Our Town 2015 SEP-OCT (Gainesville)

TWO N TW TWO NE EW HO H SP PITAL IT TAL ALS S

BREA EAS EAS ST T CAN NCE ER SU S RV VIVO IIV VO OR R

GAINESVILLE EDITION

3-D 3D DE DEN ENT NTIIS ST TR RY

DIABE DI ET TES

VOL. 06 ISSUE 04 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

S! PLU MEDICINAL MARIJUANA: Is this a harmful drug or effective medicine – and should it be legal?

HEALING ARTS Transforming the hospital experience through creativity

CSI: GAINESVILLE Local forensic scientists

SAVED BY THE BELL

& h t l a e H e n i c i d e M atient Care, World-Class P esearch R Treatment and le in Gainesvil

UF’s Liminal Bell continues to make an impact as cancer survivors celebrate life after treatment

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING Explore the connections of body and mind

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EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS

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Proud to Be Your Community Cancer Center for 20 Years.

LAUREL A.WARWICKE, M.D. Radiation Oncologist

MARTIN I. HOLZMAN, M.D. Radiation Oncologist

BOBBY E. HARRISON, M.D. Radiation Oncologist

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GatorlandToyota.com All offers with approved credit through Southeast Toyota Financial. Excludes tax, tag, title, $799 dealer pre-delivery service fee and $185 electronic registration service fee. Factory rebates and incentives to dealer. *Includes $0 security deposit. 12,000 miles per year allowed, 18¢ per mile thereafter. ^Once the final negotiated price has been agreed upon. ºProvided by Gatorland Toyota with purchase of a new or pre-owned vehicle. Prior sales excluded. †0% APR financing for 72 months is $13.89 per month per $1000 borrowed with $0 down and approved credit. Offers cannot be combined. In-stock units only. Photos for display only. See dealer for complete details. Expires end of day 10/31/2015.

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“THE MATTRESS EXPERTS”

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UF HEALTH PLASTIC SURGERY AND AESTHETICS CENTER – SPRINGHILL Relax, restore and revitalize your look. As a part of a world-class health system, we offer the latest in plastic and reconstructive procedures. Our goal is to improve your quality of life, which is why our plastic surgeons and physician assistants spend one-on-one time with each of our patients to determine the best treatment options.

Whether you’re interested in an aesthetic procedure or you’re facing reconstructive surgery, you can trust our team to provide you with a safe and comfortable experience. We are located in a relaxed and private setting and offer free, nonsurgical aesthetic consultations and after-hours appointments.

To make an appointment, call 352.265.8402 or visit UFHealth.org/plastics.

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Loretta Coady-Fariborzian, MD • Adam J. Katz, MD, FACS • Ashley Lentz, MD, FACS Mark Leyngold, MD • Bruce A. Mast, MD, FACS • Dhruv Singhal, MD Dawn SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 Daigen, PA-C • Maeve Rady, PA-C • Anne Marie Staples, PA-C

CONTENTS

G A I N E S V I L L E | V O L . 0 6 | N O. 0 4

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 5

ON THE COVER >> FOR OUR HEALTH AND MEDICAL ISSUE WE INVITE READERS TO LISTEN TO THE HEARTBEAT OF MEDICINE. THE INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN THE MIND AND BODY IS EXTRAORDINARY, ESPECIALLY WHEN SPRINKLED WITH SOME (HALLOWEEN) CHEER.

FEATURE STORIES 20

BUILDING HOPE FOR THE FUTURE UF Health is building two new hospitals focused solely on neuromedicine and cardiovascular diseases.

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SMILE! Advances in 3-D imagining and materials science have helped make huge strides in dentistry.

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HEALING ARTS Transforming the hospital experience through drawing, painting, dance and more.

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DEM BONES Want to make a skeleton? There’s no need to spend a bundle on spook-tacular decorations this year when you can make your very own Mr. Bones – using milk jugs!

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DR. CARLOS RINALDI Researching the use of magnetic nanoparticles — Dr. Rinaldi has a dual appointment in both the biomedical engineering & chemical engineering departments at UF.

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REGENERATION TECHNOLOGIES INC. RTI Surgical, a surgical implant company in Alachua’s Progress Park, recently celebrated its new suite.

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CONTENTS

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 5

36 THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING Explore the connections of body and mind and learn about the power of the placebo.

44 MEYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR Learn about the women who created one of the most popular personality tests. What’s your type?

COLUMNS 42

NAKED SALSA

by Crystal Henry

72

DIFFERENT NOTE

by Albert Isaac

96 HEALTHY EDGE

by Kendra Siler-Marsiglio

50 ROBB HOUSE MEDICAL MUSEUM Learn about Alachua County’s first female doctor.

146 EMBRACING LIFE

by Donna Bonnell

58 MAKING STRIDES Meet Tarcha Rentz, breast cancer survivor.

REVIEWS

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120 GATE CRASHING

SEVEN WEIRD MEDICAL DISORDERS Alien hands? Blue skin? How bizarre!

by Brian “Krash” Kruger

136 READING CORNER 122 MEDICINAL MARIJUANA Is this a harmful drug or effective medicine – and should it be legal?

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

160 ADVENTURES IN APPETITE

by Ken Peng

126 FORENSIC SCIENCES Enjoy a glimpse into the fascinating world of Medicolegal Death Investigation.

138 THE MCKNIGHT BRAIN INSTITUTE One of the most comprehensive and technologically advanced centers in the nation.

INFORMATION 99 Charity Winners 100 Taste of the Town 106 Community Calendar

144 STANDING AT THE THRESHOLD UF’s Liminal Bell continues to make an impact as cancer survivors celebrate life after treatment.

148 SUGAR, HOW SWEET IT IS But is it good for you?

The articles printed in Our Town do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Tower Publications, Inc. or their editorial staff. Our Town Magazine endeavors

154 “FALL” INTO GOOD NUTRITION Will an apple a day keep the doctor away?

What about pumpkins?

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to accept reliable advertising; however, we can not be held responsible by the public for advertising claims. Our Town Magazine reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. All rights reserved. © 2015 Tower Publications, Inc.

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PUBLISHER Charlie Delatorre

fine jewelry

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Hank McAfee EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Albert Isaac editor@towerpublications.com MANAGING EDITOR Ericka Winterrowd ericka@towerpublications.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ingrid Allison Bozeman, Alexia Fernandez, Mary Bridgman, Crystal Henry, Kristin Kozelsky Brian “Krash” Kruger, Peggy Macdonald, Michael Stone, Brinn Strange, Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kelley Bennett, Kristin Kozelsky CREATIVE DIRECTION + DESIGN Hank McAfee, Neil McKinney ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jenni Bennett jenni@towerpublications.com Helen Mincey helen@towerpublications.com Nancy Short nancy@towerpublications.com INTERNS Gabriele Calise

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS If you would like us to publicize an event in the greater Gainesville area, send information by the 1st day of the month prior to the next issue. For example, submissions for the March/April issue are due by February 1. All submissions will be reviewed and every effort will be made to run qualified submissions if page space is available.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We want to hear from you. Send your letters to the attention of the editor at 4400 NW 36th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32606 or editor@towerpublications.com.

Letters must be signed and include a phone number in the event we need to contact you. (Your phone number will not be published.)

F E AT U R I N G

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BY TOWER PUBLICATIONS, INC. REPRODUCTION BY ANY MEANS OF THE WHOLE OR PART OF OUR TOWN WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PUBLISHER IS PROHIBITED. VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE EDITORIAL PAGES DO NOT IMPLY OUR ENDORSEMENT. WE WELCOME YOUR PRODUCT NEWS. INCLUDE PRICES, PHOTOS AND DIGITAL FILES WITH YOUR PRESS RELEASE. PLEASE FORWARD PRODUCT SAMPLES AND MEDIA KITS TO REVIEWS EDITOR, OUR TOWN MAGAZINE, 4400 NW 36TH AVENUE, GAINESVILLE, FL 32606. WE CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR UNSOLICITED PRODUCT SAMPLES.

A Publication of Tower Publications, Inc. 4400 NW 36th Ave., Gainesville, Florida 32606 phone: 352-372-5468 fax: 352-373-9178

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T HOR NSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER EBR O OK V IL L AGE • G A I N ES V IL L E 2015

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

Plan n your stay in central Florida’s favorite beach town!

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FLOORING FOR EVERY ROOM!

EDITOR ’ S LET TER S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 5

Clearly, Albert has been working his fingers to the bone on this issue.

Health, Healing and Halloween

The Floor Store of Newberry …and so much more!

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Welcome, loyal readers, to our medical issue. Our writers have been very busy working on stories featuring a wide variety of topics, albeit most focusing on health and medicine.

I’ve mentioned this before, and it bears mentioning again, the alarming fact that at some point in our lives, all of us will be impacted by cancer. It has struck twice in my family — my sister and Mom are survivors and both are still going strong. And now our very own Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd and Brian “Krash” Kruger have both experienced the trials of tribulations that come with battling the dreaded disease.

Recently diagnosed with breast cancer, Cynthia (who doesn’t smoke, and has no family history for cancer) is on the road to recovery and has become an advocate for the need to have regular exams. Brian is five years cancer free after being treated for throat cancer (another non-smoker) but still battles the aftermath of the radiation treatments that saved his life.

As always, our thoughts and prayers go out to them, and all who face this terrible disease.

With this in mind, and October being designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month we have a story about the American Cancer Society of Gainesville and another survivor.

We also bring you a story about the forensic sciences. I recently had the opportunity to visit with three key professionals in the field, men I’ve known for decades. In the interest of transparency I should mention that I worked for the 8th District Medical Examiner for 20 years before embarking on my second career in 2005. So it was an honor and a privilege to sit down with the three of them after all of these years, and to now share with you a small part of their lives spent working in the fascinating world of forensic death investigation.

As you might imagine, there is no shortage of stories that can be written about medicine, and we realize we have only scratched the surface. From cutting edge medical technologies at UF’s McKnight Brain Institute to the mind-body connection, from sugar and diabetes to medical marijuana, I think you’ll find many interesting topics in this issue of Our Town.

• WOOD FLOORING • CERAMIC TILE • LAMINATE • CARPET • PORCELAIN TILE

• BLINDS & WINDOW TREATMENTS

Albert Isaac, Editor-In-Chief

• INSTALLATION 14 |

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

The #1 Door Dealer in the heart of Gainesville & Ocala ASK YOUR OVERHEAD DOOR RED RIBBON DISTRIBUTOR TODAY TO LEARN MORE. *Ranked #2 in upscale remodeling projects for cost recovered at resale. Based on National Association of Realtors members included in 2011-12 Cost vs. Value study rather than actual sales data.

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Wood Buildings

ELEPH A NTOPI A

Metal Buildings

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 5

Carports

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Global March for Elephants and Rhinos

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lephantopia is a small 501©3 nonprofit, which is participating in a worldwide event on Saturday, October 3rd called the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos. This will be the third annual event to raise awareness about elephants and the ivory trade. This year the group will be hosting a benefit concert at First Magnitude Brewing Company in Gainesville with live bands such as the Blue Slammers and Melting Funk Pot currently scheduled. A raffle benefiting an elephant orphanage in Zambia as well as opportunities for Floridians to help ban ivory in Florida will be available.

The event is free and open to the public.

According to the group, almost 100 elephants a day are killed for their ivory. While the United States enacted a federal ban last year, there are loopholes that easily allow ivory to be sold. Ivory brought in as trophies from sports hunting, acquired prior to 1976, or a part of an antique, can still be sold legally. The nonprofit states that new ivory is often disguised as being older, allowing the illegal ivory trade to continue.

Elephantopia proposes this fix: a complete ban on the selling of all ivory where loopholes would no longer be used to hide the selling of new, illegal ivory. Elizabeth Chitwood is the music director at First Lutheran Church in Gainesville as well as the founder and director of Elephantopia. The group started an online petition to ask the Florida legislature and governor to pass and sign a law banning the sale of all ivory. The petition has nearly 82,000 signatures already, but has not yet met its goal of 150,000 signees.

According to the nonprofit, conservationists say Florida, California and Connecticut are key trading ports. Instituting bans in these states will be critical in stopping the illegal ivory trade in the United States. New York and New Jersey were also on the list and recently passed ivory bans. Chitwood said it is time Florida does as well.

“If you care about saving these majestic, intelligent animals, we need your help to make this ban a reality,” Chitwood stated in an email. “Whether you live in Florida or not, these bans impact whether or not the African elephant will be around for future generations. If we continue on the current path, they could be extinct in 20 years.”

Visit elephantopia.org for more information.

24910 West Newberry Rd., Newberry, FL

Benefit Concert

Global March for Elephants & Rhinos

Saturday, October 3rd

Sunday, October 4th - 10:30 am

4pm – 7pm First Magnitude Brewing Co. 1220 SE Veitch St., Gainesville

March through Gainesville with Elephantopia and Conservation Initiative for the Asian Elephant. Begins at Plaza of the Americas on UF campus.

352-472-7100 RedBarnHomeCenter.com 16 |

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

We offer 24-hour delivery.

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We specialize in delivering the highest level of obstetric care, including low-risk, high-risk, and patient-centered midwifery. Our physicians, midwives, and nurses are dedicated to guiding you through every step of your pregnancy. Including the baby steps. Start building a healthy relationship for you and your baby today.

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CONTRIBUTOR S

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S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 5

KRISTIN KOZELSKY is a classically trained photographer. Since completing her art degree in 2001, she has built a wide body of work and honed in on an interactive approach to working with her clients. kristin@kozelskyphoto.com

CRYSTAL HENRY is a freelance writer and columnist born and raised in West Texas. She received her B.S. in Journalism in 2006 from the University of Florida. She is in love with the Florida landscape. ces03k@gmail.com

INGRID ALLISON BOZEMAN is originally from Brooklyn, New York.

She fell in love with Alachua is now a forever Florida resident. Currently, she is going back for her second MA in Mass Communication and is obsessed with health and nutrition writing. ingrid.bozeman@gmail.com.

CYNTHIA WONDERS WINTERROWD is an award-winning writer who was raised in Illinois and lives in Gainesville. She is proud to be a “Gator Mom” of three daughters, all UF graduates. Cynthia loves sharing family recipes that have been handed down in her mother’s handwritten cookbooks. recipewonders@gmail.com

MICHAEL STONE is a journalist, photographer and communications teacher based in Gainesville. His primary topics of focus include health care, conservation and wildlife, and business. He enjoys traveling, wildlife photography and trying all the great vegan dishes at area restaurants. michaelstone428@gmail.com

BRINN STRANGE is a California native who loves her recent relocation to Gainesville. When not writing, she teaches Barre classes at Barre Forte, trains for triathlons, and takes her two mutts to the dog park. brinn.strange@gmail.com

PEGGY MACDONALD is a native Gainesvilleian and the executive director of the Matheson History Museum. She has taught history at Florida Polytechnic, Stetson and UF. She is also the author of Marjorie Harris Carr: Defender of Florida’s Environment peggymacdemos@gmail.com

ALEXIA FERNANDEZ is a UF journalism senior with big dreams.

With a deep love of movies and writing, she hopes to one day write books, scripts and create a successful career for herself in entertainment. alexiafernandez5@gmail.com

MARY WOOD BRIDGMAN is a retired lawyer who grew up in Alachua County. Her work has appeared in national, regional, and local publications. Mary, an active member of the Writers’ Alliance of Gainesville, is an alumna of the University of Florida. marybridgman@msn.com

BRIAN “KRASH” KRUGER is a writer, musician and a graduate of the UF College of Law. He has played in some 17 or so local bands, playing most every Gainesville venue friendly to original music (and some not so friendly). bkrashpad@yahoo.com

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Saving the Sunshine State: Women Leaders in the Twentieth Century

Filling Last Preschool Spots Ages 2 - 8th Grade

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CONVERSATIONS A 25th Anniversary Exhibition

FREE ADMISSION | harn.ufl.edu

September 25, 2015 - January 3, 2016

25 CANDLES BENEFIT Friday Evening, Sept. 25 (ticket required) 25TH ANNIVERSARY PUBLIC CELEBRATION Sunday, Sept. 27, 1 - 5 p.m.

MUSEUM NIGHTS Thursday, Nov. 12, 6 - 9 p.m.

GALLERY CONVERSATIONS Harn curators & UF partners will explore art together offering different interpretations.

Saturdays, 3 p.m. | Oct. 10, Oct. 17, Dec. 12 Sundays, 3 p.m. | Oct. 11, Nov. 15, Nov. 22, Dec. 6 This exhibition and programs are sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida.

images (details), left to right: Andy Warhol, Sitting Bull, 1986, gift from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. Maggie Taylor, Girl with a bee dress., 2004, gift of Jerry N. Uelsmann and Maggie Taylor David Bates, Katrina Portrait III, 2006, museum purchase, funds provided by friends of the Harn Museum

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UF HEALTH >> NEW CONSTRUCTION

THE TWO TOWERS

Building

Hope W RIT TE N BY A LEXI A FER N A N DEZ

UF Health Shands Hospital broke ground in January on two new hospitals focusing solely on neuromedicine and cardiovascular diseases and is expecting an opening in early 2018.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

ILLUSTRATION: FLAD & ASSOCIATES

T

he UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital and the UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital are set to open in February 2018. The two hospitals will share one building that will connect to the UF Health Cancer Center via the second oor of the hospital.

The project began construction in late January at a cost of about $415 million. The buildings will host state-of-the-art equipment to aid doctors in their treatment of patients. A 3-D viewing machine of the heart and brain will be one of the new pieces added to the hospital, allowing doctors a better opportunity to prepare before surgeries.

Brad Pollitt, vice president of facilities at UF

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UF HEALTH >> NEW CONSTRUCTION

Construction for the two hospitals began in late January after the groundbreaking ceremony. The total cost of construction is $415 million.

Health Shands, said a number of fundamental things are taking place in the construction of the facilities.

The hospitals were designed specifically for the growing number of patients who need neurological and cardiovascular care.

“We’ll give patients access to private rooms as they recover from treatment,” he said. “It gives patients a better feeling about their recovery. We think if people feel better they’ll heal faster.”

watching over recovering loved ones.

The decision to create two new hospitals came from an overcapacity of patients in the north campus facility and in the cancer hospital, which can be attributed to Florida’s rising population over the years.

“The majority of patients had neurological and cardiovascular needs,” Pollitt said. “The board of directors for UF Health accepted the plan to create

UF President Dr. W. Kent Fuchs spoke at the event, marking it as his first groundbreaking at the university.

The hospitals will be introducing other new ways of making patients and their families more comfortable, such as installing larger windows to create an environment of healing.

Pollitt said the hospital cares for the families of patients. The new hospitals will also provide family members with ample space to sit and sleep while 22 |

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

the hospitals about two years ago.”

A clinic and diagnostic center will also be in the same building that the hospitals will share. Pollitt described the construction of the hospitals as a “one-stop shop” for patients, eliminating the need to travel across campuses.

A total of 216 beds will be available between both PHOTOGRAPHY: ALEXIA FERNANDEZ

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UF HEALTH >> NEW CONSTRUCTION

The hospitals will have 216 hospital beds and will focus on providing fast recovery times for patients. The building will be connected to the UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital.

The construction of the hospitals is expected to take about three years.

As Florida’s population rises, the demand for hospitals in the area focusing on neurology and cardiovascular disease increases.

The hospitals will have a complementary valet service much like the cancer hospital that is across from it. Patients will no longer have to travel to clinics or pharmacies, as those will be available in the new building.

the UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital and the UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital. The hospitals will encompass a total of 521,104 square feet and will have radiology, pre-surgery, a lab and other services available within the same building.

The UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital will be in the south wing of the building and will have 120 beds available. The UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital will be in the north wing of the building and will have 96 beds. Skanska USA has been 24 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

constructing the hospitals while the buildings engineering firm is Affiliated Engineers, Inc. The hospitals’ architects are Flad & Associates.

Throughout the process of planning and construction, UF Health’s focus has been on providing patients with the best care in one location with shorter procedure times. Along with a variety of treatments available to them, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery are the main focus.

“We want our patients to feel as comfortable PHOTOGRAPHY: ALEXIA FERNANDEZ

Healthy Meals. Delivered.

Why we’re different

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UF HEALTH >> NEW CONSTRUCTION

as possible,” Pollitt said. “We don’t think sharing a room with two or three other patients is the best way to facilitate a speedy recovery.”

Some of the other technology introduced in the new hospitals includes inter-operative MRI

latest medical technologies, they will also work in an environment that is thoughtfully designed to give the most compassionate and effective care for the patients and their families.”

Fuchs said the two hospitals would also expand

“As a major research university, one of the pillars of our progress in making a positive difference in the world is in improving people’s health.”

— UF President Dr. W. Kent Fuchs

machines within operation rooms. These machines will provide doctors with better images of a patient’s body and aid them in surgical procedures.

UF President Dr. W. Kent Fuchs spoke at the event, marking it as his first groundbreaking at the university.

“As a major research university, one of the pillars of our progress in making a positive difference in the world is in improving people’s health,” he said. “Healthcare professions and professionals in these hospitals will not only have access to the 26 |

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on teaching opportunities for faculty and medical and nursing students, focusing on preparing future generations of doctors to be better physicians to patients.

“Today marks a bold step for UF and UF Health… in our growing region… in our state that now ranks as the third largest in the nation… in a world whose growing population demands smarter healthcare investments, more effective treatments and more compassionate care,” he said.

Dr. David Guzick, president of UF Health, said at ILLUSTRATION: FLAD & ASSOCIATES

the groundbreaking ceremony that he could not help but reminisce about his move to Florida in 2009 when the hospital devised a plan of how to best serve the hospital and the community. “[The hospital] came together at that time and we made a commitment to put our patients at the center of everything we do,” he said. “To define quality and to take ownership of our outcome. We had a vision, a positive feedback group of patient care research and education, one amplifying the other to create an ever-expanding virtuous circle of excellence and growth.”

UF Health is counting on its patient-centric philosophy to set them apart from the rest of the country. Ed Jimenez, chief executive officer and senior vice president for UF Health Shands, laid out the goals for the hospitals’ impact in the community.

“I realize it doesn’t look special,” he said.

“But in three years, out of the ground will be such an important and amazing facility.

The glitz and glamour will match the talent of our faculty and nurses and will allow us to train the next generation.

“This is a village, this is a family,” he said.

“It’s about all of us coming together to do that one thing that is different.”

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THERAPY >> ARTS IN MEDICINE

CREATIVE HEARTS

Myra Hudson [left] and Madeline Austin admire a completed piece by a fellow artist.

Austin serves as the facilitator for the Arts in Motion group and is an artist-in-residence for the Arts in Medicine program at the hospital.

TRANSFORMING THE HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE

Healing Arts STORY A N D PHOTOGR A PH Y BY A LEX I A FER NA N DEZ

Around a table covered with craft paper, pastels and artwork sit a group of unlikely artists brought together by motor illnesses they are striving to overcome.

The artist group is just one among many that the Arts in Medicine organization at UF Health Shands offers to both inpatients and outpatients suffering from various illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis.

Fourteen groups operate under Arts in Medicine to provide different alternative forms of therapy, such as drawing and painting in “Arts in Motion” or dance classes in “Joyful Motion for Health.”

The goal in creating the program was to give patients an opportunity to use the arts in easing their stress as they struggle to overcome loss of motor skills or general deteriorating health.

Tina Mullen, the director of the Arts in Medicine program, 28 |

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has seen it grow since its inception in 1990.

“It was very small at the outset,” she said. “It started with a single artist-in-residence and a very small exhibition program. From that time, we’ve grown into a program that has 18 artists-in-residence and a very large impact on the design and aesthetic on the hospital.”

The program is funded by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, which awarded the hospital a $5,000 grant in 1990, which the hospital has matched. Since then, the amount the Division grants every year has steadily increased and UF Health has continued to match it.

Arts in Health, a subgroup of the Arts in Medicine program

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THERAPY >> ARTS IN MEDICINE

Heather Ivanov works to replicate a magazine ad using pastel colors and black construction paper. The Arts in Motion group uses magazines to seek inspiration for future artistic projects.

at the hospital, is an established discipline. In 2009, about 2,400 programs existed in the country. In the same year, 56 percent of healthcare organizations dedicated a portion of their budget to support art programs for patients.

“Some of us were interested in creating something other than the dance programs we had then,” she said. “We had people from the community come in and talk to us and we decided that we wanted to do an art class.”

“It’s a really nice social group for me to come play with,” she said. “My grandparents were artists. It’s just a natural atmosphere for me.”

The Arts in Medicine program at UF Health is one of the largest programs in the country and has grown much in the 25 years the program has existed.

Arts in Motion, one of the group classes offered within the Arts in Medicine program, was one of the first. Katherine Castle was one of the founders of the Arts in Medicine program.

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One of the earliest members of the Arts in Motion group was Heather Ivanov, a patient of UF Health who has been attending the art class for five years.

“It’s a really nice social group for me to come play with,” she said. “My grandparents were artists.

It’s just a natural atmosphere for me.”

Not all who participate are patients with

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THERAPY >> ARTS IN MEDICINE

Projects such as the “Dragon” (above) by Katherine Castle are created by patients involved in groups like Arts in Motion.

Bousa Tatpaporn said she loves to work with pastels to create a dreamy quality in her work. A native of California, she hopes to return home after the summer intensive program to incorporate the lessons she’s learned from the Arts in Medicine program at UF Health Shands.

debilitating illnesses, however. Myra Hudson has been a regular volunteer since May. Hudson has been a weaver for 25 years and had never drawn until she came to volunteer at Arts in Motion and the umbrella program, Arts in Medicine.

“This is a neat place,” she said, “to get together and talk about what’s going on and where we go from here.”

The groups offer more than an opportunity to flex muscles in creativity; they also offer support systems for those undergoing life-changing events to both their bodies and their minds.

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involved in the Arts in Medicine program. The College of Fine Arts at the university offers a graduate program in Arts in Medicine, wherein students learn to create a more patient-oriented healthcare environment as well as approaches that go beyond clinical treatment.

There is also a summer intensive program hosted by the Center for Arts in Medicine located within the cancer hospital.

The program is held every summer and open to anyone with an interest in Arts in Medicine.

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international students, participated this year. It is the largest group to have participated in the summer intensive program so far, Mullen said.

“It seems to be growing every year,” she said. “It has been amazing. I’m very proud of how far it’s come.”

Bousa Tatpaporn, a student in the summer intensive program from California who also goes by her artistic name of Concepts, said she hoped to learn as much as she could from the program.

“I’m hoping to bring back what I learned here to some of the nonprofits I work for back home,” she said. “I’m in the administration track and I think learning how to manage a program like this is invaluable.”

The Arts in Medicine program serves both inpatients and outpatients at the hospital. Primary participants are inpatients, those who stay in the hospital for long periods of time and require more intensive care.

About 40 percent of the programs offered through Arts in Medicine are dedicated to pediatric patients in the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.

Along with helping patients cope with their illnesses through art, there are also programs that help others around the world. One such program is Dollies Without Borders where patients create dolls and send them to children in strife-filled parts of the world.

Other groups offered in the program are “Sing for Life,” a class designed to enhance vocal strength, and “Yoga of Awareness for Wellbeing,” a yoga class for cancer survivors and those living in chronic pain.

The Art in Motion group meets every Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and participants, all who have movement disorders, will spend the time drawing on black sheets of construction paper with pastels.

Talking and sharing their experiences with their illnesses, along with talk of their personal lives, also provides them with comfort outside of family.

Madeline Austin, the facilitator of the Arts in Motion group, stressed the importance of letting go and being in the moment.

“I tell them to not worry about the end result,” she said. “It’s about the process — getting to experience the creation of something unique and enjoying it.”

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PSYCHOLOGY >> NEGATIVE THINKING

THE TIES THAT BIND

Positive Thinking Exploring the Powerful Connections of Body and Mind W R I T T E N B Y C R Y S TA L H E N R Y

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T

here are plenty of books and theories about the power of positive thinking, and now the medical community is exploring just how far these powers extend.

The placebo effect has been around for centuries. Shamans and witch doctors relied on it to treat patients through spiritual healing. And even modern medical doctors and researchers have seen that sometimes just believing that a treatment will work is enough to yield significant results.

An article in Smithsonian Magazine explored one of the most powerful medical treatments for migraine headaches. It was shown to be just as powerful as one of the most used migraine drugs, rizatriptan. And it’s the same treatment used to reduce the symptoms of clinical depression, panic attacks, ADHD, irritable bowel syndrome and erectile dysfunction.

The treatment was simply a placebo. And researchers are now trying to find ways to use the human brain to unconsciously heal the human body.

But a recent article in Psychology Today, researchers examined the flipside of placebos and discovered something they call the nocebo effect. According to the article, placebos yield actual physically beneficial results 18 to 80 percent of the time. Researchers see improvements in blood pressure, dilating bronchi, healing ulcers and disappearing warts. Bald men who thought they were taking Rogaine regrew hair using only placebos.

The mind clearly has an amazing effect on the body, but what happens when positive thinking turns negative? Patients in a double-blinded clinical trial were warned about the side effects of a drug they believed they were taking. Even when taking sugar pills, 25 percent of the patients experienced side effects, some as severe as fatigue, vomiting, muscle weakness, colds, ringing ears, and taste and memory disturbances — all from simply taking a sugar pill.

In one study, patients who thought they were SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

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PSYCHOLOGY >> NEGATIVE THINKING

e m ld o t r o t The doc

. g n o r w is g in someth

undergoing chemotherapy threw up and lost their hair, when in actuality they were only given saline.

Nocebo results are starting to show that bad news from a doctor could be just a self-fulfilling prophecy. Another group of patients were asked how they felt before going in for surgery.

Those who were convinced they were going to die typically did just that, whereas the group who were “unusually apprehensive” fared much better.

A phenomenon called “voodoo death” is explained by nocebos as well. In these deaths, the person is cursed and told they will die, then they do. But voodoo death isn’t that far-fetched. A modern voodoo death is seen in patients who are believed to have a terminal illness who are told they only have a few months to live. The patients have died within that time frame, however an 38 |

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autopsy neglects to find any physiological reason for their demise.

The Psychology Today article mentions the concept of medical hexing, where a doctor tells the patient they have an incurable illness or gives a survival time frame. They’re simply trying to provide all the information they have so patients and their families can prepare. But they are now exploring the idea that when the subconscious mind believes there is no hope, the body follows suit.

These studies aren’t conclusive against modern medicine, but they are one aspect of the mind-body connection.

Another interesting aspect comes from a more physical connection of the body and the mind. An article from the Mayo Clinic explores the important function of a nerve in the body called the vagus nerve that seems to physically connect body and

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PSYCHOLOGY >> NEGATIVE THINKING

In 2012, about 5.2 million people in the United States who were 65 or older had Alzheimer’s disease – a type of dementia that impairs memory, thinking and behavior.

mind. There is a vagus nerve on each side of the body that runs from the brainstem through the neck to the chest and abdomen.

Known as cranial nerve X, it is the longest of the 12 cranial nerves, and it forms part of the involuntary nervous system that commands unconscious body functions such as constant heart rate and food digestion. This is the nerve responsible for fainting at the sight of blood. When stimulated, people experience a drop in blood pressure and heart rate, less blood flows to the brain and they pass out.

However there is a positive side to vagus nerve stimulation.

This treatment sends electrical impulses to the vagus nerve in order to treat epilepsy and depression. It is being considered for conditions such as multiple sclerosis, migraines and Alzheimer’s disease.

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In treatment, a device is implanted under the skin on the chest, and a wire is threaded from the device to the vagus nerve.

Electrical signals are sent from the device to the brain along the vagus nerve.

The treatment is performed on patients who haven’t responded to medication and other treatments, and it isn’t considered a cure. But many patients have had 30 to 50 percent fewer seizures or seizures with less intensity with the treatment.

Those with depression who haven’t responded to medication or psychotherapy might be suffering from an underactive vagus nerve. But it could take a long time for the treatment to work.

There is still much to be discovered about the connection of the body and mind. But there is solid evidence that there is a very real power in positive — or negative — thinking.

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COLUMN

CRYSTAL HENRY’S

Naked Salsa SURROGATE SAGA: THE DARK CLOUD

CRYSTAL HENRY IS A FREELANCE WRITER AND COLUMNIST BORN AND RAISED IN WEST TEXAS. SHE RECEIVED HER B.S. IN JOURNALISM IN 2006 FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. SHE IS IN LOVE WITH THE FLORIDA LANDSCAPE. ces03k@gmail.com

AT OUR FIRST ULTRASOUND MY BABY MAMA AND BABY DADDY GOT TO EXPERIENCE ONE OF THE MOST MAGICAL PARTS OF PREGNANCY. THEY SAW THEIR CHILD’S HEARTBEAT FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

I

was officially six weeks pregnant that day, which is still fairly early to see a heartbeat. So when we couldn’t hear anything or get a good measurement the doctor told us not to freak. Some people don’t hear anything until seven weeks. At least we could see a flicker.

Still we got a call from the transfer clinic that they wanted us back in a week to make sure everything was on track. They kept using the term “cautiously optimistic,” and I was “whole heartedly annoyed.”

So we waited a week, and I was feeling fabulous and energetic.

At the next ultrasound, Baby Mama brought me a beautiful pair of earrings, and we casually chatted as I lay there on the table watching the swirl. Again I held my breath, but I quickly exhaled when I saw the little bean appear on the screen. I saw a flicker and blurted “Oh whew! There it is, right where I left it.”

But the doctor stayed quiet, and soon I knew why. She measured the bean and I saw clear as day it was still measuring six weeks zero days. I was seven weeks exactly.

Then she searched that dark little cloud for an audible heartbeat but all we heard was the eerie static of silence in my womb. I knew exactly what that ultrasound meant and I held back tears as the doctor told me I could sit up. She offered her condolences and said we would hear from our transfer clinic about next steps. She recommended a follow up ultrasound in four days just to be sure, but it was up to the other clinic. And things didn’t look good.

Baby Mama and Baby Daddy left the room and as soon as the door closed I burst into tears. The worst part was that I knew. A few days after our ultrasound I was overcome with the sense that something was wrong. I didn’t have cramps or pains or blood or any signs whatsoever. I just all of a sudden turned very pessimistic about the pregnancy. All my surro pals told

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me to calm down and think happy thoughts. I had no reason to think anything was amiss. But I knew.

Just like I knew with my own failed pregnancy. I was nine weeks pregnant with my first baby when I had the overwhelming urge to get an ultrasound. I begged my husband and my doctor’s office, but they assured me I was just a silly first-time mom. My first ultrasound wasn’t scheduled until 12 weeks, and they said everything pointed to a normal pregnancy. I got sick in the lobby at my 12 week appointment. My boobs were huge and my belly already had a bulge. But as the doctor scanned his Doppler over my stomach we couldn’t detect a heartbeat. He figured it was because of my tilted uterus and sent us down for an ultrasound. I was thrilled and ready to see my little sweet. But as the ultrasound picture swirled into view I saw it was not one but two beautiful little babies. Two beautiful little angels measuring three weeks behind, and without a heartbeat to be found.

As I walked into the lobby to meet Baby Mama and Baby Daddy I pulled myself together. I needed to be strong for them just like my family was strong for me. But as I walked through the door I felt the tears burning. They poured out as I hugged Baby Mama and told her how sorry I was.

She patted my back with dry eyes and told me not to fret. It wasn’t over yet. They didn’t want me to worry until our follow up ultrasound in four days. I put on a smile and told them of course. It’s not over until it’s over, and if they still had hope then so would I. The transfer clinic however disagreed. They called later that afternoon and told me to prepare to stop meds and schedule a D&C. I shuddered and told them to hold their horses. This wasn’t just some statistic. These were real people, and this was their one and only hope of a biological child. I would wait until our next ultrasound before I even considered evacuating.

The next four days were going to be torture, but I would power through. I carried my own twins for almost four weeks after they stopped growing before I scheduled a D&C. Choosing how to end a very much wanted pregnancy is a decision no parents should ever face. And I would give them all the time and reassurance they needed to be ready.

So I sat under a dark cloud for four days.

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That’s why I decided to put my heart in the hands of UF Health. “ — Victor Hahn Trenton, FL

“As a 3rd generation farmer, I have dedicated 75 years to working the land … until a problem with my heart — an irregular heartbeat — slowed me down. Dr. Floyd Burke was able to find the problem. He quickly sent me to Dr. Charles Klodell for heart surgery that saved my life. I know that UF Health has the brightest medical minds, and the most advanced technology and research in North Central Florida.

I’m thankful to everyone there for getting me back to doing what I love.“ At UF Health, we’re here for you, from the routine to the complex. We can handle any heart problem you have — big or small — whether it’s evaluating your chest pain or performing aortic aneurysm surgery.

Hear more about Victor’s story at UFHealth.org/Victor. To make an appointment, call 352.265.0820.

UF HEALTH HEART AND VASCULAR CARE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

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PSYCHOLOGY >> MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

BEAUTIFUL MINDS

MyersBriggs Mother-Daughter Team Research Personality Types W RIT TE N BY A LEXI A FER N A N DEZ

P

ersonality tests can be found everywhere — in magazines, on social media websites — but the best test is perhaps one created by a mother-daughter team in the mid 20th century. Now widely used by individuals and global companies, the personality assessment has become one of the most popular in the world.

In the 1940s, Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katharine Cook Briggs, began researching personality types based on Dr. Carl Jung’s “Psychological Types.” Jung’s theory placed a focus on the essential differences between people in regard to the decisions they made and their intake of information.

Together, they went on to create one of the most popular and trusted personality tests, the

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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Their early work consisted of creating a type indicator during World War II that would help sort people into occupations that would suit them and aid in the war effort.

Briggs Myers’ research led her to Gainesville, where, in 1970, she co-created the Typology Laboratory at the University of Florida. In 1975, Briggs and Myers also co-created the Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT) at UF. Charles Martin, a licensed psychologist and vice president for research and development at CAPT, said the center has the largest collection of personality type research in the world.

“We have two archives,” he said. “One is at CAPT, which is available publicly. People can look through all the resources here or in our online

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PSYCHOLOGY >> MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

Logan Abbitt has been research librarian of CAPT for three years. He said most people make the mistake of thinking the assessment dictates how they act, as opposed to thinking of how it helps them better understand their personality.

library catalog. We also have an archive at the University of Florida that tends to have more of [Briggs Myers’] early journal writings.”

Briggs Myers created the center to promote and teach the ethical and practical uses of the 16 psychological types she and her mother discovered through their research. CAPT trains, educates and conducts research on “the instrument,” also known as psychological type, the different types of personalities that humans can possess.

“We teach people about type to make a constructive use of differences among people,” Martin said.

Logan Abbitt, research librarian for CAPT, said he frequently speaks to companies about the assessment.

“I must get so many questions by companies asking me how to use [the assessment] for hiring purposes,” he said. “What I tell them is that it shouldn’t be used in that way. It was never meant to hire people. It doesn’t work that way.”

Abbitt, who became the research librarian three years ago, said the center’s library has not expanded much in the last few years.

“There’s less and less people conducting

The instrument, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, has been studied and used all over the world as a personality type indicator.

The instrument, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, has been studied and used all over the world as a personality type indicator. The assessment spent two decades being researched until 1976 when it became commercially available.

Popular among companies and jobs, it’s held an important place in team exercises and individual development.

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research, so then there’s less things we can collect for our library,” he said. “I think that mainly has to do with the fact that Isabel is no longer alive.”

Among companies that do use the assessment is UF Health. The hospital does not use the type indicator for hiring purposes but it does for team building exercises. It also offers the assessment to individual employees interested in knowing PHOTOGRAPHY: ALEXIA FERNANDEZ

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PSYCHOLOGY >> MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

Within the CAPT library, an entire wall is dedicated to some of Isabel Briggs Myers’ (right, next to her mother Katherine) research. The items include research conducted by her mother, Katharine. The library also includes research books by Carl Jung (above) and dissertations from scientists from all over the world.

A majority of the Isabel Briggs Myers’ research is held at Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida.

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their personality type.

Danita Gainer, human resources development coordinator at UF Health, oversees the MBTI assessment that UF Health employees can take. Gainer said the hospital does not call it a test because the word makes people react strongly in either a negative or positive way, a reaction strong enough to affect their performance and results.

“Depending on whether people are answering questions with their gut as opposed to preference, people will tend to overthink things,” she said. “What we try to tell people [when taking the assessment] is to approach answers from a most comfortable space where you’re not trying to go into a certain mode.”

UF Health offers the assessment solely to UF Health employees. It’s not a requirement of employment to take the assessment, as employees usually take it as a personal choice.

Other times, employees may also take the assessment for team building purposes.

Managers of employee units will approach Gainer and her office for team building

exercises using the MBTI assessment.

“Sometimes when you come in to work you’re dealing with people that are in a certain mode,” Gainer said. “They have their game face on, if you will, and they’re ready to do a job. It can be really eye-opening, especially when you’re in a team setting and hearing the person’s preference for how they work.”

The MBTI is also offered as a general, open communication course to encourage employees to understand themselves and others who they work with.

The assessment’s inception began in the 1940s with Katharine Cook Briggs who studied data from research of theories based on children’s educational and social development.

Her time researching children’s development led to an increased interest in her daughter’s personality type. Seeing Isabel grow and develop led her to increase her research.

She also began to teach Isabel at home, taking her out of the public school system after she found it lacking. She encouraged her to write and read on any topics that interested her.

Katharine introduced her daughter to Carl Jung’s teachings on personality type, sparking their 20-year research on people and different personality types.

The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries have the earliest research that the two conducted on personality type. Isabel wrote notes and created questionnaires in the 1940s and 1950s on index cards that the libraries now hold.

Isabel eventually created a questionnaire that could effectively classify people into personality types. She began by writing hundreds of questions, testing them with people she knew and collecting data in journals.

The final Form A of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator consists of 172 questions.

Gainer said the benefits of taking the assessment outweigh any doubts people may have about its credibility.

“It tends to build personal self-awareness,” Gainer said. “I think that’s pretty incredible because when you’re struggling with a certain task you see it’s not normal or easy for yourself based on your personality.

It changes your perception of things.”

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HISTORY >> ROBB HOUSE MEDICAL MUSEUM

MEDICAL HISTORY

Robb House Paying Tribute to Alachua County’s First Female Doctor S TORY A N D A N D PH OTOG R A PH Y BY PEGGY M AC DON A LD

T

oday American women have the freedom to pursue the college and career of their choice. In the late 19th century, however, there was significant resistance to co-education in America. Dr. Edward H. Clarke, the author of the 1873 book, “Sex in Education; Or, a Fair Chance for the Girls,” went so far as to claim that higher education was bad for women’s health and could lead to sterility and even death. At the time, women interested in a medical career were funneled into nursing, which was the path Sarah Lucretia Robb pursued until her husband, Dr. Robert Lee Robb, a homeopathic physician, encouraged her to become a doctor. When Sarah was unable to gain admission to an American medical school because she was a

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woman, she moved to Heidelberg, Germany, where she completed a medical degree in two years.

After medical school the new husband and wife doctor team set up practice together in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Sarah Robb was not the first female doctor in Florida (Dr. Esther Hill Hawks served as a doctor and teacher with the Freedmen’s Bureau in Florida after the Civil War), but she was the first to practice medicine in Alachua County. Sarah was certified in allopathic (conventional) medicine, while Robert specialized in homeopathic (alternative) medicine.

In 1880 Drs. Sarah and Robert Robb and a third doctor, Dr. J. V. Bean, published a book, “Robb & Co.’s Family Physician: A Work On Domestic Medicines, Designed to Show the Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Disease,” which embraced a holistic

The Robb House (ca. 1880), located at 235 Southwest 2nd Avenue, is home to both the Robb House Medical Museum and the Alachua County Medical Society.

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HISTORY >> ROBB HOUSE MEDICAL MUSEUM

Dr. Sarah Robb made house calls in a horse and buggy, tending to the sick and delivering babies throughout Alachua County.

Dr. Robert Robb encouraged his wife to become a doctor.

Denied admission to American medical schools, Sarah completed her medical degree in Germany.

Florence Van Arnam and Dr. Mark Barrow (opposite), both former Spirit of Gainesville award nominees, have been active in historic preservation for decades. Van Arnam is the longtime curator of the Robb House Medical Museum. Dr. Barrow helped relocate and restore the Robb House in the early 1980s.

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approach to medicine and was dedicated to “The Thinking Masses.” The book opens with Sarah’s “Letter to Mothers,” which offers frank advice on women’s health and infant care in a time when open discussion of reproductive health could result in criminal punishment because of the 1873 Comstock Act. “It is false delicacy that would hide from girls that which, by all means it belongs to them to know,” Sarah wrote. “Mothers, teachers, it is with you this responsibility rests. The thousands of wretched wives who are thus suffering from a neglect of proper instruction at this turning point of their lives, warn you how serious this responsibility is.”

In 1882 Robert moved to Gainesville to recover from tuberculosis. In May of 1884 Sarah and the children joined Robert in Gainesville, where they established a medical practice. The Robb family included two children from Robert’s previous

marriage to Mary Elizabeth Faris, who died in 1869 (a third child, Alice, died as an infant), and Sarah Emily Robb, born to Sarah and Robert in 1873, the same year that Robert graduated from the Missouri Homeopathic College of Medicine.

The Victorian cottage in which the Robbs lived and practiced medicine was nearly demolished in the late 1970s. According to an August 1982 “Journal of the Florida Medical Association” article written by retired cardiologist and Matheson History Museum co-founder Mark V. Barrow, Joseph H. Avera built the house in approximately 1878. The house changed hands several times after Sarah Robb’s death. Sarah willed her home to Margaret Gross, a fellow widow who became her companion after she traveled from Canada to Gainesville with the belief that the area’s warm climate and restorative springs would improve her son’s health. Tragically, he died in Georgia while en route to Florida. “Grossie,” as Margaret HISTORICAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MATHESON HISTORY MUSEUM

HISTORY >> ROBB HOUSE MEDICAL MUSEUM

Florence Van Arnam, a retired nurse and Alachua County native, has served as the museum’s curator since its establishment more than 30 years ago. was affectionately called, gave the house to Sarah’s children, who promptly sold it to an attorney.

Over the years the Robb House was used as a law office, dance studio, karate center and rental apartment and fell into serious disrepair. The Alachua County Medical Society rescued the building from demolition but had to move it

to keep the purchase price down. The Robb House was originally located at 406 East Liberty Street (which became East University Avenue after the University of Florida opened in Gainesville), which would have been an expensive lot to purchase. On April 11, 1981 the building was moved intact to 235 Southwest 2nd Avenue and was transformed into

Sarah Lucretia Miller was born in 1852 in Newark, New Jersey. She graduated with a nursing degree from Hahnemann College in Philadelphia, which later merged with Drexel University. Sarah married Robert Robb in Illinois on Valentine’s Day in 1872. A member of the National Society Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims, Sarah traced her ancestry back to the Manhattan Purchase in 1626. Sarah Robb died in May 1937 at age 84; she and Robert are buried in Gainesville’s historic Evergreen Cemetery, where they share a large tombstone marked with a caduceus.

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HISTORY >> ROBB HOUSE MEDICAL MUSEUM

the Robb House Medical Museum and the headquarters of the Alachua County Medical Society, which paid $90,000 for its restoration. University of Florida architecture professor Blair Reeves and other UF faculty, staff and graduate students prepared an assay to guide the historic preservation process.

Florence Van Arnam, a retired nurse and Alachua County native, has served as the museum’s curator since its establishment more than 30 years ago. An honors graduate of Vanderbilt University, Van Arnam (whose maiden name is Rogers) received the Founder’s Medal in nursing in 1952, a gold medal that is awarded to the student with first honors in each graduating class.

Van Arnam, a petite 86-year-old with the stamina of an 18-year-old, brings the Robbs’ stories to life in engaging tours of the Robb House Medical Museum. During a private tour of the museum that she offered to the staff of the Matheson History Museum in July, Van Arnam kept going for more than two hours without sitting down. Among the vast assortment of historic artifacts on display are the remaining original furniture and medical tools from the Robbs’ home office; an authentic Civil War-era amputation kit; early X-ray equipment; and antique forceps. Several rooms are filled with items from Alachua General Hospital, including an operating table that was used when the hospital opened in 1928, surgical lamps, and baby scales used to weigh newborns. Alachua General Hospital closed in 2009 when its new owner, Shands Hospital (now UF Health Shands Hospital), determined that it was no longer financially

viable. Alachua General was demolished in 2010 and the site of the former hospital now houses the Innovation Hub at the University of Florida.

In keeping with the spirit of innovation, the Robbs were also entrepreneurs. Local historian Dr. Mark Barrow reports that Robert owned a furniture factory in east Gainesville, published one of Gainesville’s early newspapers, and — along with Sarah — operated one of the first private boarding schools in Alachua County. Robert was instrumental in establishing the Odd Fellows’ Home and Sanitorium for the treatment of tuberculosis patients.

He also planned to develop a health spa and suburb that would be connected to downtown Gainesville by a street railway system.

However, the 1888 yellow fever epidemic prevented this plan from being realized.

A 1996 oral history interview Gainesville resident Mary Ann Cofrin conducted with Sarah and Robert Robb’s granddaughter, Lucretia Thomson, provides fascinating insights into Sarah’s life and early Gainesville history. Sarah continued to serve as one of a small number of doctors in Alachua County for approximately 15 years after Robert died in 1902. Her home office was equipped with a two-bed clinic for overnight patients, and she traveled throughout the area in a buggy pulled by her horse, Ben, to treat patients and deliver babies. Lucretia, who often accompanied Sarah when she treated patients, recalled that because her grandmother was a heavy-set woman, the seat was slanted and Lucretia had a hard time staying on her side of the buggy.

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MILESTONES

• In 1849 Elizabeth Blackwell is the first woman to graduate from a US medical school and become a physician • In 1956 the UF College of Medicine opens with women faculty members and classes that included female students in roughly the same proportions as other medical schools at the time, according to the 2003 book, “Women at the University of Florida” • In 1960 Dr. Jean Bennett, a woman, is a member of the first class to graduate from the UF College of Medicine (classmate Dr. Mark Barrow was the first student accepted into the program) • In 2014 47.5 percent of medical school graduates were women, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges

HISTORY >> ROBB HOUSE MEDICAL MUSEUM

MEDICAL

In addition to providing medical care to Alachua County residents and patients who traveled from neighboring counties, Sarah Robb was an active member of the community. She was a founding member of the Gainesville Garden Club, whose members led a variety of town beautification and conservation initiatives including the establishment of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in 1970. Sarah also sang in the choir at First Presbyterian Church, which is now located across the street from the present-day site of the Robb House Medical Museum on Southwest 2nd Avenue. Like the Robb House, First Presbyterian was once located on University Avenue. The 1890 building was demolished and in 1954 a new church was built at 300 Southwest 2nd Avenue, Steve Rajtar writes in his 2007 book, “A Guide to Historic Gainesville.”

Dr. Mark Barrow, who was one of the leaders of the Alachua County Medical Society’s efforts to purchase, relocate and restore the Robb House in the early 1980s, recently launched a campaign to raise a $100,000 endowment for the maintenance and operation of the Robb House Medical Museum. He made the first contribution of $5,000 and has secured $15,000 in pledges to help fund the endowment. Contact the Alachua County Medical Society at 352-376-0715 to arrange a tour, make a donation or inquire about volunteer opportunities at the museum.

Dr. Sarah Robb is featured in the Matheson History Museum’s new exhibition, Saving the Sunshine State: Women Leaders in the Twentieth Century, which runs through October 31.

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S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

Care Enough to Get Involved T

o most people, “care enough to get involved” is just a nice thought; to Janet Larson, a member of the SunState Federal Credit Union Board of Directors, it’s a way of life. As the list of Janet’s career/volunteer awards, accomplishments, and certifications would more than fill this page, one would think she might be slowing down - such a thought couldn’t be further from the truth.

In addition to her many current and long standing community affiliations, Janet has been on the board of Peaceful Paths since 2000. Her husband, James F. “Swede” Larson also serves as a trustee for Peaceful Paths.

James F. “Swede” & Janet Larson

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Peaceful Paths is a certified domestic abuse network that serves survivors of domestic violence in Alachua, Bradford, and Union counties. Peaceful Paths provides a wide range of services including emergency shelter, transitional housing, crisis hotline, victim advocacy, children’s programming, education and training, counseling and support groups, community awareness and intervention, violence prevention programs, and batterer’s intervention programming.

This important organization strives to promote relationships free of violence and control by providing a safe place to receive intervention, advocacy, and education services using prevention strategies and community partnerships.

In 1974, Janet delivered one of the first domestic violence victims to a new sheltering organization known as SPARC, and she has maintained a significant concern for victims of domestic violence ever since. In 2000, SPARC transitioned into Peaceful Paths. Together, the two organizations have helped thousands of domestic violence victims right here in our community.

Most recently, Janet was involved in the development of Peaceful Paths’ (insert the name here) Emergency Services Campus, a 4-year project that offers victims of domestic violence an expanded housing campus.

“The impact of the campus will be substantial”, stated Dr. Theresa Beachy, Executive Director of Peaceful Paths. “We anticipate serving 300 adult and child survivors

annually with residential services.”

Although money had been donated and raised for the land, building and construction efforts, additional fundraising is always needed. Knowing this, Janet spearheaded an additional fundraising campaign. As a board member with SunState Federal Credit Union, she was well aware of the credit union’s commitment to our community. She knew her fellow Board Members would do all they could to help, especially if they knew she was willing to bac k her comments with a cash. With that in mind, Janet and her husband personally donated $2,000, then challenged SunState to do the same. As she expected, the credit union rose to the occasion and matched her donation. Her real surprise, though, came from the individual employees at SunState.

SunState Federal Credit Union Employees Charities of Choice donations are funded by the credit union’s individual employees in the form of automated payroll deductions. The employees themselves determine where donations are made and which groups benefit. When the employees found out about Janet and Swede’s personal commitment, and the credit union’s match, they, too, appropriated a $2,000 donation from the employee fund.

In all, $6,000 was raised thanks to the generous contributions from Janet and Swede Larson, the Board of Directors, and the employees of SunState Federal Credit Union.

“Peaceful Paths is just an incredible organization that I am so happy to serve and to help’, Janet said, ‘and I just can’t say enough about how proud I am of SunState as an organization, and the individual employees especially for stepping up in this situation. ‘People helping People’ has been a saying associated with credit unions for over 75 years, and nowhere is it more alive and put into practice than at SunState Federal Credit Union.”

If you are not familiar with Peaceful Paths and the tremendous service they provide in our community, Janet and Swede Larson, and everyone associated with SunState Federal Credit Union, encourage you to find out more at www.PeacefulPaths.org. If at all possible, make a donation of time or money to help further their good work. If you are interested in some of the other community projects/organizations SunState is currently working to promote and help, look up their Charity of the Month program on the credit union’s Facebook page at www.facebook. com/sunstatefcu.

www.sunstatefcu.org Proudly serving our members and our community since 1957.

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DISEASE >> FIGHTING BREAST CANCER

SAVE THE TA-TAS

Making Strides Fighting Breast Cancer One Step at a Time W R I T T E N B Y C R Y S TA L H E N R Y

H

er regular doctor was slammed that day, so Tarcha Rentz agreed to see the physician’s assistant for her exam. Rentz had plenty of routine wellness exams, but this time she wanted to talk about starting her family. As she lay on the exam table, she casually chatted while the PA conducted her breast exam. Rentz was a student in a doctoral program, and she had a trip coming up for a conference on her research.

When the PA stayed on one breast a little longer than the other, Rentz sensed something was up. But still, she was young, a non-smoker with no family history and no weight factors. She assumed everything was fine.

“I was 31 years old,” Rentz said. But when the PA suggested that she get an ultrasound Rentz started to wonder if things were more serious.

A week after her ultrasound she went in for a mammogram, and was referred to a surgeon. She went to see her doctor the day before she was to fly out for her conference, and while the doctor expressed his concern, he didn’t buck her when she told him she was leaving the next day.

But her mother was with her that day.

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DISEASE >> FIGHTING BREAST CANCER 60 |

#PRESS is a tribute to Trisha Polite, who was a major fundraiser for Susan G. Komen and a tireless speaker on behalf of breast cancer. Tarcha Rentz continues to pass along her message to others: No matter what life throws at you, PRESS on!

“If this were your daughter,” her mother asked, “what would you do?”

“I’d have her in the hospital this Friday,” he said.

Rentz said the severity still didn’t sink in, but she cancelled her trip and went in to the hospital on Friday.

“It’s cancer.”

The doctor’s words came to her through the fog of anesthesia, but the reality began to sink in. What started as a routine visit to discuss starting her family led to a treatment plan that could end with infertility.

In June she started with her partial mastectomy, then radiation and a breast cancer drug. Yet all the while she wondered, “Am I the only one?”

These were the days before social media, and she didn’t know anyone else in their early 30s facing this kind of news. That was until she stumbled across a magazine article about how African American women were experiencing breast cancer at higher and more aggressive rates. It wasn’t good news, but it was relief knowing she wasn’t alone.

She’d heard about the American Cancer Society (ACS), so she picked up the phone to get in touch with someone who could answer her questions. She used that hotline a lot throughout her journey to recovery, and once she was through to the other side she wanted to give back.

Now she volunteers two days a week at a lingerie store that specializes in wigs, prosthesis, swim suits and other commodities for women with breast cancer. She fits women for mastectomy bras and she is working toward her national certification because she said women going through cancer still deserve to feel sexy. She said the American Cancer Society realizes that cancer doesn’t destroy the woman. They put value in wigs, makeup and other ways to help these strong women feel sexy and beautiful.

Jessica Clayton, community manager of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, said the American Cancer Society of Gainesville OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

PHOTOGRAPHY: ERICKA WINTERROWD

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DISEASE >> FIGHTING BREAST CANCER

From top left: Tarcha’s husband Ishmael, Tarcha, and their children Ieve and Ian. The Rentz family poses for a photo in the library of Talbot Elementary School, where their children attend and Tarcha volunteers.

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has a wig closet where patients can find wigs and scarves. They also have a Look Good Feel Better program specifically designed to teach breast cancer patients tips such as taking care of their skin during treatment.

“It’s like a Mary Kay party for breast cancer patients,” Clayton said.

They also have a Reach to Recovery program that pairs newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with veteran breast cancer mentors to lift their spirits.

The Road to Recovery program provides rides for patients to and from treatment. Clayton said it’s a great resource for patients who live in outlying communities, like Palatka.

For patients who live farther, ACS offers a

place to stay in the Hope Lodge. She said it’s like a Ronald McDonald house specifically for cancer patients, offering about 30 bedrooms where patients seeking treatment that live 40 or 50 miles away can stay for free.

One of the ways that ACS funds these programs is through events such as Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Companies, family and friends form fundraising teams for this 5k walk, and about 80 percent of the funds raised come from those teams. The other 20 percent comes from sponsorships.

All the teams start in front of the Hippodrome, and the route runs through the downtown area.

Sponsors come out with their tents, and downtown PHOTOGRAPHY: ERICKA WINTERROWD

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DISEASE >> FIGHTING BREAST CANCER

becomes a sea of b pink. There is a survivor area where they recognize survivors with breakfast and goody bags.

They also have T opening and closing op ceremonies to thank cere sponsors and teams. the spon There aare yoga warm ups, contests and raffles, fun cont and at the closing ceremonies they announce how much money they raised. Last year they raised over $160,000 with about 180 teams, of which only $20,000 were sponsorships. The rest was raised by the teams. Their goal this year is to raise $165,000, so they’re hoping for 195 teams.

In 2005, on her birthday, Rentz lay in a hospital bed in the same hospital she’d undergone treatment to save her life. Only this time she was there to give life. She named her son Ian, which means God is gracious. And two years later she gave birth to her daughter Ieve. The traditional name Eve means living, so one day, as she sat waiting in her doctor’s office she kept thinking about the word “believe.” She believed she would live to see

her children born, and so she took her daughter’s name from that word. Rentz said ACS was such a great source of support during her treatment, and the organization has asked her to speak about her journey.

As she was preparing for a speech one day her daughter overheard her, and she started asking questions about breast cancer. Rentz realized that she had an obligation to open the conversation up to other women and their daughters. And so she’s been working with ACS for four years.

She wants other women to take the time to take care of themselves.

“We get so busy,” she said. But women need to be their own advocates.

“Don’t be afraid,” she said. “Fight.”

MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER WALK When: Saturday, October 24th 9 a.m. until noon (Registration starts at 7:30) Where: Downtown Gainesville, Hippodrome No registration fee & no minimum to fundraise. www.makingstrideswalk.org/gainesvillefl

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BIZARRE >> MEDICAL MALADIES

WEIRD SCIENCE

SEVEN WEIRD MEDICAL DISORDERS

How Bizarre?

Close your eyes and imagine a world where one of your hands has a mind of its own.

You can’t control it. It controls you — trying ying to impose harm to others but most of all to you. Now w open your eyes… quick! Before your hand has a chance to strike.

Some medical conditions are just plain bizarre and seem like they belong in a science fiction novel rather than real life. Well, read on if you dare because all of these conditions really do exist.

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Hypertrichosis aka “Werewolf Syndrome” This disorder results in the overproduction of hair anywhere on the body. Men and women, babies and adults — the condition doesn’t discriminate. There are variations of the disorder, some

The Original Since 1991 resulting in hair growth patterns that likely contributed to ancient “wolfman” folklore.

In fact, in the past, people with hypertrichosis were often featured in carnival sideshows.

Some people are affected head to toe, while others may only experience unusual hair growth on isolated parts of their bodies.

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Alien Hand Syndrome Caused by the separation of lobes in the brain, people suffering from this disorder essentially lose control of their hand, as it seemingly takes on a mind of its own. While there is no known cure, giving the hand something to grasp will often be enough to keep it preoccupied.

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Walking Corpse Syndrome Officially known as Cotard’s Syndrome, this mental disorder involves an individual who believes they are either already dead or have lost all of their vital organs. Oftentimes it is brought about by a brain injury and can result in people believing themselves to be immortal, which can very easily lead to unintentional suicides.

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BIZARRE >> MEDICAL MALADIES

Frégoli Syndrome This syndrome leads a person to believe that people he or she knows have adopted a different appearance and assumed the bodies of total strangers. But other than the complete change in appearance (and possibly gender or ethnicity), the personality and identity of the acquaintance is perceived exactly the same as always. In some cases, patients believe the person’s shape has shifted (or is still shifting), while in other cases, the patient may believe the loved one’s identity or personality has been replicated and inserted into another physical shell.

Trichophagia People with trichophagia compulsively eat hair. This is hair eventually collects in the gastrointestinal tract causing symptoms ptoms such as indigestion and stomach pain, which often leads to o surgical removal of the giant hairball. If not removed this can be fatal.

Treating trichophagia is similar to treatment of other ther impulse control disorders. The malady is believed to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and can be treated with a combination of anti-depressant drugs and psychotherapy.

Tree Bark Syndrome e Known as Epidermodysplasia sia Verruciformis, this hereditary skin disorder der is caused

by HPV (human papillomaa virus) and causes wart-like growths,, which look like tree bark, on your ur skin to spread out of control.. One of the worst cases on record ecord is that of Dede Koswara from Indonesia. He recently had d 95 percent of his warts removed ved but within the year almost all of them had grown back.

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Blue Skin Disorder This disord disorder is a result of methemoglobinemia, which causes decreased blood oxygen levels. Some people de develop a very deep bluish tint to their skin. The cause hereditary disorder was recently discovered of this h and tho those afflicted have since received treatment and skin is reverting back to normal — with no one their sk asking them, “Why so blue?” again. ever ask So ther there you have it. Are you creeped out, intrigued, or did yyou say, “That’s me!”?

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COLUMN

ALBERT ISAAC’S

Different Note TROMBONE 101

ALBERT ISAAC IS AN AWARD-WINNING WRITER AND EDITOR AND THE AUTHOR OF SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS AND PERSONAL COLUMNS. HE LIVES IN HIGH SPRINGS WITH HIS FAMILY AND A BUNCH OF CRITTERS. editor@towerpublications.com

WELL. SOMEHOW I’VE MANAGED TO GET BACK IN THE BAND.

A

nd not a club band, either, or a garage band, but a bona fide concert band boasting close to 100 musicians.

Regular readers (thanks Mom!) may recall that I recently dusted off the old axe (that’s musician-speak for instrument) and have been making strides in getting my chops (musician-speak for embouchure, i.e. mouthparts) back in shape. Small strides, yes, but there is improvement as I do my best to practice every day – much to the dogs’ dismay.

“Practice, practice, practice or sell the horn!” That’s what Mr. Dean, my 8th grade civics teacher wrote in my yearbook. Up until recently I hadn’t practiced in decades. But I didn’t sell it either, and I’m glad I didn’t.

When I first took the old horn out of the case I was stunned by the color of its rose-brass bell. At first I honestly thought it had tarnished. How could I have forgotten the beauty of the Conn 88H? Had it been that long? Now I wondered how long would it take to make it sound as pretty as it looks.

It is my great fortune, after a 32-year hiatus from playing the slide trombone, to be welcomed into the Gainesville Community Band. I began rehearsing in June and the experience was surreal.

On that first evening, I arrived at the school where the band practices not knowing where to find the band room. Suddenly, I was back in high school, entering uncharted waters – or so I thought. With some trepidation I got out of the car carrying my trombone case and immediately spotted other musicians with their instruments. I followed them to the band room as if I knew where I was going. But unlike entering the uncharted waters of high school, this experience suddenly seemed completely normal. Like something I’ve done hundreds of times.

And why shouldn’t it? I had carried my trombone to rehearsals hundreds, if not thousands of times, ever since joining my first band in junior high school so many years ago.

The band director, Professor R. Gary Langford, and fellow musicians were all very welcoming as I settled in with the other trombonists. We warmed up. Tuned. Played some scales. And I felt as if I had traveled back in time. No. Not back in time. It was more 72 |

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like I had never left. It was all so familiar, and everything – save my embouchure – came back to me. When coupled with the simple fact that I was again playing under the leadership of my college band director, Professor Langford, the experience was sublime.

I had some concerns about reading music, seeing as it had been so long since I’d played in such a setting. But reading music was completely natural – as if I’d never stopped.

I’d be lying, however, if I said I hit every note, (some of the key changes threw me) or that my intonation was great, but I felt like I held my own. I watched my conductor, followed his instructions – instructions that would probably sound like a foreign language to the musically uninitiated, as he directed us to specific places in the sheet music. I even found myself counting off the measures through the rests without even consciously thinking about it. I was back in a familiar place, a setting in which I had spent all of my formative years.

This probably sounds silly to anyone who plays regularly, but for me it was remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable. We went through one composition after another as I took in the sounds of all those musicians filling the room with such joyful music.

How could I have let so much time pass without playing?

It’s easy. There’s work. Family. Happy Hour. Children.

Work. Happy Hour. Grandchildren. Happy Hour. And some degree of laziness.

We had several more rehearsals and I continued to improve (not hard to do when you’re starting over) and I discovered that I sound particularly good while playing with all those other trombonists. Before I knew it, the time came for our concert, the fantastic “Fanfare and Fireworks” on UF’s Flavet Field (say that five times fast).

As luck would have it, our two young granddaughters were staying with us that July and my wife and I brought them to hear the concert and see the fireworks. And they absolutely loved the band. For the girls it was the best part of the night, as we played continuously, performing one marching tune after another, fireworks exploding around us. By the end my chops were failing fast, but it was worth every minute.

And I’m doubly blessed that the kids were able to enjoy it with us and hear their grandpa’s first foray back into the world of music.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s 5 o’clock (somewhere).

The lights are on, but nobody’s home.

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SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT >> DR. CARLOS RINALDI

DOUBLE OR NOTHING

Dr. Carlos Rinaldi Shining Our Science Spotlight on a UF Biomedical and Chemical Engineer W RIT TE N BY BRIN N S TR A NG E

T

he University of Florida offers significant opportunities for cross-discipline collaboration, and for Puerto Rico native Dr. Carlos Rinaldi the chance to help grow the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biomedical engineering department was too tempting to pass up.

Rinaldi graduated with his Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Science from the University of Puerto Rico in 1998.

From there he went on to receive an M.S. and Ph.D. from MIT in 2002. Rinaldi then returned to Puerto Rico to teach for 10 years at the university where he had started his studies. In 2012 he accepted a position at UF. Rinaldi had enjoyed working in the chemical engineering department at the University of Puerto

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Rico, however, the closest medical school was three hours away, and he was (and still is) excited by the opportunities at UF. Being situated near a prestigious medical school, vet school, and VA hospital made UF especially appealing.

Rinaldi has a dual appointment in both the biomedical engineering and chemical engineering departments, which is extremely conducive to collaborations. He teaches one semester in each department, serves on committees in both departments, supervises students from both departments, and has labs in both spaces, which encourages his students to mix too. The chemical engineering department is more established at UF, but the biomedical engineering department is a new program, Rinaldi said, so he is excited to help each area grow, especially the biomedical undergraduate program.

PHOTOGRAPHY: BRINN STRANGE

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SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT >> DR. CARLOS RINALDI

Transmission electron microscopy image of spherical iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles synthesized and studied in the Rinaldi lab.

Above, Dr. Rinaldi and his laboratory team, July 2015.

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Rinaldi’s research in both departments is centered on the use of magnetic nanoparticles, how they can change the properties of fluids, and the way they can be used in novel medical treatments.

So what are magnetic nanoparticles? Think small (really small); the “nano” scale usually refers to the size of things measured with nanometers, which is one-billionth of a meter. To put that in perspective, a piece of paper is about 120,000 nanometers thick.

The magnetic component comes from iron, specifically iron oxides, which is essentially rust. The final component of these nanoparticles is a coating, which varies depending on the desired application.

For example, nanoparticles coated with dextran, a sugar-like coating, only circulate in the body for a matter of hours before being cleared. Dextran coated nanoparticles can be used as imaging dyes for procedures such as MRIs, whereas nanoparticles coated with poly(ethylence glycol), a commonly used biocompatible polymer, might circulate in the body for days before being cleared. And since there are about five grams of iron in the body naturally, these particles have proven to be safe. Rinaldi said that studies in animals have shown that iron oxide nanoparticles are nontoxic up to 100 milligrams per kilogram.

“What has been demonstrated is that once the coating disassembles, the inorganic particle is degraded by the cells, and that same iron is incorporated into the body’s iron pool,” he said. “The

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

iron becomes incorporated in the hemoglobin, for example.”

There are a multitude of applications in medicine for magnetic nanoparticles. Rinaldi is able to recruit interested students to his research because he truly believes in its important applications, ranging from medical imaging to arthritis detection and treatment. Because of his dual department appointment, Rinaldi’s students cover a wide range of disciplines, from purely theoretical with computer simulations to nanoparticle core and coating design and synthesis, all the way to in vitro studies, or studying the effects of the nanoparticles in cell cultures.

Rinaldi is excited about this breadth of his research because it allows him to see the whole lifecycle of an idea, from its conception to its application.

One of the major focuses of Rinaldi’s magnetic nanoparticle research is for new types of cancer treatments, which take advantage of differences that exist between cancerous tissue and healthy tissue. Because cancer grows so quickly, the blood vessels growing around the cancer do not have time to develop properly, and they are slightly leaky, with larger holes in their walls than in healthy tissues. So, even though the nanoparticles are small, they are larger than traditional single molecule chemotherapy drugs, and are only able to exit the bloodstream where the holes are large enough, such as in cancer tissues.

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SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT >> DR. CARLOS RINALDI

Illustration of the concept of magnetic actuation of lysosomal death, discovered by Professor Rinaldi’s group.

Receptor targeted magnetic nanoparticles are taken up by cancer cells overexpressing the targeted receptor and accumulate in endosomes and lysosomes. Under a varying magnetic field the particles disrupt the lysosomes, releasing their contents into the cytosol. This includes proteases, which cause damage to organelles, such as mitochondria, eventually killing the cancer cells.

Illustration of the concept of magnetic fluid hyperthermia for the treatment of cancer.

Magnetic nanoparticles (not shown to scale) are targeted to cancer tissues (shown as deformed cells) and, under the action of a varying magnetic field release heat. The tissue temperature rises to 43-47°C resulting in programmed cancer cell death.

The drainage system in the cancer tissues is also poorly developed.

Once the nanoparticles are there, they tend to stay there. This is known as the enhanced permeability and retention effect, or EPR effect. Additionally, cancer cells growing out of control tend to over present certain signaling molecules on their surface, and Rinaldi’s group has techniques to attach targeting molecules on the surface of the nanoparticles as part of the coating. These s i g n a l i n g / t a r g et ing molecules work kind of like a lock and key and, when they come together, the cell brings the nanoparticle inside in compartments called lysosomes. Therefore, more signaling molecules on the cancer cell equals more nanoparticles inside the cancer cell.

Once inside the cancer cells, there are two ways the magnetic nanoparticles can act: a magnetic field can be applied that will make the nanoparticles vibrate and produce heat, raising the temperature of the surrounding tissues to a point where the cells will undergo apoptosis, or programed cell death (this is

somewhat of a broad approach).

The other, more targeted method, is that a similar magnetic field is applied, making the nanoparticles vibrate within the lysosomes, ultimately causing the lysosomes to rupture, releasing their contents, which include acids and proteases, which are digestive enzymes that attack the cancer cells’ organelles, like mitochondria, from the inside out.

“We want to work hard and have academically orientated activities for our kids to participate in.”

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Another biomedical area of interest for Rinaldi is tissue engineering, specifically peripheral nervous system tissues, which are nerves that are not a part of the spinal chord or brain.

When there is damage to tissues, such as a broken bone, there is typically damage to the associated nervous tissue as well. If the damaged nerve endings are within two centimeters, they can find each other and reconnect. If the damage is between two PHOTOGRAPHY: BRINN STRANGE

SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT >> DR. CARLOS RINALDI

and five centimeters, an allograft (sterile cadaver tissue) can be used as a replacement. However, if the damage is over five centimeters, an autograft of nervous tissue (tissue from another part of the patient’s body) must be used, which leads to damage to another, usually less crucial, region on the patient’s body.

Rinaldi said if a scaffold is provided which contains channels between the nerve endings, the damaged nerves will grow through the channels and find each other.

In collaboration with other researchers at UF, Rinaldi’s group has been able to use the magnetic nanoparticles aligned as chains by a magnetic field to act as channel templates, which a biocompatible gel is then formed around and solidified. The nanoparticles are then dissolved, leaving the necessary channels to guide nerve growth.

These tissue scaffolds can potentially be used to replace the need for grafts and eliminate the risk of graft rejection and damage to another part of the patient’s body.

Rinaldi’s research is important and significant both within UF and for its potential applications to the medical field. Rinaldi is happy to be settling in with his family in Gainesville. His 7-year-old daughter and 9-your-old son, both bilingual, are adapting to life in Florida. Rinaldi’s wife, Sindia, is a tenured professor at Santa Fe College where she teaches chemistry and is involved with several important initiatives.

Overall, Rinaldi feels that Gainesville is a wonderful place to live.

“My wife and I want a place where we can feel safe and feel comfortable,” he said.

“We want to work hard and have academically orientated activities for our kids to participate in, as well as events that we can do as a family. This is the perfect place to be for that.”

The Rinaldi’s love the water. They have a pool and enjoy visiting local springs, which are unlike the tropical beaches of Puerto Rico, but beautiful in their own right. Since moving to Gainesville, the family has started a vegetable garden and appreciates being able to visit their family in Miami. Rinaldi’s mother-in-law has enjoyed coming to stay, and she will be moving to Gainesville in the coming months. Needless to say, Rinaldi and his family are here to stay.

Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. candidate Ana Bohorquez came with Dr. Rinaldi from The University of Puerto Rico to finish her degree at UF.

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ANATOMY >> HALLOWEEN DECORATION

GOT MILK?

Dem Bones Milk Jug Skeleton S TORY A ND PHOTOG R A PHY

BY E RICK A WINTE R ROW D

T

he thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone, now shake dem skeleton bones! Here is a great DIY Halloween project that will bring thrills and chills to your trick-or-treaters. There’s no need to spend a bundle on spook-tacular decorations this year when you can make your very own Mr. Bones!

Create the magic by following these steps: Supplies: • 7 clean and dry gallon milk jugs • Highlighter to trace pattern • Black marker to outline pattern • Craft knife (X-Acto) • Scissors • Yarn or string to tie dem bones together • Hole Punch • Additional: Glow paint and paint brush *Adult supervision required

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STEP 1: Take four of the plastic jugs and trace a pattern for hands and feet. A highlighter works great and will wipe off when you are done cutting.

If necessary, a black marker can be used to dot the highlighter markings. Cut out hands and feet at the handle, two of each. Punch a hole at the end of each hand and the middle area of each foot.

STEP 2: Next, take two more of the plastic jugs and cut out the shoulders at the handle. At the top of the jug side punch one hole and two at the other side.

STEP 3: Now take one of the plastic jugs and draw a skeleton face on it and cut it out with a craft knife.

Then punch two holes in the bottom as well as at the opening on each side.

STEP 4: Next, draw some ribs on the opposite side of one of the milk jugs that were used to make the hands. After tracing the pattern, cut them out using

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a craft knife. This kind of utensil makes the process a lot easier and precise. Now make a hole in the bottom of the jug and punch a hole at each side of the opening. You can cut out the side where the hand was traced so that it is completely open. This will make the ribs more visible.

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STEP 5: To make the hips, draw a large oval on the uncut area of the jug that was used to make the other hand. Cut the same oval out on the opposite side so you can see through it. Punch two holes at the jug opening, which will connect to the chest area above. Then punch two holes at the base of the jug towards the front where the leg bones will be attached.

7

ANATOMY >> HALLOWEEN DECORATION

DEM BONES, DEM BONES, DEM DRY BONES, x 3 NOW SHAKE DEM SKELETON BONES! THE TOE BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE FOOT BONE, THE FOOT BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE ANKLE BONE,, THE ANKLE BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE LEG BONE, NOW SHAKE DEM SKELETON BONES! THE LEG BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE KNEE BONE, THE KNEE BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE THIGH BONE,, THE THIGH BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE HIP BONE, NOW SHAKE DEM SKELETON BONES! DEM BONES, DEM BONES, DEM DRY BONES, x 3 NOW SHAKE DEM SKELETON BONES! THE HIP BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE BACK BONE E, THE BACK BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE NECK BONE, E, THE NECK BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE HEAD BONE, NOW SHAKE DEM SKELETON BONES! NE NE, THE FINGER BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE HAND BONE, E E, THE HAND BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE ARM BONE, ON ONE NE, NE, THE ARM BONE’S CONNECTED TO THE SHOULDER BONE, NOW SHAKE DEM SKELETON BONES! DEM BONES, DEM BONES GONNA WALK AROUND x 3 NOW SHAKE DEM SKELETON BONES!

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STEP 6: Now cut four long bones for arms from one plastic jug that was used to make the foot. Then cut four long bones for legs from the other jug that was used to make a foot. Punch a hole on each end of them.

STEP 7: For the final step be sure to sing the lyrics to “Dem Bones” as you cut strings of yarn to attach all the pieces of the skeleton together.

For additional fun, paint some designs on your skeleton with glow in the dark paint or add some yarn hair to the top of his head!

The sky is the limit, or should we say six-feet under is the limit? <Insert evil laugh>

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DENTISTRY >> MODERN TECHNOLOGY

CHEEK Y

MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN DENTISTRY

Smile!

W R ITTEN BY K R ISTIN KOZELSK Y

The world of dentistry has changed dramatically compared to 30 or 40 years ago, but the technological developments that have been introduced in the last five to 10 years have been groundbreaking.

Advances in 3-D imaging and materials science have helped to make huge strides in the field.

“Its really an exciting time,” said Gainesville dentist Dr. Paivi Samant. “All of these technologies are here so we can do things more accurately. We want accuracy.”

One of the biggest breakthroughs in the field of dentistry is 3-D imaging. This technology allows dentists, oral surgeons and maxillofacial surgeons to have a precise picture of the hard and soft tissues of the mouth to help them plan their work in detail.

Traditionally, if a patient required a crown, bridge, or implant, he or she would have a mold of his or her teeth and 88 |

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gums taken. The putty for the mold is mixed up, placed in small U-shaped trays, and then positioned firmly onto the teeth and gums. The putty remains in place until it forms a hardened impression of the teeth, which is the mold. The mold is removed from the mouth, cleaned, and sent to a lab. The lab makes a cast of the teeth and gums based on that mold. Then a lab technician constructs a crown, bridge, or implant using the cast as a model of the patient’s mouth, physically working and reworking the prosthetic to fit well with the other teeth.

With current technology, a 3-D image of the teeth and gums can be created and the bridge or implant is designed digitally.

The dentist uses a small, wand-like sensor to read the surface

of the teeth. The sensor sends the data it receives back to the computer to construct a 3-D image in real time. The image is immediately useable and can be rotated in 3-D space. A quick review will show any areas that the dentist might have missed. The whole process is done in a matter of minutes and is completely painless for the patient.

This completed 3-D map of the teeth and gums is ready to be sent to the lab technician that generates the prosthetic. The technician digitally works up a 3-D model of the crown, implant, or bridge using the image received from the dentist. The final design of the tooth is converted to a CAD drawing (computer-aided design) and the prosthesis is milled from a core using a tool similar to a CNC machine (computer numerical control).

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Until recently, the prosthetic device was commonly composed of a metal core with porcelain or ceramic layered over the top to create the replacement tooth or teeth.

Composite prosthetics can now be made from a zirconium core or a core material similar to leucite and then crowned with a glass ceramic, giving the teeth a more natural look. Alternatively, the entire prosthetic tooth or teeth can be milled from a single tinted high-density ceramic block right in the dentist’s office.

In addition to dental work such as crowns, bridges and implants, maxillofacial surgeons can use 3-D imaging for more complex reconstructions. Utilizing a machine such as the Planmeca ProFace(TM), doctors are able to generate a 3-D model of both the hard tissue (bones and teeth) and the soft tissue (face, muscles and skin) generated from digital X-rays and imaging scans. This

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Do you like to fish but by the end of the day you might come home tired and empty handed. Go fly a kite. Kite’s designed to fly with fishing reels. These aren’t kids toys!

Worried about your child’s dental health during the sugar-filled Halloween season? Fortunately there are some local dentists who will buy back Halloween candy to prevent too much sugary goodness from damaging children’s teeth!

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composite 3-D model allows the doctors and patients to see what the patient would look like in three dimensions before and after a dental or maxillofacial procedure.

The more detailed information these dentists have, the simpler and more straightforward their work is. Using 3-D technology, the precise details of the surgery or dental work are already modeled and planned out in detail, which makes the execution quick and accurate without exploratory surgery or unsuccessful attempts at placement.

Samant believes that it is important for dentists and lab technicians to understand the traditional methods in addition to the new technology. She also cautions that despite all of the new technology in the field of dentistry, the human element still exists.

She tells her students that “technology is the tool, but in the end it doesn’t make the dentistry, it’s you.”

Ultimately, in order to use the technology well, the dentist must make a good diagnosis of the situation, present all of the options available, educate him or her about each option, and help guide each patient toward the best solution.

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Last year, Lozano Dental Care collected 295 pounds of candy in the days following Halloween. The candy was packed into nine large boxes and shipped to American troops overseas. Learn more at www.facebook.com/ GainesvilleHalloweenCandyBuyback CALL THESE OFFICES TO LEARN MORE:

Lozano Dental Care 352-376-7335 Kids who bring in candy will receive $1 per pound, up to five pounds.

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Volunteer, Donate, Shop Shop the Attic for gently used furniture, brand name clothing, collectibles, electronics, books, housewares, antiques, jewelry, toys and more! $OO VDOHV DW WKH +DYHQ +RVSLFH $WWLF EHQH¿W the programs and services we provide to the patients and families we serve.

For more information on donating or volunteering, visit www.havenhospice.org/attics, call 352.378.7484, or visit the store at 300 NW 8th Avenue in Gainesville. +DYHQ +RVSLFH JUDWHIXOO\ WKDQNV \RX IRU \RXU NLQGQHVV DQG FRPSDVVLRQ 6HUYLQJ 1RUWK )ORULGD VLQFH /LFHQVHG DV D QRW IRU SUR¿W KRVSLFH VLQFH A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. HAVEN HOSPICE, REGISTRATION # CH7366. TIN # 59-2490893.

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MEDICAL IMPLANTS >> RTI SURGICAL

THE RIGHT EN VIRONMENT

The cell processing area where specialists isolate the MAPC®class cells in ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certified clean rooms.

SURGICAL IMPLANT COMPANY UNVEILS NEW SUITE

RTI Surgical WRITTEN BY BRINN STR ANGE

RTI Surgical, located in Alachua’s Progress Park, has experienced tremendous growth in the last several years.

They provide surgeons with advanced sterile biologic, synthetic and metal implants from human and animal sources to assist with surgeries for muscular repair. Currently, the company distributes hundreds of thousands of implants every year to all 50 states and 30 countries worldwide. They have grown from a tiny tissue bank within Shands Hospital into a leading global implant company that ships products around the world.

The recent expansion is “an example of our dedication to the community” said President and CEO Brian K. Hutchison during 92 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

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a recent ribbon cutting for the company’s new Logistics and Technology Center. “The company has distributed more than 5 million implants without a single incident of implant-related infection,” he said.

Hutchison praised the research team gathered at RTI as well as the company’s world class wet labs.

“We sometimes wonder if our advanced scientists ever go home,” he said. “They really like it here.”

RTI Surgical, which began operations in 1998, is a spinoff from the University of Florida Tissue Bank. The company prepares human donated tissue and xenograft tissue for transplantation through extensive testing, screening and precision shaping. These allograft and xenograft implants are primarily used in orthopedic, dental and other specialty surgeries.

At its inception, the company housed about 200 people; today, RTI has more than 1,100 employees around the world.

In 2008, the company merged with Tutogen Medical Inc., and

RTI Biologics, Inc. was born. Since then, the company acquired Pioneer Surgical, Inc., forming RTI Surgical. The once-45,000square-foot operation now contains five buildings at RTI Headquarters in Alachua -- totaling 200,000 square feet -- with additional locations in Jacksonville, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas as well as international locations in The Netherlands, France and Germany.

“As a local Orthodontist, I needed a business that could help us further develop our brand identity.

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Logistics and Technology Center The company broke ground on the 41,165 square foot, $41 million investment in January of 2013. The center includes research and development offices and laboratories, clean rooms, a shipping and finished implant warehouse, and other support functions. The new facility has created job opportunities and a dedicated space for the production of map3® cellular allogeneic bone grafts.

Mitch Glaeser, Immediate Past Chair of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, noted that the new expansion and the products created at RTI “have special meaning, not only because of the lives they will change, but because this innovation illustrates the potential for success of a company rooted in the Gainesville community right here in Alachua, growing a presence regionally and throughout the world and now creating more jobs locally. RTI Surgical is one of the area’s largest companies, and it certainly has one of the largest impacts here in Alachua County.”

RTI Surgical’s economic impact is noteworthy.

“RTI has over 500 employees here locally and that number represents not just employees, but families that can better reach their goals in attaining a better quality of life. This positive impact is further reflected in the lives affected by the quality products the company produces,” Glaeser said.

Carrie Hartill, Executive Vice President and CSO at RTI also spoke at the ceremony.

She noted that the map3® is one of RTI’s flagship products and that the new suite will allow scientists to protect the product in a state-of-the-art, sterile environment while it continues to be developed.

“The stories the surgeons are able to tell regarding the benefits of our product are

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MEDICAL IMPLANTS >> RTI SURGICAL

phenomenal,” Hartill said. “Orthopedic surgeons can use living map3® cells along with a bone scaffold to support the body’s innate healing mechanism.”

MAP3® Cellular Allogenic Bone Graft RTI Surgical is proud to have

developed a safe, biocompatible bone graft process that offers a natural alternative to autograft. According to RTI Surgical’s website, “An autograft is when a tissue is surgically removed from one area of a person’s body and transplanted in another site on the same person;

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whereas, an allograft is a tissue (e.g., bone, tendons, ligaments, skin, heart valves) taken from one person for transplantation into another person. The map3® cellular allogeneic bone graft provides the scaffold and signals for neo-vascularization and bone growth, which enables patients to more seamlessly recover from injuries requiring a bone graft.

According to the website, the implant “contains the three essential elements of bone formation: the cortical cancellous bone chips supply a three-dimensional osteoconductive scaffold, the demineralized bone matrix demonstrates verified osteoinductive potential, and the cryogenically preserved, viable multipotent adult progenitor class cells provide osteogenic and angiogenic signals to support the bone healing process.” In short, this method better preserves the natural properties of the allograft.

In a 2011 press release regarding the initial groundbreaking of the new center, President and CEO of RTI Surgical, Brian K. Hutchison said, “At RTI, we are committed to supporting the communities in which we operate and participating in the economic development of our regions.

We are excited to expand our facilities in Alachua, Fla. and are glad to be a part of a community that is focused on fostering innovation and success.”

For more information, visit: www.rtix.com

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COLUMN

KENDRA SILER-MARSIGLIO’S

Healthy Edge ARE YOUR KIDS PLAYING ENOUGH?

KENDRA SILER-MARSIGLIO, PH.D, HCC IS A NEUROSCIENTIST, MEDICAL WRITER, COLUMNIST AND THE DIRECTOR OF RURAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIP AT WELLFLORIDA COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS. kendra.sm@gmail.com

WHEN WE WERE LITTLE, MANY OF US PLAYED AFTER SCHOOL UNTIL THE SUN WENT DOWN.

A

study published in the American Journal of Play shows kids’ playtime has declined substantially in the past several decades, and this decline affects emotional development. Are your kids playing enough?

Peter Gray, Ph.D., Boston College Professor of Psychology and his team found that between 1981 and 1997 kids spent 18 percent more time at school, 145 percent more time doing school work, and 168 percent more time shopping with parents. The researchers found that children in 1997 spent only about 11 hours per week doing free play, and this INCLUDED computer play. “Free play” as defined

by Dr. Gray is “play a child undertakes him- or her-self and which is self-directed rather than part of some organized activity.”

To Dr. Gray, free play serves as a “testing ground for life.” Here are five reasons Dr. Gray believes that you should ensure that your children have adequate time for free play:

2. Play gives kids a safe space to learn how to make decisions, tackle problems, self-regulate their emotions, and follow rules. These skills are extremely protective against anxiety and depression. Adults who didn’t get to learn how to cope with emotion-provoking situations during childhood are more at risk for feeling anxious and overwhelmed when confronted with emotional circumstances. “Children who do not have the opportunity to control their own actions, to make and follow through on their own decisions, to solve their own problems, and to learn how to follow rules in the course of play grow up feeling that they are not in control of their own lives and fate,” Dr. Gray reports.

3. Kids learn their limitations, strengths and weaknesses during play. When we were younger, many of us put ourselves in mildly challenging situations when playing. Maybe we were flying around on a playground carousel, playing dodge ball, or jumping into a lake from a rope swing. Dr. Gray points out that activities such as these “are fun to the degree that they are moderately frightening ... nobody but the child himself or herself knows the right dose.” Physically and socially challenging play situations give kids the space to understand their limits. Outside of the playtime, parents can help kids set safe boundaries (for themselves and with other kids), and parents can serve as a sounding board for kids’ playtime experiences to help kids better understand themselves.

“Social play is nature’s means of teaching young humans that they are not special. Even those who are more skilled at the game’s actions must consider the needs and wishes of the others as equal to their own, or else the others will exclude them.”

1. Play gives kids a chance to discover and express their preferences and self-identity. As kids navigate playtime activities, they organically practice communication skills needed in adulthood. “In school, children work for grades and praise and in adult-directed sports, they work for praise and trophies. In free play, children do what they want to do, and the learning and psychological growth that results are byproducts, not conscious goals of the activity,” asserts Dr. Gray.

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4. Play helps children make friends. Kids who are outgoing or a little shy can benefit from playing with others. Kids learn how to treat each other with care during free play. “Social play is nature’s means of teaching young humans that they are not

special. Even those who are more skilled at the game’s actions must consider the needs and wishes of the others as equal to their own, or else the others will exclude them,” said Dr. Gray.

5. Kids are happy when they’re playing.

Dr. Gray’s studies indicate that when kids are asked about the activities that bring them happiness, they say they are happiest when playing with friends. Not only does playtime help kids develop emotionally, it gives them a space where they can experience happiness and joy.

Although kids’ safety and academic and athletic preparedness are priorities, consider making small changes to give your children more time for free play. Do your best to slightly dial-back supervised activities to create room on their schedules. Give your children a healthy and happy edge with a little more free play.

Kendra Siler-Marsiglio, PhD, HCC is the Director of Rural Health Partnership at WellFlorida Council.

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JUNE and JULY 2015 TO NOMINATE A CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE OR TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NOMINEES, VISIT:

www.facebook.com/SunStateFCU and click on “Charity of the Month”

JUNE WINNER - 725 VOTES

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Plenty of Pitbulls

Dance Marathon

The June Charity of the Month $1,000 winner is Plenty of Pitbulls. Ashley Roehner will receive $300 for nominating them, the $500 random charity winner is St. Francis House and the $100 random voter winner is Lindsey Neumann. This all-volunteer group of dog lovers rescues and rehabilitates pit bull type dogs and is always looking for volunteers. They also do shelter and owner support and education and outreach projects.

They do not take in dogs from the public or strays.

Plenty of Pitbulls has weekly adoption events in Gainesville on Saturdays from noon to 4 at Petco (6869 W. Newberry Rd.) and at Millhopper Petsmart (4119 NW 16th Ave.). For information email gainesvillepitbulls@gmail.com.

The July Charity of the Month $1,000 winner is Dance Marathon at the University of Florida benefiting UF Health Shands. This annual 26.2-hour event benefits the patients of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. Each year, more than 800 students stay awake and on their feet to raise money and awareness for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Shands Hospital for Children at UF. In the 20 years of Dance Marathon’s existence, more than $8 million has been donated, making it the most successful student-run philanthropy in the Southeastern United States.

Other winners: Mackenzie LaPorte will receive $300 for nominating them. The $500 random charity winner is Ja’Niyah Youth Foundation and the $100 random voter winner is Tony McCloud.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS >> CHARITY OF THE MONTH

CH A RIT Y OF THE MONTH WINNER S

Prizes provided by a partnership between Sunstate Federal Credit Union and Tower Publications, Inc.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

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TASTE OF THE TOWN

SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL

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Heavenly Ham 3832 W. Newberry Rd Ste 1-C Located in Plaza Royale next to Moe’s Sat 10AM – 4PM Sun 11:30AM -3PM Mon- Fri 10AM – 6PM

352-375-8050 www.heavenlyhamgainesville.com LUNCH / CATERING / HOLIDAYS — Heavenly Ham Market Café has the best custom hand tossed salads in Gainesville! Seriously! With over 20 toppings, 10 dressings, and 8 different meats to choose from, our custom hand tossed salads are sure to please. In addition to our salads, we hand craft our signature & classic sandwiches made to order. Delicious Vie de France bread is baked daily so that it is at its freshest when we prepare your box lunch either for dine-in, carry out, or delivery. We also carry a line of hot sandwiches & panini like our Roasted Chicken Florentine Panini made with fresh baby spinach, toasted on ciabatta with melted provolone cheese and our house made Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Copper Monkey West 14209 W Newberry Road, Jonesville, FL 32669 Across from the Steeplechase Publix Sunday-Thursday 11:00am - 11:00pm Friday-Saturday 11:00am - 12:00am

352-363-6338 mycoppermonkey.com Restaurant & Pub — Now serving Breakfast on Saturdays & Sundays 8am - 10:45am. We are located in the heart of Jonesville, this All-American dining is convenient to all neighborhoods in Gainesville, Alachua, Newberry, High Springs and beyond. Our family-friendly dining features great food at a great price. Whether you come in for the “best burger in town” or try any one of our freshly made salads, pastas or sandwiches, you will not leave disappointed. Our USDA choice steaks, served with 2 sides, offer a great alternative for the perfect celebratory meal. We also feature a full-service bar with signature drinks and many options for your viewing pleasure.

Great food, great price, we’ll see you soon.

Adam’s Rib Co. 211 NW 13th Street, Gainesville, Florida 32609 1515 SW 13th Street Gainesville, Florida 32608 Monday-Saturday 7:00am – 9:00pm Closed Sunday

352-373-8882 NW 352-727-4005 SW AdamsRibCo.com BBQ — Celebrating our 10 year Anniversary. Looking for the best BBQ in Gainesville?

Then look no further than Adam’s Rib Co. Adam’s is North Florida’s Premier Barbecue restaurant, serving North Florida’s finest bbq spare ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, slow smoked chicken and turkey. Choose from over 20 sauces – from honey sweet to habanero hot – and everything in between. Don’t forget dessert, like our scrumptious banana pudding and famous peach cobbler. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Adam’s can cater any event locally. Give Adam a call for your next tailgate party 352-514-8692!

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Dave’s New York Deli 12921 SW 1st Road • Tioga Town Center Open 7 Days

352-333-0291 www.DavesNYDeli.com Authentic NY deli — The Reviews are in and here’s what customers are saying about Dave’s NY Deli Tioga Town Center! “Best Reuben, Best Pastrami, Best Philly, and Best Wings” Dave’s continues to be the place to go for authentic NY Deli food and Philly Cheesesteaks. Owner Dave Anders says “Nothing beats quality ingredients combined with a friendly staff. Dave serves New York size Pastrami and Corned Beef sandwiches, Cheesecake from New York, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, NY Kettle Boiled Bagels, Nova Salmon, Knish, Cannolies, Philly Cheesesteaks, Wings, Cubans, Subs, Kids Menu and more.” Come out and enjoy Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at Dave’s NY Deli.

Now serving beer and wine.

The Great Outdoors 65 North Main Street, High Springs, Florida 32643 Open at 11:00am Tuesday through Sunday

386-454-1288 www.greatoutdoorsdining.com Award-winning Dining — Join us on the first Thursday each month from 6-9 PM for a ROCKIN’ RHYTHM & BLUES OPEN BAND JAM session with Terraplane Trio.

All musicians and vocalists are invited. Contact Ivan at novapet@hotmail.com for details. October brings delicious Autumn drink and dinner specials plus our annual PUMPKIN CARVING contest! In November we join forces with the High Springs Playhouse for another exciting MURDER MYSTERY DINNER, “Murder Country Style,” November 6th & 7th and 13th & 14th. Visit HighSpringsPlayhouse.com for tickets. Booking a holiday party? Visit the Opera House, our special events room upstairs or book a spot under the Boat House! www.greatoutdoorsdining.com

Napolatanos 606 NW 75th Street Gainesville, FL Tuesday - Thursday & Sunday 4:00pm-10:00pm Friday 4:00pm-1:00am • Saturday 4:00pm-11:00pm

352-332-6671 www.napolatanos.com ITALIAN — Napolatanos is the longest original owner operated restaurant in Gainesville. Nappys, the name the locals have given Napolatanos has the most extensive menu.

Whether you choose pizza, calzones, salad, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, seafood, steak dinners or the best chicken wings in town, Nappy’s uses only the freshest ingredients.

Visit on Tuesday for half price appetizers. Burgers & Brew Night on Wednesday and live music inside. Thursday is Pub night with Better than England’s Fish & Chips $7. Outside dining with live music, on the patio, on Sunday evenings. GRAB & GO family dinners feeds 4-6 adults, starting at $25.95. Choose from Ziti, Lasagna, Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Marsala and more!

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SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL

352-372-5468

FOR RATES AND INFORMATION.

Newberry’s Backyard BBQ 25405 West Newberry Road, Newberry Monday-Wednesday 11:00am – 9:00pm Thursday 11:00am – 9:00pm Friday and Saturday 11:00am – 11:00pm Sunday 10:30am – 3:00pm

352-472-7260 newberrybbq.com BBQ — The one and only Newberry’s Backyard BBQ is located in our historic building in beautiful downtown Newberry. Our pork, chicken, beef, and turkey is smoked to perfection daily. Our salads and sides are always fresh. If you are thirsty we have the best sweet tea in the South and a full bar as well. Make sure to bring your kids, we serve their meals on a frisbee that they take home. For your entertainment, we always have live music on Friday nights and Karaoke on Saturday evenings.

Let us cater your Holiday Event! Big or small we cater all gatherings.

Brown’s Country Buffet 14423 NW US Hwy 441, Alachua, FL 32616 Monday-Friday 7:00am - 8:00pm Saturday 7:00am - 2:00pm Sunday 8:00am - 3:00pm

386-462-3000 brownscountrybuffet.net Casual — Country-style cooking at its finest, just like Grandma’s house! A buffet style restaurant, Brown’s Country Buffet is open seven days a week! Foods like fried chicken, grilled pork chops, real mashed potatoes, steamed cabbage, banana pudding and coconut pie, just to name a few, are served in a laid-back, relaxing environment. We offer AYCE fried shrimp on Friday nights from 4-8 along with whole catfish & ribs. In addition to their buffet, Brown’s also offers a full menu to choose from. Serving lunch and dinner daily and a breakfast buffet Friday-Sunday until 10:30am, you’re sure to leave satisfied, no matter when you go. So, when you’re in the mood for some good home cooking, Grandma’s style, visit Brown’s Country Buffet.

Saboré 13005 SW 1st Road, Tioga, FL 32669 (Tioga Town Center) Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 11:00am – 10:00pm Friday & Saturday: 11:00am – 11:00pm • Open Mondays for special events only

352-332-2727 www.saborerestaurant.com Fusion — Saboré [sa-bohr-ay] is a modern world-fusion restaurant featuring a variety of dishes inspired by dynamic cuisine from places like Europe, Asia, and South America.

Their recipe is simple: authentic global flavors, quality ingredients, expert craftsmanship, and exceptional service. Saboré offers customers a unique dining experience, shareable plates, delicious dishes, signature cocktails and desserts that will keep you coming back for more. So let us surprise your palate with our global flair and exotic ingredients. Experiencing world cuisine this fresh usually requires a passport.

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Mark’s Prime Steakhouse & Seafood 201 SE 2nd Avenue, Gainesville, FL (Historic Downtown) Monday: 5:00pm - 9:00pm • Tues-Sat: 5:00pm to 10:00pm Happy Hour: 5:00pm - 7:00pm

352-336-0077 marksprimesteakhouse.com Steak & Seafood — Mark’s Prime Steakhouse and Seafood has a goal to create a unique dining experience that will please the palate and soothe the soul. We serve the finest beef, the freshest seafood, and naturally fresh vegetables. Recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence 2004-2011. Join us for Primetime Happy Hour featuring drink and appetizer specials Monday thru Saturday 5-7 pm. We are pleased to feature our full service, private dining facilities. It would be our pleasure to help plan your next reception, banquet, business meeting, or social gathering. Complimentary valet service.

Marion Street Deli and Pub 281 N. Marion Ave. Lake City, Fl. Monday - Tuesday 11:00am – 10:00pm • Wednesday 11:00am – 11:00pm Thursday - Saturday 11:00am – Till • Sunday 11:00am - 4:00pm for brunch

386-487-6194 marionstreetdeliandpub.com Deli & Pub — Great menu items including: “Chairman’s Reserve” Hand Cut Steaks.

House Specialties including Authentic Louisiana Shrimp and Grits, Hand Made Fresh Pasta and Sauces. BBQ Beef Brisket, Hand Ground Burgers made fresh daily, Smoked Chicken Wings, Smoked Prime Rib, Homemade soups and great specials prepared daily from our team of chefs. Offering an Amazing Sunday Brunch with House Made Specials 11-4:00 Pm. Live Music Wednesday through Saturday!!! Largest Selection of Draft Beers!!! Located in historic downtown!

Crane Ramen 16 SW 1st Ave. Gainesville Sun-Wed: 11:00 am - 4pm • 5pm - 10pm • Thu-Sat: 11am - 4pm • 5pm - 1am Sunday Brunch beginning at 11am

352-727-7422 www.craneramen.com Authentic Craft Ramen — Owners Fred Brown and Bill Bryson opened a restaurant serving sensuous, Japanese comfort food. Ramen creates a harmony of flavors,enjoyed layer by layer as they are mixed throughout your bowl.The richness of ingredients thoughtfully concocted delivers complete dining satisfaction. Crane Ramen is committed to a local/sustainable model of sourcing the best and healthiest ingredients.

Our meat, eggs and poultry are sourced locally whenever possible. All of our food is scratch-made! We have our soup stocks bubbling 24 hours a day! In addition to ramen we also have a seasonal variety of delicious otsumami. Crane Ramen also has also curated its own unique offering of beer, wine, sake and creative cocktails!

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Krab King 25405 W Newberry Rd. Newberry Fl 32669 Monday - Check • Thursday 11:00am – 8:00pm Friday - Saturday 11:00am – 10:00pm • Sunday Closed

352-682-2139 SEAFOOD — If you’re looking for the best Crab legs in town, then look no further. Newberry’s Backyard Krab King, in its new location, located in the heart of Newberry, is ready to satisfy your hunger. Home of the famous Garlic Butter, Krab King features the freshest and tastiest Snow Crab, Blue Crab, Garlic Oysters, Fish and Shrimp available.

This “Take-Out-Only” restaurant has meals starting at $8.50 and most meals or platters come with eggs, sausage, potatoes and corn as side dishes. Larger trays and platters are available and seasoned perfectly. Come by, meet Andrew and see why Paige Beck from TV20 called our crab “The best quality crab legs in North Central Florida.”

Hoss’s Grill 102 NW 250th St Newberry ( St. Rd. 26 & St. Rd. 45 ) Monday-Thursday 11-9pm • Friday and Saturday 11-10pm Sunday 8-3pm

352-474-6422 Home Cooking — Right in the heart of Newberry is the “Best in the West!”. If it’s a home cooked meal you are craving, this is definitely your best choice. Hoss’s has a variety of appetizers ranging from corn nuggets, fried okra to chicken wings. This is just a start, for your ‘Mid-day Grub” or ‘Dinner Chow” order up the “best ever” fried chicken, baby back ribs, or pulled pork, just to name a few. They have plenty of side dishes to compliment the main coarse. They offer daily specials, a “little colts & fillies” menu, beer and wine. Outside seating is also available. Be sure to check out the dessert case filled with goodies daily.

Tony & Al’s Deli 14960 Main Street, Alachua, Florida 32616 OPEN 7 DAYS Monday-Thursday 11:00am – 9:00pm Friday-Saturday 11:00am – 10:00pm Sunday 11:00am – 8:00pm

386-693-9090 Italian — Locally owned and operated, Tony & Al’s Deli provides the finest quality Italian entrees in a family friendly atmosphere. Whether it’s their delicious appetizers, pasta classics, specialty pizzas, salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers or prime rib, Tony & Al use only their freshest ingredients. One of their favorites is the shrimp Frangelica, sautéed with bacon, diced tomatoes in a creamy Alfredo Sauce. Their sauces, dressings and specialty desserts including cannolis and tiramisu are all handcrafted. They serve daily lunch and dinner specials. Tony and Al offer a full bar with happy hour from 4pm6pm including $1.50 drafts and $1.00 off all drinks.

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Blue Highway a Pizzeria 13005 SW 1st rd. - Tioga Town Center - 352-505-6833 204 US Hwy 441 - Micanopy - 352-466-0062 2130 E Silver Springs Blvd. - Ocala - 352-629-5555

www.bluehighwaypizza.com Hand-Crafted Pizzas and Calzones — Our menu also offers smallplates, salads, gourmet sandwiches on fresh, house-baked breads, pastas, and house-made desserts.

We have gluten-free options for both pizza and pastas; there’s something for everyone at Blue Highway, a pizzeria. We take great pride in our culinary culture and serve the highest quality fresh, local, organic (when possible), and expertly prepared food. Enjoy “Takeout Tuesday” every week for 25% off all pizzas and calzones, “FamilyWednesday” kids eat for half off our Bambino menu and “Wine Down Thursday” with $10 off all bottles of wine. Happy Hour is Monday - Thursday with half off all draught and house wines and $5 select appetizers. Catering is also available.

La Tasca Cuisine From Spain 40 NE Railroad Ave High Springs, Fl 32643 Tues-Sat 11am to 9pm • Sun 12pm-8pm Monday - closed

386-454-9329 latascafromspain.com Tapas — In Spain “La Tasca” is the name given to a place with a relaxing atmosphere that serves sample portions of tasty foods such as Montaditos or Tapas. Montaditos are typically served with flavorful toppings on baguette-style bread, either cold or hot. Tapas are tastes of Spanish cuisine designed to give you the opportunity to sample and experience a wide variety of delicious and sometimes sophisticated dishes. Tapas and Montaditos are often ordered and combined to make a full meal. One of the favorites at La Tasca is our Paella- house specialty of seafood-based Spanish rice with choice of pork, chicken and/or seafood. We invite you to join us and enjoy our fabulous meals, pleasant atmosphere and your favorite beverage. We serve beer, wine and the BEST Sangria around!!!

Paella

Gator Smoothie 3900 NW 91st Street, Gainesville, FL 32606 Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

352-519-5579 www.gatorsmoothie.com Smoothies / Flat Bread / Sandwiches — Family and student friendly. Located right by the Santa Fe College behind the 39th Avenue Walgreens. We prepare the best smoothies around in a variety of tropical and sub-tropical fruit flavors enough to satisfy any palate. Enjoy energy packed smoothies blended with peanut butter, protein, vitamins or chocolate. The newest addition of fresh green smoothies is a perfect choice for health and well-being. We have a variety of flat breads and sandwiches made with authentic Cuban bread from Ybor City. We offer a generous discount punch card program, which rewards our repeat customers. Where else can you get all this for fewer than ten bucks per person? Come and see us soon.

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COMMU NIT Y C A LENDA R

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 5

Ten Strings and a Goat Skin

Wednesday, October 21

TIOGA MONDAY MARKET

LADY GAMERS

Mondays 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Fridays 1:00pm

JONESVILLE - Tioga Center, 13005 W. Newberry Rd. Market features a selection of vegetables, crafts, organic food, fruits and local specialties.

HIGH SPRINGS - New Century Woman’s Club, 40 NW 1st Ave. The Lady Gamers meet for fun, friendship and food. Everyone is invited. Meet old friends and make some new ones.

D.A.R. QUILTERS GUILD

Wednesdays 11:00am - 1:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Wesley United Methodist Church, NW 23rd Ave. Gainesville Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution meet on the second Wednesday of each month, October through May. gainesvilleDAR@gmail.com.

GAINESVILLE HARMONY SHOW CHORUS GAINESVILLE - Grace Presbyterian Church, 3146 NW 13th St. Interested in learning and singing Women’s A Cappella Barbershop Harmony Music. For information call Beckie at 352-318-1281.

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GAINESVILLE - Alachua Senior Recreation Center, 5701 N. W. 34th Blvd. Quilters of Alachua County Day Guild will present a fascinating and unique program. Come at 9:30 for snacks and conversation. Free. Visit www.qacdg. org for a new member application.

RECONSTRUCTION ERA September 4 - 5 9:00am - 4:00pm

NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. Historians will take visitors back to 1868, post-antebellum, post War Between the States. Meet a US Army Occupation Officer and soldiers, former soldiers, Irish sharecropper, cow hunters, freemen, temperance ladies, storekeeper and more. Admission - $5.00 per car up to 8 occupants. 352-472-1142; www.friendsofdudleyfarm.org.

FREE FRIDAYS CONCERTS

Thursdays 7:00pm – 9:30pm

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on Wednesdays. The public is invited to attend the annual concert series of free, family-friendly concerts, featuring some of the best local and regional musicians. Performing this week is Ricky Kendall, Americana, Blues, Folk.

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Friday, September 4 8:00pm - 10:00pm

WOMEN’S SELF DEFENSE CLASS

GAINESVILLE - SW 2nd Ave. and SW 2nd St. The City has purchased a mobile stage, which will be placed in parking lot no. 10, the same location that the Union Street Farmers Market occupies

Saturday, September 5 2:30pm – 3:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Global Mixed Martial Arts Academy, 4000 W. Newberry Rd. Learn basic

escapes, grabs, strikes, defense against a knife attack, choke hold and on the ground striking/ kicking. This free class is offered to females on the first Saturday of the month. Women are encouraged to attend every month. 352371-1007 or email globalmmaacademy@gmail. com. www.globalmmaacademy.com.

KANAPAHA GUIDED WALK Saturday, September 5 10:00am – 12:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. Kanapaha offers a guided tour of the Gardens the first Saturday of every month. The docent is Master Gardener, Alicia Nelson. Regular admission price for non-members and members are admitted free of charge.

FREE FRIDAYS CONCERT Friday, September 11 8:00pm

GAINESVILLE - 100 SW 2nd Ave. Performing this week is Flat Lands. Their dreamy melodies over flashes of Stevie Wonder-tinged funk, and the occasional chaos of avant-garde blues revivalist Jack White, makes for an adventurous time that will surely bring you to your feet dancing.

PAINT OUT September 11 - 13 Times vary

GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. Local landscape artists will be gathering to create live paintings at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. The 3-day event is part of the 13th Worldwide Artist Paint Out, linking artists and locations all over the world and promoting art as a universal language that has no borders. Witness the mysterious creative process as you stroll through the gardens from artist to artist. Regular admission price for non-members. Members are admitted free of charge. www.kanapaha.org.

WRITERS ALLIANCE OF GAINESVILLE Sunday, September 13 2:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Millhopper Branch Library, 3145 NW 43rd St. WAG presents a talk by Mark Wayne Adams, an award-winning author, illustrator and publisher, who will offer valuable insight and marketing techniques and reveal the untapped potential in writing for children.

The event is open to all who are interested in the written word. www.writersalliance.org.

ButterflyFest Saturday, September 19

10:00am

GAINESVILLE - Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Rd. Explore the lives of bats, bees, birds and butterflies while learning about wings, wildlife and biodiversity. Learn about butterfly gardening, native pollinators, conservation, backyard wildlife and more. Enjoy butterfly releases and come dressed in your favorite pollinator attire for the Pollinator Parade. www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest.

BUTTERFLYFEST PLANT SALE September 18 – 20 10:00am

GAINESVILLE - Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Rd. ButterflyFest features a large 3-day plant sale with more than 150 species of difficult-to-find and butterfly-friendly plants.

Learn how to attract butterflies to your home and which plants are proven winners. Proceeds benefit the museum’s Butterfly Rainforest and museum events like Earth Day and ButterflyFest.

352-846-2000.

WORLDWIDE PAINT OUT Friday, September 18 6:00pm – 9:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. Be the first to purchase a favorite painting at the reception and exhibition in the Summer House Gallery. The show, Worldwide Paint Out at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens will hang in the Summer House Gallery through the end of 2015. There is no cost associated with attending the Art Opening. The outside Gardens will not be open at this time. www.kanapaha.org.

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FREE FRIDAYS CONCERT Friday, September 18 8:00pm

GAINESVILLE - 100 SW 2nd Ave. Performing this week is reggae group De Lions of Jah.

BOOK TALK WITH LESLIE POOLE Saturday, September 19 2:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Matheson Museum, 513 E. University Ave. Join Leslie Poole, author of “Saving Florida: Women’s Fight for the Environment in the Twentieth Century,” at Matheson Museum for a book talk and signing.

“Saving Florida” reveals how women’s clubs prompted legislation to establish Florida’s first state park, which became the core of Everglades National Park, in 1916 — before women even had the right to vote.

OPERATION CATNIP CLINIC Sunday, September 20 Times vary, reservations required

Michael O’Meara

Folk In The Springs Sunday, September 20

Noon – 8:00pm

HIGH SPRINGS - Downtown. Calling all Music lovers both far and wide! The concert venue has been expanded to eight sites within walking distance of downtown High Springs. Pack up the family, bring your lawn chairs and come out to High Springs to enjoy this fun, free, family event, packed with great music from great local artists thru-out North Florida.

11:00am . . . .Kathleen Taylor @ Secret Garden at Wisteria Cottage, 225 N. Main St. 12:00pm . . . . Tuck Tucker @ High Springs Museum & Train Station, NW 3rd Ave next to Police Dept.

1:00pm . . . . .Emmett Carlisle @ Gazebo in James Paul Park, 110 NW 1st Ave 2:00pm . . . . .Michael O’Meara @ High Springs Fire Dept., 205 NW 1st Ave. 3:00pm . . . . .Don Austin @ The Gardens at the High Springs Library, 135 NW 1st Ave. 4:00pm . . . .Cindy Bear @ The New Century Women’s Club, 40 NW 1st Ave 6-8:00pm . . . Brian Smalley @ The Great Outdoors Restaurant, 65 N. Main St. with Kimberly LeCouteur 6-8:00pm . . . Ricky Kendall @ The High Springs Playhouse with Special Guest: Elaine Mahon and opening act, Rachel Grubb.

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GAINESVILLE - University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, 2015 SW 16th Ave. Operation Catnip will be holding its flagship spay-neuter clinic at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, during which they will spay or neuter approximately 150 cats. All cats will receive a full set of vaccinations, as well as parasite treatment. Sterilization can control the community cat population, decrease aggression and odor and prevent cancer. Contact Operation Catnip to make your mandatory reservation at 352-380-0940 or clinic.reservations@ ocgainesville.org. Visit www.operationcatnip.org for more information.

DOVER QUARTET Sunday, September 20 2:00pm

GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, 333 Newell Dr. Considered one of the most talented string quartets ever to emerge at such a young age, the Dover Quartet swept the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition, winning the Grand Prize and all Special Prizes.

Members of the Quartet have appeared as soloists with some of the world’s finest orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic.

FREE FRIDAYS CONCERT Friday, September 25 8:00pm

GAINESVILLE - 100 SW 2nd Ave. Performing this week is classic rock cover band The Shambles.

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AQUIFERious Exhibition October – January 6 GAINESVILLE - The Thomas Center, 302 NE 6th Ave. The opening reception for the exhibition is Thursday, Oct. 1 from 5:30-7:00pm. Curated by Margaret Ross Tolbert, AQUIFERious is an expansive, multi-disciplinary exhibition to be presented in both the Main and Mezzanine Galleries and is based on her award-winning book of the same title featuring her large-scale paintings based on our region’s springs, as well the work of the world-renowned photographers, filmmakers and cartographers that have inspired her.

THE HARN’S 25TH BIRTHDAY Friday, September 25 6:00pm – 12:00am

GAINESVILLE - Harn Museum of Art, 3259 Hull Rd. “Conversations: A 25th Anniversary Exhibition” will feature recent works given in honor of the Harn’s anniversary. Dinner under the stars at the UF Cultural Plaza or cocktail buffet, entertainment and cupcakes, UF Bands will provide multiple instrumental ensembles throughout the Harn featuring genres from jazz to classical, and a cappella group “No Southern Accent” will also perform. DJ Jarad Bowens will rev up the dancing at the after party. Proceeds support exhibitions and programs at the Harn. www.harn.ufl.edu/25candles.

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY Saturday, September 26 9:00am – 12:30pm

NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park.

18730 W. Newberry Rd. Throughout the USA this day is set aside for citizens to help enhance our public lands. Volunteers will restore a historic

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road and work in the historic flower garden.

Entrance fee waved for participatingËvolunteers.

352-472-1142; www.friendsofdudleyfarm.org.

RAISIN’ CANE: A HARLEM RENAISSANCE ODYSSEY September 27 - 29 7:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Rd. Inspired by the classic 1923 Jean Toomer novel “Cane” and works by the musicians, composers, poets and actors of the Harlem Renaissance.

Starring the award-winning actress, singer and dancer Jasmine Guy, a modern-day Griot, and the acclaimed Avery Sharpe Trio, Raisin’ Cane celebrates and honors the legendary voices of the Harlem Renaissance through text, song, music, movement and imagery. General admission is $25.

ALEKSEY SEMENENKO, VIOLIN Wednesday, September 30 7:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Rd. Ukrainian violinist Aleksey Semenenko is praised for performances replete with “verve,

wit, delicatesse, and beautiful phrasing” (The Boston Musical Intelligencer). Winner of the 2012 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, he was presented in debut recitals at Merkin Concert Hall and the Kennedy Center.

Reserved seating tickets are $35. 352-392-2787.

FREE FRIDAYS CONCERT Friday, October 2 8:00pm

GAINESVILLE - 100 SW 2nd Ave. The Imposters (The Beatles Tribute Band). The Impostors play a wide selection of The Beatles’ favorites from the popular hits of the early heydays, and are known to occasionally throw in some great covers of other groups such as The Byrds, The Hollies, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young and The Left Banke.

YARD SALE Saturday, October 3 8:00am – 2:00pm

HIGH SPRINGS - The GFWC High Springs New Century Woman’s Club, 40 NW First Ave. Collectables, Housewares, Decorations, Ladies Boutique and more. 386-454-0794.

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATING 50 YEARS MEET THE DANCERS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 | 2:00 PM

Performance, reception and talk-back. Up close and personal!

A HAUNTED SWAN LAKE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 | 7:30 PM

The mystery of Halloween combines with the magic of Swan Lake. Trick or Treat!

BLACK SWAN CAFÉ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 | 6:00 PM

Dinner before Haunted Swan Lake hosted by Sweetwater Branch Inn

GREAT HALLOWEEN COSTUME SALE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 9:00 AM

PHOTO CREDIT: JOHNSTON PHOTOGRAPHY

More than you can imagine!

Something for everyone!

Dance Alive National Ballet at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts 352-392 2787 FOR INFORMATION OR TICKETS:

351-371 2986 or dancealive.org

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com. Registration booklet is also available online at gainesvillesportscommission.com.

GUIDED WALK Saturday, October 3 10:00am – 12:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. Enjoy a guided tour of the Gardens the first Saturday of every month.

The docent is Master Gardener, Alicia Nelson.

Regular admission price for non-members and members are admitted free of charge. Visit www.kanapaha.org.

RISING STARS CONCERT SERIES Sunday, October 4 2:00pm

GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, 333 Newell Dr. For more than 125 years, the Metropolitan Opera has been the artistic home of the greatest singers in the world, and is the launching pad for the opera stars of the future. “Rising Stars” offers fans across North America a rare opportunity to experience remarkable young artists on the cusp of extraordinary careers. Tickets: $25-$35. www.performingarts.ufl.edu.

OPETAIA FOA’I’S TE VAKA Friday, October 9 7:30pm

Alligator Warrior Festival October 16 - 18 HIGH SPRINGS - O’Leno State Park, 410 S.E. O’Leno Park Road. This festival celebrates Native American and immigrant American cultures with music and dancing, living-history camps, demonstrators of historic skills, traders, craftspeople, and food vendors – and a living history event that includes a reenactment of the 1836 Battle of San Felasco Hammock. Battle reenactments are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday only with limited activities on Friday.

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center. TE VAKA [The Canoe] is a Polynesian-rock fusion band. Pacific Islander musicians and dancers from Samoa, Tokelau, the Cook Islands and New Zealand Maori, under the inspiring leadership of Opetaia Foa’i, create a unique mix that combines log drums with electric guitar, Polynesian dance with drum kit and bass, for a contemporary sound infused with the ancient rhythms of the Pacific.

Tickets: $10 - $35. 352-392-2787.

FREE FRIDAYS CONCERT QUILT DAY AND ANTIQUE SHOW Saturday, October 3 9:30am to 2:30pm

NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. Featuring popular quilts representative of the Dudley era. Bring your quilt. Historical skills demonstrations, such as pine needle basket weaving, palm weaving, tatting, spinning, quilting, inkle loom & cornhusk brooms. Quilts for sale, quilt-related vendors and more. Admission - $5.00 per car up to 8 occupants. 352-472-1142. www.friendsofdudleyfarm.org.

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SENIOR GAMES October 3 – October 18 Times vary

GAINESVILLE - Locations vary. The 15th Annual Gainesville Senior Games is a community event catered to adults 50 and over to promote an active and healthy lifestyle in today’s Seniors.

Hundreds of athletes from Alachua County and across the state of Florida will be competing archery, basketball shooting, billiards, basketball bowling, cycling, golf, swimming, table tennis, track and field and 5K road race. Info: Gainesville Sports Commission at 352-338-9300 or email mcrimmins@gainesvillesportscommission.

Friday, October 9 8:00pm

GAINESVILLE - 100 SW 2nd Ave. Performing this week is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover band Heavy Petty & Hedges (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tribute and Originals).

MADNESS AND MAYHEM October Weekends Times Vary

HIGH SPRINGS - Old Video City Location, 19975 Northwest 244th St. Madness and Mayhem Haunted House and Graveyard. This year’s theme is Little Red Riding Hood: Don’t stray from the path. October 9, 10, 16, 17 - 7:30pm

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- 11:00pm; October 23, 24, 30 - 7:30pm - midnight; October 31 - 7:30pm - until??? Ticket sales proceeds to benefit Our Santa Fe River, Inc., High Springs Historical Society, Inc. Museum, Plenty of Pitbulls. For more info about the event, sponsorship opportunities and volunteering: 386-454-5142. info@madnessandmayhem.org.

GAINESVILLE - 100 SW 2nd Ave. Performing this week is Wester Joseph’s Stereo Vudu. Melding rock, soul, blues, alternative and world, Joseph has perfectly synthesized his own new sound.

KIDS DAY

REPTICON

Saturday, October 10 10:00am – 2:00pm

October 16 – October 17 10:00am

NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. What About Scarecrows? Why were they used? How do you make one? Hands on crafts and much more.

Educational for the whole family. Admission $5.00 per car up to 8 occupants. 352-472-1142; www.friendsofdudleyfarm.org.

GAINESVILLE - Paramount Plaza Hotel & Conference Center, 2900 SW 13th St. Repticon Gainesville is a reptile event featuring vendors offering reptile pets, supplies, feeders, cages, and merchandise as well as live animal seminars and frequent free raffles for coveted prizes.

Exciting, educational, family-oriented fun for everyone! Adult admission is $10 and admission for children ages 5 to 12 is $5. Children under five are admitted for free. Visit www.reptiday. com/gainesville.

ALL ABOUT NANOWRIMO Sunday, October 11 2:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Millhopper Library, 3145 NW 43rd St. Panelists who have participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) will speak to the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. On November 1, professional and amateur writers from around the world will begin working toward the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on November 30. Hear the pros and cons from people who have done it. Learn how to discipline yourself to stay focused and get the job done. Info: nanowrimo.org. www.writersalliance.org.

BOOK SIGNING Friday, September 11 5:30pm – 7:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Haile Village Center, at “The Perfect Gift” “Breakfast at Leyman’s Grille” by Andrew V. Mike. This is the story of the daily search for love, meaning and happiness by those in southeast Florida Condo Associations. A humorous peek at the thoughts and plans of retired men in South Florida, including their wives and daughters-in-law and... surprise visitors.

ALL GIRL FRANKENSTEIN October 14 – November 8 Times Vary

GAINESVILLE - The Hippodrome, 25 SE 2nd Place. Just in time for the Halloween season, the Hipp presents the Southeastern Premiere of this smoldering new retelling of the gothic classic Frankenstein featuring a gutsy all-female cast. Discount previews of the show take place on October 14 and October 15. The official opening night is October 16. Call the box office at 352-375-4477 or visit www.thehipp.org.

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SENIOR CRAFT SHOW Saturday, October 17 9:00am – 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Alachua County Senior Recreation Center, 5701 NW 34th St. This non-juried show attracts a variety of crafters selling paintings, jewelry, crochet and knitted items, pottery, wood carvings and much more. Over 50 vendors participated last year; many are members of the Senior Recreation Center. All items are handmade and many treasures are sure to be found.

For more information contact Joy Flowers at 352-335-7797 or craftyqueen12@cox.net.

FALL PLANT SALE AND ORCHID SHOW October 17 - October 18 9:00am – 5:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. See the facility admission free. The Gardens formally opened to the public in October of 1987 and the Open House is a means of celebrating its ‘birthday.’ The American Orchid Society’s judged orchid show will coincide with the Fall Plant Sale and will take place inside Kanapaha’s entrance building. Bring cash because most vendors do not accept credit cards. Pets are not allowed. Visit www.kanapaha.org.

GUEST ARTIST RECITAL Sunday, October 18 3:00pm

GAINESVILLE - The Thomas Center, 302 NE 6th Ave. Artist Recital featuring Gary Langford Jazz Ensemble. 352-393-8539.

TEN STRINGS AND A GOAT SKIN Wednesday, October 21 7:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center. Ten Strings And A Goat Skin is a young, award-winning bilingual trad/fusion trio that celebrates the music of the Irish, Francophone and Maritime cultures. The group integrates modern and world rhythms with traditional and original tunes. General admission: $25. 352-392-2787.

RAGTIME October 22 – October 23 7:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center. At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing and anything is possible. Ragtime returns to the road in all-new touring production directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge. The stories of an upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician unfold — set in turn-of-the-century New York — are all united by their desire and belief in a brighter tomorrow. Tickets range from $20 - $65. 352-392-2787.

FREE FRIDAYS CONCERT Friday, October 23 8:00pm

GAINESVILLE - 100 SW 2nd Ave. Performing this week is classic rock group Mick Marino & Friends.

CHRISTIAN LANE, ORGANIST Sunday, October 25 2:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center. Winner of the 2011 Canadian International Organ Competition, Christian Lane is one of America’s most accomplished and versatile young organists. Tickets range from $10 to $30. 352-392-2787.

HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL Sunday, October 25 3:00pm

JONESVILLE - Sun Country Sports Center, 333 SW 140th Terrace. Sun Country Sports Center and the March of Dimes are teaming up for the 27th annual monster-themed Halloween carnival, Sunny’s Howl-A-Palooza. Inside and outside activities include costume contests, haunted houses, train rides, bounce houses, raffle, carnival games, face painting, hayrides and more! All proceeds benefit the March of Dimes.

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Lubee Bat Festival Saturday, October 24

10:00am – 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Lubee Bat Conservancy, 1309 NW 192nd Ave. This free festival includes games, music, food, bounce houses, environmental organizations, educational presentations and the largest bats in the world. This is great fun for the whole family! www.lubee.org.

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Thursday, October 29 6:00pm – 10:00pm

ALACHUA - Hitchcock Farm at the Santa Fe River Ranch, 29220 NW 122nd St. Gainesville Gone Austin is the Child Advocacy Center’s signature event. The event is country/western themed and features live music, a live auction, a silent auction, and a special guest speaker. The food for the event will be catered by Chuy’s.

Wear your best boots and blue jeans! Visit www. gainesvillegoneaustin.org for tickets and directions.

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Friday, October 30 7:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center. Presented by Dance Alive National Ballet this production combines a festive modern day Halloween party

in the royal castle with the classic beauty of the traditional Swan Lake. Complete with an evil magician that flies, all ages will love it. Tickets: $10 to $40. Guests can also enjoy Black Swan Café, an elegant dinner provided by Sweetwater Branch Inn, before the show at 6 pm. For $50, enjoy dinner, wine, and dessert while listening to the music of Strings for Things. 352-392-2787.

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TRANSFORM TOMORROW

TODAY. From the vibrant exterior to the dedicated edicated d staff, s t a f f , an a n atmosphere a t m ospher of care and comfort surrounds UF Health Shands Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital.

By supporting the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, you can be part of the healing that transforms lives. Join us at Noche de Gala, and help give children and their families a brighter tomorrow.

For sponsorship and ticket information, visit NochedeGala.org

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Your continued support ensures families in our community receive world-class pediatric care and the highest quality patient safety.

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BAND B BA ND REVIEW

BRIAN “KRASH” KRUGER’S

Gate Crashing ON DECK: JUICEBOX BAGELS, DEATH OR WAFFLES, PFANNENKUCKEN, PLUGGED IN, 3 NATION SIREN BRIAN KRUGER IS A WRITER, MUSICIAN AND A GRADUATE OF THE UF COLLEGE OF LAW. HE HAS PLAYED IN SOME 17 OR SO LOCAL BANDS, PLAYING MOST EVERY GAINESVILLE VENUE FRIENDLY TO ORIGINAL MUSIC (AND SOME NOT SO FRIENDLY). bkrashpad@yahoo.com

DATE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2015 VENUE: HIGH DIVE

G

reetings, live music aficionados! This installment finds us in downtown Gainesville, at the High Dive for an early Saturday show. This was a showcase from the second session of this summer’s Gainesville Girls Rock Camp.

Local musicians Jen Vito and Chelsea Carnes founded the camp. Its stated goals are to use “music and performance as a platform to promote self esteem, community, and creative expression, for young women and girls in Gainesville.”

If you don’t know about the GGRC, then it can only be because you haven’t been paying attention. If I’ve counted correctly the GGRC is now in its third year. Our Town has been covering the camp since its inauguration in 2013. This year, there were two weeklong camps. Session 1 was from July 6th - July 11th.

This was for younger girls, up to age 12. Session 2 was from August 3rd - August 8th, and for girls 13-17. After each camp session, there was a showcase performance. The campers form bands during the camp, learn instruments, songwriting and performance skills, and then perform a song at a showcase. If you’ve ever seen the closing credits to “School of Rock,” it’s kind of like that, only with women teachers and girl students.

At any rate, five bands performed at the Session 2 Showcase, which was well attended by parents, grandparents, guardians, friends and other supporters of the GGRC. The first band up was called Juicebox Bagels. It included Hunter on guitar and vocals, Lucie on guitar, Olivia on keys, Ruby on bass, and Charlotte on

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drums. They decided, apparently on the spot, that their song would be called “Feminist Anthem.” They also decided to push some boundaries lyrically: while the event program diplomatically listed the final line of the chorus as “We’re blasting our music in our B.A. Buick,” in fact the live version as sung replaced the initials with the term “bad-ass.” So, square parents were apparently not a problem for the GGRC. Punk rock!

Death or Waffles were up next, and how could they go wrong with a name like that? That band featured the same instruments as its predecessor — guitars by Sam and Cielo, bass by Leah, Bonnie on keyboards, and Gracie on drums. Their song was called “Stay True,” and featured the refrain “Stay true to yourself, don’t let go, no no no no.” How many adults could take a lesson from those teenagers?

The middle slot was held down by another quintet, who were listed in the program as Pfannenkucken.

There may have been a typo in there, as Pfannenkuchen is apparently the German word for pancake or dumpling, which (according to online translators, at least) is also slang for “roly-poly.” I’m not sure about any of that, of course, nor exactly what the girls intended, but at any rate their song included an entire verse in German, and the angsty chorus “Empty space, empty brain, empty heart, I feel no pain.” I wonder if they have heard Nina Hagen? The band consisted of Linzie and Daphne on guitar, Talyn on bass, Lily on drums, and Leilani on keys.

The penultimate band was another 2-guitar five-piece, called Plugged In. It featured Jade on drums, Kdasjah on keyboards, Victoria on bass, and Elena and Laksmi on guitar. Their song was about trying to get their friends to join in with their PHOTOGRAPHY: KELLEY BENNETT

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386-454-0676 music-making endeavors, and the second half of the chorus consisted of “We can be who we want to be, In this strange family.”

If you’ve ever been in a band, that line will strike home. And you’ll realize that their use of the word “strange” is more in the sense of “awesome” and “wonderful.”

Last up were 3 Nation Siren, featuring Maya on bass, Summer on drums, Benedetta on guitar, and Carrie on keys. True to their

band name, their lyrics included a verse in Italian and a verse in Japanese! The chorus summed up GGRC well: “You’re gonna see me be, The girl that I am, Tap my feet to the beat, That you can’t defeat. DON’T RUN BEHIND.” Following their performance, all the girls and volunteer leaders got up onstage for the Gainesville Girls Rock Camp Song, a rousing end to an entertaining show.

Now, go see some bands.

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www.bednbiscuit.net SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

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DRUGS >> MEDICINAL CANNABIS

CHANGING VIEWS

HARMFUL DRUG OR EFFECTIVE MEDICINE?

Medicinal Marijuana W R ITTEN BY A LEX I A FER NA NDEZ

One of the most hotly debated topics in America in most recent years has been whether medicinal marijuana, otherwise known as cannabis, should be legalized.

It has been debated, introduced in voting polls, shot down and reintroduced in voting polls by tireless proponents that speak of the benefits of legalizing a drug that does not kill and alleviates painful symptoms of many illnesses, such as glaucoma.

Cannabis has been extremely popular in the American continents since the 1800s but in the 1900s the general opinion turned against it. By the 1930s, 23 states had banned the drug.

Now, 24 states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, among them California, Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon. Among the 50 states, the majority of the southeastern region of the country has opposed legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana. Florida has not approved either 122 |

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medicinal marijuana or recreational marijuana.

Dr. Juan Sanchez-Ramos, a professor in the department of neurology at the University of South Florida, said people shouldn’t worry about cannabis when it’s used for medical treatment.

“It’s one of the safest substances,” he said. “No one has ever died of an overdose. It’s less dangerous than prescription drugs.”

Sanchez-Ramos has been an early and long-time researcher of the effects of cannabis in a medical setting. In 1990, he became a researcher for the Compassionate Use of Cannabis Pilot Program, a research study dedicated to examining the long-term effects of marijuana use. At the time of his involvement, nine people across the country were participating in the

While the federal government might not have legalized cannabis in the entire country, pure THC is still available as a prescription for people with glaucoma, and has been since 1985. research experiment and testing the uses of marijuana.

One of those patients was assigned to Sanchez-Ramos, who spent years gathering data on the changes, good or bad, cannabis made to the human body.

“My requirement was to order a three month supply of cannabis,” he said. “I would evaluate this patient Dr. Juan Sanchez-Ramos every three months and I had to report my findings to the FDA. It went on for years and years and eventually we summarized our findings. It showed that it had no effects. Two or three people still alive from the program are still getting cannabis for their illnesses.”

After the study ended, he attempted to submit an appeal to continue his research for medicinal marijuana, but was not permitted by the chairman of a hospital for which he was working at the time.

“That’s the amount of bureaucracy and obstacles that doctors have to overcome,” he said. “Some of the physicians I know think that cannabis is a smokescreen for medical abuse. I wrote a rebuttal saying that’s not true. Most of what people know about cannabis as medication they hear not from doctors but from drug regulators.”

Cannabis is known to curb the side effects of chemotherapy as well as giving aid to cancer patients experiencing pain. It’s also effective in relieving muscle pain.

In the United States, cannabis is listed as a Schedule 1 drug, as is heroin, which means the federal government characterizes it as a substance with a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 drugs are not accepted for medical treatment use. The federal government also restricts prescriptions written for substances labeled as schedule 1 drugs.

Despite this, several states have legalized the drug as either a medical treatment, a recreational drug or both.

“It’s not a gateway drug,” Sanchez-Ramos said. “I’m sure if more states started legalizing it, it’ll be for users that are over

Federal law currently views marijuana as a drug with the potential to be abused and has listed it as a Schedule 1 drug alongside heroin and LSD. Several states, however, have approved the use of marijuana as a medicinal drug or as a recreational substance.

SOURCES: CNN.COM, NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR THE REFORM OF MARIJUANA LAWS (NORML); NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES (NCSL).

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18 and in medical need of it. It’s less attractive once it’s legal.”

Sanchez-Ramos said there is a difference between what makes marijuana recreational and what makes it medicinal. It’s all in the formulation of how the cannabis is made; doctors need to know the exact percentage of THC — tetrahydrocannabinol — that a patient is getting within the cannabis.

There are many ways to gain the drug’s psychoactive effects, such as using the leaves, stems, flower buds and extracts from the marijuana plant.

There is one chemical compound believed by scientists to cause the drugs psychoactive effects.

That compound is THC. THC is the chemical in marijuana that is responsible for most of its psychological effects, such as feelings of euphoria, relaxation and pain relief. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, THC binds cannabinoid receptors, a place in the brain that takes into account physical feeling, throughout the body and cannabis’ “high” comes from THC’s binding of those places responsible for taking in pleasure, perception of time and pain.

While the federal government might not have legalized cannabis in the entire country, pure THC is still available as a prescription for people with glaucoma, and has been since 1985, Sanchez-Ramos said.

“When you take cannabis recreationally, no one is paying attention to formulation of it,” he said. “In medicinal marijuana, the formulation needs to be exact in order to know how much cannabis a patient is receiving and how it’s affecting their bodies.”

He said he hopes to continue his research on cannabis’ effects. Because cannabis is illegal in most states, he plans on conducting his study in states that have legalized medicinal marijuana for patients.

“I have a study where it’s probably going to take place in three states where it’s legal,” he said. “It’ll be a lot easier to study where there’s a regulated amount of cannabis in hospitals.”

He said his future study is likely to take place in the west coast, where the majority of states, such as California, Oregon and Washington, have legalized marijuana use. It may also take place in Canada.

“There will be increasing numbers of clinical trials even though the federal government is still against the prescription of marijuana in any medical form,” Sanchez-Ramos said.

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Illnesses helped by medicinal cannabis Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years and, as stated in the National Cancer Institute website, it may have some benefits to cancer-related side effects.

In cancer patients, cannabis increased the appetite of patients, with upsurges of fatty and sweet foods. Patients that experienced feelings of depression while ill showed an improved mood, a higher sense of wellbeing and less anxiety after inhaling cannabis.

Epileptic seizures are also reduced by cannabis. In truth, many neurological conditions are either controlled or have a reduced rate of occurrence for those who use medicinal cannabis.

The Epilepsy Foundation’s website said that seizures decreased by an average of 54 percent in 137 people who completed a 12-week study that had them take Epidiolex. The drug contains 99 percent CBD, or cannabidiol, which are substances in cannabis that act on cells in the body (cannabinoid receptors) to cause some effect. CBD does not cause the psychoactive effects caused by THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

For people with H.I.V., cannabis can increase appetite, provide pain relief and curb nausea. It was most commonly used in California, which only allows marijuana for medical use.

Cannabis can be taken in several forms. The most common method is smoking, while other options include edible cannabis, inhaling its vapors, topical variations of cannabis and as tinctures, which is a concentrated form of medical cannabis in an alcohol solution.

Edible cannabis affects patients differently than if they had inhaled it by smoking or vaporizing. Eating too much can cause extreme drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat and feelings of euphoria.

Symptoms usually subside within a few hours and dehydration may occur while under the drug’s influence.

Inhaling vaporized marijuana can prevent patients from experiencing some of the harmful effects of smoking such as a burning throat. A vaporizer is usually used in order to vaporize the drug and extract the cannabinoids at a much lower temperature than smoking requires.

SOURCES: DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (WWW.DEA.GOV/); LIVE SCIENCE (WWW.LIVESCIENCE.COM); EPILEPSY FOUNDATION (WWW.EPILEPSY.COM).

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ANATOMY >> FORENSIC MEDICINE

FINDING ANSWERS

Forensic Sciences A Peek Into the Fascinating World of Medicolegal Death Investigation W R IT TE N BY A LB E R T I SA AC

C

hief Medical Examiner Dr. William F. Hamilton, clad in blue scrubs, shoe covers, gloves and apron approaches the body that lies upon the autopsy gurney. The deceased is but one of the estimated 9,000 bodies Hamilton has examined over the course of his decades-long career.

The family of the deceased needs answers. As do the crime scene investigators. And Hamilton will do his level best to find the cause and manner of death.

But unlike popular television dramas, the medical examiner is not a one-man-show, and the answers aren’t typically available at the end of the autopsy. Hamilton is part of a team that includes investigators, autopsy assistants, toxicologists,

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entomologists and forensic anthropologists, to name but a few. Medicolegal death investigation depends upon the collaborative effort of experts from a wide range of disciplines. Together they achieve remarkable results.

“You don’t have to know everything,” Hamilton said in a recent interview. “You just have to know who to contact to help you. You have to know who can assist you in finding out all the pertinent information that you need to assess a case.”

His work was nearly finished for the day and he sat in the small building that serves as an office for him and another pathologist. Next door is the Office of the Medical Examiner with its autopsy suite and offices for the staff.

In the world of forensic death investigation every body is equal. From the innocent schoolmarm

This skull was donated to the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory by the family of the decedent. Analyzing the human skull can aid in determining the race, age and even sex of an individual.

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ANATOMY >> FORENSIC MEDICINE

Chief of Forensic Medicine Bruce A. Goldberger, Ph.D., F-ABFT, (top) and Chief Medical Examiner William F. Hamilton, M.D. take a break from their hectic schedules for these photographs. Goldberger and his team have worked with Hamilton for nearly 20 years in determining toxicological results for medical examiner cases from the 8th District.

to the death row inmate, the medical examiner is the best and sometimes only advocate for the deceased. His or her duty, states the Office’s website, is to “provide forensic death investigation with scientific objectivity, irrespective of personal beliefs or emotional attachment to the circumstances of any particular case and shed light on any mysteries surrounding one’s death.”

“We try to be very even-handed in our handling of cases,” Hamilton said. “We don’t have any particular bias toward one class of decedents over another. At the risk of sounding politically incorrect, we’re all God’s children.”

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He had four cases on this particular day, and another call came in during the interview, which means he’d be coming in to work on Saturday too.

Hamilton has been the Chief Medical Examiner for District 8 since 1981, when the office sat across the street from Alachua General Hospital. In those days the M.E. Office was housed in a small building consisting of an autopsy suite for examining the deceased, a walk-in cooler that could accommodate five gurneys, an investigator’s office, one spare desk and a front desk for a secretary.

One door separated the office from the sound of the bone saw.

They investigated less than 300 cases a year when Hamilton began, but that number has grown considerably since then. In 2013, the office investigated 658 cases. And while the facility is now bigger and more sophisticated, there’s always room for improvement.

“Funding is hard to come by,” Hamilton said. “Right now we’re struggling with the issue of replacing the Office, which has outlived its days by a considerable period of time. We’re working on these issues. We realize that we don’t just go to the County Commission and say, ‘Gimme a new medical examiner’s office.’ It doesn’t work that way.”

There are seven counties in the 8th District’s jurisdiction: Alachua, Levy, Bradford, Baker, Gilchrist, Union and Dixie. In essence, the office investigates all unnatural (and some natural)

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deaths from these counties, as per the Medical Examiners Act, Chapter 406, Florida Statutes, enacted in 1970 by the Florida Legislature to establish minimum and uniform standards of excellence in statewide medical examiner services.

But unlike some states, Florida does not have a coroner system, although the two titles — Medical Examiner and Coroner — are often confused. A Medical Examiner by definition must be a medical doctor.

“The qualifications and titles are not uniform throughout the country,” Hamilton said. “Medicolegal death investigators can be either medical examiners or coroners. And you have to define what the qualifications are for a coroner because some jurisdictions will have a qualified coroner system, meaning you’ll have to have some kind of special training, usually a physician,

ANATOMY >> FORENSIC MEDICINE

“We’re certainly blessed with everything that we have at the university with regards to forensic medicine. We have many services locally that can support medicolegal death investigation that other offices simply don’t have.

For a small city, we have everything, and it is cutting edge and state-of-the-art.”

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Laboratory Coordinator Kristina Altes (left), Quality Assurance Coordinator Allysha Winburn and Director Michael Warren, Ph.D., D-ABFA of the C.A. Pound Human ID Laboratory, which performs analyses of skeletal remains for many of the 24 medical examiner districts in the State of Florida.

to be a coroner. Others just have an elective office. In Kentucky — when I was there — 85 percent of the coroners were funeral directors with no specific education, but the ability to garner votes. And their work reflected it.”

A typical autopsy includes a thorough examination of the body, inside and out, from head to toe. The internal organs are weighed and dissected. Tissues are obtained for microscopic examination and samples of blood, urine, stomach contents, bile and even vitreous humor from the eye may be used for toxicological analysis.

“Now toxicology is not real fast. We can’t have you the answers by the end of the episode,” Hamilton said. “It might take several months, for a toxicological examination is rather complex and is quite expensive.”

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deceased (for instance, bodies can be identified by dental comparison or even the patterns of the frontal nasal sinus using antemortem records).

In cases involving broken bones, or decomposed or burned human remains, a forensic anthropologist is summoned.

“We called in Mike Warren a few days ago,” Hamilton said.

“We had an unfortunate hit-and-run accident and there were bony injuries, so we called the C.A. Pound Lab.” Dr. Michael Warren is the director of the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory. As a UF graduate student and faculty member, Warren has been contributing to the Pound Lab’s casework since 1991. He has also assisted with personal identification in mass disasters, and has helped to identify (and document war crimes against) the victims of genocide in Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo.

“I started as a grad student in 1991 with Dr. William Maples,” Warren said in an interview held in the C.A. Pound Laboratory. “I

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graduated with a doctorate in December of 1997 and he [Maples] passed away in February 1997. I was hired on the faculty in 2000 in the department of anthropology and I took over the direction of the lab on January 1st, 2009.”

Dr. William R. Maples was a pioneer in the field of Forensic Anthropology and a Distinguished Service Professor at UF. Nationally and internationally respected for his analysis of human skeletal material, he had participated in a number of historical high-profile investigations, including President Zachary Taylor, Medgar Evers, Francisco Pizzaro and The Elephant Man — Joseph Merrick. He had also assisted Hamilton in many of his most difficult cases.

“I started with Dr. Maples,” Warren said, “and now I’m directing his lab.”

Was he excited to be appointed as the lab director?

“It was a relief, more than excitement,” Warren said. “Because it’s been a huge emotional investment for me since 1991 — this lab and the success of this lab — and what better way to ensure the success of the lab? I consider it an honor to finally be directing the lab that I trained in.”

The Pound Laboratory is now located on campus on the ground floor of the Cancer and Genetics Research Complex.

And much like when Maples first began, the room is filled with tables displaying skeletal remains laid out for examination.

While the technology has become more sophisticated, in many ways the laboratory is run much like it was when Maples

was in charge. Graduate students conduct much of the analyses and Warren signs off on it. Only now it is peer reviewed and there is much more documentation.

“We get the best students in the country,” Warren said. “It’s the ‘CSI effect.’ We get 75 applicants; people who want to do this.

And these are people that used to go to engineering school, or used to go to become physicians or go to law school. So we’re getting these incredible talents. We’ll get 75 applications for one spot. And I can be hyper-selective.”

These days the push has come for the forensic sciences to be certified and accredited — and the Pound Lab is again the front-runner.

“Our lab model and our SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are what makes our Pound Lab stand out in the country,” Warren said. “The National Academy of Sciences — the most distinguished scientific body in the United States — reviewed the current state of the forensic sciences and they were very critical.”

Warren gave examples of crime labs that are run by law enforcement agencies; people not being board certified; and labs that are not accredited, where people testify using pseudoscience, “junk” science.

“DNA is the model because they can quantify all of their results, but they want all the disciplines to have board certification and accreditation,” he said.

With this in mind, Warren has to take a proficiency test every

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The Medical Examiner’s Office is tasked to investigate deaths that fall within the following categories: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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8.

9.

10.

11.

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ANATOMY >> FORENSIC MEDICINE

year or he’s not permitted to work on cases.

“I get tested along with everyone else,” he said. “And even though only very recently have the accrediting bodies started to recognize forensic anthropology as an accrediting discipline — now this is in the last year or so — we are already operating on all of those standards. So we should be one of the first to become accredited.”

Another crucial element of forensic science is toxicology. Enter Dr. Bruce A. Goldberger, the director for both the William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine and the UF Racing Laboratory, as well as the program director for the Florida Emergency Mortuary Operations Response System (FEMORS) — to name just some of his titles.

“Bruce is a big deal,” Warren said. “He was the president of the American Academy of Forensics Sciences. He is the director of the Maples Center.”

Goldberger has been with the University since 1994 and has performed numerous studies in forensic toxicology throughout his career, such as the measurement of therapeutic, abused and emerging drugs in biological tissues, including alternative matrices like hair, nails and vitreous humor.

His most significant contribution to the field of forensic toxicology was the identification and measurement of heroin and its metabolites in hair and other fluids and tissues.

“My dissertation work, which was done more than two decades ago, did lay the foundation for the scientific basis for the disposition of drugs in hair,” Goldberger said in an interview held in his lab at Rocky Point. “It is used extensively around the world.”

Goldberger’s lab analyzes specimens from six districts throughout the state and has been serving District 8 since 1996. He said that UF Health now has the

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Division of Forensic Medicine, for which he is chief. Sections within the Division include the Medical Examiner’s Office, Forensic Toxicology Laboratory, Florida Racing Lab, FEMORS, Maples Center and the ASPCA Veterinary Forensic Sciences Program.

“We’re certainly blessed with everything that we have at the university with regards to forensic medicine,” Goldberger said. “We have many services locally that can support medicolegal death investigation that other offices simply don’t have. For a small city, we have everything, and it is cutting edge and state-of-the-art.”

If Goldberger’s name sounds familiar it might be because he’s been featured on local, state and national radio and television, including ABC’s “Good Morning America,” “20/20” and “Nightline”… the list goes on.

He has been qualified as an expert witness more than 270 times in forensic toxicology in federal, state, military and Canadian courts of law.

“What we’re mostly known for in this laboratory and the work that we do is the cutting edge science related to the identification of

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emerging drugs,” Goldberger said. “Including the synthetic drugs.”

He gave an example of a drug known as Molly, a synthetic, psychoactive drug that has similarities to both the stimulant amphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline.

But the drug can be mixed with other, more harmful substances.

“On the street, Molly is considered to be pure Ecstasy, which is MDMA,” Goldberger said. “…These drugs are very dangerous. And we find them in decedents who may die from an overdose, or may die as a consequence of their behavior, which has been effected by the ingestion of the drug. So the medical examiners count on the laboratory to screen for these new drugs.”

Goldberger has handled many high-profile cases from around the state in the course of his career, but the one that stands out is Caylee Anthony.

“I would say that was the most high-profile matter worked in the forensic toxicology laboratory in the last 20 years,” he said.

He realized that everything they were doing was going to be highly scrutinized, but he was also quick to point out that they would do the same for any other case.

“We ensure that the results are accurate and reliable and can be used in a court of law,” he said. “And that’s true for all of the work that is done in the division, because there are many agencies that rely on our work and the results of that work; if it isn’t reliable, then there’s no prosecution. There’s no litigation.

It falls apart.”

Mike Warren would agree. His most important case?

“It’s always the last one,” he said. “This one we’re working on right now — that’s the important one. I don’t think of cases in terms of being high profile or having priority. Every case we have back there is high profile to the family. I don’t place any premium for those cases over a homeless person. I just don’t.”

In the end, these professionals are searching for the truth and doing their best to solve the cases and see justice served.

“We are public servants,” Hamilton said.

“We want to do the best that we can to ascertain why your loved one died. If you have questions, call us. We work for you.”

Learn more about the Office of the Medical Examiner at their website: district8me.com.

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BOOK REVIEW

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER’S

Reading Corner BOO written by Neil Smith C.2015, VINTAGE, $14.95 / $21.00 CANADA, 310 PAGES

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER HAS BEEN READING SINCE SHE WAS 3 YEARS OLD AND SHE NEVER GOES ANYWHERE WITHOUT A BOOK. SHE LIVES WITH HER TWO DOGS AND 11,000 BOOKS. HER BOOK REVIEWS ARE PUBLISHED IN MORE THAN 200 NEWSPAPERS AND 50 MAGAZINES THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND CANADA. bookwormsez@yahoo.com

ALL YOUR LIFE, YOU’VE TRIED VERY HARD TO BE GOOD.

Y

ou’ve volunteered your time, given to charity, stood up for kids who are bullied, and tried to set a good example. You do these things because you like the way they make you feel and because you sometimes think about where you’ll go when you die. But in the new book “Boo” by Neil Smith, this heaven isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

When Oliver Dalrymple woke up to find himself in a room he didn’t recognize, in a bed next to which sat a snoring black girl, he quickly assumed that he was dead.

What else could he think?

The last he remembered, it was the fourth day of eighth grade at Helen Keller Junior High and he’d finally had success at memorizing the periodic tables before falling to the floor. His parents always said that he had a hole in his heart, so he figured that was what killed him.

The black girl, his guide, Thelma Rudd, confirmed it.

Oliver, known as “Boo” to his classmates because of his palepale skin, had been “rebirthed.” He’d “passed” into this place everyone called “Town,” where he’d forever be 13 years old, skinny, and non-athletic. He’d always be super-smart — although he might grow wiser — and he’d stay that way for 50 years before he’d vanish for good.

Town was an unusual place.

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all repaired themselves spontaneously. It was always sunny, the sky never changed, there were no birds, and while there were some Earthly accoutrements, they were meted out by a god Boo called Zig, whom nobody ever saw.

These were things Boo wrote down, in case his parents might someday find him or he might find a mythical portal back to Earth. And so, he settled in to observe and journal — until another boy arrived in Town.

If it could be said that Boo had any friends in life, Johnny Henzel’s name would have been singularly mentioned, but now Johnny had a bombshell to deliver: Boo didn’t die of a holey heart. The two boys had been shot, and Johnny thought he could remember that the killer had died too. Would Zig have let a murderer in Town?

As a little bit of a nerd myself, I fell in love with “Boo” on the very first page.

Author Neil Smith’s title character is annoyingly smart and fully cognizant of his social ineptness, neither of which he can control. He’s guileless, but that innocence is tarnished by a threatening pulse that runs softly through this story itself. That grows as the plot progresses, and it’s cleverly underscored by numerous mini-shocks that surprise readers again and again, and an ending you may sense but won’t totally see coming.

As with so many young adult novels these days, this book is definitely not just for teens. I say buy it for your 13-to-17-yearold, but borrow it back and read it yourself… because “Boo” is very good.

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CANCER >> RESEARCH AND TREATMENT

CHECK YOUR HEAD

Brain Institute A Cure for Brain Cancer Might Come From Within W RIT TE N BY MICH A E L S TON E

A

long Newell Drive on the University of Florida campus, at the bottom of a rare steep slope in Gainesville, stands an imposing, six-story structure in which minds of great intelligence study the mind, hoping to make life better — or longer — for those suffering from mental illness or injury.

M o r e s p e c i f i c a l l y, r e s e a r c h i n t h e 200,000-square-foot building, the McKnight Brain Institute, focuses on memory loss from age or injuries to the brain or spinal cord; brain tumors; drug addiction; and diseases that cause brain degeneration, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. Developing solutions for these general categories and their multitudes of sub-problems is a Rubik’s 138 |

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Cube of colossal proportion, and research is further complicated, experts say, by the secrets of their causes and even the brain itself.

“The brain is the least understood organ in the human body. I consider it the last frontier of medicine,” Dr. Tetsuo Ashizawa, the institute’s executive director, wrote to Our Town in an email. “In the next decade, further inventions of new technologies, discoveries of new neurobiological mechanisms, and integration of different disciplines and knowledge will advance neurosciences to open the mystery of the brain little by little.”

With 50-plus laboratories at the institute and roughly 300 UF faculty members from more than four dozen academic departments involved in its work, lifting particular research projects, current or past, above the rest becomes a near impossible task.

PHOTOGRAPHY: DRUGPOLICYINSTITUTE.PSYCHIATRY.UFL.EDU

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(Clockwise, from top left) Yu Long, a UF research scholar in neurosurgery, examines DC cells, part of the immune system, as part of the Brain Institute’s brain cancer immunotherapy research. Lab manager Jeff Drake holds tumor tissue samples from patients with brain cancer. Rat brains, like this one, are used in the immunotherapy research.

But there is one niche area of study — brain cancer immunotherapy, or stimulating the patient’s body to be a primary weapon in fighting against a tumor — that has particularly blossomed at the institute over the past few years.

Such work is rooted in the 2006 donation of $5 million from the Wells Foundation to UF to establish the Center for Brain Tumor Therapy. Other donations and grants have followed, including another $10 million from the Wells Foundation that brought Dr. Duane Mitchell from Duke University to UF in 2013 to serve as co-director of the center and director of the university’s Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program.

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and when Mitchell came to Gainesville, he brought a team of five other researchers from Duke with him.

“Scientifically, it’s very interesting,” one of those five, Dr. Catherine Flores, said of using immunotherapy to fight brain cancer. “But also, on a human level, it’s a lot more satisfying.”

Including those five, Mitchell’s lab at the Brain Institute has about 20 researchers studying brain cancer immunotherapy.

While the team believes their research could eventually apply to other cancers and illnesses, teaching the body to fend for itself becomes especially important for brain cancer. The cancer may be in areas necessary to running the body’s essential functions, striking out surgery as an option, and bigger tumors often produce additional ones that might be too small to detect.

PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL STONE

CANCER >> RESEARCH AND TREATMENT

The most recent published findings from Mitchell’s team, in the March issue of the journal OncoImmunology, detail how immunotherapy has proven successful in fighting brain tumors in mice and could be applied to children.

Current treatment for children with brain cancer includes giving them stem cells that replenish their blood cells after chemotherapy destroys them.

In studying mice, the team found that also introducing immune cells familiarized with brain-tumor material helped treat the animals’ cancer.

This particular method of immune cells learning to fight brain tumors is called adoptive cellular therapy.

“Your own body is unable to recognize the tumor,” said Flores,

the study’s lead author, “so what we do is essentially take those immune cells and engineer them to be tumor-specific and put them back into you.”

In skin cancer, the patient’s immune system recognizes it should produce antigens that attack the tumor because blood is always running through the tumor, according to background information on the study from UF Health, the network of the university’s medical facilities.

But the brain has a barrier that blocks harmful substances from entering in blood — and this same defense mechanism could be preventing the immune system from recognizing the tumor and thus producing antigens to fight it.

From the mice — which had glioblastoma, an aggressive type SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

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Fernanda Guimaraes, a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical sciences at UF, works with samples at the Brain Institute’s brain cancer immunotherapy lab.

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of brain tumor — Mitchell’s team extracted tumor samples and, outside the body, taught immune cells to attack tumor cells for when they’d return inside.

With the specially trained cells, the mice’s bone barrow began to produce more cells that would fight the tumor, and they migrated to the brain to kill the tumor cells.

This technique is being tested on children in a clinical trial by the team and partner medical institutions across the country.

There’s urgency for these brain cancer patients wanting to participate in immunotherapy trials to seek them out soon after being diagnosed. Firstly, the patients can’t have had the cancer removed because, without tumor cells, antigens can’t be taught to fight the tumor. Secondly, immunotherapy is individualized to each patient, meaning it takes time to develop the appropriate therapy.

If immunotherapy does transition out of trials and research and into widespread treatment, it could provide hope against an illness that, while rare among cancer types, presents dire statistics for those diagnosed. Patients with brain or other cancers that affect the nervous system have only a 33 percent chance of living for five-plus more years, according to the National Cancer Institute.

The median lifespan after developing brain

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

cancer is roughly 12 months, Flores said.

About 150,000 people in the U.S. have brain or another nervous-system cancer, and 2015 is estimated to bring 23,000 new cases and 15,000 deaths from it, the National Cancer Institute reports.

But Flores is hopeful that the team’s progress, from Duke and now at UF, will be able to assist in taking the numbers down.

The findings in OncoImmunology are the latest in research and trial studies on brain cancer immunotherapy that have been building off each other, Flores said, and they’ve all seemed to suggest it’s working. She noted the success story of a 70-something-year-old California man who received treatment at Duke, has survived brain cancer for nine years, and even runs in marathons.

“In our long-term survivors, they have perfectly normal lives,” Flores said.

For Ashizawa, the Brain Institute’s executive director, the work being done with immunotherapy and everything else at the institute has the aim of turning the irremediable into something patients can move past and still enjoy life.

“Many neurological injuries and diseases are currently incurable,” he wrote to Our Town, “but advances in neuroscience give a chance for better quality of life to victims of brain injuries and diseases.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL STONE

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CANCER >> SHANDS LIMINAL BELL

MILESTONES

THE IMPACT OF THE UF LIMINAL BELL AFTER ONE YEAR

Standing at the Threshold W R I T T E N B Y C R Y S TA L H E N R Y | P H O T OG R A P H Y B Y K R I S T I N K OZ E L S K Y

The bell sits quietly in its sanctuary. It’s seen a lot of sadness pass by this year, but it has also seen joy, celebration and reflection.

It has taken its licks, the striker has been replaced a few times, and the bell shows some wear. But it is standing strong as a symbol of victory.

The UF liminal bell was made from an old oxygen tank, a familiar fixture in the lives of many cancer patients. Its purpose is to be a visual and auditory symbol of the first step out of a life that revolved around cancer treatment. The word liminal has Latin roots that mean threshold or a space in between.

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patients to reflect and take a moment to transition to the next healing part of their cancer journey.

Words like “Wow! I made it!” and “Thank God!” are scrawled in the book near the bell. And in little more than a year the book is almost completely full.

New patients pass by the bell in the lobby often unaware of its significance, said Debra Hutchinson, radiation oncology clinical operations manager at Shands. It was Hutchinson’s idea for a small bell in the hall that grew into the liminal bell displayed today.

“As a nurse I know it registers on my face how happy it makes me to tell new patients about the bell,” she said.

Once patients decide to have treatment at UF Health Shands, they are invited to a teaching session where nurses help them learn about aspects of treatment such as side effects. But another thing they include is information about the liminal bell and why it’s there. Hutchinson said their eyes moisten up and their

voices crack as their hearts are touched.

“When I explain it to them they say, ‘Oh yeah I’m going to give that thing a big ol’ whack,’” she said.

And when a patient finishes and gives it a good strike the nurse’s station just resonates with the sound of accomplishment. The artist, Alexis Dold, has come by to replace the striker because many patients give it their all when they strike the bell. And it’s not uncommon for the lobby to erupt in applause when the bell is struck.

“It’s awesome, and it’s humbling,” Hutchinson said.

The next phase of the project is to let patients make their own strikers to use, said Tina Mullen, director of the Shands Arts and Medicine program. The strikers will be made from simple wooden dowels donated by a local big box hardware store. Artists will

The artist, Alexis Dold, has come by to replace the striker because many patients give it their all when they strike the bell.

And it’s not uncommon for the lobby to erupt in applause when the bell is struck. engage the patients and help them wrap the dowels and embellish them to create the striker as a sort of relic of their experience.

This summer student volunteers assembled the kits that will be available for nurses to distribute any time, not just during the arts and medicine clinics.

Mullen was instrumental in bringing the bell into being as well, and she said what she’s noticing are the powerful messages left in the book near the bell. She said last time she ran a tour it was on a day when a man came down with his wife to ring the bell.

“He rang the heck out of that bell,” she said. “It was a very powerful moment.”

The first year has been just the threshold of hope and inspiration that is sure to come with each strike of the liminal bell.

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COLUMN

DONNA BONNELL’S

Embracing Life HELP

DONNA BONNELL BECAME THE AUTHOR OF HER COLUMN, EMBRACING LIFE, MORE THAN A DECADE AGO. SHE SHARES HER PERSONAL CHALLENGES AND VICTORIES WITH THE GOAL OF INSPIRING HER READERS TO ANALYZE WHY THINGS HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. dbnewberry@aol.com

A “LET IT BE” CONCERT IN LONDON, AFTER A VERY LONG SOLITARY INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT, TRANSPORTED ME BACK TO A SIMPLE TIME WHEN LOVE WAS ALL I NEEDED.

W

hile on my mental trip back to the ‘60s, I received an important message that I should have learned decades ago: I also need a little help from my friends.

Until the summer of 2015, I never doubted my ability to persevere through any situation. My mantra was always that I could take care of myself! An attitude adjustment began, though, while enduring excruciating suicide survivor’s pain. Death of a loved one, particularly when self-induced, has a harsh way of putting life into perspective.

Shane, my 35-year-old nephew, took his own life. Following his funeral, reality resumed. Everyone returned to his or her respective hometowns. Guilt-stricken agonizing grief gnawed deep into our souls. God’s gifts of serene-shock and adrenaline-induced enigmatic energy (provided during a crisis) faded and were replaced with anger, anxiety and apathy.

As is typical of my self-sufficient personality, I believed I could recommence routine activities without facing regrets or healing. I tried, but did not succeed. Perhaps my failure was part of this particular life lesson.

Why was I so certain that I could handle anything alone? Did I negatively portray an aloof image of independence, which I once believed was one of my few personal positive attributes?

Did I make it appear that asking for help was demeaning? If I had not worn that invisible mask and allowed others to witness my true insecurities, would that have made a difference in Shane’s final decision? Honestly, I was a mess. Without realizing it, the help I so desperately needed had been prearranged.

Many months before this horrific event happened, I booked a trip with a group of women, mostly from Newberry. Our journey included a visit to England and France. After committing to travel, I made payments. Every time an installment was due, something terribly disturbing took place. I began to feel that these where signs indicating that I should not go. Therefore, I purchased 146 |

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travel insurance, which provided some sense of security. Shortly after I made the final payment, Shane committed suicide.

The weeks following are almost a blur. Nothing really seemed to matter, especially a frivolous nonsensical trip. Work was wretched, normal did not exist and rational thoughts were rare.

My decision to participate was difficult; I felt unworthy.

One day before the scheduled departure, I decided to take the trip as planned. It was a good decision. Very few individuals knew of my whereabouts and only one or two people in my fellow group of travelers knew of the recent suicide. The diversion, which allowed me the freedom to focus on foreign sights and face new challenges, was definitely part of God’s plan.

Many fabulous things happened, but the most notable was a concert in London’s Garrick Theatre, honoring the Beatles.

The minute the spectacular group began to sing “Help,” healing tears poured from my being. The time was right for me to hear the words in that song.

It was as if the pause button, pressed in my brain many years ago, finally switched off. The following lyrics were a pivotal turning point in my recovery: “When I was younger so much younger than today, I never needed anybody’s help in any way.

Now these days are gone, I’m not so self-assured. Now I find I’ve changed my mind and opened up the doors.”

Additional tunes, such as “Come Together,” “Hey Jude” and “Yesterday” triggered powerful unexpected gut-wrenching reactions. I evaluated 61 years of successes, failures, past purposes and possible future paths, during a two-hour concert. My raw emotions flowed until the magical musical ended.

Later I wondered what my new friends sitting on either side of me thought. Then I realized everyone in our group was there for a reason. It was not an accident. We left London’s West End theatre district in taxicabs (which I now dub our yellow submarines) feeling united and ready for our exciting adventure ahead.

That night I embraced these stanzas from “Help.” “And now my life has changed in oh so many ways. My independence seems to vanish in the haze. Every now and then, I feel so insecure…”

“Help me if you can, I’m feeling down. And I do appreciate you being ‘round, Help me get my feet back on the ground. Won’t you please, please help me?”

I finally learned that it is ok to ask for help.

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NUTRITION >> SUGAR CONSUMPTION

HOW SWEET IT IS

Too Sweet The Effects of Sugar on Both the Young and Old W RIT TE N BY ING RID A LLI SON BOZEM A N

M

ore than a third of American adults are obese.

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the past 30 years childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents. Regardless of age, obesity puts people at risk for serious health conditions such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes. One substance that has contributed to this epidemic is sugar.

Pamela Alkire, a retired claims adjuster in her 60s, has firsthand experience with sugar and weight gain.

“Sugar gives me some energy,” she said. “Too much sugar in my younger years caused weight gain. Now that I am older it makes me tired and gives me night sweats from time to time. My doctor has warned me that I need to be careful about managing my weight.”

Sugar is everywhere. Walk into a supermarket or convenience store and you will find yourself surrounded by cakes, cookies, muffins and a bunch of other processed foods. If you take the time to read some of the labels, you

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might come across fructose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, and lactose, which are some common names for this substance.

People love sugar because it’s sweet and gives them a quick burst of energy. Sugar makes people feel good because of its impact on the brain. Sugar rich foods cause the brain to release a chemical known as dopamine, which affects the reward center of the brain. It also provides a burst of energy. But this burst of energy is short-lived and people need a continuous stream of sugar to keep the good feeling.

According to the National Health and Examination survey, Americans consume an average of 20 teaspoons of sugar a day, which adds up to more than half of a 5-pound bag of sugar each week. Teenagers are among the top sugar consumers. The recommended daily limit is 6 teaspoons for women (100 calories) and 9 teaspoons for men (150 calories). This overuse of sugar has contributed to many health problems.

There are many negative health effects of eating sugar. Lisa Magary, nurse practitioner and owner of Celebrate Primary Care in Gainesville discussed some of these effects in an email interview. Detrimental effects included an “increased risk of diabetes and heart disease (regardless of weight), increased risk for developing cancer, obesity, blood sugar spikes in children and addiction.” Magary also shared a story about a patient and the effect of excessive sugar consumption on her.

“I had a woman (age 55) with uncontrolled diabetes, recurrent skin infections, neuropathy (numbness in her feet),

recurrent fungal infections and fatigue,” Magary said. “After counseling her and encouraging her to read books about the negative effects of sugar, she went on a ketogenic diet (low carb, high fat, moderate protein).”

Magary said the patient has stabilized her blood sugar, avoided going on insulin, cured her fungal infections, has amazing energy, regained sensation in her feet and has not had a recurrence of the skin infection.

“No one can exert cognitive inhibition – willpower — over a biochemical drive that goes on every minute of every day of every year,” said Dr. Robert H. Lustig, California pediatric endocrinologist. He talked about this in an article called “How Sugar Hijacks Your Brain and Makes You Addicted.”

Lustig said when people consume large amounts of sugar their dopamine brain receptors down-regulate and there are fewer of them. Therefore, they need to eat more of the same foods to get the same pleasurable effect as before. He goes on to say that sugar can be as addictive as substances such as drugs and alcohol. The reward system in obese individuals is changed because of an overconsumption of sugar and junk food. Therefore they respond differently to food and have difficulty controlling their food intake. In another interview, Dr. Lustig told 60 Minutes, “according to brain scans, sugar is as addictive as cocaine.”

Dr. James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist at St. Luke’s Mid-America Heart Institute in Kansas City,

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Mo., takes this a step further saying that some studies show sugar can be even more addictive than cocaine. He discussed this in an article entitled “Is Sugar More Addictive than Cocaine?” posted on hereandnow. wbur.org.

“Even when you get the rats hooked on IV cocaine, once you introduce sugar, almost all of them switch to the sugar,” he said.

DiNicolantonio further explained that not all sugar is bad. People need to learn the difference between refined and intrinsic sugar. Refined sugar is found in cookies and other processed foods. This can lead to health problems, but intrinsic sugar found in milk is not necessarily unhealthy.

Unhealthy sugars can lead to health problems such as prediabetes. DiNicolantonio suggested having almonds or dark chocolate

“According to brain scans, sugar is as addictive as cocaine.” to satisfy a sugar craving because they contain less refined sugars.

“We’ve got to give people hope, right?”

DiNicolantonio said. “You don’t want to just tell them they can’t ever have sugar again.”

Still, he believes the FDA could help.

“The government subsidizes corn, so high fructose corn syrup is cheaper than sugar, and that’s why it’s so ubiquitous in our diets,” DiNicolantonio said. “They need to start subsidizing healthy foods. We shouldn’t be able to eat a Snickers bar for cheaper than we can eat an apple.”

People need to educate themselves about sugar and its effects. Then they can make their own decisions about sugar consumption.

Pamela Alkire had this advice: “Enjoy life and eat different foods in moderation.”

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Ten Simple Steps to Reduce Sugar Intake 1.

6.

2.

7.

3.

8.

4.

9.

READ FOOD LABELS This is the first step to reducing your sugar intake because you need to be aware of foods that have sugar in them. Sugar is found in many foods that you would not expect, such as tomato sauce. If you see sugar listed as the first ingredient on a label, steer clear of that product.

KNOW THE DIFFERENT NAMES FOR SUGAR Sugar can be listed on a label under so many names that you might not recognize so it’s a good idea to become familiar with some of these. High fructose corn syrup, molasses, dried cane syrup and basically any word ending in ose is a form of sugar. Some foods might even contain several forms of sugar.

BUY ‘NO SUGAR ADDED’ PRODUCTS Foods such as applesauce, almond milk and nut butters have versions with no sugar added.

GRADUALLY LOWER YOUR SUGAR INTAKE Going cold turkey and suddenly removing all sugars from your diet is not the best strategy. It will cause you to go back to your old sugar habits after a few days. Slowly lowering your sugar intake is a better strategy to create lasting changes. For example, if you usually have two sugar packets in your coffee or cereal, cut down to one and then you can reduce it to half a packet the next week. This will help you adjust to less sugar.

5.

ADD MORE FLAVOR Natural spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg make food much more flavorful and add sweetness without extra calories.

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AVOID FAKE SUGARS Artificial sugar substitutes can affect your taste buds causing you to crave more sugar which results in weight gain. A little bit of the real thing is better than any of the substitutes.

FOCUS ON PROTEIN AND FAT If you build your meals around protein and fat, you will feel fuller longer and avoid the blood sugar crashes that are caused by only consuming carbs. For example, breakfast could consist of eggs and a slice of toast. A typical snack might be turkey breast and string cheese.

AVOID DRINKING SUGAR Stick to water, which can be flavored using lemon or any type of fresh fruit. Soda and energy drinks contain a lot of sugar and calories. For example, energy drinks can have as much as seven teaspoons per can.

ENJOY OCCASIONAL SWEET TREATS It’s not necessary to completely eliminate sugar from your diet.

Instead, enjoy sugar as an occasional treat for a special occasion such as a birthday or holiday. On a daily basis, try to limit your sugar intake to nine teaspoons for men and six teaspoons for women.

10.

BE COMMITTED At first, reducing your sugar intake will be very difficult. You may experience fatigue and headaches as your body adjusts. In time, your body and taste buds will adjust and you will taste the sweetness in a strawberry and cake might even taste too sweet.

INFORMATION ADAPTED FROM: HEALTH.COM. “10 EASY WAYS TO SLASH SUGAR FROM YOUR DIET”

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NUTRITION >> PUMPKINS AND APPLES

SQUASH AN YONE?

Fall Into Good Nutrition With Apples and Pumpkins W R I T T E N B Y M A R Y W. B R I D G M A N

O

ne of the best ways for people to economize on their grocery budget and enjoy healthful and flavorful foods is to eat fruits and veggies that are in season.

Pumpkins and apples may not be Florida products, but we can count on plentiful supplies in local supermarkets — and pumpkin patches and produce markets — during the autumn months.

An apple a day, you say? Most of us are familiar with the old saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a study published this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine found that daily apple eaters had just as many doctor visits as those who ate fewer or no apples. Eating apples didn’t reduce

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the number of overnight hospital stays or mental health visits either. However, apple eaters were slightly less likely to use prescription drugs. The study concluded that there may be more merit to saying, “An apple a day keeps the pharmacist away.”

Nevertheless, there’s no denying that apples are packed with nutritional benefits. One medium apple has about 100 calories, is a good source of vitamin C and provides nearly 20 percent of the daily recommended amount of fiber, not to mention small amounts of vitamin A, calcium and iron. As IFAS extension agent Samara Deary explained, apples are a wise choice, especially for snacking.

“Nutrient-poor, sugary snacks are like fuel that runs hot and flames out,” she said. “They are followed by a crash that can leave you hungry and, at times, unable to concentrate.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: KRISTIN KOZELSKY

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Not so the humble apple, which will keep you full and satisfied until mealtime rolls around again, she said.

Deary said pumpkins — members of the squash family — are another nutritious option for meals and in-between.

They can be substituted in recipes that call for sweet potatoes and fall squashes.

Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are high in vitamin A, protein, fiber, zinc, iron and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. That translates to a bonanza of benefits including a healthy cardiovascular system (“good” fats), healthy skin and vision (vitamin A), decreased osteoporosis (zinc), and decreased colon cancer (fiber), to name a few.

The bright orange color of pumpkins is a dead giveaway that they, like carrots, are loaded with beta-carotene, an important antioxidant. Beta-carotene is converted

Pumpkins, like carrots, are loaded with beta-carotene, an important antioxidant. to vitamin A in the body — you can get enough beta-carotene in one cup of pumpkin to cover over 200 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for eye health, aiding the retina in absorbing and processing light. Pumpkin also contains lutein

Do carrots improve eyesight?

Like pumpkins, carrots are loaded with vitamin A, maintaining a healthy cornea and aiding proper perception of light at the retina. Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, which can be exacerbated by a lag in recovery time after seeing a flash of light in the dark.

During World War II, the link between carrots and eyesight was not clearly understood. This assisted Britain’s air ministry in starting a rumor that a diet rich in carrots improves vision, leading the Nazis to believe this was why the Brits saw their night bombers coming before they even reached the English Channel.

In truth, the rumor was designed to cover up a new secret technology being used by the Royal Air Force: Airborne Interception Radar. As long as the Germans didn’t think the technology existed, they would not question the uncanny ability of the British to see enemy planes approaching in the dead of night.

The rumor was so successful that the English public began eating more carrots to help their night vision during blackouts.

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and zeaxanthin, which are antioxidants believed to help prevent cataracts and may even slow development of macular degeneration.

That large shot of vitamin A boosts your immune system, helping your body fight infections, viruses and infections diseases. In addition, pumpkin contains nearly 20 percent of the recommended daily requirement of vitamin C, which may mean you get over that fall or winter cold more quickly.

Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods with beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer, including prostate and lung cancer. That is because vitamins A and C are both antioxidants, which act as shields for your cells against cancer-causing free radicals.

Pumpkin has gotten a bit of a bad rap for its high glycemic index, or GI, which suggests that its carbohydrates could cause a marked increase in your blood sugar. However, the Glycemic Index Foundation advises against avoiding this nutrient-rich food because its low carbohydrate content offsets its high GI value, resulting in a lower effect on blood sugar than its GI ranking might suggest. Four-fifths of a cup of boiled pumpkin contains only four grams of carbohydrates, only five percent of the total content of a serving of pumpkin, which means you would have to consume a large amount of boiled pumpkin to increase your blood sugar significantly.

For those of us accustomed to eating most of our pumpkin in the form of pie, it may be surprising to learn that there are many other recipe options for pumpkin, ranging from pumpkin soup to roasted pumpkin seed — soup to nuts, in a manner of speaking. Deary recommends the following to take your pumpkin consumption up a notch — to healthier eating. As an added bonus, she shared her recipe for Northwest Apple Salad. Bon appetit!

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ROASTED PUMPKIN SAGE SOUP

ROASTED PUMPKIN, PEPPERS AND SAUSAGE

2

6 2 2 2 3 3

medium (6 lbs total) sugar pumpkins or pumpkin pie pumpkins 1 Tbsp. butter (olive oil for dairy-free) 3/4 cup shallots, diced 3 cloves garlic, chopped 4 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth (use vegetable stock for vegetarians) 1 Tbsp. fresh sage, plus more for garnish * Salt and fresh pepper to taste * Reduced fat sour cream for garnish Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a heavy, sharp knife, cut the pumpkins in half. Scoop out seeds and place on a baking sheet; bake for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours. When pumpkin is cooked and cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. This should make about 5 cups (an equal amount of canned pumpkin can be substituted).

Add butter to a large pot or Dutch oven, on medium heat; add shallots and sautĂŠ until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add pumpkin and broth to the pot, along with sage, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. Blend in a blender until soup is smooth. Yields 5 servings.

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brats (or use any other sausage such as turkey, kielbasa, etc.) red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks medium red onions, peeled lb pumpkin, deseeded and cut into wedges about 1 inch thick 6-inch sprigs of rosemary tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put sausages, peppers, red onions and pumpkin in a large roasting pan. Scatter rosemary leaves and a fat pinch of salt over the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and turn the sausages and vegetables in it until well coated. Roast for 40 minutes or until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are tender and browned. Yields 6 servings.

NORTHWEST APPLE SALAD 2 2 3 1 1

medium Granny Smith apples Tbsp. dried cranberries Tbsp. plain low-fat yogurt Tbsp. walnuts Tbsp. honey (optional)

Rinse and remove cores from apples. Do not peel. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in medium bowl. Add dried fruit and yogurt to bowl. Mix well.

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast nuts until golden brown and fragrant.

Watch closely so they do not burn. Remove from pan and let cool.

Chop cooled nuts with a knife. Add chopped nuts to bowl. If using honey, add it now. Toss and serve. Yields four 3/4 cup servings.

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FOOD REVIEW

Adventures in Appetite

CONTRIBUTED

BY KEN PENG OF KEN EATS GAINESVILLE

KEN PENG HAS LIVED IN GAINESVILLE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS OF HIS LIFE, BUT HAS BEEN EATING SINCE HE WAS BORN. IT IS HIS HOPE THAT ANYONE WHO READS THIS PAGE WILL DISCOVER A NEW SPOT TO VISIT THE NEXT TIME THEY’RE FEELING HUNGRY. keneatsgainesville.com

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT HAS HAPPENED. GAINESVILLE FINALLY HAS A GOOD THAI RESTAURANT.

B

angkok Square recently opened at 6500 SW Archer Road in the same plaza that houses Beef O’Brady’s and Cloud 9 Spa. After the disappointment of other Thai restaurants and their dishes, I tempered my expectations on my first visit.

But they surely did not disappoint.

The restaurant is built on half of the old Hobbytown USA location, and the owners have done a great job of putting together a beautiful dining area. The restaurant is bright, clean, and offers a modern feel while still maintaining some traditional Thai elements. With no roadside signage, this little eatery located roughly 1.5 miles west of I-75 can be easily missed.

But enough about the location, the food is just great.

As I mentioned in my previous review, the one dish that I use to measure a good Thai restaurant is their Pad Thai. I mean it’s the Thai national dish, and if a restaurant can’t make this, they aren’t worth visiting. Bangkok Square offers up a beautiful

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Pad Thai that isn’t the sloppy wet goop you’ll find at some other spots, and you can actually taste all the elements involved (fish sauce, peanuts, tamarind, egg, sprouts). Prices range from $11.95 for chicken, pork or tofu, all the way up to $19.95 for crispy duck.

That’s right, Crispy Duck Pad Thai is delicious. I mean, game over. You must try this.

Not feeling the noodles? Bangkok Square also offers a variety of traditional curries that again range from $11.95 to $19.95 depending on your choice of protein. Red, Green, Mussaman, Panang, Prig Khing (curry paste, green beans, bell peppers and ginger), and something called Amazing Sauce (peanut sauce, coconut milk, and mixed veggies) are all available. I had the chance to sample the Panang curry, and it was wonderful. The homemade curry was creamy and well spiced, while the fresh zucchini, bell peppers, and peanut were just perfect.

The menu is authentic and you’ll find some Thai standards like Lad Nar (Thai gravy with broccoli, mushrooms, carrots served over stir fried rice noodles), Spicy Basil Fried Rice Larb Gai ($8.95 – ground chicken with lime juice, fresh mint leaves, chili, onions, and powdered

roasted rice), and Yum Woonsen ($10.95 – bean thread seasoned with chicken and shrimp, mushrooms, and lime juice on top of a green salad).

Bangkok Square is also a vegetarian-friendly restaurant that offers the option of tofu or veggies on most dishes. Several vegan and gluten-sensitive readers have mentioned they are very accommodating and willing to cater to their specific diets.

The restaurant also has a Macrobiotics Diet section, a popular diet throughout Asia that consists of eating whole grains, fresh vegetables, and no processed foods. All dishes are

The restaurant also has a Macrobiotics Diet section, a popular diet throughout Asia that consists of eating whole grains, fresh vegetables, and no processed foods. served over brown rice, and choices include Steamed Broccoli, Carrots, Green Beans, and Snow Peas for $12.95, Sauteed Bean Sprouts, Carrots, Snow Peas, and Cashews for $13.95 or Sauteed Mixed Vegetables, Seaweed, and Tofu for the same price.

Most menu items are between $10 and $20 a dish, but the portions are generous, everything is fresh, and the staff is very attentive. The owners are present at the restaurant, interacting with their guests, and they take pride in serving quality authentic cuisine in a beautiful atmosphere. This is what it’s all about, folks. Bangkok Square does it right, and after my second visit in three days, they are quickly becoming a favorite.

Don’t forget to finish off your meal with the Crunchy Banana Dessert ($4.95 – fresh banana cut up in bite sizes with crunch coconut, wrapped in crispy rice paper, deep fried and topped with honey and sesame seeds).

It was one of the best desserts I’ve had in some time! Unless other local restaurants improve, Bangkok Square will be my only choice for Thai in Gainesville.

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