University Circle
clinic doc chimes in on robot-assisted surgery debate
In a Wall Street Journal articled titled “Study Raises Doubts over Robotic Surgery,” writer Melinda Beck explores the use of robotic surgery for hysterectomies and its growth in popularity in recent years and it’s cost/benefit ratio.
"Robotic surgery does help me when I have to go really deep in the pelvis or use a lot of sutures," Cleveland Clinic gynecological surgeon Marie Paraiso, who uses both procedures, is quoted in the article. "But we haven't really defined which patients it helps most and it's never been shown to be cost-effective."
Paraiso goes on to explain that she has found no significant differences in blood loss or pain between the robotic method and the laparoscopic method, but the robotic method does take longer on average, which can bring added cost.
View the detailed story here.
"Robotic surgery does help me when I have to go really deep in the pelvis or use a lot of sutures," Cleveland Clinic gynecological surgeon Marie Paraiso, who uses both procedures, is quoted in the article. "But we haven't really defined which patients it helps most and it's never been shown to be cost-effective."
Paraiso goes on to explain that she has found no significant differences in blood loss or pain between the robotic method and the laparoscopic method, but the robotic method does take longer on average, which can bring added cost.
View the detailed story here.
ibm's watson being trained as a med student at case
In a New York Times feature titled “Software Assistants for Doctors Are Making Progress,” Steve Lohr highlights how doctors are struggling to keep up with the information overload when it comes to decision making in medicine and how technology is working to keep medical professionals up to date.
“The information overload for doctors is only growing worse," Lohr writes. "Medical information is estimated to be doubling every five years, and surveys show most doctors can find only a few hours a month to read medical journals.”
Lohr notes that a prime example of technology gearing up to assist medical professionals is I.B.M.’s supercomputer Watson, which currently is being trained as a medical student at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.
View the complete feature here.
“The information overload for doctors is only growing worse," Lohr writes. "Medical information is estimated to be doubling every five years, and surveys show most doctors can find only a few hours a month to read medical journals.”
Lohr notes that a prime example of technology gearing up to assist medical professionals is I.B.M.’s supercomputer Watson, which currently is being trained as a medical student at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.
View the complete feature here.
huffpo discusses vacant school building uses
In a Huffington Post report titled “Cities have hundreds of empty schools,” Philip Elliott writes of the nation’s largest cities struggling to sell valuable property while still incurring costs to keep them secure while empty.
Elliot notes that Cleveland already has found uses for 25 former buildings, bulldozed seven other buildings to turn into parks, but still has 27 additional properties up for grabs.
“The number of idle buildings does not include properties that the districts are holding on to but are not using. Cleveland, for instance, kept several buildings at the ready to fill in for others they plan to renovate in the future, officials there said.”
Read the full report here.
Elliot notes that Cleveland already has found uses for 25 former buildings, bulldozed seven other buildings to turn into parks, but still has 27 additional properties up for grabs.
“The number of idle buildings does not include properties that the districts are holding on to but are not using. Cleveland, for instance, kept several buildings at the ready to fill in for others they plan to renovate in the future, officials there said.”
Read the full report here.
cleveland well represented in beard award semis
In an Eater.com article titled “JFB Announces 2013 Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists” Raphael Brion shares the most recent “long list” of semifinalists for the coveted James Beard Foundation Awards.
Cleveland finds itself well represented with four local chefs up for various honors.
Michael Symon for Outstanding Chef
Jonathon Sawyer for Best Chef: Great Lakes
Zack Bruell for Best Chef: Great Lakes
Matt Danko for Outstanding Pastry Chef
The finalists will be announced on Monday, March 18, 2013 with the winners announced on Monday, May 6, 2013.
Check out the full list here.
Cleveland finds itself well represented with four local chefs up for various honors.
Michael Symon for Outstanding Chef
Jonathon Sawyer for Best Chef: Great Lakes
Zack Bruell for Best Chef: Great Lakes
Matt Danko for Outstanding Pastry Chef
The finalists will be announced on Monday, March 18, 2013 with the winners announced on Monday, May 6, 2013.
Check out the full list here.
Shaker LaunchHouse raised $15,000 at its second annual gala, held last week at Crawford Galleries of Western Reserve Historical Society. The money will help support Cleveland’s budding entrepreneurs. More than 260 attended the event, which was sponsored by the Shaker Heights Development Corporation.
“It was huge,” says LaunchHouse co-founder Todd Goldstein. “There were entrepreneurs, business leaders, successful CEOs of companies and people from the city of Shaker Heights. We even had people who flew in from out of state. It was a broad range of people supporting the entrepreneur community.”
The money will be used to support LaunchHouse startups and for programming. Specifically, Freebie Fridays, when people can come into the offices to work and pitch their ideas, will continue. LaunchHouse will also continue its support of the LightHouse Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (LEAP), a program targeted at high school students.
Goldstein points out that LaunchHouse staff will assist anyone with an idea. “We never turn an entrepreneur away,” he says. “If an entrepreneur shows up at our door, we’ll work with them. And we’ve helped hundreds of small business owners who come in on Thursdays for open office hours and one-on-one business advice from our team members.”
Since its founding in 2009, LaunchHouse has invested in more than 40 companies, with more than 100 working directly out of LaunchHouse.
“Our advanced goal is to be an idea hub in the region,” says Goldstein. “Seeing that many people come out really is a testament to all the entrepreneurial activity happening in Shaker Heights.”
Stephanie Colangelo, director of public relations and marketing, adds that LaunchHouse has a solid relationship with other entrepreneurial support organizations. “If something is not necessarily for LaunchHouse, we direct them to JumpStart or Bizdom,” she explains. “And they do the same for us.”
Source: Todd Goldstein, Stephanie Colangelo
Writer: Karin Connelly
“It was huge,” says LaunchHouse co-founder Todd Goldstein. “There were entrepreneurs, business leaders, successful CEOs of companies and people from the city of Shaker Heights. We even had people who flew in from out of state. It was a broad range of people supporting the entrepreneur community.”
The money will be used to support LaunchHouse startups and for programming. Specifically, Freebie Fridays, when people can come into the offices to work and pitch their ideas, will continue. LaunchHouse will also continue its support of the LightHouse Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (LEAP), a program targeted at high school students.
Goldstein points out that LaunchHouse staff will assist anyone with an idea. “We never turn an entrepreneur away,” he says. “If an entrepreneur shows up at our door, we’ll work with them. And we’ve helped hundreds of small business owners who come in on Thursdays for open office hours and one-on-one business advice from our team members.”
Since its founding in 2009, LaunchHouse has invested in more than 40 companies, with more than 100 working directly out of LaunchHouse.
“Our advanced goal is to be an idea hub in the region,” says Goldstein. “Seeing that many people come out really is a testament to all the entrepreneurial activity happening in Shaker Heights.”
Stephanie Colangelo, director of public relations and marketing, adds that LaunchHouse has a solid relationship with other entrepreneurial support organizations. “If something is not necessarily for LaunchHouse, we direct them to JumpStart or Bizdom,” she explains. “And they do the same for us.”
Source: Todd Goldstein, Stephanie Colangelo
Writer: Karin Connelly
cleveland named by msn as 1 of 10 coolest cities in the midwest
In an MSN slideshow titled “10 coolest cities in the Midwest,” Chelsea Lin proclaims our fair city of Cleveland as one of them due to its musical history and art. Oddly enough, nothing about the phenomenal dining scene is mentioned as a factor of coolness.
In proclaiming what’s cool: “There’s more than just rock ’n’ roll culture at play. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland’s brand-new mirrored digs, is a lesson in modern art itself, a stunning piece of interesting architecture.”
Read the full blurb and check out the other cities on the list here.
In proclaiming what’s cool: “There’s more than just rock ’n’ roll culture at play. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland’s brand-new mirrored digs, is a lesson in modern art itself, a stunning piece of interesting architecture.”
Read the full blurb and check out the other cities on the list here.
clinic doctor shares risks of teen pregnancy
In a CBS News feature titled “Teen birth rates hit historic low in U.S.,” Ryan Jaslow notes that teen birth rates are at historic lows due to teens waiting to have sex and the use of more effective birth control and the various risks associated with teen pregnancy.
In the piece, the Cleveland Clinic’s own Dr. Ellen Rome, head of the Center for Adolescent Medicine, discusses the various risks associated with teen pregnancy versus those occurring in women over 20.
“One of the biggest risks is that teen moms are less likely to engage in proper prenatal care and more likely to have poor nutrition, sexually transmitted diseases or substance abuse issues that can risk the pregnancy,” Rome is quoted in the piece.
Check out the full informative piece here.
In the piece, the Cleveland Clinic’s own Dr. Ellen Rome, head of the Center for Adolescent Medicine, discusses the various risks associated with teen pregnancy versus those occurring in women over 20.
“One of the biggest risks is that teen moms are less likely to engage in proper prenatal care and more likely to have poor nutrition, sexually transmitted diseases or substance abuse issues that can risk the pregnancy,” Rome is quoted in the piece.
Check out the full informative piece here.
fast co. looks at tech behind cma's gallery one
In a Fast Company piece titled “Local Projects and The Cleveland Museum of Art Use New Tech to Connect the Classics,” Cliff King explains the technological aspects behind the new Gallery One exhibit at the Museum and the role company Local Projects played in its development.
"Museums must compete for attention in a second-screen world," writes King in this richly illustrated feature. "One venue embracing the challenge is the Cleveland Museum of Art, which worked with Local Projects to design new interactive galleries."
Items of note:
A 40-foot screen displays every piece in the museum. When a work is touched, an iris opens to highlight broader relationships. You can then drag works to a provided iPad to create a custom tour.
By holding an iPad up to certain pieces, you’re presented with an overlay of information. Your focus remains directed on the art, not down at a plaque.
Check out the full story here.
"Museums must compete for attention in a second-screen world," writes King in this richly illustrated feature. "One venue embracing the challenge is the Cleveland Museum of Art, which worked with Local Projects to design new interactive galleries."
Items of note:
A 40-foot screen displays every piece in the museum. When a work is touched, an iris opens to highlight broader relationships. You can then drag works to a provided iPad to create a custom tour.
By holding an iPad up to certain pieces, you’re presented with an overlay of information. Your focus remains directed on the art, not down at a plaque.
Check out the full story here.
For a number of years at the tail end of the 20th century, Greater Cleveland's public and private leaders attempted to pull the city up through ambitious marketing campaigns. For awhile it seemed to work. The national media began referring to Cleveland as the "Comeback City" in conjunction with the grand openings of ambitious projects like Tower City Center, Jacobs Field and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
But toward the end of the '90s a strange thing happened: The city, for all intents and purposes, stopped marketing itself.
Why?
"We began to believe our own press," says Rick Batyko, president of the Regional Marketing Alliance of Northeast Ohio, which conducts the Cleveland Plus campaign. And civic officials "moved on to other tasks and defunded marketing."
In essence, Northeast Ohio stopped telling its tale with the tale barely begun -- a rather large mistake in retrospect. "The underlying economy wasn't doing that well," Batyko says. "That's something you couldn't see in the skyline shots."
During the mid-2000s, the region's narrative thread was picked up by Cleveland Plus campaign. Established in 2005 -- with founding members that included Greater Cleveland Partnership, Positively Cleveland and Team NEO -- the organization champions Northeast Ohio as a culturally rich, yet affordable place to live.
Read the rest of the story here.
But toward the end of the '90s a strange thing happened: The city, for all intents and purposes, stopped marketing itself.
Why?
"We began to believe our own press," says Rick Batyko, president of the Regional Marketing Alliance of Northeast Ohio, which conducts the Cleveland Plus campaign. And civic officials "moved on to other tasks and defunded marketing."
In essence, Northeast Ohio stopped telling its tale with the tale barely begun -- a rather large mistake in retrospect. "The underlying economy wasn't doing that well," Batyko says. "That's something you couldn't see in the skyline shots."
During the mid-2000s, the region's narrative thread was picked up by Cleveland Plus campaign. Established in 2005 -- with founding members that included Greater Cleveland Partnership, Positively Cleveland and Team NEO -- the organization champions Northeast Ohio as a culturally rich, yet affordable place to live.
Read the rest of the story here.
wsj calls cleveland an 'overlooked entrepreneurial hub'
In a Wall Street Journal post titled “For U.S. Startups, ‘Times They-are-a-Changing,’” Steve Case, co-founder of AOL, shares his thoughts on entrepreneurship and trends that are changing nationwide, including Cleveland.
“I’m convinced that we’re beginning to see a regional 'rise of the rest' as cities like Washington D.C., Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Raleigh, Cleveland, Detroit and many others experience unprecedented growth in startups. Silicon Valley will continue to be our nation’s most vibrant entrepreneurial hub, but a growing number of companies will start up in these often overlooked places.”
“America was built by risk-taking entrepreneurs who throughout history have turned dreams into new businesses, disrupted industries, created new ones and inspired the world.”
Check out the full piece here.
“I’m convinced that we’re beginning to see a regional 'rise of the rest' as cities like Washington D.C., Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Raleigh, Cleveland, Detroit and many others experience unprecedented growth in startups. Silicon Valley will continue to be our nation’s most vibrant entrepreneurial hub, but a growing number of companies will start up in these often overlooked places.”
“America was built by risk-taking entrepreneurs who throughout history have turned dreams into new businesses, disrupted industries, created new ones and inspired the world.”
Check out the full piece here.
Explorys, which offers a secure software platform that allows healthcare systems to summarize, analyze and manage data, has moved into the former home of MOCA. The Cleveland-based company currently has more than 80 employees and is expected to climb to between 110 and 125 by next year.
In Cleveland's green-building scene, all eyes are on two new homes -- ironically called passive homes -- that take energy efficiency to jaw-dropping extremes. We wanted to see what it's really like to live in the city's greenest homes.
Back in 2011, Fresh Water ran a feature about Ohio's newly instituted Film Production Tax Credit, which helped attract big-budget productions like "The Avengers" and "Alex Cross," plus smaller films like "Take Shelter" and "Fun Size." We decided to revisit the topic to see how it's working out for Cleveland, and Ohio.
cma among museums that give back 'looted' art
In a New York Times story titled “The Great Giveback,” Hugh Eakin writes how major American museums are relinquishing antiquities due to foreign claims that various objects were looted.
The piece goes on to talk about the aggressive nature of some foreign governments and the demands they make on the museums to give back what they claim is rightfully theirs.
“Other museums across the country -- including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Cleveland Museum of Art -- have also given up prized antiquities,” Eakin writes.
What's more: "In nearly every case, the museums have not been compelled by any legal ruling to give up the art, nor are they receiving compensation for doing so. And while a few of the returned works have been traced to particular sites or matched with other fragments residing in the claimant country, many of them have no known place of origin."
"Foreign governments’ tactics have become so threatening that some museums are now combing through their permanent collections and pre-emptively giving up works that might become the targets of future claims."
Read the lengthy feature here.
The piece goes on to talk about the aggressive nature of some foreign governments and the demands they make on the museums to give back what they claim is rightfully theirs.
“Other museums across the country -- including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Cleveland Museum of Art -- have also given up prized antiquities,” Eakin writes.
What's more: "In nearly every case, the museums have not been compelled by any legal ruling to give up the art, nor are they receiving compensation for doing so. And while a few of the returned works have been traced to particular sites or matched with other fragments residing in the claimant country, many of them have no known place of origin."
"Foreign governments’ tactics have become so threatening that some museums are now combing through their permanent collections and pre-emptively giving up works that might become the targets of future claims."
Read the lengthy feature here.
Northeast Ohio has a vibrant arts and culture ecosystem, so why not let its patrons be directly involved in growing that environment?
This was a question asked by nonprofit Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) when putting to a public vote which large-scale arts or culture projects will receive funding through the organization's new Creative Culture Grants program.
Starting February 1, voters will be able to pick two winning arts projects from a list of six finalists chosen by an independent panel of arts and culture experts. The project finalists, among them a multi-media ballet led by Dancing Wheels, a multi-faceted light installation from LAND studio, and a community-wide arts collaboration between Cleveland's East and West sides, were chosen based on their creativity and prospective ability to impact thousands of Cuyahoga County residents.
"We wanted something that would be a stretch for these groups; something they may not have tried otherwise," says CAC executive director Karen Gahl-Mills.
The winning projects will get up to $150,000 each through the nonprofit's grants program. County residents can vote in two ways: Online up until 11:59 p.m. EST on February 20 or by mail until 4:30 p.m. EST February 15. Paper ballots will be available for download or by calling 216-515-8303. CAC will announce the winning projects on February 25. The chosen projects will take place between March 2013 and August 2014.
Gahl-Mills views the vote as the public's opportunity to have a real say as to where community dollars are going.
"Any of the six projects can be terrific for the region," she says. "We want the community to help make that decision."
SOURCE: Karen Gahl-Mills
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
This was a question asked by nonprofit Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) when putting to a public vote which large-scale arts or culture projects will receive funding through the organization's new Creative Culture Grants program.
Starting February 1, voters will be able to pick two winning arts projects from a list of six finalists chosen by an independent panel of arts and culture experts. The project finalists, among them a multi-media ballet led by Dancing Wheels, a multi-faceted light installation from LAND studio, and a community-wide arts collaboration between Cleveland's East and West sides, were chosen based on their creativity and prospective ability to impact thousands of Cuyahoga County residents.
"We wanted something that would be a stretch for these groups; something they may not have tried otherwise," says CAC executive director Karen Gahl-Mills.
The winning projects will get up to $150,000 each through the nonprofit's grants program. County residents can vote in two ways: Online up until 11:59 p.m. EST on February 20 or by mail until 4:30 p.m. EST February 15. Paper ballots will be available for download or by calling 216-515-8303. CAC will announce the winning projects on February 25. The chosen projects will take place between March 2013 and August 2014.
Gahl-Mills views the vote as the public's opportunity to have a real say as to where community dollars are going.
"Any of the six projects can be terrific for the region," she says. "We want the community to help make that decision."
SOURCE: Karen Gahl-Mills
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
Arts and culture can define a community, creating a critical mass that translates into jobs, business opportunities and, ideally, sustained economic prosperity. These were the words of Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium Initiative (NEOSCC) director Hunter Morrison during a January 25 roundtable hosted by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC).
These also are words that CPAC president and CEO Tom Schorgl likes to hear. The focus of the roundtable event was sustainability, and how the arts and culture community can assist the region as it evolves through population and land use shifts. The local arts sector becoming engaged in these issues can help keep Northeast Ohio resilient, vibrant and sustainable, said Morrison, a notion that the CPAC president shares.
"We have cultural clusters throughout the region, and the ability to communicate on a larger basis with the population about those clusters," says Schorgl. "We need to continue to reach our audience."
The roundtable, which drew over 50 attendees to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's main gallery, was CPAC's first such event of the year. The nonprofit will sponsor similar forums through November, with an overall aim of connecting the arts and culture realm with professionals from sectors including community development and health and human services. Past roundtable speakers have included Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon, and City of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.
"The idea is to provide a forum for new ideas around a common cause," Schorgl says.
SOURCE: Tom Schorgl
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
These also are words that CPAC president and CEO Tom Schorgl likes to hear. The focus of the roundtable event was sustainability, and how the arts and culture community can assist the region as it evolves through population and land use shifts. The local arts sector becoming engaged in these issues can help keep Northeast Ohio resilient, vibrant and sustainable, said Morrison, a notion that the CPAC president shares.
"We have cultural clusters throughout the region, and the ability to communicate on a larger basis with the population about those clusters," says Schorgl. "We need to continue to reach our audience."
The roundtable, which drew over 50 attendees to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's main gallery, was CPAC's first such event of the year. The nonprofit will sponsor similar forums through November, with an overall aim of connecting the arts and culture realm with professionals from sectors including community development and health and human services. Past roundtable speakers have included Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Eric Gordon, and City of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.
"The idea is to provide a forum for new ideas around a common cause," Schorgl says.
SOURCE: Tom Schorgl
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth
art daily talks up cma's tech-heavy gallery one
In an Art Daily article titled “Gallery One: A new, unique and interactive gallery opens at the Cleveland Museum of Art,” the journal highlights the level of technology and its role in art appreciation in the new exhibit.
“Throughout the space, original works of art and digital interactives engage visitors in new ways, putting curiosity, imagination and creativity at the heart of their museum experience. Innovative user-interface design and cutting-edge hardware developed exclusively for Gallery One break new ground in art museum interpretation, design and technology.”
It is certainly a break from the standard observation and appreciation of artistic pieces enjoyed in the traditional manner.
“It’s very important to us that visitors interact with real objects, rather than digital reproductions,” David Franklin is quoted in the piece. “We want visitors to look closely at original art works and to make personal connections to what they are seeing.”
Check out the full story here.
“Throughout the space, original works of art and digital interactives engage visitors in new ways, putting curiosity, imagination and creativity at the heart of their museum experience. Innovative user-interface design and cutting-edge hardware developed exclusively for Gallery One break new ground in art museum interpretation, design and technology.”
It is certainly a break from the standard observation and appreciation of artistic pieces enjoyed in the traditional manner.
“It’s very important to us that visitors interact with real objects, rather than digital reproductions,” David Franklin is quoted in the piece. “We want visitors to look closely at original art works and to make personal connections to what they are seeing.”
Check out the full story here.
flydrive's regenerative braking flywheel replaces battery in hybrid, electric cars
What started as a design project in CWRU mechanical and aerospace engineering student Kristen Brouwer’s senior design class has evolved into a full-blown business. Brouwer and three of her classmates took an existing patent for a regenerative braking flywheel and created FlyDrive, which makes a flywheel that replaces the battery in electric and hybrid cars. They are bringing their flywheel to market.
“In a Prius, for instance, when you brake, the electric motors are charged, which then charge the battery,” says Brouwer. “With our flywheel, it’s just as efficient in returning energy and doesn’t have to be replaced. And it’s environmentally better than batteries because it doesn’t use chemicals.”
Brouwer and teammates Jordan Lajoie, Luke Voigt, Kris Bosma and Cleveland Institute of Art industrial design student Adam Lauser have been developing the flywheel for market since September. “Most of our developments have stemmed from market identification and development as well as creating a preliminary concept for implementing the flywheel in a transportation system,” says Brouwer.
FlyDrive will be competing in the Ohio Clean Energy Challenge semi-finals next week, where they will compete for $10,000 and the chance to move on the Midwest regional competition in Chicago. The company has been assessing licensing options in the meantime.
“We’re waiting to see if we make it to the next level of competition,” says Brouwer. “It’s been a great learning experience.”
Source: Kristen Brouwer
Writer: Karin Connelly
“In a Prius, for instance, when you brake, the electric motors are charged, which then charge the battery,” says Brouwer. “With our flywheel, it’s just as efficient in returning energy and doesn’t have to be replaced. And it’s environmentally better than batteries because it doesn’t use chemicals.”
Brouwer and teammates Jordan Lajoie, Luke Voigt, Kris Bosma and Cleveland Institute of Art industrial design student Adam Lauser have been developing the flywheel for market since September. “Most of our developments have stemmed from market identification and development as well as creating a preliminary concept for implementing the flywheel in a transportation system,” says Brouwer.
FlyDrive will be competing in the Ohio Clean Energy Challenge semi-finals next week, where they will compete for $10,000 and the chance to move on the Midwest regional competition in Chicago. The company has been assessing licensing options in the meantime.
“We’re waiting to see if we make it to the next level of competition,” says Brouwer. “It’s been a great learning experience.”
Source: Kristen Brouwer
Writer: Karin Connelly