Disney Animation?s short film Paperman, which made its theatrical debut in front of the studio?s current feature Wreck-It Ralph, is one of 10 short animated films that have made the cut for Oscar consideration.
Fifty-six films were submitted in the short animated film category, and on Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the list of the ten films that are moving forward. With a shortlist of 10 titles, the short films and feature animation branch members will select from three to five nominees.
Nominations will be announced Jan. 10, and the 85th Academy Awards will be held Feb. 24.
The list of films consists of:
?Adam and Dog," Minkyu Lee, director (Lodge Films)
"Combustible," Katsuhiro Otomo, director (Sunrise Inc.)
"Dripped," L?o Verrier, director (ChezEddy)
"The Eagleman Stag," Mikey Please, director, and Benedict Please, music scores and sound design (Royal College of Art)
"The Fall of the House of Usher," Raul Garcia, director, and Stephan Roelants, producer (Melusine Productions, R&R Communications Inc., Les Armateurs, The Big Farm)
"Fresh Guacamole," PES, director (PES)
"Head over Heels," Timothy Reckart, director, and Fodhla Cronin O?Reilly, producer (National Film and Television School)
"Maggie Simpson in ?The Longest Daycare?," David Silverman, director (Gracie Films)
"Paperman," John Kahrs, director (Disney Animation Studios)
"Tram," Michaela Pavl?tov?, director, and Ron Dyens, producer (Sacrebleu Productions)
Deep in the inner ear of mammals is a natural battery ? a chamber filled with ions that produces an electrical potential to drive neural signals. In today's issue of the journalNature Biotechnology, a team of researchers from MIT, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) demonstrate for the first time that this battery could power implantable electronic devices without impairing hearing.
The devices could monitor biological activity in the ears of people with hearing or balance impairments, or responses to therapies. Eventually, they might even deliver therapies themselves.
In experiments, Konstantina Stankovic, an otologic surgeon at MEEI, and HST graduate student Andrew Lysaght implanted electrodes in the biological batteries in guinea pigs' ears. Attached to the electrodes were low-power electronic devices developed by MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL). After the implantation, the guinea pigs responded normally to hearing tests, and the devices were able to wirelessly transmit data about the chemical conditions of the ear to an external receiver.
"In the past, people have thought that the space where the high potential is located is inaccessible for implantable devices, because potentially it's very dangerous if you encroach on it," Stankovic says. "We have known for 60 years that this battery exists and that it's really important for normal hearing, but nobody has attempted to use this battery to power useful electronics."
The ear converts a mechanical force ? the vibration of the eardrum ? into an electrochemical signal that can be processed by the brain; the biological battery is the source of that signal's current. Located in the part of the ear called the cochlea, the battery chamber is divided by a membrane, some of whose cells are specialized to pump ions. An imbalance of potassium and sodium ions on opposite sides of the membrane, together with the particular arrangement of the pumps, creates an electrical voltage.
Although the voltage is the highest in the body (outside of individual cells, at least), it's still very low. Moreover, in order not to disrupt hearing, a device powered by the biological battery can harvest only a small fraction of its power. Low-power chips, however, are precisely the area of expertise of Anantha Chandrakasan's group at MTL.
The MTL researchers ? Chandrakasan, who heads MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; his former graduate student Patrick Mercier, who's now an assistant professor at the University of California at San Diego; and Saurav Bandyopadhyay, a graduate student in Chandrakasan's group ? equipped their chip with an ultralow-power radio transmitter: After all, an implantable medical monitor wouldn't be much use if there were no way to retrieve its measurements.
But while the radio is much more efficient than those found in cellphones, it still couldn't run directly on the biological battery. So the MTL chip also includes power-conversion circuitry ? like that in the boxy converters at the ends of many electronic devices' power cables ? that gradually builds up charge in a capacitor. The voltage of the biological battery fluctuates, but it would take the control circuit somewhere between 40 seconds and four minutes to amass enough charge to power the radio. The frequency of the signal was thus itself an indication of the electrochemical properties of the inner ear.
To reduce its power consumption, the control circuit had to be drastically simplified, but like the radio, it still required a higher voltage than the biological battery could provide. Once the control circuit was up and running, it could drive itself; the problem was getting it up and running.
The MTL researchers solve that problem with a one-time burst of radio waves. "In the very beginning, we need to kick-start it," Chandrakasan says. "Once we do that, we can be self-sustaining. The control runs off the output."
Stankovic, who still maintains an affiliation with HST, and Lysaght implanted electrodes attached to the MTL chip on both sides of the membrane in the biological battery of each guinea pig's ear. In the experiments, the chip itself remained outside the guinea pig's body, but it's small enough to nestle in the cavity of the middle ear.
###
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice
Thanks to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
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The Facts of Business Life Will Prepare You for Success in Business
November 3, 2012 - 1:48 pm
Posted in Business Trends | No Comments
Is starting a new business in the cards for you in 2013?? Or have you recently started a new business and are looking for helpful tips and insights from someone who?s been down that road ? more than once? If either of these sounds like you, then Bill McBean?s book,?The Facts of Business Life: What Every [...]
Your Ultimate Looks And Life Makeover
October 8, 2012 - 1:51 pm
Posted in Home Biz Opportunities | No Comments
Learn The Secrets For Becoming Celebrity-level Gorgeous And On How To Live The Life Of Your Dreams. This E-book Will Show You How To Become The Ultimate Version Of Yourself And Improve Every Facet Of Your Life! Your Ultimate Looks And Life Makeover
Living Your Real Life ? Guided By Your Souls Purpose
September 27, 2012 - 2:38 am
Posted in Graphic Design | No Comments
Are You Ready And Willing To Embark On A Mission Quest? Even If It Might Lead You In A Totally New Direction? This Easy-to-follow Home Study Tutorial Is Designed To Be Life-changing. Living Your Real Life ? Guided By Your Souls Purpose
The 9 Keys To Creating The Life You Want!
September 15, 2012 - 1:44 am
Posted in Marketing Tips | No Comments
The Ultimate, No-nonsense Guide To Reality Creation Is Here! The Best And Proven Ways To Create Abundance, Prosperity And Inner Peace. Affiliates Get 60% Commissions In A Huge Market Hungry For This Information. The 9 Keys To Creating The Life You Want!
Magical Keys To Self-mastery: Creating Miracles In Your Life
September 11, 2012 - 1:53 am
Posted in Online Promotion | No Comments
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How To Be Soul Strong: A Users Guide To Life On Planet Earth
September 10, 2012 - 3:50 am
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An Ebook Which Empowers People Who Are Willing To Do Effortless Self-help Work That Will Change Their Lives. No Longer A Secret, This Information When Applied Is Effortless And Will Increase Health, Wealth And Harmony. How To Be Soul Strong: A Users Guide To Life On Planet Earth
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September 3, 2012 - 1:51 am
Posted in Business Trends | 1 Comment
There is a continual stream of decisions that every small business owner makes.? And every single one of them has an impact on the financial results your business creates for you.
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August 28, 2012 - 6:41 am
Posted in Marketing Tips | No Comments
Art is best done all in, as if everything is on the line. When the little hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you know you?ve commited to whatever it is you make. Marketing strategy and communication, on the other hand, is best done with discernment, a strategic game to be understood and tested. [...]
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August 14, 2012 - 1:53 am
Posted in Business Trends | No Comments
With more and more social networks popping up daily, many Americans find themselves with so many different sites to check and manage and not enough time to do so. Enter RebelMouse, a self-dubbed ?social front page? that lets users add content from other social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The site, which is part of [...]
Dollars and Common Sense: Finance Basics for a Successful Life
August 6, 2012 - 1:54 am
Posted in Business Trends | No Comments
Dollars and Common Sense: Taking Charge of Your Investments in the Tumultuous 21st Century, by Peter Andresen looks at how to manage your money and invest it to build wealth. Andresen, a financial advisor who founded Andresen and Associates, wrote this book mainly for anyone interested in making financial choices without ?fear of investment fears, phobia, [...]
By Rick Nauert PhDSenior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on November 9, 2012
New research finds that 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, known as a successful intervention for adult alcoholics, can also? be an effective treatment strategy for young adults.
Specialists from the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Butler Center for Research at Hazelden, found that young adults undergoing addiction treatment benefited from regular participation in 12-step-based self-help groups after discharge.
Study findings are published electronically in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
?Very little is known about the effects of 12-step attendance and involvement on outcomes for young adults. Our study shows that 12-step community resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), can provide local, accessible and cost-effective recovery resources for young adults during a stage in life when such support is rare,? said John F. Kelly, Ph.D., of the Center for Addiction Medicine.
Kelly authored the study with Robert L. Stout, Ph.D., of Decision Sciences Institute in Providence, Rhode Island, and Valerie Slaymaker, Ph.D., of the Butler Center for Research at Hazelden in Center City, Minnesota.
?Alcohol and drug use is high among young adults in general compared to other age groups. Young people who are in early recovery from addiction face a tough time finding social support and supportive peer networks,? said Slaymaker.
?Because typical AA and NA groups are mostly comprised of middle-aged adults, we were pleased to find young adults can affiliate and fully engage in these support groups, and their engagement improves substance use outcomes over time.?
Researchers analyzed over 300 young adults, ages 18 to 24, attending multidisciplinary, Twelve Step-based residential treatment for alcohol or other drug addiction.
Investigators focused on the extent to which participation and active involvement in community 12-step groups contributed to substance use outcomes over the course of one year following discharge.
Average AA/NA attendance peaked at approximately three times per week at three months post-discharge, and dropped to just over once per week at the one year follow-up.
Greater attendance was independently associated with higher abstinence days, even controlling for a variety of other factors such as motivation. An even stronger relationship was found for active group involvement, such as speaking up during meetings ? an effect that grew over time.
Experts say the data suggest that merely attending community 12-step groups, while helpful, will only take a young adult?s recovery so far. Consistent and active involvement maintains and increases the benefit of participation, resulting in sustained and improved outcomes over time.
Source: Butler Center for Research at Hazelden
Intense young man photo by shutterstock.
APA Reference Nauert PhD, R. (2012). 12-Step Programs Help Teens Battle Addiction. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 10, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/11/09/12-step-programs-help-teens-battle-addiction/47406.html
The body of a solifugid is covered with long hairs. These are sense organs, capable of detecting the tiniest changes in the temperature, humidity, or air movement (South Africa) [Canon 5D, Canon 100mm, speedlight Canon 580EX + Canon MT-24EX twin light]
Like everybody else, I have a soft spot for things that are fuzzy and look at me with expressive, big eyes. But of course being furry and having eyes isn?t necessarily equivalent to being cuddly, as I learned during a painful lesson delivered to me once by a silky anteater, whom I had foolishly picked up from a branch in Costa Rica ? turns out that its claws were not only good for ripping termite mounds open, they also worked great on human skin. And so when I saw my first solifugid, arguably the hairiest of all arachnids, it wasn?t too difficult to resist the temptation to pet it and snuggle against my cheek. In retrospect, probably a good decision.
The ?head?, or propeltidium, of a solifugid is a giant ball of muscles that power their huge chelicarea, and the first pair of ?legs? (pedipals) are usually held in the air, sensing for prey and danger. (Mozambique) [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]
Solifugids (Solifugae) are the arachnid equivalent of a honey badger, the tireless, famously cantankerous African mammal. Like the badger, they are lonesome, opportunistic predators, constantly on the run, looking for something, anything, to sink their jaws in. They are big and they are fast. Really, really fast. Most are nocturnal and hate being exposed to the light (hence their name, Solifugae, Latin for ?fleeing from the sun?.) But some are active in the middle of the day, although still preferring to stay in the shade as much as possible. This, of course, sometimes leads to comical misunderstandings ? when you see a giant, hairy arachnid chasing you in the desert (and I can attest to the fact that it does happen!), be assured that it is after your shadow, not you per se. Just let it curl up against your leg, and all will be fine.
Solifugids are efficient hunters, capable of overpowering very large prey. Before swallowing their food they must macerate it very well, using a ?cheliceral mill.? [Canon 5D, Canon 100mm, Canon MT-24EX twin light]
Solifugids are found across the globe, mostly in hot, dry environments (curiously, they are absent from both Australia and Madagascar.) A handful of species live on the verges of wet, tropical forests, but these are rare (in all my years of working Costa Rica I have only seen one solifugid.) Little is known about the physiology of these animals, but they appear to be extremely tolerant of wide temperature changes, from near freezing to over 50?C (122?F), which is an adaptation to the daily temperature changes in the desert environment. At the same time, a solifugid may drop dead the moment it is exposed to the sun after being dug out from its burrow, likely indicating that their adjustment to extreme temperatures must be conducted in a gradual fashion. Unlike spiders, with which they are often confused, solifugids are not venomous. Probably not venomous. Those species that have been studied in detail lack venom glands, but there is some anecdotal evidence of possible envenomation of large prey items by these arachnids. Bites from solifuigids may also cause localized pain and swelling in humans, further indicating injection of toxins or histamines. Regardless, they are efficient killers of insects and other small animals, including frogs and lizards. They pursue their prey relentlessly. I once watched a solifugid going after an insect that hid under a rock, and never before had I been as grateful for being large as at that moment: these animals do not know the meaning of the words ?tired? and ?give up.?
The evolutionary history of soifugids is murky. Few fossils unequivocally recognized as solifugids exist, but it appears that they may be at least 300 million years old. Their closest relatives are also uncertain, but most arachnologists agree that they are closely related to pseudoscorpions. Among other arachnids they are unmistakable: their chelicerae (?jaws?) are so huge and muscular that it is easy to confuse them with the entire head of the animal. Solifugids are also equipped with strange, mushroom-like organs on the underside of their fourth pair of legs, known as the ?racuquet organs? or malleoli. Their function is not entirely clear, but they seem to be extremely sensitive organs of smell, and play a role in both detection of prey and finding a mating partner. Solifugids look as if they had five pairs of legs, but the first pair, the pedipalps, is in fact an element of the mouthparts. At the tip of the pedipals solifugids have unique suctorial organs that, like the suction cups on the arms of an octopus, help them catch and hold their prey.
I like solifugids, I like them very much. But I can understand why some people may be afraid of them. To be completely honest, solifugids are the only animals that I have never caught with my bare hands (and I have caught a lot of animals with my bare hands, vipers and scorpions included.) I know that they cannot really hurt me, even if they are mildly venomous (of which there is no firm evidence), but their gremlinish body and behavior tap right into my primordial fear of the agile and the unknown. Maybe next time I will try to pet one. Maybe.
The underside of solifugids? last pair of legs carries strange organs known as malleoli. Their exact function is not known, but they appear to be very sensitive scent organs. [Canon 7D, Canon 100mm macro, 3 speedlights Canon 580EXII]
Most people try their best to avoid any run-ins with the law, but unfortunately, this is not always possible. A person can be in the wrong place at the wrong time or even be falsely accused of a crime. Even people who do commit crimes deserve a proper legal defense. It?s sad that many individuals opt to stick with the legal counsel provided by the court, and this is not often an effective way to get qualified legal representation. If someone is accused of a crime, they should hire their own lawyer, and there are several things that they should do when choosing a criminal defense attorney.
Research Criminal Defense Lawyers
The first step to finding an experienced criminal defense lawyer is conducting some research. Internet search engines can provide information on all of an area?s defense attorneys. This is a simple way for a person to find their list of options.
It is also possible to contact the local bar association for lists of nearby attorneys. Family and friends are also a great source of information on attorneys. If a loved one has had an experience with a criminal defense lawyer, they likely won?t shy away from sharing this information.
Ask about Qualifications and Education
Once a person has narrowed down their list of potential lawyers, they need to set up a time to meet with each one. One of the most important things to inquire about during this interview is a lawyers education. According to our law firm Howell and Christmas a legitimate attorney will have graduated from an accredited law school and be licensed to practice within the state.
It?s also important to ask about qualifications such as whether or not the attorney has experience in the specific type of case being presented to them. A lawyer may be exceptionally experienced in traffic citation cases, but this?doesn?t?mean that they can handle a homicide case with ease. A person should find a lawyer that has exceptional experience in defending people who were charged with the same crime.
Many individuals sometimes fail to look for another important qualification: people skills. This is one of the most vital skills a lawyer can have. They must constantly work with witnesses (both friendly and hostile), judges, juries and other attorneys. If an attorney?doesn?t?seem to be good with people during an initial consultation, it may be best to simply move on to the next lawyer on the list.
Ask for References
A qualified and professional attorney will leave a trail of satisfied clients in their wake, so it is important to ask if a lawyer is willing to provide a list of references from their recent clients list. This will allow an individual to speak with people who have had experience with the lawyer and gauge their satisfaction with the outcome. A lawyer who will not provide references should be avoided.
Being charged with any type of criminal offense is a serious matter, so it is important for anyone involved in this situation to treat it with the respect that it demands. This is not a time to go for the cheapest possible lawyer due to the possible consequences of a criminal conviction. The fines, probation fees and other repercussions related to a conviction will far outweigh the costs of enlisting the help of an experienced attorney to handle a criminal case. Knowing how to choose a good attorney, however, is absolutely vital.
Katie Hewatt is a legal researcher and contributing author for Howell and Christmas, a law firm that has unique experience in personal injury, worker?s compensation, and criminal defense. The attorneys at Howell and Christmas have a number one goal in criminal cases- to get an acquittal and have arrest records destroyed. If this is not possible Howell and Christmas will aggressively defend your case and try to achieve a beneficial outcome for you and your family. The firm offers a free consultation for all new criminal cases.
HAVANA, Cuba, Nov 8 (ACN) An Internet forum on the impact by the over-50-year US economic blockade of Cuba is taking place Thursday, as called by the Cuban United Nations Association.
Civil society personalities, lawyers, scientists, historians, economists and other professionals will answer questions and comments already posted on the forum?s pages by visitors from other countries , PL news agency reported.
The initiative, which opened last November , will focus on the damage inflicted by the US unilateral measure on the Caribbean island nation and it aims calling the attention of the world public opinion on a hostile policy whose repercussion on the Cuban people, calculated at one trillion 66 billion dollars.
The UN General Assembly will vote, next Tuesday, a Cuban resolution demanding the lifting of the US blockade of the island. The document has been overwhelmingly backed year after year since it was first submitted to the United Nations in 1992.
Mayo Clinic gets FDA approval for new imaging agent for recurrent prostate cancerPublic release date: 8-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Joe Dangor newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005 Mayo Clinic
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to produce and administer Choline C 11 Injection, an imaging agent used during a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to help detect sites of recurrent prostate cancer. Mayo Clinic is the first, and currently only, institution in North America approved to produce this imaging agent.
VIDEO ALERT: Video interviews and animation are available for journalists to download on the Mayo Clinic News Network.
Choline C 11 Injection is a radioactive form of the vitamin choline. Clinicians inject a small amount of the agent into a patient's vein and then use a PET scanner and computer to make detailed pictures of areas where the agent collects. Since cancer cells take up more Choline C 11 than do normal cells, the pictures can be used to help find areas of possible cancer in the body when bone scintigraphy, computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is non-informative. Once a site is identified, a biopsy and pathologic examination can verify whether prostate cancer has recurred.
Evaluating men for prostate cancer recurrence has long been a major challenge; physicians have had to wait until a patient's prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels rose to values between 20-30 ng/mL to identify sites of recurrent prostate cancer.
"This technology is a game changer," says Eugene Kwon, M.D., a urologist at Mayo Clinic. "In stark contrast to conventional imaging, PET imaging with Choline C 11 Injection can help identify sites of recurrence for tissue sampling and examination when a patient's PSA level reaches
2 ng/mL months or even years earlier than before. This technology also allows us to pinpoint the locations of recurrent cancer more accurately and permits us to develop more effective treatment strategies."
About 90,000 men annually seek treatment for recurrent prostate cancer, according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Recurrent prostate cancer is defined as cancer that has recurred following initial therapy, which could include surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy or chemotherapy.
Choline C 11 Injection has a short shelf life and must be made in a specialized facility and given to patients within minutes after production. Mayo Clinic has the integrated production, imaging and pathology facilities to provide the benefit of Choline C 11 PET imaging to patients.
Choline C 11 Injection is a perfect fit for Mayo because its urologists see some of the most complex cases of recurrent prostate cancer in the country, Dr. Kwon says. He cautions that even with its advantage over conventional imaging, PET imaging with Choline C 11 injection is not a replacement for a tissue biopsy and histologic verification of recurrent prostate cancer.
"We worked very closely with the FDA to obtain approval to administer this agent," says Val Lowe, M.D., a radiologist at Mayo Clinic who worked on the new drug application. "The FDA understood our needs as an academic institution trying to bring novel technology to the clinician and they were very responsive."
The safety and effectiveness of Choline C 11 Injection were verified by a systematic review of published study reports.
Possible allergic reactions and mild injection site reactions may occur with the use of Choline C 11 Injection. However, no adverse reactions to Choline C 11 Injection have been reported other than a mild injection site reaction. Choline C 11 Injection contributes to a patient's long-term cumulative radiation exposure. Imaging errors have been reported; in particular, blood PSA levels
###
Click here to see full prescribing information for Choline C 11 Injection.
To inquire about an appointment to be evaluated for consideration to have a PET imaging test with Choline C 11 Injection, call 507-284-5052. For more information, visit: mayoclinic.org.
About Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
As a leading institution funded by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center conducts basic, clinical and population science research, translating discoveries into improved methods for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For information on cancer clinical trials, call 507-538-7623.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit MayoClinic.com or MayoClinic.org/news.
Journalists Become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network at http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Mayo Clinic gets FDA approval for new imaging agent for recurrent prostate cancerPublic release date: 8-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Joe Dangor newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005 Mayo Clinic
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to produce and administer Choline C 11 Injection, an imaging agent used during a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to help detect sites of recurrent prostate cancer. Mayo Clinic is the first, and currently only, institution in North America approved to produce this imaging agent.
VIDEO ALERT: Video interviews and animation are available for journalists to download on the Mayo Clinic News Network.
Choline C 11 Injection is a radioactive form of the vitamin choline. Clinicians inject a small amount of the agent into a patient's vein and then use a PET scanner and computer to make detailed pictures of areas where the agent collects. Since cancer cells take up more Choline C 11 than do normal cells, the pictures can be used to help find areas of possible cancer in the body when bone scintigraphy, computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is non-informative. Once a site is identified, a biopsy and pathologic examination can verify whether prostate cancer has recurred.
Evaluating men for prostate cancer recurrence has long been a major challenge; physicians have had to wait until a patient's prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels rose to values between 20-30 ng/mL to identify sites of recurrent prostate cancer.
"This technology is a game changer," says Eugene Kwon, M.D., a urologist at Mayo Clinic. "In stark contrast to conventional imaging, PET imaging with Choline C 11 Injection can help identify sites of recurrence for tissue sampling and examination when a patient's PSA level reaches
2 ng/mL months or even years earlier than before. This technology also allows us to pinpoint the locations of recurrent cancer more accurately and permits us to develop more effective treatment strategies."
About 90,000 men annually seek treatment for recurrent prostate cancer, according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Recurrent prostate cancer is defined as cancer that has recurred following initial therapy, which could include surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy or chemotherapy.
Choline C 11 Injection has a short shelf life and must be made in a specialized facility and given to patients within minutes after production. Mayo Clinic has the integrated production, imaging and pathology facilities to provide the benefit of Choline C 11 PET imaging to patients.
Choline C 11 Injection is a perfect fit for Mayo because its urologists see some of the most complex cases of recurrent prostate cancer in the country, Dr. Kwon says. He cautions that even with its advantage over conventional imaging, PET imaging with Choline C 11 injection is not a replacement for a tissue biopsy and histologic verification of recurrent prostate cancer.
"We worked very closely with the FDA to obtain approval to administer this agent," says Val Lowe, M.D., a radiologist at Mayo Clinic who worked on the new drug application. "The FDA understood our needs as an academic institution trying to bring novel technology to the clinician and they were very responsive."
The safety and effectiveness of Choline C 11 Injection were verified by a systematic review of published study reports.
Possible allergic reactions and mild injection site reactions may occur with the use of Choline C 11 Injection. However, no adverse reactions to Choline C 11 Injection have been reported other than a mild injection site reaction. Choline C 11 Injection contributes to a patient's long-term cumulative radiation exposure. Imaging errors have been reported; in particular, blood PSA levels
###
Click here to see full prescribing information for Choline C 11 Injection.
To inquire about an appointment to be evaluated for consideration to have a PET imaging test with Choline C 11 Injection, call 507-284-5052. For more information, visit: mayoclinic.org.
About Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
As a leading institution funded by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center conducts basic, clinical and population science research, translating discoveries into improved methods for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For information on cancer clinical trials, call 507-538-7623.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit MayoClinic.com or MayoClinic.org/news.
Journalists Become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network at http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.
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A precious metal worker who lost his right forearm in an accident with an industrial blender has regained the ability to perform most two-handed tasks with the help of a robotic prosthesis.
Nigel Ackland?s device is a bebionic3 robotic hand developed by RSLSteeper. Sensors interpret movements of two muscles to control the hand within a series of preset patterns.?
Ackland demonstrates several uses of the hand in the video below, including the ability to hold car keys, motion for a person to come hither, grip a computer mouse, delicately crack eggs for breakfast and pour a glass of beer for happy hour.
For now, the technology is impressive for its ability to return a degree of normalcy to the lives of people such as Ackland. In the future, such prosthetic devices could provide their users with super-human strength and sense of touch.
?? via IEEE?
John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.
New research finds that 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, known as a successful intervention for adult alcoholics, can also? be an effective treatment strategy for young adults.
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Public release date: 8-Nov-2012
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