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Category: biotech/medical – Page 443

Scientists have established how the activity of our brain during imaginary movement differs from that during real action. It turns out that in both cases, a previous signal occurs in the cerebral cortex, but with an imaginary movement, it does not have a clear link to a specific hemisphere.

The obtained data can potentially be used in to create neuro trainers and control the restoration of neural networks in post-stroke patients. The results of the study are published in the journal Cerebral Cortex.

Before we pick up a pen or put down a cup, a complete picture of this action is formed in the . Such visual– transformations ensure the accuracy of our movements. Knowing about these mechanisms helps patients to restore motor activity after strokes. But we don’t always finish the movement we started. In this case, visual information enters the motor areas of the responsible for movement, but the start of the reaction is blocked at some point, and does not end with real muscle activation.

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Primates are among the most intelligent creatures with distinct cognitive abilities. Their brains are relatively large in relation to their body stature and have a complex structure. However, how the brain has developed over the course of evolution and which genes are responsible for the high cognitive abilities is still largely unclear. The better our understanding of the role of genes in brain development, the more likely it will be that we will be able to develop treatments for serious brain diseases.

Researchers are approaching these questions by knocking out or activating individual genes and thus drawing conclusions about their role in . To avoid as far as possible, brain organoids are used as an alternative. These three-dimensional cell structures, which are only a few millimeters in size, reflect different stages of brain development and can be genetically modified. However, such modifications are usually very complex, lengthy and costly.

Researchers at the German Primate Center (DPZ)—Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen have now succeeded in genetically manipulating brain organoids quickly and effectively. The procedure requires only a few days instead of the usual several months and can be used for organoids of different primate species. The brain organoids thus enable of the function of genes at early stages of brain development in primates and help to better understand neurological diseases.

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Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards CRISPR Therapeutics CRSP, and it’s something market players shouldn’t ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in CRSP usually suggests something big is about to happen.

We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga’s options scanner highlighted 11 extraordinary options activities for CRISPR Therapeutics. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.

The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 45% leaning bullish and 54% bearish. Among these notable options, 2 are puts, totaling $98,000, and 9 are calls, amounting to $744,659.

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As object identification and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction techniques become essential in various reverse engineering, artificial intelligence, medical diagnosis, and industrial production fields, there is an increasing focus on seeking vastly efficient, faster speed, and more integrated methods that can simplify processing.

In the current field of object identification and 3D , extracting sample contour information is primarily accomplished by various computer algorithms. Traditional computer processors suffer from multiple constraints, such as high-power consumption, low-speed operation, and complex algorithms. In this regard, there has recently been growing attention in searching for alternative to perform those techniques.

The development of optical computing theory and has provided a more complete theoretical basis for object identification and 3D reconstruction techniques. Optical methods have received more attention as an alternative paradigm than traditional mechanisms in recent years due to their enormous advantages of ultra-fast operation speed, high integration, and low latency.

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The researchers found 139 genes that are common across the primate groups but highly divergent in their expression in human brains.

An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has uncovered over 100 genes that are common to primate brains but have undergone evolutionary divergence only in humans – and which could be a source of our unique cognitive ability.

The researchers, led by Associate Professor Jesse Gillis from the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and the Department of Physiology at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, found the genes are expressed differently in the brains of humans compared to four of our relatives – chimpanzees, gorillas, macaques, and marmosets.

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Feng Guo, an associate professor of intelligent systems engineering at the Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, is addressing the technical limitations of artificial intelligence computing hardware by developing a new hybrid computing system—which has been dubbed “Brainoware”—that combines electronic hardware with human brain organoids.

Advanced AI techniques, such as and , which are powered by specialized silicon computer chips, expend enormous amounts of energy. As such, engineers have designed neuromorphic computing systems, modeled after the structure and function of a human brain, to improve the performance and efficiency of these technologies. However, these systems are still limited in their ability to fully mimic brain function, as most are built on digital electronic principles.

In response, Guo and a team of IU researchers, including graduate student Hongwei Cai, have developed a hybrid neuromorphic computing system that mounts a brain organoid onto a multielectrode assay to receive and send information. The brain organoids are brain-like 3D cell cultures derived from and characterized by different brain cell types, including neurons and glia, and brain-like structures such as ventricular zones.

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Amid a rise in the innovation of wearable technology, researchers are looking for ways to harness the adaptive sensing ability of the human body.

A recent University of Melbourne panel discussion covered the future of wearable sensors. Professor Graham Kerr, Bill Dimopoulos, Galen Gan and Professor Peter Lee considered the management of information generated from such technology and its interpretation for improving health.

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Regulatory efforts to protect data are making strides globally. Patient data is protected by law in the United States and elsewhere. In Europe the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guards personal data and recently led to a US $1.3 billion fine for Meta. You can even think of Apple’s App Store policies against data sharing as a kind of data-protection regulation.

“These are good constraints. These are constraints society wants,” says Michael Gao, founder and CEO of Fabric Cryptography, one of the startups developing FHE-accelerating chips. But privacy and confidentiality come at a cost: They can make it more difficult to track disease and do medical research, they potentially let some bad guys bank, and they can prevent the use of data needed to improve AI.

“Fully homomorphic encryption is an automated solution to get around legal and regulatory issues while still protecting privacy,” says Kurt Rohloff, CEO of Duality Technologies, in Hoboken, N.J., one of the companies developing FHE accelerator chips. His company’s FHE software is already helping financial firms check for fraud and preserving patient privacy in health care research.

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