Sales Account Manager Position Open at Aperio

This position is focused and very skilled in the area of Digital Pathology

The Digital Pathology Sales Account Manager will possess specialized and in-depth comprehensive knowledge and experience in Digital Pathology as the Subject Matter Expert in image analysis for the US Healthcare Sales Team.  Candidate will develop and execute successful Digital Immunohistochemistry (DIHC) solution sales strategies, update sales tools and tactics to drive growth and revenue to the hospital market throughout the US.  You will partner, train and support all US Healthcare Sales Representatives in Digital IHC sales and marketing skills allowing pathologist to significantly streamline clinical workflow and improve patient care through digital pathology. 

Candidate must have an impressive history of consistent sales success to clinical reference labs and to hospitals in complex sales with a solid understanding of the histology environment. This position will call on both existing customers and new business with a focus and quota for selling Aperio’s Digital IHC solutions.  Candidate must be comfortable calling on the C-Suite, delivering vision, and orchestrating multi departmental/site evaluations.   You must have excellent skills focusing on differentiation, forecasting, negotiating and closing while working in concert with US Healthcare Sales team. 

As the SME in Digital IHC solutions, you will also partner with the Healthcare Representatives throughout the US to educate and support them in driving the Digital IHC business to closure with their customers.  To be successful, candidate must be highly motivated, display independent initiative and thrive on the independence, flexibility and variety offered by this specialized sales position for Aperio. 

The Digital Pathology Sales Account Manager is someone who can:

  • Target clinical reference labs and hospital accounts that would benefit from Aperio’s Digital IHC Systems
  • Collaborate with the US Healthcare sales team as the Subject Matter Expert in image analysis to assist in achieving complex goals 
  • Independently perform needed activities in all areas of responsibility to achieve Aperio’s business goals
  • Develop and execute successful Digital IHC solution sales strategies for the US Healthcare market
  • Partner, support, educate and train Healthcare Reps throughout the US in DIHC sales
  • Provide direction on issues of DIHC and assist Healthcare Reps and Sales Managers in setting strategy direction
  • Develop, communicate and deliver the vision and benefits of Digital IHC Systems to the hospital market
  • Demonstrate proven experience in pathology product sales, imaging sales and a solid understanding of the reimbursement aspects of clinical lab business
  • Coordinate effective sales activities within national, multi-site, hospitals and/or IDN’s
  • Proactively review best practices and process improvements to ensure competitiveness within a rapidly changing environment and to provide proper strategies to and meet deliverables

Desired Skills & Experience

Qualifications:

  • Proven record of successful sales of Digital Pathology solutions
  • Expert in image analysis
  • Solid understanding of the histology environment
  • Ability to create DIHC sales strategies, plans and activities to exceed sales goals
  • Demonstrates outstanding professional communication and interpersonal skills; communicates with C-suite level, pathologists, doctors, laboratory managers, internal partners
  • Ability to educate, support and train US Healthcare Reps in the area of Digital IHC
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks with shifting priorities and timeframes
  • High level of initiative, creative thinking, decision making and problem resolution skills
  • Works independently but able to interact as a partner and team member
  • Inherent ability to influence of others 

Requirements:                            

  • BA/BS
  • Minimum 5-7 years successful selling experience into hospitals (medical capital or software solutions)
  • Extensive understanding of pathology market
  • Extensive understanding of histology laboratory environment and Digital IHC (immunohistochemistry)
  • Excellent written and verbal communications skills
  • Ability to work with others to train and educate them to be successful in DIHC
  • Track record of rapidly and consistently generating sales revenue
  • Ability to travel a significant percentage of time

Location and type:

Full-time employment in Western US near a major airport

Compensation and benefits:

Aperio pays our great people salaries commensurate with market value, and provides full benefits including health benefits and a 401(k) plan.  All Aperio employees participate in our stock option plan. 

To Apply:

Submit your resume in word format to jobs@aperio.com. Please include the position title in the subject line.

Aperio is committed to attracting and retaining the most highly qualified candidates available. As an Aperio employee you will be consistently challenged to deliver your best. Because we provide our customers the best technologies and service in the industry, you will constantly develop new skills, learn new products, and be involved in activities that are highly valued in the marketplace. At Aperio, we value our customers as partners, and therefore strive to deliver excellence in everything we do.

Aperio is an equal opportunity and affirmative action M/F/V/D employer.  We support workforce diversity. EEO/AA M/F/V/D

 

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iPad proves equal to regular screens for TB evals

Admittedly, mobile small screen technologies afford portability and perhaps in some cases, access to basic health care services that would not normally be availalable.  True in pathology, just as it is radiology. Look for more news to come on this related to digital pathology.  Based on some recent papers I have reviewed for publication, small screen technologies will show their effectiveness for primary H&E diagnosis and extend the pathologist's reach.  

From: FierceMobileHealthcare

 By Sara Jackson Comment |  Forward | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn


iPads are just as good as LCD monitors when it comes to diagnosing tuberculosis, according to a follow-up study recently conducted by the University of Maryland.

The original study, which took place in mid-2010, tested only 30 images  found that the original iPad's resolution wasn't quite as good as that of LCD monitors and wasn't sufficient for a primary diagnosis.

In the new study, five radiologists tested 240 images--200 positive and 40 negative--on iPad 2 tablets and on a 27-inch Mac monitor. The agreement between the two displays was statistically equal, researchers report.

"Mobile displays should provide an effective extension of the radiologist's reach," researcher Samir Abboud told radiology news site AuntMinnie.com.

The two big negatives for the mobile technology were speed and size. All of the radiologists reported the iPad2 was far slower than the LCD monitor and that the screen size just couldn't compete with the larger monitor.

"It took, on average, twice as long to view the dataset on the iPad than on the traditional workstation," Abbout said. "Readers also commented on how much smaller the iPad's screen was compared to the 27-inch monitor."

The university's findings are an interesting turnaround for the industry, considering that experts reported to AuntMinnie last fall that tablets were "impractical" for viewing medical images, and likely would never take the place from LCD workstations.

"You won't find a radiologist who wants to read a chest X-ray off an Apple iPad," Dr. David Hirschorn, director of radiology informatics at Staten Island University Hospital said at the time.

To learn more
- read the AuntMinnie article (registration required)

Related Articles:
Mobile devices 'impractical' for medical image viewing
Carestream wins FDA approval for medical image viewing on tablets
RSNA: iPad helps untether radiologists from reading room

Read more about: table computersMobile HealthcareiPadhealthcare apps
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HealthTap’s Social Network of 5,000 Doctors Is Ready to Give Free Advice

Back in the 1990's when our department had a website, I started uploading several powerpoint lectures from various sources with the intent that such material would be used as what was then a growing source of information online that was peer-reviewed, accurate and current.

It quickly became apparent the need and desire by patients to reach out and inquire about their own individual cases based on the lecture material.

One in particular stands out, a lecture dealing with cervical cytology, abnormal pap smears, therapy and follow-up.  At first there were only a handful of e-mails which quickly became dozens and hundreds of such inquiries. 

Initially, I referred the questions (and essentially the patients) to gynecology and gynecology oncology colleagues who at first were willing to respond to patients and in some cases, provide professional services if the patients desired.  Ultimately, based on the volume of inquiries and growing concern about patient privacy, e-mail communication and risks to providers, I removed the lectures.

The story was similar for lectures related to brain tumors, prostate pathology and microbiology.

Since then we have watched the trials and tribulations with sites and services such as Dr. Koop, Google Health and WebMD.

Now comes news of a social media network that works for patients and providers from HealthTap:

It’s fair to raise an eyebrow when a social network for healthcare comes along, but this network just might make you raise both eyebrows in surprise: HealthTap has created a healthcare social network with more than 5,000 real-live doctors to answer patient questions. Not peers, not “experts” and not brands. Health questions aren’t posted for the world to see or comment on. This is a private network between a patient and thousands of doctors.

“Facebook and Twitter are dangerous for doctors, but everyone wants to take part in social networking,” says HealthTap CEO and founder Ron Gutman, referring to the perils of patient confidentiality and lawsuits for giving wrong advice. Social and medicine haven’t boded well under the shared banner of technology, but Gutman is creating a social environment that works for doctors and patients.

HealthTap is launching a mobile app (free) called HealthTap Express that lets users ask any health question and get immediate answers from more than 5,000 doctors for free. This isn’t Yahoo Answers or Quora. Questions asked on HealthTap are always answered by a professional held accountable for their answers, which can be reviewed by peers. These are real, North American-based doctors with licenses and contact information.

Getting these doctors to become part of a social network was no small task. HealthTap began 20 weeks ago (Gutman refers to the time in “weeks,” similar to the way a new parent refers to the age of their child)  as a network for OB/GYNs and pregnant women. This was a smart vertical to tackle first; as many doctors in this field are some of the industry’s most vocal about preventative medicine, patient rights and universal healthcare. Word spread of the network, like it does for all successful social networks, and today HealthTap’s app has grown to incorporate 82 healthcare fields. The app is available for iOS and Android, smartphones and tablets.

Read more.

Source: New York Times

 

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Former Aperio Executive and Digital Pathology Market Expert, Dr. Martin Stuart, Joins Definiens Executive Team

Munich, Germany – January 31, 2012 - Definiens, the global leader in Health Image Intelligence and Quantitative Digital Pathology, has appointed Martin Stuart, PhD, as its Executive Vice President and General Manager North America and Asian Pacific. In his new role, Stuart will be responsible for expanding the Definiens business in North America and Asia and providing leadership to the sales and field operations. 

Martin Stuart, a former Senior Vice President and General Manager of Aperio, is one of the most influential leaders in the Digital Pathology industry. He has more than 25 years of experience in international sales and marketing, specializing in the introduction of new and disruptive technologies. In his previous global sales and marketing position he was a key driver in making Aperio the leading provider of digital pathology, with more than 850 deployed slide scanner systems in more than 30 countries. Prior to Aperio, Stuart was Global Vice President of Sales and Services for Entropia Inc., a desktop grid computing company focused on the Life Sciences market.

"I’m excited to join the market leader in Quantitative Digital Pathology" comments Stuart. "Image analysis is a major driver of adoption and I’m extremely impressed by the results customers are getting by deploying Definiens products and solutions. There is enormous demand for solutions that help pathologists deal with the increasing complexities of their discipline as they support the transition to personalized medicine. I see Definiens as best positioned to address this demand by providing comprehensive decision support solutions."

"We are extremely pleased to have Martin join Definiens at a time when demand for our products is growing rapidly" says Thomas Heydler, CEO of Definiens.  "His executive experience in the digital pathology business coupled with a profound domain background makes him an ideal fit for our team. With this appointment we will significantly increase both our Life Sciences and our Healthcare Business."

About Definiens

 Definiens is a leading Health Image Intelligence™ company that develops software solutions for biomedical image analysis, data mining and clinical decision support. The company’s software analyzes images from cell-based assays, whole tissue slides and full body scans and allows users to correlate this information with data derived from other sources, supporting better decisions in research, diagnostics and therapy. By automating analysis workflows and generating new knowledge, Definiens provides pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, research institutions, clinical service organizations and medical professionals with deeper insights, faster results and better decision support. Harnessing the power of image intelligence, Definiens supports personalized medicine and aims to significantly improve the quality of patients’ lives.

Definiens is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and has offices throughout the United States. Further information is available at http://www.definiens.com.

 

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Kaiser Permanente launches EHR mobile app

 By Sara Jackson Comment | Forward | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

 

Kaiser Permanent today launched a mobile app giving more than 9 million patients access to their online medical records. The healthcare giant created a mobile-optimized version of its member website, kp.org, with a companion Android app. The company promises an iPhone app later this year.

Kaiser officials say members will be able to view information from past visits, access lab results and pharmacy orders and see other data from their records. They also will be able to check appointments and exchange texts with clinicians via smartphone.

It's remarkably quick work, considering that just last August, Kaiser IT reps admitted they had virtually no mobile strategy crafted, and no apps under development other than the KP Locator mapping app released at the end of the summer.

But they seem to have had a little push from users. In a 2011 study of Kaiser members, smartphone users said the ability to access kp.org's My Health Manager functions from their phones was what they wanted most. And even without the optimization for mobile devices, visits to the kp.org website from smartphones skyrocketed 46 percent during 2011, to make up 14 percent of total visits to the site.

To learn more:
- read the announcement

Related Articles:
Make sure your hospital's mobile strategy is deliberate
Kaiser debuts mobile app

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Amazing Animated Gifs of a Circa 1920s Coney Island, from "Speedy," 1928




Animated gifs created from he nighttime Coney Island sequence featured the 1928 Harold Lloyd vehicle Speedy. You can watch the clip from which it is is drawn by clicking here.

Synopisis of the film, from IMDB:

Speedy (1928)
"Speedy" loses his job as a soda-jerk, then spends the day with his girl at Coney Island. He then becomes a cab driver and delivers Babe Ruth to Yankee Stadium, where he stays to see the game. When the railroad tries to run the last horse-drawn trolley (operated by his girl's grandfather) out of business, "Speedy" organizes the neighborhood oldtimers to thwart their scheme. Written by Herman Seifer

Found here.

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Observatory’s Lunar-Themed 3rd Anniversary Fundraiser Party, Sponsored by Le Fée Absinthe, Saturday February 18th


I would like to cordially invite each and every one of you to our upcoming lunar-themed Observatory anniversary/fundraiser party! A few things you should know: The charming Lord Whimsy will be on hand to MC! Giveaways will be provided by Kikkerland! Libations served up compliments of La Fée Absinthe! Viewings of The Midnight Archive! And music, too.

Full details follow. Hope to see you there!

Observatory’s Lunar-Themed 3rd Anniversary Fundraiser Party, Sponsored by Le Fée Absinthe!
Date: Saturday, February 18th

Time: 8pm

Admission: $20

Yes, friends, we're over the moon about our 3rd Anniversary! Come celebrate with us, and help support your favorite interdisciplinarian art, science, & occult event space.

Check out our art show, Lunation: Art on the Moon, and then trip out to a Moon Phantasmagoria show by VJ Fuzzy Bastard. We'll also be screening episodes from the Midnight Archive, a show featuring your favorite Observatory masterminds.

Libations will be provided courtesy of La Fée Absinthe.

There will also be:

The luminous MC Lord Whimsy!

Stellar giveaways courtesy of Kikkerland!

Out-of-this-world raffle prizes, including:

Gift certificates from the scrumptious SweetWolf's and the delectable Palo Santo!

Moonrise Perfume from Herbal Alchemy!

Audiobooks from Hachette!

Occult Book Set including an autographed copy of Mitch Horowitz's Occult America (Bantam), and Manly P. Hall's The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Tarcher/Penguin)!

Abraxas International Journal of Esoteric Studies with accompanying occult music CD!

Lunavision Ritual Tea Set from Rebis Remedies!

And so! much! more! We look forward to seeing you there.

More info can be found here.

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Upcoming Morbid Anatomy Presents Events: "Granny Dump Mountain" and "Buried Alive!" A Matchbox Theatre Exploring the 19th C Fear of Being Buried Alive


Coming up tomorrow night as part of Morbid Anatomy Presents at Observatory, we have the illustrated story of Justin Nobel's journey in search of the truth behind the Japanese concept of obasute-yama or Granny Dump Mountain. Coming up next week, we have the eagerly anticipated "Buried Alive," a miniature matchbox theatre performance (pictured above) which describes itself as a "frightfully funny exploration of our fear of being buried alive and of the curious phenomenon of 19th Century 'waiting mortuaries.'"

Full details follow for both events. Hope to see you at one of both!

The Search for Granny-Dump Mountain
Illustrated lecture by
Journalist Justin Nobel
Date: Thursday, January 26th
Time: 8:00
Admission: $5
Presented by Morbid Anatomy

When elders in rural Japan reached age 70--or so an ancient legend would have it--their sons would carry them to the top of a holy mountain and leave them to die of exposure and starvation. Granny-dump mountain, or obasute-yama, was seen as a way to trim the population and make way for the next generation in cold mountain villages where food was short and winter was long. It is referenced by the obscure eleventh century diarist Lady Sarashina, master haiku poet Matsuo Basho and a 1983 Palme d’Or winning film, yet most anthropologists doubt the practice ever actually existed.

Intrigued by this story, journalist Justin Nobel took to the road to see if he could get to the bottom of this enigmatic legend. His travels ultimately led him to a tiny town in northern Japan haunted by cannibalistic mountain men and shape shifting sprites. After scouring the countryside for clues he came to a shocking conclusion: the legend was very much alive, right in the heart of Tokyo.

Tonight join Morbid Anatomy and Justin Nobel to hear the story of his search for the elusive Granny-Dump Mountain.

Justin Nobel is a freelance journalist. His writing has appeared in TIME, Popular Mechanics, Audubon, Guernica and Meatpaper. His essay, The Last Inuit of Quebec, was recently included in Best American Travel Writing 2011 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). He pens a blog called Digital Dying for the funeral information website funeralwise.com and another called the Absurd Adventurer where he sits for hours in one New York City spot. He lives in Blissville.

Image: A plaque commemorating Granny-dump Mountain in the northern Japan town of Tono. (Photo by Justin Nobel)

PERFORMANCE: Buried Alive! A Matchbox Theatre
A matchbox theatre performance by Deborah Kaufmann

Dates: Thursday, February 2nd AND Friday February 3rd
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $12
Presented by Morbid Anatomy
*** Audience limited to 25 people per show; first come, first served

“The way each box reveals its tiny inhabitants is entrancing and Deborah Kaufmann… is sweetly enchanting.” – The Village Voice

“Depicted with comic deadpan perversity… a wink and raised eyebrow of an entertainment.” – http://www.womanaroundtown.com

Buried Alive! a matchbox theatre, is a frightfully funny exploration of our fear of being buried alive and of the curious phenomenon of 19th Century “waiting mortuaries.” Based on historical and medical facts. Tiny, intimate and interactive, full of dreadful discoveries for an adult audience.

BURIED ALIVE! is performed on a tabletop and is constructed entirely in and of matchboxes. It takes advantage of the unique qualities of these tiny stages. Images and characters slide out, slide through, pop up, and drop out of the matchboxes. A merry eccentric matron is your guide. The Nineteenth Century is evoked, but BURIED ALIVE! is creatively anachronistic and plays with scale.

Buried Alive! was inspired by an article entitled, “Pediatric Brain Death,” found in a hospital resident on-call room, and by research into the myths, truths, history and ethics surrounding the true moment of biological death.

Conceived, constructed and performed by Deborah Kaufmann. Kaufmann has delighted audiences in Europe, Australia and across North America with original physical comedy. This year she celebrates 25 years with the Big Apple Circus Clown Care program, where she brings the joy of circus to hospitalized children, their families and caregivers. She has been called, “by no means merely cute ... a performer to be trusted, enjoyed and seen” ---nytheatre.com

To be alerted to future events, "like" Morbid Anatomy on Facebook by clicking here or sign up for the Observatory mailer by clicking here. You can find directions to Observatory here and more on all events here. You can find out more about these events by clicking here.

Image: Photo by Jim Moore, 2011

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Automatons in the News AND at the Airport!

Our buddy Jere Ryder of the Guinness Collection of automata at the Morris Museum just forwarded me a CBS video that features his automata collection, a truly enchanting automaton at the Franklin Institute in Philly (which, we are informed, inspired the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret), and provides a very engaging history of the craft to boot. Highly recommended! To view, simply press the play button above.

Also, for the automaton lovers among you who happen to be passing through the San Francisco International Airport international terminal before June 2012, you can go check out some automatons on display between flights! Click here for more on that. More on the Morris Museum collection can be found here.

Thanks very much to Jere Ryder for sending these links along.

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New nutrition standards for U.S. school meals

Buffered by a signature Obama administration goal to fight childhood obesity, the final piece of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was implemented on January 25th.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the final set of nutrition standards enacted include:

Ensuring students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week; Substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods; Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties; Limiting calories based on the age of children being served to ensure proper portion size; and Increasing the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium.

While these changes are a substantial improvement, there are still some items that were not excised from the menu.  Although Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, described the menu as the “best ever”, she is still disappointed that Congress did not allow for the removal of french fries from school menus, nor the designation of pizza as a vegetable.

Bettina Elias Siegel points out “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” of the new food standards.  On the “Good” side, the new guidelines is that it brings caloric requirements more in line with acceptable levels for children and eschews the “nutrient standard” system for determining school lunch offerings, which included foods that did not necessarily draw nutrients from the right foods.  In the “Bad” category, she highlights how Congress will have a difficult time funding the program.  For the “Ugly” dimension of the new rules, Elias Siegel points to the continued role of the food lobby in keeping foods like french fries and pizza on menus.

Writing in the Atlantic, Marion Nestle applauds the new standards, but observes that the work to improve child nutrition is not done.  “Good work. Now let’s get busy on the next challenges:

Set nutrition standards for competitive foods in schools — those sold outside of the lunch program as snacks and meal replacements. Teach kids where food comes from. Teach kids to cook.”

While these new measures take aim at identifiable problems with child nutrition, other factors may continue to influence strategies for keeping kids healthy.  A recent study from Penn State suggests that there is “no correlation at all between obesity and attending a school where sweets and salty snacks were available.”  There is also the possibility that the lack of choice in food will create a backlash from children who may not eat as much healthy food if they feel restricted from their own food choices.

Image credit: Gourmet.com

 

 

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New nutrition standards for U.S. school meals

Lafayette Jeff biology teacher 'blown away' by nomination

Last fall, when Joe Ruhl, a Jefferson High School biology teacher, learned he was one of 30 educators in North America up for a prestigious award, he was surprised.

Now that he is one of three finalists for the Shell National Science Teaching Award, given annually by the National Science Teaching Association to honor innovations in science teaching, he doesn't know how to feel.

"I've been told we may find out next week who the one science teacher is who is going to represent the country and parts of Canada," Ruhl said, "and I'm thinking, 'Come on. You've got to be kidding.' This has kind of blown me away."

Ruhl was nominated last August, which began a process he called "grueling." First came the paperwork -- an assortment of personal information, including his r?sum? and a summary of his teaching philosophy. Then he had to create a DVD of himself.

The process concluded Thursday when Ruhl spent the day being shadowed by a group of judges who observed and conducted interviews with students, parents and colleagues.

Ruhl didn't tell his students about the honor until it came down to the final 10 candidates late last year. Ruhl said the students were almost as ecstatic as he was.

"What warmed my heart the most is how excited the kids have gotten," Ruhl said.

Freshman Joe Ensign said Ruhl's energy and adaptability are what he likes best.

"He's very energetic, no matter what the situation is," Ensign said. "He just goes with the flow."

Ruhl first developed a love of science as a fourth-grader watching the television show "Lost in Space."

"I soon realized science fact is a lot more interesting than science fiction," Ruhl said.

His classroom is a testament to that belief. From the aquariums lining the shelves to the 300-gallon fish tank filled with largemouth bass, his classroom is a biologist's playground.

Principal Jeff Studebaker, whose children had Ruhl as a teacher, said Ruhl "is exactly what we want our teachers to be: Innovative, dedicated and compassionate.

"His strength is in his ability to not only create an amazing learning experience for his students but to get near universal buy-in from his students," Studebaker said. "His students learn and succeed because they want to for him."

As a finalist, Ruhl will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Science Teaching Association conference, which this year takes place in Indianapolis.

"They offered to pay for my airfare," Ruhl said with a laugh.

The award comes with $10,000, but Ruhl said he hasn't thought much about that. It's enough, he said, just to be nominated.

"They can't go into every classroom in the country and examine every teacher. We have to keep things in perspective."

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Lafayette Jeff biology teacher 'blown away' by nomination

Intro to Human Physiology by Professor Fink – Video

02-01-2012 12:15 Introduction to Human Physiology by Professor Fink. This lecture presents a brief review of the principle functions of the Cardiovascular (Circulatory) System, Respiratory System, Gastro-Intestinal (GI, Digestive) System, Renal (Urinary, Excretory) System, Immune (Lymphatic) System, Integument (Skin) System, Skeletal System, Muscular System, Reproductive System, Nervous System, and Endocrine System. Reference is also made to pathophysiology, digestion, absorption, chemical composition of the body, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and minerals (inorganic ions, electrolytes).

The rest is here:
Intro to Human Physiology by Professor Fink - Video

Liquid lasers to make detection of cancer genes easier

Washington, Feb 5 (ANI): Using a liquid laser, researchers have devised a better way to detect the slight genetic mutations that might make a person more vulnerable to a particular type of cancer or other diseases.

This work by University of Michigan researchers could advance understanding of the genetic basis of diseases.

It also has applications in personalized medicine, which aims to target drugs and other therapies to individual patients based on a thorough knowledge of their genetic information.

The researchers say their technique works much better than the current approach, which uses fluorescent dye and other biological molecules to find and bind to mutated DNA strands.

When a patrol molecule catches one of these rogues, it emits a fluorescent beacon. This might sound like a solid system, but it's not perfect. The patrol molecules tend to bind to healthy DNA as well, giving off a background glow that is only slightly dimmer than a positive signal.

"Sometimes, we can fail to see the difference," said Xudong Fan, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and principal investigator on the project.

"If you cannot see the difference in signals, you could misdiagnose. The patient may have the mutated gene, but you wouldn't detect it."

In the conventional fluorescence technique, the signal from mutated DNA might be only a few tenths of a percent higher than the background noise. With Fan's new approach it's hundreds of times brighter.

"We found a clever way to amplify the intrinsic difference in the signals," Fan said.

He did it with a bit of backtracking.

Liquid lasers, discovered in the late '60s, amplify light by passing it through a dye, rather than a crystal, as solid-state lasers do. Fan, who works at the intersection of biomedical engineering and photonics, has been developing them for the past five years.

In his unique set-up, the signal is amplified in a glass capillary called a "ring resonator cavity."

Last year, Fan and his research group found that they could employ DNA (the blueprints for life that reside in all cells) to modulate a liquid laser, or turn it on and off.

His group is one of just a few in the world to accomplish this, Fan said. At the time, they didn't have a practical application in mind. Then they had an epiphany.

"We thought, 'Let's look at the laser output. Can we see what's causing the different outputs and use it to detect differences in the DNA?'" Fan said.

"I had an intuition, and it turns out the output difference was huge," Fan added.

The journal editors named this a "hot paper" that "advances knowledge in a rapidly evolving field of high current interest."

The study has been published in German journal Angewandte Chemie. (ANI)

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Liquid lasers to make detection of cancer genes easier

2011 Advanced Anatomy and Physiology for ICD-10-CM/PCS – Video

30-01-2012 12:31 For the Inpatient Hospital Setting: "2011 Advanced Anatomy and Physiology for ICD-10-CM/PCS" Just what you need and just when you need it: The new "2011 Advanced Anatomy and Physiology for ICD-10-CM/PCS" clarifies the new anatomical and physiological code capture in ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-CM-PCS. And that is why the latest book on the subject is a "must read" for hospitals: The "2011 Advanced Anatomy and Physiology for ICD-10-CM/PCS" takes you through all body systems that ICD-10 uses and gives specific details about how ICD-10-CM and PCS is used to identify the appropriate diagnosis/condition. A quiz is available at the end of each section to test your knowledge of ICD-10. NEW! More questions for ICD-10 coding -- quiz yourself on chapter information on information within each body system EXPANDED! PCS Chapters -- More detailed information added to each of the PCS chapters to increase your knowledge on ICD-10-PCS Detailed review of each body system -- with in-depth information on cells, tissues, and organs that comprise each body system Extensive Table of Contents -- An exhaustive listing of every chapter, section, table and illustration so you can locate important information quickly Quizzes at the end of every chapter -- Test your knowledge on what you have just learned Detailed, full-page anatomy illustrations plus code-specific illustrations that have been integrated into the book -- allows better interpretation of clinical notes to help code with more specificity Extra ...

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2011 Advanced Anatomy and Physiology for ICD-10-CM/PCS - Video

DNA results in in missing toddler case

Results from DNA testing on samples collected from the car of Zinah Jennings are in, but Columbia Police Chief Randy Scott says he will not comment until the first of the week when he expects to be briefed by State Law Enforcement Division agents.

“I have not seen the report,” Scott said Saturday. “SLED is finished with one portion of the preliminary results, and I will be briefed on those findings on Monday.”

Jennings, 22, is the mother of Amir Jennings, last seen Nov. 29, when he was 18-months-old.

Samples were taken from Jennings’ car in December after investigators found “stains consistent with bloodstains” on clothing and blankets. Investigators also searched a two-story house in the Waverly neighborhood where Jennings lived with her mother and Amir. They also took a swab of fluid or tissue from Zinah Jennings for DNA identification purposes.

Scott said multiple submissions were made and sent for testing in SLED’s crime lab, and only a portion of those results have come back.

In addition, he said he would not know until Monday whether the report included DNA testing from a shovel found at the home.

Amir was reported missing by his grandparents in December after Zinah Jennings wrecked her Dodge Neon in a one-car accident near her house and gave police conflicting reports of where her son might be.

Jennings has remained in jail since Dec. 29, when she was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child. Police say she has since refused to cooperate in their search for the toddler.

A request for a bond lower than the $150,000 set was recently denied. In asking a judge for a lower bond, Jennings’ attorney, Hemphill Pride II, said his client is mentally ill and pregnant.

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DNA results in in missing toddler case

Posted in DNA

Bonita stem cell doctor’s attorney quits, state hearing still scheduled

Interview with Dr. Zannos Grekos Grekos contests that his office has done ...

The state took action against Dr. Zannos Grekos because of the death of a 69-year-old breast cancer patient April 4, 2010, after undergoing the treatment at his Bonita Springs practice, at 9500 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 310.

BONITA SPRINGS — Dr. Zannos Grekos may not have an attorney representing him at a hearing next month against a state complaint that he performed an unauthorized stem cell procedure on a patient who later died.

Or maybe the Bonita Springs cardiologist will have new counsel for the three-day administrative hearing scheduled to begin March 20.

His original attorney, Greg Chaires of Orlando, withdrew from the case Jan. 24, less than two months before the hearing. He's been Grekos' attorney since the state filed an administrative complaint against the doctor a year ago.

Grekos couldn't be reached for comment at his practice, Regenocyte Therapeutic, 9500 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 310.

Chaires stated in his withdrawal notice to the judge that he had good cause to stop representing him, but didn't elaborate.

Florida health department spokeswoman Jennifer Hirst said this past week that Grekos has two weeks to hire a new attorney "and regardless of whether he does or not, the trial date will not change."

The case, which stems from events in early 2010, culminated a year later on Feb. 22, 2011, when the health department imposed an emergency restriction against his license. The restriction prohibits him from doing any procedures with bone marrow or stem cells in his practice.

If the administrative law judge sides with the state, Grekos could face sanctions or permanent restriction or revocation of his license.

At issue was Grekos' treatment of a 69-year-old woman who went to him for a consult on Feb. 25, 2010, for numbness and tingling in her arms and legs after chemotherapy.

Grekos ordered imaging of her carotid arteries and her brain and later injected her own aspirated bone marrow into her cerebral circulatory system.

At home that evening, she fell and was hospitalized. She had suffered a severe brain stem injury and was taken off life support on April 2, 2010.

Licensed in Florida since 1992, Grekos' cardiology practice in recent years has focused more on stem cell therapy to repair damaged heart muscle, lungs and other tissue.

He sends a sample of a patient's lung to Israel to cultivate new stem cells and the blood gets sent to a clinic or hospital in the Dominican Republic. The patient travels to the Dominican Republic, where the stem cells are injected into the damaged tissue.

Grekos has established a relationship with doctors and clinicians in the Dominican Republic who do the injections on his behalf; he isn't licensed to practice medicine there.

The case has captured widespread attention among Grekos' supporters who swear their once-chronic illnesses have undergone dramatic improvement since having the therapy through him. Detractors say he is taking advantage of a vulnerable population with congestive heart failure, lung failure and other illnesses for which conventional treatments no longer are effective.

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Bonita stem cell doctor's attorney quits, state hearing still scheduled