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Category: biotech/medical – Page 190

ABOVE: The placenta’s labyrinth zone (red), responsible for nutrient exchange between mother and fetus, is reduced in fetuses with dysbiotic fathers (lower panel) compared to healthy fathers (upper panel). Ayele Argaw-Denboba.

The microbiome has a profound impact on host health that extends to the host’s young ones. Studies in mice have shown that maternal gut bacteria play a role in offspring behavior and placental growth during pregnancy.1,2 Yet, the effects of the paternal microbiome on the health of their progeny remained relatively unexplored.

In a new study, scientists found that altering the gut microbiome of male mice negatively affected the health and lifespan of their offspring through epigenetic changes in the sperm.3 The results, published in Nature, offer insights into a gut-germline axis that mediates the effects of the microbiome on health and disease across generations.

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If you’re ever faced with trying to pick up a grain of rice with a pair of chopsticks, spare a thought for the scientists behind this latest innovation, which has been called “a medical breakthrough on the verge of happening.” They’ve painstakingly built a soft robot with the capacity to carry different types of drugs through the body. It’s the size of a grain of rice, and can be driven to various internal targets via magnetic fields.

Researchers in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), have built on earlier work to create a grain-sized soft robot that can enter the body and be controlled by magnetic fields to travel to a specific target. Once there, it can quickly or slowly release the medication it has stored in its tiny frame.

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In the consequent tweets, the biohacker attributed his successful hair regeneration to a multi-faceted approach. The key to his transformation has been the strategic use of vitamins and nutrients, particularly protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, which have played a crucial role in restoring his hair.

In addition to nutrition, he has developed a personalised topical formula tailored to his genetics, that includes melatonin, caffeine, and Vitamin D3. He has also incorporated red light therapy into his daily routine, even wearing a specialised hat to administer this treatment throughout the day.

Another critical component of Johnson’s regimen is oral minoxidil, a topical hair-loss drug. However, he stressed that it is only considered safe at low doses as it can lead to unpleasant side effects, including excessive hair growth and headaches.

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An Aston University researcher has developed a new technique using light that could revolutionize non-invasive medical diagnostics and optical communication. The research showcases how a type of light called the orbital angular momentum (OAM) can be harnessed to improve imaging and data transmission through skin and other biological tissues.

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New research underscores the role of the immune system in depression, linking inflammation to poor response to standard antidepressants and highlighting the importance of personalized medicine in addressing different biological patterns in depressed individuals.

A collaborative study between researchers from the UK and Italy has uncovered new insights into the biological mechanisms of major depressive disorder (MDD), with a particular focus on the role of the immune system.

The researchers examined “gene expression,” which refers to the process by which the instructions in our genes are activated, influencing bodily functions.

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A new technique called ‘femtosecond-fieldoscopy’ developed by the Max Planck Institute enables the precise detection of biomarkers in minute liquid quantities using ultrashort laser pulses.

This method provides a clear molecular ‘fingerprint’ for identifying specific molecules and opens up possibilities for advanced biomedical research and applications.

Breakthrough in Biomarker Detection.

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Research reveals how antibodies affect brain receptors in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis, a condition often misdiagnosed as schizophrenia.

The disease, vividly described in Susannah Cahalan’s memoir “Brain on Fire,” can lead to severe neurological symptoms similar to those of mental health disorders. The study underscores the importance of personalized medicine and improved diagnostics to accurately treat and diagnose this rare disease.

The startling diagnosis of susannah cahalan.

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A new study shows that using DNA analysis for newborn screening can detect far more serious, yet treatable, health conditions than traditional methods. The study, called GUARDIAN, is one of the first large-scale projects to use genome sequencing for newborns, and early results suggest that this approach could greatly improve medical care for children.

Early findings from a study on newborn screening reveal that DNA analysis detects significantly more preventable or treatable serious health conditions than traditional screening methods. Most parents offered the option of genome sequencing prefer it.

The study, called GUARDIAN, is among the first large-scale research projects globally to use genome sequencing for newborn screening. It is also the first to release preliminary results.

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Over the past decade or so, computer scientists have developed increasingly advanced computational techniques that can tackle real-world tasks with human-comparable accuracy. While many of these artificial intelligence (AI) models have achieved remarkable results, they often do not precisely replicate the computations performed by the human brain.

Researchers at Tibbling Technologies, Broad Institute at Harvard Medical School, The Australian National University and other institutes recently tried to use AI to mimic a specific type of computation performed by circuits in the neocortex, known as “winner-take-all” computations.

Their paper, published on the bioRxiv preprint server, reports the successful emulation of this computation and shows that adding it to transformer-based models could significantly improve their performance on image classification tasks.

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