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Archive for the ‘health’ category: Page 51

May 15, 2023

Dr. Emre Ozcan & Walid Mehanna — Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany — Tech As A Force For Good In Health

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, business, governance, health, information science

Technology As A Force For Good In People’s Lives — Dr. Emre Ozcan, PhD, VP, Global Head of Digital Health & Walid Mehanna, Group Data Officer And Senior Vice President, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.


EPISODE DISCLAIMER — At any time during this episode when anyone says Merck, in any context, it shall always be referring to Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Continue reading “Dr. Emre Ozcan & Walid Mehanna — Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany — Tech As A Force For Good In Health” »

May 15, 2023

Groundbreaking: The clearest snapshot of human genomic diversity ever taken

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, evolution, genetics, health

Scientists with the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium have made groundbreaking progress in characterizing the fraction of human DNA that varies between individuals. They have assembled genomic sequences of 47 people from around the world into a so-called pangenome in which more than 99 percent of each sequence is rendered with high accuracy.

For two decades, scientists have relied on the human reference genome as a standard to compare against other genetic data. Thanks to this reference genome, it was possible to identify genes implicated in specific diseases and trace the evolution of human traits, among other things.

However, it has always been a flawed tool: 70% of its data came from a single man of predominantly African-European background whose DNA was sequenced during the Human Genome Project. Hence, it can reveal very little about individuals on this planet who are different from each other, creating an inherent bias in biomedical data believed to be responsible for some of the health disparities affecting patients today.

May 14, 2023

Food, Mood, and Brain Health: Implications for the Modern Clinician

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health, neuroscience

Improved, innovative strategies are needed for the prevention and promotion of recovery from mental illness as these disorders leading cause of disability worldwide. This article will review the evidence linking dietary pattern to brain-based illnesses and provide an overview of the mechanisms that underlie the association between brain health and the food we eat. Considerations for dietary intervention will be discussed including encouraging a shift towards a traditional or whole foods dietary pattern.


Robert, a 43-year-old married man who presents with irritability and a low mood for two months. He has a history of attention deficit disorder, first diagnosed two years ago, and is currently treated with Vyvanse 70 mg. While his focus and work function are improved, he reports low appetite, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping. He notes that he tends to be quite irritable during mealtimes to the extent that his wife has asked him to stay at work past dinnertime to “stay out of the way.” He feels guilty and, concerned about not connecting emotionally to his young children ages 1 and 3. Further history and medical workup reveal no substance use, no active medical issues, and blood work reveals no abnormalities.

The evidence is growing: food choice is strongly implicated in mental health risk. In cases like Robert’s, a food history is a vital piece of data, both in assessing low appetite as a possible medication side effect, or as a symptom of depression. Furthermore, a food history is imperative to understand whether targeted dietary recommendations could assist in his recovery.

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May 14, 2023

Using electrified spatiotemporal heating to depolymerize plastics

Posted by in categories: chemistry, health

A team of engineers and materials scientists affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S., has developed a new way to depolymerize plastics using electrified spatiotemporal heating. In their paper, published in the journal Nature, the group describes the new process and its efficiency. Nature has also published a Research Briefing in the same journal issue outlining the work done by the team.

Over the past several years, has become a major concern, both for the environment and for the health of plants and animals, including humans, and scientists are seeking ways to recycle it. Most of the techniques developed thus far involve using chemicals to depolymerize . These efforts are still extremely inefficient, however, with yields between 10% and 25%. In this new effort, the team has found a way to use pulsed electricity to boost the yield to approximately 36%.

The approach involved designing a new kind of with a porous carbon felt bilayer and a pulsed electric heater at the top. In their reactor, plastic bits are melted as they are fed in to the upper chamber and flow as a mass into a lower chamber, where the material is pushed through the felt filter. The plastic then begins to decompose as the . As the molecules that make up the plastic become smaller, their volatility grows until they are expelled from the reactor as a gas, which allows more liquid to be drawn in. Using electricity to heat the plastic allows for oscillating the temperature, allowing simpler depolymerization reactions to take precedence over side reactions, which need additional heating to depolymerize.

May 14, 2023

The Pangenome Breakthrough: A Crystal Clear Image of Human Genomic Diversity

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, evolution, genetics, health

In a major advance, scientists have assembled genomic sequences of 47 people from diverse backgrounds to create a pangenome, which offers a more accurate representation of human genetic diversity than the existing reference genome. This new pangenome will help researchers refine their understanding of the link between genes and diseases, and could ultimately help address health disparities.

For more than 20 years, scientists have relied on the human reference genome, a consensus genetic sequence, as a standard against which to compare other genetic data. Used in countless studies, the reference genome has made it possible to identify genes implicated in specific diseases and trace the evolution of human traits, among other things.

But it has always been a flawed tool. One of its biggest problems is that about 70 percent of its data came from a single man of predominantly African-European background whose DNA.

May 14, 2023

Study suggests a possible connection between mobile phones and hypertension

Posted by in categories: health, mobile phones

While the study doesn’t prove causation, it raises important questions about the potential health risks of mobile phone use and highlights the need for further investigation.

Have you ever considered the potential health risks associated with your mobile phone? Our phones are digital devices emitting multiple radiations, and it doesn’t help that we always use them constantly.

A new study conducted by the UK Biobank suggests that there may be a link between mobile phone use and hypertension.

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May 14, 2023

Researchers find ingenious solution to map ocean plastics from orbit

Posted by in categories: chemistry, health, particle physics, satellites

Ocean microplastics have become a major source of concern, especially since they are so hard to track down, but researchers found an ingenious solution using satellites.

Ocean plastics have become a major source of concern for evironmental conservationists and public health professionals in recent years, and there hasn’t been a good way to track how these plastics are moving or their concentrations. But now, researchers from the University of Michigan have developed an ingenious way to track the ebb and flow of these microplastics around the world thanks to NASA satellites.


Solarseven/iStock.

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May 11, 2023

Vast Space to launch world’s first commercial space station on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in 2025

Posted by in categories: health, internet, space

The company offers features such as a large window dome with a view of space, internet access via onboard Wi-Fi, and a dedicated room for exercise and rest at Haven-1.

We have entered a brand new era of space exploration, from flying a chopper on Mars to re-directing an asteroid’s trajectory to retrieving soil samples from a distant space rock.

The future of space is dynamic, with technological prowess allowing science fiction-inspired ideas to become reality. And next-generation space outposts are one such area that has piqued the interest of space startups. Especially since the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to be decommissioned by the end of this decade.

May 10, 2023

Task Force Updates Breast Cancer Screening Guidance

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

Yesterday the U.S. Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF) announced an updated recommendation for breast cancer screening focusing on encouraging more women to begin biennial (every other year) mammograms at age 40. This recommendation, available online now in draft form, is an update to the Task Force’s January 2016 recommendation that women aged 50 – 74 receive mammograms every other year. At the same time, the USPSTF noted that women in their 40s should make an individual choice regarding regular breast cancer screening.

The USPSTF, comprised of experts in disease prevention and evidence-based medicine, serves as an independent team striving to improve the health of people throughout the United States. The Task Force recommends preventative healthcare based on evidence and clinical data. While the recommendations levied by the Task Force pertain to various preventative services, including cancer screening, behavioral counseling, and preventive medicines, the group’s overarching focus remains to help stay healthy.

Importantly, the USPSTF does not conduct its own studies or clinical trials. Instead, this group reviews evidence on preventative approaches to different diseases to conclude the potential pros and cons of such measures.

May 9, 2023

Combining Two Nobel Prize-Winning Techniques: A New Microchip Technology

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, chemistry, computing, health

Physicists at Delft University of Technology have developed a new technology on a microchip by combining two Nobel Prize-winning methods for the first time. The microchip is capable of accurately measuring distances in materials, which could have applications in areas such as underwater measurement and medical imaging.

The new technology, which utilizes sound vibrations instead of light, could be useful for obtaining high-precision position measurements in materials that are opaque. This breakthrough could result in the development of new methods for monitoring the Earth’s climate and human health. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

<em>Nature Communications</em> is a peer-reviewed, open-access, multidisciplinary, scientific journal published by Nature Portfolio. It covers the natural sciences, including physics, biology, chemistry, medicine, and earth sciences. It began publishing in 2010 and has editorial offices in London, Berlin, New York City, and Shanghai.

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