New Tech Sees Human Heart Like Never Before
Ge has come up with a way to create three dimensional videos of the heart within a matter of minutes. ViosWorks uses the exisiting MRI devices but creates images that are higher in resolution and more dimensional.
Current MRI technology uses slices of images to create one static compilation. However, with Viosworks, you can actually see the blood flow and heart beat. This could expedite a diagnosis and remove the room for error.
It is not available commercially yet, but we cannot wait until it comes to the market. This could be a game changer for modern medicine.
More articles available
http://www.popsci.com/new-imaging-tool-lets-doctors-see-heart-like-never-before?src=SOC&dom=fb
http://www3.gehealthcare.com/en/products/categories/magnetic_resonance_imaging/viosworks
New Alzheimer's Treatment Fully Restores Memory
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com
Alzheimer's is a progressive form of dementia that gets worse over time. In its early stages, memory loss is considered mild but over time it can cause people to lose the ability to speak or even respond to their environment. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the US and people suffering from the disease typically only live eight years after onset.
With that in mind, Australian researchers have discovered a non-invasive ultrasound technology that clears the brain of neurotoxic amyloid plaques. These are the structures that are responsible for the decline of cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients.
The research team uses the ultrasound technology to beam sound waves into the brain tissue. The super-fast oscillating sound waves are able to open the blood brain barrier and activate the brain's microglial cells. These cells are waste removal cells and once activated they can clear out the beta-amyloid clumps that are responsible to Alzheimer's symptoms. The researchers reported that they fully restored memory function to 75 percent of the mice they tested with no damage to the brain.
For more on this check out these web sites
http://www.sciencealert.com/new-alzheimer-s-treatment-fully-restores-memory-function
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp
This Chemist Hasn't Showered in 15 Years
Chemical engineer David Whitlock says AOBiome’s products help keep him clean -- he says he's used them in place of showering for the last 15 years
When David Whitlock was asked, "Why does a horse roll in its own filth all day?" his life was changed. Driven to answer this question, he decided to quit bathing and hasn't in fifteen years.
Whitlock found that the reason horses roll around in their filth is to rub living bacteria into their skin. This living bacteria protects the flora there. He has since made a spray that harnesses good bacteria that neutralizes hazardous substances and organisms on the skin. It also breaks down the compound that makes stink sweat in the first place, ammonia.
Check out this video where the guys from Buzzfeed try out Whitlock's spray product Mother Dirt.
Full article and interview available
The Science of Shyness
Courtesy of US News and World Report
The Science of Shyness discusses the differences between shyness and social anxiety and the ways adults can help foster healthy development in children.
Full article available
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/10/19/the-science-of-shyness
Researchers Learn How To Grow Old Brain Cells
Image: Courtesy of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies
A new technique allows scientists to study diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's using cells from human patients. Historically, animal models -- from fruit flies to mice -- have been the go-to technique to study the biological consequences of aging, especially in tissues that can't be easily sampled from living humans, like the brain. Over the past few years, researchers have increasingly turned to stem cells to study various diseases in humans.
Full article available
http://www.salk.edu/news-release/researchers-learn-how-to-grow-old-brain-cells/
Artist Turns DNA From Chewing Gum Into Sculptures
Courtesy of Heather Dewey-Hagborg
Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg determined the facial features for her “Stranger Visions” show using DNA using things like cigarette butts and chewing gum she found on the street. She has also come up with a line of perfume that erases any genetic trail.
Full article available
Chimpanzee Mother Cares For Her Disabled Child In The Wild
photo credit: The disabled female chimp XT11 (on the left) next to her healthy brother (on the right). Matsumoto et al. 2015
Researchers record a chimpanzee caring for her disabled child in the wild. They noticed the child exhibited behaviors similar to down-syndrome and found that the mother adapted her behavior to care for it.
Full article available