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Category: biotech/medical – Page 564

Giant cyborg cockroaches could be the search and rescue workers of the future

Fitzgerald says cyborg search and rescue beetles or cockroaches might be able to help in disaster situations by finding and reporting the location of survivors and delivering lifesaving drugs to them before human rescuers can get there.

But first, the Australian researchers must master the ability to direct the movements of the insects, which could take a while. Fitzgerald says that although the work might seem futuristic now, in a few decades, cyborg insects could be saving lives.

He’s not the only roboticist creating robots from living organisms. Academics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), for example, are implanting electronic pacemakers into jellyfish to control their swimming speed. They hope the bionic jellies could help collect data about the ocean far below the surface.

Brain Age Models Offer Insights into Early Development Trajectories

Summary: A new study highlights how brain age models can track healthy infant development and reveal environmental influences. Using MRI data from over 600 term and preterm infants, researchers trained machine learning models to predict brain age and identify gaps between predicted and actual ages.

These brain age gaps can indicate whether an infant’s development is faster or slower than expected, with maternal age emerging as a significant influencing factor. Advanced brain development was linked to better cognitive abilities but poorer emotional regulation, suggesting that following normative developmental trajectories may be ideal.

Building a “Google Maps” for Biology: Human Cell Atlas Revolutionizes Medicine

New research from the Human Cell Atlas offers insights into cell development, disease mechanisms, and genetic influences, enhancing our understanding of human biology and health.

The Human Cell Atlas (HCA) consortium has made significant progress in its mission to better understand the cells of the human body in health and disease, with a recent publication of a Collection of more than 40 peer-reviewed papers in Nature and other Nature Portfolio journals.

The Collection showcases a range of large-scale datasets, artificial intelligence algorithms, and biomedical discoveries from the HCA that are enhancing our understanding of the human body. The studies reveal insights into how the placenta and skeleton form, changes during brain maturation, new gut and vascular cell states, lung responses to COVID-19, and the effects of genetic variation on disease, among others.

Breakthrough in Nanotechnology Unlocks Atomic Precision for Medicine and Energy

Physicists are getting closer to controlling single-molecule chemical reactions – could this shape the future of pharmaceutical research?

A groundbreaking study demonstrates control over atomic-level matter through nanotechnology. By leveraging the precision of scanning tunneling microscopy, researchers have shown how competing chemical reaction outcomes can be influenced by manipulating energy levels. This advancement allows for targeted reactions, such as those needed for drug synthesis, while reducing unwanted byproducts.

Controlling matter at the atomic level.

Sex differences in neuron protection could reveal Alzheimer’s target

Inhibiting TLR7, an immune signaling protein, may help preserve the protective layer surrounding nerve fibers in the brain during both Alzheimer’s disease and ordinary aging, suggests a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The research is published in the journal Science.

Most in vertebrates are encased in sheaths made largely of myelin, a protein that protects the fibers and greatly enhances the efficiency of their signal conduction. The destruction of myelin sheaths—demyelination—can occur in the context of brain inflammation and can lead to cognitive, movement and other neurological problems. The phenomenon is seen in multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions, as well as in ordinary aging.

Demyelination-linked disorders often show sex differences, and in the study, the researchers looked for underlying mechanisms of demyelination that might help explain these differences. Their experiments in mouse models of Alzheimer’s uncovered TLR7 as a driver of inflammatory demyelination especially in males, but also showed that removing or inhibiting this immune protein can protect against demyelination in both males and females.

NASA will never be the same with new administrator, Jared Isaacman

🚀 Q: How will Jared Isaacman’s background influence NASA’s future direction? A: Isaacman’s experience as a business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut will drive NASA towards a bold era of space economy development, focusing on groundbreaking achievements in space science, technology, and exploration.

🌠 Q: What is Isaacman’s vision for NASA’s mission? A: He aims to pursue a thriving space economy, transforming humanity into a space-faring civilization with breakthroughs in manufacturing, biotechnology, mining, and potentially new energy sources.

Study highlights novel non-invasive brain surgery for lasting relief from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder

When conventional non-invasive treatments for psychiatric diseases fail, clinicians inevitably have to consider brain surgery. However, brain surgery for psychiatric diseases has long been taboo among the general public due to the infamous history of lobotomy. Thankfully, advancements in brain surgery in recent years are changing the narrative.

Bilateral capsulotomy, more commonly known as , is a form of that has been garnering attention in treating treatment-resistant or refractory (OCD). Patients with refractory OCD experience a debilitating degree of repetitive behaviors and thoughts that they are unable to control, thus downgrading their quality of life.

A group of researchers from South Korea demonstrated that a novel non-invasive bilateral capsulotomy called magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) capsulotomy is efficacious and safe in treating refractory OCD for up to two years. MRgFUS capsulotomy non-invasively and precisely ablates tissues in the brain region of interest. However, the sustained efficacy of this treatment option was unclear.

AI Just Beat Doctors at Diagnosing Illness (Here’s Why That’s Actually GREAT News)

A groundbreaking study just revealed AI outperforming human doctors at medical diagnosis — but before you panic, this could be the best news yet for healthcare.

This hits personally for me. From my kiddo’s misdiagnosed case of hives to my own health struggles with multiple doctors, I’ve seen firsthand why we need AI to empower (not replace) medical professionals. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

In this video, we’ll explore:

-The shocking study results (90% AI accuracy vs 74% human doctors)
–Why this means more human connection, not less.
–How AI could transform patient care for the better.
–The real reason doctors aren’t fully utilizing AI yet.

The future of healthcare isn’t AI vs doctors — it’s both working together to provide better care than either could alone. Let’s dive into what this means for you and your family’s healthcare.

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