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Video: Nature: The beaches of Normandy
A rare peek inside Plum Island facilities
The U.S. government has granted license for a new foot-and-mouth vaccine, developed at the fabled Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Correspondent John Miller went behind the scenes of the typically off-limits facility, which has inspired rumors and conspiracy theories.
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Authorities Ban Swimming in 188 beaches due to Pollution
2012/06/10 (Last modification: 2012/06/10 22:00)
Ministry of Tourism prevented this season swimming in 188 Beaches in 14 wilayas, due to contamination and danger on citizens, at a time Echorouk sources said, the government rejected a request made by the Minister of Tourism, for conversion of managing and exploiting the beaches from the municipalities to the Ministry of Tourism, although the law is clear and gives the right of exploiting the beaches to the municipalities.
Jijel (east of Algeria) ranks top of the wilayas where the largest map of beaches banned from swimming is identified, and where authorities banned swimming across 29 beaches out of 50 beaches because of the lack of security, while Algiers ranked second in terms of beaches banned from swimming (16 beaches) because of pollution and the non validity of their waters.
These shores banned from swimming out of 552 beaches, extend along 1,600 km, which means that the number of beaches where swimming is allowed reach 364 beaches at the national level, a figure that, although improved, compared to last season, but 188 polluted and dangerous beaches, deprived hundreds of Algerians from enjoying the long coast , 1600 km, so Algerians are forced to swim in ponds and swamps, and even in the banned beaches.
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Venus orbital plane | Bad Astronomy
Local (to me) photographer Patrick Cullis was filming the Venus Transit last week from Colorado, and got a surprise: Pretty cool. That’s part of a longer video he made of the transit that’s nice, too. While I’m at it, he made a really pretty time lapse of the sky over Boulder, including footage of Venus and Jupiter setting over the Flatiron mountains; it’s well worth a moment of your time to ...
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The android head of Philip K. Dick
Russian television reporter Vladimir Lenski interviews an android of science fiction author Philip K. Dick at NextFest in Chicago in 2005. Photo: Reuters
In 2005, David Hanson left Philip K. Dick's head on a plane. Hanson, a roboticist, was en route to Google to present his team's project- a painstakingly crafted android replication of the author, who died in 1982-when he changed planes and left behind a duffel bag.
The robot's head surfaced at a couple of airports around the American West before disappearing in Washington state, never to be found again.
Dick, the author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - the source material for Blade Runner - was both deeply engaged with issues of artificial intelligence, and deeply paranoid. That is to say, he was the science fiction writer for whom being transformed into an android, and then having your head lost to the labyrinthine bureaucracy of an airline, might be considered most fitting.
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An android of science fiction author Philip K. Dick is displayed at NextFest in Chicago in 2005.
In How To Build an Android, David F. Dufty explains how Dick was made into a machine by an endearingly nerdy group of roboticists. Dufty, who observed the development of the robot while a postdoc, uses the unlikely story to meditate on the state of robotics and artificial intelligence. In particular, he describes the peculiar way humans interact with machines - and what it takes to make us feel as though a robot is alive.
The Philip K. Dick project began in 2004. Hanson, then a graduate student at the University of Dallas, brought an artistic background to robotics, with his invention of a (relatively) true-to-life synthetic skin he named "Frubber." One of his early robot heads was modeled on himself, a couple of others on then-girlfriends. K-Bot, based on a now-ex named Kristen, displayed then-remarkable ability to express emotion. (Making a robot head out of your beloved is the futuristic equivalent of a sonnet, it seems.)
At a conference, he got to know roboticists from the University of Memphis who were working on an educational program called AutoTutor. If they combined Hanson's well-crafted heads and AutoTutor's basic conversational abilities, the roboticists decided, they could create an android - and why not craft it in the form of a science fiction writer preoccupied with the line between man and machine? (In the book, a graduate student who jokes about calling it "the Dick head" is gently corrected.)
Hanson is a bit of a robo-rebel: He argues that the widely accepted principal of the Uncanny Valley - that as machines look more realistic, they become more unsettling - has no basis in reality. This unorthodox position buoys his position that developing humanlike robots is vital, as it will allow for better interaction with people. But not everyone in robotics agrees that humanoid forms are a worthwhile pursuit, given the significant obstacles: Locomotion on two legs is incredibly challenging to replicate, as is the human face. There are further divides over how a robot should be able to think or act.
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Comment on Colorado's aerospace industry foresees slowdown prior to defense cuts
Points: 0 Article Discussion: Colorado's aerospace industry foresees s
by denverboy1 on Today, 7:58 am #2527537
Could be throwin there lot in with the NEW space Companies might lessen he impact of Manditory Cuts.. America needs to revisit what we are building and why F-22..Poisens the Crew via OX system...Joint strike fource fighter..Cant land on Aircraft carriers...These Multi -BILLION dollar engineering screw ups are the type Items...America needs to revisit.. Why are we designing and building systems...That just dont work...and there not SPACE SYSTEMS..they are MILITARY DEFENSE systems.. Huge unbid and do not meet specs..But the American Public Pays threw the nose for the Pentagons ...TOYS..That don't work We have a up coming PRIVATE space effort...thats serious..Our Legacy Defense contractors are unable to desgin and spec out systems that are budgeted and or function as promised..Why should throw good money after bad...Why are we propping up Companies that just swallow money and deliver substandard systems..Either DEMAND proformance or pull the Contracts... Our New space effort is taking baby steps our legacy Companies have turned into inept blotted intiteled babies suckeling on the breats of the American Taxpayer..and producing...with a few exceptions....Junk....
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Comment on Colorado's aerospace industry foresees slowdown prior to defense cuts
Agriculture insensitivity causes nutrition convulsions
BAIS CITY, Negros Oriental, Philippines -- It was three o'clock in the morning when father and son sipped coffee made from toasted rice as they broke the steamed cassava cake they called "balanghoy." The flicker of flames from a gasera barely made out their faces. Hostile terrains made it difficult to install power lines. As the five-year old thin boy finished first, he asked leave so he could prepare the rice seedlings. Putting on a mantle on his head, he slipped on an old shirt that was his father's. "I'll wait for you at the ricefield, Tay." He ought to have been in school but his father needed help. His thin legs dug through the miry field as he bent his back burrowing the seedlings into the fresh, muddy earth.
It was three o'clock in the afternoon when a father sipped brewed coffee and his son hot chocolate at a cafe in a highly urbanized community. The five-year old boy, who was obese for his age, had ordered chicken with rice and a mound of potato fries saying he was hungry. As he forked on his food, and some he took with his fingers, crumbs of rice fell on the table and some on the floor. "Are you done, Son?" the father asked, seeing that his son hardly finished the rice serving. "I'm done, Dad," said the son licking on the gravy with his fingers, "just have the waiter wrap this leftover rice so I can give it to the dogs."
Is what we are planting sensitive to what we are eating? Is our agricultural production sensitive to put food always in the home? As insensitive as a five-year-old obese boy who wastes rice to drop on the floor or throws leftover rice to the dogs while a five year old boy in the barrio breaks his back to plant rice to feed a hungry nation, this country could be hanging on a limb with disparities between nutrition and agriculture on the issue of FAITH putting food always in the home.
In rare deliberations, some 20 government nutritionists, nurses, doctors and health practitioners engaged in lively but piercing discussions raising the concern that the agriculture blueprint of the country may not match with the nutrition blueprint of the Filipino diet. In the second regional management conference that the National Nutrition Council 7 held in Bais City on May 30 to June 1, nutrition action officers said that there continues to be a prevalence of poor nutritional levels based on the age for weight and height for weight parameters. They pointed at a disparity that the agriculture industry may not be producing enough food of what is nutritionally ideal. They said that while nutrition action officers can promote the food pyramid, getting this on the dining table of the average Filipino home maybe cumbered when the supply side of nutrition, which is agriculture, is insensitive to the Filipino diet.
Before the reaping
Hostile terrains in priority and governance may have come between nutrition and agriculture all this time. It may have come belated before each agency realized that nutrition-sensitive agriculture is the impetus for lactating mothers to have the proper diet and food that gives nourishment foundation in milk production. It may have been overlooked by both agencies that nutrition-sensitive agriculture is critical in promoting micro-nutrient based diets and healthy food lifestyles when fruits and vegetables are readily available, accessible and cheap.
In precipitating and moving for nutrition-sensitive agriculture, this year's Nutrition Month theme is "Pagkain ng gulay ugaliin, araw-araw itong ihain" on the rationale that the best way to have nutrition-based diet is to produce agricultural harvests that are sensitive and responsive to nutrition-based menu.Nutrition action officers in the region observed that on economies of scale, more definitive levels of collaboration may yet be needed between the nutrition council and the agriculture department.
While the agriculture department can claim to have increased annual production output and more efficient logistics food chain, such harvests do not equate to being nutrition-sensitive. In other words, it is one thing to have increased agriculture output and another to have nutrition-sensitive production.One factor that was blamed for the disparity is that agriculture in this country is generally export-based. Agricultural lands are traditionally dedicated in producing crops for export and not necessarily for the consumption of the average Filipino family. There are not so much lands dedicated to vegetable and fruit production. And if there are, the best pick, the best mangoes, the best carrots, the best potatoes, the best lettuces are either exported or sold to big hotels and restaurants while the "crumbs" and rejects are sold at local flea markets or grocery stores. This tends to make agriculture un-FAITHful that is fruits and vegetables become expensive making Food-Always-In-The-Home prohibitive for dining tables of marginalized families. While nutrition is no respecter of social status, lopsided agriculture can discriminate when nutritionally-ideal food like fruits and vegetables are expensive.
Another is, agricultural lands these days are either converted into subdivisions and residential communities while others turn into war zones displacing thousands of farmlands and farmers. Until there is a principled resolve to armed hostilities and until there are definitive reforms and enforcement to land use, hunger and malnutrition continues to be real. There continues to be prevalence of malnutrition even in agriculture-based economies either because there are not enough lands for agriculture and agricultural lands are planted to export commodities hence neglecting and leaving out basic nutrition-based produce.
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Agriculture insensitivity causes nutrition convulsions
Doggie DNA database to trace poo
The Jerusalem municipality is planning to compile a DNA database for dogs in the Holy City in a bid to combat the problem of dog poo by tracing droppings back to the offending pooch.
In a statement, the municipality said it would first be collecting saliva samples from dogs in the city before inputting them into a citywide database.
'The municipality pilot project calls for establishment of a database of dog DNA to allow us to reduce the soiling of pavements, parks and public spaces,' the statement said.
Once the DNA database has been compiled, the city will conduct testing to see whether the samples can be effectively matched to dog droppings found around the city.
Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz said the municipality hoped to get saliva samples from around 70 to 80 per cent of the 11,000 dogs registered in Jerusalem.
Once the database is that complete, the program will begin trying to match droppings to the offending canine, charging each pooch's owner a fine of 750 shekels $A196).
City veterinarian Zohar Dvorkin told Haaretz that the system would create a much more efficient way for the municipality to combat the problem.
'This way, there will be nowhere to run,' he said.
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Doggie DNA database to trace poo
Anatomy of a grant: Emails indicate cancer agency sought to bypass scientific review
Lynda Chin is used to getting what she wants.
Chin, a physician who is the wife of Dr. Ronald DePinho, the president of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, submitted a plan on March 12 seeking what would be the largest grant yet awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, or CPRIT.
Chin had every reason to believe her seven-page application would win funding. She had received an $8 million enticement to move her cancer research lab from Boston to Houston last year after her husband accepted the M.D. Anderson position, and prospects for the success of her grant application seemed encouraging.
"We'll make it work," the cancer center's lead commercial grant officer had told her six days earlier.
But the same day it was submitted, Chin's application hit a snag.
"I don't think they are ready," Jerry Cobbs, the senior staff member who oversees commercialization grants for CPRIT, wrote his boss in an email after reviewing the application. He suggested consideration of the application be delayed.
Nevertheless, by the end of March, Chin had landed her grant - approximately $18 million for a single year.
A monthlong Houston Chronicle investigation suggests that CPRIT, a 3-year-old initiative backed by $3 billion in taxpayer funds, handled the grant application in a hasty manner designed to circumvent its own scientific reviewers.
Hundreds of internal emails obtained through a public records request shed new light on the forces at work in the application process - particularly the role of a Houston venture capitalist, Charles Tate, who invests in companies that commercialize drugs and who has ties to M.D. Anderson and to CPRIT.
The emails indicate that Tate, one of 11 members of CPRIT's oversight committee, was instrumental in shepherding Chin's proposal through the review process. He denied doing so.
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Anatomy of a grant: Emails indicate cancer agency sought to bypass scientific review
Why more thyroid cancer? Fluoridated water, x-rays, and radiation are all to blame
by: Ethan A. Huff
According to a recent report in USA Today, cases of thyroid cancer have risen 6.5 percent over the past several years, and many medical experts are at a loss for explaining why this is occurring. But mainstream science is ignoring all the most obvious factors that contribute to the disease -- fluoride chemicals added to drinking water; excessive medical x-rays; and radiation from cells phones, computers, naked body scanners, and nuclear disasters like Fukushima.
Perhaps one of the most misunderstood organs in the body, the thyroid gland purifies the blood and detoxifies the body by taking up iodine nutrients and using them to cleanse the blood, which in turn lowers the amount of toxins run through the liver. But the thyroid gland's iodine receptors also take up harmful radiation like the kind emitted from modern communication devices, x-rays, and nuclear accidents, as well as toxic fluoride chemicals added to drinking water supplies across the country. Read more…
Cardiofy Heart Care Supplement
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PathXL and Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions Announce Digital Pathology Education Partnership
Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH (OSIS), a leading system solution provider in microscopy and PathXL Ltd., a company that specialises in developing web-based software for digital pathology, announced today a non-exclusive worldwide original equipment manufacturer (OEM) software distribution agreement for PathXL’s Digital Pathology Education Solutions. Under the partnership, OSIS will market and sell PathXL’s solutions for training, development, education, testing and quality assessment purposes to the Digital Scientific Education market.
OSIS, well-known in the scientific micro imaging field, will expand their offering to include digital pathology education applications; Olympus E-Learning Solution powered by PathXL will be showcased at the 11th European Congress of Telepathology and 5th International Congress on Virtual Microscopy in Venice, 6 - 9 June.
Olympus E-Learning Solution will enable users to effectively create and manage digital slides and other content, publish online, share and view from anywhere in the world. The solution provides on-line virtual microscopy teaching, educational, CPD and competency exam resources in minutes, significantly enhancing student, trainee and the professional experience. The solution also incorporates a platform which supports early stage training for residents in pathology. Trainees can work through real cases and assess how well they have performed. The software will be available directly from OSIS worldwide.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Tobias Schilling, Section Manager of Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions, stated
“The OLYMPUS VS120 is an advanced digital slide scanning system for brightfield and fluorescence applications. It offers a complete spectrum of functionality for Research, Training including Remote Conferencing and Consultations tools. With the integration of PathXL’s Digital Pathology Education Solutions we enlarge our solutions by a complete Digital Learning Environment. Our customers will benefit from PathXL’s long-term experience in the field of digital pathology and a fully integrated solution offered by Olympus.”
Philip Murray, Executive Vice President of PathXL, stated
“We are delighted to enter this strategic partnership with Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions. PathXL are specialists in delivering digital pathology education software applications. The partnership enables the company to continue its rapid expansion throughout Europe, UK and beyond. Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions and PathXL are well positioned to be the market leader within digital pathology medical education.”
About PathXL
PathXL specialises in web-based software and workflows for Digital Pathology. Its PathXL™ Manager product provides a robust, secure and open web-based platform to enable digital pathology users across all fields to manage, view and collaborate around virtual slides easily and efficiently. In addition, PathXL provides a range of applications and workflows on top of PathXL™ Manager to deliver specific solutions to pathologists, scientists and students in Education, Research, Clinical and Biobanking settings. PathXL also provides a full range of supporting services, including scanning, hosting, image analysis and consultancy. PathXL operates in the UK, Europe and North America.
PathXL is a privately owned company, headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland. For more information please visit: http://www.pathxl.com
About Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH
Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions strives to develop and build effective hardware and software solutions for microscopic image processing and analysis. Their team of engineers, scientists, and service specialists provide complete training and service to satisfied customers in sciences and industries. Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions generates synergies, offering a unique opportunity for establishing a “Center of Competence and Excellence” for Olympus operations in the scientific micro imaging field.
For more information visit: http://www.olympus-sis.com/
Source:Travel Award Announcement for Pathology Visions 2012
 |  |  |
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A 2012 PATHOLOGY VISIONS TRAVEL AWARD?The Digital Pathology Association (DPA) will offer five conference travel The awards of up to $2,000 each will help defray the cost of registration
HAVE YOU SUBMITTED YOUR POSTER ABSTRACT?Presented posters at Pathology Visions will be judged by appointed - "Best Poster By a Resident" Awards will be handed out to the winner of each category at |
Source:Minnesota is in the middle – Part 2
Nothing of significance happened until the FDA was invited to speak at Pathology Visions 2011 which I made a few notes about on a related story earlier this year (see Regulators regulating digital scanners).
Since that discussion there appears to be a standoff between manufacturers and the FDA.
There does not appear to be any movement by either side short of the FDA opening up some positions for digital pathology specialists (more on this next week).
Manufacturers appear to be either (1) looking for opportunities overseas to sell products and services, (2) looking at leveraging cloud computing to facilitate consultations (from overseas or within the USA) or (3) waiting for each other to submit for the first intended use studies while the FDA waits for submissions after stating publicly that whole slide imaging devices would not be considered Class I devices (exempt) and cannot be treated as a laboratory developed test (LDT). In the meantime, "Approved for Primary H&E Diagnosis" is not available in the US of A.
Based on the post below given my first interaction with FDA on this matter I cannot say that any of this is terribly surprising. Neither side, particularly the FDA seems that intersted in putting the necessary resources behind this matter on behalf of the imaging or the laboratory community to facilitate necessary validation and clearances. I can't blame the manufacturers here either. It is going to take significant time and resources in a difficult business climate with slow adoption and use for what will have to be clearly defined intended uses and therefore limited use whether by tissue type, specimen source and/or defined or excluded histochemical/immunohistochemical/fluorescence stains.
When will the standoff end?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where's Mayo Clinic? Oh, Minnesota is in the middle (8/28/2009)
A couple of weeks ago - 6:30 AM phone call
This interaction actually happened and reminded me of this New Yorker cartoon about New York and “everything else”.
Caller: Dr. Kaplan, this is Mr. So and So from the [name of a government agency]. I am calling to inquire about your interest in reviewing grant submissions. I hope you are not driving.
Me: No. I was sleeping.
Caller: Good. I hope I am not disturbing you but I need to know if you can come to [a city in the US] in January when we convene the review panel.
Me: What dates In January?
Caller: We do not know yet but I need to know right now if you can come.
Me: I suppose it depends a little bit on what I will be reviewing, if I have anything to offer and if I don't have a prior conflict.
Caller: OK. I will just need to collect some basic information such as your social security number, home address and place of employment.
Me: Mayo Clinic.
Caller: Where is Mayo Clinic?
Me: Rochester, Minnesota.
Caller: Where is Minnesota?
At this point I start asking some questions about who this individual is, his civilian pay grade, where his office is located, how he knew where to contact me and check the caller ID for area code.
Me: Have you seen 'Taking Chance'?
Caller: No.
Me: 'Fargo'?
Caller: No.
Me: 'Grumpy Old Men'?
Caller: No. What time zone are you in?
Me: Central.
Caller: Oh, Minnesota is in the middle.
Source:Huron Technologies Launches TISSUEscope™ 4000XT for High Throughput Scanning
Waterloo, ON- Huron Technologies announces the launch of the TISSUEscope™ 4000XT with Autoloader Module for high volume and high throughput scanning. The fully-integrated system offers imaging of small and large glass slides for both brightfield and confocal fluorescent imaging modes and is designed to be compatible with all versions of TISSUEscope™ scanners.
The TISSUEscope™ 4000XT is capable of scanning up to 300-1x3” (25x75mm) glass slides as well as other non-traditional slide sizes including: 150-2x3” (50x75mm), 100-3x4” (75x100mm) and 25-large glass slides sizes for 4x5” (100x125mm), 5x7” (125x175mm) and 6x8” (150x200mm).
With its automatic scanning capability, the TISSUEscope™ 4000XT facilitates extended and overnight operations for labs which provide highly-efficient processes allowing staff to complete other tasks simultaneously. By significantly increasing the number of slides scanned at one time, labs can enjoy substantial time-savings by reducing set-up delays but also extensive cost-savings through a decrease in lab expenses and processing time.
The TISSUEscope™ 4000XT is easily controlled by the TISSUEscope™ client software where both automatic or manual control modes are available to customers.
With this launch Huron Technologies becomes the first in the industry to offer high-throughput scanning of small and large specimen samples for both brightfield and confocal fluorescence imaging.
Source:Why a cardiologist started a telemedicine business at Walmart
A cardiologist with an MBA has launched a telemedicine business starting with international retailerWalmart (NYSE: WMT) with the goal of providing affordable healthcare in areas underserved by providers.
Dr.Raj Shah, who runs a 37 year-old, 10-physician cardiology and internal medicine practice in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, is the founder of Telemed Ventures and CEO of Smart Care Doc. Having formed the company nearly three years ago, he opened its first telemedicine unit in Bensalem in suburban Philadelphia and another is scheduled to open in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania later this month.
Although suburban Philadelphia does not exactly fit the profile of an underserved area, Shah said he wanted to start with facilities nearby his office so he could more easily iron out any kinks with the business that might arise.
The unit includes a flat screen TV and a dentist-style chair and has a set of bluetooth-enabled medical devices administered by an on site nurse including a digital stethoscope, a handheld EKG device, a finger pulse reader and a digital thermometer. A light pen camera is used to look into ears, at the throat or skin lesions. All of the readings from these devices can be transmitted to the attending physician or entered into a computer and sent to the physician in real time. Nurses also provide immunizations, minor wound care, and other services.
Patients also get a personal health record referred to by the practice as a “patient passport.” It includes continuity of care records and documents, medical problems diagnosed from their encounters with Smart Care Doc physicians, prescribed medications, allergies and appointments. In the years before he started his telemedicine business, Shah had launched a patient passport business to help patients keep track of their records
Despite Shah’s presence at Walmart, his relationship with the big box retailer is only as a tenant, so he is not tied to a partnership agreement. But he hopes to expand the practice if enough people use the service to rural areas across the country where Walmarts are located. Walmart declined to comment.
“Every Walmart store has thousands of people coming to it every day,” said Shah. “My measure of success would be if 12-15 patients used the service each day.”
The company charges patients about $59 for checkups, low enough for people who don’t have insurance. In addition to primary care it plans to offer specialists in cardiology, gastrointestinal disorders, nephrology, dermatology and psychiatry.
So far the biggest use of telemedicine has been by the military and Veterans Affairs. Although the number of people who actually use telemedicine or would use it, were it offered to them remains to be seen, some telemedicine companies have added or have focused on specialties over concerns that there are not currently enough people using it for primary care.
Shah is currently looking for general practice physicians and specialists who would be interested in working for a telemedicine company, who can apply online.
To those who might point out it’s not the same as being in a physician’s office, Shah says with his business, physicians still have eye contact with their patients and have access to the same information that an in-person visit would generate.
The chairman of the company, Tom Pappas, is the former CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania.The company’s other board members include a colleague from his HeartCare Associates cardiology practice, faculty from Rutgers Business School and faculty and staff from Wharton Business School at University of Pennsylvania.
Although Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett recently signed legislation to expand telemedicine’s use for Medicaid patients, along with 36 other states that provide reimbursement for Medicaid patients, there are obstacles to its expansion. U.S. Sen Tom Udall (D-NM) is drafting legislation that would streamline licensing that was expected to be introduced in the Spring.
Ultimately, Shah sees scope for the service being extended to other parts of the world like South America and Africa.
Source:Flagship Biosciences acquires IHCtech, a leading provider of research immunohistochemistry and histology services
Westminster, CO -- Flagship Biosciences announces today the acquisition of IHCtech LLC at the Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Founded in 2002, IHCtech has developed a strong reputation for high-quality advanced immunohistochemistry procedures, meeting the IHC and histology needs of pharmaceutical and academic investigators.
“We have partnered with Flagship Biosciences on a number of new techniques and approaches for quantitation in immunohistochemistry,” said Patsy Ruegg, owner and founder of IHCtech. “Their approaches to whole slide analysis and commitment to quantitative pathology makes a perfect partner with IHCtech’s expertise in high quality histology and immunohistochemistry. We enthusiastically look to further innovation by evaluating all aspects of the tissue chain -- tissue procurement, fixation and processing, with the ability to measure with whole slide analysis how each of these steps contribute to variability in the overall process.”
“While Flagship Biosciences has established strong partnerships with a number of highly respected IHC laboratories, both within the United States and internationally, this acquisition gives us the opportunity to internally evaluate tissue staining and implement new processes that better equip immunohistochemistry operations for use in quantitative pathology with whole slide imaging analysis,” said Dr. David Young, President of Flagship Biosciences. “Patsy Ruegg’s leadership in the area of high-quality research immunohistochemistry has been clear for many years. She has been a consistent expert in new IHC techniques like dual staining as well as a longtime leader in training of histology personnel.”
Flagship Biosciences specializes in tissue-based companion diagnostics, IHC biomarker development and histopathology assessment of discovery, safety and toxicity using brightfield and fluorescent whole slide imaging. The company provides a full service of tissue analysis for drug and device development, including tissue procurement, tissue preparation and immunohistochemistry, whole slide quantitative computer-based evaluation, with all services overseen by veterinary and medical anatomic pathologists
IHCtech provides high-quality histology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence to academic and pharmaceutical clients. With over 350 optimized research IHC antibodies, IHCtech brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the tissue analysis process.
Source:Cloud Software for Microscopy and Image Analysis
Upload digital slides from any microscope
Collaborate in real time with Live Markers
Access your work anywhere
Share with a single click
See more information with image overlays
Get results with automated analysis applications
 Virtual MicroscopySimagis Live is designed to support easy upload, publishing, sharing and real-time review of digital microscopy slides on the web. Support for multiple image layers enables multi-dimensional imaging. You can review, annotate, tag and measure images with multiple collaborators on-line at the same time. Sign up for free Virtual Microscopy service, upload your images start sharing your digital slides with authorized users anywhere in the World in minutes. |
 Cloud-based Image AnalysisHarness the power of the cloud computing to analyze images of any size for any number of users without need to install any desktop software or hardware. All you need is a web browser. Using Simagis Live server you can run complex automated image analysis on composite multi-layered images, create data overlays, and download results from measurement database, all from friendly web interface. Use dozens of available applications or request custom solution for your specific analysis from our Custom App team. |
 Mobile Microscopy ApplicationsSimagis Live platform enables emerging field of mobile microscopy. With portable microscope connected to the web via cell phone of other wireless device, the imaging data can be synchronized with cloud-based Simagis Live applications which will analyze and deliver images for review to experts anywhere in the world (see example of mobilecellscope). |
 Global Enterprise SolutionsSimagis Live enables virtualization of microscopy processes across the organization. Our technology makes it easy to integrate your automated imaging equipment and build seamless virtual workflow with users anywhere in the world. Integrate your collaborative research, lab service or quality control process with single image analysis server that can receive, store, analyze and share images across your organization. Choose in-house installation or scale processing power using cloud-computing platform to meet your needs. |
Source:Greetings from the David J. Sencer Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Museum in Atlanta, Georgia
My apologies for the recent silence; I have been hard at work creating--and now installing!--an exhibition entitled "Savior of Mothers: The Forgotten Ballet of Ignaz Semmelweis." The show officially opens at the David J. Sencer CDC Museum in association with the Smithsonian Institution at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia next Monday, June 11th.
More on the exhibition, from the CDC Museum website:
Savior of Mothers: The Forgotten Ballet of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis is an installation of artifacts and ephemera related to an imaginary 19th century ballet created by artist Joanna Ebenstein. The ballet is based on the true story of the brilliant, yet reviled Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis (1818-1865). Scenes range from his earliest attempts to curb the "childbed fever" epidemic in his Viennese obstetrical clinic to his premature death of the very disease he had spent his life trying to defeat. Ebenstein was drawn to Semmelweis' distinctive story not only for its topical and scientific theme--albeit tinged by melodrama and mythic elements--but also for its mixture of beauty and the grotesque. His tale, best suited to the form of a popular tragedy, makes ballet the ideal medium for Semmelweis' tale. Ebenstein's installation includes costume designs for the "Plague Demons of Cadaverous Particles"--expressionistic representations of the virulent bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes itself--and the "12 mourning mothers from beyond the grave," as well as model theaters, posters, and more.
More on this to come very soon; In the meantime, above are some photos of the installation as it inches along. My favorite piece is the very truly enchanting model theatre (bottom 2 images), designed by the astounding Chris Muller and executed by the exceptionally talented Jason Ardizzone-West; it depicts a set for of a mid-19th century anatomical theatre in which some of the major action of the ballet takes place.
The exhibition opens on next Monday, June 11th, at the David J. Sencer Museum at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. More can be found here.
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Cloudbreak Mega Swell Jeff Rowley Todd Rosewall during Volcom Fiji Pro 8 June 2012.mov – Video
09-06-2012 08:35 8 June 2012 - 'Cloudbreak', Fiji The Best Big Wave Surfers Take the Show at the Fiji Mega Swell The Best Big Wave Surfers in the world take over the show when the Fiji ASP World Tour is called on hold because the 20 to 30 foot waves were considered by contest directors to be too dangerous and extreme. Australian Big Wave Surfers, Jeff Rowley and Todd Rosewall flew into Fiji from Torquay, Victoria for the opportunity to surf at the super swell of the year at Cloudbreak, Fiji on 8 June 2012, when the ASP World Tour Event in Fiji was put on hold. Rowley and Rosewall, alongside international big wave surfers including Greg Long, Dave Wassel, Kohl Christensen, were in the water as soon as the competition was called off, when the ocean swell picked up to create giant barrelling waves. The swell at Fiji was caused by a series of low pressure systems in the Southern Ocean which also caused severe storm damage to Victoria and New South Wales in early June 2012. In preparation, Rowley said "When I saw this swell develop on the weather charts, I was prepared for the biggest and best day of the year". Cloudbreak is a reef break approximately 10 kilometres out to sea, and surfers charter private boats to get to the waves. "Its such a full-on expedition to get to Cloudbreak but it's worth it", Rowley said. After breaking two new surfboards, Rowley exudes "Cloudbreak is a powerful wave and it destroyed two of my surfboards and lost one out to sea". At 21 years of age, Rosewall was one ...
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Cloudbreak Mega Swell Jeff Rowley Todd Rosewall during Volcom Fiji Pro 8 June 2012.mov - Video
Embryo stem cell therapy brings hope to those with incurable diseases
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Calcutta News.Net Sunday 10th June, 2012 (IANS)
Simran Kaur, 42, was suffering from cerebellar ataxias, a rare genetic disorder, which left her wheelchair bound, incontinent, with slurred speech and no chances of improvement. Her family then came to know about human embryonic stem cell therapy. A few weeks of treatment later her condition improved, giving a new ray of hope to the family.
Simran is among the few people from 43 countries who are undergoing human embryonic stem cell therapy in a Delhi-based hospital, Nutech Mediworld, which claimed to be the first facility in the world providing treatment for incurable diseases through this therapy.
In embryonic stem cell therapy, cells are taken from a discarded embryo during in-vitro fertilization (IVF), cultured and injected into the body of a person suffering from terminal disease.
Embryonic stem cells can divide and grow into any body part and cell following the normal division that is initially inherent in an embryo.
Over the last ten years, the technology developed by Geeta Shroff, the medical director of Nutech Mediworld, has been used to treat more than 1,000 patients, one-fourth of them from abroad, suffering from conditions labelled as incurable or terminal.
"I have been on a wheelchair for the last 10 years and with time, the condition was becoming worse. I was not able to talk, walk or do any routine work on my own. Doctors had told my family that for the rest of my life, I would be wheelchair bound," Simran told IANS.
While searching online for any possible cure, Simran's brother who lives in Canada came to know about the treatment offered by Shroff, and the family approached her two months ago. The results of two months of treatment have left the family with hope of Simran becoming self-dependent if not recovering fully.
"I was injected with human embryonic stem cells two months back and I can feel the change. I can talk much clearer and move my limbs a little bit," said Simran, who has been enrolled for 18 months of treatment at a cost of Rs.8 lakh.
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Embryo stem cell therapy brings hope to those with incurable diseases