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Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon Portugal
Charles Correa Associates designed this research and diagnostic centre located in Lisbon. It is a state-of-the-art facility guided by some of the best scientist in the world. The site, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, is steeped in history. It is the site where Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and other great Portuguese left on their journeys into the unknown—a perfect metaphor for the discoveries of contemporary science today. The 3 units that constitute the project are:
•the largest for the doctors and scientist,
•the second for the theatre, the exhibition hall, the foundation offices, etc,
•the third is an open-air amphitheatre for the city.
They have been arranged to create a 125m long pathway leading diagonally across the site, towards the open seas. This pathway is ramped up at a gentle slope of 1:20, so as you ascend, you see only sky ahead of you. At the end of the ramp are two stone monoliths, straight from the quarry. When you reach the highest point, you begin to see a large body of water, which seemingly connects (i.e. without any visual break) to the ocean beyond. In the centre of this water body, just below the surface of the water, is an oval shaped object—made of stainless steel and slightly convex, so that it reflects the blue sky and passing clouds above.
L'anoressia nervosa viene diagnosticata nel 90-95 % dei casi a pazienti di sesso femminile.
I criteri standard raccomandati dai manuali psichiatrici per fare diagnosi di anoressia nervosa sono attualmente: una magrezza estrema (non costituzionale) con rifiuto di mantenere il peso al di sopra di una soglia minima di peso ritenuta normale (il peso del soggetto deve essere sotto l'85% del peso previsto in base all'età ed alla altezza e/o l'indice di massa corporea - BMI -inferiore a 17,5)
una forte paura di ingrassare anche in presenza di un evidente sottopeso
una preoccupazione estrema per il peso e l'aspetto fisico, che includa sia una alterazione del vissuto corporeo, sia una importanza eccessiva data al peso nei riguardi della propria autostima, o ancora il rifiuto di ammettere la gravità delle proprie condizioni fisiologiche nei pazienti di sesso femminile, un'amenorrea (sospensione del ciclo mestruale) che dati da almeno tre mesi.
spesso, ed è difficile accorgersene, i soggetti affetti da anoressia nervosa sono bugiardi con se stessi e con gli altri e fanno di tutto per nascondere questa loro malattia. Non è necessario avere tutti i parametri, in alcuni casi ne basta anche uno solo per diagnosticare la malattia...
Le cause che portano allo sviluppo di una anoressia nervosa sono multiple, ovvero esistono delle cause predisponenti di natura sia biologica, che sociale, che psicologica su cui si sovrappongono ad un certo punto dei fattori scatenanti che portano allo sviluppo della malattia.
Tra i fattori predisponenti è importante tenere presente il fatto di avere un familiare che soffre, o ha sofferto, di un disturbo del comportamento alimentare, il fatto di crescere in una famiglia dove esiste una oggettiva difficoltà a comunicare ed esprimere le emozioni, il fatto di appartenere ad un gruppo sociale "a rischio" per il controllo del peso (ad es. ballerine/i, ginnaste/i, cicliste/i, ecc.), il fatto di vivere in un'area urbana di un paese occidentale dove la magrezza viene enfatizzato come un valore sociale positivo, il fatto di soffrire di un disturbo della personalità.
Tra i fattori scatenanti, il più noto è il fatto di sottoporsi a diete ferree, e poi c'è sicuramente la difficoltà ad adattarsi ai cambiamenti e agli eventi stressanti che la vita impone. In questo senso possono essere considerati fattori scatenanti l'anoressia nervosa un fallimento amoroso, una bocciatura a scuola, un licenziamento dal lavoro, la perdita di un caro, ecc.
Alle volte la volontà di non mangiare non è correlata al fattore estetico o alla magrezza: persone che subiscono continuamente delusioni in campo affettivo, lavorativo, scolastico o sociale si sentono impotenti, incapaci di controllare la propria vita ottenendo ciò che vorrebbero, schiavi degli altri. Il cibo è una delle poche cose che possono controllare, e per dimostrare di essere forti e di avere il controllo devono dimostrare che potrebbero non essere dipendenti dal cibo, di poterne farne a meno, poiché il mangiare è visto come un'ulteriore schiavitù. Il riuscire a combattere la fame e rifiutare il cibo potrebbe essere una vittoria che accresce l'autostima.
iss067e183800 (July 8, 2022) --- Expedition 67 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren participates in the Acoustic Diagnostics study. The investigation explores whether equipment noise levels and the microgravity environment may create possible adverse effects on astronaut hearing. The acoustic data will help researchers understand the International Space Station’s sound environment and may inform countermeasures to protect crew hearing.
Diagnostic Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus, 80 -100 cm / 31.5 - 39.4 in. Looks larger than it really is because its hairs stand on end rather than lying flat. The only antelope to walk on tiptoes. Rocky habitats only.
Skukuza Roads, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.
©bryanjsmith.
Diagnostic Northern Screamer, Chauna chavaria, 84 - 91 cm / 33 - 36 in. RARE. Huge, ungainly bird found locally in more remote marshy areas, lake margins and on river islands of the eastern lowlands. Both sexes have a long, slender "horn" rising from the forehead as seen in this diagnostic image. We were fortunate that among our group leaders was Robert Ridgely (Author of "The Birds of Ecuador"), who was very excited to find this unexpected member of the family Anhimidae at this site.
La Tembladera Wetlands near Santa Rosa, El Oro Province, Ecuador.
©bryanjsmith.
I was employed in 1989 as a specimen accessioner by Medlab, a Nichols Institute medical diagnostic laboratory that was acquired by Corning in 1994 to become a component of Corning Clinical Laboratories. Late in 1996, Corning Clinical Laboratories was spun off by Corning as Quest Diagnostics. I left Quest Diagnostics in 2008. This is the Specimen Processing department where I worked, taken in the early 1990s during a work break from the mezzanine level inside the SW Hampton Street lab.
Camera: Pentax 645
Lens: SMC Pentax-A 645 45mm f/2.8
Film: Kodak T-MAX 100
Tripod: Bogen 3021 w/Bogen 3047 pan head
Diagnostic 'Akepa, Loxops coccineus, 4 - 5 in / 10.16 - 12.7 cm. UNCOMMON and ENDANGERED. An ENDEMIC found in native montane forest above 4,500 ft / 1371.6 m. Probably extinct on Mau'i and is extinct on O'ahu.
Lifelist #5355
Halalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Mauna Kea, Hawai'i, Hawaiian Islands, United States.
©bryanjsmith.
Diagnostic Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant, Agriornis montana, 25 cm. / 10 in. Widespread in Andes and also seen at lower elevations. Often in altiplano villages on buildings, wires, etc. Natural habitat is rocky slopes near grassland, prefers to perch on rocks instead of bushes.
Farellones, Region Metropolitana De Santiago, Chile.
©bryanjsmith.
Diagnostic Gray Tit-Flycatcher, Fraseria plumbeus orientalis, Myioparus plumbeus, 14 cm / 5.5 in. Locally COMMON resident in dense woodland and savanna thickets, riparian woodland and forest edge.
Sukuza Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa.
©bryanjsmith.
Pinal county, AZ.
8-30-17.
Photo by: Ned Harris
Note the outer 1/3 of the top of his wing is pale all the way across the wing including the upper wing coverts. This is a diagnostic field mark for Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks.
Diagnostic Cinereous Conebill, Conirostrum cinereum littorale, 10 - 11 cm. / 4 - 4.5 in. COMMON in oasis valleys of the north and pre-puna shrub zone. Found in shrubby areas, olive plantations, gardens, riparian scrub and tamarugo forests.
Chaca Valley, Arica Y Parinacota Region, Chile.
©bryanjsmith.
Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon Portugal
Charles Correa Associates designed this research and diagnostic centre located in Lisbon. It is a state-of-the-art facility guided by some of the best scientist in the world. The site, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, is steeped in history. It is the site where Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and other great Portuguese left on their journeys into the unknown—a perfect metaphor for the discoveries of contemporary science today. The 3 units that constitute the project are:
•the largest for the doctors and scientist,
•the second for the theatre, the exhibition hall, the foundation offices, etc,
•the third is an open-air amphitheatre for the city.
They have been arranged to create a 125m long pathway leading diagonally across the site, towards the open seas. This pathway is ramped up at a gentle slope of 1:20, so as you ascend, you see only sky ahead of you. At the end of the ramp are two stone monoliths, straight from the quarry. When you reach the highest point, you begin to see a large body of water, which seemingly connects (i.e. without any visual break) to the ocean beyond. In the centre of this water body, just below the surface of the water, is an oval shaped object—made of stainless steel and slightly convex, so that it reflects the blue sky and passing clouds above.
Beyond its scientific importance, the centre’s design has also caught the attention of architects around the world. The bid to design the site was won by Indian architect Charles Correa, who also designed the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The centre features a large interior rainforest connecting clinics and laboratories, chemotherapy suites with gardens, and many areas open for public use, including exhibition halls, an outdoor amphitheatre and landscaped walking areas. It is hoped that the location of the centre in the heart of Lisbon, as well as the openness of the site to the public, will encourage awareness of the centre and the Champalimaud Foundation, as well as the health and medical issues that their work is aiming to address.
Diagnostic Wall Skink, Fence Skink, Snake-eyed Skink, Cryptoblepharus virgatus, 40 mm. / 1.6 in. Urban areas, woodlands and grasslands. Often on vertical surface such as trees, fences and walls.
Mareeba Wetlands, Mareeba, Queensland, Cairns Administrative Region, Australia.
©bryanjsmith.
Diagnostic Fischer's Starling, Lamprotornis fischeri, 19 cm. / 7.5 in. Locally COMMON in dry bush habitat.
Erte Arabico Sokoko State Forest, Tsavo East National Park, Kenya.
©bryanjsmith.
Hi,
I'm looking for a diagnostic on this first attempted moonlight exposure.
Exposure ranges I have taken from the guidance published at mkaz.com/2004/07/05/exposures-for-moonlight-photography/
But where did the purple light leaks come from?
--
Please feel free to follow me on Flickr by adding me as a contact www.flickr.com/relationship.gne?id=24366212@N07 so I can follow all your new uploads.
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I also curate a photographic magazine on Flipboard. Do drop into Charles' Photographic Scrapbook at flip.it/Fo0Ng.
M
Alternatively follow me on Twitter @CharlesPuckle
(c) Charles Puckle
I recently added a grove of Ponderosa Pines near my sawmill. I am pleased with the results of each tree, but I label this as a diagnostic photo because it also revealed some flaws that needed to be corrected. The molded tree bases were glued to the painted plaster cloth and Styrofoam SubTerrain, but I failed to completely paint the tree bases. Ooops! I corrected this by painting the bases and covering them with ground foam that looked like ferns and underbrush that often grows around tree trunks.
Woodland Scenics makes several sizes of conifer tree kits that can be bent and trimmed into several tree shapes. The tree trunks are then painted the proper color before applying the adhesive that holds on the ground foam foliage. That also applies to their broad leaf tree kits. In this case, I painted the trunks a rust brown color characteristic of the Ponderosa Pines growing throughout the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevadas, Cascades, and other western mountain ranges. This grove of pines are 70 to 80 scale feet tall. My highest ones in another grove are about 110 scale feet tall; however the real species have been measured at 268 feet. This particular species of pine are fairly drought resistant and often grow in fairly open groves with brush or grass underneath. They form the Transition Zone between the semi-desert Upper Sonoran Zone of pinyons, junipers, and scrub oaks below and the Canadian Zone of Douglas Firs. Aspens can grow in either zone after it as been disturbed by fire or landslide and provide shade for the pines, firs, and spruce to grow.
In the background you can see the millpond and sawmill.
Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon Portugal
Charles Correa Associates designed this research and diagnostic centre located in Lisbon. It is a state-of-the-art facility guided by some of the best scientist in the world. The site, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, is steeped in history. It is the site where Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and other great Portuguese left on their journeys into the unknown—a perfect metaphor for the discoveries of contemporary science today. The 3 units that constitute the project are:
•the largest for the doctors and scientist,
•the second for the theatre, the exhibition hall, the foundation offices, etc,
•the third is an open-air amphitheatre for the city.
They have been arranged to create a 125m long pathway leading diagonally across the site, towards the open seas. This pathway is ramped up at a gentle slope of 1:20, so as you ascend, you see only sky ahead of you. At the end of the ramp are two stone monoliths, straight from the quarry. When you reach the highest point, you begin to see a large body of water, which seemingly connects (i.e. without any visual break) to the ocean beyond. In the centre of this water body, just below the surface of the water, is an oval shaped object—made of stainless steel and slightly convex, so that it reflects the blue sky and passing clouds above.
Beyond its scientific importance, the centre’s design has also caught the attention of architects around the world. The bid to design the site was won by Indian architect Charles Correa, who also designed the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The centre features a large interior rainforest connecting clinics and laboratories, chemotherapy suites with gardens, and many areas open for public use, including exhibition halls, an outdoor amphitheatre and landscaped walking areas. It is hoped that the location of the centre in the heart of Lisbon, as well as the openness of the site to the public, will encourage awareness of the centre and the Champalimaud Foundation, as well as the health and medical issues that their work is aiming to address.
Diagnostic Madagascar Swamp-Warbler, Acrocephalus newtoni, 18 cm. / 7.1 in. ENDEMIC to Madagascar. Variety of habitats near water, here at a wetlands enroute to Tulear.
Near Ifaty, Toliara, Madagascar.
©bryanjsmith.
Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon Portugal
Charles Correa Associates designed this research and diagnostic centre located in Lisbon. It is a state-of-the-art facility guided by some of the best scientist in the world. The site, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, is steeped in history. It is the site where Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and other great Portuguese left on their journeys into the unknown—a perfect metaphor for the discoveries of contemporary science today. The 3 units that constitute the project are:
•the largest for the doctors and scientist,
•the second for the theatre, the exhibition hall, the foundation offices, etc,
•the third is an open-air amphitheatre for the city.
They have been arranged to create a 125m long pathway leading diagonally across the site, towards the open seas. This pathway is ramped up at a gentle slope of 1:20, so as you ascend, you see only sky ahead of you. At the end of the ramp are two stone monoliths, straight from the quarry. When you reach the highest point, you begin to see a large body of water, which seemingly connects (i.e. without any visual break) to the ocean beyond. In the centre of this water body, just below the surface of the water, is an oval shaped object—made of stainless steel and slightly convex, so that it reflects the blue sky and passing clouds above.
Diagnostic Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Lichenostomus ornatus, 14 - 18.5 cm. / 5.5 - 7.3 in. COMMON and ENDEMIC. Found in mallee and semi-arid eucalyptus woodlands.
Dryandra State Forest, Western Australia.
©bryanjsmith.
Diagnostic Mangrove Finch, Camarhynchus heliobates, Pinzón del Magyar, 14 cm. / 5.5 in. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ENDEMIC and a VERY RARE species. We were fortunate to find two birds in a mangrove lagoon near the beach. Their population stands at 20 - 40 birds due to very limited habitat. Plus, there may be speciation between the two remaining fragments of habitat which increases the risk that one, or both populations may go extinct because of an inadequate gene pool. One of "Darwin's Finches".
West coast of Isla Isabela (Albemarle Island), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
©bryanjsmith.
9160 008 als "Rail diagnostic train" FMK 008 im degradierten Bahnhof Kolbnitz an der Tauern-Betonbahn.
Diagnostic Tamarugo Conebill, Conirostrum tamarugense, 11 - 12 cm. / 4.5 - 5 in. VULNERABLE. Very locally COMMON in tamarugo forest ( Prosopis tamarugo is a member of the pea family) inland of Iquigue. Also oasis valleys closer to Arica. Tamarugo has been extensively harvested for firewood.
Azapa Valley, Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile.
©bryanjsmith.
This is the most slender of our small Wrens... but this guy is puffed up to ward off the cold. This species is found mainly in our southwestern states, but they are also found in the upper Pacific coastal states. The long slender white supercilium is diagnostic for IDs of the species within the Wren family. I shot this image through my kitchen window while monitoring the feeders in my front yard... snowfalls bring in the birds to any easily accessible food.
IMG_0810; Bewick's Wren
20201022221012ZW4N41.927E12.481G2.900E1H3.000E1
[Metrionotus Moczar 1970: 16 (IT: 1) spp]
FLVOR of this genus in IT outside IT-82. Same specimen, sx profile. Cfr. notes¹ over the above image.
Metrionotus is not easily recognized among the other Mesitiinæ but some characters are helpful, such as foveolate body surface, dorsal pronotal area with median pronotal line, amsct without median mesonotal line, posterior propodeal projection present. This genus has some characters shared with Anaylax and Clytrovorus, and probably has some spp erroneously allocated to these gg; hence a revision is necessary both for sp level and genus limit diagnoses. Argaman redescribed Metrionotus in 2003 citing that it closely resembles Anaylax because both gg have black head, anterior ocellus crossing supraocular line and hypopygium wider than long. This emphasizes how difficult it is to understand Metrionotus and consequently its recognition.
NOTES
1. Specific diagnostic characters: foveolate body surface, dorsal pronotal area with median pronotal line, amsct without median mesonotal line, posterior propodeal projection present.
REFERENCES
D.N. Barbosa & al. 2021: Chrysidoidea sting morphology.
E.G.F. Regina 2020: Metrionotus IT FLVOR outside IT-82.
G.O. Lanes & al. 2020: Bethylidæ revisited morphology.
C. Jouault & al. 2020: Bethylidæ evolution.
C.O. Azevedo & al. 2018: Bethylidæ global guide, pp. 198-200.
It's almost like they planned this sign to go with the perfectly framed view of Pikes Peak featuring turning aspen below.
Diagnostic Female Golden-winged Warbler, Vermivora chrysoptyera, 4.75 in. / 12.1 cm. NEAR THREATENED. UNCOMMON and declining population in brushy forest habitat with a few tall trees.
Boardwalk, Magee Marsh, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States.
©bryanjsmith.
Diagnostic Plaintive Cuckoo, Cacomantis merulinus querulus, 23 cm / 9.1 in. Resident of forest and wooded country. Rainy evening in the park just prior to us being threatened by a bull elephant. Quickly moving along, loud clapping and shouting saved the evening! Handheld.
Nameri National Park, Assam Province, India.
©bryanjsmith.
Diagnostic Male Musk Duck, Biziura lobata, M: 66 cm / 25.9 in; F: 55 cm / 21.6 in. ENDEMIC duck. Not a great image because he kept his distance. Large lobe of skin hanging below the bill. Seen in permanent swamps, large open lakes, tidal inlets and bays.
Beaufort River, Western Australia, Australia.
©bryanjsmith.
This odonate is more to my liking when it comes to making a quick field ID. While there are several red dragonflies in the US, the odds are really cut down when one avails the mapping info. This one is male, and the pink/violet markings are diagnostic.
IMG_3952; Roseate Skimmer
Diagnostic Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Myiodynastes chrysocephalus, 20.5 cm. / 8 in. Borders of foothill and sub-tropical forest and woodland and adjacent clearings on both slopes.
Numbala Road, Valladolid, Zamora-Chinchipe Province, Ecuador.
©bryanjsmith.
Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon Portugal
Charles Correa Associates designed this research and diagnostic centre located in Lisbon. It is a state-of-the-art facility guided by some of the best scientist in the world. The site, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, is steeped in history. It is the site where Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and other great Portuguese left on their journeys into the unknown—a perfect metaphor for the discoveries of contemporary science today. The 3 units that constitute the project are:
•the largest for the doctors and scientist,
•the second for the theatre, the exhibition hall, the foundation offices, etc,
•the third is an open-air amphitheatre for the city.
They have been arranged to create a 125m long pathway leading diagonally across the site, towards the open seas. This pathway is ramped up at a gentle slope of 1:20, so as you ascend, you see only sky ahead of you. At the end of the ramp are two stone monoliths, straight from the quarry. When you reach the highest point, you begin to see a large body of water, which seemingly connects (i.e. without any visual break) to the ocean beyond. In the centre of this water body, just below the surface of the water, is an oval shaped object—made of stainless steel and slightly convex, so that it reflects the blue sky and passing clouds above.
Beyond its scientific importance, the centre’s design has also caught the attention of architects around the world. The bid to design the site was won by Indian architect Charles Correa, who also designed the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The centre features a large interior rainforest connecting clinics and laboratories, chemotherapy suites with gardens, and many areas open for public use, including exhibition halls, an outdoor amphitheatre and landscaped walking areas. It is hoped that the location of the centre in the heart of Lisbon, as well as the openness of the site to the public, will encourage awareness of the centre and the Champalimaud Foundation, as well as the health and medical issues that their work is aiming to address.
Diagnostic Arrow-marked Babbler, Turdoides jardineii jardineii, 22-25 cm. / 8.66-9.84 cm. COMMON and widespread. Resident of thickets and bush clumps in wooded savanna.
Kruger National Park, South Africa
©bryanjsmith.
Novartis, a Swiss-based company, is a global leader in the field of healthcare-related biotechnology.
They are also known for their interest in bold architecture.
This striking building, in Emeryville, California, is Novartis' headquarters for vaccines and diagnostic products.
Taken by a camera lofted by a helium balloon.
© All rights reserved
Lambert X-ray tube stand
c. 1897-1905
X-rays were discovered by German physicist Wilhelm Konrad Röntgen (also spelled Roentgen) in 1895 (Nobel Prize in physics in 1901). This earliest x-ray tube was filled with a partial vacuum, cathode, anode, and anticathode.
Later, in 1913, American electrical engineer William Coolidge will invent his own tube, still in use today, with a 2,000℃-hot cathode made of tungsten filament.
The tube stand is an essential piece of equipment in the x-ray process.
It holds the x-ray tube in place and allows the operator to to move it to many different positions. This tube stand has three different ways to to adjust the placement of the tube in order to best reach the area that needs diagnosis or treatment.
The tube stand also holds the x-ray tube within a lead-lined box to offer some protection for the patient against exposure.
Manufactured by Levy X-Ray Equipmeny Company.
International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago, Il.
Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon Portugal
Charles Correa Associates designed this research and diagnostic centre located in Lisbon. It is a state-of-the-art facility guided by some of the best scientist in the world. The site, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, is steeped in history. It is the site where Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and other great Portuguese left on their journeys into the unknown—a perfect metaphor for the discoveries of contemporary science today. The 3 units that constitute the project are:
•the largest for the doctors and scientist,
•the second for the theatre, the exhibition hall, the foundation offices, etc,
•the third is an open-air amphitheatre for the city.
They have been arranged to create a 125m long pathway leading diagonally across the site, towards the open seas. This pathway is ramped up at a gentle slope of 1:20, so as you ascend, you see only sky ahead of you. At the end of the ramp are two stone monoliths, straight from the quarry. When you reach the highest point, you begin to see a large body of water, which seemingly connects (i.e. without any visual break) to the ocean beyond. In the centre of this water body, just below the surface of the water, is an oval shaped object—made of stainless steel and slightly convex, so that it reflects the blue sky and passing clouds above.
Diagnostic Ornate Tinamou, Nothoprocta ornata, 35 cm. / 13.8 in. Terrestrial birds inhabiting dry puna grasslands of extreme north, at 3000 - 4000 meters, preferring areas of taller bunch grass.
Near Putre, Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile.
©bryanjsmith.
Diagnostic Spot-winged Pigeon, Patagonienas maculosa, 32-33 cm.
Putre, Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile.
©bryanjsmith.
Nigerian lab technicians undergo malaria microscopy mentoring with the U.S. Army Research Unit-Kenya’s Malaria Diagnostics and Control Center of Excellence speciailists recently at a Nigerian Air Force hospital near Lagos, Nigeria.
U.S. Army photo by Rick Scavetta
A team of medical experts from U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Kenya recently visited Nigeria to offer their expertise in malaria microscopy.
The team from USAMRU-K, also known as the Walter Reed Project, departed the unit’s Malaria Diagnostics and Control Center of Excellence in Kisumu, Kenya – arriving in Lagos in late-September, said Maj. Eric Wagar, director of the center.
“Our team was invited to Nigeria to teach a malaria microscopy course and mentor Nigerian instructors who had previously undergone the course at our center in Kisumu,” Wagar said. “This effort in Nigeria is an example of USAMRU-K’s expanding role in Africa to support efforts that increase capabilities within African partner nations.”
The course is the first step in establishing a new malaria microscopy training center in Nigeria as part of the cooperative efforts between the U.S. Defense Department’s HIV program in Nigeria and the Nigerian Ministry of Defense, Wagar said.
One of five U.S. military research overseas labs, USAMRU-K was first established in 1969 at Kenya’s invitation to study trypanosomiasis, a parasitic disease transmitted by the tsetse fly. In 1973, the unit was permanently set up in Nairobi, working through an agreement with the Kenya Medical Research Institute. USAMRU-K has 10 U.S. Army Soldiers, two Army civilians and over 400 Kenyan contractors – a mix of doctors, nurses, scientists and laboratory technicians who work together to research, test and prevent disease.
Much of the USAMRU-K’s efforts are centered on malaria research, anti-malarial drug testing and studies to support malaria vaccines. Other research helps people facing HIV, diarrheal disease and tuberculosis.
In 2004, USAMRU-K began courses at Kisumu. Since then, the center hosted more than 500 students from 16 African countries in an outreach to improve the technicians’ ability to read blood samples for malaria diagnosis, said Col. David Jones, director of USAMRU-K’s Kisumu station.
In the past, research suffered because lab technicians were unable to correctly read blood slides during studies, Jones said.
“Training is pivotal to improve the quality of lab work,” Jones said.
In July 2009, two laboratory technicians from U.S. Defense Department’s HIV program in Nigeria completed the microscopy course in Kenya. The pair served as primary instructors for the first microscopy course in Nigeria - a two-week effort held at the 445th Nigerian Air Force Hospital, Wagar said. In addition to providing medical care for the Nigerian military, the hospital also provides care to a large number of civilian patients.
Upon the USAMRU-K team’s arrival, Nigerian Air Force Group Capt. Edward Abayomi Akinwale, who heads the hospital’s laboratory, offered Wagar and five Kenyan staff a tour of the Nigerian labs.
“The lab was recently renovated,” Wagar said. “This beautiful new facility has over two dozen microscopes and equipment necessary for preparing malaria blood films, plus computers and projectors - everything needed to teach a course in malaria microscopy.”
During the course, Nigerian and U.S. military officials with interest in improving medical research standards observed the class. Wagar also met with Air Commodore Harold Oyechi, the Nigerian medical officer in charge of the hospital, and Brigadier General (Dr.) T. O. Umar, the head of the Nigerian Emergency Plan Implementation Committee, which coordinates bilateral U.S.-Nigerian military efforts to fight HIV and AIDS.
The USAMRU-K team plans to return to Nigeria in March to mentor a second microscopy class and officially commission the new Nigerian malaria microscopy training center, Wagar said. The center has also offered courses in Ghana and is planning for coursework in Tanzania.
“Our goal is to increase Nigerian capabilities to support HIV care and treatment and medical research by mentoring Nigerian staff who, in turn, teach lab technicians among their own ranks,” Wagar said. “It’s a step forward that we were glad to assist in.”
To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil
Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica
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Diagnostic car for all Swiss meter gauge railways. In operation since February 24, 2021. A consortium of Sersa, iNovitas and Rosenthaler+Partner, supported by RhB. Measuring speed 80 km/h. Switzerland, May 12, 2023.
Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon Portugal
Charles Correa Associates designed this research and diagnostic centre located in Lisbon. It is a state-of-the-art facility guided by some of the best scientist in the world. The site, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, is steeped in history. It is the site where Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and other great Portuguese left on their journeys into the unknown—a perfect metaphor for the discoveries of contemporary science today. The 3 units that constitute the project are:
•the largest for the doctors and scientist,
•the second for the theatre, the exhibition hall, the foundation offices, etc,
•the third is an open-air amphitheatre for the city.
They have been arranged to create a 125m long pathway leading diagonally across the site, towards the open seas. This pathway is ramped up at a gentle slope of 1:20, so as you ascend, you see only sky ahead of you. At the end of the ramp are two stone monoliths, straight from the quarry. When you reach the highest point, you begin to see a large body of water, which seemingly connects (i.e. without any visual break) to the ocean beyond. In the centre of this water body, just below the surface of the water, is an oval shaped object—made of stainless steel and slightly convex, so that it reflects the blue sky and passing clouds above.
Beyond its scientific importance, the centre’s design has also caught the attention of architects around the world. The bid to design the site was won by Indian architect Charles Correa, who also designed the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The centre features a large interior rainforest connecting clinics and laboratories, chemotherapy suites with gardens, and many areas open for public use, including exhibition halls, an outdoor amphitheatre and landscaped walking areas. It is hoped that the location of the centre in the heart of Lisbon, as well as the openness of the site to the public, will encourage awareness of the centre and the Champalimaud Foundation, as well as the health and medical issues that their work is aiming to address.