Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog – Page 76

Scientists at Penn State have discovered a method to induce ferroelectric properties in non-ferroelectric materials by layering them with ferroelectric materials, a phenomenon termed proximity ferroelectricity.

This breakthrough offers a novel approach to creating ferroelectric materials without altering their chemical composition, preserving their intrinsic properties, and potentially revolutionizing data storage, wireless communication, and the development of next-generation electronic devices.

New ferroelectric materials without chemical alterations.

Read more | >

Introduction: Hyperthermia is an established adjunct in multimodal cancer treatments, with mechanisms including cell death, immune modulation, and vascular changes. Traditional hyperthermia applications are resource-intensive and often associated with patient morbidity, limiting their clinical accessibility. Gold nanorods (GNRs) offer a precise, minimally invasive alternative by leveraging near-infrared (NIR) light to deliver targeted hyperthermia therapy (THT). THT induces controlled tumor heating, promoting immunogenic cell death (ICD) and modulating the tumor microenvironment (TME) to enhance immune engagement. This study explores the synergistic potential of GNR-mediated THT with immunotherapies in immunogenically ‘cold’ tumors to achieve durable anti-tumor immunity.

Methods: GNRs from Sona Nanotech Inc.™ were intratumorally injected and activated using NIR light to induce mild hyperthermia (42–48°C) for 5 minutes. Tumor responses were analyzed for cell death pathways and immune modulation. The immunogenic effects of THT were assessed alone and in combination with intratumoral interleukin-2 (i.t. IL-2) or systemic PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade. Immune cell infiltration, gene expression changes, and tumor growth kinetics were evaluated.

Results: THT reduced tumor burden through cell death mechanisms, including upregulated ICD marked by calreticulin exposure within 48 hours. By 48 hours, CD45+ immune cell levels were increased, including increased levels of immunosuppressive M2 macrophages. While THT led to innate immune cell stimulations highlighted by gene expression upregulation in the STING cGAS pathway and enhanced M1 and dendritic cell levels, tumor regrowth was observed within six days post-treatment. To enhance THT’s immunogenic effects, the therapy was combined with intratumoral interleukin-2 (i.t. IL-2) or systemic PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade. Sequential administration of i.t. IL-2 post-THT induced robust CD8+ T-cell infiltration and led to sustained tumor regression in both treated and distant tumors, accompanied by the emergence of memory T cells. However, IL-2-induced immunosuppressive T-reg populations were also sustained to tumor endpoint suggesting that therapy could be further enhanced.

Read more | >

–

They found that when people with aphantasia try to conjure an image in their mind’s eye, the primary visual cortex – the part of the brain that processes picture-like visual information – is activated, but any images that are produced remain unconscious to the individual.

Published today in Current Biology, opens in a new window, the study, carried out by scientists at UNSW and South China Normal University, used a range of techniques to measure brain activity. Their findings challenge the existing theory that activity in the primary visual cortex directly produces conscious visual imagery.

“People with aphantasia actually do seem to have images of a sort, they remain too weak or distorted to become conscious or be measured by our standard measurement techniques,” says Prof. Joel Pearson, a co-author of the study based at UNSW’s School of Psychology, opens in a new window. “This may be because the visual cortex is wired differently, as evidenced by the data in this new study. This research not only deepens our understanding of the brain but also pushes the boundaries of how we think about imagination and consciousness.”

Continue reading “Mind blindness decoded: people who can’t see with their ‘mind’s eye’ still activate their visual cortex, study finds” | >

In 1956, a small group of scientists gathered for the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence, which was the birth of this field of research.

To celebrate the anniversary, more than 100 researchers and scholars again met at Dartmouth for AI@50, a conference that not only honored the past and assessed present accomplishments, but also helped seed ideas for future artificial intelligence research.

The initial meeting was organized by John McCarthy, then a mathematics professor at the College. In his proposal, he stated that the conference was “to proceed on the basis of the conjecture that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it.”

Read more | >

A new biodegradable electrode stimulates brain repair by activating neural precursor cells, dissolving naturally after a week. This breakthrough could transform treatments for neurological disorders like stroke.

Summary: Researchers have developed a flexible, biodegradable electrode capable of stimulating neural precursor cells (NPCs) in the brain, offering a safer and more precise alternative for neural repair. The electrode dissolves naturally after seven days, eliminating the need for surgical removal while promoting tissue regeneration.

Made from FDA-approved materials, the device successfully increased NPC activity in preclinical models without causing significant inflammation or damage. This innovation could significantly expand treatment options for neurological disorders, which are a leading cause of disability worldwide.

Future developments aim to integrate drug and gene therapy delivery into the electrodes for enhanced therapeutic potential.

Continue reading “Biodegradable Brain Electrodes Advance Neural Repair” | >

Western researchers have developed a novel technique using math to understand exactly how neural networks make decisions—a widely recognized but poorly understood process in the field of machine learning.

Many of today’s technologies, from digital assistants like Siri and ChatGPT to and self-driving cars, are powered by machine learning. However, the —computer models inspired by the —behind these machine learning systems have been difficult to understand, sometimes earning them the nickname “” among researchers.

“We create neural networks that can perform , while also allowing us to solve the equations that govern the networks’ activity,” said Lyle Muller, mathematics professor and director of Western’s Fields Lab for Network Science, part of the newly created Fields-Western Collaboration Centre. “This mathematical solution lets us ‘open the black box’ to understand precisely how the network does what it does.”

Read more | >

A team of researchers has made a remarkable breakthrough in spintronic technology, achieving a one-directional flow of spin-polarized current in a single-atom layer of thallium-lead alloys.

This advancement not only challenges traditional views of material interaction with light but also heralds the development of ultra-fine, environmentally friendly data storage for the future.

Groundbreaking Discovery in Spintronic Technology.

Read more | >

In February 2016, scientists working for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) made history by announcing the first-ever detection of gravitational waves (GW). These waves, predicted by Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity, are created when massive objects collide (neutron stars or black holes), causing ripples in spacetime that can be detected millions or billions of light years away. Since their discovery, astrophysicists have been finding applications for GW astronomy, which include probing the interiors of neutron stars.

For instance, scientists believe that probing the continuous gravitational wave (CW) emissions from neutron stars will reveal data on their internal structure and equation of state and can provide tests of General Relativity. In a recent study, members of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration conducted a search for CWs from 45 known pulsars. While their results showed no signs of CWs emanating from their sample of pulsars, their work does establish upper and lower limits on the signal amplitude, potentially aiding future searches.

The LVK Collaboration is an international consortium of scientists from hundreds of universities and institutes worldwide. This collaboration combines data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory’s (LIGO) twin observatories, the Virgo Observatory, and the Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA). The preprint of the paper, “Search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in the first part of the fourth LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing run,” recently appeared online.

Read more | >