Industries
Harnessing brain waves to reconstruct perceptive images
A technique developed by neuroscientists at U of T Scarborough can, for the first time, reconstruct images of what people perceive based on their brain activity gathered by EEG. The technique developed by Dan Nemrodov, a postdoctoral fellow in Assistant Professor Adrian Nestor’s lab at U of T Scarborough, is able to digitally reconstruct images seen by test subjects based on electroencephalography (EEG) data.
CRISPR/Cas9-guided activation to investigate X syndrome neurons
Fragile X syndrome is the most frequent cause of intellectual disability in males, affecting one out of every 3,600 boys born. The syndrome can also cause autistic traits, such as social and communication deficits, as well as attention problems and hyperactivity. Currently, there is no cure for this disorder. Fragile X syndrome is caused by mutations in the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome, which prevent the gene’s expression.
Light and gold nanoparticles aid targeted drug delivery
Over the last century, there has been astounding progress in medical science, leading to the development of efficient, effective medications for treating cancer and a wide variety of other diseases. But the random dispersion of drugs throughout the body often lowers their effectiveness and, even worse, damages healthy tissue.
A different approach to seeing the brain's electrical activity
Neurons in the brain communicate via rapid electrical impulses that allow the brain to coordinate behavior, sensation, thoughts, and emotion. Scientists who want to study this electrical activity measure these signals with electrodes inserted into the brain, a task that is difficult and time-consuming. MIT researchers have now come up with a completely different approach to measuring electrical activity in the brain, which they believe will ...
Microscopic flaws in polymer stents can lead to deformation
Many patients with heart disease have a metal stent implanted to keep their coronary artery open and prevent blood clotting that can lead to heart attacks. One drawback to these stents is that long-term use can eventually damage the artery. Several years ago, in hopes of overcoming that issue, a new type of stent made from biodegradable polymers was introduced.
Chips designed to meet demanding performance specifications
A new series of thin film multilayer chip inductors have been introduced by AVX Corporation especially designed to meet demanding performance specifications in automotive signal and power applications. Qualified to AEC-Q200, the new automotive grade Accu-L Series inductorsexhibit ultra-tight inductance tolerances down to ±0.05nH, in addition to: RF power capabilities, high Q, high self-resonant frequency (SRF), low DC resistance (Rdc)...
HydroPICC catheter receives FDA clearance
Access Vascular has announced that the company has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lead product, the HydroPICC, a peripherally inserted central catheter, intended for long-term use. In pre-clinical testing, the HydroPICC demonstrated a 30x reduction in platelet count when compared with current market-leading PICC.
Light-powered wires to modulate brain's electrical signals
The human brain largely remains a black box: How the network of fast-moving electrical signals turns into thought, movement and disease remains poorly understood. But it is electrical, so it can be hacked—the question is finding a precise, easy way to manipulate electrical signalling between neurons. A University of Chicago study shows how tiny, light-powered wires could be fashioned out of silicon to provide these electrical signals.
Therapeutic gel shows promise against cancerous tumours
Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and NC State have created an injectable gel-like scaffold that can hold combination chemo-immunotherapeutic drugs and deliver them locally to tumours in a sequential manner. The results in animal models so far suggest this approach could one day ramp up therapeutic benefits for patients bearing tumours or after removal of the primary tumours.
Firefighter robot detects and extinguishes fire
Researchers at IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia tested a new version of the WALK-MAN humanoid robot for supporting emergency response teams in fires. The robot is able to locate the fire and walk toward it, and then activate an extinguisher. During the operation, it collects images and transmits them back to emergency teams, who can evaluate the situation and guide the robot remotely. The new WALK-MAN design has a lighter upper body and new ha...