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Engineers create a robotic eye-seeing dog to aid the visually impaired

The robot guide dog possesses the ability to respond to tugs on a leash.

Researchers have created a robot guide dog to make life easier for the visually impaired with its ability to respond to tugs on a leash. The team of engineers at Binghamton University’s Computer Science Department in New York State has been developing a robotic seeing-eye dog to improve accessibility for those who are visually impaired. Last year, they performed a trick-or-treating exercise with its quadruped robotic dog.

Now, they have demonstrated a robot dog leading a person down a lab hallway, confidently and carefully reacting to directive instructions. Engineers were surprised that throughout the visually impaired… More.


Stephen Folkerts ‘24.

The team of engineers at Binghamton University’s Computer Science Department in New York State has been developing a robotic seeing-eye dog to improve accessibility for those who are visually impaired. Last year, they performed a trick-or-treating exercise with its quadruped robotic dog.

How nanobots and nanomedicine will improve our health

Nanotechnology sounds like a futuristic development, but we already have it in the form of CPU manufacturing. More advanced nanotech could be used to create independent mobile entities like nanobots. One of the main challenges is selecting the right chemicals, elements, and structures that actually perform a desired task. Currently, we create more chemically oriented than computationally oriented nanobots, but we still have to deal with the quantum effects at tiny scale.

One of the most important applications of nanotechnology is to create nanomedicine, where the technology interacts with biology to help resolve problems. Of course, the nanobots have to be compatible with the body (e.g. no poisonous elements if they were broken down, etc).

We dive into an interesting study on creating nanobarrels to deliver a particular payload within the bloodstream (currently in animals, but eventually in humans). This study is able to deliver RNA to cancer cells that shuts them down, without affecting the rest of the body. This type of application is why the market for nanotechnology keeps growing and will have a substantial impact on medicine in the future.

#nanotech #nanobots #medicine.

DNA origami nanobots – The University of Sydney Nano Institute.
https://www.sydney.edu.au/nano/our-research/research-program…obots.html.

ASU scientists have successfully programmed nanorobots to shrink tumors by cutting off their blood supply.

Can personalized care prevent excessive screening for colorectal cancer in older adults?

Colorectal cancer screening is widely recommended for adults ages 45 to 75 with an average risk of developing the disease. However, many people don’t realize that the benefits of screening for this type of cancer aren’t always the same for older adults.

“While many clinicians simply follow guideline recommendations for colon screening in adults within this age range, this isn’t always the best approach,” said Sameer Saini, M.D., M.S., who is a gastroenterologist at both Michigan Medicine and the Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center and is as a health services researcher at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and the Ann Arbor VA Center for Clinical Management Research, or CCMR.

“As individuals get older, they often acquire health problems that can lead to potential harm when coupled with endoscopy. While guidelines recommend a personalized approach to screening in average risk individuals between ages 76 and 85, there are no such recommendations for older adults who are younger than age 76—individuals who we commonly see in our clinics.”

Google research: Noise-cancelling hearables that track heart rate

Google’s new technique works by sending low-intensity ultrasonic probing signals via the speakers.

Researchers at Google have devised a technology that allows active noise-canceling (ANC) wearables to feature health-sensing applications.

The team utilized a technique called audio plethysmography (APG) in ANC wearables to monitor a user’s physiological data, such as heart rate and heart rate variability, without the need for additional sensors or sacrificing battery life.

Surfing the web too much? Study links problematic internet use to heightened ADHD symptoms

🌐🧠🚨


In a recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, researchers describe the relationship between problematic internet use (PIU) and the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Study: The relationship between problematic internet use and attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity: A meta-analysis. Image Credit: Alexxndr / Shutterstock.com

Background

Excessive use of the internet has become a potential public health concern worldwide. In fact, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5), internet gaming disorder, gaming, and gambling disorder are considered specific mental health problems associated with excessive internet use.

Considerations in the Care of Athletes With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Exercise offers benefits for those with type 1 diabetes, but needs careful blood glucose management. Anaerobic & aerobic exercise cause different responses-optimize nutrition, insulin dosing & monitoring to reach target ranges & reduce dysglycemia risk.


Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease caused by affected individuals’ autoimmune response to their own pancreatic beta-cell. It affects millions of people worldwide. Exercise has numerous health and social benefits for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus; however, careful management of blood glucose is crucial to minimize the risk of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Anaerobic and aerobic exercises cause different glycemic responses during and after exercise, each of which will affect athletes’ ability to reach their target blood glucose ranges. The optimization of the patient’s macronutrient consumption, especially carbohydrates, the dosage of basal and short-acting insulin, and the frequent monitoring of blood glucose, will enable athletes to perform at peak levels while reducing their risk of dysglycemia. Despite best efforts, hypoglycemia can occur.

An AI approach to treating diabetes

Startup Twin Health is developing a program that uses sensor data to construct a replica of a person’s metabolism and then simulate virtual interventions on the body. The simulations suggest non-drug recommendations that help reverse metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

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AI can identify urban decay and social inequalities in cities

“As the world urbanizes, urban planners and policymakers need to make sure urban design and policies adequately address critical issues such as infrastructure and transportation improvements, poverty and the health and safety of urbanites, as well as the increasing inequality within and across cities.”

Increasing population shifts from rural to urban areas are resulting in the growth of cities and towns, a process referred to as urbanization. However, this development can put a strain on urban infrastructure, such as transportation, housing, sanitation, and utilities, leading to urban decay.


Everett Atlas/iStock.

Urban decay often manifests as the deterioration of buildings and infrastructure. This can include vacant and abandoned buildings, crumbling or neglected infrastructure, and a lack of maintenance. It can also lead to societal problems such as rampant inequality and poverty.