Biology & Medicine News and Discussions

weatheriscool
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Researchers demonstrate a new neural-optic system to manipulate memories
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11- ... ories.html
by Kyoto University
When an important document lands on your desk, you might file it away for safekeeping. The same thing happens with our memories: They first appear in one part of the brain and then move to another for long-term storage in a process known as memory consolidation.

Publishing in the journal Science, Kyoto University's Akihiro Goto uses mouse brains to demonstrate a new neural-optic system to manipulate memories. The technique hinders nerve activity—known as long-term potentiation or LTP—which would otherwise consolidate memory during sleep.

LTP strengthens synapses through neural activity and is critical for memory formation. When and where memories are formed in the brain can be determined by examining when and which cells undergo LTP.
weatheriscool
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Fighting gut infections helps prevent Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11- ... ative.html
by University of Montreal10.1186/s13073-021-00996-7
A research team at the Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal has shown that genes present in specific intestinal cells protect against the development of inflammatory bowel diseases. Published today in the scientific journal Genome Medicine, the study results show that more than a dozen of these genes, which contribute to the development of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, help fight viral and bacterial infections.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, known as inflammatory bowel diseases, are characterized by chronic digestive system inflammation. The research team screened 145 genes associated with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) risk in human digestive system cells, called intestinal epithelial cells, and found that many of these genes are significant in helping these cells detect bacteria or viruses and set up the appropriate defensive response to control such infections. Thus, researchers have identified genes that make people more likely to develop chronic gut inflammation, characteristic of IBD when disrupted by genetic variants.
weatheriscool
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US announces big hike in Medicare premiums
Source: CNN

The federal government announced a large hike in Medicare premiums Friday night, blaming the pandemic but also what it called uncertainty over how much it may have to be forced to pay for a pricey and controversial new Alzheimer's drug.

The 14.5% increase in Part B premiums will take monthly payments for those in the lowest income bracket from $148.50 a month this year to $170.10 in 2022. Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A, including medications given in doctors' offices.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services played down the spike, pointing out that most beneficiaries also collect Social Security benefits and will see a cost-of-living adjustment of 5.9% in their 2022 monthly payments, the agency said in a statement. That's the largest bump in 30 years.

"This significant COLA increase will more than cover the increase in the Medicare Part B monthly premium," CMS said. "Most people with Medicare will see a significant net increase in Social Security benefits. For example, a retired worker who currently receives $1,565 per month from Social Security can expect to receive a net increase of $70.40 more per month after the Medicare Part B premium is deducted."




Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/12/health/m ... index.html
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caltrek
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For those who keep prattling on about how China is overtaking the U.S. across the board:


U.S. Leads Healthtech Venture Capital Investment Globally
by Mike Butcher
November 18, 2021

https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/18/us-le ... this-year/

Introduction:
(TechCrunch) Of the top 10 countries for healthtech VC investment (between 2016-2021YTD), the US leads globally with $31.9bn in VC investment so far this year, according to new research. In second place was China on $4.1bn, while the UK comes in third with $3.8bn. UK healthtech investment has risen from just $420m in 2016, an increase of nine times, whilst US investment has increased by 3.4 times.

US-based healthtech companies continue to attract the lion’s share of global VC investment, clustered around the Bay Area, New York and Boston. Over the last two years investment has started to become more globally distributed, with investment less concentrated around the US and China, said the research findings released by Dealroom.co for London & Partners.

UK healthtech growth has traditionally been driven by the so-called “Golden Triangle” of London, Oxford and Cambridge, a region home to five universities in the top 25 for life sciences and medicine.

Europe is now the fastest-growing region globally for healthtech according to the findings, with European healthtech startups raising $8.1B in 2021, up from $1.7B in 2016 and growing at a rate of 4.9 times (compared to North America at 3.5x and Asia 3.7x).
Don't mourn, organize.

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raklian
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How do carnivorous humans feel about this news?

To know is essentially the same as not knowing. The only thing that occurs is the rearrangement of atoms in your brain.
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caltrek
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Reverse Vaccination Technique in Mice Suggests New Way to Teach the Immune System Not to Attack Lifesaving Treatments
by Sathy Balu-Iyer

https://theconversation.com/reverse-vac ... nts-169716

Introduction:
(The Conversation) Autoimmune conditions like Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis arise when an immune system mistakenly attacks its own body’s proteins, cells and organs. Not only do these conditions make the body attack itself, they can also destroy the medications intended to treat them.

A reverse vaccination approach my research team and I developed, however, could train the immune system to ignore self-proteins and prevent unwanted immune responses.

Autoimmunity destroys both body and treatment

Lifesaving treatments for autoimmune conditions are complicated by immune responses that work against them.

For example, people with Pompe disease are unable to produce the enzyme needed to break down complex sugars for energy. The buildup of these sugars in the muscles and other organs impairs their ability to function and could be fatal. Though enzyme replacement therapy can help manage this condition, many people develop antibodies that direct their immune system to destroy the treatment.
Conclusion:
Our reverse vaccination technique could offer a potential way to prevent unwanted immune responses that make treatments ineffective or unusable. Translating the findings of our lab-based study in mice to human clinical trials is the next step. We’re also interested in using our reverse vaccination approach to treat other rare diseases and conditions that have limited treatment options.
Don't mourn, organize.

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Yuli Ban
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The US scientists who created the first living robots say the life forms, known as xenobots, can now reproduce -- and in a way not seen in plants and animals.

Formed from the stem cells of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) from which it takes its name, xenobots are less than a millimeter (0.04 inches) wide. The tiny blobs were first unveiled in 2020 after experiments showed that they could move, work together in groups and self-heal.
Now the scientists that developed them at the University of Vermont, Tufts University and Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering said they have discovered an entirely new form of biological reproduction different from any animal or plant known to science.
"I was astounded by it," said Michael Levin, a professor of biology and director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University who was co-lead author of the new research.
"Frogs have a way of reproducing that they normally use but when you ... liberate (the cells) from the rest of the embryo and you give them a chance to figure out how to be in a new environment, not only do they figure out a new way to move, but they also figure out apparently a new way to reproduce."
Cool!!
And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future
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Yuli Ban
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And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future
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Ken_J
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we're gonna to start training bladerunners, aren't we?
Nanotechandmorefuture
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Post by Nanotechandmorefuture »

raklian wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 3:06 am How do carnivorous humans feel about this news?

Carnivorous human checking in. This was probably on some part in response to over fishing them. I suppose when the population gets out of control things will go right back to fishing for them. But before that we may see some world record frightening crab, octopus, and lobster sizes. I know here in Florida if you scuba dive you can see some giant goliath groupers around shipwrecks like I did at Spiegel Grove years back.

The same gigantic size differences may happen with these critters given time. They will probably be the most tasty by then... well if you can get one without problems of course lol.
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