NASA Unveils 1st Radar Video of Asteroid Flyby

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NASA has revealed the first radar video of an asteroid flyby that sent a space rock half the size of a football field buzzing by Earth last week.

The newasteroid flyby video, released today (Feb. 19), shows the asteroid 2012 DA14 as it headed away from Earth over the weekend. The asteroid zipped close by Earth on Friday (Feb. 15), when it approached closer to the planet than many communications satellites.

Before Friday's flyby, astronomers suspected asteroid 2012 DA14 was about 150 feet (45 meters) across. At its closest point, the asteroid came within 17,200 miles (27,000 kilometers) of Earth, but never posed a threat of impacting the planet.

Based on the new radar observations, scientists now think asteroid 2012 DA14 is about 130 feet (40 m) wide at its largest point, NASA officials said in a statement.

The new video of the asteroid was made by combining radar observations of 2012 DA14 by NASA's Deep Space Network radio antenna in Goldstone, Calif. The 230-foot (70 meters) antenna captured 72 images of asteroid 2012 DA14, which was about 74,000 miles (120,000 kilometers) from Earth at the time, during observing windows on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 15 and 16). The images have a resolution of about 13 feet (4 m) per pixel. [See more photos of asteroid 2012 DA14]

"The images span close to eight hours and clearly show an elongated object undergoing roughly one full rotation," NASA officials explained. During that eight hours, asteroid 2012 DA14 moved even farther from Earth to a point about 195,000 miles (314,000 km) away.

Astronomers Lance Benner and Marina Brozovic at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., led the radar observing campaign for the asteroid flyby. They planned to conduct a series of follow-up observations on Feb. 18, 19 and 20.

Asteroid 2012 DA14 was discovered in February 2012 by amateur astronomers at the La Sagra Observatory in Spain. Its close flyby was determined soon afterward, and astronomers ultimately found that it posed no chance of hitting the Earth.

NASA scientists and astronomers around the world tracked asteroid 2012 DA14 as it approached Earth over the last week, with the space agency and several groups holding public webcasts to chronicle the space rock's close shave. It was the closest flyby of an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14 that astronomers have known about in advance.

Asteroid 2012 DA14 came about 5,000 miles (8,046 km) closer to Earth than the fleet of communications satellites that fly in geosynchronous orbits about 22,400 miles (36,000 km) above the planet. NASA provided satellite operators with regular updates on the asteroid's position and path in case the satellites would have to be moved clear of the space rock.

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NASA Releases Stunning Video of 'Fiery Looping Rain on the Sun'

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"Simply amazing," says NASA.

The bubbling tumult of the sun's surface regularly produces some pretty jaw-dropping sights, but it's rare that we get to see something like this -- and in motion to boot.

Last summer, an eruption on the sun's surface scored a solar weather hat trick, racking up all three of the major phenomenon scientists observe: a solar flare, a coronal mass ejection (CME), and coronal rain, "complex moving structures in association with changes in magnetic field lines that loop up into the sun's atmosphere," NASA explains. The solar flare in the video is not massive, by the sun's standards, but "moderately powerful," as NASA calls it. But what makes the show special is the coronal rain, charged plasma slowly dripping in fiery loops along the sun's magnetic fields.

NASA's (awesome) Solar Dynamics Observatory watched the whole event unfold, and the mission has now released the above video, showcasing those observations. Though the video seems to play as though in slow motion, it's actually quite sped up, covering a nearly 22-hour period from 12:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT on July 19, 2012. The footage is made up of frames taken once every 12 seconds, played at 30 framers per second, meaning that each second that passes in the video was six minutes in real time.

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NASA Selects Science Instrument and Hardware for European Mission to Jupiter

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WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected key contributions to a 2022 European Space Agency (ESA) mission that will study Jupiter and three of its largest moons in unprecedented detail. The moons are thought to harbor vast water oceans beneath their icy surfaces.

NASA's contribution will consist of one U.S.-led science instrument and hardware for two European instruments to fly on ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission. JUICE will carry 11 experiments developed by scientific teams from 15 European countries, the United States and Japan.

The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter for three years and travel past its moons Callisto and Europa multiple times, then orbit Ganymede, a moon larger than the planet Mercury. JUICE will conduct the first thorough exploration of Jupiter since NASA's Galileo mission from 1989-2003. By studying the Jupiter system, JUICE will look to learn more about the formation and evolution of potentially habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond.

"NASA is thrilled to collaborate with ESA on this exciting mission to explore Jupiter and its icy moons," said John Grunsfeld, NASA's associate administrator for Science in Washington. "Working together with ESA and our other international partners is key to enabling future scientific progress in our quest to understand the cosmos."

The solar-powered spacecraft will carry cameras and spectrometers, a laser altimeter and an ice-penetrating radar. The mission also will carry a magnetometer, plasma and particle monitors, and radio science hardware. The spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the Jupiter system in 2030.

"The selection of JUICE's instruments is a key milestone in ESA's flagship mission to the outer solar system, which represents an unprecedented opportunity to showcase leading European technological and scientific expertise," said Alvaro Gimenez Canete, ESA's director of science and robotic exploration.

NASA invited researchers in 2012 to submit proposals for NASA-provided instruments for the mission. Nine were reviewed, with one selected to fly. NASA agreed to provide critical hardware for two of the 10 selected European-led instruments. NASA's total contribution to the JUICE mission is $100 million for design, development, and operation of the instruments through 2033.

The NASA contributions are:

-- Ultraviolet Spectrometer: The principal investigator is Randy Gladstone of Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. This spectrometer will acquire images to explore the surfaces and atmospheres of Jupiter's icy moons and how they interact with the Jupiter environment. The instrument also will determine how Jupiter's upper atmosphere interacts with its lower atmosphere below, and the ionosphere and magnetosphere above. The instrument will provide images of the aurora on Jupiter and Ganymede.

-- Radar for Icy Moon Exploration: The principal investigator is Lorenzo Bruzzone of Universita degli Studi di Trento in Italy. The U.S. lead is Jeffrey Plaut of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. Under the lead of Bruzzone and the Italian Space Agency, JPL will provide the transmitter and receiver hardware for a radar sounder designed to penetrate the icy crust of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto to a depth of about 5 miles (9 kilometers). This will allow scientists to see for the first time the underground structure of these tectonically complex and unique icy worlds.

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Oakton Community College kicks off nanotechnology program

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By MIKE ISAACS | misaacs@pioneerlocal.com February 19, 2013 5:38PM

Oakton Community College's John Baliga teaches his "Fundamentals of Nanotechnology" class last month on the Skokie campus. Students are soon to work at the Illinois Science + Technology Park. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media

storyidforme: 44556241 tmspicid: 16504331 fileheaderid: 7247491

Updated: February 21, 2013 10:28AM

Sometimes the largest step forward comes from the smallest technology.

Theres no better proof of that than the course now being taught at Oakton Community Colleges Skokie campus.

Fundamentals of Nanotechnology is a response of sorts to the growing need in a science field that demands work at the smallest level.

Theres definitely a demand for this kind of work, more than before, said teacher John Baliga before he got ready to teach his course recently at Oakton.

It may have seemed like any other course a teacher standing in front of a classroom as about a dozen people paid rapt attention to a lecture. But that lecture will prepare these serious-minded students soon for an extraordinary hands-on learning opportunity.

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Nanotechnology's 4,500-Year Health Record

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It's good news again. And again. (And again.)

Scott E. Rickert is the Chief Executive Officer of Nanofilm Ltd.

Something new happened in January that got me thinking about something old.

The new? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration released a new fact sheet, titled Working Safety with Nanomaterials.

The old? Nanomaterials. How old? People have been safely putting them to work for millennia -- and nature's been at it since the beginning of time.

Let me explain. Let's start with the OSHA fact sheet. It's a simple, straightforward, common-sense tool, like the hundreds of other fact sheets OSHA offers on topics from flood clean-up to lab safety.

This one follows that longtime template, focusing on training and information, emergency planning and other sound precautions. Chances are, if you've been in the nanotech field any time at all, there's nothing unfamiliar there. There were certainly no surprises for me. I've been committed to working safely since I founded my company 26 years ago.

And that's what got me thinking. A 2-month-old safety document. A 26-year safety record. And then? It occurred to me that nanotechnology's health record can be traced back 4,500 years.

The ancient Egyptians put gold and silver utensils in their water vessels as an antibacterial. The artifacts have been found in tombs. Of course, the Egyptians didn't know nanotechnology was part of their water purification regimen. It's only now that we understand that nanoparticles of the precious metals formed naturally on the vessel walls from their macro-size components.

Of course, even the Egyptian's nanotechnology is "new and improved" when you consider that nature has been manufacturing nanomaterials since, well, the beginning of time. The ocean waves that beat rocks into sand create nanoscale versions of the elements, too. Volcanic eruptions produce nanomaterials. Butterfly wings have a water-repellant nanostructure, and gecko's feet have a sticky one.

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Nanotechnology's 4,500-Year Health Record

Medicine Take-Back Program Proves Successful for City

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In an effort to prevent drug use youth among Dana Point youth, the citys medicine take-back box at Dana Point Police Services helps get unused and expired medications out of the home.

By Andrea Papagianis

Over-the-counter and prescription drugs anonymously disposed of through the citys medication drop-off box at Dana Point Police Services, located at City Hall. Photo by Andrea Papagianis

The Orange County Sheriffs Department and city of Dana Point have collected more than 50 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter medications, since introducing a medicine take back box in December.

Its safe, free and anonymous, said Deputy John Good, who encourages parents to clean out medicine cabinets to prevent youth medicinal drug use. Good sighted national trends and studies that show children gaining access to prescription and over-the-counter drugs from their own home or grandparents and friends homes.

Parents can take charge of this, Good said.

Unwanted, unused and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications can be dropped off anonymously at Dana Point Police Services, 33282 Golden Lantern, Suite 140. The drop-off box is accessible Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. No syringes, illicit drugs, medical or hazardous waste can be accepted.

The drop-off box is cleared out regularly and medicines are booked into evidence for destructionand disposed of to eliminate environmental contamination.

On Tuesday, March 5, a community meeting aimed at preventing underage drinking and prescription drug use among Dana Point youth will be held at Dana Hills High School, 33333 Golden Lantern, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Building Healthy Families: Parenting Strategies and Solutions meeting will focus on community awareness and solutions to prevent and reduce alcohol and drug incidents among area youth. The Orange County Community Alliance Network and Dana Hills High School PTSA will host the event.

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Penn Medicine decision not to hire smokers part of a controversial trend

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Don Sapatkin, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Thursday, February 21, 2013, 3:01 AM

Penn Medicine's decision to hire only nonsmokers starting July 1 is part of a slow-moving trend that goes back decades and that is still controversial even among public health workers, who often see tobacco as enemy No. 1.

"I'd be much more enthusiastic about them providing programs" - which Penn also does - "to help employees stop smoking," said Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, who was asked about the decision Wednesday during a visit to The Inquirer.

Some large national companies, such as Turner Broadcasting, stopped hiring smokers in the 1980s. Twenty-nine states, including New Jersey, outlawed the practice as discriminatory. As a result, the University of Pennsylvania Health System's new policy will apply only in Pennsylvania.

Hospital systems, citing their mission of caring for patients and serving as community leaders as well as a need to save money on employee health insurance, have taken the lead with various tobacco policies in recent years. Smoking is now prohibited on all hospital campuses in South Jersey and on most in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

The Cleveland Clinic was among the first to stop hiring smokers. Among the large systems that followed were Baylor and the Geisinger Health System in central Pennsylvania.

Locally, St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network in the Lehigh Valley was an early adopter, in 2010. Abington Memorial Hospital joined a year later. Roxborough Memorial Hospital stopped hiring smokers on Sept. 1.

"It's been a non-event," said Roxborough administrator Michael Henrici, adding that one potential employee had been turned away.

When the decision was announced to the medical staff, "they actually broke out in applause," he said. "The goal is to be a leader in the community here in Roxborough in establishing a healthy workplace."

Henrici said the hospital got more complaints two years ago when it implemented a health insurance surcharge, now $25 every two weeks, for employees who smoke. Like other hospitals, Roxborough offers free smoking-cessation programs to workers and has grandfathered in smokers already on staff.

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Penn Medicine Establishes New Institute for Biomedical Informatics

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PHILADELPHIA ThePerelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvaniaannounces the creation of theInstitute for Biomedical Informatics(IBI).

With support from the naming gift of theSmilow Center for Translational Research,the IBI will bring together the large number of Penn faculty who work in the broad field of biomedical informatics to inform science and medical care. We will expand the number of faculty even more to create a wide-ranging program of research and education to find and clinically apply the treatments of the future and to train the next generation of physician-scientists, saysJ. Larry Jameson, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President for the Health System and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine.

John Hogenesch, Ph.D.,professor of Pharmacology, has been named interim director of the IBI. Given the breadth of this field, three associate directors have also been named: John Holmes Ph.D., associate professor of Medical Informatics in Epidemiology; Klaus Kaestner, Ph.D., professor of Genetics; and Curtis Langlotz M.D., Ph.D., professor of Radiology. A national search will be launched this spring for the institutes permanent leader.

Big data is increasingly driving both biological research and clinical care. In biomedicine, this information runs the gamut from bioinformatics at the genome and molecular level, to health-care informatics at the clinical level, to public-health informatics at the population level.

The IBI, in partnership withthe Schools of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Nursing, and Veterinary Medicine, as well as The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, will tacklechallenges directly relevant to patient care, as well as improve basic research that leads to more personalized care.

The Institute will also focus on educating the next generation of biomedical informaticians by folding in a new Masters in Biomedical Informatics degree program with the existing Ph.D. program in Genomics and Computational Biology and by creating additional graduate and medical training programs as this field evolves.

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Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

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Penn Medicine Establishes New Institute for Biomedical Informatics

Regenerative medicine and Stem cells Partnering Terms and Agreements

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NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Regenerative medicine and Stem cells Partnering Terms and Agreements http://www.reportlinker.com/p01098514/Regenerative-medicine-and-Stem-cells-Partnering-Terms-and-Agreements.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Biological_Therapy

The Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells Partnering Terms and Agreements report provides comprehensive understanding and unprecedented access to the Regenerative medicine and Stem cells partnering deals and agreements entered into by the worlds leading healthcare companies.

Trends in regenerative medicine and stem cells deals Deal terms analysis Partnering agreement structure Partnering contract documents Top deals by value Most active dealmakers Average deal terms for regenerative medicine and stem cells

The report provides a detailed understanding and analysis of how and why companies enter regenerative medicine and stem cells partnering deals. The majority of deals are development stage whereby the licensee obtains a right or an option right to license the licensors regenerative medicine and stem cells technology. These deals tend to be multicomponent, starting with collaborative R&D, and commercialization of outcomes.

This report provides details of the latest regenerative medicine and stem cells agreements including cell therapy agreements announced in the healthcare sector.

Understanding the flexibility of a prospective partner's negotiated deals terms provides critical insight into the negotiation process in terms of what you can expect to achieve during the negotiation of terms. Whilst many smaller companies will be seeking details of the payments clauses, the devil is in the detail in terms of how payments are triggered contract documents provide this insight where press releases and databases do not.

This report contains a comprehensive listing of all regenerative medicine and stem cells partnering deals announced since 2008 including financial terms where available including over 550 links to online deal records as disclosed by the deal parties. In addition, where available, records include contract documents as submitted to the Securities Exchange Commission by companies and their partners.

Contract documents provide the answers to numerous questions about a prospective partner's flexibility on a wide range of important issues, many of which will have a significant impact on each party's ability to derive value from the deal.

For example, analyzing actual company deals and agreements allows assessment of the following:

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Regenerative medicine and Stem cells Partnering Terms and Agreements

Enovate's e5000 Tele-Medicine Cart Offers Powerful Tools for Remote Consults

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CANTON, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Enovate unlocks the full power of tele-medicine with the e5000 cart equipped with high-definition video and audio in a compact, durable package that is easy to use and effortlessly mobile.

The e5000 is designed to meet FDA Class 1 MDDS requirements, and has a pan/tilt/zoom camera, 22-inch high-definition LCD monitor with built-in speakers, codec, SLA battery power and microphone. It can be equipped with a locking drawer, work surface, storage basket and various other attachments for medical equipment.

The e5000 makes mobile video conferencing possible anywhere its needed, said Kevin LHeureux, Enovates tele-presence product manager. Its scalability, mobility and adjustability make it perfect for patient rooms, emergency and operating rooms, labs, radiology centers, nurse stations or doctors offices.

The e5000s 1080p high-definition resolution and 60 frames-per-second provides one of the sharpest, smoothest pictures on the market. Data compression helps users reduce their bandwidth needs and cost. It also offers an advance plug-n-play scaler that allows additional analogue peripherals to connect effortlessly to the codec.

Electronic height adjustment and independently adjustable work surfaces allow clinicians to work in comfort whether they are sitting or standing so they can focus attention on the patient.

Small, lightweight and easy to maneuver in tight areas, Enovates concave base design and smooth-rolling casters glide easily around corners and across hard floors or carpeting.

About Enovate

Headquartered in Canton, Michigan, Enovate is a leading international provider of mobile and wall-mounted computer workstations for healthcare, office and home. Enovates scalable, easy-to-use, ergonomic designs feature the best technology to create a flexible work environment that enhances productivity and performance. Enovate has been named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. for the past four years, is celebrating 10 years of innovation in 2013. For more information, please contact Enovate at 877-258-8030 or visit http://www.enovateusa.com.

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Enovate's e5000 Tele-Medicine Cart Offers Powerful Tools for Remote Consults

ETAS Releases Inaugural Edition of Internal Medicine In-Review Study Guide

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NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Educational Testing and Assessment Systems (ETAS), the creators of a comprehensive exam prep resource for internal medicine residents, has developed and released the inaugural edition of the Internal Medicine In-Review Study Guide. The Study Guide, which is sectioned into a convenient three-module book set, concisely provides all the information needed to pass the Board exam.

Internal Medicine In-Review is a Board exam prep program, which debuted in April 2012 at the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine (APDIM)Spring Conference; in the past ten months, the program has gained significant momentum with a user base of over 4,900 healthcare professionals. Educational components include an interactive Q&A website and a web-based smartphone app, optimized for iPhone and Android devices. The comprehensive Study Guide is the most recent addition to the Internal Medicine In-Review study system, which was published in November 2012 with distribution now underway.

The Study Guide covers the Board's top-tested categories, and has been authored and edited by a team of over 20 veteran physician educators. For quick and convenient exam prep, the Study Guide has been divided into 17 in-depth Board-relevant chapters, and is formatted with clinical-pearl call-outs. In developing this inaugural edition, ETAS has collaborated with its esteemed faculty, and has worked in partnership with Castle Connolly Graduate Medical Publishing (CCGMP).

Through support from the makers of TYLENOL, Internal Medicine In-Review Study Guides are available free of charge for US-based IM residents and program directors. These guides provide essential information needed to prepare for exams in an engaging, interactive format. To request a print copy or download a PDF of the book set, healthcare professionals can register or log on to the Online Study System, accessible at: InReviewIM.com.

Educational Testing and Assessment Systems (ETAS), a product of SanovaWorks, produces high quality, Board-relevant exam prep study systems in multiple medical specialties, including the Internal Medicine In-Review multi-component study system.

Media Contact:Caroline Sophia Barrett Senior Marketing Associate, SanovaLearning Lead (646) 736-4330 caroline.barrett@sanovaworks.com etasonline.com sanovaworks.com

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New Physician Joins Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine

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DENVER, Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --The Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine (CCRM) recently expanded their medical team with the addition of board eligible reproductive endocrinologist Jennifer Keller Brown M.D., M.B.A.

Dr. Brown completed her medical training at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2005 and her residency in Denver in 2009. During her residency at Exempla St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, Dr. Brown assisted in ongoing research at CCRM in the areas of fertility preservation and embryo cryopreservation. She then completed her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Vermont in 2012.

During her fellowship, Dr. Brown was actively involved in clinical research conducted by the Reproductive Medicine Network examining treatment options for unexplained infertility and for infertility related to polycystic ovary syndrome. In addition, she initiated vascular research in an animal model of polycystic ovary syndrome. Her research is supported by an ongoing National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant and it continues today at the University of Vermont.

Dr. Brown treats patients in all aspects of infertility and reproductive endocrinology, and continues to lecture on a wide variety of fertility topics including polycystic ovary syndrome, hirsutism and rare fertility-related disorders.

"We are excited to have Dr. Brown join our team of physicians," says William Schoolcraft, M.D., medical director of CCRM. "Expanding our staff size allows us to treat even more patients more efficiently and will helps us to continue to provide exceptional level of care. Thanks to the dedicated work of our physicians and staff, CCRM has maintained one of the highest pregnancy success rates in the nation."

About the Colorado Center for Reproductive MedicineFounded in 1987 by Dr. William Schoolcraft, the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine is one of the nation's leading infertility treatment centers, providing a wide spectrum of infertility treatments ranging from basic infertility care to advanced in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology. Today, joined by Drs. Eric Surrey, Debra Minjarez, Robert Gustofson and Dr. Brown, Dr. Schoolcraft and his staff achieve some of the highest pregnancy rates in the country. CCRM has been ranked "The #1 Fertility Center in the U.S., with the Greatest Chance of Success" by Child.com. For more information visit http://www.ColoCRM.com

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Federal Bureau of Prisons signs new $60m contract with UMass Medical School

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By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has awarded a new five-year contract to UMass Medical School to continue coordinating health care services for inmates at the Federal Medical Center in Devens, UMass Medical School said Wednesday.

Joyce A. Murphy. Photo taken from UMass Medical School website.

The new contract is valued at $60 million over five years. UMass Medical School has assisted in managing medical care for 1,100 inmates at the facility since 2001.

With the Devens renewal, UMass Medical School said it has contracts with two of the six hospital prisons in the Federal Bureau of Prisons system nationally. The schools correctional health division also manages the medical care at all 17 state prisons in Massachusetts.

This new contract is an indication of our growing expertise at serving correctional populations at both the federal and the state levels, Joyce A. Murphy, executive vice chancellor for UMass Medical School/Commonwealth Medicine, said in a statement.

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Deakin medical school has a healthy reputation

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Feb. 21, 2013, 4 a.m.

Fourth-year Deakin University medical students Ben Fleming (left), Beatrice Sgro, Charlie Miller and Leah Watkins at the welcome ceremony.

A GROWING reputation for academic excellence, top practical skills and a good lifestyle are drawing more Deakin University Medical School students to choose Warrnambool for their final two years of study.

The Warrnambool clinical schools 2013 intake of 20 students was this week welcomed to the city by Warrnambool mayor Michael Neoh.

Among them was Tyson Moore, 28, from Brisbane, who said one of the reasons he chose the Warrnambool medical school ahead of Deakins Melbourne, Geelong or Ballarat schools was because of the top marks achieved by previous students at Warrnambool.

Mr Moore said he had heard the school had great teachers with lots of one-on-one tuition.

Bec Meltzer, 24, said a big attraction of the Warrnambool school was the large amount of time that students spent working on hospital wards.

Ive just started a rotation in the paediatric ward and Im loving that, she said.

Another member of this years intake, Maja Christensen, said she chose the Warrnambool school because the Warrnambool Base Hospital, where the clinical school was located, was very welcoming.

She said all the teachers seemed to love their role and Warrnambools seaside location was another plus.

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South Texas medical school closer to possibility

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AUSTIN Lawmakers stepped closer to creating a major university and medical school in South Texas, with proponents saying the institutions would not take money from other Texas universities that might share a funding source.

The House Higher Education Committee held the first hearing on House Bill 1000, legislation that would create the school within the University of Texas system.

Were on the precipice of what could be one of the most significant developments in South Texas, said state Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, an author of the bill.

More than a dozen state representatives and senators have joined to author bills in the Texas House and Senate to make a new University of Texas System university with a medical school.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry called for a new university in South Texas that would have access to the Permanent University Fund, a source of money reserved only for University of Texas and Texas A&M systems.

The bill enjoys broad support from lawmakers both Democratic and Republican.

State Rep. Ren Oliveira, D-Brownsville, is the primary House author, and he said he expects the bill will sail through, but he noted the two-thirds vote necessary to approve Permanent University Fund money may not be an easy task.

The university would have campuses at UT-Pan American and UT-Brownsville, which havent been eligible for the university funds.

Brownsville is near the Rio Grande estuary in far south Texas, and UT-Pan American is in Edinburg, about 65 miles upriver from Brownsville and adjacent to McAllen.

Oliveira said the new university wouldnt take funds from the other schools benefiting from the PUF.

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South Texas medical school closer to possibility

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University dean to speak to Medford women's group

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by Rita Manno for The Central Record

It was an amazing feat for the region and long overdue, the first school of medicine in South Jersey. Constructed in a record 17 months, the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University was finished in the summer of 2012 and welcomed its inaugural class of 50 students last fall.

The Camden school also attracted a premiere founding dean, Dr. Paul Katz, whose robust resume includes positions where he opened other medical schools and developed a strong working relationship with the National Institute of Health.

On March 12, Katz will come to Burlington County to speak to members of the Medford area branch of the American Association of University Women about a troubling topic: the lack of primary care physicians in New Jersey and the country and the lack of doctors entering specialist fields.

The U.S. will have 90,000 fewer physicians who are needed (by 2020), with half of this being in primary care and the rest specialists, said Katz in a preview of his remarks titled Who Will Care For Us: New Strategies.

Katz will suggest remedies for the shortages and how the medical community will provide care in the future patient-focused health care system. Katz said the shortages will be even more apparent since the Affordable Care Act will allow tens of millions more people to have primary care doctors and receive the care they deserve.

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University is a six-story, 200,000-square-foot, high-technology building where medical students work in small groups and are encouraged to participate in community service projects.

On a blog at http://www.rowan.edu/coopermed, Katz and his faculty members write about a variety of topics, including the massacre in Newtown, Conn., and the responsibility of doctors to talk to patients about firearms and lobby for expanded mental-health services.

In welcoming the first students at the school last September, Katz wrote, Those of us fortunate enough to be physicians have the remarkable privilege of getting into and impacting peoples lives as few others can.

Katz graduated from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1973, has served in positions at Georgetown University Medical Center, as a professor of medicine at the University of Miami and the founding vice dean for faculty and clinical affairs and professor of medicine at the Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, Pa., where he helped launch the new medical school in 2009.

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MedicalSchoolsInUSA.com Releases Latest List of Medical School Rankings, Requirements

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MedicalSchoolsInUSA releases comprehensive list of Medical School Rankings to aid in the upcoming research and application process for potential students.

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) February 21, 2013

To aid in their tireless search, MedicalSchoolsInUSA.com, a leading website for medical school guides, tips and information, has launched its latest list of American medical school rankings for the upcoming academic application wave.

The rankings are based on a unique combination of peer assessments, research scores, total amounts of NIH funds granted to the program and affiliate hospitals, as well as 2012 NIH research grants per faculty member.

According to the "Princeton Review," the majority of medical school applicants will be sending in their completed application packets sometime this fall.

And with deadlines quickly approaching, assessing where your dream school stands in terms of acceptance rate, tuition and credibility is key.

"Reviewing medical school rankings is arguably one of the most pivotal points to narrowing your program choices down," explained Ben Davidson, a spokesperson for MedicalSchoolsInUSA.com. "Every applicant has a unique set of strengths and preferences. Honing in on these individual traits will be key in choosing the perfect program."

According to Davidson, however, personal strengths and preferences can often be overlooked in the application process.

"You tend to find a lot of medical school applicants with a 3.2 GPA and 30 MCAT applying to Harvard Medical and Mayo Medical -- and that's it," he explained. "There are a plethora of perfectly good medical schools out there that will fit individual backgrounds and academic profiles."

MedicalSchoolsInUSA's list of school rankings provides potential applicants with a wide range of information per program, including 2012-2013 admissions statistics, 2012-2013 average MCAT scores, GPA and coursework requirements, common undergraduate majors, as well as the kinds of tuition and financial aid available for students.

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MedicalSchoolsInUSA.com Releases Latest List of Medical School Rankings, Requirements

Soterix Medical Inc. reports positive results from High-Definition tDCS Fibromyalgia Trial at Harvard Medical School

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NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Soterix Medical, Inc. is pleased to report positive results of a double-blind, sham-controlled, crossover trial of 18 patients with Fibromyalgia conducted at Harvard Medical School1. Fibromyalgia is a prevalent chronic pain syndrome characterized by altered pain and sensory processing in the central nervous system, which is often refractory to multiple therapeutic approaches. The Harvard clinical trial examined the effects of the Soterix Medical's exclusive 4x1 High Definition - Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) on overall perceived pain in patients. HD-tDCS proved well tolerated and produced a significant reduction in overall perceived pain in Fibromyalgia patients as compared to sham stimulation.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130220/NY62730 )

"We are thrilled at these positive results in Fibromyalgia," said Dr. Abhishek Datta, CTO of Soterix Medical, "Patients with Fibromyalgia are often refractory to pharmacological intervention and experience side-effects, so the ability of just one session of HD-tDCS to reduce pain without side-effects is striking. The effects observed in a single session were larger than with either conventional tDCS or FDA approved Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). We expect that with repeated HD-tDCS, both the magnitude and durability of effects will increase and this is precisely the objective of our enhanced HD-tDCS Fibromyalgia multi-center trial which is now recruiting, including at Harvard Medical School. These results are only possible with the proprietary Soterix Medical HD-tDCS where unique electrode and specialized arrays provide non-invasive targeted Neuromodulation not possible with any other technique. Soterix Medical will continue to pioneer HD-tDCS and its investigation in Fibromyalgia and other pain syndromes."

These results follow mechanistic findings at University of Michigan - tDCS using the Soterix Medical 1x1 promotes release of endogenous opioids providing a mechanistic substrate for the treatment of pain disorders and Migraine2.

CAUTION: tDCS and HD-tDCS are limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use only.

BACKGROUND: High-Definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) is an exclusive Neuromodulation technology developed by Soterix Medical Inc. Invented at The City College of New York, it is the only technology platform that allows tolerated non-invasive delivery of therapeutic current to desired brain regions. As a result, HD-tDCS offers potential for safe and effective treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders not possible with any other technology. HD-tDCS is made possible through innovations in electrode design allowing safe and tolerated passage of current through proprietary "High-Definition" electrodes, individualized brain current-flow modeling and through patented targeting algorithms indicating how to place and energize HD-electrodes on the head.

Fibromyalgia (FM or FMS) is a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia (a heightened and painful response to pressure). Fibromyalgia is one of the most common chronic pain conditions. The disorder affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 3-6% of the world population. It is most prevalent in women 75-90% of people who have FM are women. Fibromyalgia symptoms are not restricted to pain, leading to the use of the alternative term Fibromyalgia Syndrome for the condition. Other symptoms include debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. Some patients also report cognitive dysfunction.

Soterix Medical Inc. is a Biomedical Engineering company based in New York City committed to developing innovative medical therapies. Soterix Medical is the leader in non-invasive electrical Neuromodulation including the exclusive High-Definition tDCS. Soterix Medical Inc. supports clinical trials aimed at treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Soterix Medical's patented Limited Total Energy(LTE-tDCS) is the only Neuromodulation technology optimized for susceptible populations. The Soterix Medical Clinical Trials (CT-tDCS) is being used in multi-center clinical trials internationally.

1http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1526590012009674

2http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23130002

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Soterix Medical Inc. reports positive results from High-Definition tDCS Fibromyalgia Trial at Harvard Medical School

Devens Federal Medical Center Renews Correctional Health Contract With UMass Medical School

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WORCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has awarded a new five-year contract to UMass Medical School to continue coordinating health care services for inmates at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) located in Devens, Mass.

UMass Medical School (UMMS) has assisted in managing medical care for approximately 1,100 inmates at the facility since 2001. The new contract is valued at approximately $60 million over five years, and work under the pact began earlier this month.

We are very proud to be continuing our partnership with FMC Devens, said Joyce A. Murphy, Executive Vice Chancellor for UMMS/Commonwealth Medicine. Managing health care for prison populations is both challenging and rewarding for our professional staff and health care partners. This new contract is an indication of our growing expertise at serving correctional populations at both the federal and the state levels.

UMMS will coordinate both inpatient and outpatient physician services. It will partner with health care providers at HealthAlliance Hospital, in nearby Leominster, UMass Memorial Medical Center, located in Worcester, Mass., and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston.

The new contract with FMC Devens is the second contract awarded by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to UMMS in the last seven months. In July, the Bureau awarded a multi-year contract to UMMS to manage health care operations at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina.

The Medical Schools correctional health division also manages the medical care at all 17 state prisons in Massachusetts, coordinating care for approximately 11,500 inmates. With the FMC Devens renewal, UMMS now has contracts with two of the six hospital prisons in the Federal Bureau of Prisons system nationally.

About the University of Massachusetts Medical School

The University of Massachusetts Medical School, one of the fastest-growing academic health sciences centers in the country, has built a reputation as a world-class research institution, consistently producing noteworthy advances in clinical and basic research. The Medical School attracts more than $255 million in research funding annually, 80 percent of which comes from federal funding sources. The mission of the Medical School is to advance the health and well-being of the people of Massachusetts and the world, through pioneering education, research, public service and health care delivery. Commonwealth Medicine, the Medical Schools health care consulting and operations division, provides a wide range of care management and consulting services to government agencies and health care organizations. For more information, visit commed.umassmed.edu.

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Devens Federal Medical Center Renews Correctional Health Contract With UMass Medical School