Building on last year's popular webinars on the regulation of nanotechnology, Keller and Heckman and NanoReg are pleased to announce Nanotechnology Today 2010, a series of four new webinars designed to address important regulatory issues and the challenges associated with the safe development of nano-enhanced products.
Monthly Archives: July 2010
Update on Rules for Telemedicine Privileges
In the midst of The Joint Commission’s revisions to its telemedicine privileges standards, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a proposed rule in May that would revise the current conditions of participation (“CoPs”) for both hospitals and critical access hospitals regarding telemedicine services.
The Joint Commission (“TJC”) had previously issued new changes to TJC Standards MS.13.01.01 (Telemedicine) and LD.04.03.09 (Oversight of Care, Treatment and Services Provided Through Contractual Agreement) that were to become effective July 15, 2010, for Medicare-participating hospitals. However, after CMS issued its proposed rule, TJC on June 9, 2010, announced the effective date of these changes was being delayed until March 2011.
CMS regulations currently require hospitals and critical access hospitals to privilege practitioners providing telemedicine services as if the practitioner were on-site. In the present CoPs there is no mechanism for “privileging by proxy,” such as is permitted by the TJC telemedicine standard. In the preamble to the newly proposed regulations, CMS notes that, “One TJC policy that has been in direct conflict with the CoPs has been TJC’s practice of permitting ‘privileging by proxy’ … In short, TJC privileging by proxy standards allowed for one TJC-accredited facility to accept the privileging decisions of another TJC-accredited facility.
Hospitals that have used this method to privilege distant-site medical staff technically did not meet CMS requirements that applied to other hospitals even though they were TJC-accredited.” The proposed rule would address this issue by making changes to 42 CFR 482.12 and 42 CFR 482.221 that would make it permissible for the medical staff to “rely upon information furnished by the distant-site hospital when making recommendations on privileges” for individual distant-site practitioners providing telemedicine services if:
- The distant-site is a Medicare participating hospital.
- The practitioner has privileges at the distant-site hospital and the distant-site provides a current list of the practitioner’s privileges to the originating-site.
- The practitioner holds an appropriate state license in the state of the originating-site hospital.
- The originating-site hospital conducts reviews of the practitioner’s performance in the exercise of telemedicine privileges and sends the distant-site hospital such performance information for use in the periodic appraisal of the practitioner. At a minimum, this information must include all adverse events that result from the telemedicine services provided by the practitioner to patients at the originating-site and all complaints received by the originating-site about the practitioner.
Additionally, for the forgoing to apply under the proposed rule, the telemedicine services would need to be furnished under an agreement with a Medicare-certified hospital and that agreement must specify that it is the distant-site hospital’s responsibility to conduct credentialing of the telemedicine practitioners in accordance with the CoPs.
It should be noted that unlike the TJC standards, CMS makes no distinction between telemedicine and tele- interpretive services. Also, note that the rule only permits the use of information from Medicare-certified hospitals, it does not permit hospitals to rely on information from non-hospital entities, such as teleradiology companies. However, the proposed CMS rule does not appear to affect the ability to use a credentialing verification organization when appropriate. The new rule is still only proposed, but if it is finalized Medicare- participating hospitals will be required to follow this rule.
Charles Saatchi gives art collection to Britain
LONDON — Less than a month after his 67th birthday, the British advertising magnate and gallery owner Charles Saatchi announced on Thursday that when he retires he intends to give the nation his art gallery here — a 70,000-square-foot space in Chelsea — along with artworks valued at more than $37.5 million.
But the building, in a former military complex known as the Duke of York’s Headquarters near Sloane Square, does not belong to Mr. Saatchi. He rents it from Cadogan Estates, a London developer. (Cadogan Estates said in a statement that it hoped the government would keep the gallery there.) And the British government has not yet accepted the gift, although discussions are in progress, said Ruth Cairns, a spokeswoman for the Saatchi Gallery, who added that she had no timetable for a final decision. Also unclear is when Mr. Saatchi plans to retire, which Ms. Cairns said had not yet been determined. A statement from the two-year-old gallery also said that Mr. Saatchi would receive no tax benefits from the gift.
But if all goes as Mr. Saatchi hopes, the Saatchi Gallery would be renamed the Museum of Contemporary Art, London. And the art, which will include more than 200 works by popular British names like Tracey Emin, Grayson Perry and the brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman, would be given to the government in the care of a foundation that would own the works on behalf of the nation and oversee the gallery in much the same way it has been run.
The aim is to keep the space free to the public, with operating funds coming from individual and corporate sponsorship along with revenue from its restaurant, bookshop and rentals for outside events held there.
The gift would also include artworks that could be sold to acquire other art so that the museum could remain a showcase for the latest works.
Mr. Saatchi did not return a phone call requesting comment. But the gallery said in a statement that he felt it was “vital for the museum to always be able to display a living and evolving collection of work, rather than an archive of art history.”
He began collecting and showing Young British Artists — among them, Damien Hirst, Chris Ofili, Marc Quinn, Rachel Whiteread, Jenny Saville and Ms. Emin — years before they became popular. Mr. Saatchi is also known for buying and selling the work of young artists in bulk, causing the prices of their other works to rise quickly when he buys and fall as quickly when he sells. In 2003 he sold about a dozen of Mr. Hirst’s works back to the artist and his dealer, Jay Jopling, in a deal that was said to be worth around $15 million.
An advertising impresario with a keen eye, Mr. Saatchi has also reached out beyond his gallery to help heighten public awareness of many of his artists. His collection is well known to American museumgoers who saw the traveling exhibition “Sensation: Young British Artists From the Saatchi Collection” at the Brooklyn Museum in 1999. That’s when Rudolph W. Giuliani, mayor of New York at the time, called the exhibition “sick stuff” and threatened to cut city subsidies because Mr. Ofili’s painting of the Virgin Mary included clumps of elephant dung.
Beyond exhibitions at his gallery, Mr. Saatchi has also built a Web site that receives millions of hits a year. Besides showing off his collection, it allows artists who register to post their work and sell it without having to pay a fee to a gallery or dealer. (About 140,000 artists have contributed.) It also has a social-networking component, allowing art students to talk to one another and post their work.
Ms. Cairns said the site would continue under its existing management and that once Mr. Saatchi retired, he would no longer be involved with it.
For years now Mr. Saatchi has had a contentious relationship with the Tate. On Thursday the Tate issued a statement saying it “welcomes the news that the national collection of contemporary art promises to be enhanced in this way.” The statement continued, “We look forward to contributing to discussions about how the collection will be used by the nation in the long term.”
Thanatopolis, Alternative Artist-Created Memorial Park/Space, Call for Works, Deadline July 12
The seed for Thanatopolis was planted in 1983. It was an emotional response to the frustration of I-Park’s founder with the available options offered by the cemetery, funeral home and monument dealer upon the death of a loved one. There had to be a more fulfilling way to honor a special individual in one’s life upon their passing. And, it was felt, there needed to be a greater role for creativity and personalization in this process.
--Why Thanatopolis?, http://www.i-park.org/WhyThanatopolis.htmlWhat is Thanatopolis?
• a special space for creating serious, fitting, moving memorials to individuals from all levels of society, a place where the longing to create and do something meaningful for the deceased can be satisfied
• a physical place, a concept and appropriate imagery for attenuating memory
• a harness/focal point for the agony and creativity unleashed by death
• a natural setting for experimentation in the rituals of interment and memorialization
• a new home for the ‘living memorial’ idea...
--Thanatopolis at I-Park, http://www.i-park.org/Events.html
This just in: A call for artworks from I-Park Arts towards the creation of "Thanatopolis," an alternative, artist-imaged memorial park/space seeking to fill the gap left by empty and irrelevant contemporary memorial practice. Work is sought from visual artists, landscape artists, performance artists and more. Full call for works with all relevant links below; Submission deadline is July 12th.
Thanatopolis at I-Park
I-Park’s major inter-disciplinary project for 2010 is Thanatopolis, an alternative memorial park/space in the advanced conceptual stage of development. I-Park is soliciting memorial-themed proposals in the following fields:Music Composition/Sound Sculpture
Visual Arts/Environmental Sculpture
Theater/Choreography/Performance Art
Landscape/Garden Design
Architecture
Landscape ArchitectureSelected projects will be presented at the Thanatopolis Exhibition on October 2, 2010.
Submission deadline is July 12, 2010.
For a copy of the general Call for Proposals, click here.
For the specialized Call for Entries in the field of Music, click here.
For the specialized Call for Entries in the field of
Performance, click here.
For context, click here for ‘Why Thanatopolis?’
For complete program information, click here.
Image: St. Michael's Cemetary: Foundation of Pensacola.
Rainy day fun for adults – Manila Standard Today
Rainy day fun for adults Manila Standard Today It's inspiring and you get to have some new photos to upload on Facebook to show off your amateur photography skills. 6. Order in. Since it's turning out to ... |
Sometimes it just tastes good Felix | Gene Expression
The more you know, the better it tastes:
People like LaForge don’t want altitude information on their coffee because they prefer 1700m coffee to 1400m coffee. Instead, Intelligentsia is supplying something much more important and valuable: a unique narrative. It’s the same thing that’s going on in the wine world….
I agree that the “story” or our understanding of something (e.g., whether it’s $100 or $10) can affect our perception of the hedonic experience. But sometimes coffee just tastes better. So the first time I had a Stumptown roast I was blown away, without knowing anything of the roaster’s history or reputation (it has a good reputation). I wasn’t even much of a coffee snob then (and really, I’m not much now). Though I think that the narrative of civet coffee might make me avoid it, even I if accept that objectively it has a better taste.
Note: Naturally Felix takes wine as an analog, but I think the ‘narrative’ is a much bigger deal, because people have far less objective discernment when it comes to wine.
Reiner Gamma Region of Interest
The heart of the region of interest in the Reiner Gamma swirl. Astronauts exploring this region will address longstanding questions about the origins of this distinctive natural feature. Image width is 510 m [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]. View larger image
First identified by early astronomers during the Renaissance, the Reiner Gamma formation has been a subject of powerful scientific study for almost five decades and is one of the maximum-priority targets for future human lunar exploration. Reiner Gamma is one of the most idiosyncratic natural features on the Moon. This striking, tadpole-shaped swirl has a considerably higher reflectance than the surrounding mare basalts.
WAC monochrome context image of the Reiner Gamma swirl. Arrow indicates approximate location of NAC detail above. Image M117874527M; scene width approximately 80 km [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University]. View larger image
Several LROC Featured Images have shown stunning new images of the swirls near Mare Ingenii which are similar to the swirls of Reiner Gamma. Reiner Gamma, however, is the "prototypical" lunar swirl.
A concept that comes up frequently in lunar science is "space weathering." This term is used to describe a suite of natural processes (including micrometeoroid impacts and exposure to the solar wind) that can alter the spectral properties of lunar surface materials. Since the reflectance of the lunar surface within the Reiner swirl is so diverse from the surrounding mare, some process may have altered the space weathering defenselessness of the swirl materials. There are several theories to account for the existence of the Reiner Gamma swirl. Results from previous lunar missions (including Lunar Prospector) have indicated that the swirl region has an elevated magnetic field, so it's probable that an event hundreds of millions of years ago modified the magnetic properties of the surface materials, deflecting the solar wind and changing how the reflectance is customized by space weathering. Some investigators have proposed that the coma of a comet - streaking in just above the surface - interacted with the lunar surface, changing the surface properties to the degree where the Reiner Gamma swirl could persist for millions of years.
However, based on the available data, we just don't know for sure! That's not a bad thing; if we knew all the answers to all of these interesting problems, we wouldn't ever need to explore! We will not know what caused the swirls of the Reiner Gamma formation until human explorers return to this region to do the fieldwork and collect the samples that will enable us to answer this essential scientific question.
Plan your own adventure to the mysterious swirls of Reiner Gamma! Think about where you would go to answer these scientific questions!
However, based on the available data, we just don't know for sure! That's not a bad thing; if we knew all the answers to all of these fascinating problems, we wouldn't ever need to explore!
To Learn More Visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc-reinergamma-20100629.html
View my blog's last three great articles...
- NASA Hosts Its First Naturalization Ceremony...
- Man in the Moon has 'Graphite Whiskers'
- NASA's TRMM Satellite Predicts Heavy Rainfall in Hurricane Alex
Look Even More Dodgy, With Gadgets Stuffed In a Scottevest Trenchcoat [Apparel]
Trenchcoats are suspicious enough as is, but a trenchcoat stuffed to the brim with gadgets? As well as a pair of shoes, bottle of water...and is that a belt? More »
Shopping - Clothing - Electronics - Women's - Consumer Goods and Services
The Human Edge (on NPR) | Gene Expression
NPR has a series on Morning Edition titled “The Human Edge,” which explores human evolution and genetics. The first episode is up, Finding Our Inner Fish. They focus on Neil Shubin’s work (also, some reporting on what fish can tell us about human skin color on All Things Considered).
As a constructive criticism, I wonder if NPR could do something with science like Planet Money.
Shingles Vaccine (Zostavax) Confirmed Safe
Shingles (herpes zoster) is no fun. It usually begins with a couple of days of pain, then a painful rash breaks out and lasts a couple of weeks. The rash consists of blisters that eventually break open, crust over, and consolidate into an ugly plaque. It is localized to one side of the body and to a stripe of skin corresponding to the dermatomal distribution of a sensory nerve. Very rarely a shingles infection can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation (encephalitis) or death. More commonly, patients develop postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in the area where the rash was. The overall incidence of PHN is 20%; after the age of 60 this rises to 40%, and after age 70 it rises to 50%. It can be excruciatingly painful, resistant to treatment, and can last for years or even a lifetime.
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. In fact, you can’t get shingles unless you’ve had chickenpox (or, rarely, chickenpox vaccine). Some of the virus hides in a dorsal root ganglion and remains dormant for years, then travels down the nerve to affect the associated area of skin. Shingles itself is not contagious, but it is possible to get chickenpox from contact with a shingles patient.
By various estimates somewhere between one out of five and one out of three Americans will get shingles in their lifetime; it’s more common after age 50 due to an age-related decline in cell-mediated immunity, and it’s more common in patients who are immunosuppressed. If you live to be 85, there is a 50% chance that you will have had shingles by then.
Since 2006, a shingles vaccine (Zostavax) has been available. It contains a live attenuated virus. It is recommended for everyone over the age of 60, even those who have already had shingles. There are a few contraindications like allergy to neomycin, immunosuppression, or contact with a pregnant woman who has not had chickenpox. But how safe is it? A new study is reassuring.
Pre-marketing tests showed that it was safe, but now a post-marketing study has expanded our knowledge. The VA did a randomized double-blind trial of Zostavax with over 38,000 subjects and followed them for 3.4 years. Serious adverse events occurred in 1.4% of patients who got the vaccine, but they also occurred in 1.4% of those who got a placebo! There was no indication that any of these reactions were actually caused by the vaccine. The incidence of minor inoculation-site effects (redness, swelling, pain and tenderness at the injection site) was higher in the vaccine (48%) than in the placebo group (16%), as would be expected.
How effective is it? Zostavax has been demonstrated to prevent 51% of shingles and 67% of postherpetic neuralgia. By one estimate, the number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one case of shingles over a 3 year period is 58 and the NNT to prevent one case of PHN is 364. It is estimated that this vaccine could prevent 250,000 cases of shingles a year in US plus reduce the severity of the disease in another 250,000.
The public health implications of varicella vaccines are controversial. People living with children are less likely to get shingles — about 25% of cases are prevented. Apparently this is because adults are re-exposed to the virus and this boosts their immunity. As more children are vaccinated against chickenpox, this protective re-exposure effect will disappear; hence, more cases of shingles in the short term. In the long term, vaccinating children could drastically reduce the incidence of shingles in the population.
Only about 7% of eligible patients have received the vaccine. It costs around $200 and must be kept in a freezer. It’s covered under Medicare part D, but not part B.
For more information, see the CDC website.
Conclusion
Zostavax is safe and effective. Although not as effective as we could wish, it can significantly reduce the burden of a serious disease in the elderly population. It is recommended for everyone age 60 and over by the CDC and by many medical organizations like the American Academy of Family Physicians. Admittedly, the arguments for this vaccine are nowhere near as compelling as the arguments for polio, DPT and MMR vaccines for children. After learning the facts, not everyone will choose to take Zostavax. I chose to take it, and so did my husband.
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Quake 2 Test: HTC Desire Vs. Samsung Galaxy S [Android]
Both run Android. Both have lightning-fast processors (the Galaxy S a Hummingbird/Power VR, the Desire a Snapdragon/Adreno). Both can play Quake 2. But which handles better? More »
HTC Desire - Android - Nexus One - Handhelds - Google
Robert Pattinson’s ‘Eclipse’ prep: Brooding contacts, running like a mouse on … – Seattle Post Intelligencer
Robert Pattinson's 'Eclipse' prep: Brooding contacts, running like a mouse on ... Seattle Post Intelligencer If they could upload it as they were taking the picture, it'd be better. But, yeah, it's strange. CH: Are you ever afraid that Edward Cullen will become ... |
Who are you people? | Cosmic Variance
A bunch of blogs are inviting their commenters (and, especially, lurkers) to out themselves. As it has been a couple of years since our previous de-lurking, we figured we’d join in on the fun.
We know that Cosmic Variance readers are all strong, good looking, and better than average. Why don’t you say hello? Maybe tell us a little about yourself, and what you like/dislike about our blog? Are there events we should know about? Important blogs we haven’t advertised? Should we start a petition to bring Sean back out of retirement? Should we post more about puppies?
Historical Peace Researchers Now Online – Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Historical Peace Researchers Now Online Scoop.co.nz (press release) Heartfelt thanks are owed to ABC committee member Lynda Boyd, who has laboured long and hard to upload a complete set of historical issues of Peace ... |
Tiered Pot Garden
For this summer, I wanted to have a huge garden full of a variety of vegetables. After I planted my garden, I realized that there was no room for herbs that I wanted to grow. So, I decided to compose a pot garden that wouldn't take as much space as laying out a whole bunch of pots on my deck. Wh
Watch The Onion Take On the Future’s News Today [The Onion]
The Onion, that venerable source of satire both topical and historic, is today dipping its toes in the premium content pond. The result: "Future: News from the Year 2137," an Onion-ized look at the world of tomorrow today. More »
Onion - Fruit and Vegetable - Cooking - Satire - Home
Allen West, Republican for Congress, at a Pre-4th Tea Party Rally
"I am sick and tired of the liberal media asking me don't you think the Tea Party is racist... I know what the liberal welfare policies have done... when I go back to my home to Atlanta I see for myself."
Who’s Out There? | The Intersection
Two years ago Ed Yong wanted to find out about who was reading his blog and started a thread to see what kind of information he could gather. Now Ed's revived the meme and science bloggers all around the interwebs are joining in. We think it's a great idea, so here's where you come in...
In the comments below, tell me who you are, what your background is and what you do. What’s your interest in science and your involvement with it? How did you come to this blog, how long have you been reading, what do you think about it, and how could it be improved? But really, these questions are a rough guide. I’m working on the basis that what you have to say will be far more interesting than what I think you might say.
And You Are…? [Feeding the Meme] | The Loom
A couple years ago, Ed Yong, blogger/whippersnapper, asked his readers to describe themselves in a comment thread. It was a very successful experiment, one that many science bloggers have since replicated. Now Ed’s reviving the meme, which seems as good a time as any for me to join in (especially after a day so hot that my brain was parboiled inside my skull like some exotic delicacy). So, to quote from the memester:
In the comments below, tell me who you are, what your background is and what you do. What’s your interest in science and your involvement with it? How did you come to this blog, how long have you been reading, what do you think about it, and how could it be improved?
But really, these questions are a rough guide. I’m working on the basis that what you have to say will be far more interesting than what I think you might say.
So…who goes there? I’m curious.
Longevity Gene Study, The hype cycle must die!
You know what I love. I love a good story.
Magic research discovers Longevity genes, now humans live to 900. Just like Methusaleh.
Great headline. Unfortunately, this may not exactly turn out what it was cracked up to be.
From the WSJ 1 July 2010
"Scientists discover keys to long life"
"By analyzing the DNA of the world's oldest people.......They expect soon to offer a test...."
Tranlsation, here is why you should read this story about this amazing discovery, because soon you can take a test to discover if you will live a very, very long time.
Ok, this assumes
1. The study is correct
2. The statistics are correct
3. The findings are replicated
What's worse about the article is that there isn't even One Iota of, this is a preliminary and needs to be backed up.
Instead!
Instead, they say
"The free test will be available through a public website maintained by the New England Centenarian Study"
Come An' Get It!
Well, the website doesn't have the free test. But I bet it had a million hits the day the WSJ article and the press hype came out.
One may ask, as I am now, Once the afterglow fades, what will be of this test? Further, will the paper now stand the test of scientific scrutiny.
Just this week, despite the hype machine again rearing its ugly head like it did with Time's invention of the year in '08 or the blimps and Oprah. "An Age Old Problem Solved"? Really Globe and Mail?......We are met with discourse and doubt
There are some issues with the paper. Some skeptical about the effect size. Other's, like myself are skeptical because the SNP chip used for controls and cases was not EXACTLY the same. This can at times produce noise and false positive variants....
I am going to ask the hype machine again. Before running with an AMAZING Story, Mr. Hotz and everyone else in the press. Please take the time to get both sides and an analysis of the study BEFORE publishing the story.
The Sherpa Says: I hope this does pan out though, it sure would be interesting to have an estimate, in this case 77% accurate if you would live to 100. I use family history for this and it is not as accurate as 77%. Who gets that number anyways?
