<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV class="MsoNormal"><A href="http://www.scd-symposium.org/openingspeech.php">http://www.scd-symposium.org/openingspeech.php</A></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">To all our colleagues from more than 100 countries who are participating in this <B>World Wide</B><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><B> </B></SPAN><B>Internet Symposium on Sudden Cardiac Death</B></SPAN><SPAN lang="EN-US">, we <A href="http://www.scd-symposium.org/welcome.php">WELCOME YOU</A>! I am pleased and honored to chair this fascinating and challenging topic using the most modern electronic approach to reach a world wide audience.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Once again we begin this academic activity within the framework of the Activity of Continuing and Distance Medical Education of ISHNE. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US"> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">We hope that the high level of the presentations given by outstanding world authorities in the field of sudden cardiac death (SCD), as well as by the <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>importance and timeliness of the topics addressed, will meet your expectations. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US"> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">Written lectures, interviews, webcasts, presentation of clinical cases, and the possibility of interacting through discussion Forums, will constitute the essence of this Symposium as we present an update on the most important topics in the area of SCD.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As you are aware, SCD remains a major challenge in today’s modern society. Thus, topics related to Epidemiology, Etiology, Clinics, Mechanisms, Risk Factors, Pathology, Genetics, Prevention and Management including pharmacological, devices, ablation, and surgery constitute the topics to be covered in this complex area. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US"> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">Because establishing permanent scientific links within the international community as well as being able to communicate in a more comprehensive fashion, we will offer the opportunity of choosing most activities in five languages –English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese.<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US"> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">Recognizing the high quality of this Symposium, we offer the option for participants to obtain Continuing Medical Education credits (CME credits). Obtaining such credits is the best way for viewers to achieve a personal evaluation, as well as to evaluate the Symposium in general. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US"> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">Forty-one members of our faculty, along with 20 experts from all over the world, will provide their contributions to the different thematic areas. We express our thanks to all of them. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">We also want to thank Medtronic as the official sponsor of the meeting and especially the Medtronic managers, Ross Meisner and Hugo Fagioli, because they readily understood the importance of <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>this project and supported it from the beginning. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US"> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">Once again, by organizing this meeting through the Internet, we are expressing our confidence in the immense power of this medium as a tool to transmit knowledge. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US"> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">With these brief introductory comments I now declare that the activities of this World Symposium are open. <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US">Now, I invite you go forth to learn!<O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><DIV class="MsoNormal"><SPAN lang="EN-US"> <O:P></O:P></SPAN></DIV><P class="MsoNormal" style=""><SPAN class="apple-style-span"><SPAN lang="EN-US" style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#333333" face="Arial"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">Douglas P. Zipes, Silvia Priori, Sergio Dubner, Edgardo Schapachnik, Wojciech Zareba, Andrés R. Pérez Riera, Branco Mautner, Li Zhang</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN lang="EN-US" style=""><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P></BODY></HTML>