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Leading Cardiology Practices Adopt lifeIMAGE to Instantly and Securely Exchange Patient Imaging and Records

cardiac and echocardiography imaging records. lifeIMAGE, which enables the secure and on-demand exchange of medical imaging information among hospitals, physicians and patients, will showcase its innovative medical information exchange platform, and powerful zero-download cardiology viewer at the American College of Cardiology ,April 3-5, 2011.

Image sharing capability in cardiology is especially powerful in the treatment of emergency patients and children.Theallows emergency departments to transfer imaging, EKGs and other lab results to outside facilities and remote physicians, on-demand. It is also a more efficient means for consulting with sub specialists such as pediatric cardiologists, regardless of location.

“lifeIMAGE has allowed us to provide nearly real-time consultation on any echocardiographic problems to our colleagues at other hospitals,” said Dr. Leo Lopez, Director, Pediatric Cardiac Noninvasive Imaging, Montefiore Medical Center. “This not only improves patient care significantly but it also provides a simple and effective means of communication and education between different institutions.”

“Fusing the latest technology with clinical excellence is a part of Montefiore’s culture so it is obvious why Montefiore was an early adopter of lifeIMAGE and a partner in developing the enhanced cardiology functionality,” added Mony Weschler, Director, Ancillary Informatics, Montefiore IT and EmergingHealthIT.

The lifeIMAGE network is being used by the heart and vascular program at Baystate Health System to receive imaging from community hospitals.

lifeIMAGE offersandfor cardiology practices without the need for VPN connections or extensive IT resources. It will be demonstrating its services and viewer at ACC in booth number 1910.

“lifeIMAGE eliminates technology and geography barriers from standing in the way of collaborating on cardiac imaging cases,” said Amy Vreeland, Senior Vice President of Product Management, lifeIMAGE. “Secure, on-demand access to imaging is helping clinicians on our network improve outcomes and patient care.”

About lifeIMAGE

lifeIMAGE provides an Internet service for universal e-sharing of diagnostic imaging information. The service is designed to connect hospitals, radiology groups, and physicians, to their patients everywhere. lifeIMAGE makes it possible to securely deliver or receive patient imaging information wherever needed from wherever the information originates. The goal of the lifeIMAGE platform is to help avoid duplicate exams and eliminate unnecessary patient exposure to excessive radiation. In an era of concerns about rising healthcare costs, lifeIMAGE is investing in a platform that helps advance patient care, while reducing $10-to-$15 billion of unnecessary costs. lifeIMAGE was named one of the most innovative technologies by The Wall Street Journal as part of its international 2010 Technology Innovation Awards.

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Jackie WalshlifeIMAGE617-244-8411Email Information

'X-Men' star Jackman keen on Bollywood move

Hollywood heartthrob Hugh Jackman said Friday he was keen to work in Bollywood -- and gyrated to a song-and-dance sequence with Indian megastar Shah Rukh Khan to prove it.

The Australian-born actor danced with Khan in Mumbai at the close of Asia's largest entertainment convention, where they shared centre stage with Bollywood producer Karan Johar.

Jackman, star of the "X-Men" movies, said that while few Americans may have seen a Bollywood film, "they all know about your film industry."

"Indian cinema is growing every year. I hope to do a Bollywood movie someday," Jackman told a packed audience.

Jackman and Khan said that India's film industry had changed in recent years, with large foreign film studios such as Disney, Paramount, Fox and Warner distributing and producing films in India.

"Movies like 'Monsoon Wedding' and Oscar-winner 'Slumdog Millionaire' have enhanced India's image further," Jackman, who is touring India with his wife Deborra-Lee Furness, said.

News Corp top executive James Murdoch, who also attended the conference on Wednesday, called India's media industry a "sleeping tiger" as a report forecast the sector would double its revenues to nearly $30 billion by 2015.

The report by consultancy firm KPMG said India's media and entertainment industry grew 11 percent in 2010 to post revenues of 652 billion rupees ($14.54 billion).

India's media industry has bounced back from the global financial downturn but experts say foreign investment in radio, direct-to-home and print media companies is relatively low, compared with developed countries.

ISO Finalizes C++ Update

s Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) . It will be known as C++ 2011.

"Perhaps the most heartening thing to me is that this standard is widely considered among committee old-timers as the highest-quality FDIS document we have shipped," wrote Herb Sutter, Microsoft architect and chair of the ISO C++ standards committee, in a blog post.

Computer scientist Bjarne Stroustrup first created C++ in 1979 as an extension to the C programming language, one that supports classes, or blueprints, for creating run-time objects. Although sometimes , C++in use today, trailing only Java and C, according to the most recent Tiobe survey of programming languages.

"C++0x feels like a new language: The pieces just fit together better than they used to and I find a higher-level style of programming more natural than before and as efficient as ever,"Stroustrup in a FAQ describing the update.

Sutter noted that the features of the draft standard, code-named C++0x, have already been added into working compilers as library extensions. Microsoft'sand the Free Software Foundation's open source(GNU Compiler Collection) both support some features.

Joab Jackson covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Joab on Twitter at . Joab's e-mail address is

Admissions Q&A: Cambridge

The University of Cambridge has the distinction of being one of the oldest universities in Europe. By comparison, its Judge Business School is brand new. Cambridge entered Bloomberg Businessweek's list of top MBA programs at number 10 in 2010. The 800-year old university opened the Judge school in 1990 and offers a one-year MBA program. Judge hosts a small, distinctly international student body. About 160 applicants enter the full-time MBA program each year, compared to around 580 at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and 400 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management.

Conrad Chua, Judge's head of MBA recruitment and admissions, notes that 94 percent of Cambridge MBA students come from outside the U.K. They speak an average of three languages, with no single nationality dominating the population, he says. Students from the U.S. and India each account for 12 percent of the MBAcandidates -- the largest concentrations. A majority of Judge graduates goes on to work in Western Europe (62 percent), followed by Asia (28 percent) and the U.S. (8 percent).

Chua spoke to Bloomberg Businessweek's Erin Zlomek about what potential students can expect from the Judge program and what they might encounter during the application process. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:

What is unique about the Cambridge MBA program?

The people we select tend to have more work experience than those in U.S. schools. On average our students have between six and seven years of experience and the average age is 30. The academic side is much more intense because we cover everything that a two-year MBA does within one year. We feel work experience adds a different element to the learning process, and there is a lot of learning from fellow classmates.

The other thing which I think is quite different is that there is a lot ofintensive project work. Students do three projects throughout the year. Two of them are consulting projects. In the first, every student has to work with a local organization. At the end of the second term, groups of students work with global organizations for about four to five weeks. At the end of the year, there's a final project that students again have to do in groups.

Why might North Americans want to consider attending Cambridge's MBA program?

For the geographic diversity. Within a short period of time, you get to learn about global businesses and global economic development in a way that you can't get exposed to in the U.S. Or at least (not) to the same degree. If you look at how businesses and organizations in the U.S. are developing, they all want to be global. You need to have that exposure to people of different cultures, different industries, and different backgrounds, which we can provide because of the diverse class that we have.

Whatmakes Cambridge unique from other European MBA programs?

I don't think the entrepreneurial culture is as strong in other areas of Europe as it is here. The area that we are in is kind of like Silicon Valley, where you have a huge research university but also a lot of spinouts from the university and a lot of startups. Many of our students go on to become entrepreneurs.

The quality of our students, the quality of our faculty, and the large number of practical projects in our curriculum also make us attractive.

Tell me more about the global consulting project that you mentioned, and please give some examples.

Most of the projects are done outside of the U.K. and they last about four to five weeks. The students work in groups of about four or five and they help real multinational companies and organizations solve real problems. For example in 2010 we had a group of students working with Toyota (TM.) in Los Angeles. Our business schoolorganizes most of the projects. Though if students have a certain area of interest, they can set up a project themselves. One group last year was very interested in e-commerce in China and set up a project.

As for the other projects done throughout the year, some examples would be helping a company think of how to market a new treatment for lymphoma, or how to market some sort of new application or new use for RFID technology.

How do you assist with job or internship placement?

We don't do placement for internships. Most times students find those themselves. When you have a two-year MBA, the internship is an integral part of the summer in between. Because ours is one year, students might choose to do an internship after the academic part of the program is finished. Others may use the summer to write a business plan, they might do a project with a member of faculty, or they might take another class at the university.

We do have a career services officeand there are employers that regularly reach out to us. Barclays () and Standard Chartered () are two banks that hire our students. Students have also gone on to work at the international units of Google (NasdaqGS: - ) and Amazon (NasdaqGS: - ).

What would you say is the most difficult part of the application process and what are the most common mistakes to avoid?

The interview might be the most difficult. Don't waffle on your answers. Be clear about what you want. Even if applicants are not sure about something they want, they should be clear about that as well. All our interviews are conducted by members of faculty who can see through B.S. quickly. We don't want someone who is saying what they think the interviewer wants to hear. We are looking for honest, direct answers.

What are your tips for writing the essays?

Just be truthful. For the essays, we look at an applicant'sanalytical ability. We ask what they think the main challenges are in their industry. We want to know what their recommendations are and what courses of action they suggest.

How important are GMAT scores to the application process?

The GMAT is an important prerequisite but doesn't guarantee admission. Once we see an applicant's GMAT is within a certain range, we then look at work experience, work references, and essays.

For work experience, we're looking at people that have a track record of excellence. We want to know if they work well in teams, if they work well in multinational, multicultural environments.

What makes an applicant stand out?

Someone who is intellectually strong, who has good work experience, strong leadership potential, and who has something unique that he or she would bring to the program. When I say unique, I mean there is something that the applicant feels passionate about, that they've invested a lot of timeand effort in. It could be something they've done in the workplace, something they've done in the community, or something they've done in sports. We want to know that there is something that they feel strongly about that they'd like to extend, or like to become really great at.

What do you look for in recommendation letters?

We ask for two references -- one from a supervisor and the other from a peer. The peer recommendation could come from a colleague or an ex-colleague. The best recommendations come from someone who knows the candidate well, who can write about how the candidate works in teams, and how the candidate has performed versus their peer group. We want to know if the candidate works well with people from different cultures.

What kind of financial aid is available and which students have the best shot at aid?

There are some bursary awards and some scholarships offered through the school. We don't have full-tuitionscholarships. We have some scholarships that cater to different groups. For example, there is one for North American women, there is one for people with an engineering background, there is another for people interested in the not-for-profit sector. There are also general scholarships that are need-based or merit-based.

Berlusconi plays it cool over sex crime trial

ROME (AFP) – Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi played it cool on Wednesday after an announcement that he must stand trial for sex with an underage prostitute, saying his government would stay on until 2013.

"All I can say is that I'm not at all worried," Berlusconi said at a press conference devoted mainly to economic issues, followed by talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who was in Rome on a two-day visit.

"We have never been more united and more decided to continue the parliament until its mandate runs out," a smiling Berlusconi told reporters in his first public reaction to the news Tuesday that he must stand in the dock in April.

Supporters have rallied around the 74-year-old premier, who denies all charges and accuses prosecutors of plotting against him, arguing that as long as he holds a majority in parliament he does not have to resign.

But outrage over the sex crime investigation has brought sharp condemnation from the Roman Catholic Church and mass protests by hundreds of thousands of Italian women at the weekend, as well as a sharp fall in Berlusconi's popularity.

Stefano Folli, a columnist for Il Sole 24 Ore business daily, said Italy was now facing a stand-off between the prime minister and the judiciary.

"We are headed for a devastating institutional conflict," Folli said.

"A prime minister standing trial for these very serious crimes... is a unique case in the recent history of Western democracies," he added.

A poll published on Monday said Berlusconi's approval rating fell to its lowest level yet of 35 percent in January from 40 percent in December.

But the poll also showed Berlusconi's People of Freedom party holding strong with 29.5 percent of voting intentions -- the highest of any party.

The prime minister stands accused of paying for sex with a 17-year-old prostitute nicknamed "Ruby the Heart Stealer" and then using his status to spring her out of police custody when she was later detained for theft.

Ruby, real name Karima El Mahroug, has testified to prosecutors that she told Berlusconi she was 17, La Repubblica daily reported.

Berlusconi's lawyer Niccolo Ghedini dismissed the charges as "absurd".

The underage sex charge carries a maximum sentence of three years, while the abuse of power accusation is punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

Nicole Minetti, a 25-year-old regional official in Berlusconi's ruling party investigated on allegations of procuring prostitutes for himC told CNN in an interview that Berlusconi was "generous" and "good in the heart".

She said the prime minister had helped her financially, adding: "He's not afraid of believing in, and investing in, young people."

Italy's left-wing opposition parties expressed bewilderment over the prime minister's brazenness.

"Berlusconi is the only one in the world not to be worried," said Pier Luigi Bersani, head of the main opposition Democratic Party, adding: "He is irresponsible since he doesn't understand the consequences for the country."

Tuesday's announcement that Berlusconi will stand trial on these charges starting on April 6 is the latest twist in a scandal-plagued political career spanning nearly two decades for the billionaire media tycoon.

Berlusconi has survived four corruption convictions that have all been either overturned or expired under a statute of limitations, but it is the growing number of sex scandals that have clouded his career in recent years.

He also faces two more trials later this year on corruption charges.

Berlusconi on Wednesday dodged questions about the scandal over Ruby, calling one reporter a "rascal" and saying another was "not compos sui" -- using a Latin phrase implying the journalist was out of his mind.

"For the love of God, I will not talk about this," he said.

Bobo Craxi, leader of the Italian Socialists, compared Berlusconi's refusal to resign to the Egyptian ex-leader Hosni Mubarak's desperate attempts to stay in power.

"He is following the disastrous tactic of the Egyptian president. Defending himself and resisting at any cost, involving the country in his incredible affairs. We should prepare for the worst," he said.