Brain-computer interfaces are able to translate commands in the mind into real-world actions When a person suffers paralysis, a fully functioning brain can be trapped inside an immobile body. More and more, brain-computer-interface (BCI) technology is coming to the rescue in such cases, allowing paralyzed people to do everything from operating a speech computer to controlling an...
Category: <span>Miscellaneous</span>
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How blood can be rejuvenated
Our blood stem cells generate around a thousand billion new blood cells every day. But the blood stem cells’ capacity to produce blood changes as we age. This leads to older people being more susceptible to anemia, lowered immunity and a greater risk of developing certain kinds of blood cancer. Now for the first time,...
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Time for physicians to prepare for impending appropriate use mandate
1. Time for physicians to prepare for impending appropriate use mandate Most cardiac imaging procedures will be subject to scrutiny under PAMA Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M16-2673 URL goes live when the embargo lifts Within a year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement a provision in the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) that requires...
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Geneticists Are Pioneering a Way to Postpone Death Using Human DNA
IN BRIEF One DNA research pioneer’s new Human Longevity company offers an extensive $25,000 physical exam that includes MRIs, ultrasounds, blood tests, and cognitive exams. By gathering this data from enough people, he hopes to be able to get a more complete picture of when death may occur and how to postpone it. THE PATH...
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Stop using ultrasound to speed up fracture healing, advise experts
New evidence suggests that receiving low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) to speed up bone healing after fracture has little or no impact on pain or recovery time, say a panel of international experts in The BMJ today. They say LIPUS does not represent an efficient use of health resources and recommend that it should be stopped. Their...
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A SWOT Analysis of the Field of Virtual Reality Rehabilitation and Therapy
Abstract The use of virtual-reality technology in the areas of rehabilitation and therapy continues to grow, with encouraging results being reported for applications that address human physical, cognitive, and psychological functioning. This article presents a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis for the field of VR rehabilitation and therapy. The SWOT analysis is a...
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How drug development is speeding up in the cloud
Image caption Developing new drugs to fight major diseases can take years and cost billions of dollars Technology of Business Has the time now come for internet voting? Facebook’s tentacles reach further than you think How Cuba’s growing internet is fuelling new businesses How DNA-testing kits are becoming big business Developing a drug from a promising...
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Medical Technology: What Changing Venture Capital Investments Signal
The market for medical devices historically has been dominated by big-ticket “physician preference items” such as artificial joints, spinal implants, and cardiac pacemakers. Venture capital and private equity investors have been eager to fund new firms in this expanding and lucrative domain. Changes in physician payment and organization are reducing the demand for these cost-increasing...
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New protein could be key in fighting debilitating parasitic disease
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A naturally occurring protein has been discovered that shows promise as a biocontrol weapon against schistosomiasis, one of the world’s most prevalent parasitic diseases, Oregon State University researchers reported today in a new study. Schistosomiasis is transmitted via flatworms shed by the freshwater snails that serve as the parasite’s non-human host. It’s...
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Cannabidiol: an alternative therapeutic agent for oral mucositis?
Summary What is known and objective Chemo‐ and radiotherapy are therapeutic modalities often used in patients with malignant neoplasms. They kill tumour cells but act on healthy tissues as well, resulting in adverse effects. Oral mucositis is especially of concern, due to the morbidity that it causes. We reviewed the literature on the etiopathogenesis of...