WOR ROBOT REVIEW

SOURCE: AP TELEVISION/KIBO ROBOT PROJECT/AuBC **No Access Australia**

RESTRICTIONS: HORIZONS CLIENTS AND AP LIFESTYLE, HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY CLIENTS ONLY/PART NO ACCESS AUSTRALIA/KIBO ROBOT PROJECT - 'KIBO ROBOT PROJECT'

LENGTH: 6:44

SHOTLIST:

AP Television

Mumbai, India - 4 January, 2013

1. Tilt down and up of Nao Robot dancing to South Korean rapper Psy's "Gangnam Style".

2. Mid of crowd watching Nao Robot.

3. Close of Nao Robot dancing.

4. Tracking shot of Nao Robot dancing.

Las Vegas, United States - 8 January 2013

5. Various shots of Whee Me robot massaging women's back.

6. Mid of women holding Whee Me robot.

West Seneca, New York, United States - 8 February 2013

7. Mid of VGo robot moving with lights flashing, which indicates the student wants to answer a question.

8. Wide of teacher speaking in classroom with VGo robot in foreground.

UPSOUND (English): "Devon, how about you?"

9. Mid of VGo robot with teacher in background.

UPSOUND (English) VGo robot: "For spring to come."

Teacher: "We all hope for spring to come? Let's see if Punxsutawney Phil was right."

Orchard Park, New York, United States - 8 February 2013

10. Mid of Devon Carrow, speaking with teacher through laptop and robot.

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Devon Carrow (pronounced Care-O), controls VGo Robot from home:

"The whole school part is cool cos, I really never got to go to school before so it's kind of like awesome."

West Seneca, New York, United States - 8 February 2013

12. Mid of VGo robot moving through classroom.

Vienna, Austria - 14 March 2013

13. Close of Hobbit the Robot picking up mouse key ring.

14. Wide low shot of Hobbit the Robot picking up key ring.

15. Wide of women using inbuilt robot touch screen.

16. Close of robot scanning mouse key ring.

17. Close of women typing name into touchscreen.

18. Mid of Hobbit the Robot.

UPSOUND (German): "Thank you, Alexandra, for teaching me the object "key"."

Tehran, Iran - 6 April 2013

20. Tracking shot of robotic soccer match.

21. Mid of students sitting at computers controlling robotic soccer match.

22. Tilt up from flowers forming words: "Robocup Iran Open 2013" to flags.

23. Wide of robots walking onto pitch.

24. Pull focus between two robots.

25. Wide of robots kicking ball into goal and audience clapping.

Tsukuba, Japan - 22 May 2013

26. Tilt down of thought-controlled robot picking up bottle.

27. Mid of Damien Petit, Ph.D Student at CNRS-AIST Joint Robotics Laboratory, controlling robot remotely with robot in background.

28. Close of Petit's eyes watching screen.

29. Mid of screen showing arrows with Petit wearing head cap in foreground.

30. Tilt up of robot walking.

31. Pan right from robot walking to Petit wearing head cap.

32. SOUNDBITE (English) Damien Petit, Ph.D Student at CNRS-AIST Joint Robotics Laboratory:

"You just have to clear your mind and not to think about a lot of stuff."

Tokyo, Japan - 26 July 2013

33. Mid of astronaut robot Mirata speaking and moving.

UPSOUND (Japanese): "Ahem, that's one small step for me; one giant leap for robots."

34. Low shot of Tomotaka Takahashi, CEO of Robo Garage and Project Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, speaking to robot.

UPSOUND (Japanese): "You're the first ever talking robot astronaut."

35. Close tilt up of Mirata speaking and moving.

UPSOUND (Japanese) Takahashi: "Tell me about the Universe"

Mirata: "It came about 13.9 billion years ago."

Kibo Robot Project - **MUST ONSCREEN CREDIT 'KIBO ROBOT PROJECT'**

Nagoya, Japan - 23 January 2013

36. Mid of Kirobo floating and shaking hands with Kataoka.

37. Mid of Kirobo floating and walking.

38. Wide of interior of plane with Kirobo, Takahashi and Fuminori Kataoka, Toyota Project Manager.

39. Mid of Kirobo moving in the air.

AP Television

Danang, Vietnam - 19 August 19, 2013

40. Various shots of robots dropping objects on targets and firing dart at platform.

41. Wide of supporters cheering.

42. Tracking shot of robot dropping objects into designated targets.

43. Wide of manually-controlled robot shooting dart at target and missing.

Taipei, Taiwan - 28 August 2013

44. Tracking shot of man walking with robot legs designed for people with lower-limb disability.

45. Low tracking shot of man walking with robotic legs tilt up to midriff.

46. Wide of man arriving next to robotic legs on display.

47. Tilt up of robotic legs.

48. Wide of woman controlling Sha Yang Ye Company fighting robots.

49. Mid of robots fighting with women in foreground.

50. Close of motion sensor.

51. Mid of computer showing woman's movements replicated with robots fighting in background.

Jakarta, Indonesia - 7 September 2013

52. Mid of surgeons positioning robotic arm.

53. Close of surgical tube being positioned.

54. Mid of screen showing camera footage from inside patient's body.

55. Mid of senior gynecologist Dr. Ivan Rizal Sini giving instructions and operating control console.

56. Low shot of Sini's hands operating robotic system.

57. Close of monitor showing robotic instrument at work inside patient's body.

Tokyo, Japan - 8 November 2013

58. Wide of robot arms making automobile.

59. Mid of robot arm making automobile.

60. Close of industrial robot arms.

61. Mid of industrial robot.

62. Mid of secretary robot stamping paper.

63. Close of secretary robot sorting paper.

64. Mid of secretary robot.

65. Close of robot's face.

66. Wide low shot of robot climbing scaffolding.

67. Close of robot's foot releasing from scaffolding.

68. Wide low shot of robot climbing scaffolding.

Rishon Letzion, Israel - 26 November 2013

69. Pull out of AvantGuard unmanned tracked ground combat vehicle (developed by G-NIUS Unmanned Ground Systems) being demonstrated on track.

70. Various close shots of gun on vehicle's turret rotating.

71. Wide of vehicles moving away.

AuBC **No Access Australia**

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - 20 November 2013

72. Close pan left of seal robots.

73. Tilt up of Professor Wendy Moyle, Griffith University, with patient holding seal robot.

74. Close of seal robot being stroked.

75. Various shots of patients sitting with seal robots.

76. Close of seal robot being patted on table.

LEADIN:

2013 has seen robotic technology reach the stars and American classrooms.

Elsewhere, robots could be found in the operating theatre or playing football, while others were content to do it ' Gangnam Style'.

STORYLINE:

"It's the dance on everyone's hips!''

In January, robots began the year in high spirits, with this Nao Robot unable to resist the beat of South Korean rapper Psy's hit 'Gangnam Style'.

Here at India's Institute of Technology in Mumbai, this robot from Aldebaran Robotics France uses local Indian software made by Gade Autonomous Systems.

More than 100-thousand visitors attended the event which included international exhibitors as well as tech makers from across India.

If too many New Year celebrations left some aches and pains, then this little robot could take a few of them away.

In January at Las Vegas' Consumer Electronics Show, the robot massager - called the Whee Me - demonstrated how it can roll across people's backs, massaging away stresses and strains.

Using revolving sensor tubes on its back, the Whee Me is able to travel across the body, knowing where certain slopes are.

But with the new year comes the inevitable trip back to school and in February, robots were going along for the ride.

Thanks to this VGo robot, going to school became a whole new experience for 7-year-old Devon Carrow, even though he's not actually in the classroom.

Despite suffering from life-threatening allergies which keep him at home, Carrow was able to use the VGo's wireless video hook up and motorized wheels to put him remotely in the classroom.

This is certainly one student enjoying his time in the classroom:

"The whole school part of it is cool cause, I really never got to go to school before so it's kind of like awesome," says Carrow.

But in 2013, robots didn't just help the young.

In March, researchers in Vienna showed off their new creation specifically designed to help the elderly.

Hobbit the Robot can pick up specific items, learn words so as to respond to voice commands and was created with the aim of making older people feel safe at home.

The robot was developed by six partner universities from across Europe including the University of Vienna.

It was game on in April at Iran's international Robocup Competition in Tehran.

Despite tough international sanctions limiting access to parts, students from across the country entered their creations alongside entries from 14 other countries.

While competition was fierce, opponents helped each other fix technical software and hardware issues, and even worked together on online forums during the course of the year.

The competition allowed students to demonstrate their achievements in robotics, programming and artificial intelligence plus gain the glory of netting the odd goal.

While students were dreaming of goals in Tehran, scientists in Japan were making dreams a reality with this thought-controlled robot.

In May, French and Japanese experts showed off their technology which enables a person to remotely control a humanoid robot just with the power of their mind.

Using technology called Brain Computer Interface (BCI), the experts developed a cap which senses brain activity and relays that information to the robot.

By focusing on arrows or objects on a screen, the user can relay their brain waves to the robot thus controlling its movements.

Ph.D student at CNRS-AIST Joint Robotics Laboratory, Damien Petit, who's wearing the sensor cap says it's important to remain focused:

"You just have to clear your mind and not to think about a lot of stuff."

While some Japanese robots were being controlled by humans, others were being built to keep them company.

In July, scientists put the finishing touches to the first talking robot to be sent into space.

While conventional robots have been sent into space for maintenance or mechanical operations, Kirobo - as he's known by his creators - was created as a companion for a Japanese astronaut while living on the International Space Station.

Among the tests taken was this parabolic flight test to see if Kirobo could move and talk in a low-gravity environment.

In August, Kirobo blasted off from Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan.

While robots kicked off on the football pitch earlier in the year, they met in the gladiatorial arena in August.

At the annual RoboCon in Vietnam, students competed with the aim of creating robots with environmental potential.

With the whirring of wheels, sizzling of circuit boards and all the stress and excitement of any sporting event, 18 teams from 17 countries competed for the electronic Grand Prix.

Their creations were tasked with collecting leaves to be placed in specifically assigned rings then shooting one final leaf at a platform known as the "moon".

If robots were aiming to help the environment in Vietnam then at Taipei's International Robot Show they're helping people with disabilities.

This robotic exoskeleton is one of many new creations which scientists claim could mean people with disabilities would no longer have to stay stationary.

Every movement is controlled through a keypad on the handle of the crutch and its capabilities mean people with disabilities can have support with walking, standing and sitting movements.

Elsewhere, there's a good reason for these robots being in a boxing ring - these are Sha Yang Ye's fighting robots.

To operate them, people move in front of motion sensors which send signals to robots causing them to throw punches, move forward or stand up after a fall.

Here in Indonesia, doctors stepped up to the front line of medicine by becoming the first hospital in the country to use a "Da Vinci" robot to carry out minimally invasive surgery.

Surgical robotic arms such as this were first introduced in the United States over a decade ago and they now allow hospitals to treat patients with a wide variety of conditions, including the removal of uterine fibroids and cancer surgery.

With its use of smaller incisions, doctors believe the robotic arm improves the quality of treatment and gives patients a faster rate of recovery.

It's anything but small incisions at Tokyo's International Robot Exhibition in November.

Here, various robots - from industrial designs that make car parts to service robots which can be utilized in everyday life - were showcased.

Companies demonstrated the continuing advancements in robotic technology, showing how it could play a major role in both industries and in people's homes.

Examples included this secretary robot which sorts paper, while another hand seals documents with a stamp - a dream come true for people bored of office routines.

If further proof was needed that robots were scaling new heights in 2013, then this robot is just the ticket.

With two antennae bouncing on its head, this robot climbing up scaffolding was designed to demonstrate advanced systems for carrying people from their wheelchair to their beds.

Robots are designed to help humans in a variety of tasks and - at Israel's Homeland Security Exhibition in November - they struck an intimidating appearance on the battlefield.

Mounted with a machine gun and a host of sensors, this unmanned AvantGuard robot combat vehicle was put through its paces at the country's first major exhibition to showcase industry offerings.

Devices such as this are already in use by the Israeli military in patrolling their frontiers, and the country's technological know-how is now attracting interest from buyers around the world.

From the tough to the cute, and in Australia researchers are hoping these fluffy robot harp seals could help treat dementia patients and even reduce the need for medication.

While real pets are widely used in nursing homes to provide entertainment and companionship, researchers hope these robots - which respond to light and sound, know their own name, and show a variety of emotions - can provide an alternative to treatment to medicating agitated dementia patients.

The researchers' study begins in 2014.

====

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com.

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

SHOTLIST

AP TELEVISION

London, UK, October 30, 2009

1. Wide view in mirror of dentist in surgery with nurse and patient

2. Close up of work on patient's mouth

3. Close up of nurse's masked face

4. Close zoom out of patients mouth

VNR: MUST CREDIT: DANIEL RAABE, BRISTOL UNIVERSITY

5. Profile of Daniel Raabe biting on instrument which measures force

6. Medium close of robot producing chewing movement in plaster stone jaw testing artificial teeth

7. Close up of computer graphic which displays the stress the dental components are subjected to

8. Close up of machine with small ball in the top platform putting force and friction on dental restorative at the bottom

AP TELEVISION

London, UK, October 30, 2009

9. Various set up of Daniel Raabe, Phd student at Bristol University's mechanical engineering department

10. Close up of illustration of robot on computer monitor

11. Mid shot over shoulder to robot illustration scrolling up on computer

12. SOUNDBITE: (English), Daniel Raabe, co-designer of the chewing robot

"It replicates motion (chewing) and it replicates biting forces which are the main parameters, or one of the main parameters which affect dental wear.

VNR: MUST CREDIT: DANIEL RAABE, BRISTOL UNIVERSITY

13. Medium close of robot producing faster grinding movement in plaster stone jaw testing artificial teeth

14. Close of robot producing faster biting movement in plaster stone jaw testing artificial teeth

AP TELEVISION

15. SOUNDBITE: (English), Daniel Raabe, co-designer of the chewing robot

" Clinical trials last between two and three years, we can speed it up to five to ten days, so the dental researchers who develop new restorative materials, composite materials, porcelains, they have got a quick indication of how materials behave in the future."

16. Medium close tilt down of door to One Devonshire Place dental practice

17. Wide of dentist Kishan Modha entering practice

18. UPSOUND: (English), over medium wide of patient entering surgery and sitting on dental chair

"So how you been keeping."

"Good thank you, I think I need a filling."

"Oh no. Let's have a look."

19. SOUNDBITE: (English), Tina Salmon, patient getting treatment for filling

"I've been brushing my teeth too hard, so I've brushed away the enamel between the gum and the top of my tooth so I've had to have that filled in to protect the tooth. So it's really important, especially when it's up by your gum that it's so, cosmetically looks so real and it's not so obvious that it's a filling, that's really important to me. It's more important the look, than, you know, the treatment and that I have healthy teeth and that hopefully my teeth will be protected by the filling."

20. Wide of dentist, patient and nurse in surgery

21. Close mid shot of dentist working on patient's teeth

22. Close zoom in on patient

23. Close up of dental instruments in tray

24. Close up of patient's mouth

25. Close mid shot of dentist and patient

26. Close up following dentist's hands squeezing out resin tooth filling from tube

27. Close up of block with lumps of resin dental filling

28. Close of dentist moulding filling to tooth

29. Various close up of dentist working on patient's teeth

30. SOUNDBITE: (English), Kishan Modha, dental surgeon, One Devonshire Place Dental Surgery

"I think there is a place for a machine like this because it does take away a proportion of the clinical trials. So it would be a great place to start off with, especially with what's going on in the world at the moment where we're thinking about animal rights, people's rights. If it doesn't pass a first hurdle, which this machine could actually sort of be the first hurdle, then it's no point in putting that material onto the test for the next clinical trial and spending a huge sum of resources on it."

VNR: MUST CREDIT: DANIEL RAABE, BRISTOL UNIVERSITY

31. Close zoom in of dental robot testing out dental filling

AP TELEVISION

32. SOUNDBITE: (English), Daniel Raabe, co-designer of the chewing robot

"You can use artificial saliva, we can simulate chemical wear, we can simulate mechanical wear, we can combine these types of wear, chemical wear and mechanical wear, in order to make it most accurate."

VNR: MUST CREDIT: DANIEL RAABE, BRISTOL UNIVERSITY

33. Close up tilt of chewing robot testing strength of dental crowns

AP TELEVISION

34. SOUNDBITE: (English), Kishan Modha, dental surgeon, One Devonshire Place Dental Surgery

"Just out of personal experience I've noticed that when patients are stressed, or they're going through an anxious period of time, they're not brushing, or cleaning as well so the levels of bacteria in their mouth are increase and we often find the mouths of patients who've been through a heavy period of time are built up with tartar, so there's a residue of bacteria which are forming acids which will influence the actual saliva content. Going from like, you know, how well that patient is as well, like for example if they're medically not well the constituents, or their immunity might be different so the constituency of the actual saliva might be different, so those are factors that are not taken into account."

VNR: MUST CREDIT: DANIEL RAABE, BRISTOL UNIVERSITY

35. Various close of robot testing strength of dental crowns

AP TELEVISION

36. Mirror reflection showing wide of dentist, nurse and patient in surgery

LEAD IN:

Some of the rich and famous like to showcase their wealth with a diamond studded smile, or gold teeth, but did you know that even the most ordinary fillings cost a fortune.

The British Dental Association says the UK spends two and a half billion pounds on fillings each year ($4.1billion US).

Now a bunch of engineers and dentists have invented a chewing robot which they hope will dramatically cut the cost of dentistry in the future.

STORYLINE

It's not always a pleasure visiting the dentist, especially if a drilling is involved.

But our increasing preoccupation with the way we look means a gleaming smile is every bit as important as skin care, or the latest fashions.

It's also meant we are far more concerned by what a dentist is using to keep our teeth healthy.

Traditional fillings are made from amalgam, which is a mix of various materials including silver, copper, mercury and tin.

It's extremely hard wearing and cheap so, although it can require more drilling and looks unsightly, it's been popular in the past.

Modern restorative materials like composites, zirconium and porcelain all have to be tested for safety and durability during clinical trials.

This is an extremely expensive process and that's why this 'chewing robot' is being heralded by Britain's Bristol University as a breakthrough.

It's designer is post graduate mechanical engineer Daniel Raabe.

He says other machines which test dental fillings and crowns do exist, but this more accurately replicates all the motions and pressures exerted by the human jaw which moves with six degrees of freedom.

Measurements were taken inside his mouth using infrared cameras and a force measuring device measured the biting and grinding left to right and up and down forces.

According to Raabe, who designed it to the specifications of the University's dental school the robot it's a very sophisticated device.

He says it slashes the period of clinical trials from years to just days.

This means researchers can see within a matter of days whether to spend more money testing new restorative materials.

He says there is a constant search for new materials because composite resins and porcelains are still expensive.

In the UK the Department of Health spent over two billion pounds (over four billion USD) on dental services in England alone this year.

Spread that to the whole of the UK and the cost is nearer six billion pounds (ten billion USD).

Hard brushing has damaged the enamel on the surface of one of Tina Salmon's canine teeth and she needs a filling to protect it.

She says it's really the appearance of the filling is important.

That it looks pleasing is as vital to her as healthy teeth.

Tina's dentist Kishan Modha is using a composite bonding, a mixture of glass, quartz and resin.

Modha says the robot can be a useful tool to cut expenditure on research and development, but he insists the human mouth is a complex environment which isn't easily recreated.

Many dentist are still uncertain whether a robot can accurately replicate the environment within the mouth.

That's because it can vary according to whether we suffer certain illnesses, whether we are stressed right down to how rigorous we are about cleaning.

Raabe is confident this can be done by simulating various acids within our saliva.

Certainly there's no doubt the pressure for cheaper, longer lasting alternatives to amalgam fillings is growing.

Despite the risk assessment given by the FDA, some research in Germany has concluded that the mercury is still potentially harmful.

Concerns about the use of mercury in amalgam fillings were dismissed in July this year (2009) by America's Food and Drug Administration.

It acknowledged that "elemental mercury has been associated with adverse health effects at high exposures", but insisted "levels released by dental amalgam fillings aren't high enough to cause harm in patients".

It classes amalgam as a moderate risk which means it's use is regulated.

SHOTLIST:

UK VOMITING ROBOT

SOURCE: AP TELEVISION/ VNR/ DNF - NO ACCESS GERMANY

RESTRICTIONS: HORIZONS CLIENTS AND AP LIFESTYLE, HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY CLIENTS ONLY/ PART NO ACCESS GERMANY

LENGTH:2:40

VNR - Health and Safety Laboratory

1. Larry the robot vomiting (slow motion and mute)

DNF - NO ACCESS GERMANY

Bad Segeberg, Germany - 10 July 2011

2. Various of patient being carried to ambulance on stretcher

3. Close of health workers at scene

4. Pan of ambulances and other vehicles

5. Mid of health workers wearing face masks in front of ambulance

6. Mid ambulance arriving at scene

7. Wide of paramedics

8. Wide of camp area

AP Television

Italy, February 2, 2011

9. Various of doctor washing his hands in hospital corridor

AP Television

London, UK, September 28, 2012

10. Various of Dr. Ronald Cutler, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London washing and drying his hands

LEAD IN :

More than 150,000 people in the UK were struck down with the winter vomiting bug during the festive period.

During the last two weeks of 2012, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) confirmed 529 cases of norovirus - now there's a new high tech way of tackling the bug.

STORYLINE:

Meet Larry the vomiting robot, the latest weapon in the war against the norovirus.

Larry is helping scientists at the Health and Safety Laboratory to better understand the crippling bug which causes projectile vomiting and diarrhoea.

They are studying the way the vomit particles spray so they can work out how best to fight the contagious virus.

The UK's Health Protection Agency says there have been 4,140 laboratory-confirmed cases of norovirus, meaning as many as 1.19 million people could have contracted the illness this season - a 63% rise on the previous season, a trend which has been repeated across Europe and other parts of the

world.

But for every reported case, an estimated 288 are not flagged up says the HPA.

The bug has swept Britain and has led to the closure of dozens of hospital wards, with 33 hospital outbreaks of the bug reported in the last two weeks.

The virus is very contagious and can be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces or contact with an infected person.

It spreads very quickly in hospitals, schools and nursing homes.

In July 2011 fifty teenagers have been taken to hospital after falling ill from a suspected strain of the Norovirus at a summer camp in Bad Segeberg, in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein.

More than 150 teenagers in total are thought to have been affected.

Some 150 paramedics and doctors were called in to deal with the outbreak with twenty emergency doctors providing treatment at the scene.

The Norovirus is highly contagious, causing vomiting and diarrhoea, though unpleasant most people make a full recovery within a few days.

Doctors recommend rigorous hand washing to prevent the virus spreading.

LEADIN

Dementia and diabetes are among the most common incurable diseases, but in 2013 scientists have shown how these patient's lives can be improved.

In the operating theatre and on the hospital ward technology has transformed health care.

STORYLINE:

When it comes to health we can do a lot to help ourselves and exercise is one medicine that doctors around the world agree on.

In Jakarta they found the best way to loosen up was to tie themselves in knots.

This anti-gravity yoga has become a health craze around the world.

Swinging above the ground students combine routine movements taken from traditional yoga, dance, Pilates and gymnastics.

They say it helps them increase their flexibility in and stretch further.

Pupils here claim they feel healthier and experience fewer migraines, colds and back pain although doctors in Indonesia warn it should not be seen as a cure for physical conditions.

A year after he was discovered in an anonymous grave under a car park, the body of the reviled medieval monarch King Richard lll is still giving up secrets.

It now turns out the hunchback king was probably infected with parasitic worms that grew up to a foot in length.

Roundworm eggs were found in the soil around his pelvis, where his intestines would have been.

Experts say it's unlikely the worms did any serious damage to the king.

Biological anthropologist Dr. Piers Mitchell says: "A heavy load of roundworms increases your risk of malnutrition and that can affect your IQ, your intelligence, and also your growth."

Imagine being able to glue bone together like pieces of paper.

Doctors in Sweden have been looking for ways to improve surgery, especially for elderly patients who find it harder to mend broken bones.

At the start of the year scientists at Stockholm's Royal Institute of Technology revealed they'd developed this glue which acts like a plaster for complicated bone fractures.

Neuroengineer Professor Hans Von Holst says: "When we use glue there will be no need to use general anaesthesia on the patients. Instead we will use local anaesthesia. This means that the operation will be shorter and there will be less complications from the surgery for older people."

Researchers believe it'll eliminate the need for metal plates and screws, resulting in faster, safer and easier operations.

There are still questions of safety to address though, and scientists are analysing the results of toxicology reports before animal trials begin.

In January Kathy Sanford became one of a small group of Alzheimer's patients taking part in a clinical trial to tackle the disease.

It involves using a pacemaker to send mild shocks to the area of the brain affected.

Scientists at Ohio State University in the US hope constant electrical stimulation of brain circuits involved in memory and thinking might keep those neural networks active longer, bypassing damage done by dementia.

Study leader Dr. Ali Rezai says: "Our hope is that we can increase the activity of the brian, and bypass this block."

Earlier this month (11 December 2013) the G8 group of nations held a summit to tackle all dementias including Alzheimer's which is the most common.

The World Health Organisation says it affects an estimated 35.6 million people worldwide and a predicted 115 million people in 2050.

Researchers are hoping 2014 will see a huge shift of resources into sciences looking for a cure.

For children with autism asking for the most basic things can become an insurmountable challenge.

In the Netherlands software scientists created Assistiveware an iPad app which gives verbal prompts to these children and helps them use basic language.

It's designers claim it can make the difference between withdrawal and communication.

A number of apps have been designed to help people with learning disabilities.

The Proloque 2 Go (meaning "speak out loud" in Latin) is a software that integrates 40,000 symbols recorded with children and adult voices.

Touching a symbol activates a voice which describes the object and prompts verbs and nouns to create a sentence.

Another Netherlands company has developed TagTiles, an interactive board game.

Made by the Serious Toys company, the game is interactive like a computer, but without the need for a mouse, screen, or keyboard.

There are about 150,000 people in Netherlands diagnosed with some form of autism according to the Dutch Autism Society.

Vaccines have historically been our best weapon against infectious diseases and in the spring Spanish doctors announced they'd developed a vaccine which temporarily slows the growth of the HIV.

Barcelona's Clinic Hospital has been developing the vaccine for the past five years.

It's therapeutic so it is aimed at treating, rather than preventing the disease, but the therapy isn't permanent which means so far most of the patients on the trial have had to return to taking their antiretroviral drugs.

But doctors believe they've shown in principal that a vaccine can work.

With it's leafy location and modernist design, this centre looks more like a luxury health spa than a maternity ward, but in fact that's exactly what it is.

The new wing at the Royal United Hospital (RHU), in Bath, England aims to create a peaceful, safe and beautiful space for new parents develop their relationship with their newborn.

Often the intrusiveness of life-saving medicine and gadgetry for premature babies, can create a stressful and fearful environment for the the parents.

The RHU cares for 500 premature and sick babies each year.

It's believed that the holistic design of this neo natal centre can decrease tension and increase the chances of survival for babies born here.

It's designed to maximise natural light, the structure is made entirely from wood and there is a "living roof," which adds natural beauty as well as insulating the building and reducing noise in the rooms below.

Preliminary research by the hospital suggests the design has been successful at reducing the stress and anxiety felt by babies, parents and staff.

Opening up your lungs and belting out a song can really make you feel better and not just psychologically according to doctors at London's Brompton Hospital.

They've conducted a study which shows learning to sing properly helps emphysema and asthma patients overcome their symptoms.

According to doctors people who have airflow obstruction, like asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) have collapsible airways.

These classes, led by professional musicians, teach them use what lung space they have efficiently.

A common problem with these patients is that they don't breathe slowly enough.

Here they learn to take enough time to breathe out, before starting to breathe in again.

Most of the patients here have been through rehabilitation physiotherapy, which is intensive and costly, but say they gained confidence from these classes.

Studies on the singing therapy held here haven't found much change in patients' performance during breathing tests even though they may breathe more comfortably.

Doctors say their improvement is limited because their lung disease remains.

No one here will be attempting Wagner's Ring Cycle anytime soon, but these simpler tunes may, doctors believe, keep them healthier despite their disease.

It's the most fundamental tool in surgery, but this isn't just any surgeon's knife.

Scientists at Imperial College London designed it to identify cancer cells so future surgeons can more accurately cut through organs in the operating theatre.

The 'iKnife' as its called, has already been used to remove breast and bowel cancers.

The smoke from cutting tissue is what helps doctors spot cancer.

Surgeons typically use electro-surgical knives which vaporise tissue as they cut.

It produces a sharp-smelling smoke and it's this which is helping doctors identify cancerous tissue.

Importantly the information is sent to the computer in real time during the operation.

Identifying exactly where the tumour ends and which tissue has to be removed, it's absolutely critical in brain surgery for example, because doctors often remove a bit more tissue strictly necessary if they're concerned some cancerous cells remain and patients will need more surgery or chemotherapy.

Inventor Dr Zoltan Takats says: "By analysing these molecules freed by the evaporation process we can actually tell what kind of tissue they were coming from."

Cancer Research UK and the American Cancer Society say more studies are needed before the knife can be deployed in the operating theatre.

A London clinic says it's using a new fertility technique which will dramatically reduce the cost of IVF.

The technique designed in Belgium involves a simple incubations system in a block the size of a shoebox.

It aims to be a low cost alternative to women who don't need sophisticated techniques, like ICSI where the best available sperm is injected directly into an egg.

ICSI is now used in half of all the fertility treatments sought by couples in the UK where the cost of one cycle of treatment can cost between seven and fifteen thousand dollars (US).

The Create Health Clinic is run by Professor Geeta Nargund.

She says: "This is about reducing the cost of IVF by a simplified culture system and taking away the need for a full IVF laboratory."

But Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority says the method can only be offered on licensed premises which has a laboratory where the airflow meets

requirements set out in European directives.

However, the clinic could apply for licenses to use the system in other countries which don't have the same legal requirements.

Pin point accuracy is what this is about.

Autumn 2013 saw Australian scientists unveil the world's smallest hand-held microscope.

It's so small it fits inside a needle to give surgeons a better view of what's happening inside a patient's body.

The lens is less than 0.3 millimetres (0.01 inches) wide.

Cancer surgeon Professor Christobel Saunders from the University of Western Australia says: "We really can see at a microscopic level where there is tumour. So it's almost like an ultrasound picture, but at a microscopic level."

It's hoped the device could dramatically reduce the number of breast cancer patients who need more than one operation to remove deadly tumours.

Like the iKnife developed in London earlier in the year, doctors hope this needle will mean cancer patients have to undergo fewer repeat surgical procedures.

Last month (November 2013) World Diabetes Day highlighted the growth of this chronic disease which affects at least 347 million people the world over.

Predictions constantly indicate that number will continue to soar with obesity rates, poor diet and a lifestyle with little exercise.

Surgeons like Nadey Hakim in London are always searching for effective methods to tackle the disease without resorting to drastic procedures such as a full gastric bypass.

He's part of a team at Imperial College who've done the UK trials.

This non-invasive operation uses a device called Endobarrier.

It was developed for obesity patients is being trialled in America for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Doctors like Hakim here claim it's been shown to be effective on diabetes patients in trials of 500 people, and it's already being used in Europe.

An Endobarrier is a thin plastic sleeve which lines the small intestine, causing food to be absorbed further down in the intestine.

The aim is to trick the body into reacting to food differently.

The sleeve cuts out this section of digestion which makes us feel fuller after a smaller meal and at the same time it changes the way the body manages blood sugar.

It's like a gastric bypass, but it's inserted via a guide wire through the mouth which means it's not invasive, it doesn't carry the same risk of infection and at around �3,000 ($4,800), it's around a third of the cost.

A number of patients experience severe discomfort which has required early removal of the device.

Meet Dr. Asad Chaudhary, or rather the robotic version of him.

Remote presence robots like this are allowing doctors to transport themselves into hospitals to diagnose patients and offer medical advice during emergencies.

A growing number of hospitals in California are using Telemedicine robots to expand access to medical specialists, especially in rural areas where there's a shortage of doctors.

Linda Frisk a stroke patient on the ward is reassured to see Chaudhary although they are miles apart.

Chaudhary can ask Frisk to smile, open and close her eyes, make a fist and lift her arms and legs - common prompts to test a patient's neurological functioning.

Telemedicine machines were first introduced here five years ago to diagnose patients suspected of suffering stokes, now they're being used in emergency rooms and intensive-care units at around 20 California hospitals expanding their access to specialists neurology, cardiology, neonatology, paediatrics and mental health.

Chaudhary says: "It's just like being with the patient in the room. So of course, nothing can replace seeing these patients in person. But it's the next best thing."

The trip to the ballet is a Christmas tradition in many countries around the world and with it's tree with presents and tinsel the Nutcracker is the festive season's finest.

The athleticism and physique of ballet dancers has always attracted admiration.

Now scientists searching for a treatment for patients with chronic dizziness are paying close attention to the ballet as well.

These young dancers at London's Central School of Ballet have been learning how to spin since they were children.

They use a technique called spotting.

They pick a fixed point in front and as they turn their heads move around to search for that spot.

After 10,000 repetitions it starts to feel natural according to ballet tutors.

Scientists say this long term training has taught ballet dancers brains to suppress signals from the balance organs in the inner ear which alert them to feeling dizzy.

Dizziness comes from the feeling that we're moving even though we are perfectly still.

Researchers at Imperial College compared brains scans of two groups including ballet dancers after spinning them at this Laboratory.

They're hoping to discover how to help people with illnesses such as labyrinthitis.

AP Television

Jakarta, Indonesia, January 18, 2013

1. Close of woman spreading arms for movement in antigravity yoga class

2. Wide of woman going into fully extended hanging position

3. Close of woman extended position

4. Close of woman in position

5. Wide of class hanging in hammocks

VNR: University of Leicester

Leicester, UK - August 2012, exact date unknown

6. Close-up of King Richard lll's skull at excavation site

7. Mid of King Richard's skeleton embedded in soil

8. Various of Leicester University scientist examining remains

US Centers for Disease Control Handout

FILE: Location and date unknown

9. STILL of large round worm

Orange County Public Health Laboratory Handout

FILE: Location and date unknown

10. STILL of round worm on ruler

AP Television

London, UK - 30 August 2013

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Piers Mitchell, Biological Anthropologist, University of Cambridge:

"A heavy load of roundworms increases your risk of malnutrition and that can affect your IQ, your intelligence, and also your growth

University of Leicester VNR

Leicester, UK - August 2012, exact date unknown

12. Close of scan on monitor showing King Richard's scoliosis affected spine

AP Television

Stockholm, Sweden, November 13, 2012

13. Close zoom out of jar of glue being held to reveal scientist at the Royal Institute of Technology

14. Close of scientist applying glue to two pieces of bone

15. Mid of scientists using lamp to activate glue

16. Close of lamp light on the bone

17. Mid of scientist trying to break bones that have been glued together

18. Close of the glued bone in the scientist's hands

19. SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Hans Von Holst, Professor of Neuroengineering at Royal Institute of Technology

"When we use glue there will be no need to use general anaesthesia on the patients. Instead we will use local anaesthesia. This means that the operation will be shorter and there will be less complications from the surgery for older people."

20. Various of older people walking in streets

VNR: Ohio State University

Lancaster, Ohio, US, 2013

21. Various of Kathy Sanford and her father sitting at the table looking through family photos

VNR: Medtronic

22. Animation showing brain pacemaker inside human body, wires reach up from a battery pack to brain and send electrical signals

VNR: Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio, US, October 2012

23. Various of surgeons in theatre operating on Sanford to implant pacemaker in her brain

AP Television

Columbus, Ohio, US, January 24, 2013

24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Ali Rezai, Dir. Neurosciences Program, Ohio State University:

"Our hope is that we can increase the activity of the brian, and bypass this block in the brain."

VNR: Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio, US, 2013

25. Mid of researchers working with Sanford in lab

26. Close of device placed on Sanford's chest during monitoring sessions

27. Close of device used to test and regulate voltage of electrical charges

AP Television

Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 21, 2012

28. Close up demonstration of Assistiveware iPad software with icons that help autistic children communicate basic needs

VNR: Copyright of Assistiveware

New York, US, May 2012

29. Mid of four-year-old girl with autism using software to communicate, being asked "what animal is this?"

30. Various of little girl pressing buttons and being asked questions

AP Television

Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, January 7, 2013

31. Close of Tag Tiles interactive board game being put together

32. Close of wooden objects (boy, houses, tree) used on interactive game

33. Various close of object being placed on board game and computer voice responding

VNR: Copyright of Dr. Leo Kannerhuis, Autism Centre

Doorwerth, Netherlands, April , 2012

34. Extract of film showing difficulty of living with autism

AP Television

Doorwerth, Netherlands, January 8 , 2013

35. Close of woman using "OV Coach" app

36. Close of iPad asking what problem she's experiencing

AP Television

Barcelona, January 24, 2013

37. Various of Doctor Josep Maria Gatell working in the laboratory

38. Close of nurse administering vaccine (please note this is not an anti-HIV injection)

39. Mid of people walking in hospital corridor

40. Various of researcher working on samples in laboratory

AP Television

Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK, June 12, 2013

41. Wide zoom in on exterior of new building for premature babies

42. Various of plants on roof garden

43. Various of nurse with mother by baby in incubator in intensive care room

44. Mid top shot of relative with baby in incubator

45. Close of baby in incubator

AP Television

London, UK, June 11, 2013

46. Wide of singing therapy class with members doing voice and chest exercise

47. Close zoom out of singing instructor to class

48. Various of class singing

AP Television

London, UK, July 17, 2013

49. Various of demonstration (pig's) liver being dissected with new intelligent knife (iKnife)

50. Close of computer monitor showing information from iKnife being translated into graph

VNR: Copyright of Dr Zoltan Takats, Imperial College London

51. Extract of video showing how iKnife works simultaneously to communicate information about patient having surgery

AP Television

London, UK, July 17, 2013

52. SOUNDBITE: (English), Dr Zoltan Takats, iKnife inventor, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London

"By analysing these molecules freed by the evaporation process we can actually tell what kind of tissue they were coming from."

AP Television

London, UK, August 14, 2013

53. Close of Professor Geeta Nargund and embryologist at the Create Health Clinic

54. Various of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure being done at Create Health Clinic

Still Images: Copyright of Prof. Dr. Willem Ombelet, Hasselt University Genk - no reuse

55. Various colour photographs showing simple kit and process followed for lVF without an expensive laboratory called tWE-lab (the Walking Egg Laboratory)

AP Television

London, UK, August 14, 2013

56. SOUNDBITE: (English), Professor Geeta Nargund, medical director, Create Health Clinic & lead consultant, Reproductive Medicine services, St George's Hospital

"This is about reducing the cost of IVF by a simplified culture system and taking away the need for a full IVF laboratory."

57. Mid pull focus from laboratory technicians to microscope

58. Various of dishes with embryos

AP Television

Perth, Australia, September 6, 2013

59. Various close of needle with microscope light shining from within

60. SOUNDBITE (English): Professor Christobel Saunders, cancer surgeon, University of Western Australia

"We really can see at a microscopic level where there is tumour. So it's almost like an ultrasound picture, but at a microscopic level."

61. Close of scans

62. Close of needle in workbench vice

63. Mid of researcher pointing to computer monitor with photograph of needle

64. Close of needle with microscope light shining

AP Television

London, UK, October 26, 2013

65. Close of guide wire being inserted into patient's small intestine through mouth

66. Close of monitor showing patient's vital statistics

67. Close of patient during endobarrier surgery

68. Close of anaesthetist and monitor

69. Wide of theatre during procedure

70. Close of monitor showing scan of patient's small intestine after endobarrier has been implanted

AP Television

Carmichael, California, US - 25 October 2013

71. Wide of Telemedicine robot moving down hall.

72. Mid rear view of Telemedicine robot moving down hall

73. Close of base of robot turning

74. Close of computer monitor showing robot's view of patient in bed on ward

75. Wide of patient in bed talking to Dr. Asad Chaudhary via robot on ward

76. Close of robot showing Dr. Asad Chaudhary's head talking via computer camera

77. Mid of patient on bed in ward

78. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Asad Chaudhary, Stroke Neurologist, Mercy Medical Group:

"It's just like being with the patient in the room. So of course, nothing can replace seeing these patients in person. But it's the next best thing."

79. Close of Chaudhary looking at monitor showing Telemedicine view of hospital corridor

VNR: MUST CREDIT ONSCREEN: "Nutcracker, Royal Opera House Covent Garden

London, UK, 2013

80. Extract of movie showing The Royal Ballet dancing Nutcracker filmed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

AP Television

London, UK, October 10, 2013

81. Mid of ballet students at the Central School of Ballet practicing pirouettes

82. Close of dancer's feet

83. Mid of dancers pirouetting

84. Various of male dancers pirouetting

85. Close zoom of dancer Clare Haven taking part in experiment in laboratory at Imperial College London

86. Close of monitor showing Haven being spun in darkened laboratory

87. Wide of neurologist Dr. Barry Seemungal conducting experiment

88. Close of monitor showing Haven stopping and spinning wheel attached to chair

LEAD IN:

Stanford University researchers are studying if a device called Autism Glass can help autistic children improve their ability to read emotions in people's faces.

STORY-LINE:

Like most autistic children, Julian Brown has trouble reading emotions on people's faces.

It's one of the biggest challenges for people with this neurological disorder.

Now the ten year old is getting help from facial recognition software that runs on Google Glass, the computerised eyewear developed by Google.

The youngster says: "There's not a machine that can read your mind. But this helps with the emotions, you know, recognising them."

Julian wears what researchers are referring to as 'autism glass' for an hour a day while interacting with family members.

The device alerts him to the emotions on their faces and tests his ability to read facial expressions.

So far he's enthusiastic about it, saying: "I really think it would help autistic people a lot."

Julian is one of about a hundred autistic children participating in a Stanford University study to see if the device can improve their face-reading abilities.

Lead researcher Dennis Wall says: "The Autism Glass programme is meant to teach children with autism how to understand what a face is telling them and we believe that when that happens they will become more socially engaged and as a consequence of that gain confidence in social settings."

Stanford student Catalin Voss and researcher Nick Haber developed the software to analyse faces and recognize common emotions such as happy, angry, sad and surprised.

Voss explains: "We had the idea of basically creating a behavioural aide that would recognise the expressions and faces for you and then give you social cues according to those."

The Stanford team hopes Autism Glass can provide affordable and convenient therapy which families can use at home.

If the study shows positive results, the product could be commercially available within a few years.

Speaking on behalf of the Autism Society in the San Francisco area Jill Escher says: "Anything that can help this population is very welcome and very important, but even the best technology will never be enough because we are dealing with a population with often very, very profound needs."

The study is still in its early stages, but some parents claim they already see a change in their children.

Julian's brother is also autistic.

His mother Kristen Brown says: "It (the device) has helped our son who's using the Google Glasses connect with the family more. He's talking more to us. And he seems to be pausing more to just to gather information from us in conversation."

It's not just Julian who's found the device helpful, according to Stanford participating children have shown gains in their face-reading abilities and family feedback has been encouraging.

LEAD IN:

Stanford University researchers are studying if a device called Autism Glass can help autistic children improve their ability to read emotions in people's faces.

STORY-LINE:

Like most autistic children, Julian Brown has trouble reading emotions on people's faces.

It's one of the biggest challenges for people with this neurological disorder.

Now the ten year old is getting help from facial recognition software that runs on Google Glass, the computerised eyewear developed by Google.

The youngster says: "There's not a machine that can read your mind. But this helps with the emotions, you know, recognising them."

Julian wears what researchers are referring to as 'autism glass' for an hour a day while interacting with family members.

The device alerts him to the emotions on their faces and tests his ability to read facial expressions.

So far he's enthusiastic about it, saying: "I really think it would help autistic people a lot."

Julian is one of about a hundred autistic children participating in a Stanford University study to see if the device can improve their face-reading abilities.

Lead researcher Dennis Wall says: "The Autism Glass programme is meant to teach children with autism how to understand what a face is telling them and we believe that when that happens they will become more socially engaged and as a consequence of that gain confidence in social settings."

Stanford student Catalin Voss and researcher Nick Haber developed the software to analyse faces and recognize common emotions such as happy, angry, sad and surprised.

Voss explains: "We had the idea of basically creating a behavioural aide that would recognise the expressions and faces for you and then give you social cues according to those."

The Stanford team hopes Autism Glass can provide affordable and convenient therapy which families can use at home.

If the study shows positive results, the product could be commercially available within a few years.

Speaking on behalf of the Autism Society in the San Francisco area Jill Escher says: "Anything that can help this population is very welcome and very important, but even the best technology will never be enough because we are dealing with a population with often very, very profound needs."

The study is still in its early stages, but some parents claim they already see a change in their children.

Julian's brother is also autistic.

His mother Kristen Brown says: "It (the device) has helped our son who's using the Google Glasses connect with the family more. He's talking more to us. And he seems to be pausing more to just to gather information from us in conversation."

It's not just Julian who's found the device helpful, according to Stanford participating children have shown gains in their face-reading abilities and family feedback has been encouraging.

AP Television

San Jose, California - 6 April 2016

1. Various of ten year old autistic boy Julian Brown wearing Google Glass and playing a game of cubes with his mother Kristen Brown

2. Close-up of cubes

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Julian Brown, patient in Autism Glass Project

"There's not a machine that can read your mind. But this helps with the emotions, you know, recognising them."

4. Various of Julian Brown playing with his mother wearing Google Glass

5 . Julian focuses Google Glass

6. Mid shot of Kristen Brown seen through the glass from her son's point of view

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Julian Brown, patient in Autism Glass Project

"I really think it would help autistic people a lot."

8. Wide of Julian Brown showing his Lego display with his mother watching

AP Television

San Francisco, California - 8 January 2016

9. Mid of Stanford researcher pointing to the Google Glass fitted with the recognition software on a mannequin head

10. Close of mannequin wearing Google Glass connected by wires to a laptop

Stanford University VNR

Location and date unknown

11. Shows view through glasses programmed with autism software of woman smiling and shaking hands with the word "happy" appearing

AP Television

San Francisco, California - 8 January 2016

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dennis Wall, Wall Lab director, Stanford University School of Medicine

"The Autism Glass program is meant to teach children with autism how to understand what a face is telling them, period. And we believe that when that happens they will become more socially engaged, and as a consequence of that gain confidence in social settings."

13. Mid of Nick Haber (left) and Catalin Voss demonstrating Autism Glass

14. Close-up of Nick Haber wearing Google Glass

Stanford University VNR

Stanford, California - Jan. 8, 2016

15. Mid of Catalin Voss responding to Nick Harber shot from Google Glass camera

AP Television

San Francisco, California - 8 January 2016

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dennis Wall, Wall Lab director, Stanford University School of Medicine

"The access to care is too limited. So kids with autism are not getting enough of the care that they need, for as long as they need it in the United States and we need to fix the problem."

17. Close of Haber looking at laptop making "happy" face at computer camera followed by "angry" expression

18. Mid of computer screen showing "happy angry" face analysis

19. Close of Haber making "sad" and "disgust" expressions

20. Close of screen showing "surprised" face analysis

21. Various of Haber making faces at Voss who is wearing glass device

22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Catalin Voss, Stanford University student and Autism Glass Project founder

"We had the idea of basically creating a behavioural aide that would recognise the expressions and faces for you and then give you social cues according to those."

23. Close-up of Google Glass on Haber's face

Stanford University VNR

Stanford, California - Jan. 8, 2016

24. Mid of Voss making facial expressions from point of view of the glass device

AP Television

San Francisco, California - 8 January 2016

25. Wide of Voss and Haber looking at researcher's screen

26. Mid of researcher with screen showing facial analysis

27. Close of screen showing facial analysis of researcher's head

28. Close of Google Glass on mannequin head

AP Television

Palo Alto, California - 8 January 2016

29. Mid of Jill Escher from the Autism Society looking at smartphone

30. Close of phone with game she uses to play with autistic children

31. SOUNDBITE (English) Jill Escher, president of Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area

"(A) Anything that can help this population is very welcome and very important, but technology, even the best technology will never be enough, B because we are dealing with a population with often very, very profound needs."

AP Television

San Jose, California - 6 April 2016

32. Mid of Kristen Brown showing Autism Glass app on phone

33. Close of Brown's phone screen showing Autism Glass therapy video

34. SOUNDBITE (English) Kristen Brown, mother of Julian Brown

"It has helped our son who's using the Google Glasses connect with the family more. He's talking more to us and he seems to be pausing more to just to gather information from us in conversation that I don't remember him doing before the programme."

35. Mid of Julian Brown demonstrating how his toy robot moves

36. Close-up of toy robot

37. SOUNDBITE (English) Kristen Brown, mother of Julian Brown

"I think the glass is a great way to get kids to relate better, to not just their family but to the peers around them. If they can break that barrier, then man oh man, these high-functioning kids, you wouldn't feel like labeling them so much."

38. Close of Julian Brown wearing glass device

39. Close of phone video of Kristen Brown shot from Google Glass

40. Mid of Kristen and Julian Brown playing Story Cubes game

LEAD IN:

Stanford University researchers are studying if a device called Autism Glass can help autistic children improve their ability to read emotions in people's faces.

STORY-LINE:

Like most autistic children, Julian Brown has trouble reading emotions on people's faces.

It's one of the biggest challenges for people with this neurological disorder.

Now the ten year old is getting help from facial recognition software that runs on Google Glass, the computerised eyewear developed by Google.

The youngster says: "There's not a machine that can read your mind. But this helps with the emotions, you know, recognising them."

Julian wears what researchers are referring to as 'autism glass' for an hour a day while interacting with family members.

The device alerts him to the emotions on their faces and tests his ability to read facial expressions.

So far he's enthusiastic about it, saying: "I really think it would help autistic people a lot."

Julian is one of about a hundred autistic children participating in a Stanford University study to see if the device can improve their face-reading abilities.

Lead researcher Dennis Wall says: "The Autism Glass programme is meant to teach children with autism how to understand what a face is telling them and we believe that when that happens they will become more socially engaged and as a consequence of that gain confidence in social settings."

Stanford student Catalin Voss and researcher Nick Haber developed the software to analyse faces and recognize common emotions such as happy, angry, sad and surprised.

Voss explains: "We had the idea of basically creating a behavioural aide that would recognise the expressions and faces for you and then give you social cues according to those."

The Stanford team hopes Autism Glass can provide affordable and convenient therapy which families can use at home.

If the study shows positive results, the product could be commercially available within a few years.

Speaking on behalf of the Autism Society in the San Francisco area Jill Escher says: "Anything that can help this population is very welcome and very important, but even the best technology will never be enough because we are dealing with a population with often very, very profound needs."

The study is still in its early stages, but some parents claim they already see a change in their children.

Julian's brother is also autistic.

His mother Kristen Brown says: "It (the device) has helped our son who's using the Google Glasses connect with the family more. He's talking more to us. And he seems to be pausing more to just to gather information from us in conversation."

It's not just Julian who's found the device helpful, according to Stanford participating children have shown gains in their face-reading abilities and family feedback has been encouraging.

LEAD IN:

Stanford University researchers are studying if a device called Autism Glass can help autistic children improve their ability to read emotions in people's faces.

STORY-LINE:

Like most autistic children, Julian Brown has trouble reading emotions on people's faces.

It's one of the biggest challenges for people with this neurological disorder.

Now the ten year old is getting help from facial recognition software that runs on Google Glass, the computerised eyewear developed by Google.

The youngster says: "There's not a machine that can read your mind. But this helps with the emotions, you know, recognising them."

Julian wears what researchers are referring to as 'autism glass' for an hour a day while interacting with family members.

The device alerts him to the emotions on their faces and tests his ability to read facial expressions.

So far he's enthusiastic about it, saying: "I really think it would help autistic people a lot."

Julian is one of about a hundred autistic children participating in a Stanford University study to see if the device can improve their face-reading abilities.

Lead researcher Dennis Wall says: "The Autism Glass programme is meant to teach children with autism how to understand what a face is telling them and we believe that when that happens they will become more socially engaged and as a consequence of that gain confidence in social settings."

Stanford student Catalin Voss and researcher Nick Haber developed the software to analyse faces and recognize common emotions such as happy, angry, sad and surprised.

Voss explains: "We had the idea of basically creating a behavioural aide that would recognise the expressions and faces for you and then give you social cues according to those."

The Stanford team hopes Autism Glass can provide affordable and convenient therapy which families can use at home.

If the study shows positive results, the product could be commercially available within a few years.

Speaking on behalf of the Autism Society in the San Francisco area Jill Escher says: "Anything that can help this population is very welcome and very important, but even the best technology will never be enough because we are dealing with a population with often very, very profound needs."

The study is still in its early stages, but some parents claim they already see a change in their children.

Julian's brother is also autistic.

His mother Kristen Brown says: "It (the device) has helped our son who's using the Google Glasses connect with the family more. He's talking more to us. And he seems to be pausing more to just to gather information from us in conversation."

It's not just Julian who's found the device helpful, according to Stanford participating children have shown gains in their face-reading abilities and family feedback has been encouraging.

AP TELEVISION

San Jose, California - April 6, 2016

1. Various of ten year old autistic boy Julian Brown wearing Google Glass and playing a game of cubes with his mother Kristen Brown

2. Close-up of cubes

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Julian Brown, patient in Autism Glass Project

"There's not a machine that can read your mind. But this helps with the emotions, you know, recognising them."

4. Various of Julian Brown playing with his mother wearing Google Glass

5 . Julian focuses Google Glass

6. Mid shot of Kristen Brown seen through the glass from her son's point of view

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Julian Brown, patient in Autism Glass Project

"I really think it would help autistic people a lot."

8. Wide of Julian Brown showing his Lego display with his mother watching

AP Television

San Francisco, California - 8 January 2016

9. Mid of Stanford researcher pointing to the Google Glass fitted with the recognition software on a mannequin head

10. Close of mannequin wearing Google Glass connected by wires to a laptop

Stanford University VNR

Location and date unknown

11. Shows view through glasses programmed with autism software of woman smiling and shaking hands with the word "happy" appearing

AP Television

San Francisco, California - 8 January 2016

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dennis Wall, Wall Lab director, Stanford University School of Medicine

"The Autism Glass program is meant to teach children with autism how to understand what a face is telling them, period. And we believe that when that happens they will become more socially engaged, and as a consequence of that gain confidence in social settings."

13. Mid of Nick Haber (left) and Catalin Voss demonstrating Autism Glass

14. Close-up of Nick Haber wearing Google Glass

Stanford University VNR

Stanford, California - Jan. 8, 2016

15. Mid of Catalin Voss responding to Nick Harber shot from Google Glass camera

AP Television

San Francisco, California - 8 January 2016

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dennis Wall, Wall Lab director, Stanford University School of Medicine

"The access to care is too limited. So kids with autism are not getting enough of the care that they need, for as long as they need it in the United States and we need to fix the problem."

17. Close of Haber looking at laptop making "happy" face at computer camera followed by "angry" expression

18. Mid of computer screen showing "happy angry" face analysis

19. Close of Haber making "sad" and "disgust" expressions

20. Close of screen showing "surprised" face analysis

21. Various of Haber making faces at Voss who is wearing glass device

22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Catalin Voss, Stanford University student and Autism Glass Project founder

"We had the idea of basically creating a behavioural aide that would recognise the expressions and faces for you and then give you social cues according to those."

23. Close-up of Google Glass on Haber's face

Stanford University VNR

Stanford, California - Jan. 8, 2016

24. Mid of Voss making facial expressions from point of view of the glass device

AP Television

San Francisco, California - 8 January 2016

25. Wide of Voss and Haber looking at researcher's screen

26. Mid of researcher with screen showing facial analysis

27. Close of screen showing facial analysis of researcher's head

28. Close of Google Glass on mannequin head

AP Television

Palo Alto, California - 8 January 2016

29. Mid of Jill Escher from the Autism Society looking at smartphone

30. Close of phone with game she uses to play with autistic children

31. SOUNDBITE (English) Jill Escher, president of Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area

"(A) Anything that can help this population is very welcome and very important, but technology, even the best technology will never be enough, B because we are dealing with a population with often very, very profound needs."

AP Television

San Jose, California - 6 April 2016

32. Mid of Kristen Brown showing Autism Glass app on phone

33. Close of Brown's phone screen showing Autism Glass therapy video

34. SOUNDBITE (English) Kristen Brown, mother of Julian Brown

"It has helped our son who's using the Google Glasses connect with the family more. He's talking more to us and he seems to be pausing more to just to gather information from us in conversation that I don't remember him doing before the programme."

35. Mid of Julian Brown demonstrating how his toy robot moves

36. Close-up of toy robot

37. SOUNDBITE (English) Kristen Brown, mother of Julian Brown

"I think the glass is a great way to get kids to relate better, to not just their family but to the peers around them. If they can break that barrier, then man oh man, these high-functioning kids, you wouldn't feel like labeling them so much."

38. Close of Julian Brown wearing glass device

39. Close of phone video of Kristen Brown shot from Google Glass

40. Mid of Kristen and Julian Brown playing Story Cubes game

LENGTH: 4.45

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Tuesday that the number of new cases of cancer worldwide is set to rise to 20 (m) million a year by 2025.

According to a new report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in 2012 there were an estimated 14 (m) million new cases per year.

The WHO's specialised cancer agency says that figure is expected to rise to 22 (m) million annually within the next two decades.

Over the same period, cancer deaths are predicted to rise from an estimated 8.2 (m) million annually to 13 (m) million per year.

Dr Christopher Wild is the director of IARC and co-author of World Cancer Report 2014.

He said recently that the major difference between the IARC's new report and a previous one six years ago is that scientists are seeing a rapid rise in the numbers of cancers worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

"This shows that cancer is truly a global problem and that we're not going to be able to address this problem by simply improving the treatment of the disease," he said.

At the IARC's laboratories in the French city of Lyon, scientists are able to analyse people's cells in an effort to improve cancer treatment and prevention.

Tanks at the laboratories contains some six million human samples, collected from 1.5 million (m) healthy people around the world.

The samples have been stored at the IARC for several decades in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 Celsius (minus 320 Fahrenheit).

Scientists also have access to "metadata" about people's living conditions and lifestyles.

According to the IARC, "when some of these people develop cancer, a group of researchers can then compare the DNA of these stored healthy cells with that of more recent cells collected from their tumours. They can also collect data about the evolution of the lifestyles and living conditions of these people."

Wild said this research has led to a better "understanding of the biology of cancer".

The challenge now, he added, is to "translate this new knowledge about the biology into better treatments but also into ways to prevent the disease and detect it early".

Among those benefiting from some of the latest technology are patients at the nearby Leon Berard Hospital.

The CyberKnife robot allows doctors to deliver precise radiotherapy - targeting a tumour and avoiding the healthy cells around it as much as possible.

However, one of the main conclusions of the World Cancer Report 2014 is the so-called "cancer divide".

According to the report, as a consequence of growing and ageing populations, developing countries are disproportionately affected by the rising numbers of cancers.

It says more than 60 percent of the world's total cases occur in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America - and that these regions account for about 70 percent of the world's cancer deaths.

The situation is made worse by the lack of early detection and access to treatment, the report concludes.

Bernard Stewart, a co-editor of World Cancer Report 2014, told Britain's Sky News that people in developing countries suffer a "double burden".

Not only are they increasingly at risk of developing cancers that have long been seen in high-income countries, such as smoking-related and obesity-related cancers, but also "to a very large extent" they bear the total burden of cancers related to infections, such as cervical cancer in women, liver cancer and stomach cancer.

"Those cancers dominate low- and middle-income countries and, together with what were the higher-income countries' cancers, they are suffering the bulk of the world's cancer cases," Stewart concluded.

Karin Rondia, Medical Director at Belgium's Foundation Against Cancer, notes that a major cause of the rise of new cases of cancer is the fact that populations around the world are living longer.

"The older you get, the more chances you get of getting a cancer," she told the Associated Press on Tuesday.

But she said that "cancer is the disease of the developed world, of rich countries".

As developing countries adopt the lifestyle of richer ones - including smoking, fast food and a lack of exercise - "those things are converging to increase risk factors of cancer," she warned.

Among the conclusions of World Cancer Report 2014 is that prevention works but that health promotion alone is insufficient.

"Adequate legislation plays an important role in reducing exposure and risk behaviours," it says.

WHO HANDOUT

Lyon, France - 27/28 January 2014

1. World Health Organisation (WHO) scientists at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) opening one of several tanks that contain 6 (m) million human samples collected from 1.5 (m) million healthy people all over the world, stored at IARC for several decades in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius (minus 321 Fahrenheit)

2. Close of digital display on tank reading "Minus 175 Celsius" (minus 283 Fahrenheit)

3. Close of WHO scientist taking out samples and putting them into cold box

4. Exterior of sign reading (French/English) "IARC - International Agency for Research on Cancer"

5. Various establishing shots of Dr Christopher Wild, Director of IARC and co-author of World Cancer Report 2014, a collaboration of over 250 scientists from more than 40 countries, describing multiple aspects of cancer research and control

6. Close of computer screen showing interactive mapping tools at IARC which help researchers in their global analysis

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Christopher Wild, Director of IARC and co-editor of World Cancer Report 2014:

"The big difference with this report compared to the previous one six years ago is, first of all, that we're seeing a very rapid increase in the numbers of cancers worldwide but particularly in the low-and middle-income countries. So this shows us that cancer is truly global problem and that we're not going to be able to address this problem by simply improving the treatment of the disease."

8. Zoom in to computer screen showing showing interactive mapping tool

9. Zoom in to Kenya on interactive map

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Christopher Wild, Director of IARC and co-editor of World Cancer Report 2014:

"The second big change, I think, is the advance we have seen in the understanding of the biology of cancer, and now our challenge is to translate this new knowledge about the biology into better treatments, but also into ways to prevent the disease and detect it early."

11. Patient at nearby Leon Berard Hospital receiving radiotherapy with a CyberKnife robot

12. Zoom out from small screens showing radiotherapy treatment

SKY NEWS

Strictly no re-use/re-sale without clearance / No Access UK Mainstream broadcasters/Al Jazeera/Bloomberg. If you are a Foreign News Channel distributed in the UK and Ireland on Sky's digital satellite platform and want to use this content, please contact Anna Jones at Skycommercial@ap.org

London, UK - 4 February 2014

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Bernard Stewart, co-editor of World Cancer Report 2014:

"(Developing countries are) Increasingly developing the spectrum of cancers that dominated the high-income countries, the smoking-related and now the obesity and possibly the alcohol-drinking-related cancers, and on the other hand the lower- and middle-income countries to a very large extent bear the total burden of cancers that are related to infections. These particularly involve cervical cancers in women, which is caused by the human papilloma virus, liver cancer which is caused by hepatitis A and hepatitis B virus, in large parts, and stomach cancer, which is caused by bacterial infection. Those cancers dominate low- and middle-income countries and, as I said, together with what were the higher-income countries' cancers, they are suffering the bulk of the world's cancer cases."

AP TELEVISION

Brussels, Belgium - 4 February 2014

14. Establishing shot of Dr Karin Rondia, Medical Director at the Foundation Against Cancer

15. Cutaway of pamphlet on cancer treatment

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Karin Rondia, Medical Director, Foundation Against Cancer:

"The main cause of cancer rise is the fact that population is aging because cancer is a disease of an aged person. The older you get the more chances you get of getting a cancer."

17. Cutaway of book about cancer

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Karin Rondia, Medical Director, Foundation Against Cancer:

"Cancer is the disease of the developed world, of rich countries, with the occidental way of life. The more poor countries are developing and they are running into our way of life with our obesity, bad food, smoking. Smoking is a really very heavy factor. They ride cars so they don't move any more, they don't exercise. So all those things are converging to rise the risk factors of cancer."

WHO HANDOUT

Lyon, France - 27/28 January 2014

19. Various of WHO scientist performing biological analysis of cells

English/Nat

XFA

Gains, both big and potentially far reaching, are being made daily in the field of human genomics.

Leaders of competing public and private efforts to sequence and map all the human genes will announce

jointly on Monday that they have essentially completed the project.

The development could have a staggering impact on science and medicine.

In another development, the U-S Food and Drug Authority has given a Maryland-based company the go ahead to begin human testing with a protein that is a powerful natural weapon against infection.

The anti-infection therapy also derives from the study of human genomics.

The Human Genome Sciences company (H-G-S) says it has approval from the F-D-A (Food and Drug Authority) to begin human tests of a protein compound known as the B-lymphocyte stimulator - or BLyS (pronounced: bliss).

BLyS stimulates a certain kind of white blood cell called B-lymphocytes to make antibodies, which are important proteins for fighting infections.

In effect, if it works, it would be like giving the body a dose of its own medicine

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Patients who lack this ability to fight infection, suffer from several types of infectious disease, pneumonia, sinusitis. Our hope is that by using this naturally occurring protein which very specifically stimulates the immune system that we can help these patients with disease called Common Immune Deficiency to better fight infections."

SUPER CAPTION: Dr David Stump, MD, Senior Vice President, Drug Development, HGS

The use of the BLyS protein could be a major step in fighting a wide range of immune deficiency diseases and the competition to isolate the protein by a number of pharmaceutical companies was fierce.

HGS has taken the lead in the race to get usable gene-based drugs to clinical trials and no other company has a advanced as far as it has with the BLyS protein.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We've thought about a lot of different applications beyond these patients who are known to be deficient in the immune systems, individuals who are very young or very old are particularly prone to infections. Individuals with HIV are also prone to infections, there are some individuals with certain types of malignancy are also prone to these types of infections. We would probably study this protein eventually in any number of these settings assuming that our first trials are successful."

SUPER CAPTION: Dr David Stump, MD, Senior Vice President, Drug Development, HGS

H-G-S hopes to add studies to the trial to include certain cancers, patients undergoing chemotherapy and organ transplants.

BLyS is the fourth gene-based drug candidate developed by H-G-S to advance to human trials, the other three involve compounds that reduce the effects of chemotherapy, help regrowth of epidermal cells and another that could be used to regrow blood vessels.

Meanwhile, a major announcement that will redefine the genomics field is expected on Monday.

Another Maryland-based company, Celera Genomics, is the leader in the private effort to map the human gene while the government-sponsored effort is being led by the National Institutes of Health.

The two have been competing to place in proper order most of the more than three (b) billion subunits of D-N-A that make up the human genetic code.

On Monday they will issue a joint statement on their achievement.

Experts consider the decoding of the human gene structure to be one of history's great scientific milestones, sort of the biological equivalent of space science's landing on the moon.

Even though the H-G-S scientists are not directly involved in the Human Genome Project to map the entire sequence of the human genes, they agree it will be a breakthrough.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"I think what people tend for forget is that all drugs are based on genes. When a gene goes bad we need a drug to counter act the effect. All genomics has done, it hasn't changed necessarily the types of drugs it just gives us a complete collection of genes which allows us to ask different questions. The development times and the drugs that come out will still be similar, I think this will allow people to realise the potential in genomics, but it will still take years to develop these drugs."

SUPER CAPTION: Craig Rosen, Executive Vice President, Research and Development, HGS

Scientists say the development will enable doctors to treat the underlying genetic causes of hundreds of human disorders, including heart disease and cancer.

Rockville, Maryland, United States - June 23, 2000 and recent

APTN - June 23

1. Exterior views of Human Genome Sciences office

VNR - Recent

2. Various views HGS staff working on DNA sequencing

APTN - June 23

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr David Stump, MD, Senior Vice President, Drug Development, HGS

VNR - Recent

4. Various views HGS gene-based drugs being used in human trials

APTN - June 23

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr David Stump, MD, Senior Vice President, Drug Development, HGS

6. Exterior of Celera building

7. Close-up of Celera sign

VNR - Recent

8. Various views of Celera staff working on DNA sequencing

APTN - June 23

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Craig Rosen, Executive Vice President, Research and Development, HGS

VNR - Recent

10. Push in view of robots working in HGS lab

T/I: 10:29:53

A comprehensive map of the genes that make up the human body has been unveiled on the internet. The electronic diary provides a guide to more than 16,000 genes; a fifth of the genes in the human body. It's the result of 15 years of work by scientists around the world and they

expect to complete their map of every gene by 2005.

At the heart of nearly every cell are 23 pairs of chromosomes each with

thousands of genes along them with instructions for building and repairing the body. The genes come in a string of DNA molecules, coiled into a spiral. It's when these genes are faulty that inherited diseases can strike.

The challenge for scientists has been to locate each gene and work out what it does. In some cases a gene determines the colour of a person's hair or eyes, in other cases it determines health.

The research is critical in paving the way for tests for genetic disorders and new treatments.

SHOWS:

UK, RECENT

GVS of laboratory robots at work;

CU of test tubes;

Internet map of gene locations;

SOT Dr David Bentley, Sangar Centre Genome Project, Cambridge University in English: "For the first time, this more comprehensive gene map enables us to tackle the more serious diseases, such as cancer, diabetes."

Scientists in laboratory, working with compounds;

SOT John Wadham, Liberty in English: "Unless urgent action is taken now, we will produce a genetic underclass, who won't be able to get health insurance and will be totally reliant on the state."

Internet gene-map on computer screen;

1.36

GENERAL

APTV Re use Ok. No resale without clearance

from Bulletin TV

BULLETIN TELEVISION NEWS SERVICE LTD

40 Bowling Green Lane London ECIR ONE

Tel: 071-278 6070 Fax: 071-278 6349

MERCK SHARP AND DOHME BACKGROUND

PICTURES

Picture Information

Merck Sharp and Dohme's tabletting factory in

the North-East.

10.00.00 - 10.00.49

Automatic Guided Vehicle delivers bin for

mixing chemicals

10.00.49 - 10.01.29.

Operator pours chemicals into bin

10.01.29 - 10.02.16

Operators at computerised control room

where production is carefully monitored.

10.02.16 - 10.03.05

Robots carry out continuous analysis

during production

10.03.05 - 10.03.34

MSD Cramlington Operations Manager

Martin Inskip walking along corridor.

Enters tablets room to speak to operator.

10.03.35 - 10.04.19

Tablets are packed in foil, then into

individual boxes and finally cartons for

distribution.

10.04.19 - 10.04.51

AGV with pallet. Boxes moving to

warehouse

10.04.51 - 10.05.16

Automatic truck handles all storage at

the fully computerised warehouse

10.05.16 - 10.05.33

Flags at Neuroscience Research Centre,

Terlings Park, Essex

10.05.33 - 10.06.09

Researchers using the latest techniques

carry out fundamental line research

into the causes of disease.

10.06.09 - 10.07.36

Views of exterior of Terlings Park

10.07.36 - 10.07.38

General Views of MSD's U.K.

headquarters at Hoddesdon

10.07.38 - 10.08.40

Students and physicians attending seminar

organised by MSD

10.08.40 - 10.09.05

Victims of river blindness receiving

treatment in Africa

10.09.49

}QUOTE REF UK: Scientists have finally tracked down the gene that

FE05049315 causes Huntingdon's Disease - an inherited nervous disorder.

5.4.93 The breakthrough means a cure could soon be on the way.

Date Shot: Mar 93

Engl comm ITN(TX'D 24.3.93/22.00) 1.20mins

FEATURES TAPE & CASSETTE FE050493

--------------------------------------------------------------

(Lawrence McGinty)

ENGLAND Norma Campbell, sufferer from disease, sitting on sofa

London with husband John and daughter Clare: John says Clare

could suffer: mother struggles to say it's brilliant

news for children;

Lab work: robot-arm machine invented for laborious

research over past decade;

Solicitor, Prue Willday, (whose father and sister died

from the disease) working in office: Prue sot saying

if her son has a test to see if he has the disease it

will also tell is she has the disease.

FE05049315

LEADIN

Swiss scientists have released a striking demonstration of how they treated a rat to overcame paralysis to walk and climb stairs.

Doctors say it's a significant step forward for researchers in laboratories around the world looking for ways to stimulate nerve circuits to help patients with spinal injuries.

STORYLINE:

He'll soon be the focus of many scientific brains around the world.

This rat is one of one hundred which has been trained to overcome paralysis caused by a damaged spine.

The research project has been running here at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne since 2009.

Researchers say they've had a one hundred per cent success rate using a combination of injected chemicals and electric nerve stimulation.

The chemicals trigger cell responses by binding dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline receptors located on the spinal neurons.

Gr�goire Courtine is the scientist leading the research in Lausanne.

He says: "The brain established new connections, this means that the cut fibres that we grew established a whole new connection in the spinal cord that enabled to (the brain) pass information from the brain past the injury in order to restore voluntary control of the section below the injury."

This graphic shows the extraordinary procedure.

Following the injection and electrical stimulation the rats spend two to three weeks learning their first steps.

According to Courtine after six weeks they're sprinting.

After eight weeks, according to the Swiss scientists, they're doing this - sprinting up stairs.

The rats were put through thirty minutes of training twice a day. The rodent is held in a harness by a robot.

The animals need a constant electrical current to stimulate their spinal nerves.

They were put on a moving treadmill and a stationary surface that required them to move their legs themselves if they wanted to reach a chocolate reward.

Courtine says: "What we observe is that over time the animal regains the capacity to perform one, two steps and then long run, and then eventually in the paralysed rat we get again the capacity to sprint overground, climb stairs."

One of the biggest problems facing surgeons with spinal injury patients is that inflammation blocks signals from the brain to pathways along the spinal cord.

After a couple of months the Lausanne team discovered signals from their brain were able to bypass their spinal injuries to reach their leg muscles.

They say the animals had undergone an extensive remodelling of their nervous systems, from the brain on down the spinal cord.

The results are reported in Thursday's (May 31 2012) Science journal.

The study extends work that made headlines last year, when other scientists reported that a paralyzed American man was able to stand and move his legs with a surgically implanted electrical stimulator.

Consultant neurosurgeon Peter Hamlyn sees a vast number of patients at the Brain and Spine Foundation, and at his clinic in University College London.

He says this may be a small step, but it may be the step that leads to progress.

But he remains cautious and says there are two significant hurdles ahead.

"As with any research it has to be reproducible, other groups have to be able to achieve the same results and the second is that you have to translate this from a very simple model of spinal cord injury in a beastie (animal) that is very capable of recovering, a rat, into a much more complicated nervous system, our own and that's a huge hurdle."

Surgeons like Hamlyn point out that the treatment was available to the rats as soon as the paralysis had been induced through lesions in the spine.

People who've suffered injury might not get treatment until much later and that means signals will have stopped travelling along the spinal cord already, so the neural pathways will have been blocked for much longer.

Severe spinal injuries, or a completely severed spinal cord, could not recover from this treatment.

But Courtine is hopeful the therapy will make a difference to many patients like David Mzee.

Mzee is a 23y old student at EPFL.

He's also an athlete and was injured, landing on his head while performing somersaults.

He has been paraplegic for one year.

He says: "The therapeutic impact of this kind of type of intervention in humans is difficult to predict but this this very surprising plasticity and recovery that we have observed in the rat open promising perspectives to improve function in humans with spinal cord injuries."

Courtine says he expects to begin phase two human trials in Zurich in a couple of years time.

Mzee uses a robot to train every day hoping he will still be able to become one of those patients.

VNR: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Non AP Television News material

Lausanne, Switzerland, May 14, 2012

1. Various close of rat walking in a harness along a pathway constructed inside the laboratory at EPFL

2. SOUNDBITE: (English), Gr�goire Courtine, lead researcher, University of Zurich & EPFL, Lausanne.

"We administer the cocktail of pharmacological agents, and apply electrical stimulation on the dorsal aspect of the spinal cord."

3. Graphic animation showing chemicals injected into the spine of the rat which is then electrically stimulated (MUTE)

4. SOUNDBITE: (English), Gr�goire Courtine, lead researcher, University of Zurich & EPFL, Lausanne.

"The brain established new connections, this means that the cut fibres that we grew established a whole new connection in the spinal cord that enabled to (the brain) pass information from the brain past the injury in order to restore voluntary control of the section below the injury."

5. Graphic animation showing how a combination of electrical and chemical stimuli awakens the rat's damaged nervous system

6. SOUNDBITE: (English), Gr�goire Courtine, lead researcher, University of Zurich & EPFL, Lausanne

"What we observe is that over time the animal regains the capacity to perform one, two steps and then long run, and then eventually in the paralysed rat we get again the capacity to sprint overground, climb stairs."

7. Wide of researcher positioning harness and robot

8. Close of robot

9. Close of hands positioning robot

10. Close side view of rat in robot harness walking up specially constructed stairway

11 Various of scientist in laboratory

12. Various close showing tracked movement of rat on computer screen

13. Various of rat and rat's feet

AP Television

London, UK, May 31, 2012

14. SOUNDBITE: (English), Peter Hamlyn, consultant neurosurgeon, University College London

"As with any research it has to be reproducible, other groups have to be able to achieve the same results and the second is that you have to translate this from a very simple model of spinal cord injury in a beastie (animal) that is very capable of recovering, a rat, into a much more complicated nervous system, our own and that's a huge hurdle."

VNR: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Non AP Television News material

15. Wide of spinal injury patient David Mzee pushing himself forward in wheelchair

16. SOUNDBITE: (English), Gr�goire Courtine, lead researcher, University of Zurich & EPFL, Lausanne

"The therapeutic impact of this kind of type of intervention in humans is difficult to predict but this this very surprising plasticity and recovery that we have observed in the rat open promising perspectives to improve function in humans with spinal cord injuries."

17. Mid profile shot of Mzee walking with the aid of a skeleton robot

18. Close of Mzee's feet walking inside the skeleton robot

19. Split screen black and white letter boxed shot of rat walking inside harness and Mzee walking on treadmill inside robot

Tackling paralysis, one step at a time. Many scientists are working on treatments for spinal cord injury, and now Swiss researchers are reporting success with their technique in training injured rats to walk again.

In an experiment reported in Friday's issue of the journal Science, they injected a chemical mix into the base of the animal's spine, then stimulated spinal nerve circuits with electricity before putting the rat in a harness for some physical training.

It took 2-3 weeks for the rats to step voluntarily.

SOT

the treatment produced an extensive rewiring in the brain and the spinal cord. But it's one thing to see it work in rats, and quite another to get it going in people, according to British neurosurgeon Peter Hamlyn

SOT

Still, researcher Gregoire Courtine believes his technique may someday help some human patients, too.

David Mzee, an athlete now paraplegic after landing on his head doing somersaults, is working hard himself to prove Courtine right.

HEADLINE: Researchers get spine-injured rats to walk

--------------------------------------------------------

CAPTION: Spine-injured rats were walking and climbing again after researchers gave them nerve stimulation and rehab training in a harness. (1 June 2012)

-----------------------------------------------------------

VOICE-OVER: English

VNR: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Lausanne, Switzerland - 14 May 2012

1. Various close of rat walking in a harness along a pathway constructed inside the laboratory at EPFL

2. Graphic animation showing chemicals injected into the spine of the rat which is then electrically stimulated (MUTE)

3. SOUNDBITE: (English), Gr�goire Courtine, lead researcher, University of Zurich & EPFL, Lausanne

"Over time the animal regains the capacity to perform one, two steps and then long run, and then eventually in the paralysed rat we get again the capacity to sprint overground, climb stairs."

4. Graphic animation showing how a combination of electrical and chemical stimuli awakens the rat's damaged nervous system

5. Close side view of rat in robot harness walking up specially constructed stairway

6. Tracking shot of scientists monitoring computer screens

AP TELEVISION

London - 31 May 2012

7. SOUNDBITE: (English), Peter Hamlyn, consultant neurosurgeon, University College London

"You have to translate this from a very simple model of spinal cord injury in a beastie (animal) that is very capable of recovering, a rat, into a much more complicated nervous system, our own and that's a huge hurdle."

VNR: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Lausanne, Switzerland - 14 May 2012

8. Close showing tracked movement of rat on computer screen

9. Close of rat and its feet

10. Wide of spinal injury patient David Mzee pushing himself forward in wheelchair

11. Mid profile shot of Mzee walking with the aid of a skeleton robot

12. Close of Mzee's feet walking inside the skeleton robot

13. Split screen black and white letter boxed shot of rat walking inside harness and Mzee walking on treadmill inside robot

SHOT LIST

LS: WS: Tony walking down street

SOUNDBITE: (English) Tony Haze, AIDS Virus Carrier

MS: PAN R: TILT D: In a lab where robot arm is working

CU: In research lab where robot arm is working

ECU: Robot arm with little pins entering sample tubes

SOUNDBITE: (English) Rebecca Caffrey, P.h. D., Ciphergen Immunologist

CU: Shot of researcher in lab through empty glass sample jars

MS: Researcher bending over sample kit where she is taking samples

ECU: Needle leaving droplets on sample strip

ECU: SCREENSHOT: Finger pointing out EKG reading on a computer screen

CU: Graphic of virus infects cell

ECU: Graphic of T cell

ECU: Robot arm taking samples with row of needles

SOUNDBITE: (English) Rebecca Caffrey, P.h. D., Ciphergen Immunologist

CU: Gloved hand putting sample tube down machine

MS: Researcher standing in front of computer

CU:SCREENSHOT: Graph readings of sample tests

SOUNDBITE: (English)

ECU: Researcher putting droplets on sample strips with gloves and eye dropper

SOUNDBITE: (English) Tony Haze, AIDS Virus Carrier

WS: Tony walking down street around corner and down sidewalk

SUGGESTED LEAD IN

Two people: both H-I-V positive.

One develops AIDS while the other remains symptom free.

Finding out why one person is affected, and another not, has been a hot topic and an unsolved mystery, until now.

SUGGESTED VOICE OVER

Tony Haze is alive and well in San Francisco.

But for eighteen years, he's carried the AIDS virus and never become sick.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"It's pretty remarkable. I don't take any credit for it. It's not anything I'm doing. I just think it's something genetic."

SUPER CAPTION: Tony Haze, AIDS Virus Carrier

A new discovery may explain why.

A small number of infected people like Tony Haze never develop AIDS symptoms.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Right now, we're pretty confident that we've got it."

SUPER CAPTION: Rebecca Caffrey, P.h. D., Ciphergen Immunologist

Northern California's Ciphergen helped a Rockefeller University team detect a tiny protein that protects immune cells against the AIDS virus.

It turned up when sensitive chip technology compared blood samples from healthy and sick patients.

In both, H-I-V infects immune cells and often spreads to others.

But a few patients produce a protein called C-A-F.

It enters infected cells and stops the virus cold.

Ciphergen researchers tried the protein on H-I-V lab samples and it worked.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We realized that we had a potential AIDS therapeutive on our hands, and we were ecstatic."

SUPER CAPTION: Rebecca Caffrey, P.h. D., Ciphergen Immunologist

The question now is how to turn that discovery into medical therapy.

Researchers think the protein may shape new diagnostic tools, drugs and help sick patients produce their own supply.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"A stimulation of their cells to secrete more of the molecule, yes, could actually help their disease state."

SUPER CAPTION: Enrique Dalmasso, Ph.D., Ciphergen Biomarker Manager

It may take five years before there are human clinical trials.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Because I have some good friends now that have AIDS and I don't want to lose them."

SUPER CAPTION: Tony Haze, AIDS Virus Carrier

The existence of AIDS patients like Tony Haze who may carry protective proteins, provides hope for those who don't.

Included in the group of people who are H-I-V positive but do not exhibit AIDS symptoms is the basketball star Magic Johnson.

Johnson tested positive for the virus in 1991.

SHOTLIST:

Oakland, California, US, April 21, 2010

1. Low angle of lab technician

2. Close up of saliva samples

3. Close up of samples with small barcodes

4. Wide of lab technician walking up to computer

5. Close up of computer

6. Close up of samples being prepared to be sent to UCSF

7. Wide shot of Oakland skyline

2. Low angle of the exterior of Kaiser Permanente Division of Research building

3. Entrance to the lab

4. Mid shot of lab worker

5. Close up of lab equipment

6. Medium close shot of Cathy Schaefer with lab worker

7. SOUNDBITE: (English), Cathy Schaefer, Exec. Director, Research Program on Genes, Environment & Health (RPGEH)

"The purpose of building a resource like this is really to speed up research, to bring the day closer when we'll have important and real information that can be shared that will make a difference in people's health."

San Francisco, US, April 21, 2010

8. Mid shot of Neil Risch working on at a computer

9. Close up of Neil Risch's fingers on a keyboard

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Risch, Director, UCSF Institute for Human Genetics

"Never has this amount of genetic data been created on a resource like this where we have longitudinal information up to 20 years or longer on the majority of these individuals. Clinical information, pharmacy information, laboratory tests, radiology information - it's just unprecedented, the amount of data that can be examined looking for genetic and environmental correlates for all these traits and diseases as well as healthy ageing."

11. Technician taking samples out of a freezer

12. Close up of frozen samples

13. Tilt down of technician packing samples for UCSF with ice packs

14. Close up of samples with ice packs

15. Wide of Esther Hill walking through shot

16. SOUNDBITE: (English), Esther Hill, DNA volunteer

"I received information from Kaiser asking if I would be part of this study and I was really interested in it. I have two children, two sons, and so I have a sort of vested interest in research and medical discovery. I want things to be better for my kids. So that was the thing that made me most want to get involved in this study."

17. Low angle close up of UCSF sign

18. Dr. Pui Kwok working on a laptop

19. Close up of Dr. Pui Kwok's typing on the laptop keyboard

20. SOUNDBITE: (English), Dr. Pui Kwok, Professor of Dermatology, UCSF

"The diversity of the Northern California region where our cohort represents many different ethnic backgrounds and racial groups whereas most other countries because of their homogeneous populations, their bio-banks are quite kind of narrow in terms of ethnicity."

21. Lab technician checking samples at the UCSF-Kwok lab

22. Close up of samples in the DNA amplification area

23. SOUNDBITE: (English), Dr. Pui Kwok, Professor of Dermatology, UCSF

"After the reagents (substance added to check for reaction) have been put together with the DNA, we're going to put it in an incubator that will amplify the DNA into millions of copies. And so the robot is going to pick up the plate and put it into the incubator."

24. Close up of robot putting a plate into an incubator

25. Close up of technician showing DNA samples

26. Close up of samples sliding into machine

27. Close up of container

28. Tilt up of a technician moving samples

29. Close up of technician putting samples into a centrifuge

Berkeley, California, US, April 27, 2010

30. Wide shot of entrance to Stanley Hall at the University of California, Berkeley

37. Close up of Professor Michael Eisen writing on a white board and speaking

38. Close up of Eisen's face in profile

39. Medium close of Michael Eisen writing and marking white board

40. SOUNDBITE: (English), Prof. Michael Eisen, Genetics, Genomics and Development, University of California, Berkeley

"Once you know, okay, my doctor knows my genotype so he can tell me which drugs I should be taking when I get sick or what types of conditions I might face downstream and how I can try to mitigate them. And once people are getting that benefit and once it starts to make their lives better, and make them healthier, I think that the fears that they have about this information getting our there, they won't disappear, but they'll be balanced by the good."

San Francisco, California - April 21, 2010

41. Wide shot of San Francisco Bay

LEADIN:

Scientists have begun unlocking the secrets of the human genome using a database of genetic information they hope will eventually reveal the root of many serious diseases.

The Californian study hopes to uncover why some us are more susceptible to certain illnesses and why some of us will live longer than others.

STORYLINE:

Each of these precious little packages could contribute to unlocking the secrets of diseases which continue to claim millions of lives around the world.

These are just some of the 140,000 DNA samples collected from volunteers.

They're being speedily processed using sophisticated robots and automated systems.

It's all part of a $25 million dollar (USD) government funded project called the Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH).

The programme's run by scientists at Kaiser Permanente, the country's largest non-profit organisation providing health care and hospital treatment along with geneticists from the University of California San Francisco.

Kaiser Permanente collect the genetic information from a growing pool of volunteers from its patients.

Cathy Schaefer is Executive Director of the gene research program.

She says "the purpose of building a resource like this is really to speed up research, to bring the day closer when we'll have important and real information that can be shared that will make a difference in people's health."

They aim to have built up a biobank of genetic information based on the samples of half a million Californians by 2013.

This will be combined with patient surveys and information from Kaiser's existing database which the National Institutes of Health believes is the world's largest civilian electronic health record.

When the laboratories here in Oakland have completed processing the saliva samples they're sent off to scientists at the University of California San Francisco, where another team will perform the genotyping, where they determine their genetic makeup.

UCSF's Director at the Institute for Human Genetics is Neil Risch.

Risch claims the amount of genetic data being collected here is impressive.

He says "clinical information, pharmacy information, laboratory tests, radiology information, it's just unprecedented, the amount of data that can be examined looking for genetic and environmental correlates for all these traits and diseases as well as healthy ageing."

Among those contributing their DNA to the study is Esther Hill a mother with two children.

She says because of this she feels she has "a sort of vested interest in research and medical discovery. I want things to be better for my kids. So that was the thing that made me most want to get involved in this study."

In the past, the cost of genotyping this many samples would have been prohibitive, but technological improvements and the large number of samples has helped lower the cost.

Even so it still amounts to several hundred dollars per person.

UCSF's Professor of Dermatology, Dr. Pui Kwok, says one of the greatest benefits of the study is that it isn't dedicated to a single disease.

He says it'll be more useful to the medical profession because of "the diversity of the Northern California region where our cohort represents many different ethnic backgrounds and racial groups".

According to Kwok "most other countries because of their homogeneous populations, their bio-banks are quite kind of narrow in terms of ethnicity."

Also the average age of volunteers is 65 which means the biobank created here will be especially useful when it comes to focussing on aging and age-related diseases.

Another scientist getting excited about the biobank is geneticist Michael Eisen - a passionate supporter of the Public Library of Science, as you can see from his sweatshirt.

He's also an enthusiastic researcher into the fruit fly.

There has been some concern about people's privacy - but Eisen brushes these aside.

He insists the matter of privacy is trumped by the importance this information contains for medicine in the future.

According to Eisen when our doctors know our genotypes they'll be able to target and prescribe drugs precisely.

What more he says doctors will be able to tell us what our bodies have in store for us years ahead so that we can take practical steps to alleviate their future effects.

Eisen argues that "once people are getting that benefit and once it starts to make their lives better, and make them healthier, I think that the fears that they have about this information getting our there, they won't disappear, but they'll be balanced".

This genetic database is not the only one in the world.

The UK's Biobank already has the genetic samples of 485,257 people and is expected to announce the completion of the bank by the middle of July 2010.

China has already completed one databank.

Here on the west coast of America, scientists are hoping to follow suit.

UK VIRTUAL REALITY HEALTH

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS /DUAL GOOD HEALTH/ EMBODIED LABS / SLICED BREAD ANIMATION

RESTRICTIONS: AP CLIENTS ONLY

LENGTH: 6.10

SHOTLIST:

VNR: Copyright of Dual Good Health

1. UPSOUND: (English) voiceover close of graphic animation showing patient need resusitation

"Don't you want to call for a crash cart (emergency trolley)

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

2. Various of man with VR headset going through the process of calling for resuscitation trolley

3. UPSOUND: (English) voiceover from graphic as man wearing headset prepares and starts resuscitation on the VR connected dummy before him

"Alright let's do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to her."

VNR: Copyright of Dual Good Health

4. Close of graphic animation tracking the resuscitation

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

5. Various of man carrying out resuscitation

VNR: Copyright of Dual Good Health

4. Close of screen showing graphic animation

UPSOUND: (English) voice over close of graphic animation tracking the resuscitation

"Well done. Ann (fictional patient) is now saved."

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Anna Stoilova, co-founder Dual Good Health:

"The idea is that it's much more accurate to do it this way because the scenarios that are done in VR just provide a lot of authenticity really compared to the methods that they currently use which are either books for medical staff, or mannequins that do not provide the tracking of compressions, so this what we're doing in VR, we are providing a lot more accuracy in training."

6. Close of sign at the Virtual Reality Show reading: "VR Show Hospital"

VNR: Copyright of Embodied Labs

7. Extract of video showing the viewpoint of an elderly man with macular degeneration at his birthday party then going into a daydream where's he's picking flowers in a field

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

8. Close of Carrie Shaw the founder of Embodied Labs in a headset watching the same video sequence

9. Close of the view on screen showing what Shaw sees in her headset

10. Low wide angle of Shaw responding to video

VNR: Copyright of Embodied Labs

11. Extract of video showing the viewpoint of an elderly man with macular degeneration coming out of his daydream after missing his birthday party

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carrie Shaw, Co-founder Embodied Labs:

"There's so many ways VR can be used not only for training and education, but to actually help treat patients to reduce pain, or to give people who are confined to one location because they're sick and inexperienced at socialising with the outside world, or to help elderly people experience things that they no longer can. So I think VR has so many great applications in health care and we're just only scratching the surface of the potential."

13. Close of camera viewpoint of cardboard VR headset being used with an app created by Alzheimer's Research UK

14. Close of Robin Brisbourne from Alzheimer's Research UK wearing headset labelled "A walk through dementia"

15. Close of phone screen showing the divided 360 degree screen video in Brisbourne's hands

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Robin Brisbourne, Alzheimer's Research UK:

"Dementia is a difficult condition for people to get their heads around and there's lots of misconceptions that surround dementia. So in order to raise awareness and challenge all those misconceptions we developed a virtual reality experience that tries to put people in the shoes of someone who's living with dementia and try and show them how everyday life can be more challenging and just how some of the symptoms of dementia can affect how they go about their everyday lives."

17. Wide pan from VR hospital sign, to area with equipment used to train surgeons with virtual reality

18. Various of surgeons using VR robots

19. UPSOUND: (English) Arno Hartholt from the University of Southern California explaining what he's seeing from the Bravemind VR

"So you have an Afghan rural village, so you can look around a little bit, you're on a little bridge."

20. Close of man in headset looking around village through headset

21. Mid of Hartholt playing a scenario from the experience of a soldier who's had PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) including bombs exploding

22. Close of man wearing headset witnessing the scenes from war video

23. Various close of screen giving different scenario options

24. Close of screen showing a mass grave

25. Close of mass grave option being picked on screen

26. Mid of man in headset and screen where Hartholt is making a body appear

27. SOUNDBITE: (English) Arno Hartholt from the University of Southern California:

"A soldier will close their eyes and talk through their own experiences and then over time somebody can confront their fears and give it a place in their lives. What we do is, in addition to just closing your eyes and thinking about it, we give patients a way to see some of their experiences, to hear some of their experiences and it's something that the clinician can use as an additional tool as part of the overall treatment."

28. Close of man wearing VR headset

29. SOUNDBITE: (English) Arno Hartholt from the University of Southern California:

"So now with the second revolution of VR we're able to use better tools, better technologies so we have better graphics than before, we're using the Vive virtual reality headset, we're using the Zotac backpack. There's a lot more that we can do in order to immerse a patient in these kinds of traumatic experiences."

VNR: Copyright of Sliced Bread Animation

30. Shows extract from video showing how the company reconstructed a VR version of a patient's heart valve

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

31. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jamie Denham, managing director, Sliced Bread Animation:

"So here we have the construction of the heart valve up close, then we can go into many other areas and start to look at how cancer cells interact for example, you know conditions that you know on the surface we don't see."

VNR: Copyright of Sliced Bread Animation

32. Shows extract from video showing how the company reconstructed a VR version of a patient's diseased heart valve

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jamie Denham, managing director, Sliced Bread Animation:

"It opens up I think, some real, great opportunities in terms of the education for patients and people with the condition, so if a doctor says you have calcification of the heart valve, what does that mean? I never, before this project I didn't know what that meant and now we're able to see how severe that can get and what technologies there are to support patients in being able to do this."

VNR: Copyright of Sliced Bread Animation

34. Extract from video showing journey through heart valve

LEADIN

In a virtual reality hospital of the future we will be able to take a journey through our vital organs, actually see what's going on inside our hearts and experience the lives of elderly patients through their own eyes.

VR is already beginning to transform the way we deliver health care and a taste of what's to come is on show at the Virtual Reality Show in London.

STORYLINE

It's a sight every student doctor and nurse is told to expect.

In a hospital emergency room you're faced with a patient who's in desperate need of resuscitation.

Traditionally, life saving treatments like this have been taught and learned through demonstrations on patients, by using dummies or books.

Now virtual reality equipment like this can give advice and actually show the student whether their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) would have saved a patient.

Fortunately in this case it's worked and the person carrying out the CPR is told: "Well done. Ann is now saved", Ann of course is the fictional patient who feels very real.

The emergency room training scene is the idea of Anna Stoilova, the co-founder Dual Good Health which is a new start up company.

She says: "It's much more accurate to do it this way because scenarios that are done in VR just provide a lot of authenticity really compared to the methods that they currently use which are either books for medical staff, or mannequins that do not provide the tracking of compressions, so this what we're doing in VR, we are providing a lot more accuracy in training."

This is just a peep at what is in store for us according to VR developers showcasing their inventions at the VR Hospital.

This is what it's like to be Alfred James, a seventy-four year old man who has the most common audio visual challenges facing elderly people.

Macular degeneration means he can't see properly and he's lost high frequency hearing.

He's also prone to cognitive disorders which means he's confused by what goes on around him.

The idea is that by putting on a headset you can experience first hand what it's like to be in Alfred's shoes according to Carrie Shaw the founder of Embodied Labs.

She says: "There's so many ways VR can be used not only for training and education, but to actually help treat patients to reduce pain, or to give people who are confined to one location because they're sick and inexperienced at socialising with the outside world, or to help elderly people experience things that they no longer can. So I think VR has so many applications in health care and we're just only scratching the surface of the potential."

According to Alzheimer's Research UK this form of training is so effective that they've created an app which enables you to see life through the eyes of a dementia patient.

The charity's spokesman Robin Brisbourne says: "Dementia is a difficult condition for people to get their heads around and there's lots of misconceptions that surround dementia. So in order to raise awareness and challenge all those misconceptions we developed a virtual reality experience that tries to put people in the shoes of someone who's living with dementia and tries to show them how everyday life can be more challenging and just how some of the symtoms of dementia can affect how they go about their everyday lives."

Virtuality reality is helping health professionals to reach parts of our bodies and our minds we couldn't visualise before, and not just as a training robot for surgeons.

In 2003 computer experts from the University of Southern California came up with software which would help clinicians treat soldiers experiencing post traumatic stress disorder as a result of serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fourteen years later the technology has moved on and scientists and clinicians are using a new generation of VR to treat patients.

This programme called Bravemind allows soldiers to replay their most traumatic experiences, such as being witness to a mass grave, or feeling the shock of a bomb.

It's currently undergoing randomised controlled trials on another generation of soldiers in the US.

The lead scientist Arno Hartholt says: "A soldier will close their eyes and talk through their own experiences and then over time somebody can confront their fears and give it a place in their lives. What we do is, in addition to this closing your eyes and thinking about it, we give patients a way to see some of their experiences, to hear some of their experiences and it's something that the clinician can use as an additional tool as part of the overall treatment."

He believes as the technology improves, more becomes possible: "So now with the second revolution of VR we're able to use better tools, better technologies so we have better graphics than before, we're using the Vive virtual reality headset, we're using the Zotac backpack. There's a lot more that we can do in order to immerse a patient in these kinds of traumatic experiences."

It's not just your past the scientists are interested in creating.

Virtual reality now means patients and doctors can take a journey through a diseased organ.

Lot's of people suffer heart disease and as you get older calcium deposits accumulate in the aortic valve, this leads to blood being restricted.

It's hard to imagine what that could look like but now we don't have to because Sliced Bread Animations has created a virtual journey through the heart valve.

The company's managing director Jamie Denham says: "So here we have the construction of the heart valve up close, then we can go into many other areas and start to look at how our cancer cells interact for example, you know conditions that you know on the surface we don't see."

Denham is enthusiastic about what else might now be possible: "It opens up I think, some real, great opportunities in terms of the education for patients and people with the condition, so if a doctor says you have calcification of the heart valve, what does that mean? I never, before this project I didn't know what that meant and now we're able to see how severe that can get and what technologies there are to support patients in being able to do this."

The Virtual Reality Show will run in London until the 22nd of April, but developments in the technology are set to continue well into the future.

====

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com.

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

UK VIRTUAL REALITY HEALTH

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS /DUAL GOOD HEALTH/ EMBODIED LABS / SLICED BREAD ANIMATION

RESTRICTIONS: AP CLIENTS ONLY

LENGTH: 6.10

SHOTLIST:

VNR: Copyright of Dual Good Health

1. UPSOUND: (English) voiceover close of graphic animation showing patient need resusitation

"Don't you want to call for a crash cart (emergency trolley)

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

2. Various of man with VR headset going through the process of calling for resuscitation trolley

3. UPSOUND: (English) voiceover from graphic as man wearing headset prepares and starts resuscitation on the VR connected dummy before him

"Alright let's do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to her."

VNR: Copyright of Dual Good Health

4. Close of graphic animation tracking the resuscitation

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

5. Various of man carrying out resuscitation

VNR: Copyright of Dual Good Health

4. Close of screen showing graphic animation

UPSOUND: (English) voice over close of graphic animation tracking the resuscitation

"Well done. Ann (fictional patient) is now saved."

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Anna Stoilova, co-founder Dual Good Health:

"The idea is that it's much more accurate to do it this way because the scenarios that are done in VR just provide a lot of authenticity really compared to the methods that they currently use which are either books for medical staff, or mannequins that do not provide the tracking of compressions, so this what we're doing in VR, we are providing a lot more accuracy in training."

6. Close of sign at the Virtual Reality Show reading: "VR Show Hospital"

VNR: Copyright of Embodied Labs

7. Extract of video showing the viewpoint of an elderly man with macular degeneration at his birthday party then going into a daydream where's he's picking flowers in a field

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

8. Close of Carrie Shaw the founder of Embodied Labs in a headset watching the same video sequence

9. Close of the view on screen showing what Shaw sees in her headset

10. Low wide angle of Shaw responding to video

VNR: Copyright of Embodied Labs

11. Extract of video showing the viewpoint of an elderly man with macular degeneration coming out of his daydream after missing his birthday party

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carrie Shaw, Co-founder Embodied Labs:

"There's so many ways VR can be used not only for training and education, but to actually help treat patients to reduce pain, or to give people who are confined to one location because they're sick and inexperienced at socialising with the outside world, or to help elderly people experience things that they no longer can. So I think VR has so many great applications in health care and we're just only scratching the surface of the potential."

13. Close of camera viewpoint of cardboard VR headset being used with an app created by Alzheimer's Research UK

14. Close of Robin Brisbourne from Alzheimer's Research UK wearing headset labelled "A walk through dementia"

15. Close of phone screen showing the divided 360 degree screen video in Brisbourne's hands

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Robin Brisbourne, Alzheimer's Research UK:

"Dementia is a difficult condition for people to get their heads around and there's lots of misconceptions that surround dementia. So in order to raise awareness and challenge all those misconceptions we developed a virtual reality experience that tries to put people in the shoes of someone who's living with dementia and try and show them how everyday life can be more challenging and just how some of the symptoms of dementia can affect how they go about their everyday lives."

17. Wide pan from VR hospital sign, to area with equipment used to train surgeons with virtual reality

18. Various of surgeons using VR robots

19. UPSOUND: (English) Arno Hartholt from the University of Southern California explaining what he's seeing from the Bravemind VR

"So you have an Afghan rural village, so you can look around a little bit, you're on a little bridge."

20. Close of man in headset looking around village through headset

21. Mid of Hartholt playing a scenario from the experience of a soldier who's had PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) including bombs exploding

22. Close of man wearing headset witnessing the scenes from war video

23. Various close of screen giving different scenario options

24. Close of screen showing a mass grave

25. Close of mass grave option being picked on screen

26. Mid of man in headset and screen where Hartholt is making a body appear

27. SOUNDBITE: (English) Arno Hartholt from the University of Southern California:

"A soldier will close their eyes and talk through their own experiences and then over time somebody can confront their fears and give it a place in their lives. What we do is, in addition to just closing your eyes and thinking about it, we give patients a way to see some of their experiences, to hear some of their experiences and it's something that the clinician can use as an additional tool as part of the overall treatment."

28. Close of man wearing VR headset

29. SOUNDBITE: (English) Arno Hartholt from the University of Southern California:

"So now with the second revolution of VR we're able to use better tools, better technologies so we have better graphics than before, we're using the Vive virtual reality headset, we're using the Zotac backpack. There's a lot more that we can do in order to immerse a patient in these kinds of traumatic experiences."

VNR: Copyright of Sliced Bread Animation

30. Shows extract from video showing how the company reconstructed a VR version of a patient's heart valve

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

31. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jamie Denham, managing director, Sliced Bread Animation:

"So here we have the construction of the heart valve up close, then we can go into many other areas and start to look at how cancer cells interact for example, you know conditions that you know on the surface we don't see."

VNR: Copyright of Sliced Bread Animation

32. Shows extract from video showing how the company reconstructed a VR version of a patient's diseased heart valve

Associated Press

London, UK - 20 April 2017

33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jamie Denham, managing director, Sliced Bread Animation:

"It opens up I think, some real, great opportunities in terms of the education for patients and people with the condition, so if a doctor says you have calcification of the heart valve, what does that mean? I never, before this project I didn't know what that meant and now we're able to see how severe that can get and what technologies there are to support patients in being able to do this."

VNR: Copyright of Sliced Bread Animation

34. Extract from video showing journey through heart valve

LEADIN

In a virtual reality hospital of the future we will be able to take a journey through our vital organs, actually see what's going on inside our hearts and experience the lives of elderly patients through their own eyes.

VR is already beginning to transform the way we deliver health care and a taste of what's to come is on show at the Virtual Reality Show in London.

STORYLINE

It's a sight every student doctor and nurse is told to expect.

In a hospital emergency room you're faced with a patient who's in desperate need of resuscitation.

Traditionally, life saving treatments like this have been taught and learned through demonstrations on patients, by using dummies or books.

Now virtual reality equipment like this can give advice and actually show the student whether their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) would have saved a patient.

Fortunately in this case it's worked and the person carrying out the CPR is told: "Well done. Ann is now saved", Ann of course is the fictional patient who feels very real.

The emergency room training scene is the idea of Anna Stoilova, the co-founder Dual Good Health which is a new start up company.

She says: "It's much more accurate to do it this way because scenarios that are done in VR just provide a lot of authenticity really compared to the methods that they currently use which are either books for medical staff, or mannequins that do not provide the tracking of compressions, so this what we're doing in VR, we are providing a lot more accuracy in training."

This is just a peep at what is in store for us according to VR developers showcasing their inventions at the VR Hospital.

This is what it's like to be Alfred James, a seventy-four year old man who has the most common audio visual challenges facing elderly people.

Macular degeneration means he can't see properly and he's lost high frequency hearing.

He's also prone to cognitive disorders which means he's confused by what goes on around him.

The idea is that by putting on a headset you can experience first hand what it's like to be in Alfred's shoes according to Carrie Shaw the founder of Embodied Labs.

She says: "There's so many ways VR can be used not only for training and education, but to actually help treat patients to reduce pain, or to give people who are confined to one location because they're sick and inexperienced at socialising with the outside world, or to help elderly people experience things that they no longer can. So I think VR has so many applications in health care and we're just only scratching the surface of the potential."

According to Alzheimer's Research UK this form of training is so effective that they've created an app which enables you to see life through the eyes of a dementia patient.

The charity's spokesman Robin Brisbourne says: "Dementia is a difficult condition for people to get their heads around and there's lots of misconceptions that surround dementia. So in order to raise awareness and challenge all those misconceptions we developed a virtual reality experience that tries to put people in the shoes of someone who's living with dementia and tries to show them how everyday life can be more challenging and just how some of the symtoms of dementia can affect how they go about their everyday lives."

Virtuality reality is helping health professionals to reach parts of our bodies and our minds we couldn't visualise before, and not just as a training robot for surgeons.

In 2003 computer experts from the University of Southern California came up with software which would help clinicians treat soldiers experiencing post traumatic stress disorder as a result of serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fourteen years later the technology has moved on and scientists and clinicians are using a new generation of VR to treat patients.

This programme called Bravemind allows soldiers to replay their most traumatic experiences, such as being witness to a mass grave, or feeling the shock of a bomb.

It's currently undergoing randomised controlled trials on another generation of soldiers in the US.

The lead scientist Arno Hartholt says: "A soldier will close their eyes and talk through their own experiences and then over time somebody can confront their fears and give it a place in their lives. What we do is, in addition to this closing your eyes and thinking about it, we give patients a way to see some of their experiences, to hear some of their experiences and it's something that the clinician can use as an additional tool as part of the overall treatment."

He believes as the technology improves, more becomes possible: "So now with the second revolution of VR we're able to use better tools, better technologies so we have better graphics than before, we're using the Vive virtual reality headset, we're using the Zotac backpack. There's a lot more that we can do in order to immerse a patient in these kinds of traumatic experiences."

It's not just your past the scientists are interested in creating.

Virtual reality now means patients and doctors can take a journey through a diseased organ.

Lot's of people suffer heart disease and as you get older calcium deposits accumulate in the aortic valve, this leads to blood being restricted.

It's hard to imagine what that could look like but now we don't have to because Sliced Bread Animations has created a virtual journey through the heart valve.

The company's managing director Jamie Denham says: "So here we have the construction of the heart valve up close, then we can go into many other areas and start to look at how our cancer cells interact for example, you know conditions that you know on the surface we don't see."

Denham is enthusiastic about what else might now be possible: "It opens up I think, some real, great opportunities in terms of the education for patients and people with the condition, so if a doctor says you have calcification of the heart valve, what does that mean? I never, before this project I didn't know what that meant and now we're able to see how severe that can get and what technologies there are to support patients in being able to do this."

The Virtual Reality Show will run in London until the 22nd of April, but developments in the technology are set to continue well into the future.

====

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com.

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.