Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: biotech/medical – Page 318

Involvement of the Superior Cerebellar Peduncles in GAA-FGF14 Ataxia

This study found that involvement of the superior cerebellar peduncles is frequent in patients with GAA-FGF14 ataxia (SCA27B)

ObjectivesGAA-FGF14 ataxia (SCA27B) is a recently reported late-onset ataxia caused by a GAA repeat expansion in intron 1 of the FGF14 gene. After the clinical observation of superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) involvement in some affected patients, we sought to verify the prevalence of this finding in our cohort and 4 additional independent cohorts of patients with SCA27B.

Displays, imaging and sensing: New blue fluorophore breaks efficiency records in both solids and solutions

A new blue fluorescent molecule set new top emission efficiencies in both solid and liquid states, according to a University of Michigan-led study that could pave the way for applications in technology and medicine.

Able to absorb light and emit it at lower energy levels, called fluorophores glow in OLED displays and help doctors and scientists figure out what’s happening in cells and tissues. They need to be solid in displays and many sensing applications, but liquids are typically preferred for biological uses. Most fluorophores don’t work well in both forms, but this one does.

The study, “Elucidating the molecular structural origin of efficient emission across solid and solution phases of single benzene fluorophores,” is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Researchers find immune pathway in joint tissue involved in early rheumatoid arthritis

A new study by scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus reveals that joint tissue from patients with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis often have high levels of a protein called granzyme used by the immune system to attack pathogens.

The study also detected remnants of a bacteria that causes —gingivitis—in the . While a connection between gingivitis and rheumatoid arthritis has long been suspected, this is the first time physical evidence of the bacteria in the has been detected.

Researchers said the findings strongly support the hypothesis that these bacteria, initially colonizing gum tissue, somehow drive the development of rheumatoid arthritis, at least in some patients. How the bacteria get into the joints remains unknown. These findings, they said, could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of this chronic disease.

AI predicts patients likely to die of sudden cardiac arrest

A new AI model is much better than doctors at identifying patients likely to experience cardiac arrest. The linchpin is the system’s ability to analyze long-underused heart imaging, alongside a full spectrum of medical records, to reveal previously hidden information about a patient’s heart health.

The work, led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, could save many lives and also spare many people unnecessary medical interventions, including the implantation of unneeded defibrillators.

“Currently, we have patients dying in the prime of their lives because they aren’t protected and others who are putting up with defibrillators for the rest of their lives with no benefit,” said senior author Natalia Trayanova, a researcher focused on using artificial intelligence in cardiology. “We have the ability to predict with very high accuracy whether a patient is at very high risk for or not.”

People who adopted pets during the pandemic often struggled to access vet care, study finds

During the COVID-19 pandemic when many were stuck at home, people adopted more pets than average, but then struggled to find adequate veterinary care. Kayla Pasteur of Purdue University, U.S., and colleagues reported these findings and other pandemic pet trends, which were published in a study in the open-access journal PLOS One.

In the U.S., about 58 million U.S. households keep one or more dogs and 40 million keep at least one cat. These animals often provide a source of enjoyment, and in the home, so it’s no surprise that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in pet purchases and adoptions.

In the new study, researchers investigated trends in during the pandemic to understand which groups were acquiring pets and how the pandemic impacted their ability to access veterinary care. The team analyzed answers to an of 751 U.S. residents – of which 79% were pet owners – conducted in late 2021.

Unique method enables simulation of error-correctable quantum computers

Quantum computers still face a major hurdle on their pathway to practical use cases: their limited ability to correct the arising computational errors. To develop truly reliable quantum computers, researchers must be able to simulate quantum computations using conventional computers to verify their correctness—a vital yet extraordinarily difficult task.

Now, in a world-first, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, the University of Milan, the University of Granada, and the University of Tokyo have unveiled a method for simulating specific types of error-corrected quantum computations—a significant leap forward in the quest for robust quantum technologies.

Quantum computers have the potential to solve complex problems that no supercomputer today can handle. In the foreseeable future, ’s computing power is expected to revolutionize fundamental ways of solving problems in medicine, energy, encryption, AI, and logistics.

/* */