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Scientists have developed a novel approach that allows stem cells to be turned into retinal ganglion cells that are capable of migrating and surviving in the eye’s retina. This approach presents a promising new treatment strategy for diseases like glaucoma, in which the loss of retinal ganglion cells caused by the disease leads to irreversible vision loss.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide, and vision loss, due to the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), cannot currently be reversed with any treatment. Some studies have looked at replacing RGCs through cell transplants, but this process is still in the research and development stage and fraught with limitations that highlight a need for a more precise manner of effectively repopulating these cells in the retina. Now, a multidisciplinary team led by researchers at the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear has identified a promising new strategy for glaucoma cell replacement therapy.

In their new study, researchers changed the microenvironment in the eye in a way that enabled them to take stem cells from blood and turn them into retinal ganglion cells that were capable of migrating and surviving into the eye’s retina. They conducted their study on the adult mouse retina, but the work’s implications could one day be applied to human retina, according to the researchers who published their findings November 6th in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become very popular; alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with recovery periods, it is designed to help to decrease body fat, increase strength and endurance, and improve healthspan in protocols that last approximately half an hour.

But these days, even finding half an hour can be tricky – enter CAROL Bike, an exercise bike designed around Reduced Exertion HIIT (REHIT) and AI-personalization, meaning an effective workout can be delivered in just 5 minutes.

Longevity. Technology: Developed in collaboration with leading exercise researchers, CAROL Bike not only improves fitness, but increases VO₂, reduces blood pressure and decreases the risk of diabetes. Given CAROL Bike’s foundation being scientific studies, rather than just ‘feel the burn’ or ‘if it hurts, it must be working’, we were intrigued. We sat down with CAROL Bike’s cofounder and CEO Ulrich Dempfle, who leveraged his background in mechanical engineering to develop the world’s only Reduced Exertion HIIT (REHIT) bike.

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IonQ earns spot in the prestigious list of 119 innovative companies for innovation in quantum computing

COLLEGE PARK, Md., November 28, 2023 —(BUSINESS WIRE)— IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), an industry leader in quantum computing, today announced that it has been named to Fast Company’s third annual Next Big Things in Tech list, honoring technology breakthroughs that promise to shape the future of industries—from healthcare and security to artificial intelligence and data. This is IonQ’s first time appearing on the list.

“This recognition is not only a tremendous honor but a testament to the transformative impact and potential of our technology,” said Peter Chapman, President and CEO of IonQ. “IonQ is committed to advancing quantum computing capabilities to drive technological breakthroughs and solve complex business problems across industries. This award fuels our drive to continue pushing boundaries and breaking barriers.”

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Author: Sharika Dhakappa The Big Bang is the most widely accepted theory of how the universe originated. Most physicists believe that the tremendously large universe we observe today began as a tiny, dense point. If the evolution of the universe till today were to be depicted as a movie, the Big Bang would be the beginning of it. We do not yet know what came before the Big Bang or whether that is even a meaningful question to ask. The cosmic movie would run for 13.8 billion years which is the current age of the universe as estimated by the WMAP satellite.

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Should you start exploring quantum computing? Yes, said a panel of analysts convened at Tabor Communications HPC and AI on Wall Street conference earlier this year.

Without doubt, the quantum computing landscape remains murky. Yet in the past ~5 years virtually every aspect of quantum computing has raced forward. At least one 1000-plus-qubit system is edging towards user access now and another is expected by year-end. There’s been a proliferation of software offerings up and down the “quantum stack” though it’s hardly complete. Most promising, what were a few POC use-case explorations has mushroomed into very many efforts across many sectors.

What are we waiting for? Against the backdrop of astonishing progress are also very hard technical problems. Error correction/mitigation tops the list. Effective quantum networking is another. Polished applications. Too many qubit types to choose from (at least for now.) Scale matters – it’s expected that millions of qubits may be needed for practical quantum computing These aren’t trivial challenges. Why bother?

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A team from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and Mainz University of Applied Sciences has unveiled an AI system capable of deciphering ancient cuneiform texts. This novel technology, leveraging 3D models, represents a significant advancement in understanding one of humanity’s earliest forms of writing.

Published in The Eurographics Association journal, the researchers’ study focused on a set of cuneiform tablets from the Frau Professor Hilprecht Collection. These tablets primarily originate from ancient Mesopotamia, a historical region in present-day Iraq. Often referred to as the cradle of civilization, this area is where some of the earliest human societies developed. These tablets, in particular, are inscribed with a series of symbols, signs, and wedges that form the languages of the region, such as Sumerian, Assyrian, and Akkadian.

Many are over 5,000 years old and offer a glimpse into ancient civilizations, covering a wide range of topics from everyday life to legal matters.

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Target validation is a crucial step in pre-clinical drug discovery workflows that builds confidence on the identification of a genetic target as relevant to a disease. With recent advancements, CRISPR serves as a particularly powerful tool for this process, as it enables researchers to accurately modify genes and determine their function in a variety of experimental systems.

One scientist leveraging CRISPR gene editing in this way is Dr. Panos Zalmas, Head of the Open Targets Validation Lab based at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, whose work focuses on discovering and validating new putative disease targets for the development of safe and effective medicines.

In this SelectScience® interview, we speak with Zalmas to learn how he is working to improve the rate of target adoption into drug discovery pipelines across therapy areas such as oncology, neurodegeneration, and immunology and inflammation. Here, Zalmas explains the importance of gene editing in his target validation workflows and highlights how CRISPR technologies in particular are key to the success of drug discovery.

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