Lifeboat Foundation

In recent years, roboticists have developed increasingly sophisticated robotic systems designed to mimic both the structure and function of the human body. This work includes robotic hands, grippers that allow robots to grasp objects and manipulate them like humans do while completing everyday tasks.

Ideally, robotic hands should be able to perform highly precise movements, while also being relatively affordable and easy to fabricate. However, most bio-inspired skeleton structures for robotic hands introduced so far have highly intricate designs containing numerous advanced components, which makes them difficult to fabricate on a large scale.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently created a new highly precise robotic hand that could be easier to upscale, as its components can be crafted using commonly employed techniques, such as 3D printing and laser cutting. Their robotic hand, introduced in a paper published in the journal 2023 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft), is based on a so-called modular structure, meaning that it comprises multiple building blocks that can be rearranged to achieve different movements.

Mayo Clinic research has developed a new type of chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy (CAR-T cell therapy) aimed at killing B-cell blood cancers that have returned and are no longer responding to treatment. This pioneering technology, designed and developed in the lab of Hong Qin, M.D., Ph.D., killed B-cell tumors grown in the laboratory and tumors implanted in mouse models. The preclinical findings are published in Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy.

“This study shows our experimental CAR-T cell therapy targets several blood cancers, specifically chronic lymphocytic leukemia,” says Dr. Qin. “Currently there are six different CAR-T cell therapies approved for treatment of relapsed blood cancers. While the results are impressive, not everyone responds to this treatment. Our goal is to provide novel cell therapies shaped to each patient’s individual need.”

Dr Qin’s team developed a cell therapy to target a protein known as B-cell activating factor receptor (BAFF-R) found in patients with B-cell cancers, particularly those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The BAFF-R protein is linked to tumor growth. The cell therapy under investigation allows the immune system to quash cancer and target tumors that have returned or have resisted available CAR-T cell therapies.

New case report worth reading! A patient underwent subtotal cholecystectomy for severe cholecystitis. Post-op he developed jaundice and abscess requiring percutaneous transhepatic drainage (PTAD).

Shock and massive hemothorax occurred after removal of the PTAD tube. The cause was bleeding from the liver at the PTAD site. The patient required emergency hemostasis and embolization. This highlights the need for extreme care when handling PTAD tubes after complicated gallbladder surgery.

A 59-year-old man with a past medical history of gallstones was diagnosed with acute cholecystitis and received antibiotic treatment. He was discharged after ten days of hospitalization and was due to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Three months later, however, he had to be readmitted due to a recurrence of acute cholecystitis. Subsequently, laparoscopic reconstituting subtotal cholecystectomy was performed because Inflammation of the gallbladder was severe. At the first postoperative outpatient visit, the patient reported obstructive jaundice, and computed tomography (CT) scan revealed fluid collection in the hepatic bed and a missed common bile duct stone. Percutaneous transhepatic abscess drainage (PTAD) was performed on admission, and endoscopic stone removal was attempted the following day but was challenging due to a periampullary diverticulum.

Continue reading “Massive Hemothorax Caused by Removal of Percutaneous Transhepatic Abscess Drainage Tube for Bile Leak After Subtotal Cholecystectomy: A Case Report” »

Of course, this study was performed on a relatively small group of individuals in an agricultural community, which is not the environment that most American teenagers grow up in. These links may also be due to some other confounding factors, like spending more time on the farm than in formal education. However, these results are still striking and important to consider for young people in farming communities (and non-farming communities) around the world.

“Many chronic diseases and mental-health disorders in adolescents and young adults have increased over the last two decades worldwide, and exposure to neurotoxic contaminants in the environment could explain a part of this increase,” senior author Jose Ricardo Suarez, an associate professor in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, said in a statement.

“Hundreds of new chemicals are released into the market each year, and more than 80,000 chemicals are registered for use today,” Suarez added. “Sadly, very little is known about the safety and long-term effects on humans for most of these chemicals. Additional research is needed to truly understand the impact.”

The positron, the antiparticle of the electron, has the same mass and charge as that of an electron but with the sign flipped for the charge. It is an attractive particle for scientists because the use of positrons has led to important insights and developments in the fields of elementary particle physics, atomic physics, materials science, astrophysics, and medicine.

For instance, positrons are known to be components of antimatter. They are also powerful in detecting lattice defects in solids and semiconductors and in structural analysis of the topmost surface of crystals.

Positronic compounds, namely bound states of positrons with regular atoms, molecules, or ions, represent an intriguing aspect of positron –matter interactions and have been studied experimentally via observation of positron annihilation in gases. It may be possible to generate new molecules and ions via the formation of positron compounds, but no research has ever been done from such a perspective.

Did you know (RA) is a long-lasting autoimmune disease that affects joints? The immune system is meant to protect us, but with RA, it attacks healthy tissue. This can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of joint function.

Caring for yourself when living with RA includes knowing when to rest and when to exercise, occasionally wearing a splint, and managing stress levels.

Find more tips for coping with RA from NIAMS:

Continue reading “Rheumatoid Arthritis: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Steps to Take” »

Imagine that the human body is a… More.

How a Small Strand of RNA is Key to Fighting #Cancer.

Called let-7, the microRNA governs formation of the cellular memory pool and is a gift from the dawn of animal life. A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has shown that a single, small strand of microRNA, or miRNA, known as let-7, governs the ability of T-cells to recognize and remember tumor cells. This cellular memory is the basis for how vaccines work. Boosting cellular memory to recognize tumors could help improve cancer therapies. The research, published recently in Nature Communications, suggests a new strategy for the next generation of cancer-fighting immunotherapies.

Continue reading “How a Small Strand of RNA is Key to Fighting Cancer” »

A new Yale study finds low ejectionfraction – the amount of blood your heart pumps out with each beat – is associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD):

You can learn more about important PAD risk factors here: https://brnw.ch/21wDlIR

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is commonly associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), and echocardiography is frequently performed prior to lower extremity revascularization (LER). However, the incidence of various echocardiographic findings in patients with PAD and their impact on the outcomes of LER has not been well studied.

“Cancer” is not a word we want to hear. Conversations with your doctor about cancer can induce fear, anxiety, and a plethora of other emotions. But what if your doctor uses the phrase This terminology will probably still make a lot of people anxious and, in some situations, could result in some unnecessary treatment.

Several types of malignancies are associated with conditions that, while benign, could infer a more significant risk or likelihood of developing cancer in the future. Terminology including lesions, “stage 0” disease, or carcinoma “in situ” can all describe an abnormal, yet not malignant, finding. In addition to fear, these diagnoses can undoubtedly lead to patient confusion.

A diagnosis indicates abnormal cells present in a single location in the body. If a lesion isous, it has not spread to any other tissue, distant or nearby. This explains why theous conditions associated with several cancer types have names that involve the phrase “in situ,” which means “in its original place.”