The OxyContin Cha Cha

This is a guest post by Andrew Phillips

The dangers of OxyContin were known in the late 1990s and between the years 1999 and 2003 there had been between a 4 and 5 fold increase in deaths where OxyContin had been detected in the blood stream. By now many people are aware of the fact that the government will be taking Oxycontin out of pharmacies across the country. Ontario will be delisting the painkiller as well. However, down in the Maritimes no plan is in place to fund either OxyContin or its replacement OxyNeo. Saskatchewan is also not planning on funding OxyContin either.

Discussions to delist the drug started about the time Purdue Pharma sent notices that the company was replacing OxyContin with OxyNEO, which was approved by Health Canada on Aug. 22, 2011. But OxyNeo is exactly the same thing as OxyContin; in fact the only difference appears it’ll be harder to crush and snort; same stuff different name. But why is it being taken off the market now when what it has been doing has been known for so long? Easy – OxyContin is about to go off patent in 2013.

As to Health Canada I suggest you read that article especially the section about conflict of interest and the fast-tracking of drug approval and question the approval of OxyNEO. But perhaps the worst aspect of this partnership is Health Canada’s failure to enforce the rules against Direct to Consumer Advertising of prescription drugs in Canada, ads which use fear to drive patients into doctors’ offices to demand the most expensive new drugs that may or may not help them.

To understand the inherent danger of DTCA this article goes in depth into how it works. Another interesting thing is recently the Supreme Court ruled that ISPs aren’t bound by the Broadcast Act with one of the countries biggest ISPs – Bellmedia – now owning CTV, CTV2, and many radio and speciality channels. Will they use this as an end around to run even more DTCA drug ads in Canada? Ads for Champix and Gardasil are showing up on Canadian TV now and it is possible that we can expect to see more DTCA in the near future.

An interesting sidebar to this is Health Canada is in charge of the Consumer Product Protect Act which, considering what they’re doing – or not doing – now, makes you wonder what is the real reason for it in the first place. You can read about it here and here. Quite frankly it appears to be another euphemistically named law, much like the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act that Vic Toews, it now appears they didn’t bother to read too carefully that actually curtails civil liberties and property rights. So while they’re are working on the “Surveillance Bill” they should pull that one out as well.

Of all the news articles in Canada not one of them has mentioned the going off patent angle. Not one of them has mentioned just how curious it is that while one is being pulled early a replacement is already available. The farcical assertion that drug addicts will be stopped by a pill that is a little tougher to crack is negated by new extraction techniques that are already being discussed by addicts and this little nugget goes along way to explaining the timing, “…the company is positioning itself to avoid having its product deemed interchangeable with lower cost alternatives that will be brought to market once OxyContin® loses its exclusive patent”. Ultimately that new extraction technique might just mean buying a bigger hammer. They’re drug addicts, they’re not stupid.

Sample Shots From Nokia 808 PureView – With Zoom

Yesterday Nokia announced the 808, featuring a 41megapixel camera with PureView. Today we have sample photos of what the phone can do, which aside from stunning pictures is the ability to zoom in to unprecedented levels to see detail invisible to the human eye when in that real-life position. Below are two pictures taken with the new device – for a glimpse of the technology on offer, zoom in on the rock climber’s foot in the photo on the right.

 

 

Nokia Unveil the 808: 41MP camera with Pure View and Xenon

When Nokia unveiled the N8 in 2010 it set the bar for imaging in mobile devices. Not for the first time either – Nokia phones have allowed users to take high quality pictures for a long time now, and at the time the N8 was released Apple still hadn’t worked out how to include a flash for low-light situations and HTC cameras were all but a joke to both the industry and the public. While the competition has improved remarkably in the past 12 months – with iPhones and HTCs taking remarkably good pictures now – the N8 has remained the undisputed image king, thanks in large part to the sensor it packed, allowing more light than any other phone on the market.

Today, however, sees the N8 dethroned. It wasn’t the competition that knocked it off its top spot, but Nokia itself with the Nokia 808, the much rumoured and long awaited successor to the N8. A year ago Nokia CEO Stephen Elop announced that the image quality and capabilities of the N8 were the tip of the iceberg of what Nokia was capable of and testing in its labs, and that piqued interest. According to Nokia:

“PureView imaging technology is the result of many years of research and  development and the tangible fruits of this work are amazing image quality, lossless zoom,  and superior low light performance…

…One of the reasons the Nokia 808 PureView has taken so long to develop is down to processing power.

We simply couldn’t get hold of enough. Even the most powerful mobile chipsets have an upper limit of
around 20Mpix image processing capability. The Nokia 808 PureView eats up more than double that.
For video, the amount of pixels handled through the processing chain is staggering — over 1 billion
pixels per second, and 16x oversampling. That’s a throughput of pixels 16 times greater than many
other smartphones.”

 

The Nokia N8 had a sensor of 1/1.83, making it the largest ever to appear in a mobile phone and even many point and shoot camera. To drop jaws around the world, the 808 has a sensor 2.5 times larger than that of the N8, and the device packs Xenon flash for snapping photos, and LED for recording videos, offering users the best in both worlds.

For full details and information of why this is important and why it has leapfrogged over the competition without any hope of being caught for many years, Nokia’s own .pdf can be read here, and excerpts can be read below. Before that though, let’s take a look at some sample photos taken from Nokia’s Flickr account

 

 

PureView Pro imaging technology doesn’t represent a step change for camera smartphones performance, so much as a quantum leap forward. The first device to feature Nokia PureView Pro camera technology is the Nokia 808 PureView, which gives people the  means to take better images and video footage  than ever before.  Nokia PureView Pro turns conventional thinking  on its head. It dispenses with the usual scaling/ interpolation model of digital zoom used in  virtually all smartphones, as well as optical zoom  used in most digital cameras, where a series of  lens elements moves back and forth to vary the  magnification and field of view. Instead, we’ve taken a completely new road.

The result?


Unprecedented camera control and versatility, combined with truly spectacular-quality images and  video. Nokia 808 PureView sets new industry standards — it will give you around 3x lossless zoom for  stills, and 4x zoom in full HD 1080p. For 720p HD video, you’re looking at 6x lossless zoom.  And for nHD (640×360) video, an amazing 12x zoom!

 

Always true to the image

With the Nokia N8, we limited the digital zoom to just 2x to avoid too much compromise to image
quality. But at the end of the day, this was still a conventional digital zoom. With the Nokia 808 PureView,
zoom is handled completely differently — like nothing that has gone before. We’ve taken the radical
decision not to use any upscaling whatsoever. There isn’t even a setting for it.

When you zoom with the Nokia 808 PureView, in effect you are just selecting the relevant area of the
sensor. So with no zoom, the full area of the sensor corresponding to the aspect ratio is used. The limit
of the zoom (regardless of the resolution setting for stills or video) is reached when the selected output
resolution becomes the same as the input resolution .

For example, with the default setting of 5Mpix (3072 x 1728), once the area of the sensor reaches
3072 x 1728, you’ve hit the zoom limit. This means the zoom is always true to the image you want.

New depth, new detail

The way Nokia PureView Pro zoom works gives you many benefits. But the main one is undoubtedly
‘pixel oversampling’.

Pixel oversampling combines many pixels to create a single (super) pixel. When this happens, you keep
virtually all the detail, but filter away visual noise from the image. The speckled, grainy look you tend to
get in low-lighting conditions is greatly reduced. And in good light, visual noise is virtually non-existent.
Which means the images you can take are more natural and beautiful than ever. They are purer, perhaps
a more accurate representation of the original subject than has ever been achieved before.

 

Less is more.

The simple structure of Nokia PureView Pro beats more complicated designs hands down. Image
definition is pin sharp, way superior to conventional zoom designs. Conventional designs need many
more lens elements to provide the zoom capability and correct aberrations, but these interfere with
definition and/or light transmission. Our simple structure has enabled a significant improvement in
manufacturing precision, and our lenses are produced with 10x greater precision than SLR lenses.
This was essential to allow the PureView Pro sensor and optics to work in complete synergy.
Neat and compact.
The size of the Nokia 808 PureView camera (including sensor and optics) is at least 50%-70% smaller
than a conventional optical zoom design

Effective zoom settings.

You can get right up close with any zoom setting. Typically, optical zoom gets closest with wide
(rather than tele) lens settings. Which means you have to stand physically closer to whatever you’re
shooting, obscuring the light and possibly casting unwanted shadows. With the Nokia 808 PureView,
you can use full zoom capability at a shooting distance of 15cm providing greater than ever
magnification of small objects with full zoom.

On a more technical note…

oversampling eliminates Bayer pattern problems. For example, conventional 8MPix sensors include only
4Mpix green, 2Mpix red and 2Mpix blue pixels, which are interpolated to 8Mpix R, G, B image. With pixel
oversampling, all pixels become true R, G, and B pixels. What’s more, based on Nyqvist theorem, you
actually need oversampling for good performance. For example, audio needs to be sampled at 44 kHz
to get good 22 kHz quality.

 

Quality, not quantity

People will inevitably home in on the number of pixels the Nokia 808 PureView packs, but they’re
missing the point. The ‘big deal’ is how they’re used. At Nokia, our focus has always been capability
and performance.
The main way to build smaller cameras over the years has been to reduce the pixel size. These have
shrunk just over the past 6 years from 2.2 microns, to 1.75 microns, to 1.4 microns (which is where
most compact digital cameras and smartphones are today). Some new products are on the way with
1.1 micron pixels. But here’s the problem. The smaller the pixel, the less photons each pixel is able to
collect. Less photons, less image quality. There’s also more visual noise in images/videos, and various
other knock on effects. In our experience, when new, smaller pixel size sensors are first released, they
tend to be worse than the previous generation. While others jump in, banking on pixel numbers instead
of performance, we prefer to skip early iterations.

Lessons learned

With the 12Mpix Nokia N8, for example, we were more concerned with capturing photons of light than
ramping up the number of megapixels. We bucked the trend and went with a large sensor and 1.75
micron pixels — but the result was a new benchmark in image and video quality. This set the Nokia N8
apart at the time, and competitors are still trying to match it two years later. The Nokia PureView Pro
comes is equipped with an even larger sensor, 1/1.2” approximately 2.5 larger than the sensor used
in the Nokia N8. The result is an even larger area to collect photons of light. With PureView we’re
continuing to make choices focused on performance rather than pixels for pixels’ sake. Fewer but
better pixels can provide not just better image and video quality, but better overall user experience
and system capability.
In fact, 5Mpix-6Mpix is more than enough for viewing images on PC, TV, online or smartphones.
After all, how often do we print images bigger than even A4?

Iron-Spiked Bacteriophages

It’s been known by scientists and university students alike that a type of virus called a bacteriophage attacks bacteria by drilling through the outer membrane of the bacterium. The virus then runs wild and multiplies until the unfortunate little bacterium explodes in a spectacular cellular fireworks display. But what scientists have never been able to discover is just how they get inside bacteria to begin with – until now.

Bacteriophage

Petr Leiman, a biophysicist at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland who led the team of scientists, and who will publish his findings in Structure said that they had already anticipated that a special kind of protein was making the initial opening. However, the problem was that they couldn’t see the end of the tip to determine what it was.

The team of scientists, at their Swiss base, decided to reverse engineer the tips to try and find out what they were made of. Their test subjects were the bacteriophages P2 and Φ92; for those people who don’t know the book off by heart, they typically attack the e-coli bacteria and the bacteria which cause salmonella. The P2 gene for its bacterium puncturing capabilities was already well-known to scientists, and after some searching the gene for Φ92 was also found.

The proteins in these genes were then grown and isolated, before been turned into crystals. This allowed scientists to use the x-ray crystallography technique to bombard the crystals with x-rays in order to bring up an image of the structure. This went well, but one problem still remained. The end of the structure, the part they were looking for, didn’t show up.

Undeterred, though, the genes were reengineered to only produce the invisible part of the structure. After carrying this out, it was then found that the end of the spike was a single iron atom connected by six amino acids.

Originally, it was thought that bacteriophages had help from elsewhere to puncture the outer membranes of the bacterium, but clearly they don’t need any help at all as they have a super-mini iron spike instead.

But what’s the point of all this? Well, the answer to this is that if scientists can use the viruses to find weaknesses in bacteria then it could lead to a number of new ultra-powerful medicines. However, let’s be honest, even if the scientists do create the medicines, we won’t see any of these new medicines in Britain anytime soon as this country has a history of withholding a number of these new medicines due to the fact that it would cost more money.

An Overview of the UFC

Hi Daily Opinion readers, welcome to my sports page.This week i am going to talk about the UFC. Unless you have been living under a rock for the last ten years you will know that the ufc is the premier league of mixed martial arts. These guys fight with gloves that are so thin they just about cover the knuckles for protection.
In the early days you would have a boxer versus a karate expert, but the sport has come a long long way since then and now unless you can fight on your feet and wrestle on the ground you can forget a UFC career. The men in the cage are athletes, fighters and warriors all in one musclebound package.

THE NEXT EVENT IS UFC 144 and what a line up it has got.
Quinton (Rampage) Jackson vs Ryan Bader
What can i say about Rampage? Well if looks could win belts this guy would forever be the champion. He has a menacing stare which helped him get the role as BA in the new A Team movie and if you dig into his past you can see him fighting bare knuckle at the start of his career and see the immense power the guy has. He also knocked out Chuck liddel on arrival at the UFC, causing upset and becoming the light heavyweight champion. His opponent is younger but is going to be a very hard fight. It’s a tough one to call and i think it will go down to a points decision.

In addition to that, the lightweight belt is on the line as Frankie Edgar takes on Henderson. In my opinion Frankie is a great champion as he proved against Gray Maynard last time they fought. A true champion, i think Frankie will one day retire as an undefeated champion as his work rate and mindset are always 100 percent.

Jake Shields will take on Akiyama, both very good fighters and although the bookmakers favour Shields there is hope for Akiyama to do it. Good luck to both you guys.

In the heavyweight division Cheik Kongo will fight Mark Hunt.To me, any guy arriving at the UFC in this division should fight Cheik as he is a tough guy and a great test to any heavyweights, not forgetting the immense knockout punch he has, although we rarely see it nowadays.

In the undercard fights Okami will fight Boctsch. Okami is the more experienced so he may win but anything can happen in the steel grid. Anthony Pettis will fight Joe Lauzon; i favour Lauzon but the bookmakers are going with Pettis so it will be interesting to see.

Whatever happens guys it will be a classic as usual so let us know your opinions.

CURRENT UFC CHAMPIONS

HEAVYWEIGHT – JUNIOR DEL SANTOS. He beat Cain Velasquez for the belt and next will face Alistair Overeem who is another tough guy that just arrived in the UFC but destroyed the monster Brock Lesnar to earn a shot.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – JON (BONES) JONES.This guy is a dangerous man. He scares opponents by approaching in a monkey-like movement across the floor. Rampage or Bader may get the shot depending on who wins at 144.

MIDDLEWEIGHT – ANDERSON SILVA. What a champ this guy is. He has had the belt many years and has beat countless warriors. He was battered by Sonnen a couple of years ago for four whole rounds; it looked like Sonnen just had to play him for the last round to win but somehow a beaten Silva submitted Sonnen with three minutes left on the clock. A true legend.

WELTERWEIGHT – GEORGE ST PIERRE. Currently in rehab for a serious injury but a great champ.

LIGHTWEIGHT – FRANKIE EDGAR. Fighting tonight to defend his title, he is such an accomplished fighter and can take punishment like no other and still get up and win.

FEATHERWEIGHT – JOSO ALDO. Another small guy but you wouldn’t want to be on the end of one of his devastating punches.

BANTAMWEIGHT – DOMINICK CRUZ. The smallest of the fighting weights but the heart of a heavyweight.

That’s the UFC guys, and when there is an event coming up i will give you an in-depth view of the fighters and who i think will win. Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
For now guys that’s me.

How Strong Are Your Ethics?

Sometimes, as we go about our daily lives trying to look after our families, the grander ideas are not thought about. Every now and then a conflict will arise between our ethics and our desires. This is when ethics may become expendable.

The strong forces that drive us – love, sex, money and power – tempt us to compromise or even do a complete U-turn. Personal relationships and careers are put on the line. Truth is a hard currency to deal in when there is a conflict of interest.

 

There’s three minutes to go and your team needs a winning goal. Do you take a dive to get a penalty kick? Will the glory be tainted by guilt? Sport is a minefield of ethical conundrums. For me, it’s still the beautiful game but marred by cheating and dissent. Children’s football matches echo what’s happening on Match of the Day. Role models are few and far between and it’s bad boy behaviour that gets the media attention.

 

Some would say that one’s loyalty should be to your teammates and the fans and this consideration is of a higher order, placing it in front of any other moral code. Well, isn’t that convenient. Thinking like that will bring selfish rewards, all dressed up in some warped rationale.

 

Bobby Moore led England to victory and was a national hero, not just because of the trophy but how he conducted himself. He won and lost with equal grace. In contrast I heard Roy Keane on TV the other day giving his insight as a pundit. Talking about a player on the losing side missing the chance to stop his opponent from scoring, he said, “he should have fouled him, he should have taken the yellow card”. The presenter, Adrian Chiles, did not pick him up on it.

 

Performance enhancing drugs seem to be endemic. How many of us sigh with cynicism when the latest track or swim or cycling record is broken. If I were holding my gold medal (it ain’t going to happen), I’d be thinking about the 10 year old kid in the stands who pasted my picture on his bedroom wall. Throwing matches and shaving points leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. Greed sometimes makes us cross lines we never imagined we’d cross.

 

You know the words – “what did you do today to make yourself proud?” Most of us shift the goalposts to varying degrees. Have you ever taken the credit for a colleague’s idea to get promotion? Do you hand it back when the shop assistant gives you too much change? Do you pilfer (notice how pilfer sounds less serious than steal) stationery or fiddle your expenses? Are you economical with the truth on your tax return?

 

But surely our leaders can give us inspiration? Yeah, right. We all know what’s been going on lately. We all know who could successfully hide behind a spiral staircase. It’s not just greasy pole climbing politicians that lie for a living. Some public relations and advertising people wear deceit as a second skin. They try to bamboozle us with unsubstantiated facts, half-truths and distorted visions of reality, all to sell a dream and false hope.  We work all week and we’re rewarded with bread and circuses. Don’t draw back the curtain; the wizard isn’t there.

How ethical am I? Well, that would be telling! Is the erosion of ethics getting worse? I think it’s too complex for a yes or no answer and there was never any golden age of innocence. Rather, lots of wrongdoing is covert now. Being the baddie has become more sophisticated. We know “the cost of everything and the value of nothing”. We win at any cost and we try to have it all at any cost. Does the human race have a collective portrait of a decaying Dorian Gray? If so, heaven help us because we all know what happened to him.