Monthly Archives: October 2012

Fingers crossed at AIIMS after stem cell transplant for MS, first in country

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Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have conducted a stem cell transplant on a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient. They believe this is the first recorded case of an autologous stem cell therapy where the donor and recipient are the same person for MS in the country.

Six months after the transplant, doctors say the spread of MS, an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, appears to have been contained but the therapy cannot be declared a success until the patient is monitored for at least a year.

International trials have demonstrated that this transplant can restrict the spread of the disease in advanced patients, and may even reverse symptoms in early stages in some patients.

Thirty-two-year-old Rohit Yadav, a commerce graduate from Delhi University, was diagnosed with the neurological disorder in 2010. In March this year, after trying all possible conventional treatment options, doctors at AIIMS finally decided on stem cell therapy.

Dr Kameshwar Prasad, professor of neurology who has been monitoring Yadav, said: The primary purpose of autologous stem cell transplant is to control the spread of lesions. We extract the patients own stem cells, treat and inject the stem cells back. Ever since the procedure, the patient has been completely stable. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of stem cell therapy for MS.

In MS, the bodys own immune system attacks the myelin sheath that coats nerves, slowly destroying the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and weakness in the limbs to sudden loss of balance and coordination, blurred vision and paralysis and, at the most advanced stage, disability.

... contd.

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Fingers crossed at AIIMS after stem cell transplant for MS, first in country

Workshops set for West Virginia Institute for Spirituality

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Monday October 8, 2012

Workshops set for West Virginia Institute for Spirituality

West Virginia Institute for Spirituality has scheduled two workshops for October.

"The Enneagram for Professional Helpers" with the Rev. Vernon McNear is set for 2:30 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Registration is at 2 p.m. Continuing education credits are available for social workers, registered nurses and licensed professional counselors.

Dinner will be provided. The program will be at WVIS, 1601 Virginia St. E., in Charleston.

"The Spirituality of Story" with the Rev. Christina St. Clair will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Blessed John XXIII Pastoral Center, 100 Hodges Road in Charleston.

Continuing education credits are available for social workers, registered nurses and licensed professional counselors. Lunch will be provided.

Suggested offering for each program is $50 for CEU applicants and $40 for others.

West Virginia Institute for Spirituality has scheduled two workshops for October.

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Workshops set for West Virginia Institute for Spirituality

SpaceX hurtles toward space station as NASA dreams big

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SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft was successfully launched Sunday, and by Wednesday morning the International Space Station crew should be greeting it with open arms.

NASA's Sunita Williams, ISS commander, and Japanese colleague Aki Hoshide will stretch out the station's robotic arm to install the Dragon on Wednesday at 4:22 a.m. (7:22 a.m. Eastern), according to NASA. The Dragon will be attached to the station for 18 days before heading back to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific off Southern California.

PHOTOS: Awesome images from space

SpaceX's billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, said: "We still have a lot of work to do... as we guide Dragon's approach to the space station. But the launch was an unqualified success."

Meanwhile, NASA is gearing up for another space-station first -- a yearlong mission by two astronauts that will give researchers a chance to better study the effects of extended time in space on the human body.

Earlier this month, the space agency and its international partners agreed to send one U.S. astronaut and one Russian cosmonaut on the yearlong expedition. The pair will travel in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in a voyage to begin spring 2015.

SPACE QUIZ: Blue moons, meteors and more

There have been people aboard the space station for 12 years now, which has given researchers "valuable, often surprising" insight on how microgravity affects human bones and muscles, eyesight, strength and other physical factors, NASA says.

Now scientists want to know more, with the long-term goal of going farther and deeper into space.

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SpaceX hurtles toward space station as NASA dreams big

Liftoff! SpaceX Dragon Launches 1st Private Space Station Cargo Mission

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This story was updated at 10:46 p.m. ET.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. A privately built rocket lit up the night sky over Florida Sunday (Oct. 7) to kick off the first-ever cargo delivery trip to the International Space Station by a robotic, American-made spacecraft.

The unmanned Dragon space capsule, built by the commercial spaceflight firm SpaceX, roared into space atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket from a launch pad here at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, beginning a three-day flight to the space station. Liftoff occurred at 8:35 p.m. EDT (0035 Monday GMT).

The mission is the first of a dozen SpaceX cargo flights under a $1.6 billion deal with NASA for its Commercial Resupply Services program. This flight, being the first mission, is dubbed SpaceX CRS-1 and is expected to arrive at the orbiting lab on Wednesday morning (Oct. 7).

NASA space station program manager Mike Suffredini said Dragon's ability to launch supplies to the station and return cargo back to Earth is a cornerstone of boosting scientific research on the orbiting laboratory, as well as its day-to-day maintenance.

"Not to be overdramatic, but it's critical to the International Space Station,"Suffredini said during the countdown to launch. [Photos: Dragon Launches on 1st Space Station Cargo Trip]

Sunday night's launch was nearly flawless. One of the Falcon 9 rocket nine engines apparently shut down unexpectedly during the ascent, but the booster's eight other engines compensated for the glitch and delivered the Dragon spacecraft into its intended orbit, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said after the flight. The rocket is designed to do exactly that in the event of an engine anomaly, she added.

An American spaceship rises

When NASA retired its space shuttle fleet in 2011, it marked the first time in 30 years that the United States did not have an American spacecraft capable of flying missions to and from low-Earth orbit. NASA is relying on the availability of new private space taxis to deliver U.S. supplies, and ultimately astronauts, to the International Space Station.

Currently, the U.S. space agency depends on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to ferry crews to the station, and sends cargo on various robotic spacecraft operated by space agencies in Russia, Japan and Europe. But those unmanned space freighters are not designed to return science experiments and other station gear back to Earth. Instead, the spacecraft are disposed of in Earth's atmosphere by burning up during re-entry.

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Liftoff! SpaceX Dragon Launches 1st Private Space Station Cargo Mission

Red Wings' Drew Miller looking forward to seeing Scotland, playing hockey again

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TROY When hockey players travel to Scotland, it's usually to play golf in the summer.

But Detroit Red Wings forward Drew Miller will leave his clubs behind, taking his skates instead, when he heads overseas on Tuesday. He has signed with the Braehead Clan of the Rapid Solicitors Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom.

It's just an opportunity to play,'' Miller said. It's kind of getting repetitive here, skating with half a team. It gives me an opportunity to play in game situations.''

He'll be playing in a 10-team league consisting of clubs in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The league, in its 10th season, has been compared to the ECHL.

I'm not sure exactly where it ranks, but I think they play more of a North American style than most of the European leagues, I'm told,'' Miller said. The biggest thing is playing games and mentally preparing for a game and being in that kind of atmosphere. That's what I'm going to try to get out of it.''

The Clan plays in 4,000-seat Braehead Arena in Renfrew, about two miles outside of Glasgow.

More than 100 NHL players have gone to Europe during the lockout and openings in many leagues are scarce, particularly for grinders like Miller, who has never been to Scotland or England.

It's an area of the world I'd like to be able to see,'' he said. Gives me an opportunity to play during the lockout.''

Miller said he's not pessimistic about the NHL and NHL Players Association reaching a new labor deal in time to salvage part of the season.

It's just that I wanted to be ready when the season kicks off, and hopefully it does,'' Miller said. The AHL is playing; a lot of those guys are going to come back into the quick (NHL) camp we would have (after a settlement). I don't want to be behind those guys who've (played games). That's one of the reasons I want to go over there and stay sharp.''

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Red Wings' Drew Miller looking forward to seeing Scotland, playing hockey again

Beauty how to: bold lips, bare eyes

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Posted in Fashion / Fashion blog / Make-up / Make-up & beauty

If one wants to make a statement, the colour of choice would be red. This bright and bold colour represents a lot of things like love, passion and even anger. It is known as a colour that can invoke very strong feelings or emotions. Red makes heads turn, it makes people stand out and it is a colour that you will surely notice (ever wonder why most road signs are in red?) Because of what this colour represents, it is only fitting that it becomes a signature of the eighties. Vibrant and full of life, this decade is one that a lot of designers look to for inspiration this fall 2012 and one such designer is Marc Jacobs.

For his Marc by Marc Jacobs collection, Marc Jacobs went for a sophisticated 80s inspiration. To get the overall look, he teamed up with Dick Page, the Artistic Director for Shiseido cosmetics. This collaboration between the two artists resulted to a beauty look that features a strong and bold red lip colour with natural looking or bare eyes. This beauty look reminded me of a childhood cartoon, nevertheless, it is gorgeous and great for creating an impact. Check out the how-to right after the break.

Article continues. To read it in full visit 'Beauty how to: bold lips, bare eyes' at Fashionising.com

Tagged: Dick Page Marc by Marc Jacobs

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Beauty how to: bold lips, bare eyes

Dragon launches on historic mission to the ISS on This Week @NASA – Video

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07-10-2012 22:13 Space Exploration Technologies Corporation's Dragon spacecraft launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket to begin the historic first-ever contracted cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station. Also, cybersecurity; Antares rollout; hangin' out on Google; the Hubble constant; space orchestra, and more!

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Dragon launches on historic mission to the ISS on This Week @NASA - Video

NASA celebrates first Mars rover scoop

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Published: Oct. 8, 2012 at 6:01 PM

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- NASA scientists say they are celebrating the Mars Curiosity rover's first collection of martian soil to be analyzed for a possible history of microbial life.

The first scoop of dirt, although a simple action, is a "huge milestone" in the Curiosity mission, deputy project scientist Ashwin Vasavada told the Los Angeles Times Monday.

"There was a lot of clapping yesterday, probably the most since landing, when we saw a nice full pile of soil in the scoop," Vasavada said. "It looks and acts a lot like baking flour. And just like any baker, we shook the scoop to make sure we had a nice level spoonful. This also mixes up the soil for us, to ensure a good analysis."

The rover is at a spot in Mars' Gale Crater called Rocknest, and on Sunday work on collecting a sample was initiated from a "nice pile of soil," Vasavada, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said.

"Curiosity then scuffed the soil with her wheel to confirm its depth and compactness," he said. "After some additional images and chemical data cleared the soil for scooping, the team sent up commands to scoop."

Postings on the @MarsCuriosityTwitter account, which are phrased from the rover's point of view, tweeted Sunday: "So excited to dig in! One scoop of regolith ripple, coming right up!"

Monday morning, there was a new tweet: "Here's the scoop: I like my regolith shaken!"

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NASA celebrates first Mars rover scoop

NASA: Mars rover Curiosity makes first scoop, detects bright object

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. - NASA officials say the Curiosity rover has made its first scoop of the surface of planet Mars and has detected a bright object on the ground.

Officials said in a news release Monday that they suspect the object might be a part of the six-wheeled rover, but they won't sample or scoop anymore until they figure out what it is.

The Curiosity has already beamed back pictures of bedrock that suggest a fast-moving stream once flowed on the planet.

The rover landed Aug. 5 and is on a two-year, $2.5 billion mission to study whether microbial life could have existed on Mars in the past.

Today's Mars is a frozen desert, but previous geological studies suggest it was once warmer and wetter.

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NASA: Mars rover Curiosity makes first scoop, detects bright object

NASA Headquarters: Facts and Information

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NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., houses the higher-ups responsible for charting the space agency's course and implementing its vision. For the record, that vision is: "To reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind."

Former space shuttle commander Charlie Bolden has headed NASA since 2009, when he became the first African-American to lead the agency on a permanent basis. NASA's deputy administrator is Lori Garver, who served as the chief civil space policy adviser for President Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

NASA HQ is located at Two Independence Square, a building in a complex at 300 E Street SW in the nation's capital. It oversees activities conducted at the agency's 10 field centers and a variety of installations scattered around the country.

Headquartersis divided into three main organizations, which the agency calls mission directorates. These directorates are Aeronautics, Human Exploration and Operations, and Science. [Giant Leaps: Top Milestones of Human Spaceflight]

Aeronautics

NASA isn't just about spaceflight and space science, as its full name the National Aeronautics and Space Administration makes clear.

The Aeronautics Mission Directorate works to make air travel smoother and safer. The directorate has three main goals, according to its website: 1) Improve gate-to-gate mobility in the nation's commerical air transportation system; 2) Reduce aircraft noise, emissions and fuel use, as well as the overall environmental impact on communities surrounding airports; and 3) Maintain or improve aircraft safety.

Aeronautics research takes place at four of NASA's 10 centers: Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.; Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California; Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio; and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.

Jaiwon Shin leads the Aeronautics Mission Directorate, which received $551 million in the White House's budget requestfor fiscal year 2013 (out of a total NASA allocation of $17.7 billion).

Human Exploration and Operations

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NASA Headquarters: Facts and Information

Delivering an integral approach to emotional and mental health

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Dr. Frank Maye, DOM (NMD)

When talking about an integral approach to emotional health, the term integral is not integrative or complimentary. Integral is not a mainstream approach. Integral simply implies that a team concept is adopted, and the team agrees to use whatever strategies work best for the patient. Patients benefit from a variety of disciplines which all work with one another. I believe these techniques are the future of all medical practice. I returned to school to obtain a PhD degree in Integral Health to ensure this approach took root in Miami.

Emotional and mental health includes a spectrum of conditions, including autism, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders, ADD/ADHD, addictions, depression and anxiety. Some conditions require pharmacology and others call for counseling or talk-therapy. However, there is another alternative. Are you aware that there are nutritional causes of emotional and mental discomfort? You may ask how do I determine if these factors apply to me? There are tests available to help determine bacterial, nutritional, food allergies and toxicity, which are all causative factors. Even if you are already taking an anti-depressant or anxiety-relieving drug, you can I still benefit from these tests. Many side effects are minimized when the causative factors are identified.

At Maye Holistic Med, I spend two hours with every new patient. I ask myself Where did this patient lose their way? ! I owe this time to you and this question helps me guide you emotionally, physically and spiritually back to starting life over. The day you give up on your passion and dreams, the emotional, physical and spiritual you become depressed. The simple tests I conduct reveal and confirm how much this has affected you. Then, I can work to get you happy to be you again.

Psychiatrists, psychologists and natural healthcare providers can work as a team. Recently I attended a conference with 120 other physicians for the Integration of Mental Healthcare Teams. We all agreed that patient-centered healthcare is integral care. We band together as a team to deliver therapies that our patients need to get healthy and happy.

Join me at Maye Holistic Med as a patient or cooperating physician. Sometimes the answer to your problems is simple and sometimes it is complex. Let me help you put a team together.

Dr. Frank Maye, DOM (NMD) is a Diplomate of Naturopathic Medicine and a Diplomate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Maye graduated from Community School of Traditional Chinese Healthcare, Inc. Dr. Maye continued his studies at American Naturopathic Medical Institute where he was awarded a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a designation of (NMD). Along with his private practice, Dr. Maye currently researches for Scintilla Software Industries in the field of Bio-energetics, Resonance Homeopathy, and Nutritional Nano technology.

Dr. Maye can be reached at 305-668-9555 or email:mayeholisticmed@aol.com. Visit us at: mayeholisticmed.com

Short URL: http://www.communitynewspapers.com/?p=47396

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Delivering an integral approach to emotional and mental health

Regenerative Medicine Biotech Company, Eqalix, Names Scientific Advisory Board

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Eqalix Inc., an emerging regenerative medicine company, announces its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). This SAB gives Eqalix a depth and breadth of experience necessary to take it to the next level.

Reston, VA (PRWEB) October 09, 2012

"We are very pleased to bring together these key thought leaders to establish the Eqalix Scientific Advisory Board," stated Joseph P. Connell, Eqalix CEO and Chairman of the Board. "I have worked with Drs. Gold and Goldman for years and have always admired their abilities. Dr Lelkes technologies will make a profound impact upon aesthetic dermatology, wound healing and regenerating blood vessels, nerve endings and damaged organs with the guidance of this distinguished panel. It is not clich in any manner when I say that we are thrilled to work with this team. We look to their guidance, industry knowledge and network to help deliver these therapies into clinic and prospective patients as soon as possible, as I am confident our technologies will make a difference, said Connell.

The members of the Eqalix Scientific Advisory Board are:

Peter I. Lelkes, PhD: Chief Scientific Advisor; Dr. Lelkes is the Laura H. Carnell Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Bioengineering in the College of Engineering at Temple University and the Inaugural Director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering (TIME) at Temple Universitys School of Medicine. While at Drexel, Prof. Lelkes directed an interdisciplinary program in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, focusing on nanotechnology-based biomaterials and soft tissue engineering, employing developmental biological principles to enhance the tissue-specific differentiation of embryonic and adult stem cells. Dr. Lelkes has organized several Keystone conferences and published more than 160 peer-reviewed papers and 45 book chapters and made more than 400 presentations nationally and internationally.

Dr. Lelkes basic and translational research has been support by federal (NIH, NSF, NASA, DOE) and state funding agencies, (NTI and Dept. of Commerce, Tobacco Settlement Funds) and private Foundations, including the Coulter Foundation. Most recently, Dr. Lelkes has been named Director of the Surgical Engineering Enterprise, one of the major initiatives of the strategic plan of Drexel Universitys College of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Lelkes has been the team leader for tissue engineering at the Nanotechnology Institute of Southeastern Pennsylvania (NTI) and is the Co-Director of PATRIC, the Pennsylvania Advanced Textile Research and Innovation Center, focusing on BioNanoTextiles and Stem Cell Biology.

Dr Lelkes stated, "I am delighted and excited to partner with Eqalix to translate our inventions from the bench to the bedside in a timely fashion.

Mitchel P. Goldman, MD, Scientific Advisor, Founder and Medical Director of Goldman Butterwick Fitzpatrick, Groff & Fabi, Cosmetic Laser Dermatology. A graduate of Boston University, Summa Cum Laude, and the Stanford University Medical School, Dr. Goldman is a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Medicine/Dermatology at the University of California, San Diego. Dr Goldman is Board Certified by both the American Board of Dermatology and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.

He is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Society of Liposuction Surgery. He is former President of the American College of Phlebology and President-Elect of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. He presently serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. He also has authored and/or co-authored 21 Textbooks on Dermatology, Sclerotherapy, Ambulatory Phlebectomy, Cutaneous Laser Surgery, Cellulite and Dermatologic Surgery as well as over 300 peer-reviewed publications and textbook chapters.

Dr Goldman added: I am very interested and excited to work with the Eqalix team to make these technologies a success. I believe that my background lends well to truly shaping the successful commercialization of these products for my patients to improve outcomes.

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Regenerative Medicine Biotech Company, Eqalix, Names Scientific Advisory Board

How to simplify sharing your panoramic photos

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TourWrist makes it easy to share, and even easier for your friends to view your iOS 6 panoramic photos.

Sharing a panorama taken with iOS 6 on your iPhone is easy, but takes some work on the recipients end to view. The photo isn't all that tall, it's wide and only provides a general overview of the entire photo unless you pinch and zoom. Then you'll need to swipe back-and-forth until you can view the entire photo. It works, but it's not fun.

The next time you have a great-looking panorama you'd like to show off, use TourWrist, a free iOS app (download link) available in the App Store. Once you sign up and begin using the app, you'll be able to upload your panorama photos, no matter the source, to share with friends and family members. The coolest part about viewing panoramas uploaded to TourWrist is the fact it uses the gyroscope of the iPhone or iPad, allowing you to move your device to pan around the photo.

Click to view full image.

Uploading a panorama photo to TourWrist takes a few seconds. Just give it a name and category and upload it. The photo will go through processing and then be posted to your account. Once it's available (you can find your panoramas under Explore > My Panos), you can view and share it.

When you tap on a panorama in the TourWrist app you'll be prompted to rotate your phone to landscape orientation and hold it up at eye level. When you do, assuming you're facing the same direction the photo was taken, you'll see part of the panorama. Continue moving your phone, up or down and left to right, until you see the entire photo. If at first you don't see anything, just keep moving until the photo comes into view. You may have to spin around in a circle. No, really. Remember, TourWrist was designed to work with any panorama app, so it provides for a 360-degree view, which iOS 6 doesn't currently do.

You'll also have quick access to sharing the photo while you're viewing it. You can share directly to Facebook or Twitter from the app. Don't worry, viewers of your panoramas don't need to have TourWrist installed to view the photo. Your TourWrist uploads can be viewed in a Web browser without issue. The gyroscope view even works in mobile Safari. Of course, if you'd rather not have to spin around in circles looking at your phone, you can enable touch control by tapping on the "Touch" button.

Above you can see a section of a panorama I took this morning. I have posted the entire photo below to give you some perspective.

One feature TourWrist is missing is the capability to mark photos as private. Currently, anything you upload can be viewed by anyone else using TourWrist. I messed around with settings both on the Web site and in the app to no avail. With that in mind, make sure you're only uploading photos you're content with being public.

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How to simplify sharing your panoramic photos

Britain's Gurdon, Japan's Yamanaka share Nobel medicine prize for stem cell research

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NEW YORK, N.Y. - Two scientists from different generations won the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for the groundbreaking discovery that cells in the body can be reprogrammed into completely different kinds, work that reflects the mechanism behind cloning and offers an alternative to using embryonic stem cells.

The work of British researcher John Gurdon and Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka who was born the year Gurdon made his discovery holds hope for treating diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes by growing customized tissue for transplant.

And it has spurred a new generation of laboratory studies into other illnesses, including schizophrenia, which may lead to new treatments.

Basically, Gurdon, 79, and Yamanaka, 50, showed how to make the equivalent of embryonic stem cells without the ethical questions those very versatile cells pose, a promise scientists are now scrambling to fulfil.

Once created, these "blank slate" cells can be nudged toward developing into other cell types. Skin cells can ultimately be transformed into brain cells, for example.

Just last week, scientists reported turning skin cells from mice into eggs that produced baby mice, a possible step toward new fertility treatments.

Gurdon and Yamanaka performed "courageous experiments" that challenged scientific opinion, said Doug Melton, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

"Their work shows ... that while cells might be specialized to do one thing, they have the potential to do something else," Melton said. It "really lays the groundwork for all the excitement about stem cell biology."

Another Harvard stem cell researcher, Dr. George Daley said, "I don't think anybody is surprised" by the award announcement. "The fact that these two share it together is inspired."

In announcing the $1.2 million award, the Nobel committee at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute said the work has "revolutionized our understanding of how cells and organisms develop."

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Britain's Gurdon, Japan's Yamanaka share Nobel medicine prize for stem cell research

Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York Opens New Fertility Center in Downtown Brooklyn

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NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York (RMA of New York), a world class fertility program well known for its compassionate care and clinical excellence, proudly announces the opening of a new reproductive medicine facility in Downtown Brooklyn. Located directly opposite Brooklyn Borough Hall, RMA of New YorkBrooklyn sits on the 27th floor of 26 Court Street, easily accessible by nine subway lines and in close proximity to Brooklyn neighborhoods. Dr. Joshua U. Klein, reproductive endocrinologist, fertility specialist and Brooklyn native, will serve as Medical Director of the new facility.

The founders of RMA of New York recognized a clear need for high quality fertility services in Brooklyn given the borough's significant growth and the cultural, religious and economic diversity of its population. "There is no doubt that Brooklyn is experiencing a true renaissance. By opening RMA of New YorkBrooklyn and providing the area with cutting-edge fertility care, scientific and medical excellence, and access to a top IVF laboratory, we will contribute to this dynamic growth," says Dr. Alan Copperman, Co-Medical Director of RMA of New York. "Since 2001, we have cared for thousands of Brooklyn-based patients in our Manhattan office. RMA of New YorkBrooklyn will provide the highest quality fertility care in a convenient, comfortable, and personalized setting, and will help our patients achieve their dreams of creating a family."

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Joshua Klein completed his residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, and fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Klein plans a medical affiliation with Long Island College Hospital/University Hospital Brooklyn (Downstate) and carries an academic appointment at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan as an Assistant Professor of Clinical OB/GYN.

"This is an exciting time in reproductive medicine. For the first time, we are beginning to offer next generation fertility care to the first generation of children born from IVF and we are rapidly improving upon all current fertility treatments," Dr. Klein stated enthusiastically. "I am excited to join RMA of New York because of its strong track record of success and focus on blending the most advanced medical science with a dedication to individualized patient care. Having grown up here, I look forward to providing fertility care at the highest possible level to patients spanning the full ethnic, religious, and cultural mosaic that makes Brooklyn such a special and wonderful place to live and work."

Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York (RMA of New York) is widely recognized as a national and international leader in state-of-the-art reproductive medicine. Led by an integrated team of doctors and scientists with extensive reproductive endocrinology, fertility and urology experience and training, RMA of New York consistently reports success rates to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that are among the highest in the country and the world. RMA of New York maximizes access to care by helping patients explore all insurance coverage and financing options available for treatment. Headquartered in midtown Manhattan, RMA of New York has additional facilities in Garden City, White Plains and Brooklyn. For more information, please visit http://www.rmany.com.

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Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York Opens New Fertility Center in Downtown Brooklyn

$2.5M boosts scholarships for medical students

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SACRAMENTO Talented students who dream of becoming physicians but worry about the high cost of attending medical school have a new and promising opportunity at the UC Davis School of Medicine. The school has been awarded a four-year, $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide scholarships to economically disadvantaged medical students.

UC Davis plans to use the new funding to provide $15,000 scholarships to more than 40 students each year who are interested in becoming primary care doctors in medically underserved communities.

"We are at a crucial time in health care," said Fred Meyers, executive associate dean, whose responsibilities include overseeing the teaching and community engagement missions for the medical school. "More than 5.5 million Californians live in medically underserved areas, places that have too few primary-care providers, higher-than-average infant mortality rates and high poverty rates. This new grant enables UC Davis to help reduce health disparities by encouraging and supporting the development of more primary-care physicians who represent diverse backgrounds."

Meyers said that UC Davis is determined to improve the quality of health care through innovations in clinical practices and a focus on the unique health needs of the communities its medical students will serve when they become physicians. He noted the school's emphasis on developing interprofessional teams to deliver patient- and family-centered care includes having physicians who can be role models of cultural inclusiveness.

"We know there are many academically qualified and talented students from diverse backgrounds who could become great physicians if they didn't have to worry about the financial challenges to getting a medical degree," said Tonya Fancher, associate professor of internal medicine who is overseeing much of the new grant program. "These scholarships address one of the major barriers to pursuing an advanced degree in medicine. The funding also allows UC Davis to expand its physician-training pipeline by increasing our student outreach and retention efforts."

The current cost of a four-year medical degree at UC Davis, including housing or food, is approximately $244,000. Students have an average debt of $139,000 after four years in school. About 100 students per year graduate from the School of Medicine.

UC Davis School of Medicine is known for graduating a high percentage of graduates who choose to practice medicine in rural and other underserved areas of the state. Many of its newly minted physicians eventually practice in Northern California. The school's curriculum features three community-oriented programs or tracks that focus on medically underserved areas of the state: rural, urban inner city and the San Joaquin Valley.

"Underserved communities are unable to provide optimal care for their residents," said Fancher. "Part of the reason is the lack of physicians. The Central Valley, for example, has some of the lowest rates of primary-care physicians in the state. Our goal is to increase that number and make sure they better reflect the populations they serve."

In addition to student scholarships, the school's retention and outreach initiatives for current and potential medical students include programs ranging from middle and high school presentations about health-care professions, to test preparation and pre-med advising for college undergraduates, to an array of educational support and counseling services that help students complete medical school and achieve success during residency and clinical practice.

HRSA's Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program was established through the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990. Participating academic institutions are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients based on reasonable determinations of need. For more information about the UC Davis School of Medicine, visit http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medschool/.

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$2.5M boosts scholarships for medical students

Doctors' group opposes Auburn medical school

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Alabamas professional organization representing the states osteopathic doctors said it cannot support the creation of a new medical college in Auburn.

Members of the Alabama Osteopathic Medical Association (ALOMA) said construction of a new medical college in 2015 on the heels of another one slated to admit students in Dothan beginning next year could dilute the quality of medical school applicants in the state and create a glut of students looking to complete medical school requirements at locations throughout Alabama.

ALOMA President-Elect Dr. Brent Boyett said the organizations concerns were expressed in a letter sent to Gov. Robert Bentley, Auburn University President Jay Gogue and the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.

Basically, we wanted them to know our concerns and that we could not support an additional school in the state of Alabama at this time, said Boyett, whose practice is located in Hamilton.

Dothans Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine is scheduled to admit its first class next year. Meanwhile in August, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Virginia announced plans to construct a branch in Auburn. If the college is accredited, it should begin admitting students in 2015.

The final two years of a four-year Osteopathic Medicine track consists of residency in a hospital or other medical facility. Assuming classes of 150 per year, the Auburn school would mean doubling the number of students seeking residency from 300 to 600 by 2017.

We just wouldnt have enough rotation sites to accommodate these physicians and the real limiting factor in osteopathic medicine is real good clinical rotation sites, Boyett said.

A lot of this is just inexplicable to me. We were absolutely shocked when we heard of the announcement. Either they know a lot more than we do or we know a lot more than they do, Boyett said.

ALOMA is not the only organization to oppose the branch.

Dr. Neal Canup, State Director of Medical Education for the Alabama Medical Education Consortium, expressed opposition in a letter to state newspapers recently.

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Doctors' group opposes Auburn medical school