Monthly Archives: May 2012

Sam Bridgman: The University of Portland comes together to help support one of its own

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One night last November, players on the University of Portland men’s and women’s basketball teams joined forces to compete in one of the toughest games of their lives.

What the students lost by in points that night, they gained in perspective: They got to see a glimmer of what life is like each day for their classmate and friend Sam Bridgman.

Bridgman, a junior finance major, has a condition called Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare, degenerative neuro-muscular disorder that causes progressive loss of coordination and muscle strength.

About 550 people attended the event, which raised more than $7,000 toward research for Friedreich’s ataxia and offered Bridgman the opportunity to educate his classmates about his condition.

It also gave Bridgman’s classmates on the campus of about 3,810 students the chance to show him what he means to them.

“Although SamJam is a more formal event, it just shows what goes on every day with him — how we all feel about him and that we just want to help him out,” says Sam Westendorf, a member of the school’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee who helped organize the event.

Bridgman, a Seattle native, grew up a happy, outgoing kid who loved people and baseball — and pretty much every other sport. His mother, Amy Koepnick, recalls how her son could make 3-pointers from the age of 7.

But his body first began behaving strangely when Bridgman was playing basketball in middle school.

“When I would rebound the ball I would box out, see the ball come off the rim, and I would tell my body to go get it, but it wouldn’t move,” he recalls while eating lunch on campus in the company of two close baseball buddies and his girlfriend, Molly Billingham.

Bridgman’s symptoms were gradual and easy to dismiss as growing pains. It took years for a diagnosis because the condition is so rare. It wasn’t until he was 15 that a pediatric neurologist in Seattle finally put a name to his body’s inexplicable rebellion.

See more here:
Sam Bridgman: The University of Portland comes together to help support one of its own

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Fevers during pregnancy linked to autism, but medication helps

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Women who reported having had a fever during pregnancy were more likely to give birth to a baby who would later be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or a development delay, says a major new study. But the babies of women who treated their fevers with medication fared no worse than babies whose mothers recalled having suffered no fevers at all.

The findings, wrote the authors, “suggest that anti-fever medication used to control fever during pregnancy can reduce or eliminate” the apparent link between maternal fever and autism.

The study, by researchers at UC Davis’ MIND Institute, was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. It wades into a tempestuous debate over what environmental factors in pregnancy might contribute to autism — and to an apparent increase in autism over the last several decades. Several studies have yielded conflicting findings over whether a link exists between infections during pregnancy and a baby’s risk for autism. Many of those studies, however, have been marred by small population sizes and their reliance on a mother’s recall, or medical records, of infection.

The current study, called Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE), sought to avoid those pitfalls. Researchers enrolled babies and their mothers into the major population study when the infants were between the ages of 2 and 5. Between January 2003 and September 2010, 1,122 babies were enrolled–538 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, 163 with developmental delays that were not thought to be autism, and 421 typically developing children. Their mothers were interviewed at length about their pregnancies; whether they were vaccinated against flu; whether and when in their pregnancies they suffered infection, flu, or fevers; and what medication, if any, they took in response.

Researchers found no link between a woman’s report of having had influenza–or a flu vaccine shot–during pregnancy, and the baby that would go on to have autism or developmental delay. But asking about fevers–the body’s immune response to a wide range of infections, including influenza–yielded a different response.

All told, 191 of the participating mothers reported that they had suffered a fever in the course of pregnancy. Of those, 76 said they treated themselves with medication designed to lower fever–products containing acetaminophen or ibuprofen. But 115 did not take any such medication, or reported they took medication that would not have acted to lower fever.

Compared with babies whose mothers reported no fevers during pregnancy, the babies of mothers who had fevers were about 2 1/2 times more likely to be diagnosed later with a communications disorder on the autism spectrum, and 2 3/4 times more likely to have developmental delays.

Medication to drive down elevated body temperature helped avoid developmental delays by a little: When a pregnant woman took fever medication, her baby’s odds of having a developmental delay went down to twice the probability of a mother-baby pair that experienced no fevers.

But medication to drive down fever appeared to markedly drive down the odds that a baby would go on to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The babies of these women were only about 30% more likely to develop autism.

The results, suggest the authors, parallel findings in pregnant rats and mice–that when an animal’s massive inflammatory response to an infection is suppressed, the development of behavioral abnormalities in the resulting offspring is reduced.

Read this article:
Fevers during pregnancy linked to autism, but medication helps

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Heart disease risks lowered by five lifestyle modifications during youth

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By John Phillip

Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of adults in all Western cultures. Many people believe their fate has been sealed through the inheritance of 'bad' genes, and no degree of healthy living will have any effect on their risk of an untimely and early demise. More evidence that this thought process could not be more flawed is underscored by the work of researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine as published in the journal Circulation.

Scientists have found that maintaining a healthy lifestyle from childhood and into your 40's and beyond can have a profound effect on reducing risk of developing cardiovascular disease as you grow older. Consuming a heart-healthy diet, regular physical activity, stress and blood pressure reduction and maintaining a normal body weight combine to dramatically lower heart disease risks compared to hereditary influences. Read more…

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Heart disease risks lowered by five lifestyle modifications during youth

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By John Phillip

Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of adults in all Western cultures. Many people believe their fate has been sealed through the inheritance of 'bad' genes, and no degree of healthy living will have any effect on their risk of an untimely and early demise. More evidence that this thought process could not be more flawed is underscored by the work of researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine as published in the journal Circulation.

Scientists have found that maintaining a healthy lifestyle from childhood and into your 40's and beyond can have a profound effect on reducing risk of developing cardiovascular disease as you grow older. Consuming a heart-healthy diet, regular physical activity, stress and blood pressure reduction and maintaining a normal body weight combine to dramatically lower heart disease risks compared to hereditary influences. Read more…

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2012 Pathology Visions Keynote Speaker Announcement

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Image002

PIONEER, EDUCATOR, AUTHOR & LEADER
Dr. John Tomaszewski announced as Pathology Visions 2012 
Keynote Presenter

Image001Dr. John Tomaszewski, a pioneer, educator, author and leader in the pathology field, has been announced as the Keynote Presenter for Pathology Visions 2012. Pathology Visions is the annual conference of the Digital Pathology Association (DPA), a non-profit organization that promotes education and awareness of digital pathology applications. Pathology Visions will be held at the Baltimore Hilton in Baltimore, Maryland October 28-31, 2012.

Tomaszewski’s topic for his keynote presentation is “Data Fusion and 21st Century Diagnostics”. His knowledge in the field of genitourinary pathology and versatile skill set has earned him awards and recognition worldwide. Tomaszewski currently serves as Professor and Chair of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences at the University of Buffalo. With over 30 years of experience in pathology, Tomaszewski’s keynote presentation will be extremely insightful.

Before Tomaszewski worked at the University of Buffalo, he served a 28-year tenure at the University of Pennsylvania as a professor and held numerous leadership positions there. The research he conducts focuses on the application of quantitative image analysis, computer vision, and machine learning to diagnostic problems in prostate and other cancers. He sees the field of “integrated diagnostics” with the fusion of large quantitative high resolution imaging and molecular data sets as the paradigm for the new 21st century diagnostics. Tomaszewski will touch on this and more in his keynote presentation. This research has resulted in the publication of over 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts, over 40 published reviews, book chapters, editorials, and books, and numerous awards.

To read the full release on Dr. Tomaszewski please click here.

To learn more about Pathology Visions 2012 please click here.

 
STILL ACCEPTING ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS

The DPA is currently accepting oral presentation abstracts and poster presentation abstracts. The oral abstracts, submissions which provide researchers the opportunity to present for 30 minutes on a topic related to digital pathology, will be due on June 1, 2012. The poster presentation abstracts, allowing attendees the opportunity to display a poster for two days during Pathology Visions, will be due August 1, 2012.

Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the Pathology Visions Program Committee and chosen presenters will be provided a conference registration pass (valued at $699), economy class round trip airfare, and lodging expenses for a maximum of 3 nights (October 28 - 31) at the host hotel.

Accepted presenters will be notified by June 15, 2012. To submit your abstract please now please click here. For more information regarding Pathology Visions please click here.

 

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PathConsult Real Time Telepathology HD video imaging now available!

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Took a look at this a couple of weeks ago and incredible how easy to connect and review images quickly (real time) with high quality.  My camera phone shots would not do the images respect but for a demonstration or to test ease of connection, I suggest you reach out to Meyer Instruments and see for yourself.

PathConsult_NewA recent breakthrough in technology has just made it possible to transmit in REAL TIME 30 frames per second, 1920 x 1080 P HD color video across internet lines.  Using a high performance custom designed 3 chip HD video camera and proprietary codec, it is now possible to consult, teach and record images in true real time from one site to another.  As long as your internet upload speed is 5 megabytes or faster, perfect image streaming is now possible. There is virtually no more pixelization, packet loss or frame latency lag.  Perfect color and clarity using even 100x oil immersion images is now possible in real time.

This new system has to be seen to be believed!  For years, this broadcast capability was simply not possible. Thanks to the advent of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC  technology and a recent break through in synchronization, anyone that uses a microscope can instantly share with others EXACTLY what they are seeing.  The heart of the system is a patented transmission device which provides instant HD video compression.  Using existing microscopes, the included 'C' mountable camera performs like no other product on the market.  An optional motorized macro lens and lighted copy stand provide real time macro photography of gross samples, Petri dishes or test tubes.

Also included as part of the system is a high-chromaticity, 42 inch professional grade, commercial display monitor.  Not only are the microscopic images displayed larger and clearer than seen through the microscope, but multiple people can simultaneously see the exquisite images you are transmitting. The PathConsult Real Time Telepathology imaging system is a perfect addition to multi-headed microscopes and especially designed for applications where high magnification is required. 

The PathConsult Real Time Telepathology imaging system will be a welcome, much needed tool for any pathology application, especially cytopathology.  And best yet . . . this system does not require a computer to operate!  Just plug it to an internet connection, provide the unique IP address to the remote observer and transmit, (up to 3 observers can view simultaneously with the PathConsult and up to 100 observers can view simultaneously with the PathConsult-Pro).  Whatever is steaming can be recorded along with audio.  It comes with and analog microphone and a simple one button recording device.  It can be used with PC’s, Mac’s and iPad’s.  Compatible with all browsers.

Contact:

Robert D. Meyer Instruments, Inc.

Meyer Instruments, Inc.

1304 Langham Creek Drive

Suite 235

Houston TX, 77084

281-579-0342

http://www.meyerinst.com            

 

                                            SEEING IS BELIEVING! 

  PathConsult_Diagram

 

 

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New Microscope System Leica DM4000 B LED for Biomedical Routine & Research Applications

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Superior Image Quality with LED Illumination and Intelligent Automation

Wetzlar, Germany. Leica Microsystems launches the new Leica DM4000 B LED – a microscope system with innovative LED illumination optimally suited for biomedical applications.

The specially designed LED transmitted light illumination solution is perfectly integrated in the microscope automation covering a wide range of microscopy applications. LED illumination produces constant color temperature at all intensity levels without heat buildup and thus enables stable results. High luminance and optimal color reproduction provide brilliant images with a clear differentiation of the colors in the sample. With at least 50.000 hours lifetime, the LED illumination is very cost effective; frequent bulb changes are no longer necessary.

Advantages for biomedical research

Thanks to intelligent automation the Leica DM4000 B LED sets parameters for transmitted light and fluorescence illumination according to user’s selection of contrast method and magnification. Most recently used settings are stored and recalled automatically – saving time and allowing the user to focus on the application and not technology. The fully automated fluorescence axis with apochromatic light path provides brilliant images with stunning contrast. Intelligent automation also means: high-quality, publication ready images and maximum reproducability for reliable data analysis.

Ideal for clinical applications

The Leica DM4000 B LED is well suited for clinical applications, e.g. pathology applications with H&E or IHC stained slides. Its special transmitted light modes may be adjusted according to applications and user’s preferences. Repetitive movements are reduced thanks to the intelligent automation along with the ergonomic design.

Integrated system solution

Leica Microsystems offers a complete imaging system from one source: With Leica’s extensive line of color and fluorescence cameras there is a solution for different requirements like high resolution and quick live image. The Leica Application Suite software package fully integrates the Leica DM4000 B LED microscope and digital camera into an optimized system for visualization, storage and documentation of microscope images. The Leica AF6000 advanced fluorescence imaging systems featuring LAS AF software are ideal for very fast, multidimensional fluorescence scans and processing, including live cell time-lapse experiments, multi-positioning and deconvolution.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Leica Microsystems is a world leader in microscopes and scientific instruments. Founded as a family business in the nineteenth century, the company’s history was marked by unparalleled innovation on its way to becoming a global enterprise.

Its historically close cooperation with the scientific community is the key to Leica Microsystems’ tradition of innovation, which draws on users’ ideas and creates solutions tailored to their requirements. At the global level, Leica Microsystems is organized in four divisions, all of which are among the leaders in their respective fields: the Life Science Division, Industry Division, Biosystems Division and Medical Division.

Leica Microsystems’ Biosystems Division, also known as Leica Biosystems, offers histopathology laboratories the most extensive product range with appropriate products for each work step in histology and for a high level of productivity in the working processes of the entire laboratory.

The company is represented in over 100 countries with 12 manufacturing facilities in 7 countries, sales and service organizations in 19 countries and an international network of dealers. The company is headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany.

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Interesting Case of the Week from PathXchange

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Courtesy of PathXchange

This week's Case of the Week is a case by Shaza, a pathologist from King Saud University Hospital in Qateef, Saudi Arabia. 

Title: Axillary Mass in a 32 Year old Man

Case Information: Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma shows a biphasic pattern which consists of island of cytologically benign hyaline cartilage surrounded by celluar area containing small, primitive-appearing mesenchymal cells arranged around delicate branching vessels.

Case Creator: Shaza

 1-15        1-12        1-10        

Case of the Week Program

The PX Case of the Week is a program that allows PX members to showcase rare and interesting cases to the online community. Take this opportunity to get in the spotlight with our huge digital pathology community! Creating cases on PathXchange is very simple.

Take a look at this Step-by-Step PDF Guide if you are creating a case for the first time.

Log on now. See you online!

PathXchange Team

PathXchange Benefits

Px forms a platform for collaboration and is the perfect tool to easily share slides, discuss cases, teach students, store slides, conduct research studies and store images in one convenient online location. Our interactions with users revealed that Px has been used in various settings. These are just examples; find out how you can best use Px yourself!

Case Conferencing
Present your cases digitally at the next upcoming conference using PathXchange. PathXchange is the perfect way to present your cases online. Reference each case and slide with a permanent URL for websites, papers, and journals. Present whole slide scans instead of limiting the audience to fixed fields of view. Conferences such as Futurescape 2009 and the Senior Surgical Pathology Meeting (SSPM) in Mumbai have used Px as a reference site for virtual case conferencing.

Slide sharing clubs
Share cases online – save cost and inconveniences associated with re-cutting and shipping slides. The Soft Tissue Slide Club is a similar club that shares and showcases interesting soft tumor cases.

Research Study
Use PathXchange as a platform to conduct research studies. Upload digital cases easily and let pathologists from multiple sites review slides over the internet. Research findings can be easily recorded and aggregated using simple questionnaires. Mayo Clinic is conducting an international consensus study on Autoimmune Pancreatitis (AIP) using PathXchange. Participants from five different countries will be reviewing a virtual library of 40 cases and will record their findings, diagnosis and comments using a questionnaire associated with each case on PathXchange. The results of the study will discussed during the joint American Pancreatic Association and Japanese Pancreatic Association annual meeting in Honolulu this year.

eLearning
Show and provide digital images of interesting cases for teaching purposes. A digitized slide enables anytime, anywhere access to slide sets and provide a more interactive learning environment for students. The Creighton Dermatopathology group on PathXchange provides online cases and resources for residents of Creighton University Medical Center to master their dermatopathology skills. The group presents about 400 rare and interesting cases for routine and common skin lesions.

Forums and Discussions
Have a question related to Pathology? Post it on the Px forum. Px forum provides a quick and easy way to reach out to Px community members to obtain answers, discuss difficult cases etc. Several PathXchange members have been using the Px forum to gain answers to their questions.

PathXchange

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GE’s Healthymagination names CEO

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Courtesy of Modern Healthcare:

Sue-Siegel.jpg&maxw=300&maxh=200GE has named Sue Siegel a corporate vice president and CEO of Healthymagination, the company's $6 billion initiative to address global healthcare costs and access.

Siegel, 52, joined the Fairfield, Conn.-based company from Mohr Davidow Ventures, where she most recently served as a general partner, according to a GE news release. She has also held senior positions with Affymetrix, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based provider of genomic analysis tools, and reagents vendor Amersham International, which was acquired by GE Healthcare in 2003.

Siegel replaces Mike Barber, who has been named vice president and general manager of molecular imaging at GE Healthcare. GE launched Healthymagination in May 2009. 

In her new role, Siegel will oversee quality- and engagement-related initiatives including an innovation challenge focused on early-stage breast cancer and workplace and community health programs.

Read more 

By Jaimy Lee

Posted: May 21, 2012 - 3:30 pm ET

 

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MD247 Invites Local and National Media to Learn More

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MD247 launched an “open door” policy regarding its social media operations, allowing local GI_84246_md247_logo_High_res and national media an all access pass to information regarding thetelemedicine provider. The MD247 invitation to local and national media was issued in response to an evolving customer care program, which initially was modified to provide consumers a behind the scenes view of customer care. The addition of an open door policy for the media is meant to provide television reporters, bloggers and journalists the opportunity to have an all access behind the scenes pass that does not require that facts be checked using unreliable resources like Wikipedia or Ripoff Report.

Members of the media opting to contact MD247 to learn more about the MD247 telemedicine program will have the opportunity to learn more about the history telemedicine, where the field of telemedicine is going in the future and how the field will change the medical frontier for patients. In addition to learning about telemedicine, journalists will be walked through subjects like the “talk to a nurse” hotline for symptom checking and the discounted pharmaceutical program card. MD247 management will also address complaints filed on websites like Ripoff Report, and the way in which the changes to MD247 customer care are meant to catch problems before they escalate to the point of nameless complaints.

MD247 encourages members of the media with questions to please make initial contact via email at mgermann (at) md247 (dot) com.

MD247 advised that media parties interested in learning more about the field of telemedicine are encouraged to first visit the newly relaunched MD247 telemedicine website at http://www.md247.com. The newly relaunched site covers the history of telemedicine, current applications of telemedicine and potential future advances using telemedicine.

Largo Florida based MD247.COM (MD247; MD/247; MD 247; M.D.247; MD-247) provides an affordable telemedicine supplement to existing healthcare services. MD247.COM telemedicine program members have unlimited telephone access to a nationwide medical support team, all with just a single phone call to the MD247.COM telemedicine Talk to a Doctor/Talk to a Nurse Hotline. MD247.COM has a virtual platoon of registered nurses; board certified physicians and a support staff available to members for all non-emergency situations. More information about MD247.COM is available online at http://www.md247.com.

Source: PRWeb

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Ventana seeks Senior Product Manager for Digital Pathology

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At Roche, 80,000 people across 150 countries are pushing back the frontiers of healthcare. Working together, we’ve become one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups. Our success is built on innovation, curiosity and diversity, and on seeing each other’s differences as an advantage. To innovate healthcare, Roche has ambitious plans to keep learning and growing – and is seeking people who have the same goals for themselves.

  • The Digital Pathology Marketing team seeks a Sr. Product Manager to drive the global commercialization of our line of slide scanners. Digital Pathology is a fast-growing category, with a fast-paced, team oriented work environment, and opportunity to make a big impact for Roche Diagnostics. This role offers a unique opportunity to drive global commercialization of Digital Pathology products.
  • Reporting to the Sr. International Business Leader for Digital Pathology, you will lead budgeting, planning and global launch activities. Experience with Digital Pathology or Imaging systems highly desirable, but not required.
  • The Sr. Product Manager owns the assigned product line and is responsible for developing and executing an annual global product line plan that creates command of positioning, promotion, pricing, and costing for a lab-oriented software solution.
  • The Sr. Product Manager is responsible for providing geographical support for existing products and managing the product lifecycle. Other duties include monitoring supply chain, quality, development activities, and collaborating with Operations to overcome issues.
  • The Sr. Product Manager continuously monitors customer requirement trends and participates in strategic initiatives as needed. The Sr. Product Manager is the product champion and main conduit for all product-related communications for the product line.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

  • Product positioning, promotion, and pricing.
  • Development and implementation of marketing initiatives designed to increase revenue, profit, and/or market share for product line.
  • Development of sales collateral and other marketing materials.
  • Market analysis including customer data mining, competitive intelligence, product line gap analysis, and market sizing.
  • Ownership of cross-functional and cross-departmental alignment on product line objectives.
  • Continuously monitor commercial performance.
  • Develop product quality requirements.
  • Develop and maintain product line dashboards.
  • Provide critical feedback to Product Development teams regarding customer/user requirements.
  • Development of high-level software requirements, application visual design, and feature development.
  • Responsible for development of product release strategy and roadmap.
  • Lead product discontinuation and obsolescence teams.
  • Support annual Strategic Business Planning effort.
  • Act as main point of contact and manage global communications for assigned product line.
  • Monitors work to ensure quality, and continuously promote Quality First Time.

 

You’re someone who wants to influence your own development. You’re looking for a company where you have the opportunity to pursue your interests across functions and geographies, and where a job title is not considered the final definition of who you are, but the starting point.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
 
Formal Training/Education:

  • BS or BA in related field required, MS and/or MBA a plus.

Experience:

  • 7 years sales, product management, product marketing and/or technical experience in internet software development or clinical diagnostics or lab instrumentation, based on assignment. Experience defining marketing and sales collateral. Strong knowledge of diagnostic and/or laboratory automation and related clinical/histology experience desired.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint proficiency.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
  • Excellent presentation skills.
  • Excellent communication skills.
  • Excellent problem solving skills.
  • Excellent analytical skills.
  • Strong technical acumen.
  • Excellent project management skills.
  • Financial/model building skills.
  • Significant leadership potential.

The next step is yours. To apply today, click on the "Apply online" link below.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Apply online 

 

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Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant: An Illustrated Lecture and Screening with Mel Gordon, Author of "Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant", Observatory, June 3

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We at Morbid Anatomy are SO excited to announce the return to Observatory of one of our all-time favorite speakers, that silver-tongued rogue scholar Mel Gordon, author of, among many other books, Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror, The Seven Addictions and Five Professions of Anita Berber; and Voluptuous Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin.

On Sunday, June 3, Mr. Gordon will be giving an illustrated lecture at Observatory based on his research for the book Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant followed by a special screening of "lost" film footage from Hanussen's 1919 "Hypnosis: Hanussen's First Adventure," a Caligari-like story of sex magic and the occult. Books will also be available for sale and signing.

For those who have not yet seen Mr. Gordon speak, trust me; this is a night not to be missed. Full details follow; hope very much to see you there!

Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant: An Illustrated Lecture and Screening with Mel Gordon, Author of "Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant"
An illustrated lecture and screening of "lost footage" with Mel Gordon, author of Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant and Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror
Date: Sunday, June 3 (please note date change from Monday, June 4)
Time: 8:00
Admission: $8
Presented by Morbid Anatomy

"Historians digging into the archives to reconstruct the chronicle of the Twentieth Century will have to deal with this strange phenomenon of Erik Jan Hanussen, born Herschmann Steinschneider in the humble home of a poor Jewish actor in Vienna. It will be their task to unravel a complex maze of reality and legend, myth and romance, to reach the core of the true personality of Steinschneider, alias Hanussen, and his influence on one of the most significant chapters of European history, the ascent and reign of Adolf Hitler." --Pierre van Paassen, Redbook Magazine, "The Date of Hitler's Fall," May 1942

When Pierre van Paassen, the prominent Dutch author and foreign correspondent, wrote the above for McCall's Redbook Magazine, the "amazing exploits of Erik Jan Hanussen" were still hot international filler. What could have been more titillating than the true and enigmatic story of a Jewish mystic who helped usher in the Third Reich before  becoming one of its first victims?

Tonight, join Mel Gordon--author of Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant--for an illustrated lecture on the amazing story of Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant featuring a special screening of "lost" film footage from Hanussen's 1919 "Hypnosis: Hanussen's First Adventure," a Caligari-like story of sex magic and the occult, and other documentary sources. Books will also be available for sale and signing.

Mel Gordon is the author of Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant, Grand Guiginol: Theatre of Fear and Terror, Voluptious Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin, and many other books. Voluptious Panicwas the first in-depth and illustrated book on the topic of erotic Weimar; The lavish tome was praised by academics and inspired the establishment of eight neo-Weimar nightclubs as well as the Dresden Dolls and a Marilyn Manson album. Now, Mel Gordon is completing a companion volume for Feral House Press, entitled Horizontal Collaboration: The Erotic World of Paris, 1920-1946. He also teaches directing, acting, and history of theater at University of California at Berkeley.

More here.

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Morbid Anatomies! Max Raabe! Amazing Collections! Victorian Machines! The Green Fairy! Post-Mortem Photography! Announcing Season Two of The Midnight Archive.

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A new season of The Midnight Archive--that wonderful web-based documentary series centered around Brooklyn's Observatory--will be launching shortly, and series creator Ronni Thomas has just posted an exciting new teaser to give you a taste of what is to come, which, as you will see, will include featurettes on yours truly, the amazing Weimar-revivalist/performance artist Max Raabe, the time-traveling collection of Evan Michelson, the Victorian machines of Tim Mullen, Stanley Burns and his collection of Post-Mortem photography, and the green fairy herself, absinthe!

You can view the excellent teaser by clicking "play" above.

And here is what series creator Thomas has to say about this upcoming season:

Coming up shortly - after a brief hiatus the Midnight Archive web series is on its way back complete with all new things to make your eyes bulge. This season shifts focus to some prolific collections and their owners including our gal Joanna Ebenstein (Morbid Anatomy/Brooklyn Observatory) and the elegant and charming Evan Michelson (owner of Obscura Antiques in NYC) - but we also sprinkle in a decent dose of the old who/what/where/why's of the obscure. We're excited to get it underway and always excited to hear your feedback - prepare for a great stretch! 

For more on the series, to see any of the episodes, or to sign up for the mailing list and thus be alerted to future uploads, visit The Midnight Archive website by clicking here. You can also "like" it on Facebook--and be alerted in this way--by clicking here.

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Proteus Gowanus 2012 Benefit: The Nomad Mixer

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Morbid Anatomy Library's mother space, Proteus Gowanus, is having a benefit party! Invitation follows. Hope very much to see you there!

Wayfarers, wanderers…
tramps, train-hoppers, drifters, day-trippers, pilgrims, globetrotters, vagabonds, lost souls, rolling stones and anyone who’s ever felt the urge to go beyond.

As our Migration year draws to a close we invite you to celebrate the things we’ve seen, how far we’ve come and where we’re going next.

Join us
Saturday, June 2, 7-10 pm
for
the Nomad Mixer

A winding, art-packed romp through our labyrinthine halls and courtyards with music, food, drink, and exotic experiences ‘round every bend.

F E A T U R I N G

Intimate encounters with the literary Gypsies of The Poetry Brothel
Uncanny Tarot card readings
The runaway-train sound of the Union St. Preservation Society Band
Holus Bolus transforms our alleyway into a Nomad Spectacle
The incredible steam-punk Seed Machine
A transformative Map-Your-Life workshop
Writing challenges courtesy of the Writhing Society
Shift Beds for transients and would-be horizontals
and a
Live Auction of Extra-Ordinary Experiences!

Food generously provided by Damascus Bakery of Atlantic Avenue, Sahadi’s of Atlantic Avenue and Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue, opening later this summer at 433 Third Avenue. Beer lovingly provided by Brooklyn Brewery.

More information--and tickets!--here.

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Psychedelic Psilocybin Mushroom Tourism and Anatomical Waxes: Tonight and Beyond at Observatory!

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Tonight at Observatory, hope to see you for a screening of Kat Green's intriguing looking film "The Secret Life of Mushrooms," a documentary about psychedelic Psilocybin mushroom tourism in Mexico, followed by a Q and A with the filmmakers. Also coming up: workshops withc ceroplast Sigrid Sarda in wax anatomical votives and life and death masks; "Drawing from the Bestiary" class with Saul Chernick; an upcoming lecture with Mel Gordon about Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler’s Jewish Clairvoyant; and the screening of a film detailing the unexpectedly dark history of Jell-O.

Full list of upcoming events follows; Hope to see you at one--if not more!--of these terrific events.

"The Secret Life of Mushrooms" -- Screening and Q and A with the Filmmakers
Screening of the film "The Secret Life of Mushrooms" with the film's producer/director Kathleen Green and interviewer Dan Glass
Date: TONIGHT Monday, May 21
Time: 8:00
Admission: $5
Presented by Morbid Anatomy

"Kat Green's documentary on mushroom tourism in Mexico is a valuable and insightful examination of the fallout when global culture encounters indigenous sacred traditions. At a time when most of the focus is on ayahuasca tourism in the Amazon, Kat's documentary reminds us that mushroom tourism continues, as it has since the 60s. Well worth viewing!" – Dr. Dennis McKenna, co-author of The Invisible Landscape: Mind, Hallucinogens, and the I Ching

Psilocybin mushrooms were first brought into the public consciousness in the late 1950's after R. Gordon Wasson discovered the ceremonial mushroom rituals of the Mazatec Indians in Mexico and published his findings in Life magazine.?? Huautla de Jimenez – the largest town in the Sierra Mazateca – was made famous amongst spiritual seekers, resulting in a hippie invasion to the remote mountain town that lasted over a decade. Today, mushrooms are still commonly used for healing, and have become a very public symbol of Huautla's pride in their culture.?? The Secret Life of Mushrooms features interviews with anthropologist and author of The Devil's Book of Culture, Ben Feinberg, local curandera Ines Cortes Rodriguez, Mazatec ritual specialist Edward Abse, and a wide variety of local historians, musicians, and business owners, as journalist Dan Glass investigates the long term cultural effects that outsiders have had on the small mountain town in the last 50 years.
Tonight, join filmmakers Kathleen Green and Dan Glass for a screening of The Secret Life of Mushrooms at Observatory, followed by a brief Q & A. You can find out more about the film by clicking here.

Kathleen Green (Producer/Director – The Secret Life of Mushrooms) Brooklyn filmmaker Kathleen Green has been working in film, video, and live event production since 1997. In that time, she has created documentaries, music videos, short films, and visual art with the goals of finding untold stories, exploring new ways to capture dance on camera, and generally making pretty things to look at.  Her work has been screened at the Dance on Camera Festival, Coney Island Film Festival, the New York Tango Film Festival, the 2007 Americans for the Arts Convention, the Pioneer Theatre, Collective: Unconscious, the Bowery Poetry Club, on the Fuse network, and at various galleries in Berlin. She has also worked with HBO, MTV, MSNBC, the Sundance Channel, VH1, Fuse, and the History Channel as a freelance editor and post supervisor.  She is currently developing a non-fiction series about fire artists and their work entitled Playing With Fire, and the dance film, Strange Attractors. 

Dan Glass (Interviewer – The Secret Life of Mushrooms) Dan Glass has written travel, science, and culture stories about such diverse subjects as solar eclipse chasing, Puerto Rican senior citizen bicycle gangs, the psychological effect of viewing earth from space, and flophouses in Coney Island, among others. He's traveled through over 40 countries on five continents, with highlights including excursions to Ethiopia's Omo Valley to find ritual stickfighting battles, solo horse treks through central Mongolia, and riverboat trips 800 miles down the Congo River. His work has been featured in outlets including Wired, NPR, Discover, and Playboy Online. He lives in New York City.

And onward and upwards:

You can find out more about all events by clicking here.

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Learn to Make Your Own Anatomical Wax Votives or Life and Death Masks with Artist and Ceroplast Sigrid Sarda at Observatory, This June!

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Some of you out there might remember a recent post on this blog about the work of one of our favorite contemporary artists, self taught ceroplast Sigrid Sarda, whom you might also have seen profiled on the "Wax" episode of The Midnight Archive (see above) or on the fantastic i09.com.

We at Morbid Anatomy are very, very delighted to announce that Sigrid will be bringing her amazing craftsmanship (see her wax self-portrait-in-progress photographed above) to Observatory to teach two special classes developed as part of the nascent Morbid Anatomy Art Academy. The first class, Life and Death Mask Making Workshop, will take place on Sunday, June 3rd, and the second class. Anatomical Wax Votive Making Workshop will take place Sunday June 24th. In both classes, students will leave with their own finished piece to take home, and the knowledge to make their own pieces in the future.

Class size is very limited; if interested, please RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com.

Full details follow; hope to see you at one or both of these terrific classes!

Life and Death Mask Making Workshop with Artist Sigrid Sarda
Date: Sunday, June 3
Time: 10 AM - 4 PM
Admission: $100 (includes $40 materials fee)
*** Limited class size; Must RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

For many centuries and in many civilizations, artisans have created what are called "Life Masks" or "Death Masks" cast from the faces of the famous or the infamous to preserve their likeness--living or dead--for posterity. In this class, students will learn to create their very own Life Masks working with alginate--a non-toxic seaweed-based mold making product that is easy on the skin--and plaster. Students will pair up and cast one another, but don't be alarmed; the workshop's instructor Ms. Sarda assures us that you will love this experience, and that most everyone who has been cast comes out feeling relaxed to the point of jello, with the extra insentive of a free facial. All materials are included, and each student will leave class home with their face immortalized in plaster.
The day's schedule:

  • Partnering up and casting
  • Adding plaster to the negative mold
  • An hour break for lunch (give or take depending on how fast the plaster dries)
  • Demolding and cleaning the cast
  • Touching up any imperfections in the plaster cast

Warning: If you are someone who is extremely claustrophobic, this is not for you. Dress casually and have fun!

Sigrid Sarda is self taught in the art of ceroplastics. She has been featured on such programs as The Midnight Archive and will be appearing on TV's Oddities this June. She will be showing her work in London this fall. You can find out more here, here and here.

Anatomical Wax Votive Making Workshop with Artist Sigrid Sarda
Date: Sunday, June 24
Time: 10 AM - 4 PM
Admission: $145 (includes $63 materials fee)
*** Limited class size; Must RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

The Votive: Expressing or symbolizing a wish, desire, or vow; Offered, given, undertaken, performed or dedicated in fulfillment of or in accordance with a vow.

Anatomical votives--or replicas of diseased body parts left at a holy place either in hopes of curing ailments or in gratitude for having been healed--have been widely utilized since ancient times. Common media for votives have included terra cotta, marble, silver, and, our personal favorite, wax. In this class, expert wax worker and artist Sigrid Sarda will teach students to create an uncannily lifelike wax votive of the body part of their choice. Each student will leave class with a finished wax votive as well as a knowledge of mold making, wax craft, and the history and meaning of the anatomical votive.
Students are encouraged to focus on an afflicted body part for which they seek relief, or, if they are lacking any unfortunate ailments--be it an ear ache, psoriasis, or that pesky cutaneous horn--to choose a body part that is symbolic to them in anticipation of a particular wish or prayer. Symbolic meanings include the hand which traditionally equates to justice, strength, pledge of faith, power or sincerity, and the foot equating to humility and respect. If that doesn’t suffice we’ll make one up as we go along.
Using an ancient formula created by practitioners of wax modeling, you will create an object for your prayer. The steps taken to reach the desired goal are: first, casting your body part into alginate and creating a negative mold; second, pouring wax into the mold; and finally, demold and clean your votive.

The class will begin with a short talk on the history of votives followed by casting the the body part of your choice. Next, we will take a short break for lunch. following which we will de-mold and clean your lovely wax votive. Please dress casually (it’s a bit messy and very fun). All you need is to bring yourself. All materials are provided, and you get to leave class with your very own votive.

Sigrid Sarda is self taught in the art of ceroplastics. She has been featured on such programs as The Midnight Archive and will be appearing on TV's Oddities this June. She will be showing her work in London this fall. You can find out more here, here and here.

You can find out more about Sigrid and her work here, here and here. You can find out about the classes and Observatory by clicking here. To sign up for the class, please RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com. All photos by Sigrd Sarda of her own work.

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Pitt cuts medical research incentive

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May 27, 2012 12:06 am

By Steve Twedt/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The life of a medical researcher can be both rewarding and solitary, with the rewards often coming in breakthrough scientific discoveries made after long hours alone in a laboratory.

Beginning July 1, medical research will be slightly less rewarding -- at least financially -- for faculty at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine.

In a memo sent to department chairs, directors and faculty at the school this spring, the dean, Arthur S. Levine, cited economic conditions as the reason the school will reduce an incentive payment based on researchers' outside grants from 10 percent to 8 percent, while also instituting a $50,000 minimum in outside grant money for researchers to qualify for the incentives.

"As you know, we find ourselves in difficult financial times and need to take such actions as these to maintain operational viability," stated the memo, a copy of which was provided to the Post-Gazette.

The amounts that the researchers will lose will vary widely, since it is a percentage of whatever grants they receive, although Dr. Levine downplayed its significance in a phone interview.

"We're talking about tiny amounts. This isn't going to be a threat to anybody," he said.

The real story, he said, is the larger funding picture and specifically the sluggish national economy that is drying up funding for basic research.

At one time, at least 35 percent of grant applications to the National Institutes of Health were funded, said Dr. Levine, who worked at NIH before coming to Pitt. Currently the grant success rate is 17 percent, and he expects it may fall to 12 percent or 13 percent next year. "We're all victims of the same bad economy."

Originally posted here:
Pitt cuts medical research incentive

The risk of a heart attack is on your plate

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By Jonathan Landsman

Do you want to dramatically change the course of your life? I'm talking about avoiding a massive heart attack, ineffective stent procedures or (painful) bypass surgeries. Believe it or not, you CAN unclog arteries, lower blood pressure and improve your circulation by simply eating a better diet.

It's time to update medical wisdom

In 1967, the first coronary bypass surgery was performed and everybody thought it was a "miracle" in medicine. Of course, 10 year later, the (less invasive) angioplasty was created but couldn't prevent a heart attack. By 1987, the use of stents lowered the demand for bypass surgery with NO reduction in the risk of a heart attack.

Modern medicine doesn't get it! You can NOT fix a biochemical problem - like heart disease with a mechanical (surgical) solution. By 1990, Dr. Dean Ornish, a world-renowned internist popularized the fact that anyone can reverse coronary heart disease with simple changes to diet, exercise and stress management habits. Doctors must upgrade their thinking process. Read more…

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AHS graduate wins science award

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By: Ariana Diaz | adiaz@oanow.com Published: May 25, 2012 Updated: May 25, 2012 - 9:49 PM

Bess Ward said she had no idea she was nominated for a prestigious Procter & Gamble honor but was thrilled when she found out.

Ward, a 1972 Auburn High School graduate, was named the 2012 Procter & Gamble laureate in applied and environmental microbiology. She has been chair of the Department of Geosciences at Princeton University for six years. She has focused much of her research on the biogeochemistry of nitrogen in marine environments.

The award recognizes distinguished achievement in research and development in her field.

Shes made many important discoveries on how the nitrogen cycle of the ocean works and has made fundamental contributions, said Procter & Gamble nominator Douglas Capone, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California.

Capone said he and Ward met more than 30 years ago at one of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography meetings for research and discussion. He said he nominated Ward because he thinks highly of her research and believes she deserves it.

Ward received her undergraduate degree in zoology at Michigan State University and Ph.D. in oceanography at the University of Washington. She held postdoctoral and research scientist positions at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. Ward served as assistant professor for the department of ocean sciences at the University of California for six years before becoming department chair.

She really is a pioneer, Capone said Shes brought many new techniques.

As fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, Ward has also received the Fellowship in the American Geophysical Union and the American Academy of Arts and Science. In 1997, she was the first woman and youngest person to receive the G. Evelyn Hutchinson Medal from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography.

Ward will be honored by Procter & Gamble on June 18 at the American Society for Microbiology general meeting in San Francisco. There, she will give the lecture: Biogeochemical Cycling: Past, Present and Future.

More here:
AHS graduate wins science award

DNA expert: Needle has Clemens' cells on it

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DNA testing that showed traces of Roger Clemens' cells on a collection of steroid-laced medical waste was reviewed in court on Friday in the former pitcher's perjury trial in Washington, D.C. Included in the tested items was a needle used for injections that likely contained Clemens' genetic material. Government witness Alan Keel, a veteran DNA analyst from a private lab in California who performed the tests, took the stand on Friday, the New York Daily News reported. Keel spent the day on the witness stand describing his forensic examination of a needle, tissues, blood-stained gauze and cotton balls that McNamee said he saved in 2001. Keel said he found DNA of Clemens and McNamee on the items. "I would expect to find this profile unique to only one person that has ever lived on the planet," Keel said. The items were turned over to the federal government by Clemens' former trainer Brian McNamee in 2008. Keel said there was only a 1 in 173 trillion chance that cotton balls apparently stained with Clemens' blood could possibly belong to another randomly selected Caucasian American. Keel said a needle he tested was comparable to one Clemens submitted to federal agents in 2008. According to Keel, the chances the needle had of being a different match from Clemens was just 1 in 449. Because the sample contained only six to 12 cells, Keel said there is almost no way it could be faked, countering what Clemens' lawyers have been arguing. "In my opinion, it would be virtually impossible for someone to have left only the trace amount of material by design," Keel said. The medical waste came from a Miller Lite beer can that McNamee used to store as evidence in 2001.

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DNA expert: Needle has Clemens' cells on it

Posted in DNA