All posts tagged: Revolutionary

Revolutionary brain implant translates a person’s brain signals into spoken words

Revolutionary brain implant translates a person’s brain signals into spoken words

Published by skeptic

Jonathan Viventi holds an ultrathin film implant that brings more electrodes into the brain to better gather neural signals. (CREDIT: Chris Hildreth) A revolutionary partnership among Duke University‘s neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, and engineers has yielded an extraordinary speech implant. This innovative device translates the brain signals of individuals into audible speech with remarkable precision. Published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, this new technology holds the promise of enabling individuals suffering from neurological disorders, such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and locked-in syndrome, to regain the ability to communicate through a cutting-edge brain-computer interface. The current landscape for communication aids available to those with debilitating motor disorders is marked by significant limitations. Gregory Cogan, Ph.D., a professor of neurology at Duke University’s School of Medicine and one of the leading researchers behind this project, underscores the challenges faced by these individuals. He states, “There are many patients who suffer from debilitating motor disorders…that can impair their ability to speak. But the current tools available to allow them to communicate are generally very slow and cumbersome.” Imagine …

Revolutionary skin cancer vaccine dramatically boosts survival rates in male patients

Revolutionary skin cancer vaccine dramatically boosts survival rates in male patients

Published by skeptic

A second generation melanoma vaccine is demonstrating significant improvements in long-term survival rates for melanoma patients compared to its predecessor. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) A groundbreaking melanoma vaccine, currently in its second generation of development at UVA Cancer Center, is demonstrating significant improvements in long-term survival rates for melanoma patients compared to its predecessor, according to recent research. Moreover, this advancement seems to offer greater benefits to male patients than female patients, potentially reshaping the landscape of cancer vaccine development. Led by Dr. Craig L. Slingluff Jr., the team of vaccine developers discovered that by concurrently activating crucial immune cells known as “helper T cells” to recognize melanoma proteins alongside stimulating killer T cells against melanoma, they could enhance the efficacy of their melanoma vaccine. This dual action not only improved patient survival rates but also acted as a barrier against cancer reoccurrence. Craig L. Slingluff Jr., MD, and his team at UVA Cancer Center have developed a second-generation melanoma vaccine to treat the dangerous skin cancer. (CREDIT: Dan Addison | UVA Health) While the reason …

‘I was brought up among giants’: Gillian Slovo on her revolutionary parents – and her mother’s murder | Stage

‘I was brought up among giants’: Gillian Slovo on her revolutionary parents – and her mother’s murder | Stage

Published by skeptic

The night I saw Grenfell, the play by Gillian Slovo based on interviews with survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire, there was a small but unprecedented response from the audience. On paper, Grenfell, which has transferred to New York after its successful run in London, is a tough sell to American theatregoers: the disaster wasn’t big news in the US and the play’s setting is peculiarly British. Towards the end of the play, however, when a survivor suggests the fire wasn’t caused by the system being broken but rather by the system performing exactly as built, the audience at St Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn broke into spontaneous applause. “We haven’t had that reaction before,” says Slovo. The 72-year-old playwright and novelist is accustomed to chronicling failures in government and if the subject matter of Grenfell seemed, at first glance, more parochial than her verbatim plays about Guantánamo or Islamic State, it turned out to be deceptively so. The deaths in 2017 of 72 people in a west London tower block tell a universal story, not …

Revolutionary spinal patch uses the body’s natural motion to repair herniated discs

Revolutionary spinal patch uses the body’s natural motion to repair herniated discs

Published by skeptic

Researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking medical advancement that offers hope to those suffering from herniated discs. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the CMC VA Medical Center (CMCVAMC) have unveiled a groundbreaking medical advancement that offers hope to those suffering from herniated discs. This innovative development, known as “tension-activated repair patches” (TARPs), harnesses the body’s natural motion to release an anti-inflammatory molecule called anakinra from microcapsules. This solution has shown promise in reversing herniation and preventing further degeneration in a large animal model. In a paper published in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers share their remarkable progress in the quest for an effective herniated disc treatment. The Challenge of Herniated Discs Herniated discs pose a significant challenge in the science of orthopedic medicine. When one of the soft discs situated between the vertebrae develops a split or hole, the soft interior protrudes, resulting in a loss of tension and diminished spine cushioning. This condition causes severe pain, akin to a car driving on a flat …

Revolutionary medical treatment targets and kills prostate, skin and breast cancers

Revolutionary medical treatment targets and kills prostate, skin and breast cancers

Published by skeptic

New research offers a promising avenue to combat the escalating challenge of treatment resistance in prostate cancer. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) Researchers have achieved a groundbreaking discovery in the fight against prostate cancer by pinpointing a singular enzyme, known as PI5P4Kα, that holds the potential to eliminate the disease. The recent publication of their findings in Science Advances unveils a pivotal breakthrough, offering a promising avenue to combat the escalating challenge of treatment resistance in prostate cancer. Moreover, this revelation holds the prospect of advancing treatment strategies not only for prostate cancer but also for other malignancies, including those affecting the breast, skin, and pancreas. Co-senior author, Dr. Brooke Emerling, an associate professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys, underscores the significance of this milestone, stating, “This marks the inaugural identification of this enzyme’s involvement in prostate cancer, with implications extending to diverse cancer types.” Dr. Emerling emphasizes the importance of employing a multifaceted approach in precision medicine to confront cancer comprehensively while minimizing the emergence of resistance. A significant number of prostate cancer instances can be addressed …

Revolutionary carbon beads restore gut health and reduce liver and kidney disease

Revolutionary carbon beads restore gut health and reduce liver and kidney disease

Published by skeptic

Innovative carbon beads effectively restore gut health and positively impact liver, kidney, and brain function. (CREDIT: University of Brighton/Yaqrit) Innovative carbon beads, crafted by researchers at University College London (UCL), show promise in mitigating harmful bacteria and inflammation in animal models, potentially addressing liver cirrhosis and associated health concerns. The findings, detailed in Gut, reveal that these carbon beads, licensed to UCL-spinout Yaqrit, effectively restore gut health and positively impact liver, kidney, and brain function in rats and mice. Moreover, they demonstrate safety for human use. Moving forward, researchers aim to ascertain if similar benefits translate to humans, offering a potential avenue for treating gut health-related diseases. Globally, an estimated 100 million individuals live with liver cirrhosis, with an additional 10 million experiencing cirrhosis compounded by other complications. Senior author Professor Rajiv Jalan from the UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health underscores the significance of gut microbiome in health, highlighting how disturbances in its balance can lead to the proliferation of detrimental bacteria, triggering gut inflammation and organ damage. Professor Jalan explains, “In cirrhosis, …

George the Poet claims Kendrick Lamar is ‘cosplaying as a revolutionary’

George the Poet claims Kendrick Lamar is ‘cosplaying as a revolutionary’

Published by Sam

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free British musician George the Poet has criticised Kendrick Lamar for “cosplaying as a revolutionary”, as he questioned how vocal the US rapper has been about “important things”. The 33-year-old Londoner, whose real name is George Mpanga, shot to fame in 2014 for his socially conscious music and spoken-word poetry, and made headlines for turning down an MBE over what he called the “pure evil” of the British Empire. His comments come amid an ongoing battle between international rap stars Lamar, Drake, and J Cole, which Mpanga referred to dismissively as Lamar’s “catty moment”. Lamar has ventured further into politically conscious performances in recent years, including a politically charged statement at the 2016 Grammy Awards in which he dressed in a prison jumpsuit and chains as he paid tribute to Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old teenager killed by police. However, Mpanga said he was unimpressed with the trajectory the rapper …

Iran’s attack against Israel shows Revolutionary Guards are toughening their stance

Iran’s attack against Israel shows Revolutionary Guards are toughening their stance

Published by skeptic

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at an Army Day parade at a military base north of Tehran on April 17, 2024. VAHID SALEMI / AP When Nadine Olivieri Lozano, the Swiss ambassador to Iran, was summoned by the local authorities in the early hours of April 14, it wasn’t her diplomatic counterparts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs she was meeting. Instead, she was directed to an office of the Revolutionary Guards, the regime’s ideological army, as Mojtaba Abtahi, an adviser to the Iranian interior ministry, recounted on April 16. A few hours earlier, Teheran had launched operation “Honest Promise,” firing hundreds of projectiles against Israel. The Swiss Confederation represents the interests of the United States in Iran, as the two countries have no diplomatic relations. But on April 14, the Guards had a message for Washington: “They told [the Swiss ambassador] that if the Americans made the slightest move, the whole region would be destroyed,” said Abtahi. The Islamic Republic, which a few days earlier had urged the US to steer clear of a direct …

Revolutionary eye implants can be used to treat diabetes

Revolutionary eye implants can be used to treat diabetes

Published by skeptic

Researchers have developed a tiny device designed for implantation into the eye to treat diseases like diabetes through cell-based therapies. (CREDIT: David Callahan) A new breakthrough in medical technology has emerged from Sweden, where researchers have developed a tiny device designed for implantation into the eye. This innovation opens up fresh avenues for treating diseases like diabetes through cell-based therapies. The collaboration between these two prestigious institutions has led to the creation of a device capable of precisely positioning micro-organs, particularly pancreatic islets or islets of Langerhans, within the eye without the need for sutures. This breakthrough offers promising prospects for cell-based therapies, including the treatment of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, utilizing the eye as a natural platform. Foreign body reaction characterization of microstructure explants retrieved after 10 months (cylinder) and 20 weeks (wedge) of transplantation. (CREDIT: Advanced Materials) Anna Herland, a senior lecturer involved in the project, explains the choice of the eye as an ideal location for this technology. She notes that the eye lacks immune cells that might react …

The revolutionary toy technology of ‘Captain Power’ that time forgot

The revolutionary toy technology of ‘Captain Power’ that time forgot

Published by skeptic

Hey ‘80s kids, do you remember Captain Power? If you do, awesome. And if no, it’s not totally surprising.  Action figures and toys tied to kids’ entertainment thrived in the 1980s–Thundercats, GI Joe, He-Man all dominated our toy boxes and our televisions. So how did a Gene Siskel-approved sci-fi show with a complementary ground-breaking toy technology fail so miserably? In the latest video for Popular Science, Kevin Lieber dissects the most monumental disconnect in TV history.  Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future ran for a single season from 1987 to 1988. The 22 episodes followed Captain Jonathan Power (Timothy Dunigan) and a small team of specialized soldiers wearing power suits to battle the robot army of Lord Dread. The show featured interactive elements that kids could “shoot” using a toy XT-7 jet that was manufactured by Mattel. Sounds kind of cool, right? Well, not to thousands of parents who rallied against the show for blurring the lines between kids show, warfare, and toy commercials.  The whole “shooting your TV” thing wasn’t the only …