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One key question can it help control Glioblastoma.

A new “wearable” device being tested to suppress brain-cancer cell growth in patients ended its clinical trials early with positive results. Optune is a battery powered device researchers claim will extend the life of a patient with “newly diagnosed glioblastoma” when it is paired with traditional temozolomide chemotherapy. Researches were confident enough in its effectiveness to end the clinical trials (which ran from July 2009 to November 2014) of the device early. The device is likely not “the cure for cancer,” but it is a step forward in extending the life expectancy of brain-cancer patients and more research will be needed to see if it may be effective on other forms of cancer.

“With this new data, it appears the tumor-treating fields should be used upfront and become a standard of care. We should add this modality to what we’re currently doing for our patients,” said Dr. Maciej Mrugala, a brain-cancer specialist who led UW Medicine’s participation in the clinical trial.

“You get almost five months’ survival benefit. It may not sound like a lot, but if you’re living with this diagnosis, this is a meaningful improvement,” said Mrugala. UW Medicine was one of the first 15 U.S. providers to employ the novel tumor-treating therapy; now there are more than 200.

Continue reading “Research: Device Claims To Suppress Brain-Cancer Cell Growth” | >

PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) is a cell-signaling molecule found tied to breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers.

Important insights into the biology that underlies glycolysis, the metabolic process that enables cancer cells to generate biomass and energy, have been revealed by new research, confirming the importance of sugar to cancer survival.

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With the recent use of genetically engineered mosquitoes in Brazil to halt the spread of the Zika virus, we might be beginning to see some major health improvements as a consequence of the genetics revolution. A world in which mosquitoes were all but eliminated from the ecosystem would look quite different from the world of today, especially for people living in the tropics where the threat of mosquito transmitted infections does more than just mar an otherwise tranquil margarita sipped from the veranda of a beach resort. This is not to beggar the more mundane advantages of a mosquito-free habitat, but rather call attention to the fact that for large parts of the world, including Brazil, mosquitoes can be the difference between life and death.

Ironically, the genetic changes made to the Aedes aegypti mosquito in order to halt the spread of the Zika virus are deceptively simple. The company behind the project, Oxitec, used a modified version of something called the “Sterile Insect Technique” to create their hybrid specimens. The end goal of this process is to produce a male mosquito possessing a “self-limiting gene.” When these males mate with wild female mosquitoes, they create non viable offspring that perish soon after the birth. The end result is a rapid drop in the mosquito population of a given area.

When compared with some of the more hazardous forms of mosquito control currently in use such as massive spraying of DEET and chemical infusers popular throughout Asia, sterilizing mosquitoes sounds like an imminently reasonable approach. As a journalist who once saw his roadside samosa blasted by a massive spray of DEET from an oncoming municipal vehicle in India, I can personally attest to a preference for a genetic solution.

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This is not good especially as we look at those aspirations for more nanobots to connect us to the cloud plus Mr. Kurzweil’s desire to live forever.

Medical device manufacturers are struggling to safeguard their newly connected designs from current and emerging security threats.

Natick, MA (PRWEB) January 29, 2016.

The medical device sector will be among the fastest growing markets for embedded security software through the next five years, according to a new report by VDC Research (click here to learn more). The market for medical devices spans a variety of hardware profiles including high-performance imaging systems, mobile diagnostic equipment and pumps, and wearable or implantable devices. Until recently, the majority of medical device manufacturers and others within the ecosystem treated security as an optional value-add under the misconception that their devices/products did not produce valuable data or would be a target for a hacker. The Internet of Things has enlarged the crosshairs on medical devices as such systems become more accessible and integrated with enterprise hospital platforms.

Continue reading “Connected Medical Devices Are Sick with Vulnerabilities, According to New Research” | >

Could the FDA crush IoT opportunities in Healthcare?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week took a step toward addressing the threat the Internet of Things poses to patients and their data by releasing some proposed guidelines for managing cybersecurity in medical devices.

“A growing number of medical devices are designed to be networked to facilitate patient care. Networked medical devices, like other networked computer systems, incorporate software that may be vulnerable to cybersecurity threats,” the FDA says in its proposal.

“The exploitation of vulnerabilities may represent a risk to the safety and effectiveness of medical devices and typically requires continual maintenance throughout the product life cycle to assure an adequate degree of protection against such exploits,” the agency notes.

Continue reading “FDA Guidelines Target IoT Medical Device Security” | >

In a first, a driverless bus will now have to undergo real world traffic while shuttling passengers as a public trial on Dutch roads begins.

While Google and Uber are currently experimenting with self-driving cars, other companies are adapting the same idea to public transportation. Trials for driverless buses and trains are currently ongoing across the world.

But now, a new milestone has been reached.

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This is sad in a way; especially as you see the large gap that still remains in Cyber Security v. hackers. 2015 was not a stellar year for security against hackers. Quantum does offer hope for many in finally getting a handle on Cyber Security; however, that may be even 7 years away before main street is able to leverage an operational Quantum Internet and/ or platform.

However, tech companies & proven Cyber talent need to strategically come together under a broader cyber program (beyond just the US Government and special interest groups; or a couple of venture partnerships) to resolve Cyber Security once and for all. Granted there has been some attempts for companies and industry talent to cross collaborate & address the Cyber Threat challenges for a while now. And, myself and others from big tech have worked together on “special programs to address the Cyber Threat Challenges.” Unfortunately, it hasn’t been enough; we need something more on a larger scale.

https://lnkd.in/bRzqQNf

April 7, 2004–Cyco.net Inc. (OTC BB: CYKE) announced today it has signed a financing commitment with Cornell Capital Partner LP, a.

Continue reading “Cyco.net Inc. Signs Million Equity Line of Credit with Cornell Capital Partners” | >

Hope it is a success; he will need it.

Tesla Model 3 will be unveiled in March, with budget Model Y CUV to followReports claim that the Tesla Model 3, the Palo Alto automaker’s long-awaited electric car for the masses, will be unveiled in March. Better yet, the company also has a Model Y compact crossover planned for the future, though details on this vehicle are largely limited to the type of vehicle it would be.

March’s Model 3 launch will focus exclusively on the new EV – an electric sedan like the Model S, but this time sold at a more affordable price point. Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk called the vehicle “probably the most profound car that we make” and a “very compelling car at an affordable price,” and that only adds to the hype of a car that’s expected to drive Tesla sales to 500,000 in 2020, from a mere 50,000 in 2015.

Design-wise, Musk says it will be a “slightly smaller version of the Model S” with less “bells and whistles.” Storage should be quite ample for a smaller car, considering Tesla’s use of sub-floor batteries. The Model 3’s range is expected to be upwards of 200 miles on a single charge, putting it on similar ground as Chevrolet’s recently-unveiled Bolt EV.

Continue reading “Tesla Model 3 will be unveiled in March, with budget Model Y CUV to follow” | >