Ultrasound

I imagine you are getting some negative responses to the Doonesbury cartoon strip so let me counter those by stating that I am glad you have chosen to run the current panels regarding a Texas law that requires women seeking an abortion to first undergo an ultrasound. Although Doonesbury creator Gary Trudeau can be controversial, he is dealing with an important issue in a manner that certainly draws attention, and the attempts by conservatives to make already unpleasant choices some women face more difficult and restrictive need to be countered.

Drs. Copeland, Hyman & Shackman will open a full-service imaging facility in Harford County this summer.The new location in Bel Air will be headquartered at the 31,000-square-foot Plumtree Professional Center. The new facility will feature state-of-the-art imaging equipment.Drs. Copeland, Hyman and Shackman are radiologists who specializein diagnosing diseases with such innovative tools as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), ultrasound, nuclear medicine and mammography.

Yonathan Zohar, a scientist who specializes in fish reproductive physiology and endocrinology, has been named to head the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute's Center Marine Biotechnology.Zohar, who assumed his new job Sept. 1, will oversee research and training, manage the budget and seek grants for all programs at the Baltimore center.Zohar holds three patents: for hormonal and gene-based methods of manipulating ovulation and spawning in fish, and for using ultrasound for administering vaccines and antibiotics to mass populations of farmed fish.

It's best to start this slice of Jake Arrieta lore with a minor discrepancy; it was either a couch or an overstuffed chair. The exact piece of furniture isn't essential, what Arrieta did with it and why, that's the point here. The fact that its identity is in dispute, however, is fitting. Because it's also impossible to perfectly define Arrieta, who Friday will become the youngest pitcher to start Opening Day for the Orioles since Mike Mussina in 1994. Is the 26-year-old right-hander arrogant or confident?

Bunny, a 22-year-old chimpanzee at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, gave birth to a stillborn baby Thursday, the Zoo announced today. The Zoo's chimpanzees were given "mourning time" with the stillborn baby, according to Zoo officials. "This was Bunny's first pregnancy and things seemed very normal up to and including her last ultrasound earlier this week. At this time, we do not know what caused the infant to be stillborn," said Meredith Wagoner, mammal collection and conservation manager for the Zoo, in a press release.

Carroll Hospital names diagnostic imaging chief Dr. Phillip E. Byrd Jr. has been named chief of the department of diagnostic imaging at Carroll Hospital Center. He will oversee general radiology, computer tomography (CT), ultrasound, nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance imaging and interventional radiology services at the hospital. He has more than 25 years experience in interventional radiology and radiation safety. Byrd received his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia (Virginia Commonwealth University)

Gin Talking, the reigning Maryland-bred Horse of the Year, was retired yesterday because of tendon damage in her left foreleg. Robin Graham, her trainer at Laurel Park, said an ultrasound scan revealed the damage after she noticed "different" swelling in a troublesome tendon. "The vet said this was something that might be OK," said Lou Rehak, who owns the filly with Willie White and Bob Orndorff as Skeedattle Associates. "But we just decided to retire her. She's been way too good to us to take a chance of hurting her."

Recent studies in Baltimore and Los Angeles offer hope that medical scanning devices can give accurate pictures of breast implants that have ruptured and leaked silicone gel into surrounding tissue.Two techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound, appear to do a good job detecting the most serious )) leaks: those in which gel has seeped outside the capsule of scar tissue that naturally forms around an implant once it is placed inside the breast.They appear less effective in detecting leaks that are contained by the scar-tissue envelope.

Dr. Melvin S. Rapelyea has been appointed chairman of the Howard County General Hospital Department of Radiology.Dr. Rapelyea will oversee all aspects of diagnostic imaging including traditional radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.A radiologist with Diagnostic Radiology Associates, Dr. Rapelyea past president of the Howard County Medical Society.The New York native is a graduate of Adelphi University and the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Doctor Rapelyea has resided in Howard County since 1981.

No leadership on Turf Valley issue I am writing as a resident of Turf Valley and as someone who has been involved in the issues surrounding its development. I am appalled at the gutless action of the County Council, especially Charles Feaga, who seems to want it both ways. None of these so-called leaders deserve a vote in the upcoming election. They have all shown how they handle difficult issues and it is not in the best interest of the public. The Turf Valley development is a well-planned, effective use of golf course land and fits nicely into the overall development of U.S. 40 and Howard County.