14 Things to Do in Lake County in November

Halloween is next week, which means the days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler (let us hope,) and the Holidays are upon us yet again! There's plenty to do and see in Lake County for November, from festivals to plenty of Holiday warm-ups, and everything in between. Take a look at all of our picks below!

- - - - - 

21st Annual Leesburg Main Street Christmas House

Saturday, November 5^th – Saturday, December 10^th, 2016

10401 U.S. Hwy 441, Suite 402, Leesburg

Stop by the Leesburg Christmas House for their grand opening on November 5^th.  There will be plenty of Christmas pieces available for purchase for your home, office, or that someone special.

17^th Annual Chili Cook-Off

Saturday, November 5^th, 2016

Social at Towne Square, 501 W Main Street, Leesburg

Think you have what it takes to be the very best chili cook the Leesburg has ever seen? Prove it at the 17^th Annual Chili Cook-Off. In addition to plenty of chili, there will also be a cash bar and live music. Applications are available here. 

Downtown Clermont Art Festival: Champions for the Arts

Saturday, November 5^th & Sunday, November 6^th, 2016

Historic Downtown Clermont

685 W. Montrose Street, Clermont

Downtown Clermont will be turned into a fine art show for two whole days, filled with up to 50 local artists, music on the street, and plenty of delicious food.

Annual Plantation Craft Fair

Saturday, November 5^th, 2016

The Plantation at Leesburg

25201 Highway 27, Leesburg

Just in time for the upcoming Holiday season,  the Annual Plantation Craft Fair is a perfect spot to find your best gifts. There will be handcrafted jewelry and accessories, crafts for your indoor and outdoor decoration needs, and much, much, more.

Lady of the Lakes Renaissance Faire

Friday, November 4^th – Sunday, November 6^th, 2016 & Friday, November 11^th – Sunday, November 13, 2016.

Sherwood Forest

State Road 19 and County Road 448, Tavares

A Lake County tradition, you’ll be able to step back in time at the 15^th annual Lady of the Lake Renaissance Faire, recently expanded to two weekends in the beautiful shaded forest region of Sherwood Forest. Included in your ticket price will be plenty of vendors, live entertainment, and much more.

Largest Potluck Ever

Saturday, November 12^th, 2016

Renniger’s , Mount Dora

Come out to Renniger’s in Mount Dora for what will hopefully be the largest potluck in the work. No, really, they’re going to a Guiness World Record for largest potluck ever here. And even if they don’t succeed, the event will still raise plenty of money (their goal is $50,000) to raise awareness for Lake Cares Food Pantry.

Franc D’Ambrosio’s Broadway: Songs from the Great White Way

Saturday, November 12^th, 2016

Lake-Sumter State College

9501 U.S. Hwy 441, Leesburg

Paul P. Williams Fine Arts Auditorium 9501 U.S. Hwy. 441, Leesburg

Franc D’Ambrosio was awarded the distinction of “World’s Longest Running Phantom” and is called the “The Iron Man of the Mask.” The show is being described as a salute to the beautiful and versatile music that graced the Broadway stage.

Craft Beer Wine & Food Festival

Friday, November 18^th, 2016

Venetian Gardens

201 E Dixie Ave, Leesburg

Enjoy the beautiful Venetian Gardens as you sample over 25 different craft beers,  wines from around the world, and a variety of food from the regions very best restaurants. You’ll be entertained by plenty of live music and Christmas lights while enjoying your drinks as well. 

Holiday Bazaar – Lakes of Mount Dora

Saturday, November 19^th, 2016

Lakes of Mount Dora Clubhouse

8506 Lakes of Mount Dora Blvd, Mount Dora

The Holiday bazaar in Mount Dora is the perfect spot to start your Holiday shopping. There will be over 35 artisans and craftsmen present , plus a silent auction, bake sale, and of course refreshments.

Mount Dora Scottish Highland Festival

Friday, November 18^th – Saturday, November 19^th, 2016

Elizabeth Evans Park

Edmonton Court, Mount Dora

Enjoy one of the best Scottish highland games in central Florida in one of central Florida’s best festival cities, Mount Dora. There will be a “Night for the Celt” concert on Friday night and on Saturday the Highland Games will start.

Renniger’s Antiques Extravaganza

Friday, November 18^th – Sunday, November 20^th, 2016

Renniger’s Antique Center

20651 U.S. Highway 441, Mount Dora

Three times a year antique away at the Renniger’s Antiques Extravaganza. Nearly 800 collectors from all over the world come out to sell their treasures in the rain or shine.

Annual Christmas Stroll

Friday, November 25^th, 2016

Towne Square

501 W Main Street, Leesburg

Holiday delights await you at the annual Christmas stroll in Leesburg. The square will be turned into wonderland, where Santa will be welcomed with open arms and local dance groups will perform, Dickens Carolers, jugglers, and stilt walkers will walk about, a snow slide will be set up, and much more!

35^th Annual Light Up Mount Dora

Saturday, November 26^th, 2016

Donnelly Park

Donelly Street & Fifth Avenue, Mount Dora

Join the citizens of Mount Dora as they light up Donnelly Park and downtown Mount Dora with over 2 million sparkling lights. There will be a spectacular show with traditional Christmas songs, dancers, and more. The lighting will begin at 6:30 PM.

Clermont Comic Con

Clermont Performing Arts Center

3700 S. Highway 27, Clermont

The annual pop culture convention will feature guests such as legendary comic book artist George Perez, Chuck Dixon, who’s a Batman writer and the creator of Bane, and plenty more! Come out for a great day full of nerdy fun.



ClermontRadiology.com

Local Breast Cancer Events for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As many of you may already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and at the end of September, we posted an article about how men are joining in on the fight against breast cancer. Today we’re going to shed some light on the many ways everyone can help, specifically diving into the multitude of events happening in and around central Florida. If you would like to spread awareness and donate your time to a great cause, there’s no better place to be than the events below.

- - - - - - - - - -

Blue Celebrates Pink with Blue Martini

Saturday, October 15th, 2016 @ 8 PM to 11 PM

Blue Martini Orlando, Pointe Orlando

9101 International Drive, Ste 1182, Orlando FL, 32819

Every October, the Blue Martini transforms itself into a pink wonderland in order to support breast cancer awareness, complete with their employees switching from their signature blue to pink, and offering a fabulous pink party where outrageous pink outfits and pink cocktails abound. Ladies will receive a complimentary cocktail when they arrive in pink and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation.

Orlando Sentinel Pink Bash

Friday, October 21st, 2016 @ 5 PM to 9 PM

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Seneff Arts Plaza – Front Lawn

445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando FL, 32801

The annual Orlando Sentinel Pink Bash will benefit local breast cancer foundation Libby’s Legacy and feature plenty of delicious treats and specialty drinks, live entertainment such as a survivor fashion show and live music, fundraising activities and exclusive prizes, and pink boutiques with tons of pink apparel, accessories and deals made available exclusively for the bash.

Ellen’s Walk with the Angels 2016 and Scooters 4 Hooters

Saturday, October 22nd, 2016 @ 10 AM to 4 PM

 Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Seneff Arts Plaza – Front Lawn

445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando FL, 32801

Both Ellen’s Walk with the Angels and the Scooters 4 Hooters benefit local central Florida breast cancer foundation Libby’s Legacy. The walk and escorted scooter ride will take place around the Dr. Phillips Center and the day’s activities will include speakers, live music, food vendors, silent auction, scooter raffles, and survivor tributes.

Viaport Florida Goes Pink

Saturday, October 22nd, 2016 @ 10 AM to 2:30 PM

10401 U.S. HWY 441, Leesburg FL, 34788

Held at the Viaport Mall in Leesburg, this breast cancer awareness event will be filled with guest speakers, vendors, a mini luncheon hosted by ViaEntertainment, a mall walk for the cure, window display judging contest and much more.

Komen Central Florida Race for the Cure

Sunday, October 23rd, 2016 @ 6 AM

Oviedo Mall

1755 Oviedo Mall Blvd, Oviedo FL, 32765

The most recognizable breast cancer awareness event in the U.S., the Komen Race for the Cure is a 5K race designed for both runners and walkers. Registration opens at 6 AM and the race begins at 8 AM, and in the Survivor tent, Survivors will receive light refreshments before the race and be able to pick up a special Survivor goody bag. After the race, Survivors are invited to return to the tent for the Survivor march, which is an honor exclusively designed for Survivors. See the race site for more details.

Making Strides of Orlando

Saturday, October 29th, 2016 @ 7 AM

Lake Eola Park

195 N Rosalind Avenue, Orlando FL, 32801

Making Strides of Orlando is put on every year by the American Cancer Society, where participants can raise money with teams and join one of their noncompetitive three to five mile walks. Survivors can enjoy a special gift from the American Cancer Society as well, and the walk will end at Church Street Station complete with a Block Party Celebration.

ClermontRadiology.com

What Goes on Inside an MRI Machine?

Having an MRI scan done is certainly a strange experience. You’re asked to remove all jewelry and credit cards, questioned about any metal objects you may have inside your body, and asked to lay down on a table where you have to be perfectly still as your body is guided into the opening of what essentially looks like a giant donut tube.

But what’s inside the giant donut tube? Why were the removal of metal objects and credit cards so important? Wonder no more, because below we’ll answer those questions and more.

Giant donut tube unmasked: What makes an MRI so different and unique in comparison to other imaging sources is its magnet. The tube the patient enters that runs through the magnet is called the bore. The MRI magnet is rated using a unit of measure called a tesla (named after the famous scientist Nikola Tesla,) although another common unit of measure used is gauss. (1 tesla = 10,000 gauss.) Extremely powerful, the magnets used in an MRI are stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field, which measures 0.5 gauss. Typical MRI machines are 5,000 to 20,000 gauss!

In order for the MRI machine to work, a magnetic field has to be created. This happens for MRI machines that use superconducting magnets when a current of electricity is passed through the many coils of wire inside of it. It creates a magnetic field of up to 2.0 tesla.  Then the magnetic field has to be maintained. That’s where superconductivity comes in!

Superconductivity is reducing the resistances in the coils of wire to almost zero. In order for this to happen, the coils of wire are continually bathed in liquid helium at 452.4 degrees below zero. The cold is insulated by a vacuum. Superconductive magnets are super expensive, but it’s worth it for the excellent image quality and economical value created by superconductivity.

Besides the large superconductive magnets, there are five other magnets that come into play inside the MRI machine. Resistive magnets, permanent magnets, and three gradient magnets.

Resistive magnets are similar to superconductive magnets, but don’t have liquid helium, which means they require a large amount of electricity and will be expensive to operate above 0.3 tesla.

When it comes to permanent magnets, they have a constant magnetic field, but don’t have a large one due to them being so heavy.

Then there are the three gradient magnets as well. These magnets aren’t as strong as the main magnetic field, but are used to create a variable field in order to scan different parts of the body.

So many magnets! Now you know why you have to remove all metal objects and credit cards. The metal is a given, but the magnets in the MRI would strip your credit cards of their own magnet strip.

Another part of the MRI machine is a set of coils that correlate to different parts of the body: knees, heads, necks, etc. They transmit radiofrequency waves into the patient’s body, and conform to the contour of the body part being imaged.

Other parts of the MRI machine include the powerful computer system and the patient table which slides into the bore. Also fun to note is that the exact center of the MRI machine is called the isocenter, and it’s where the patient’s body has to be in order for the scan to begin.

Now you know what’s in that giant machine you hear so much about. If you are getting ready to have an MRI scan be sure to speak with your radiologist about precautions and safety measures that need to be taken. Contact Clermont Radiology today to schedule your appointment!

ClermontRadiology.com

Men and the Fight Against Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is most heavily associated with female patients. In fact, the chances of women getting diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime is one in 8. However, men can also get breast cancer, although their chances of developing it are significantly lower, at one in 1,000. 

2016 has been the year of breast cancer awareness for men, as shown in an Oklahoma man who has recently been urging both men and women to check themselves for signs of breast cancer named Anthony Merka. He was diagnosed four years ago when his wife tickled him and discovered a lump, he told Fox News. Merka later had a double mastectomy to treat his disease, and since one of his daughters was found to have the BCRA mutation (which strongly increases a person’s risk of breast cancer,) she goes to the doctor every six months for regular breast cancer tests.

2,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and 440 will die from the disease. And since it is so rare for men to get breast cancer, a lot of the time male cases will go undiagnosed for some time and are more likely to be at a later, deadlier stage once discovered.

Just because men are not often diagnosed with breast cancer doesn’t mean they shouldn’t self-exam, and in cases of a family history of the disease, or those that have mutations in the BRCA gene, screening for the disease by doing careful breast exams may be useful.

2016 also sees the launch of the "Real Men Wear Pink Campaign,” which was conceived by the New York and New Jersey chapters of the American Cancer Society. The program raises awareness about breast cancer by enlisting 25 prominent community leaders in the lower Hudson Valley, including a mix of business executives, medical professionals, and politicians. For the event, participants, who have all been affected by breast cancer in some way, are asked to wear a pink article of clothing every day throughout the month of October and commit to raising $2,500 for the cause through their social media networks and community outreach.

The program kicks off fundraising for “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk of Westchester” scheduled for October 16^th in Purchase. “It’s a way to get men more involved with the organization,” said Lillian Jones of the American Cancer Society. “What I found is the participants are finding a way to honor the people they know. It is an opportunity to help other people that makes sense for them.”

12 million participants of ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ since 1993 have helped raise over $750 million for the disease. “We are very excited,” said Jones. “It was really amazing because it’s been really positive for the men who are finding out ways to compete against one another.”

ClermontRadiology.com

14 Things to Do in Lake County in October

For October, I didn't even limit myself to five events to do in Lake County, because there are way more than five. There are an absolute ton of things to do in Lake County this October - from art fests to stage shows, to lots of Halloween frights. Mark your calendars!

- - - 

Scott’s Maze Adventures

Select dates in September, October, and November; check site for details.

Long and Scott’s Farm

26216 County Road 448A, Mount Dora

Scott’s Maze Adventures started years ago as a simple 7-acre corn field, but has since become a fun and educational activity for the entire family. Each year the corn maze is different and has a unique theme so it is a different experience every year!

Corpse! A Comedic Thriller

Select dates in September and October; check site for details.

The IceHouse Theatre

1100 N. Unser Street, Mount Dora

In this popular play, one actor plays twins – one a British actor, the other incredibly wealthy – where one continually attempts to get rid of the other. However, things don’t go exactly according to plan.

Fall in the Field

Saturday, October 1^st – Sunday, October 2^nd, 2016

Renniger’s  Antique Center

20651 U.S. Highway 441, Mount Dora

At the 5^th annual Fall in the Field, there’ll be plenty of opportunity for pumpkin picking in the designer pumpkin patch, live music  to jam to, eating tons of delicious food, Fall crafts, a Kid’s Zone with face painting, and more!

Bikes, Blues, and BBQ

Sunday, October 2^nd, 2016

South Lake Moose 1615

17335 US 27, Minneola

Come out for a rib cook-off dinner, live music, and more, in order to raise funds to benefit the Bradley Summersill Foundation.

42^nd Annual Mount Dora Bicycle Festival

Friday, October 7^th – Sunday, October 9^th, 2016

Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce

341 N. Alexander Street., Mount Dora

This year marks the 42^nd annual Mount Dora Bicycle Festival, and for a city that is one of America’s best festival cities, the bicycle festival is definitely one of their best. It will feature over 1,300 cyclists, and will have rides for all lengths and skill levels.

Lake County Folk Festival

Saturday, October 8^th – Sunday, October 9^th, 2016

Ferran Park and Downtown Eustis, Eustis

The family friendly Lake County Folk Festival celebrates their 19^th year this year, with plenty of  musicians, crafters, artists, and food vendors. There will be 9 different venues featuring over 50 groups and more than 150 musicians of different music genres including blues, Celtic, jazz, and folk.

5^th Annual Wings and Wildflowers Festival

Friday, October 14^th – Sunday, October 16^th, 2016

Venetian Gardens

201 E. Dixie Avenue, Leesburg

This three day outdoor festival will feature more than 100 activities and programs and host more than 25 birding, wildflower, and nature experts.

Oktoberfest Beer Walk!

Friday, October 14^th, 2016

Historic Downtown Clermont

685 W Montrose Street, Clermont

Every month downtown Clermont hosts a beer walk, and October is no different. With 20 + wines to sample and a free beer glass to keep with your ticket purchase,  there’s really no better place to be on this Friday night.

Clermont Music Festival

Saturday, October 15^th, 2016

Waterfront Park

Palm Street, Clermont

This year is the 4^th annual free outdoor music festival to benefit the Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation. There will be four stages, vendors, crafts, foods, and a Kids Zone.

Fall Festival at Southern Hill Farms

Friday, October 21^st – Sunday, October 23^rd, 2016

16651 Schofield Road, Clermont

The annual Fall Festival at Southern Hill Farms is back, and there will be a giant pumpkin patch for all to enjoy with a photo taking area and pumpkins of all sizes. Indian Corn will also be available for purchase, and there will be live music, food trucks, Shipyard Beer, hayrides, a playground, and of course the Southern Hill Market that will be open and selling all of your favorite blueberry goodies as well as new fall themed goodies.

Halloween Party for Kids at AMVETS Post 2006

Saturday, October 22^nd, 2016

AMVETS Post 2006

500 N Canal Street, Leesburg

A Halloween day for the kids, there will be plenty of fun Halloween activities, snacks, and candy.

31^st Annual Mount Dora Craft Fair

Saturday, October 22^nd – October 23^rd, 2016

Downtown Mount Dora, Mount Dora

The Mount Dora Craft Fair that happens twice a year is one of the most popular events in Florida, attracting over 200,000 visitors and hosting over 350 of the best crafters in the country.

Nightmare on the Clermont Trails 5K

Saturday, October 29^th, 2016

Downtown Clermont, Clermont

Sometimes you’re a runner, and you’d like to run a 5k, but you’re not a morning person AT ALL. If that sounds like you and you’re also a fan of Halloween themed things, you’ll love the Nightmare on the Clermont Trails 5K Night Run. There’ll be 10 unique scare zones to keep you on your toes as you run the length of the race, and when you finish zombies will greet you with glow in the dark medals and attempt to restrain their appetite. You won’t want to miss this one, so hurry up – participation is limited to 1,000 runners.

Clermont Harvest Festival

Saturday, October 29^th, 2016

Monstrose Street

685 West Montrose Street, Clermont

Come out to the Clermont Harvest Festival for a free family Fall fest! There will be free parking, and all kinds of fun, family-oriented activities, including music and plenty of food.

ClermontRadiology.com

Mammography and breast cancer diagnosis improved by considering patient risk

At the Advances in Decision Analysis sponsored by the INFORMS Decision Analysis Society, a conference that took place June 16-18 at Georgetown University, a new approach to examining mammograms was presented in which a woman’s health risk profile would be taken into account, therefore reducing the number of cancer instances missed and also cutting the number of false positives.

The findings were presented by Mehmet U.S. Ayvaci of the University of Texas Dallas and discussed the role of risk profiling in the interpretation of mammograms.

In order to reduce false negatives by 3.7% and reduce false positives by 3.23, the researchers concluded that the patient’s risk profile information for breast cancer should be provided to the radiologist at the most advantageous time when examining the mammogram, together with statistical weighting based on profile risk. This would help alert women whose early cancer would have gone undiagnosed at an early stage.

Family history, reproductive history, age, and ethnicity, as well as others, are included as risk factors.

Providing risk profile information about women being screened for cancer may bias radiologists and the paper examines these questions in full. It also examines whether this bias actually helps make readings more accurate. In the past, available clinical evidence has been inconclusive on the use of profile information when interpreting mammograms. Profile information helps radiologists make better decisions and should be employed when reading mammograms, according to one position. A contradictory position says that profile information may bias the radiologists, however, it is unclear if bias causes harm at all.

Profile information and potential bias in mammography interpretation was explored by the authors and used a decision science technique called linear opinion pooling, which assigns weights to better aggregate probability estimates.

Three groups were analyzed on decision performance: 1.) A mammogram-only reading, with no profile information about the patient, 2.) an unbiased reading, in which radiologists consult the risk profile after examining the mammogram and 3.) biased or “influenced” readings, in which radiologists consult a women’s risk profile as they examine the mammogram. Then the conditions in which profile information could help improve biopsy decisions was examined.

The use of profile information with an appropriate weight could reduce the false positives and the number of missed cancers were revealed by numerical analysis using a clinical dataset from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, especially in comparison to cases where profile information had not been examined at all.

Breast cancer is the second most non-skin cancer. In 2013, approximately 232,000 breast cancer diagnoses were made and about 39,000 women died from the disease.

ClermontRadiology.com

Memory Functions of the Aging Brain are Provided By Imaging Study

There may be a link between the long-term episodic memory function of the brain and dopamine D2 receptors, according to researchers in Europe who have been using PET and MRI brain imaging to investigate.

As a result of dementia and age, episodic memory functions often become degraded. The research could then help explain why some people suffer from memory impairment. Results of the study were published in the July 12, 2016 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The study was conducted at Umea University in Umea, Sweden by researchers who used Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain imaging for the study. Statistical analyses were then used as well as post processing – including 3D imaging, to study the mechanisms behind memory degradation that occurs during aging.

Patient's brain with dementia

181 people aged 64 and 68 were recruited for the study. The participants took part in memory and processing speed tests, coupled with measurements of the different parts of the brain using an MRI assessment. Then, a PET camera was used to examine differences in the D2 system of the brains of the individuals.

It was found that the D2 system was positively linked to episodic memory. The system was not linked to processing speed or working memory. D2 systems were also investigated by the researchers to learn how the D2 was affecting hippocampus function.

The director at the Umea Centre for Functional Brain Imaging, professor Lars Nyberg, said, “Our results link the dopamine D2 receptor to long term episodic memory, likely via hippocampus functioning. Episodic memory is often reduced with age and in people with dementia. Hence, impairment of the dopamine system are important to consider when attempting to understand the bases of impaired cognitive abilities due to aging.”



Resource: Umea University


ClermontRadiology.com