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Category: biotech/medical – Page 2674

Watson joins China’s research team.

China’s Hangzhou Cognitive Care has teamed up with IBM to bring Watson super computer to 21 hospitals in the country.

Singapore: In a bid to intensify its fight against cancer, China’s Hangzhou Cognitive Care has teamed up with IBM to bring Watson super computer to 21 hospitals in the country. The super computer is all set to play a crucial role in a new multi-year program being unveiled in China. This is IBM’s first partnership in China’s healthcare sector.

IBM said, in a statement that this particular computing platform specializes in synthesizing tremendous amounts of data in order to provide physicians with a summary of patient records and numerous pieces of medical literature to help find the best individualized treatments for certain patients.

Continue reading “IBM’s foray into Chinese healthcare sector” | >

Scientists have just found a way to make use of plasma, the fourth state of matter, to improve bone development. Using cold fusion, researchers were able to initiate increased bone growth.

It is a bit ironic that plasma is the least known state of matter, when in fact it is the most abundant in the universe. It is found in our Sun and all other stars, lightning, in our TVs, fluorescent light, and neon signs, and (purportedly) even in our favorite fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, the lightsaber.

Plasma can be classified according to the degree of ionization, temperature, etc, but whatever form it may take, plasma has been used in various fields, such as in spacecraft propulsion, agriculture, and quite recently, in medicine.

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My exclusive interview with Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson on some hard science & tech issues, including transhumanism, longevity, AI, and gene editing. This is also my first story for Futurism. For the record, I am trying, along with millions of others, to get Gary Johnson into the Presidentia l debates! No matter who you plan to vote for, it would be good for America to have him in the debates so a third voice is heard:

Libertarian Presidentia l candidate Gary Johnson wants humans to live a lot longer and isn’t worried about AI becoming the Terminator. Here, Futurist Zoltan Istvan gains an exclusive interview with Johnson, who is polling double digits nationally and hopes to be in the Presidentia l debates with Trump and Clinton in October.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily represent the views of Futurism or its affiliates.

I recently sat down with Libertarian Presidentia l candidate Gary Johnson at his home in New Mexico and watched an episode of Orphan Black, the hit sci-fi show. Between his CNN Town Hall meetings and endless speeches on the campaign trail, you’re probably asking: How did Gary get the time to watch a television show? It’s a good question, but the former Governor made the time, because he’s interested in the future and willing to explore how it might unfold.

Continue reading “Gary Johnson Wants Driverless Secret Service Cars and a US-Led Gene Editing Revolution” | >

Next to the medical field, as we follow the significant impacts 3D printing is making on the world, that of aerospace is right at the top of the list. While some are still confused about the actual importance of 3D printing as it hasn’t really affected them personally yet, it’s important to think on a much bigger scale. And there’s not much of a bigger scale than space.

For those who are cynical about the technology, pointing back to the continual supply of keychains and figurines (we all have to start somewhere, thank you!) being pumped out in plastic at the desktop, when you take a look at how long NASA has been involved with additive manufacturing—and how many parts they are using now—well, that’s impressive. Not only that, because of numerous 3D printed parts, larger components are being made that would not have been possible previously, and certainly not with such a level of customization, speed, and affordability.

download (15)We learn more about NASA and their plans continually, allowing for an education not only in the importance of 3D printed parts today, but also quite simply in how space travel is considered and what the future holds. It’s pretty darned exciting, as you are probably aware. And technology such as 3D printing has been playing a well-publicized part in everything from space suits for travel to Mars to 3D printed rocket engines. And when you couple the space technology excitement from NASA with the latest from Aerojet Rocketdyne, the details start to get intense.

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Abstract.

Developmental dyslexia is a common disorder with a strong genetic component, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unknown. Several candidate dyslexia-susceptibility genes, including KIAA0319, DYX1C1, and DCDC2, have been identified in humans. RNA interference experiments targeting these genes in rat embryos have shown impairments in neuronal migration, suggesting that defects in radial cortical migration could be involved in the disease mechanism of dyslexia. Here we present the first characterisation of a Kiaa0319 knockout mouse line. Animals lacking KIAA0319 protein do not show anatomical abnormalities in any of the layered structures of the brain. Neurogenesis and radial migration of cortical projection neurons are not altered, and the intrinsic electrophysiological properties of Kiaa0319 -deficient neurons do not differ from those of wild-type neurons. Kiaa0319 overexpression in cortex delays radial migration, but does not affect final neuronal position. However, knockout animals show subtle differences suggesting possible alterations in anxiety-related behaviour and in sensorimotor gating. Our results do not reveal a migration disorder in the mouse model, adding to the body of evidence available for Dcdc2 and Dyx1c1 that, unlike in the rat in utero knockdown models, the dyslexia-susceptibility candidate mouse homolog genes do not play an evident role in neuronal migration. However, KIAA0319 protein expression seems to be restricted to the brain, not only in early developmental stages but also in adult mice, indicative of a role of this protein in brain function. The constitutive and conditional knockout lines reported here will be useful tools for further functional analyses of Kiaa0319.

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Our NA ancestors took another route to the Americas?

Recent discoveries, however, suggest otherwise, because it is becoming more evident that humans have already settled in the Americas long before the glaciers became dry, which is around two to three millennia before the final years of the ice age. This means that the ice-free corridor was not viable for these inhabitants to pass through at the time.

With the discovery of new ancient DNA that has been preserved, scientists were able to trace back in time when plants and animals first appeared in the area, which is estimated to be about 12,000 years ago.

Continue reading “Ancient DNA indicates that the first people in America passed through an entirely different route” | >

A new way to say good bye to your DNA.

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — There is a new way to honor your loved one after they pass and it is with a unique memento called “DNA Home Banking”.

Jeff Andreason, owner of Andreason’s Cremation and Buell Funeral Chapel, is the first in Lane County to offer the service.

Andreason’s partnered with DNA Memorial, a company that provides a patent pending method of extracting DNA.

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Luv it; especially fabric to do time release meds, or bio release meds; or do communications via a shirt or jacket.

With the invention of technology-laden fabrics, otherwise known as smart textiles, we are able to benefit from multifunctional materials.

Smart textiles, also known as E-textiles, smart garments, tech fabrics, and smart fabrics, are materials based on technology that integrate advanced features beneficial to the wearer. In an interview with Forbes, Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, smart textiles and wearable technologies expert stated, “what makes smart fabrics revolutionary is that they have the ability to do many things that traditional fabrics cannot, including communicate, transform, conduct energy and even grow.” And as crazy as it might sound, having computers and technology literally integrated into our clothing is not only acceptable but may one day be the norm.

“Smart textiles can be broken into two different categories: Aesthetic and Performance Enhancing,” says Forbes. And because of this, these technologically advanced textiles are being utilized by several different industries. Medical, beauty, sports, military, and fashion are taking advantage of such innovations to benefit its users in a way that’s seamlessly integrated into our lives. Excited to see what developments lay ahead, we’ll be exploring a few fabrics that may be in our closets, homes, and doctors offices sooner rather than later.

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