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Archive for the ‘neuroscience’ category: Page 885

Jan 30, 2016

Research: Device Claims To Suppress Brain-Cancer Cell Growth

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience, wearables

One key question can it help control Glioblastoma.


A new “wearable” device being tested to suppress brain-cancer cell growth in patients ended its clinical trials early with positive results. Optune is a battery powered device researchers claim will extend the life of a patient with “newly diagnosed glioblastoma” when it is paired with traditional temozolomide chemotherapy. Researches were confident enough in its effectiveness to end the clinical trials (which ran from July 2009 to November 2014) of the device early. The device is likely not “the cure for cancer,” but it is a step forward in extending the life expectancy of brain-cancer patients and more research will be needed to see if it may be effective on other forms of cancer.

“With this new data, it appears the tumor-treating fields should be used upfront and become a standard of care. We should add this modality to what we’re currently doing for our patients,” said Dr. Maciej Mrugala, a brain-cancer specialist who led UW Medicine’s participation in the clinical trial.

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Jan 29, 2016

Harvard wants to build AI that works as fast as the human brain

Posted by in categories: computing, neuroscience, robotics/AI, transportation

Researchers at Harvard are working to identify the brain processes that make humans so good at recognising patterns. Their ultimate goals is to develop biologically-inspired computer systems for smarter AI. Computers inspired by the human brain could be used to detect network invasions, read MRI images, and even drive cars.

Their ultimate goals is to develop biologically-inspired computer systems for smarter AI.

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Jan 29, 2016

New Technique Allows Scientists to Read Minds at Nearly the Speed of Thought

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, computing, neuroscience

An experiment by University of Washington researchers is setting the stage for advances in mind reading technology. Using brain implants and sophisticated software, researchers can now predict what their subjects are seeing with startling speed and accuracy.

The ability to view a two-dimensional image on a page or computer screen, and then transform that image into something our minds can immediately recognize, is a neurological process that remains mysterious to scientists. To learn more about how our brains perform this task—and to see if computers can collect and predict what a person is seeing in real time—a research team led by University of Washington neuroscientist Rajesh Rao and neurosurgeon Jeff Ojermann demonstrated that it’s possible to decode human brain signals at nearly the speed of perception. The details of their work can be found in a new paper in PLOS Computational Biology.

The team sought the assistance of seven patients undergoing treatment for epilepsy. Medications weren’t helping alleviate their seizures, so these patients were given temporary brain implants, and electrodes were used to pinpoint the focal points of their seizures. The UW researchers saw this as an opportunity to perform their experiment. “They were going to get the electrodes no matter what,” noted Ojermann in a UW NewsBeat article. “We were just giving them additional tasks to do during their hospital stay while they are otherwise just waiting around.”

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Jan 29, 2016

Graphene shown to safely interact with neurons in the brain

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, materials, neuroscience

Researchers have successfully demonstrated how it is possible to interface graphene — a two-dimensional form of carbon — with neurons, or nerve cells, while maintaining the integrity of these vital cells. The work may be used to build graphene-based electrodes that can safely be implanted in the brain, offering promise for the restoration of sensory functions for amputee or paralysed patients, or for individuals with motor disorders such as epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.

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Jan 29, 2016

The Technological Singularity: A Definition

Posted by in categories: neuroscience, singularity

(draft)

We’ve just posted a proposed definition of the notion of a technological singularity in our blog. Please comment freely.

Synopsis: Careful expositions of a technological singularity anticipated by the mid-21st century can be uniquely described using three common characteristics: superintelligence, acceleration, and discontinuity.

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Jan 28, 2016

AI Benchmark Will ask Computers to Make Sense of the World

Posted by in categories: computing, neuroscience, robotics/AI

At this rate of making machines to behave and interact like humans; we may end up with a world with some really messed up robots.


A new database will gauge progress in artificial intelligence, as computers try to grasp what’s going on in scenes shown in photographs.

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Jan 28, 2016

Phospholipid signaling in cancer, neurodegeneration and cardiovascular disease

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, employment, neuroscience

Now, this is intriguing — pathways are a critical part of our system that monitors and manages how our bodies respond and interact to changes in our bodies. This recent SRC report focuses on the researchers efforts in monitoring pathways and how defects in pathways contribute to the biology and pathophysiology of cancer.


Bethesda, MD — This SRC focuses on new developments in the biology of lipid signaling with an emphasis on cancer, neuronal and cardiovascular diseases. The emphasis will be on molecular, cellular, structure/function and enzymatic mechanisms of physiological signaling pathways and how defects in these pathways contribute to the biology and pathophysiology of cancer, neurodegeneration and cardiovascular disease. The focus will be on how diacylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, lysophospholipids, sphingolipids and phosphoinositide lipids modulate specific pathways and processes in the contexts of physiological growth-regulatory signals, intracellular and extracellular vesicular trafficking, regulation of cell polarization, migration, motility and invasion, autophagy and epithelial extrusion, and as nuclear regulators of mRNA processing and gene expression. These sessions will include discussions on how signaling becomes dysfunctional in diseases. There will be presentations on new translational approaches and therapeutic targets. There will be significant representation from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in order to facilitate networking between industry and academia. The topic areas have been chosen to maximize discussion of provocative and important developments.

We particularly wish to encourage the participation of new and junior researchers in the field and are securing additional support to provide PhD/postdoctoral fellow travel awards. Organizers have kept multiple short session speaking slots open. These will be selected from novel advances during 2015–2016 and from submitted abstracts. There will be multiple opportunities for new investigators and postdoctoral fellows to present and discuss their work including at poster sessions, short talks and short 5–10 minute oral ‘research snapshots’ to highlight their submitted abstracts. There will be multiple poster sessions during the conference. Time will also be allocated to at least two “meet the expert sessions” wherein established research leaders will dedicate time to interact with trainees and new investigators, specifically to give advice concerning the science and possible prospects for postdoctoral training, research funding, publishing or employment tracks.

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Jan 28, 2016

Musician receives brain surgery while playing guitar

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

Unbelievable


A patient playing guitar looks odd in a surgery but actually helps doctors detect his brain signals.

A 57-year-old guitar musician received a brain operation in Shenzhen on Jan 25 as he played his guitar through the whole session.

The patient suffered a rare neurological disease called musician’s dystonia.

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Jan 28, 2016

Australian Scientists Will Soon Begin Trials for a Fully Implantable Bionic Eye

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cyborgs, neuroscience, transhumanism

Finally. Bionic eye technology that could give sight back to millions of individuals worldwide is set to start trials.

Adding to the recent buzz surrounding the development of bionic eye systems is news of scientists from Australia who are set to begin trials on The Phoenix99 bionic eye—a fully implantable system that marks a significant breakthrough in neural stimulation technology.

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Jan 28, 2016

The Cognitive Assistant That’s Like Google for Your Brain

Posted by in categories: computing, neuroscience

Interesting; “Human memory is not the same as computer memory,” said James Kozloski.


An inventor at IBM has patented technology for a cognitive assistant that could learn all about you, then remind you of a name you can’t remember the moment you need to say it.

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