Lifeboat Foundation

The first time it happened, I was in a high school physics class. Suddenly, I couldn’t read half of the board. A crack zig-zagged through my vision, obscuring my teacher’s notes. “Huh,” I thought. “This can’t be good.”

My classmate walked me to the school nurse, who called my mom. Pain rippled from the back of my neck to my forehead. I’d had headaches before, but not like this. “Ah, your first migraine,” Mom said. “Welcome to the club.”

For nearly a billion people worldwide, migraine attacks disrupt work, vacation and school. They can be triggered by stress, weather changes, hormone shifts, missed meals or sleep changes — in other words, just about anything. These reoccurring headaches often spur pain on one side of the head. They can last a few hours or a few days, and they can cause nausea along with sensitivity to noises and light.

In a recent study led by Lei Jiang, Ph.D., an assistant professor of molecular and cellular endocrinology, a team of researchers from City of Hope and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, found a potential new target for treating patients with metastatic cancer. Their findings were published in the August 29 issue of the journal Cell Rep orts.

The goal of the team’s study was to elucidate the role of reductive carboxylation in redox metabolism, a process believed to be important for metastatic cancer. Reductive carboxylation is best known as a metabolic pathway that provides a molecule called acetyl-CoA so that it can be turned into lipids, which is mediated by fatty acid synthase (FASN). The FASN-mediated lipogenesis process supports rapid growth in most proliferating cancer cells, and increased FASN expression has been viewed as a metabolic feature of cancer cells. Thus, FASN is considered a potential target to block tumor growth.

New research has identified that preventing the metabolic adaptations needed for cancer to metastasize could provide a target for treating patients with metastatic cancer.

Continue reading “Potential New Treatment Target for Metastatic Cancer Identified” »

AI can also help develop objective risk stratification scores, predict the course of disease or treatment outcomes in CLD or liver cancer, facilitate easier and more successful liver transplantation, and develop quality metrics for hepatology.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an umbrella term that covers all computational processes aimed at mimicking and extending human intelligence for problem-solving and decision-making. It is based on algorithms or arrays of mathematical formulae that make up specific computational learning methods. Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) use algorithms in more complex ways to predict learned and new outcomes.

AI-powered liver disease diagnosis Machine learning for treatment planning Predicting disease progression The future of hepatology References Further reading

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Exposure to a virus isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. The concept of “infectious dose” suggests ways to keep ourselves safer from harm.

While ChatGPT and its associated AI models are clearly not human (despite the hype associated with its marketing), if the updates perform as shown, they potentially represent a significant expansion in capabilities for OpenAI’s computer assistant:

[📸: Getty Images]

On Monday, OpenAI announced a significant update to ChatGPT that enables its GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 AI models to analyze images and react to them as part of a text conversation. Also, the ChatGPT mobile app will add speech synthesis options that, when paired with its existing speech recognition features, will enable fully verbal conversations with the AI assistant, OpenAI says.

Continue reading “ChatGPT update enables its AI to ‘see, hear, and speak,‘ according to OpenAI” »

Cancer tumors hijack the genetic program used by developing nerves. This is shown in a study published in the journal Frontiers in Genetics by researchers at Umeå University. In the long term, the results may open up new ways of treating cancer by limiting the tumor’s interaction with the nerves.

“We are still only early in the research, but this opens up exciting opportunities to fight cancer in the body in a completely new way,” says Sara Wilson, associate professor of neurobiology at the Department of Integrative Medical Biology at Umeå University.

In cancer, there is an interaction between tumors and nerves. You could say that the tumor talks to the nervous system. The researchers believe that by interpreting this “conversation,” it will later be possible to find ways to break it and thus slow down the cancer or reduce the risk of it spreading.

By Ray Osorio As NASA takes its first steps toward establishing a long-term presence on the Moon’s surface, a team of propulsion development engineers at NASA have developed and tested NASA’s first full-scale rotating detonation rocket engine, or RDRE, an advanced rocket engine design that could significantly change how future propulsion systems are built.

The RDRE differs from a traditional rocket engine by generating thrust using a supersonic combustion phenomenon known as a detonation. This design produces more power while using less fuel than today’s propulsion systems and has the potential to power both human landers and interplanetary vehicles to deep space destinations, such as the Moon and Mars.

Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and primary collaborator IN Space LLC, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, are confirming data from RDRE hot fire tests conducted in 2022 at Marshall’s East Test Area. The engine was fired over a dozen times, totaling nearly 10 minutes in duration.

A private Chinese company, Thrust-to-Weight Ratio Engine, was able to test a rotary detonation engine on a drone. This is the first such test. Previously, only bench tests were conducted.

Here’s What We Know.

The rotary detonation engine will open the way to the development of hypersonic transport systems, including aircraft and missiles. Another feature of the propulsion system is reduced fuel consumption.

Continue reading “China tested the first ever drone equipped with a rotary detonation engine — the propulsion system will open the way to the creation of hypersonic aircraft and missiles” »

Join Dr. Ralph W. Moss and Ben Moss as they delve into the science of tomatoes and their potent component, lycopene. Uncover the groundbreaking research that positions lycopene as a significant agent against cancer. Discover the fascinating journey of lycopene from the humble tomato to its swift presence in our bloodstream, fueling our body’s defense mechanisms. This episode is a compelling look into how nature equips us with powerful tools to combat disease, and offers practical insights on maximizing the benefits of tomatoes in our diet.

Articles Cited in this Episode:

Continue reading “Tomatoes, Lycopene & Cancer: The Juicy Research on this Pantry Essential” »