Doppel heartbeat-simulating wearable(Credit: Will Shanklin/New Atlas) Wearable tech is often associated with smartwatches and fitness trackers, but we’ve also seen a niche group of consumer products aimed at regulating emotions. While it’s an area ripe for a placebo effect, we found Doppel, a heartbeat-simulating wrist wearable, to be curious enough to demo at CES 2017. The idea behind...
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Mesothelioma shows promising response to existing immunotherapy drug
An existing immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab appears to be effective in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive lung cancer that is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos. Writing in The Lancet Oncology, researchers describe the first study to show a positive result from using the antibody drug against this rare cancer. Researchers...
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Targeting bacterial adherence inhibits multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection following burn injury
Abstract Classical antimicrobial drugs target proliferation and therefore place microbes under extreme selective pressure to evolve resistance. Alternative drugs that target bacterial virulence without impacting survival directly offer an attractive solution to this problem, but to date few such molecules have been discovered. We previously discovered a widespread group of bacterial adhesins, termed Multivalent Adhesion...
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New method uses sound to see vividly inside living cells
A new nanoscale ultrasound technique for imaging live cells could rival the optical super-resolution techniques which won the 2014 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.(Credit: University of Nottingham) Researchers from The University of Nottingham (UN) have developed a groundbreaking technique that uses sound rather than light to see inside live cells. The new technique provides insight into the structure...
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Meet the modern day Dr Frankenstein: Scientist who re-wires frogs to grow extra limbs says he could use the technique on HUMANS ‘in our lifetime’
Dr Michael Levin is a researcher at Tufts University in Massachusetts His work focuses on ion channels which control the flow of molecules in cells Previously he has created tadpoles with eyes on their back and frogs with 6 legs He believes that his work could soon extend into humans and could allow us...
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Oculus Officially Owns an Eye-Tracking Company
IN BRIEF The Eye Tribe has introduced a $99 eye tracking device developer kit for computers, and software that can bring gaze-based interfaces to smartphones and potentially virtual reality headsets. Oculus has officially acquired the Danish company in hopes of integrating the technology into their VR technology, and maybe even tracking Facebook users. A NEW...
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The Secret To Treating Autoimmune Disease May Lie In The Gut
An estimated 50 million Americans ― that’s 20 percent of the general population ― suffer from autoimmune diseases like lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and many experts say that number is rising at an alarming rate. Autoimmunity occurs when the immune system begins attacking the body’s healthy tissue as if it were an outside invader, leading to chronic...
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Unexpected Risks Found In Replacing DNA To Prevent Inherited Disorders
The genes in mitochondria, which are the powerhouses in human cells, can cause fatal inherited disease. But replacing the bad genes may cause other health problems. Getty Images/Science Photo Library In September, reproductive endocrinologist John Zhang and his team at the New Hope Fertility Center in New York City captured the world’s attention when they announced...
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Finland Has Finally Launched Its Universal Basic Income Experiment
IN BRIEF The universal basic income trial will give out €560 ($587) a month, tax free, to 2,000 randomly-selected Finns. UBI is a potential source of income that could one day be available to all adult citizens, regardless of income, wealth, or employment status. NEW YEAR, NEW INCOME It looks like 2,000 citizens in Finland...
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Parkinson-like symptoms in welders worsen with more manganese exposure
New research involving shipyard and metal fabrication workers finds that increased exposure to the chemical element manganese in welding fumes is linked to the worsening of parkinsonism. This is a group of disorders that share some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, such as slow movement and stiffness. The researchers found that cumulative exposure...