  I of course wrote to a higher tune of accuracy but there are those who do not and know how to manipulate numbers and it’s just as easy to write computer code for “desired” results as it is for “accurate” results.  Anyone who writes software can tell you that besides me. 

So what is really important?  Can we as a country ever be proud again and collaborate together?  I’m beginning to wonder with the lack of leadership and intelligence we see today.  Shoot I don’t even think the Supreme Court has that almighty intelligence anymore and we get an “opinion” rather than a decision founded on intelligence and they should shop around and get some of the tools needed for an intelligent decision and drop the politics as accuracy and truth is what we want today. The DOE has some great computing and information gathering tools but will they use it, probably not. 

Supreme Court Likely to Rule on Healthcare Law Early Next Year–This Gives The Justices Time to Rent Some Computing Space from the DOE As They Will Need It

Here’s one more tool that probably would not even be given a second look.

Supreme Court to Rule on Healthcare Law-Maybe the Court Can Enroll in Google BigQuery & Machine Learning Tech to Help Them Sort the Data-The Beta is Open!

Do you feel a little out of touch if you have read this far?  I hope so as again my job here is to also try to bring about the awareness of what is really happening. 

Protest and awareness are great, but the next step is the battle…clean math and auditing the algorithms used.  They will continue to run on servers 24/7 and make life changing decisions about you and I until someone questions their authenticity.  Again, I will reiterate that this is what the Occupy movements are all about, and some in the movement may not realize this themselves but they know with 1% having most of the wealth that something has gone wrong and this is it, the math and algorithms and no accountability. 

I really wish and have written about it many times that we had lawmakers who could use some of this greater intelligence used by corporations to make better laws and perhaps get a Department of Algorithms or something like it in place.  Let’s face it, would you not like to see a united Congress to stop the blame shifting and sit together and use a big data system like IBM Watson to query and get information?  I would as it would be a huge improvement over what we have today with intelligent questions asked and we would all know all have the same starting point with the “same numbers”.  We don’t have that yet and see “brainless” candidates opening mouth and inserting foot as it becomes more apparent every day they have no clue. They can’t even recognize a valuable tool when it stares them in the face.

BM Watson Capabilities Being Pitched to Financial Industry-Congress Must Not Have Felt They Needed This So Further Behind We Fall With Effective Intelligent Lawmaking

Until we get some intelligent moves in this country and drag enough out of denial things will not improve.  Those servers running 24/7 will keep doing what they have been doing and it will accelerate and the 1% with the algorithms will gain even more.  Occupy represents something for all of us and sadly in the news they are criticized by more “digital illiterates” who write the news and thus their real point and reason for existence is never properly defined. 

If you want to see a great example of "dumbing down the public” read the link below as you are marketed in healthcare to think it is all just a game.  We did have one representative from Homeland Security recognize this and it’s true. Would you see the likes of Ben Bernanke playing a game like this?  We look to him as some what of a leader and he makes important decisions, would he sit around and do this, of course not because healthcare is NOT a game. 

Insurer Software Games Continue to “Dumb Down” Consumers–Would You See Bernanke, the President, CEOs and Other Executives Playing an Online Insurance Game–No, Part of the Focus Of Occupy Wall Street Frustrations

But you know what, I had someone send me a picture of computers in use during a House session and guess what, from the picture captured it seems like those in session think this is all a game. There couldn’t be a better picture that says it all with digital illiteracy and priorities can there? 

Anyway I have a 4 part series on this topic below if you want to read more and I guess this is Part 5 at this point with reality knocking at our doors every day and it’s our choice as to whether or not we let it in. There’s a ton of media and substantiation in all of the past articles and I think you will relate to a lot of it.  I hope the folks in the Occupy movements take a few moments out as well to maybe understand the real roots of theirs and our frustrations and what reality holds for us or doesn’t hold if we don’t get to the root of the problems, not use the word regulation today but rather switch over to the word audit to provide true accuracy and accountability

We are beyond laws on the books to make any difference today.  Stop and think about how you have been marketed with flawed and skewed data and reports today….it’s all around you if you just open your eyes…and again it is the “Attack of the Killer Algorithms” that may do us all in if a real touch of reality and and transparency doesn’t kick in soon.  BD


Occupying Wall Street–It’s All About the “Attack of the Killer Algorithms”–The Unfair and Marketing Exploit of Ethics Using Math–This Could be a Subject for Michael Moore to Explore and Document In a Movie
“Killer Algorithms: Part 2” Disturbing News for Consumers With Credit Scoring Adding New Data Analytics–Some of the Same Methodologies Used by Insurers With Flawed/Potential imageErroneous Data–One More Reason to Continue Occupying Wall Street
“Attack of the Killer Algorithms” Part 3–Vatican Doesn’t Like It Either–Occupy Wall Street Belongs in New York As They Don’t Do Code or Algorithms in Washington–Only Find time To Talk Abortions
Attack of the Killer Algorithms-Occupy Wall Street Part 4 Health Insurance Style - One More App For Folks Who Are Tired of Flawed Algorithms That Require A Ton of Work and Research Time To Create “Perfect” Data Files for Insurers And Others Analytics Processes

From the very beginning, supporters of Occupy Wall Street (OWS) have touted its decentralized nature as one of its greatest strengths. The opponents of a political movement commonly attempt to discredit them by pointing to outside powerful interests secretly pulling strings, thereby jeopardizing its grassroots legitimacy. We saw this with the Tea Party, whose opponents very early on argued that it was backed by corporate entities like Fox News and the Koch brothers.

Though similar claims have been made about Occupy Wall Street -- including attempts to tie it to conservative bogeyman George Soros -- its reputation as a leaderless movement has mostly remained untarnished. People tend to look down on political organizations that are little more than astroturf, and Occupy Wall Street is effectively able to wear the banner of populist outrage.

Chris Bowers, co-founder of the netroots blog Open Left and current campaign director for Daily Kos, told me that his work around OWS has mainly focused on driving people to the locations.

"We had over 300,000 page views on a list of Occupy Wall Street events, and over 25,000 pledges of people pledging to attend events," he said in a phone interview. "I'm sure the number of people who went to the events who used our list are much larger than that. It's entirely possible that it's the largest source driving people to events of any website around."

Daily Kos is known, in part, for its active diarists' community, and Bowers estimated that several hundred diarists have contributed on-the-ground reporting from various OWS locations. So far, there are about 6,000 posts that use the OWS tag, several of which have gone viral. One such post, an open letter to an OWS opponent, has received 144,000 Likes on Facebook. Bowers said it was one of Daily Kos' most viral posts ever.

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/11/how-bloggers-occupy-wall-street-have-inspired-each-other326.html?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=pbsmediashift

UnitedHealthCare Buys Another Company XLHealth HMO Medicare Advantage Managed Care With Heavy Analytics–Subsidiary Watch

The big corporate insurance machine keeps getting bigger all the time, if not Physician's groups it’s HMO companies, not to mention other companies in the Health IT business who also sell to doctors and hospitals.  The company is the largest Medicare Advantage company by market share.  XLHealth also focuses on dual patients, those who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid. 

From the website:

“We supplement regular physician care by collecting and analyzing clinical and administrative data – including medical history and health attitudes – and then coordinating customized preventive care plans for Medicare beneficiaries.

At XLHealth, we understand that our ability to improve patient care requires the use of sophisticated information systems to collect and analyze data, accurately predicting risk factors and cost considerations. Through our proprietary medical management software platform and innovative technology solutions, we are continually leveraging in-depth clinical and patient reported data to create imageactionable reporting directing improvements in health outcomes and better control of medical costs.”

United HealthCare Gets In the Medical Device Business–Distributing Cheap Hearing Aides Sold Via Hi HealthInnovations Division –Subsidiary Watch

The company has been buying up independent physician’s groups as well such as this example in Orange County, CA.  I try to tag most of my acquisition posts with “subsidiary watch” and you can use those search words to find more here at the Medical Quack.  BD 

United Healthcare To Buy Huge Chunk of Orange County, California Managed Care Business with the Purchase of Monarch Healthcare–Subsidiary Watch

In addition, retail stores have been on the agenda as well as hiring a former US attorney general and with all the subsidiaries they have how do you keep out of a conflict of interest position, I just wonder?

United Healthcare Opens Retail “Employer Benefits” Store in Queens New York And Hires Former Minnesota US Assistant Attorney General As General Counsel

Data selling is right in here with Optum and they partner with Walgreens who’s data selling business the CFO stated not too long ago was worth just under $800 million. 

UnitedHealth, YMCA Expand Diabetes Prevention Program with P4P for Walgreens

At any rate you can read the full details who knows maybe those “cheap” hearing aids will make their way into the stores along with branch locations for their bank for HSA accounts?  Banks are shrinking today but I bet not this bank owned by United. 

UnitedHealth Group Owns a Bank With Deposits Surpassing a Billion – OptumHealth Bank FDIC Insured

More people may get free or cheap hearing aids made in China I guess. 

UnitedHealthCare Throws in Free Hearing Aids for Those Who Enroll In AARP Medicare Advantage, HMO & POS Plans in Miami-Dade County From Their New Subsidiary

This subsidiary in China was bought just under 2 years ago.  I believe some of the action started here with buying China Gate which works to bring more Chinese drugs and medical devices to the US and world wide and already has a line of communication with the FDA. 

UnitedHealth subsidiary (Ingenix Subsidiary I3) Acquires ChinaGate – Working to Sell Chinese Products Globally

If that is not enough the company has a subsidiary that can introduce and provide the consulting to bring a drug or medical device to market so in essence they can control the entire pathway here all the way down to physician reimbursement.  BD

United Healthcare (Optum) Owns A Consulting Firm for FDA Drug and Device Approvals, Clinical Trials–CanReg - Subsidiary Watch

MINNETONKA, Minn. & BALTIMORE, Nov 22, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group UNH -0.05% company, has agreed to acquire XLHealth Corp., a sponsor of Medicare Advantage health plans with a primary focus on Medicare recipients with special needs, such as those with chronic illness, and those also eligible for Medicaid ("dual eligibles").

XLHealth's expertise in improving care for Medicare beneficiaries with elevated health risks, which includes its innovative and nationally recognized clinical model of care, will enhance UnitedHealthcare's already strong Medicare Advantage portfolio. This acquisition will allow UnitedHealthcare to better serve chronically ill and dual eligible members. Ninety percent of Medicare beneficiaries have at least one chronic condition and nearly half of all beneficiaries have three or more conditions. In addition, dual eligible individuals represent a disproportionate share of Medicare beneficiaries with chronic diseases. With this acquisition, UnitedHealthcare will seek to build on the XLHealth model of care to better serve Medicare Advantage members in markets across the country.

XLHealth currently serves approximately 113,000 Medicare Advantage members in Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas, and will expand its presence to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, New York and Wisconsin in 2012. In addition to chronic conditions special needs plans, XLHealth also offers dual eligible special needs plans, and traditional Medicare Advantage plans. The company estimates its 2012 revenues will exceed $2 billion.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/unitedhealthcare-to-acquire-xlhealth-2011-11-22

High Frequency Traders Using Social Networks and Growing Rapidly With Algorithms That Find, Sort and Leverage-Growing At A Rate Faster Than Facebook

I will keep repeating myself, license and tax those folks who are using all the data out there, a gold mine and guess what they are part of the 1% that have a ton of imagemoney!  This is the same platform from GNIP that Klout uses, although I have little use for that program myself.  When it comes to investing money versus what Klout does, we have a different story. 

Privacy Wanted–So Let’s Require Those Who Sell Web Data to Register and Tax the Transactions and Publicly Disclose Who They Sell To With a Federal Registry

I don’t like additional government regulation like the rest of us out there, but this is out of hand today and leads to some steroid marketing that is also out of hand, especially in healthcare, so why not register and start taxing it. image Walgreens said their intangible business was worth $800 million, so they could afford as many others could to pay some tax? Again having the availability for the consumer to look up and see who is registered and who they sell to would be a start in the right direction with transparency efforts today.  The Opt Out bill is also not out of the question but it all depends on how the bill gets worded and if there are any enforcements available.

It’s the 1% with the Algorithms and the math that seem to be catching all the money here…wake up and get in to the math and understand those algos.  Watch below how algorithms have teeth and are shaping what happens in the world, it’s technical war fare.  If we don’t start checking and taxing some math, nothing is going to change any time soon.  BD 

Algorithms Shape our World

The amount of market data high frequency traders are using as trading indicators continues to grow more rapidly than Facebook can add users or change its privacy policies, and vendors are scrambling to offer new technology that can help firms - and algos - find the data, sort it and leverage it.

One of the latest vendors to tap into hedge funds' increasing use of micro-blogging data as a trading indicator is Gnip, a provider of public social media data for enterprise applications, which now delivers more than 1 billion social media activities every day to its customers.

In a bid to incorporate the most "relevant" social media data streams into a single solution for hedge funds and high-frequency traders, the vendor has launched a product called Gnip MarketStream, which aggregates high-volume, low latency new media for trend analysis.

The service provides hedge fund managers, traders and signal providers with real-time streams of public data from Twitter and StockTwits, a financial platform that provides real time trading research data and allows investors to share market insights, ideas, charts and news.

image

Ultimately, market data both on and off the web is skyrocketing and as hedge funds try to digest it as quickly as possible and to make intelligent use of it, they need to make sure they have an efficient storage and retrieval platform, can integrate various data sets and can provide tools to help their traders understand the data and patterns.

http://www.wallstreetandtech.com/data-management/232200090

Indian Government IT Infrastructure Has Been Used by Hackers to Attack China–Zombies And Dated Security Software Opened Doors at Nasdaq Hack Earlier This Year

We talk a lot here in the US about zombie attacks and yes it is getting worse and the call for increases security has never been stronger.  Not too long ago the FBI here imageput out word and a web site where US citizens could check to see if their computers had a “zombie” attack.  The FBI has been battling this a long time and you can go back to 2007 and read about hospital computers that were compromised.

FBI to Battle Zombie Horde - is your PC Infected

It looks like this is a call for India to beef up security on their government web servers too.  It’s really a call for all to do the same.  After hearing this bit of news I’m sure China is looking too.  Back in the US Nasdaq had their security issues continuing with the FBI and I read they were still running server 2003?  Huh, they have all this money and did not upgrade to server 2008?  What’s wrong with those folks not migrating to a more secure server with more features?  The Nasdaq break in was first reported back in February of this year. 

Healthcare Industry Is Not Alone with Hackers, NASDAQ Has Intruders Using Algorithms to Break In-FBI Investigation

 imageCompanies like SonoSite, a healthcare company use the Nasdaq Director’s Desk.  Why?  Well when you are about ready to announce a new FDA approved product, you don’t want any top secret information out in the world until it’s time, insider trading potential again.  We still don’t have all the details release to us yet on their break in.  BD 

Sources within Indian government’s IT arm–the National Informatics Center (NIC) have raised some really dangerous concerns. According to them the government’s IT infrastructure has been used by black hat hackers to attack China. Talking to the Times of India a source said that the government servers have been compromised and used by foreign perpetrators. The admission from the NIC sources mean two things:

  • India’s IT infrastructure can be used by foreign elements as zombies
  • China’s been attacked using Indian infrastructure

It is hard to ignore the geopolitical confusion this can create.  Back in September, the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) said they believed that Delhi’s airport was hacked into. The threat of cyber-warfare being used to cripple critical resources is real and India’s bureaucrats are considerably lagging in realizing this.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/india/indian-govt-servers-compromised-and-used-against-china/767

Microsoft Announces New Kinect Hardware for Windows Coming in Early 2012–Bring It On

This makes absolute sense to have it computer ready as they could break more records and at the same time will keep the PC market alive and well.  This would also make it easier for developers to work on software that will work with Kinect too, i.e. medical records, PACS systems and more.  There has already been a number of hacks that have taken the $150 device and even made help a million dollar surgical robot with outlining “do not enter” areas during surgery. 

Kinect And daVinci Surgical Robot Do Simulated Surgery Suturing Together (Video)

daVinci and Kinect
Microsoft Kinect Working with a PACS Server-Images on Steroids Via Gestures (Video)

More details on the Kinect Accelerator can be found here.  Developers must be prepared to relocate to Seattle if they are chosen to be funded and applications are taken until the end of January 2012.   BD

Microsoft Kinect Effect–Sensors Everywhere Including the Hospital OR- Video

“Every company participating in the Kinect Accelerator will receive an investment of $20,000, an Xbox development kit, the Windows Kinect SDK, office space, all the resources of BizSpark, technical training and support, and mentorship from entrepreneurs, investors and Microsoft executives intensely focused on making their business a success. At the end of the program, each company will have an opportunity to present at an Investor Demo Day to angel investors, venture capitalists, Microsoft executives, media and industry influentials”

So I am guessing along with whatever software Microsoft produces in house we might have some starter company offerings pretty quickly as well.  BD

Microsoft today announced that its preparing a new Kinect hardware specially designed to connect with PC’ and its coming in early 2012. This is a great news for the PC world which expands the possibilities. Here is the announcement from Kinect for Windows Blog,

Since announcing a few weeks ago that the Kinect for Windows commercial program will launch in early 2012, we’ve been asked whether there will also be new Kinect hardware especially for Windows. The answer is yes; building on the existing Kinect for Xbox 360 device, we have optimized certain hardware components and made firmware adjustments which better enable PC-centric scenarios. Coupled with the numerous upgrades and improvements our team is making to the Software Development Kit (SDK) and runtime, the new hardware delivers features and functionality that Windows developers and Microsoft customers have been asking for.

http://microsoft-news.com/microsoft-new-kinect-hardware-for-windows-coming/

Aptus Endosystems Receives FDA Approval for Endovascular Stapling System

The endovascular stapling system already has the European CE mark of approval and it will work with many of the stents from Medtronic, Cook and others.  The staples achieve the equivalent of hand sewn stitches so I can see where this would make the procedures go faster.  Last year Cook received FDA approval for their Zenith Leg Graft,  for use with abdominal Aortic aneurysms. 

Cook Medical Receives FDA Approval for Iliac Leg Graft For Use With Patients With Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Clinical studies done in hospitals showed no issues or problems with the staple procedure.  BD 

Sunnyvale, Calif., November 21, 2011 —Aptus Endosystems, Inc., a medical device company developing advanced technology for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), announced today that it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationimage (FDA) for the Aptus EndoStapling System, which will now be known as the HeliFX™ Aortic Securement System. The innovative helical anchor technology enables independent endograft fixation, and is designed to mimic the hand suturing performed during open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Aortic aneurysms are an enlarged and weakened section of the aorta, the main artery carrying blood from the heart, which can be lethal if left untreated. Each year, an estimated 200,000 people in the U.S. and 100,000 people in Europe are diagnosed with AAA. In EVAR, an alternative to open surgical repair of AAA, a minimally invasive catheter-based system is used to implant a metal and fabric endograft to isolate blood flow away from the aneurysm to prevent potential rupture and death.image

The HeliFX System provides physicians with a novel technology to repair endovascular grafts that have migrated away from the implant site, have developed endoleaks or are at risk of developing these complications, which are commonly seen after EVAR. In such cases, augmented fixation and/or sealing is required to regain or maintain effective aneurysm exclusion. The system also can be used during de novo (initial) EVAR procedures to enhance an endograft’s inherent fixation and sealing mechanisms.

http://www.aptusendosystems.com/news/2011/112111.html

Chronic Fatigue Researcher for Neuro Immune Disease Arrested and Charged With Possession of Stolen Property

This is an interesting story to say the least and I’m sure we will hear more about this and and studies and data presented as a result.  One report said she refused to share the cell data, was fired and then left.  image

From reading here it appears she took off with the research data and other information relative to the disease research.  She lead a team that was quoted to have ground breaking discoveries with Chronic Fatigue Disease syndrome and then later some of the data was considered “tainted”.  XMRV or related viruses were not found to be reliable with the patient samples collected.  Again stay tuned on this one.  BD 

After police in Ventura County, California, arrested and jailed Judy Mikovits on 18 November, they gave few details about the felony charges levied against the well-known chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) researcher. According to the Ventura County Sheriff, she was a fugitive from justice arrested on a warrant from Washoe County, Nevada, and was "not bailable."

Now ScienceInsider has learned that her felony arrest warrant was issued by the Reno Justice Court in Washoe County. The District Attorney there has charged Mikovits with "possession of stolen property," according to a document filed with the court, and "unlawful taking of computer data, equipment, supplies, or other computer related property." Mikovits's former employer, the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) for Neuro-Immune Disease in Reno, also filed court documents yesterday that further shed light on the arrest.

WPI fired Mikovits on 29 September because it said she refused to share a cell line with another researcher there.

Mikovits stepped into an international spotlight in October 2009 when she headed a team that published a study in Science about a possibly groundbreaking discovery related to CFS.

Mikovits and colleagues reported that 67% of CFS patients they tested harbored a recently discovered mouse retrovirus dubbed XMRV. Other labs soon reported that they had difficulty confirming the finding, which led the CFS community to split into different camps.

WPI staunchly stood by Mikovits's work, even after one of the labs she collaborated with in the Science study retracted its contribution to the paper because contamination had tainted data it supplied. The falling-out between WPI and Mikovits came about after a second Science paper that she co-authored reported that nine labs—including WPI's—could not reliably find XMRV or related viruses in blinded patient samples.

http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/11/details-emerge-of-the-criminal.html?rss=1

”The Anal Algorithm”- An Algorithm To Address Treatment of Fecal Incontinence–Bowel Control Disorder Sphincter Therapy

Ok if you read at the Quack often enough you know what an algorithm is but now we have a company that says an algorithm can address the type of treatment one should have so don’t get your bowels in an uproar with this one:)  Of course this is a topic that nobody really likes to talk about, self included.  image

I do have to say this is quite the press release and again not mocking this at all as there are patients who may need the therapy but now an algorithm is going to determine the treatment it appears.  In case your doctor does not know what to do they can rely on the algorithm to help them.  I said a while back that some time in the future someone will design an algorithm for just about anything and it appears that time has come with an anal  “decision tree” for treatment.  This looks as if it is an educational press release to spread the word about Secca treatment to restore control to the sphincter area of the body with radio frequency energy .  Actually I made a post in jest about a year ago about the use and abuse of data and perhaps this could fit into this category?   Will we need a twelve step program soon for this phenomena? 

Data Addiction and Abuse –The Up and Coming Next 12 Step Program Is On the Horizon–Side Effects Include Lack Of Data Quality, Integrity And Spasmodic Algorithms

Again if the doctor can’t figure it out, you now have an “anal algorithm” to help out now so what part of healthcare doesn’t have an algorithm today?  So I want to ask at this point is this marketing or education, you tell me.  BD   

Press Release:

New Algorithmic Approach to Address Treatment of Fecal Incontinence

GREENWICH, Conn., Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new paper published today in Touch Gastroenterology, the researcher addresses the immediate need for a reasoned, stepwise algorithm for treating bowel control disorder (BCD), also known as fecal incontinence (FI). The review evaluates all aspects of the disease state, including some of the newer therapeutic alternatives and outlines the latest treatment algorithm. The review also cites several attempts to determine the true prevalence of this debilitating condition that is estimated to affect tens of millions of people worldwide. BCD has been identified as a common consequence of childbirth and the aging process and the second leading cause of institutionalization in the US.

image

"Determining what to do and when remains a critical unmet need for clinicians in addressing BCD," said Dr. Mark D. Noar, Director of the Bowel Control Disorder Center at Endoscopic Microsurgery Associates, Towson, MD. "This latest Fecal Incontinence Treatment Algorithm provides the roadmap on critical decision points to be made following unsuccessfully applied conservative methods or pharmacologic therapies."

"This algorithm is a significant advancement that includes all of the newer treatments and clearly outlines all available options for doctors and their patients," said Will Rutan, Mederi Therapeutics' CEO, maker of the Secca Therapy System for BCD. "This decision tree is a valuable tool that also supports the rationale for an alternate course of action, and specifically when Secca may be appropriate as an effective, less complicated and less invasive alternative for BCD."

Additional information is available at Touchgastroenterology.com; November, 2011, at the following link: http://www.touchgastroenterology.com/articles/chronic-faecal-incontinence-review-disease-state-therapeutic-alternatives-and-algorithmic-a and at www.mederitherapeutics.com.

ABOUT SECCA®

Secca therapy is a minimally invasive and effective treatment that bridges the gap between conservative therapies and invasive surgery or implants for bowel control disorder (BCD). Secca involves delivery of radiofrequency energy to the internal anal sphincter, which results in a change in tissue compliance and corresponding improvement in incontinence symptoms. Numerous clinical studies have shown Secca to be a safe and effective therapeutic option. Secca does not preclude next steps with foreign implants or more invasive procedures when indicated.

ABOUT MEDERI

Mederi Therapeutics manufactures and markets innovative medical devices that deliver radiofrequency energy to treat disease states affecting the human digestive system. All Mederi therapies are outpatient, minimally invasive, and promote rapid recovery. Mederi Therapeutics Inc. is located in Greenwich, Connecticut.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-algorithmic-approach-to-address-treatment-of-fecal-incontinence-134263443.html

Stem Cell Knee Bandage Trial to Begin in the UK

If you read the link below have something similar available here in the US too.  There will be 10 patients in Bristol that will participate in the trial and I think this one is going to be good based on what we do here in the US.  BD 

Stem Cell Bandage Granted Approval in UK To Begin Clinical Trial For Treating Torn Meniscal Cartilage in the Knee

“Azellon’s meniscal repair technology will combine your own bone marrow stem cells with a special membrane that helps to deliver the cells into the injured site. Because your own stem cells are used they cannot be rejected by your immune system. There are 4 stages involved in the treatment.”

The world's first stem cell therapy to repair torn cartilage in the knee has been brought one step closer.

Professor Anthony Hollander, co-founder of University of Bristol spin-out Azellon Cell Therapeutics, has just received funding of £65,000 to carry out clinical trials on the use of a patient's own stem cells for knee repair.

The bandage, which is grown from the patient's own stem cells, is put in place within two weeks of harvesting the cells from the bone marrow using a simple surgical procedure. It is hoped these stem cells will heal the tear.

'With permission for a trial from Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and completion of this funding round, we are now ready to get going on our safety trial; it's an important moment for Azellon and for stem cell research', explained Professor Hollander.

Laboratory tests have been very promising, and the phase I clinical trial, which received MHRA approval in June, will test the stem cell bandage on ten patients, primarily to investigate its safety, but to also determine if it works in humans.

The trial, which will take place at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, is scheduled to begin May 2012, with interim results being released after 18 months. Professor Hollander was part of the team who successfully transplanted the first tissue-engineered windpipe into a Colombian woman in July 2011.

http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_112435.asp

Pfizer Has a New Sales Strategy–Will Be Selling Lipitor at Generic Prices When Patent Runs Out

Well this stands to certainly keep more patients taking “name” brand Lipitor and on the other hand throws a monkey wrench into the generic drug companies as far as their sales increasing.  This will be interesting to see how this falls out at the retail imagedrugs stores.  This is a change that we haven’t seen before and maybe other drug companies could follow suit.  Pharmacies make more money from generic drugs than they do name brand so will that pricing be changed too one might ask.  BD

At least for consumers is may be one less formulary change to deal with.

 

http://online.wsj.com/video/lipitor-to-sell-at-generic-prices-as-patent-ends/92C3AB1E-DB3F-43CD-82A2-280D5B9A317A.html

Cigna Will Begin Selling Health Insurance in India Partnering with TTK Group

Best thing I can say here is good luck as I’m sure the folks in India see how crappy our model is and what they have to expect in the future with tons of red tape and imagemore hassles with claims and payments.  What makes this interesting too is the partner chosen, TTK Group which sells cookers among other things.  Well once you start dealing with all the red tape, you will feel like you are in a cooker for sure, ask consumers from the US about their thoughts on this.  India already has issues with Roadside doctors who help the poor who can’t afford private care, so again going for the buck.

Roadside Street Doctors Are A Thriving Business in India

TTK according to this article also has another division that sells insurance and it sounds like this is going to make the retail rounds for availability on this pilot partnership.  Humana is watching here and appears to have an interest in the market as well.  So sorry that our broken corporate companies that work on profit only are spreading elsewhere as it is not a good business plan and just wait until all the contract negotiations begin and you may never know for sure what doctors and facilities are covered if you live in India.  Here’s a sample of what you may have to look forward to that is hitting many in the US after the first of the year, the contract issues as mentioned.  BD 

Anthem Blue Cross Members Will No Longer Be Able to Fill Prescriptions at Walgreens After January 1, 2012

MUMBAI, India — Cigna, the health insurance company, will enter the fast-growing Indian market in a joint venture with a consumer goods company best known for its pressure cookers and other appliances, executives said.

The joint venture, which the companies expected to announce on Monday, comes as Indian policy makers are trying to increase the use of health insurance in the country. About 15 percent of Indians have some form of health insurance, according to industry estimates, far less than other large developing nations, like China, where about 90 percent of the population has at least basic health coverage.

Cigna’s venture will be set up in partnership with the TTK Group, which is best known in India for its popular Prestige brand of cookers but which also administers insurance policies and makes drugs and medical devices.

Bill Atwell, president of Cigna International, said Indians pay out of pocket for 64 percent of health care expenses, which suggests to Cigna that there is a huge untapped market for insurance. He said the company’s partnership with TTK would help it sell personal insurance products directly to consumers, rather than through agents or employers.

The company plans to sell policies at 1,500 TTK retail stores, on the telephone, over the Internet and through other partners like banks. Cigna is not alone in looking at the Indian market. Raja Rajamannar, chief innovation and marketing officer at Humana, based in Louisville, Ky., said in a recent interview in Mumbai that his company is thinking about coming to India. Munich Re, the German insurer, and Bupa, a British firm, already sell health insurance here through joint ventures.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/business/cigna-to-sell-health-insurance-in-india.html?smid=tw-nytimesbusiness&seid=auto

Robin Gibb of the BeeGees Suffering Liver Cancer

This is sad, one more of the Gibbs brothers with health problems and this one is a big on.  Several performances have been cancelled as a result and two other members of the group have already passed away, Maurice at at 53 and Andy Gibb with drug problems.  Sad to say but the picture kind of tells a story that something is not right just by appearance.  BD  image

Robin Gibb, one of the two surviving members of the Bee Gees, is suffering from liver cancer and was rushed to the hospital several days ago via ambulance after his family called 999 -- the British  equivalent of 911 -- for treatment.

Gibb, 61, was diagnosed with liver cancer several months ago, according to the Sunday Mirror, which reported that older brother Barry, 65, his wife, Linda, and mother Barbara Gibb, 91, had flown in from their homes in the U.S. to be with Robin.

Robin Gibb was allowed to return home Tuesday after spending five hours in the hospital; he said later in a statement that he had been treated for inflammation of the colon, the Sun reported. The always-slim singer, who has appeared gaunt in recent months, has had to cancel a number of appearances this year.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/11/robin-gibb-liver-cancer-bee-gees.html