Monthly Archives: July 2012

Chromosome microarrays in human reproduction

Posted on by

BACKGROUND

Chromosome microarray (CMA) testing allows automatic and easy identification of large chromosomal abnormalities detectable by conventional cytogenetics as well as the detection of submicroscopic chromosomal imbalances.

METHODS

A PubMed search was performed in order to review the current use of CMA testing in the field of human reproduction. Articles discussing the use of CMA in the preimplantation setting, ongoing pregnancies, miscarriages and patients with reproductive disorders were considered.

RESULTS

A high rate of concordance between conventional methods of detecting chromosomal abnormalities [e.g. fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), karyotyping] and CMA was reported in the prenatal setting with CMA providing more comprehensive and detailed results as it investigates the whole genome at higher resolution. In preimplantation genetic screening, CMA is replacing FISH and the selection of embryos based on CMA has already resulted in live births. For ongoing pregnancies and miscarriages, CMA eliminates tissue culture failures and artifacts and allows a quick turnaround time. The detection of submicroscopic imbalances [or copy number variants (CNVs)] is beneficial when the imbalance has a clear clinical consequence but is challenging for previously undescribed imbalances, particularly for ongoing pregnancies. Recurrent CNVs have been documented in patients with reproductive disorders; however, the application of CMA in this field is still limited.

CONCLUSIONS

CMA enhances reproductive medicine as it facilitates better understanding of the genetic aspects of human development and reproduction and more informed patient management. Further clinical validation of CMA in the prenatal setting, creation of practice guidelines and catalogs of newly discovered submicroscopic imbalances with clinical outcomes are areas that will require attention in the future.

Source:
http://humupd.oxfordjournals.org/rss/current.xml

Female reproduction and type 1 diabetes: from mechanisms to clinical findings

Posted on by

BACKGROUND

The functional reproductive alterations seen in women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have changed as therapy has improved. Historically, patients with T1D and insufficient metabolic control exhibited a high prevalence of amenorrhea, hypogonadism and infertility. This paper reviews the impact of diabetes on the reproductive axis of female T1D patients treated with modern insulin therapy, with special attention to the mechanisms by which diabetes disrupts hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian function, as documented mainly by animal model studies.

METHODS

A comprehensive MEDLINE search of articles published from 1966 to 2012 was performed. Animal model studies on experimental diabetes and human studies on T1D were examined and cross-referenced with terms that referred to different aspects of the gonadotropic axis, gonadotrophins and gonadal steroids.

RESULTS

Recent studies have shown that women with T1D still display delayed puberty and menarche, menstrual irregularities (especially oligomenorrhoea), mild hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, fewer live born children and possibly earlier menopause. Animal models have helped us to decipher the underlying basis of these conditions and have highlighted the variable contributions of defective leptin, insulin and kisspeptin signalling to the mechanisms of perturbed reproduction in T1D.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite improvements in insulin therapy, T1D patients still suffer many reproductive problems that warrant specific diagnoses and therapeutic management. Similar to other states of metabolic stress, T1D represents a challenge to the correct functioning of the reproductive axis.

Source:
http://humupd.oxfordjournals.org/rss/current.xml

Adverse outcomes of Chinese medicines used for threatened miscarriage: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Posted on by

BACKGROUND

Threatened miscarriage is very common in early pregnancy. Chinese medicines have been widely used to prevent spontaneous pregnancy loss. However, the safety of Chinese medicines is still unknown. A systematic review was performed to identify and describe adverse events of Chinese medicines used for threatened miscarriage.

METHODS

Clinical studies of Chinese medicines for threatened miscarriage were selected. Primary outcomes were occurrence of adverse effects or toxicity of Chinese medicines. Secondary outcomes were failure of treatment and adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes.

RESULTS

Thirty-two relevant articles included 9 randomized controlled trials, 1 quasi-randomized controlled trial and 2 controlled trials comparing Chinese medicines alone or combined medicines with pharmaceuticals and 20 case series with no controls. Sample sizes of each study were generally small. There was variation in Chinese medicine formulation, dosage and duration of treatment. In the pooled randomized controlled trials, dry mouth, constipation and insomnia (2–10%) and intervention failure (3.1–22.3%), diabetic complications (3%), preterm delivery (5%) and neurodevelopmental morbidity (1.8%) were recorded. Meta-analysis demonstrated that intervention failure was significantly lower in the combined Chinese medicines groups than in the Western medicines controls (relative risk = 0.46; 95% confidence interval: 0.30–0.70, I2= 0%). No significant differences were found between these groups for adverse effects and toxicity or for adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies varied considerably in design, interventions and outcome measures, therefore conclusive results remain elusive. In the absence of placebo-controlled trials, the safety of Chinese medicines for the treatment of threatened miscarriage is unknown. Rigorous scientific and clinical studies to assess the possible risks of Chinese medicines are needed.

Source:
http://humupd.oxfordjournals.org/rss/current.xml

Health and fertility in World Health Organization group 2 anovulatory women

Posted on by

BACKGROUND

Disruption of ovulation occurs in different types of clinical infertility. The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided a classification of ovulation disorders. This review focuses on WHO group 2 anovulation.

METHODS

Searches were performed in Medline/PubMed and EMBASE. Each subject summary was presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Workshop Group, where omissions or disagreements were resolved by discussion.

RESULTS

Disorders resulting in ovulatory disturbances are a relatively common cause of infertility. They occur most frequently in the context of WHO group 2 anovulation as reflected, for example, in the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aetiology of PCOS remains unclear but evidence exists for a multifactorial origin with a genetic predisposition. Women with PCOS show an increased time to pregnancy but their eventual family size is not necessarily reduced. Also their frequency of miscarriage does not appear increased. Clomiphene citrate is still the first-line treatment in subfertile anovulatory patients with PCOS, with gonadotrophins and laparoscopic ovarian surgery as second-line options. Aromatase inhibitors show promising results.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term health risks in patients with WHO group 2 anovulation demand their general health be monitored, even after their reproductive needs have been fulfilled. Metabolic and cardiovascular risk prevention in women with PCOS should start as early as possible. It is not easy to analyse the possible role of PCOS, independent of obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and diabetes, on long-term health.

Source:
http://humupd.oxfordjournals.org/rss/current.xml

94% of Pathologists Agree Digital Pathology Will Become Common Practice

Posted on by

In the mid-1960s, a new slogan was introduced for Trident: "4 out of 5 dentists surveyed would recommend sugarless gum to their patients who chew gum." The phrase is believed to have been based on the results of a survey of practicing dentists with either D.D.S. or D.M.D. degrees, apparently conducted in the early 1960s, whose patients included frequent users of chewing gums; the percentage of respondents to the survey whose responses indicated they would make such references to their patients is believed to have been approximately 80%, rounded off to the nearest full percentage point, of the total number of respondents. It became strongly associated with the Trident brand. As of the last days of May 2010, however, Kraft Foods's Cadbury Adams group was not known to have made any public disclosures of any details about the survey, presumably citing the proprietary nature of the survey data and conclusions as its rationale.

Anyways, didn't you ever wonder who that 1 in 5 or 20% of dentists did not recommend Trident gum to their patients who chew gum?  

Now comes real data from real pathologists in a wide variety of practice settings courtesy of Laboratory Economics recent Digital Pathology Survey Summary.

A survey was e-mailed to approximately 5,000 hospital labs, independent labs and pathology groups this month.  A total of 174 surveys were judged usable, yielding a rate of 3.5%. Survey participants included 58 hospital labs, 18 academic medical centers, 52 independent labs, 14 esoteric reference labs and 32 pathology groups.

31% of respondents claim having a digital pathology system in place with another 20% claiming adding a system within 2 years.  Aperio has a 44% share with Ventana representing 29% of users and 27% claiming "Other". (Click on images to enlarge)

Usetrends
Usetrends
The main uses for digital pathology cited included HER2 scoring, education/training, second opinions/consultations, ER/PR scoring, primary clinical diagnosis, archiving specimens, clinical trials and autopsies.

Note the 20% (with multiple answers allowed by respondents) for Primary clinical diagnosis. A full 1 in 5 current users claim, among other uses, primary clinical diagnosis.  Bravo.  

Reasons respondents cited for lack of adoption and barriers to adoption included cost, microscope meets needs, data/storage concerns, speed, LIS integration (or perhaps lack thereof), reimbursement, limited test menu and time/patience to learn.  Not much new here.  Answers would have been identical 10 years ago. (Click on images to enlarge)

Usesfordp
Usesfordp

 

Last, but not least, when asked when will digital pathology become mainstream, specifically "How long before it becomes common practice for primary diagnosis of cancer?" 61% of respondents thought it would be within 10 years.  Another third thinks it will take more than 10 years.  Only 6% think Never.  

Mixed news here.  10 years ago people were saying "10 years" and nearly 2/3 of those people who responded to this survey who are using an Aperio or Ventana already or another system for HER2, ER/PR, education/training/archiving, consults or primary readers, by any account - adopters are thinking 5-10 years for "common practice" and another 33% think longer than that.

I guess I am in the minority if I chose less than 5 years as a pure percentage of repsondents.  The question did not tackle specific use cases but I think 5 years is an easily attainable number for a large number of hospitals, laboratories and groups to adopt the technology with tangible ROI for certain uses, tests or applications.  (Click on image to enlarge)

Someday I think we will wonder who these 6% of pathologists/laboratorians were...


94percentinmorethan10years

Source (and thanks to): Laboratory Economics for permission to reuse survey information and graphs/images.



Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

Kudos to CAP PIP Program

Posted on by

For as long as I can remember I have done the quarterly performance improvement program in surgical pathology offered by CAP.

Essentially, the surgical pathology committee puts together an offering composed of 10 cases with questions, summaries and of course answers to the questions to test your knowledge.  

The slides are mailed during regular intervals, you review the slides, take the self-tests and review the write-ups and answers.

Attempts have been made over the years to convert all or parts of this highly analog experience to digital.  

At one time I recall getting a CD with some whole slide images for a set of cases.  I do not think this was marketable and most members did not support.  While perhaps less expensive to scan 10 slides each set than recuts dozens or hundreds and review for consistency, they did not take off back then.

Increasingly with the CAP Case of the Month I often highlight on this site as well as with their PIP program, whole slide imaging is increasingly used.

This last set offered Case 10 as a digital slide with questions/answers.  

Fantastic images, highly navigable, fast image refresh and view, zoom and focus speeds second to none.

And I got the right answer by looking at the image!

When will the entire PIP program be this good and fast?


 PIP10case

 

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

Updates on ACOs from Orchard Software

Posted on by

 

Premier_ACO_model_21

With the knowledge that major changes in healthcare are hovering just over horizon, one of the “fixes” to what is “broken” in our current system is the prospect of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)—organizations of providers that can potentially improve the way medicine is practiced and reduce costs.

In an effort to stay abreast of the healthcare changes, Orchard Software has put together some information to share on ACOs, including what they are and how they may impact the laboratory. There are five parts with the first three being ACOs 101, Measures and Meaningful Use, and Three Types of Accountable Care Organizations. Each part has its own focus and by the end of the series the reader will have a foundation for constructive conversation about ACOs.

201009sdp_cover_0The first part is called ACOs 101 due to its focus on the basics of ACOs. After reading this post, a reader should under- stand what an ACO is by definition and the three core principles that define all ACOs. The post also gives a history of how of the ACO movement started. Finally, ACOs 101 shares the requirements to become an ACO and what processes an ACO must define.

In the second part, Measures and Meaningful Use, the post introduces the 33 measures in the Final Rule on ACOs published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The post gives several examples of the four domains, which are patient experience, care coordination, preventive health, and at-risk population/chronic care. The post also shares how the ACO movement and Meaningful Use measures overlap.

AcoIn the third post regarding The Three Types of ACOs, the three models of ACOs are highlighted, which are the Medicare Shared Savings Program, Advance Payment Model, and Pioneer ACOs. Each model has its own benefits and advantages depending on a facility’s risk desire and immediate participation in the ACO movement.

This post was also released on the day that the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act. With this ruling, many of the ACO initiatives remain unchanged.

Check out the full blog at http://www.orchardsoft.com/blog and stay up to date on my issues impacting the laboratory industry.

 

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

Leica SCN400 2.2 – Fast, Flexible Whole Slide Capture for Digital Pathology

Posted on by

5-Channel Fluorescence Digital Pathology Scanning

    

 

 

WETZLAR, Germany, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Leica Microsystems announces the release of the SCN400 2.2 scanning platform. Batch processing in both brightfield and multi-channel fluorescence, coupled with user-friendly workflows, makes the SCN400 2.2 an all-round high performance solution for digital pathology scanning.

With up to 5 fluorescence channels per slide, the SCN400 2.2 provides a truly flexible whole slide scanning solution. The ability to capture multiple markers on a single sample, with clear focus and channel separation, ensures that researchers maximize results from precious or rare samples. Capacity for multiple filter cubes enables up to 7 distinct fluorescence channels to be utilized across a scanning batch, providing flexibility for the varied samples in research and pharmaceutical laboratories. 

The SCN400 2.2 is optimized to meet the requirements of both brightfield and fluorescence imaging in a single scanning platform. Monochrome detectors for fluorescence provide excellent separation of individual fluorophores that may be close in wavelength, while color detectors for brightfield provide excellent digital slide capture quality.

For brightfield imaging the advanced tissue finding system automatically identifies areas for capture, while Leica's patented Dynamic Focus removes the overhead of slide pre-mapping, rapidly scanning high quality whole slide images.  With the addition of the SL801 autoloader with capacity for 384 slides, the SCN400 2.2 becomes a truly automated high-throughput system.

Dr. Donal O'Shea, Head of Digital Pathology at Leica Microsystems, says "Providing a streamlined workflow for tissue-based research that facilitates quantitative analysis and flexible solutions for multi-user laboratories is a continued focus for Leica.  The advanced brightfield and fluorescence imaging capacity in this release provides an optimal single-platform scanner for the varied samples used by biomarker discovery and translational researchers."

Total Digital Pathology from Leica provides complete end-to-end solutions for scanning, management and analysis of digital pathology images. As part of this portfolio, the SCN400 2.2 provides unparalleled flexibility and performance, to make slide scanning a simple, integrated step in the pathology workflow.
To learn more about the SCN400 2.2, please visit:
http://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/digital-pathology/scan/details/product/leica-scn400-2/
http://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/digital-pathology/scan/details/product/leica-scn400-f/

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 three divisions, all of which are among the leaders in their respective fields: the Life Science Division, Industry Division and Medical Division.

The company is represented in over 100 countries with 6 manufacturing facilities in 5 countries, sales and service organizations in 20 countries, and an international network of dealers. The company is headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany.

Source: Leica Microsystems


 

Source:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

New robot will connect doctors, patients

Posted on by
By Dan Adams Globe Correspondent/July 24, 2012
  • E-mail 
  • Reprints
  • Comments (1)
  • 17

    •  

    The 5-foot-4-inch, 140-pound “telemedicine” robot will be produced in partnership with InTouch Health of Santa Barbara, Calif., a maker of in-hospital robots, and is designed to help patients with health emergencies get more rapid treatment from specialists — especially at night, when hospital staff levels are lower, the company said.

    “Telemedicine is about getting the right expertise to the right place at the right time,” said InTouch chief executive Yulun Wang. “If a patient has a stroke and comes into the emergency room, you better get a stroke neurologist there quickly. Otherwise, through sheer delay, it can be a matter of life or death.”

    Called RP-VITA, the robot allows doctors to virtually visit patients in distant locations, carrying on conversations and even taking measurements in real time. Equipped with cameras, microphones, 3-D mapping sensors, a stethoscope, and a video screen “head” that automatically swivels to listen to voices, the robot transmits and receives video, audio, and navigation instructions over a Wi-Fi broadband connection.

    Doctors, patients, and hospital staff control the robot with a specialized terminal or via a software application that runs on Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet computer, and talk to one another using a Skype-like video chat displayed on the robot’s main screen.

    “I can get data I never had over the phone,” said Dr. Jason Knight, a pediatric emergency care physician at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California, who has been testing a prototype of the robot. “There’s never been one time I’ve used it and said, ‘That was a waste of time.’ I always see something I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

    In February, iRobot said it planned to widen its product range to reduce its dependence on defense contracts as the Pentagon executes plans to cut its budget by $450 billion over the next 10 years. The company, which also makes consumer products such as the Roomba vacuum robot, laid off 55 workers, or around 8 percent of its workforce, in October.

    The RP-VITA incorporates a number of design advances, according to iRobot senior vice president Glen Weinstein. The robot can interact in real-time with heart monitors, blood oxygenation sensors, ultrasound machines, and other diagnostic tools, to give doctors on the other end of the connection access to patient data. And where earlier hospital robots were steered manually, or wheeled from room to room by staffers, the RP-VITA can navigate to learned destinations on its own, avoiding obstacles along the way. It will even give a wider berth to people than it does to inanimate objects, like furnishings, as it roams the hallways.

    “The ability of our systems to work in a dynamic environment has only been mature for the last couple years,” said Weinstein. “From my perspective, this is the most sophisticated robot that’s been created. It’s really pulling together a significant amount of expertise that I don’t believe exists elsewhere in the world.”

    The RP-VITA is scheduled to be released late this year, and will cost between $4,000 and $6,000 per month to lease, according to iRobot.

    “From the patient perspective, the advantage is the rapidity. The faster you get a diagnosis and treatment, the better your outcome,” said Liz Boehm of ExperiaHealth, a patient experience consultant firm in San Francisco.

    The use of telemedicine robots is still very limited, said Boehm, who said some of the benefits can be realized simply through using the Skype video service. But either way, she said, patients can expect to see a growing use of remote communications technology in medicine.

    “For clinicians, the ability to be home more and not have calls be so onerous, that’s wonderful,” she said, “because the clinician is less likely to get burnt out by her job, and can give better care to more people.”

    Dan Adams can be reached at dadams@globe.com. Find him on Twitter at @DanielAdams86.

    © Copyright 2012 Globe Newspaper Company. 

    The 5-foot-4-inch, 140-pound telemedicine robot is designed to help patients with time-sensitive health emergencies get rapid treatment from specialists.The 5-foot-4-inch, 140-pound telemedicine robot is designed to help patients with time-sensitive health emergencies get rapid treatment from specialists.

    Source:
    http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

    UAB Division of Informatics to manage medical research data

    Posted on by

    Published: Monday, July 23, 2012, 9:00 AM


    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Doctors and medical researchers are dealing with increasingly large sets of data. Genetic sequences, images from pathology biopsies and lab tests, and information about how patients respond to treatment, to name just a few. Along with this data are the bewildering names of new disciplines that try to make sense of this information overload -- genomics, proteomics, immunoproteomics, metabalomics, transcriptomics. And overarching all of this is an effort commonly called bioinformatics, which tries to use computing to find better ways to coordinate the data, make sense of it all and mine it for valuable discoveries.

    Which brings us to Jonas Almeida. Almeida is a recent addition to the University of Alabama at Birmingham medical center, recruited away from the prestigious University of Texas-MD Anderson Cancer Center in January 2011 to launch a newly formed Division of Informatics in the med school's pathology department.

    At MD Anderson as a professor of bioinformatics, Almeida was deeply involved in the Cancer Genome Atlas, a shared site for cancer data started with the help of National Cancer Institute funding in 2006. Its utility was seen just last week in a TCGA study of gene mutations in colon and rectal cancers.

    Researchers used the shared data to show that the patterns in colon and rectal cancers were the same, regardless of where they came from. This means the two are actually a single type of cancer. The discovery is considered an important step in understanding the foundations of that disease.

    An effort like the Atlas, Almeida said, takes advantage of "the cloud" -- a web-based set of programs and standardized data formats that allows researchers to build interactive masses of data. Almeida likened this use of the cloud to the popular pastime FarmVille, a farming simulation social network game.

    Another approach in informatics is seen in a paper Almeida and colleagues published Friday about a new app they created for image bioinformatics. This app, called ImageJS, is like one version of Angry Birds, because it operates inside a Google Chrome web browser.

    ImageJS started with a common pathology problem -- a patient has had a brain biopsy, and a slice of the brain has been put on a slide and stained with one dye to color the nuclei of cells and with another dye to create a different color in nuclei that are replicating.

    Normally a pathologist will look at an image of the stained cells and through individual skill and possible help from image processing software, figure how much replication is going on. A high amount means cancer.

    "Pathologists face two major problems that have been insoluble for many years," Almeida said in a telephone interview from Germany.

    First, they would run into difficulties about patient privacy if they had to send the images off to some other computer site to be analyzed, and any software they might want to put on their own hospital computers would create a security question.

    Second, if they wished to make any changes to the algorithms used to analyze images, they would need to get the software rewritten by its producer, and then go through the long and tedious process of getting that software cleared by the information technology folks.

    ImageJS, a simple and fast program written in JavaScript, sidesteps both of those problems.

    It lets the pathologist work at his or her own computer but avoids adding any new programming files to the computer. The ImageJS app does this by operating in a Google Chrome browser which acts as a "sandbox where code is executed without direct access to the machine's file system," Almeida, pathologist Dr. James Hackney and four other division of informatics colleagues wrote in their Journal of Pathology Informatics paper.

    Free code

    Furthermore, the code is freely available from hosting services such as GitHub and Google Code. Users will be able to write a few lines of code to slightly alter the image algorithms, something akin to an Angry Birds player being able to change the colors of the birds, Almeida said.

    While ImageJS addresses a pathology problem, it also doubles as an experiment in informatics. Almeida said he hopes to see it lead to interactions where researchers use and modify the app's simple architecture to build a collaborative computational ecosystem.

    [See Almedia's YouTube.com channel.]

    At UAB, the Portuguese-born Almeida has hired five faculty and now has about 15 researchers and staff in the informatics division.

    UAB pathology chairman Dr. Kevin Roth was the key to luring Almeida to UAB.

    "He offered me something that is special -- a strategic vision about the future," Almeida said. "He sees biostatistics and bioinformatics to be part of the tools of select medical centers."

    Almeida gave another example of the potential use of bioinformatics for clinicians -- shared cancer databases in the cloud where oncologists can find answers to questions that could improve patient care.

    Such questions, Almeida said, include, "What patients have been seen before that were like the one that I'm seeing? What happened to those patients? What drugs did they respond to?"

    Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Hansen at jhansen@bhamnews.com.

     

     

    UAB-Jonas-Almedia.jpg
    UAB's Jonas Almedia and his
    colleagues created an app called ImageJS. (UAB.edu)

     

     

    Source:
    http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

    Morbid Anatomy Scholar in Residence and Star of TV's "Oddities" Evan Michelson on "The Midnight Archive"

    Posted on by

    The newest latest episode of The Midnight Archive--Ronni Thomas' fantastic documentary series centered around Brooklyn's Observatory--has just gone live! Entitled "Dealing in the Obscure," it features Morbid Anatomy Library Scholar in Residence, star of TV's "Oddities", and good friend/partner in crime Evan Michelson waxing poetic on the pleasures of time travel through material culture, why some people are drawn to darkness, and her own uncannily beautiful collection.

    To watch the episode, simply press play in the viewer above. More on the episode, in the words of director/creator Ronni Thomas:

    The Midnight Archive - Ep. 14 - Evan Michelson - It is a pleasure to have Evan Michelson, owner of the NYC epicenter of the odd 'Obscura Antiques' and star of Science Channel's "Oddities"' as a guest on our series. In what is certainly our most abstract and experimental episode, she quite eloquently puts into words why some of us are so drawn to certain objects, the dark, and the disturbing. Her house is, as she puts it, a literal library of the strange and esoteric. Each artifact houses a special story and emotion for its possessor. So enjoy a very psychedelic and surreal episode of the series and please make sure to like our facebook page for random tidbits of macabre history and events around the world! And be sure if in NYC or visiting to check our Obscura Antiques in the East Village - you will not be disappointed!

    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.

    Source:
    http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

    "Last Things and Other Forms," Herbert Pfostl and Jon Beacham

    Posted on by


    My friend Herbert Pfostl--who is also the curator of the outstanding New Museum Bookstore and author of the wonderful To Die No More--has a lovely looking exhibition with artist Jon Beacham. Entitled "Last Things and Other Forms," it will be on view until this Friday, July 27th, whence it will be ushered out by a closing party from 6:30 to 10. Looks to be a lovely show. You can find out more by clicking here.

    Source:
    http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

    Eric Dane leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' during upcoming season

    Posted on by

    }is8@kM]];|UHHM}?{ )djwEwt[df"L++{hu,cg 6#G[W_%!MIJXd_8X9;LDMNIcMA}I88 HSAFLtyGTYJ/n"Y}*Cqm'c e}FRBVg!2QG>7u; I6{bh(X nmooXPt1 :Vgn>{3ywL:ynm;~+1lsZ@-E7/|[Cw`'}Gc*wt'_PgRvT6msJ+ZCA`eeeO$!ei(PGQAL&A4s{p%~CDScPU^Iepv"BX ]VD3kB8m]l"R)A=g F6]mBNN$Cc0.00e+!Gl$Ce%0rL9~Dw%WFHi[8,9bo&EZlltNQ+F>,Az?1ik[x7jO9:w3%(Tj?@*mld[r~yr7544fVze+_dQzr#G[jM`{Lm;" t_Q6!J~idLypA$4V"x9ZXY#fkupY7s9SZlTT&9A"#aaLH<9hC o@l_}c}%#m$3j| k|y2A33^Y8mY kY9 wc63?gB #;&Uhd+*1_O&*!_y4~50Dlw>qB8N;T _n 2O%e:'Q*f'=DT^18=#Ns/R HT p,lG#4BBhnq,*/PhF.d9TYM1l5ae^# @b3+"kMF#'$'5W{$+HyQ6 yDn% x3 -=F',PE4Y@$gOKn_5iKx@"f5u Wp9@'`v0@ w!/p/6AL+CMQKCdr `"7R q@az"89JaUJ+bWU$S{<>qdf0r]#eQA>!<4Amh)e&os~S E@ _4$ R,M18PF*`=A`AP!8#Uv%U?|PR)&q1dK[ruWK n3m{ @c>YF+8gd'XBQcg:F(D Bx uxXF>CQZ{{!h'|HN!=Qjex3_oa+jE4]cY8B}O}:,2"(1 =#?Uu*.,oE9/La3/g~%mT"WXZQf@-}.,~,W]QOL}042fcVf%NO0V]/jcCqnE?rBXKAOg@8x Hj{tHK~>"@Uuh F?qYwwi]#O$QE)CjF4r'ifdt3rR5ZNT]VcEl5`[ n!;u3%#xFi3"bt8/+^o:aE TYE`}',&XX.'C ;'7"j1s x>*e=n2OEn$Vx=f L^7g#2 `,CU vG(Xw}]6#.%4 .9g xBj?3,'NcZeYCYcf8BU9&dV|d^nNFn/6.gYNHX8K6S74?snG[$o76 .`FaXrO#f-v@!cAMi19cNYq!pB$_|(bN,rI]Zw'gd0heE0)D{EBtRX:~D7"ncA[Bn PZ`e1 C.x+HGD[GxV-R8v$H;)Q/N">+QX#V qSP;]r5L6%R}1[/}]CJ4Z:E0Wz iK1^QwC?n8/D_xhfjzy+F2U9bEFRD!oV7K%?$g&T]^3Xx* bPx&)%B2`<,.Eb o2$t)`S-$E _o]Af ]f237AwXat$qCO'-N-1+s*5j>Y#:yn?cU*u%U{RyjeE:HDCf 92uq>G'4BF>Rr,-Gh*LBfrxh4rx,u=[!< WK~7=schML4n99V(f+:(n6j%xu8eU(h?7A }JYn4p:(<-D_2F!T# SeY_=EXh).MC> i{q_KArprFuC -^^5-2cK9Jr{YJT<OA/5I1QY7,u7P?{;vWG.OOdY*=;O^A9?.o?^s~YWC6F|8sW'G]|u%NCF<;p4Dg a{et;}w{]Vx!q^ =}HMi(o<.~uL".vqms6|:#VIguv?u*0O[?WO~MDO8Es= {WZt*@)mix#r~>!XqzU>]Z{+t%IW WXl4V}`!6O~|vs9* pR)l7K]Z[Ooqd=&mob?^D|L<|{l%ZSxV[>rct~"mo2$Dm?5U)_FXnP:*,(2;IHk"q a6 U&ZI c|=!JYm:&!6PTm2X%GMXd$|W dMH@c_ebDI*aFX0WJ{p( &[zK9DEAT!b1Purc*@c`'$` hL);CW xoBD!JG4^R`r6-a42F$2 k?[9,J4-sM$O3dpYH:L{Q1gS*s2j}Lom' )U% v@5~B#+"w!&`F0 h^mLODzqArD$ I"IQp?Z|D,%+W4n&Pz`o}[fMi~dg?$'R'UI7Ij>'F?_L >eA$2/"of*QG>I ~:my!^[I)`r[Ts)LW+!CdK.*n 7E[v6%}9jl'>Ah&Ih&0<*>K@,oMF&L]HS >K;g6r R(dL&g}e1r. 0iDn*[w-N~ :l]n57A "j%#V'[Zk8+W}y(}eRbzeBlw.I >|YutgNp=PCP|a(jc+iW3ktNV{,3BeOM.]al,]D4coaU?VV(eNUD2D*H>ul{9]r>w|a>iquv;;Llnw5T;PI"N{:;QDOChGSW Dn+O+La]1qmC f%E3PrERlA!+ZYas^(~cp_Asl:/B~!zPoa Wq#}}G2V`'S}JT_fRRYD5G$r8vn-Xdy|YZ,,_,[wX-[8KD}YOI'e!LIv6 u67w`X)Oi~yzzu;`8W Ny9D@N)JY]`xa!Msh_u}!pbeT_X(p}V^Ufi:Nkf@~$Fu d>b]fzf[U^lfmT1(3x=*fefgVllzUzef=@~Z3f)Cl5qRjSWYWg}uE`CsSfG`l8lk--^iqXk664x0~}!,hKK,tJ=#^F%syAsyAb2mm--MM uuziMz?(X(LkPxr!JmlL{AB-w,.}>Y*uDn#F^)N >9q[CyN/F`V5-!7^~)|a*5A){<'`JU&M UA; cJD$siV>>.J#:v8tc'4AJ%8Bqg,] yd4F>xt"]sYe4.Txr|h"7MGL{i|],]*hLn!]Z@M XR2paQZ/P:?b&XFM`1JmK7<}#v ~~LxAhwlMjR5M2-9h:*O:|>==i_S)L |&]~&WOwk!]fz'Ud 9uvJO6OD7Ng]j<72k.J~Zq!(7J} OrOZUM{8>29~+5,9uI+$l'|27)A#DsF G|5{,VxDZW..d]Yvtye1B- M_)6|Y Tj

    More here:
    Eric Dane leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' during upcoming season

    Secure Your Hotel Room for Pathology Visions 2012 Today

    Posted on by

     

    2012 Register Now_HC
    Secure Your Hotel Room for Pathology Visions 2012 Today!
    Hotel Reservations Must be Received Prior to October 1, 2012

    The DPA has secured a special group rate for attendees of Pathology Visions at the Hilton Baltimore for a single and double occupancy room.

    ROOM RATE:hiltonbaltimore
    $189 Single/Double + tax

    Check-in: 3:00 PM
    Check-out: Noon
    Self Parking: $28, In/Out privilege
    Valet parking: $40, In/Out privilege

    For overnight guest room accommodations, please make reservations by clicking here
    or by contacting the Hilton Baltimore
    directly by phone at (443) 573-8700.

    Be sure to mention that you are with the group Pathology Visions in order to receive the contracted group rate.

    Learn more

    Exhibitor Deadline is Approaching

     All Exhibitor & Supporter Applications are due August 1, 2012

    The Pathology Visions exhibit program furthers the education of attendees by providing an opportunity for on-site discussions and exchanges on the newest available technologies, as well as an area for exhibitors to present information on products or services pertinent to the attendees’ professional interests.

    There are three levels of exhibit support opportunities available which include Gold Supporter ($10,000), Silver Supporter ($5,000), and Exhibit Booth Only ($4,000). The deadline to reserve an exhibitor spot is August 1, 2012.

    Once participation as an exhibitor has been confirmed, the company’s logo and a link to the company’s website will be featured on the 2012 Exhibitor & Supporter page. All booth assignments will be finalized August 3, 2012.

    Learn more

     

    Source:
    http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigitalPathologyBlog

    NASA'S SLS Rocket Passes Major Hurdle

    Posted on by

    NASA's next-generation Space Launch System (SLS) passed a major review hurdle this week that could position the heavy-lift rocket for a test flight in 2017 and eventually status as the launch vehicle for the space agency's Orion spacecraft on deep space missions.

    The SLS will "provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit," NASA said in a statement announcing the rocket's successful navigation of an independent review board's evaluation of technical, performance, cost, and schedule requirements for its design and manufacture.

    "This new heavy-lift launch vehicle will make it possible for explorers to reach beyond our current limits, to nearby asteroids, Mars and its moons, and to destinations even farther across our solar system," said NASA associate administrator William Gerstenmaier.

    The review board confirmed the SLS program's integration with the future Orion spacecraft, NASA's next-generation Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) with room onboard for four astronauts. Orion is being designed for trips that would take humans further into space than ever beforebeyond the Moon to Mars and even the asteroid belt. Those missions are expected to commence no earlier than 2020.

    SLS program directors will now take the rocket to the design phase. The board selected six rocket designs for this phase, including three from Huntsville, Ala.-based Dynetics, according to Ala.com. The other design proposals come from Northrop Grumman, Aerojet General, and ATK Launch Systems. Only one design will win out but NASA expects to shell out $200 million on demonstrations for all six designs, Ala.com reported.

    The program was initiated just 10 months ago, around the time that NASA was ending its storied space shuttle programan end of an era for the agency that also meant it would no longer have the capability to launch humans into space. Since retiring the shuttle fleet, NASA has relied on the Russian space agency to ferry its astronauts to the International Space Station, while handing off ISS supply runs to the Russians, the European and Japanese space agencies, and even to a privately held company, SpaceX.

    NASA is aiming for an SLS booster configured with a 77-ton lift capacity for the first test flight about four years from now. Future three-stage SLS boosters will be capable of lifting 143 tons into space, the agency said.

    "This is a pivotal moment for this program and for NASA. This has been a whirlwind experience from a design standpoint. Reaching this key development point in such a short period of time, while following the strict protocol and design standards set by NASA for human spaceflight is a testament to the team's commitment to delivering the nation's next heavy-lift launch vehicle," said SLS Program Manager Todd May.

    For more from Damon, follow him on Twitter @dpoeter.

    Read the original:

    NASA'S SLS Rocket Passes Major Hurdle

    Medical merger is enticing to college

    Posted on by

    Susan Robertson

    Merging with Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk to form the William & Mary School of Medicine definitely has potential, but the benefits have yet to be spelled out.

    The possible partnership, announced Wednesday, would make William & Mary the fourth state university with a medical program. The obvious benefits include prestige for William & Mary and state funding for EVMS.

    W&M President Taylor Reveley said serious consideration of a merger began only recently, and a look at similar partnerships will undergo due diligence by the administration and the Board of Visitors.

    Im well aware of the resources a medical school can bring to a university, he said. Although William and Mary and EVMS have cooperated in the past, making EVMS a part of the college would provide greater opportunities for collaboration and the development of innovative learning and research opportunities for William & Mary undergraduate and graduate students.

    Out in Roanoke, Virginia Tech had four big reasons for merging with the Carilion hospital system in 2007, according to Larry Hincker, associate vice president for university relations at Virginia Tech.

    To address a looming shortage of doctors.

    To improve health care delivery in Southwest Virginia.

    To expand Virginia Techs life science and human health research.

    To link efforts of Virginia Tech and Carilion and create jobs in the region.

    Original post:

    Medical merger is enticing to college