Gallery: Chris Packham canvasses support to get wildlife crime on the wane

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20:00 30 March 2015

John Grant

Hen harrier chicks at a nest - the species has become a symbol of UK bird of prey protection efforts.

A top naturalist and TV presenter really got to the art of the matter in his fight against illegal bird and animal persecution - and used a Constable masterpiece to make his point

Chris Packhams anger had been simmering throughout his keynote address to a conference on illegal wildlife persecution in the UK and it exploded in a frenzied finale as he destroyed a copy of perhaps the most famous painting ever to depict a Suffolk scene.

A mysterious, shrouded easel had been placed in front of conference delegates and the gathered campaigners were at first baffled, then bemused and finally inspired.

Naturalist and TV presenter Packham deftly removed the shroud to reveal a copy of John Constables 1821 masterpiece The Hay Wain.

Ominously, out came the cans of spray paint. The scene near Flatford was too cluttered, said Packham, as he obliterated the famous cart and much of the rest of the work in a blur of orange, black and blue.

Then, menacingly, out came the knife. The canvass was slashed time and again before a final flourish what was left of the work was smashed with all Packhams might onto the floor.

It was a dramatic way to get a point across, but it left delegates at the Eyes in the Field conference organised by the burgeoning Birders Against Wildlife Crime movement in no doubt about Packhams passion, even if some were clearly stunned by the performance. Representatives of the Suffolk-based Campaign Against Raptor Persecution were at the meeting in Buxton, Derbyshire, along with nature conservationists from many organisations from across Britain.

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Gallery: Chris Packham canvasses support to get wildlife crime on the wane

ASCP, CAP, AMP, and ASCO Issue Draft Colorectal Cancer Molecular Marker Testing Guideline and Announce Opening of …

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Newswise Chicago, IL, Northfield, IL, Bethesda, MD, Alexandria, VA - The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today released a draft of a clinical practice guideline on the use of molecular marker testing for patients with primary or metastatic colorectal carcinoma. This evidence-based guideline will help establish standard molecular marker testing, guide targeted therapies, and advance personalized care for these patients. The draft guidance document, Guideline on the Evaluation of Molecular Markers for Colorectal Cancer Workgroup Draft Recommendations Summary, (#CRCOCP) is now available online for public comment through April 22, 2015.

The draft guidance is designed to identify opportunities for improving patient outcomes. By bringing together four key organizations, all with substantial interest in treatment of colorectal cancer, we have addressed multiple elements of the patient care continuum, said Wayne W. Grody, MD, PhD, UCLA School of Medicine, project co-chair on behalf of ASCP. While we didnt focus on a selected set of molecular markers, we considered the overall plan-of-care from collection of tissue samples to diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up.

The co-chairs, one from each of the four organizations, utilized the expertise of more than 25 specialists in a variety of disciplines, including pathologists and oncologists as well as patient advocates, to draft the guidance document. The multi-disciplinary perspective has resulted in a thorough set of draft recommendations that streamline processes and contribute to improving patient outcomes. While other colorectal cancer biomarker guidelines have been published, they tend to focus on one marker or a small panel of markers for one specific clinical use, unlike the collaborative multidisciplinary approach for this guideline, said Stanley R. Hamilton, MD, FCAP, AGAF, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, project co-chair on behalf of CAP. This guideline addresses all current molecular markers that can impact treatment decisions for patients with colorectal cancer. To date, there isnt an evidence-based guideline thats quite as all-encompassing and patient-centered as this one.

Input from stakeholders, including scientists, clinicians, government agencies, other non-profit organizations, patients, patient advocates, and members of the public is critical to the release of a final set of recommendations for the care of patients with colorectal cancer. Anyone who may be affected by or play a role in the application of the guideline is encouraged to provide comments, said Antonia R. Sepulveda, MD, PhD, FASCP, FCAP, Columbia University, project co-chair on behalf of AMP. From the onset, we have adhered to the Institute of Medicines Standards for Developing Trustworthy Clinical Practice Guidelines, which includes a dedicated external review period.

The final guidance document is targeted for publication later this year. Given the rapid evolution of the field, we have future proofed the document with a research section that acknowledges molecular markers and tests on the horizon, said Carmen Allegra, MD, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, project co-chair on behalf of ASCO. We intend to review these recommendations regularly and will update the guidance document as necessary.

Editors Note: The draft recommendations and references provided here represent time-limited information and are not to be distributed, used, or considered as an accurate representation of the Colorectal Cancer Molecular Marker Guideline group's work product(s) after April 22, 2015.

About the American Society for Clinical Pathology: Founded in 1922 in Chicago, ASCP unites more than 120,000 anatomic and clinical pathologists, residents and fellows, medical laboratory professionals and students to accelerate the advancement of laboratory medicine to better improve patient care through knowledge, collaboration and global community. ASCPs mission is to provide excellence in education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of the patients, pathologists, and laboratory professionals across the globe. To learn more, visit http://www.ascp.org. Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ascp_chicago and connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ASCP.Chicago.

About the College of American Pathologists As the leading organization with more than 18,000 board-certified pathologists, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. The CAPs Laboratory Improvement Programs, initiated 65 years ago, currently has customers in more than 100 countries, accrediting 7,600 laboratories and providing proficiency testing to 20,000 laboratories worldwide. Find more information about the CAP at cap.org. Follow CAP on Twitter: @pathologists.

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Open Discussion March 30, 2015

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JLAvenger889 hours ago

Purely speculative thing here

I just read something on another site from a few weeks ago that was Jim Parsons basically saying he would like to play The Riddler What are your thoughts ScreenRanters? Do you want to see Riddler appear in DCCU? How would you feel if they were to have parsons play him?

From my perspective it wouldnt be the kind of casting that would make me think that they had nailed it nor would it necessarily be my first pick but thinking about it a bit I reckon it would be a bold choice that could potentially pay off (which isnt far off how I have reacted to a lot of DC casting over the past year or so) Sure the guy is mainly famous for TBBT which seems to be something of a marmite show (people either love it or hate it) but Id like to think that he would be able put in a performance that would be unique and not end up feeling like a Jim Carrey impression or Sheldon being the Riddler

He could do a more restrained Riddler like the guy on Gotham where you dont watch the character for his zaniness and physicality (like Carreys Riddler) but its more that hes quirky with potential dark side that could snap at any moment (At this point I am kind of wanting to see the character on Gotham snap just once at least and am more interested in seeing that possiblity than I am with watching Fish or Penguin at this point)

There are without doubt bigger name picks that would arguably suit the role better but given that Ben Afflecks Batman solo movie already seems to have its Joker, Harley, possible Deathstroke with an option of Deadshot appearing as well it could be the case that there isnt really room for a big name Riddler However having Bats have to do something like confront the Riddler in prison for some information where they play mind games could be interesting (as it would help highlight this Batmans intelligence which Bales never really did) or even having the character be an elusive presence like he has been in the Arkham games could be a lot of fun with Parsons in that type of role where he isnt getting loads of screen time and just has to embody the character in a few scenes

On the other hand though I wouldnt mind having the Riddler as the main villain in a Batman movie again and if he were I would want a bigger star for the role but as a bit part why not Parsons

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Open Discussion March 30, 2015

A doctor gives an injection of medicine for a drug addict. Free HD video footage – Video

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A doctor gives an injection of medicine for a drug addict. Free HD video footage
A wrist is hold out for a doctor to give an injection of medicine. A squirt is used by a physician to stick into blood vessel on a carpus. A drug addict or any other patient is waiting for...

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A doctor gives an injection of medicine for a drug addict. Free HD video footage - Video

Survival Medicine for prepping discussion with Prime Medical Training – Video

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Survival Medicine for prepping discussion with Prime Medical Training
In this video Andrew from Prime medical visits with me to discuss and demonstrate things that could be life saving in a survival situation. Andrew will also be at the mountain preppers expo...

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Survival Medicine for prepping discussion with Prime Medical Training - Video

Odds of reversing ICU patients' preferences to forgo life-sustaining care vary, Penn study finds

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PHILADELPHIA -- Intensive care units across the United States vary widely in how they manage the care of patients who have set preexisting limits on life-sustaining therapies, such as authorizing do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders and prohibiting interventions such as feeding tubes or dialysis, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Their work is published in the current issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

"We've long known that end-of-life and critical care varies across nations, regions and centers, whether from changes in local policies, practice culture or resource constraints," said the study's lead author Joanna L. Hart, MD, MSHP, a pulmonary and critical care physician and post-doctoral research fellow at Penn. "But, we hypothesized that by looking at this specific patient population, we could attribute this variability as an appropriate response to patient preferences in care, and undue or unsupported variability. No previous studies we're aware of have analyzed variations in care for patients who, upon admission, have similar care requests."

Hart and colleagues also sought to determine the portion of ICU patients who are admitted with existing treatment limitations - which may have been outlined in advance directives or otherwise ordered by inpatient physician -- and how these patients are managed in the ICU.

The researchers examined a retrospective cohort of patients from 141 intensive care units in 105 hospitals, for a total of 277,693 patients from April 2001 through December 2008 and found that 4.8 percent of ICU admissions were patients with preexisting limits on care. Care limitations for most of these patients included DNR orders, which included preferences prohibiting chest compressions, intubation and use of defibrillation to restart their hearts. Other patients had documented restrictions on acceptable therapies, ranging from dialysis to nutritional support such as feeding tubes (21 percent), and four percent expressed a preference for comfort measures only. Patients admitted with treatment limitations tended to be older than those without such limits (78 years on average) and nearly all had preexisting chronic illnesses conditions, most commonly chronic respiratory disease (14 percent) and chronic kidney disease (13 percent). Most (52 percent) of patients were admitted to the ICU from the emergency department, and 35 percent died during the hospital stay studied.

But the researchers found that these patients' preferences to refrain from use of lifesaving measures were often changed during their stay. Among all patients admitted with treatment limitations, 23 percent of patients nonetheless received CPR in the ICU, with great variability among ICUs: with less than five percent of patients at some ICUs and greater than 90 percent in other ICUs. Overall, 41 percent of patients who entered with treatment limitations received one or more forms of life support, and 18 percent had a reversal of previous treatment limitations during their ICU stay.

The researchers found that when ICU care was managed by a critical care physician, the odds were greater that the preexisting limitations on care would change and their care would be escalated with new forms of life support administered. Suburban hospitals, when compared to urban settings, were found to be associated with greater odds that patients surviving an ICU stay would receive new treatments and have new treatment limitations established during their stay.

"The variability here is astounding and no matter how hard we tried, we could not make it go away by accounting for any differences among the patients admitted to different ICUs," says the study's senior author, Scott Halpern, MD, PhD, MBE, assistant professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Medical Ethics and Health Policy. "Surprisingly, for patients who had already outlined 'I don't want this or that procedure or treatment at end of life,' escalations of treatment intensity were nonetheless more common than de-escalations," said Halpern. "This tendency toward aggressiveness varies widely depending only on which ICU a patient happens to be admitted to. There seems to be great potential for better aligning the outcomes of critical care with the outcomes people desire through a better understanding of how treatment decisions are made for patients who can and cannot communicate their preferences. We suggest that having clear, effective advance directives along with accompanying conversations with potential surrogate decision makers (usually family) is the best way to prevent unwanted care during an ICU stay."

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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 $4.9 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 17 years, according to 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 $409 million awarded in the 2014 fiscal year.

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Odds of reversing ICU patients' preferences to forgo life-sustaining care vary, Penn study finds

UC to open med school in June

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A NEW medical school will open in Cebu this year.

The University of Cebu (UC) School of Medicine will open in June, and tuition discounts await top college graduates who will pursue medicine in the university.

UC Chancellor Candice Gotianuy yesterday announced the opening of the medical school in the UC-Banilad Campus.

She also announced that the UC Medical Center will also start operating in May this year, providing a good learning venue for the universitys medical students.

We have gotten a lot of good faculty members with good track record on board with us, Gotianuy said in a press conference.

Dr. Ma. Melfer Montoya, dean of the UC School of Medicine, said the Commission of Higher Education granted the university a permit to operate the medical school last December yet.

The medical school will start holding classes on June 22.

She said the medical school has more than 100 slots available for the first school year. Weve started processing applicants since January, she said.

Top graduates of pre-medicine courses who will study in the UC School of Medicine may enjoy tuition discounts and book allowances.

Qualified summa cum laude graduates can avail themselves of free tuition and a P20,000-book allowance.

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UC to open med school in June

Medical students protesting Bill 20 healthcare reform

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CTV Montreal Published Monday, March 30, 2015 7:38AM EDT Last Updated Monday, March 30, 2015 6:54PM EDT

Students from every medical school in Quebec held a protest against Bill 20 on Monday in front of the National Assembly.

Early Monday morning students met at McGill University, L'Universit de Montreal, the University of Sherbrooke and Laval University are united against the proposed changes to healthcare.

Medical students have said they are not walking out to support the so-called austerity protests being held by students at other universities and CEGEPS, but are solely concerned with Bill 20.

They argue that forcing family doctors to have quotas would have a negative effect on care, and encourage doctors to give patients ever-decreasing amounts of time.

Nebras Warsi, president of the McGill Student Society of Medical Students, said students object to the heavy-handed nature of the changes.

"This bill arrived without any major consultation," said Warsi.

"This bill is basically distracting away from real, measured healthcare reform."

He added that many medical students think the unintended consequences of Bill 20 could be Quebecers having fewer family doctors.

"People are worried they're going to be forced to leave, or be forced to leave family practice," said Warsi.

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Medical students protesting Bill 20 healthcare reform

Medical community looks local to stem doctor shortage

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When Gina Sparacino finishes her doctor training, shell follow her dream to work as an orthopedic surgeon in Buffalo.

Im excited. Im so gung-ho Buffalo. I bleed Buffalo, the Town of Tonawanda native said.

But when it comes to recruiting doctors, Buffalo can be a tough sell, so much so that the community faces a shortage of primary care doctors, as well as gastroenterologists and psychiatrists, among other specialists.

So a group of doctors here created a scholarship program to encourage University at Buffalo medical school students like Sparacino to stay put.

The Western New York Medical Scholarship Fund recently awarded Sparacino and two other medical students at least $30,000 a year for four years at UBs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

For Sparacino, the scholarship will save her from tens of thousands of dollars of debt.

For the local medical community, each scholarship means one more doctor working in Western New York. A condition of the scholarship requires recipients to practice medicine in the region for at least five years after they complete their studies and hands-on training in a specialty.

The scholarship program represents the communitys attempt to grow its own doctors. It also underscores a problem with the number of physicians here and across the country.

When compared with 305 other regions in the United States, the Buffalo area lands near the bottom for the number of family practice physicians.

The region had 22 family practice physicians for every 100,000 residents in 2011, according to data from the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, which compares health statistics among regions. Only 40 other regions had a lower rate; Syracuses rate of 30 met the national average.

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Medical community looks local to stem doctor shortage