Philip O'Keefe, a 62-year-old amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient in Australia recently became the first person to post a message on social media using only his thoughts. On Dec. 23, he posted an initial brief message, "Hello World," on Twitter, reports Tech Xplore. The technology that allowed O'Keefe to send his message was developed by brain computer interface company Synchron. The device is called the Stentrode Brain Computer Interface (SBCI), a type of endovascular brain implant....
Some people diagnosed with HIV are able to eradicate the virus without antiretroviral medications or even stem cell transplants, possessing the ability to naturally suppress the virus and achieve a medically verifiable cure. Scientists call this small population elite controllers, a moniker that reflects their unique ability to keep one of the most notorious viruses at bay. Two of these patients have garnered fame in the scientific literature in recent months, each known mostly by...
Realizing the vision of culturing organs for use in life-saving transplantation procedures is a long way off, but the work of professor Jacob Hanna on stem cells is paving the way for this to become a reality. Hanna and his team from the Weizmann Institute of Science's Molecular Genetics Department have found a way to culture human stem cells in a much earlier state than was previously possible. The stem cells they created are also far more competent,...
We use 'it's not rocket science' and 'it's not brain surgery' almost interchangeably to say that we don't think something is very difficult to do or to understand. Which phrase is more deserving? And more importantly, should rocket scientists or brain surgeons be crowned winners of the wits? A research team led by University College London neuroscientist Dr. Inga Usher set out to provide the answers. Findings published in the BMJ are actually encouraging for the...
The three-body problem is one of the oldest problems in physics: it concerns the motions of systems of three bodies – such as the Sun, Earth, and the moon – and how their orbits evolve due to their mutual gravity. The three-body problem has been a focus of scientific inquiry ever since the time of Isaac Newton. When one massive object comes close to another, their relative motion follows a trajectory dictated by their...
Newly infected COVID-19 patients have two new treatment options that can be taken at home. But that convenience comes with a catch: The pills have to be taken as soon as possible once symptoms appear. The challenge is getting tested, getting a prescription and starting the pills in a short window. U.S. regulators authorized Pfizer's pill, Paxlovid, and Merck's molnupiravir last week. In high-risk patients, both were shown to reduce the chances of hospitalization or death...
Louisiana researchers have identified 14 new species of shrews on an Indonesian island where seven in that genus were previously known. A 101-page paper will be "super valuable for all current and future students of mammal biodiversity," said Nathan Upham, assistant research professor at Arizona State University's School of Life Sciences and lead creator of the American Society of Mammalogists' online Mammal Diversity Database. The study, which was published Dec. 15 in the Bulletin of...
The first study to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of fully vaccinated patients with cancer who had breakthrough COVID-19 infections indicates they remained at high risk for hospitalization and death. The study, published Dec. 24 in Annals of Oncology, showed that fully vaccinated patients who experienced breakthrough infections had a hospitalization rate of 65%, an ICU or mechanical ventilation rate of 19%, and a 13% death rate. The study was conducted by the COVID-19 and...
Preliminary data suggests that people with the omicron variant of the coronavirus are 50% to 70% less likely to be hospitalized than those with the delta strain, Britain's public health agency announced today. The findings from the U.K. Health Security Agency add to emerging evidence that omicron produces milder illness than other variants. But scientists caution that any reductions in severity must be weighed against the fact that omicron spreads much faster than delta...
U.S. health regulators today authorized the first pill against COVID-19, a Pfizer drug that Americans will be able to take at home to head off the worst effects of the virus, Medical Xpress reports. The milestone comes as U.S. cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are rising and health officials warn of a tsunami of new infections from the omicron variant. The drug Paxlovid is a faster way to treat early COVID-19 infections, though initial supplies will be...
