Lifeboat Foundation

Scientists have found a way to reprogram human cells so that they mimic the highly plastic embryonic stem cells that have so much promise for use in regenerative medicine. By essentially wiping the cell’s “memory”, the team have created so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which could be used to regenerate or repair diseased tissue and organs.

IPS cells are a type of pluripotent cell that can be obtained by reprogramming mature human adult cells (“somatic” cells) into an embryonic stem cell-like state. This means that they have the capacity to differentiate into any cell of the body. They were first demonstrated in 2006, and have myriad potential biomedical and therapeutic uses, including disease modeling, drug screening, and cell-based therapies.

Despite this promise, researchers have continually hit a stumbling block that has prevented iPS cells from realizing their potential. “A persistent problem with the conventional reprograming process is that iPS cells can retain an epigenetic memory of their original somatic state, as well as other epigenetic abnormalities,” Professor Ryan Lister, lead author of a paper presenting the latest breakthrough, said in a statement.

I’m excited to share my new opinion article for Newsweek. It advocates for transforming America from a military-industrial complex into a science-industrial complex! Give it a read!

America spends 45 percent of its discretionary federal spending on defense and wars, while around us, the world burns in ways that have nothing to do with fighting or the military. Global warming has escalated into an enormous crisis. A fifth of everyone we know will die from heart disease. And an opioid crisis is reducing the average lifespans of Americans for the first time in decades. There’s plenty of tragedy, fear, and hardship all around us, but it has nothing to do with the need to make more bombs. It does, however, have to do with science.

It seems obvious America should do something different than spend so much of its tax dollars on defense. We should consider halving that money, and directing it to science, transforming America from a military-industrial complex into a science-industrial complex. Despite science and technological progress being broadly responsible for raising the standard of living around the world over the last 50 years, America spends only 3 percent of its GDP ($205 billion) on science and medical research across the federal government. Notably, this is dramatically less than the $877 billion the U.S. will spend on defense this year.

Continue reading “Could We Transform America Into a Science-Industrial Complex?” »

After decades of research the potential of regenerative medicine becomes a life-saving reality.

Renewing the aging gut microbiome holds promise for preventing inflammatory brain and eye degeneration.

A new study shows that intermittent fasting and calorie restriction change the microbiome diversity in the gut, which could impact other functions in the body.

A Scanner Darkly.
by Philip K. Dick.
Read by Gary Telles.
Originally issued by NLS on cassette in 1994
I guess I’ll come back on Thursday.
This is a pretty good alternative to Paul Giamatti’s narration.
“In a near-future, drug-ridden America, narcotics agent Bob Arctor goes undercover to catch a drug dealer. In the junkie culture in which he operates (even his girlfriend is a dealer), he takes large doses of a drug that splits his brain into two separate personalities. The agent has no knowledge of his other self, who, as it turns out, is the drug dealer he is after.“
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Like these books? Want to help?
These books come from the National Library Services.
I encourage you to donate:
https://www.loc.gov/nls/about/donate/

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Welcome to our channel! In this exciting video, we delve into the fascinating realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and explore the question that has intrigued tech enthusiasts and experts alike: “How powerful will AI be in 2030?” Join us as we embark on a captivating journey into the future of AI, examining the possibilities, advancements, and potential impact that await us.

In the next decade, AI is poised to revolutionize numerous industries and transform the way we live and work. As we peer into the crystal ball of technological progress, we aim to shed light on the potential power and capabilities that AI could possess by 2030. Brace yourself for mind-blowing insights and expert analysis that will leave you in awe.

Continue reading “How Powerful Will AI Be In 2030?” »

Canada: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has taken a significant stride in the field of heart failure management with a focused update to their heart failure guidelines. This update incorporates crucial data from nearly a dozen new clinical trials that have been published since 2021. The trials include notable studies such as EMPEROR-Preserved, DELIVER, STRONG-HF, IRONMAN, and more. The updated guidelines, which were unveiled on the opening day of the ESC Congress 2023, offer novel recommendations related to the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure and updates on comorbidity management.

New Recommendations:

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have developed a new way of identifying patients at risk of an irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation.

While not life threatening, the condition increases people’s risk of having a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke by up to five times.

A new study, published August 27 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, reveals four specific factors that can predict which patients will have atrial fibrillation. These include older age, higher diastolic blood pressure and problems with both the coordination and function of the upper left chamber of the heart.