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Jun 15, 2023

New images capture unseen details of the synapse

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

Scientists have created one of the most detailed 3D images of the synapse, the important juncture where neurons communicate with each other through an exchange of chemical signals. These nanometer-scale models will help scientists better understand and study neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease and schizophrenia.

The new study appears in the journal PNAS and was authored by a team led by Steve Goldman, MD, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester and the University of Copenhagen. The findings represent a significant technical achievement that allows researchers to study the different cells that converge at individual synapses at a level of detail not previously achievable.

“It is one thing to understand the structure of the synapse from the literature, but it is another to see the precise geometry of interactions between with your own eyes,” said Abdellatif Benraiss, Ph.D., a research associate professor in the Center for Translational Neuromedicine and co-author of the study. “The ability to measure these extremely small environments is a young field, and holds the potential to advance our understanding of a number of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases in which synaptic function is disturbed.”

Jun 15, 2023

Altered gut bacteria may be early sign of Alzheimer’s disease

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

People in the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s disease—after brain changes have begun but before cognitive symptoms become apparent—harbor an assortment of bacteria in their intestines that differs from the gut bacteria of healthy people, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The findings, published June 14 in Science Translational Medicine, open up the possibility of analyzing the gut bacterial community to identify people at higher risk of developing dementia, and of designing microbiome-altering preventive treatments to stave off cognitive decline.

“We don’t yet know whether the gut is influencing the brain or the brain is influencing the gut, but this association is valuable to know in either case,” said co-corresponding author Gautam Dantas, Ph.D., the Conan Professor of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine. “It could be that the changes in the are just a readout of pathological changes in the brain. The other alternative is that the gut microbiome is contributing to Alzheimer’s disease, in which case altering the gut microbiome with probiotics or fecal transfers might help change the course of the disease.”

Jun 15, 2023

Invest In Project Management Before Shifting To The Metaverse

Posted by in category: business

3. Discuss the impact of the metaverse and revise your strategy. Make sure your managers evaluate the usefulness of metaverse tools in business processes. This will help you decide whether to keep using certain solutions or switch to others. Note that it’s okay to change your KPIs on the go based on how the metaverse impacts your team’s productivity, job satisfaction, issue resolution and so on.

With trendy technologies like the metaverse, it’s important to determine the real benefits you can get and ensure they’re worth the cost. Keep in mind that metaverse platforms are not the holy grail.

All in all, project management is still 90% about communication with clients and employees. It’s best to stay focused on keeping this communication efficient. While being open to adopting new technologies like the metaverse, you should treat them as additional tools rather than making them a priority for your PMs.

Jun 15, 2023

Remote-Controlled Pill Camera Can Help Diagnose Digestive Issues

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, electronics

Scientists have developed a pill-shaped, swallowable camera that can be controlled by physicians once ingested to help doctors diagnose digestive issues.

Ingestible pill-shaped endoscopes are not a new idea. Last year, PetaPixel reported on the Pillcam which is just such a device, but it had limitations just like all other swallowable pill cameras: doctors can’t control it once it is ingested.

Continue reading “Remote-Controlled Pill Camera Can Help Diagnose Digestive Issues” »

Jun 15, 2023

Stratoplanes: The aircraft that will fly at the edge of space

Posted by in categories: solar power, space travel, sustainability

It is June 2022, and a flying machine that looks like a cross between a prehistoric beast and a spaceship is about to take off. Named the Zephyr S, it has long spindly wings the length of an airliner’s. Together with its small, thin body and head, these make it resemble a pterodactyl. Its shimmering tinfoil-like solar panels and lightweight skeletal frame are more like something you’d see on a craft meant for space.


Its mission for the US Army is a secret, but clearly on its manufacturer’s mind is the desire to shatter a few records, particularly that for the longest flight duration for any type of airplane, which has stood for 63 years. In 1959 two men flew a four-seat Cessna light aircraft for 64 days, 22 hours and 19 minutes, refuelling in-flight from a truck.

British aviation pioneer Chris Kelleher designed the first Zephyr in 2002. His vision was of an uncrewed aircraft capable of “eternal flight” in the stratosphere. He foresaw that solar power and lightweight materials would lead to aircraft capable of staying aloft for months, or even years. The Zephyr S is the first production model.

Continue reading “Stratoplanes: The aircraft that will fly at the edge of space” »

Jun 15, 2023

Are smartphone thermal cameras sensitive enough to uncover PIN codes?

Posted by in categories: electronics, mobile phones

I’ve found a lot of reasons – from finding components that are overheating (which can indicate faulty components), identifying overheating wires and connectors (which can indicate damaged wires or connectors), diagnosing issues with HVAC, find draughts at home, and much, much more.

Also: This $10 gadget is my favorite repair tool of all time

Continue reading “Are smartphone thermal cameras sensitive enough to uncover PIN codes?” »

Jun 15, 2023

Labeling T Cells to Track Immune Response to Immunotherapy in Glioblastoma

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

While the advent of immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, its use in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) has been less successful. Most studies using immunotherapy in GBM have been negative and the reasons for this are still being studied. In clinical practice, interpreting response to immunotherapy has been challenging, particularly when trying to differentiate between treatment-related changes (i.e., pseudoprogression) or true tumor progression. T cell tagging is one promising technique to noninvasively monitor treatment efficacy by assessing the migration, expansion, and engagement of T cells and their ability to target tumor cells at the tumor site.

Jun 15, 2023

‘Synthetic’ embryo with brain and beating heart grown from stem cells by Cambridge scientists

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

The team, led by Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, developed the embryo model without eggs or sperm, and instead used stem cells – the body’s master cells, which can develop into almost any cell type in the body.

The researchers mimicked natural processes in the lab by guiding the three types of stem cells found in early mammalian development to the point where they start interacting. By inducing the expression of a particular set of genes and establishing a unique environment for their interactions, the researchers were able to get the stem cells to ‘talk’ to each other.


Researchers have created model embryos from mouse stem cells that form a brain, a beating heart, and the foundations of all the other organs of the body.

Jun 14, 2023

Walmart, LinkedIn, Meta test internal generative AI options for employees

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

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Walmart, Meta and LinkedIn are three companies currently testing internal generative AI options for employees that are safe for the use of company data, either in the form of generative AI “playgrounds” that offer a variety of models to choose from, or in the case of Meta, its own in-house internal chatbot.

These examples stand in contrast to companies that have banned the use of public generative AI tools like ChatGPT, including Goldman Sachs, Amazon and Verizon.

Jun 14, 2023

Review: A striking Danish art show at the Getty unpacks what it means to be a nation in turmoil

Posted by in category: futurism

Denmark was in full chaotic collapse in the early 19th century. Why was its art so beautifully serene?