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New cardiovascular imaging approach provides a better view of dangerous plaques

Researchers in the UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering are introducing a groundbreaking catheter-based device that could revolutionize heart attack and stroke prevention by enhancing intravascular imaging of dangerous plaques.


Researchers in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis, have developed a new catheter-based device that combines two powerful optical techniques to image the dangerous plaques that can build up inside the arteries that supply blood to the heart. By providing new details about plaque, the device could help clinicians and researchers improve treatments for preventing heart attacks and strokes.

Atherosclerosis occurs when fats, cholesterol and other substances accumulate on the artery walls, which can cause these vessels to become thick and stiff. A heart attack or stroke may occur if an atherosclerotic plaque inside the blood vessels ruptures or parts of it break off.

“Atherosclerosis, leading to heart attacks and strokes, is the number one cause of death in Western societies — exceeding all combined cancer types — and, therefore, a major public health issue,” said Laura Marcu, research team member leader and professor of biomedical engineering at UC Davis. “Better clinical management made possible by advanced intravascular imaging tools will benefit patients by providing more accurate information to help cardiologists tailor treatment or by supporting the development of new therapies.”

Role of specific protein in activating immune cells: Study

A new study provided light on the role of the protein STAP-1 in activating certain immune cells. Understanding STAP-1’s involvement in these cells may help researchers gain a better understanding of immune-related diseases and potential treatments.

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The researchers discovered that STAP-1 plays a key role in the activation of T cells, which are white blood cells that help the body defend itself against infections and preserve overall health. T cells are capable of identifying foreign substances that elicit an immune response (antigens) and developing tailored responses to destroy pathogens like bacteria and viruses.

Apollo humanoid robots join the Mercedes-Benz assembly line

Mercedes-Benz has officially employed humanoid robots to complete manual tasks on its assembly line. Apptronik’s Apollo robot will complete simple tasks like fetching and carrying, helping lighten the load for its human colleagues.

Announced on Friday, March 15, the robots will also be employed to complete other “low skill” tasks like basic assembly. This will free up human workers to focus on more important tasks and reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries and other health and safety issues related to manual tasks.

A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study, expanding options for screening

A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study published Wednesday, offering a new kind of screening for a leading cause of cancer deaths.

The test looks for DNA fragments shed by tumor cells and precancerous growths. It’s already for sale in the U.S. for $895, but has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and most insurers do not cover it. The maker of the test, Guardant Health, anticipates an FDA decision this year.

In the study, the test caught 83% of the cancers but very few of the precancerous growths found by colonoscopy, the gold standard for colon cancer screening. Besides spotting tumors, colonoscopies can prevent the disease by removing precancerous growths called polyps.

Coral Crisis Solutions: Anemones Offer Key Insights for Restoration Efforts

With coral reefs under attack from ongoing climate change effects, what steps can be taken to reverse the damage? This is what a recent study published in iScience hopes to address as a team of international researchers investigated how to monitor coral reef health that is impacted through climate change, specifically with altering biomineralization, which is the driving force behind coral reef formation. This study holds the potential to help scientists better understand how climate change impacts coral reef health and potential steps to improve conservation of corals throughout the world.

“The whole ecosystem is dying. You can listen to the death all you want, but what are you going to do to fix it?” said Dr. Mark Martindale, who is the director of the University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience and a co-author on the study. “In order to do that, you need to understand what the problems are. And you need an experimental system to do that. Now we have that system.”

How do neural networks learn? A mathematical formula explains how they detect relevant patterns

Neural networks have been powering breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, including the large language models that are now being used in a wide range of applications, from finance, to human resources to health care. But these networks remain a black box whose inner workings engineers and scientists struggle to understand.