About three years ago, my wife suddenly acquired a reaction to eating
fruit. Within about 10 minutes of eating an apple or peach, for example,
her face swells, eyes become swollen and irritated, and her nose runs.
Symptoms last for about 1-7 hours. Raw Apples, peaches (peeled), and
nectarines (peeled) seem most likely to cause symptoms. But she has
never  had any occurence with bananas, grapes, or cherries. Cooked fruit
of any kind seems to cause no reaction.

It would be nice to get to the bottom of this, as she really likes
fruit, and had no problem until about three years ago. She is 54,
healthy, active, mildly athletic, nonsmoker, not on any medication
except estrogen. Come to think of it, she started the estrogen at very
roughly the same time as the symptom started, but this is only my
recollection.

Any ideas or similar experiences? Recommendations?

      By JANET McCONNAUGHEY
      NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The jury in the nation’s first class-action
trial over breast implants decided Monday that Dow Chemical Co.
failed to properly test silicone for use in the human body and
concealed the dangers from women and their doctors.
      Some 1,800 women sued Dow Chemical, saying that silicone seeped
out through the implant’s flexible walls or popped out of ruptured
implants causing immune system-related diseases, including aches,
pains and fatigue.
      The verdict was a first step in a complicated legal process
aimed at winning damage awards. The women sought unspecified
damages – the only kind allowed in Louisiana civil cases – from the
Midland, Mich., company.
      Jurors answered “yes” to all seven questions regarding Dow
Chemical’s role in the testing of the implants and suppression of
information.
      Dow Chemical argued throughout the five-month trial that it
never made silicone or offered opinions on its safety. It also
maintained that Dow Corning Corp., once a leading implant maker,
was responsible for testing. Dow Chemical owns half of Dow Corning
Corp.
      Lorna Propes, the attorney for Dow, said in her closing
arguments on Thursday that no proof exists that silicone breast
implants cause any kind of disease.
      “You can’t conceal something that doesn’t exist,” Propes said.
      Plaintiffs’ lawyers argued that the evidence proved women were
led to believe the implants were safe, while the company knew
otherwise.
      When the verdict was read, women who filed the suit and sat
through most of the trial hugged each other and wept.
      “I’m not crazy any more. I have closure now. They’ve been
proven wrong. That’s the important thing,” said Peggy Musmeci of
Metairie.
      “The doctors we went to – they think we are nuts. This proves
we’re not nuts,” she said.
      In the trial’s second phase, the same jurors will hear testimony
about the eight plaintiffs who are representing the 1,800 women,
and then decide whether the women’s implants caused the injuries
they claim.
      If the jury decides the implants did cause illness, the 1,800
women will be notified that to collect damages, each must prove
that she would not have accepted a breast implant if Dow had
provided more information about the risks.

I’m just a writer but I was trying to ascertain if there is a way to
sustain amnesia other than a blow to the head? It was mentioned that a
psychological trauma as opposed to a physiological one can trigger it. Is
that true? If so, what kinds of events could trigger it & how severely?
How long could the amnesia last? Thank you in advance for your expertise &
experience.
—
Time Flies Like An Arrow, But Fruit Flies Like Bananas.

NEW web site!
Critical Care UK has recently moved address, and undergone a complete
re design……..
check it out at

http://homepages.primex.co.uk/~dbnurse/critcare.htm

The site is a resource for ALL healthcare professionals working within
the various critical care specialities…….
Intensive, Coronary care, ER/A&E, as well as Cardiology, Neurology,
Nephrology etc.

Dave

My organization manufactures microscopes and I will be attending the ASCP
conference in Phil, PA in Sept.  Is there anyone willing to offer insight
as to how microscopes are used in the discipline?  Perhaps a succint
explanation of the types of scopes and magnifications required to perform
basic procedures.  Are stereo microscopes used at all in pathology labs?
How?? What mag?? Any special features required??  Any help would be
greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance.

——————-==== Posted via Deja News ====———————–
      http://www.dejanews.com/     Search, Read, Post to Usenet

 Dept. of Pathology, University of Udine, Italy
            CATAI/Telemed EC Consortium

    2nd European Summer School on Telemedicine

              TELEIMAGING IN MEDICINE

        Udine, Italy, 24-28 September 1997

                 CHAIRMAN
         Prof. Carlo Alberto Beltrami

               COURSE COORDINATOR
         Dr. V.Della Mea, Dept. of Pathology

          ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

    Dr. P.Cataldi, Postgraduate School of Anatomic Pathology
          Dr. N.Finato, Dept. of Pathology
    Dr. F.Puglisi, Postgraduate School of Oncology
        Prof. V. Roberto, Dept. of Informatics

           University of Udine, Italy

         KEY SPEAKERS
Dr. F.Barbone, Inst. of Hygiene, University of Udine, Italy
Prof. C.A. Beltrami, Dept. of Pathology, Univ. of Udine, Italy
Dr. V. Della Mea, Dept. of Pathology, Univ.of Udine, Italy
Prof. O. Ferrer Roca, Dept. of Pathology, Univ. of Tenerife, Spain
Dr. F.Fonda, Burlo Garofalo Hospital, Trieste, Italy
Dr. S. Forti, CMBM, Trento, Italy
Prof. P.Inchingolo, GNBTS-DEEI, Univ.of Trieste, Italy
Dr. A.Kastania, SBIE, Greece
Mr. D. Lobley, SQW, Oxford, UK
Dr. T.Mairinger, Dept. of Pathology, Univ.of Innsbruck, Austria
Prof. S.Markidou, Dept. of Pathology, Univ.of Athens, Greece
Prof. P.L. Montessoro, Computer Center, Univ. of Udine, Italy
Dr. F.Puglisi, School of Oncology, Univ. of Udine, Italy
Dr. S. Pedersen, Inst. of Telemedicine, Univ. of Tromso, Norway
Prof. C.Ruggiero, DIST, Univ. of Genova, Italy
Prof. V. Roberto, Dept. of Informatics, Univ. of Udine, Italy
Prof. A. Sousa Pereira, Univ. of Aveiro, Portugal.
Dr. M. Sosa-Iudicissa, DG XIII – Health Telematics, European Commission
Prof. S.Wenger, TELES Gmbh, Berlin, Germany
Prof. R.Wootton, Inst. of Telemedicine and Telecare, Queen’s Univ. of
Belfast, UK

    AIM

Telemedicine has been defined as "the practice of medicine at a distance",
thus including any aspect of medicine: remote
diagnosis, remote treatment, distant education and so on.

Different subspecialties of telemedicine are now mature for their
application in the daily practice, while other are yet the subject
of research. Anyway, telemedicine will be soon a commonly available tool
for improving healthcare and thus the medical
professional at any level should become aware of telemedicine capabilitites
as well as of its potential problems.

The CATAI/Telemed Consortium, established at the beginning of 1996, is
fostering the teaching of Telemedicine in the
European Community by developing a Body of Knowledge in Telemedicine and
organizing Telemedicine Courses directed at
doctors, technical professionals, technicians, as well as students of these
professions. This will allow to harmonize
Telemedicine in the different countries of EC.

The Second European Summer School in Telemedicine aims to give an overview
on Telemedicine for medical professionals
who are working in Institutes interested in Telemedicine, as well as for
medical and technical students who in the future will
face telemedicine applications in their daily practice.

  PROGRAMME

       24 September

                   Basic Knowledge: Telematics

       h 9.00:Welcome to the Course. Prof. C.A. Beltrami, Chairman.
       h 9.30: Networking basics. Prof. P.L.Montessoro, Italy.
       h 11.30: Coffee Break
       h 12.00: ISDN. Dr. M.Pastena,, Italy.

                   Basic Knowledge: Imaging

       h 14: Digital image representation and processing. Prof. V.Roberto,
Italy.
       h 16: Coffee Break
       h 16.30: Image transmission. Dr. V.Della Mea, Italy.
       h 17.30: Hospital Networks. Dr. P.Inchingolo, Italy.

       25 September

                   Basic knowledge: practical sessions

       h 8.30-13: Image acquisition and processing, Internet, Videoconferencing

                   Telemedicine Basics

       h 14.00: An introduction to Telemedicine. Prof. O.Ferrer-Roca, Spain.
       h 15.00: Telemedicine in Europe. Dr. M. Sosa-Iudicissa, European
Commission, DG XIII – Health Telematics.
       h 16.00: Coffee Break.
       h 16.15: Economics of Telemedicine. Dr. D.Lobley, UK.
       h 17.00: Statistical methods in Telemedicine. Dr. F.Barbone, Italy.
       h 17.45: Sociology of Telemedicine. Dr. T. Mairinger, Austria.

       26 September

                   Telemedicine applications

       h 8.30: Teleradiology. Prof. C. Ruggiero, Italy.
       h 9.00: Telepathology. Prof. O. Ferrer Roca, Spain.
       h 9.30: Telecytology. Prof. S. Markidou, Greece.
       h 10.00:Teledermatology. Prof. R. Wootton, UK.
       h 10.30: Teleoncology. Dr. F. Puglisi, Italy.
       h 11.00: Coffee Break
       h 11.15: Telecardiology. Dr. F. Fonda, Italy.
       h 11.45: Internet in Medicine. Dr. V. Della Mea, Italy
       h 12.15: Telecare and Home Monitoring. prof. C. Ruggiero, Italy.
       h 12.45: Distant Teaching. Dr. A. Kastania, Greece.

                   Telemedicine exhibition and practical workshops

h 14.30 – 18.30: Telemedicine Workstations

       27 September

                   Telemedicine experiences

       h 8.30: Telemedicine in Norway. Dr. S. Pedersen, Norway.
       h 9.30: Telemedicine in the Canary Islands. Prof. O. Ferrer Roca,
Spain.
       h 10.30: Coffee Break
       h 11.00: Teleoncology in the Province of Trento. Dr. S.Forti, Italy.
       h 12.00: The MULTIPATH Project. Prof. C.A. Beltrami, Italy.

                   Telemedicine Exhibition

       h 14.00 – 18.30: Videoconferencing and Videotelephony Systems, The
Internet, Telemedicine Workstations

       28 September

                   CATAI/Telemed Meeting

       h 9.30 – 13: CATAI/Telemed Meeting.

                   Teaching Telemedicine in Europe

       h 15.00 – 18.30: Round Table: Teaching Telemedicine in Europe.

      INFORMATIONS

The Course, organized thanks to the LEONARDO European Community Programme,
will be held partly in English and partly
in Italian language. During the practical sessions, examples of
telemedicine workstations will be shown.

      SUBSCRIPTION FEES

- 300.000 ITL or 150 ECU
– Students: 150.000 ITL or 75 ECU.

Payment: bank transfer to the account of Comitato Permanente per
l’Aggiornamento in Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica,
n.2845-67, ABI:03001, CAB:12304 c/o Banco Ambrosiano Veneto, or send a
check made payable to Comitato Permanente per
l’Aggiornamento in Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica.

      VENUE AND ACCOMODATION

The Course will be held in the Meeting Room of the City Hospital, 4th floor
Padiglione Centrale, p.le S.Maria della
Misericordia, UDINE

The University has agreements with the hotels in this list. To book, print,
fill and send by mail or fax this form to the Centro
Convegni ed Accoglienza of the University of Udine.

     ADDRESSES

Course Secretariat:

Dr. Vincenzo Della Mea
c/o Cattedra di Anatomia Patologica, Universit` di Udine
p.le S.Maria della Misericordia, 33100 UDINE
Tel: 0432/559412; fax:559420
E-mail:Udcou…@anpat.drmm.uniud.it

Centro Convegni e Accoglienza of the University (accomodation facilities):

Dr. Franca Caufin
c/o CECO – Universit` di Udine
V. Palladio, 33100 UDINE
Tel: 0432/556348 Fax:
E-mail: Franca.Cau…@amm.uniud.it

On the Internet:

http://anpat.drmm.uniud.it/ctmed/UdCourse/

      ORGANIZATION

       CATAI/Telemed European Community Consortium
       Dept. of Pathology, University of Udine, Italy
       Comitato Permanente per l’Aggiornamento in Medicina Sperimentale e
Clinica
       Azienda Ospedaliera S.Maria della Misericordia

The Course is held under the auspices of:

         Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia
         Provincia di Udine
         Comune di Udine

With the kind contribution of:

         Telecom Italia
         Olympus
         Leica
         Zeiss
         Insiel

IIIIIII   * Vincenzo Della Mea ** Della…@DiMI.UniUd.It *
 _   _    * Dept. of Medical and Morphological Research  *
 o   o    * University of Udine, ITALY                   *
   I      *           http://www.dimi.uniud.it/~dellamea *
   -    

Digital Instruments (DI) will be hosting two workshops on Scanning Probe
Microscopy in the New England area during the month of September, 1997.
The workshops will consist of two lectures in the morning, and a hands-on
demonstration in the afternoon.  Samples of interest to attendees may be
analysed at this time.  Those interested in attending these free workshops
can get more information at the DI web stie (www.di.com), or can contact
Rich Goodheart at 410-437-1805

The Medical Access Online healthcare directory is the first completely
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thousands of medical links. Check back often, new sites are added daily to
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Surf our site at http://www.medical-access.com

We have a case of questionnable tuberculid, in which PCR of a skin biopsy
specimen might be helpful. (PCR is often positive in these cases while culture
is, by definition, negative.) Unfortunately, the lab which used to do this test
for us is currently not performing this service. Does anyone know where we
could send a skin biopsy for PCR testing for Mycobacteria?

Thanks,

Matthew Fleming
————————————————————————— —
Matthew G. Fleming, MD                  phone : 414.456.4072  
Associate Professor                     fax   : 414.266.8673
Department of Dermatology               s-mail: Dept. of Dermatology
Medical College of Wisconsin                    Medical College of Wisconsin
                                                MFRC Room 4061
e-mail: m…@mcw.edu                             Milwaukee, WI 53226-4810
————————————————————————— —

International workshop on diagnostic and operative endoscopy

http://progress-image.com/events.html

ENGLISH AND FRENCH VERSION

Best regards
JF reveillard
(webmaster)