Tiny self-powered Janus particles navigate tight spaces, showing promise for health and environmental problem-solving.
Category: health – Page 13
Handheld device could transform heart disease screening
Researchers have developed a handheld device that could potentially replace stethoscopes as a tool for detecting certain types of heart disease.
The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, developed a device that makes it easy for people with or without medical training to record heart sounds accurately. Unlike a stethoscope, the device works well even if it’s not placed precisely on the chest: its larger, flexible sensing area helps capture clearer heart sounds than traditional stethoscopes.
The device can also be used over clothing, making it more comfortable for patients – especially women – during routine check-ups or community heart health screening programmes.
Dual-mode MRI nanoprobe mimics biological processes to pinpoint early fibrosis in fatty liver disease
A research team has developed an innovative biomimetic dual-mode magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) nanoprobe for detecting early-stage liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
The work, using the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility (SHMFF), was recently published in Advanced Science. The team was led by Prof. Wang Junfeng at the High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
NAFLD is a growing global health concern with even higher rates among individuals with obesity or type 2 diabetes. Detecting liver fibrosis early, before it becomes irreversible, is crucial for timely intervention and treatment. While MRI is a promising non-invasive tool for identifying liver fibrosis, traditional imaging techniques often lack the sensitivity to catch early-stage changes. Conventional contrast agents either face safety concerns or fail to target fibrotic tissues specifically.
Brain-Computer Interface: No Open Brain Surgery Required 🧠
Synchron has developed a Brain-Computer Interface that uses pre-existing technologies such as the stent and catheter to allow insertion into the brain without the need for open brain surgery.
Read the CNET article for more info:
You Might Not Need Open Brain Surgery to Get Mind Control https://cnet.co/3sZ7k67
0:00 Intro.
0:25 History of Brain Chip Implants.
0:44 About Synchron.
0:54 How Synchron implants the interface.
1:55 How brain patterns transmit signals.
2:50 Risks and Concerns.
3:50 Patients and Clinical Testing.
4:25 Brain Health Monitoring.
5:04 Synchron Switch Price.
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In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis and connectivity
Studies by a growing number of labs have identified neurological health benefits from exposing human volunteers or animal models to light, sound and/or tactile stimulation at the brain’s “gamma” frequency rhythm of 40Hz. In the latest such research at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and Alana Down Syndrome Center at MIT, scientists found that 40Hz sensory stimulation improved cognition and circuit connectivity and encouraged the growth of new neurons in mice genetically engineered to model Down syndrome.
Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor at MIT and senior author of the new study in PLOS ONE, said that the results are encouraging but also cautioned that much more work is needed to test whether the method, called GENUS (for Gamma Entrainment Using Sensory Stimulation), could provide clinical benefits for people with Down syndrome. Her lab has begun a small study with human volunteers at MIT.
“While this work, for the first time, shows the beneficial effects of GENUS on Down syndrome using an imperfect mouse model, we need to be cautious as there is not yet data showing whether this also works in humans,” said Tsai, who directs The Picower Institute and The Alana Center, and is a member of MIT’s Brain and Cognitive Sciences faculty.
Tool for tracking antibiotic resistance genes
The global proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) poses a significant threat to the efficacy of antibiotic-based treatments for diseases. Effective monitoring of ARGs across both spatial and temporal dimensions is essential to understanding their transmission and implementing preventive measures.
A research team has developed a computational tool, Argo, designed to accurately track ARGs in environmental samples, providing insights into their dissemination and associated risks.
“Short-read sequencing method is currently used as a high-throughput DNA sequencing technique that generates large volumes of short DNA fragments, typically 150 base pairs. However, it often fails to provide information on the hosts of ARGs,” explained the senior author. “Without detailed host information, it becomes challenging to accurately assessing the risks of ARGs and tracing their transmission, hindering our understanding of their impact on human health and the environment.”
Children born before 34 weeks show lasting cognitive lag behind peers
Karolinska Institutet researchers report that children born before 34 weeks of gestation show persistent deficits in cognitive abilities at ages 9 to 10. Impairments appear independent of socioeconomic status, genetic predisposition, and prenatal or child-specific risk factors. Lower scores were observed in vocabulary, working memory, episodic memory, and recall tasks. Children born late preterm (34–36 weeks) or early term (37–38 weeks) performed comparably to those born full term.
Preterm birth affects approximately 13 million infants worldwide each year and remains a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. Although advances in perinatal care have increased survival, cognitive deficits in these children continue to present major public health concerns.
Critical brain development processes that occur between 24 and 40 weeks of gestation may be disrupted by premature birth. Prior research has mostly focused on extremely or very preterm infants, often overlooking those born moderately or late preterm, who constitute a large portion of preterm births.
Antiviral chewing gum shows promise in reducing influenza and herpes spread
In today’s interconnected world, infectious diseases pose an escalating threat, as demonstrated by the coronavirus pandemic and outbreaks of H1N1, SARS, Ebola, Zika, and H5N1 (bird flu) viruses—all of which have had significant global health and economic impacts.
But more common viral diseases also contribute to global health challenges and economic costs. For example, seasonal influenza epidemics occur annually, causing a substantial global disease burden and economic losses exceeding $11.2 billion each year in the United States alone. Meanwhile, herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), spread primarily through oral contact, infects over two-thirds of the global population and is the leading cause of infectious blindness in Western countries.
Low vaccination rates for influenza viruses and the lack of an HSV vaccine underscore the need for a new approach—one that targets reducing viral loads at the sites where transmission occurs. And for viruses like these, which are transmitted more efficiently through the mouth than the nose, this means focusing on the oral cavity.