This Week In Science

Scientists Develop Bionic Pancreas For Type 1 Diabetics.

About three million Americans have Type 1 Diabetes, which occurs when the patient's immune system attacks the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. Individuals with the disease typically have to receive insulin injections or infusions. A collaboration between researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University has resulted in the development of a bionic pancreas that outperformed an insulin pump. The device was described in detail in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The device involves a sensor which is implanted under the skin that relays information to an iPhone app. Every five minutes, it sends information about blood sugar levels in the body, and facilitates insulin dispersal from a pump when needed.

The user doesn’t have to determine how many carbs were eaten in a meal in order to input the information into the pump. According to the paper, a small amount of information is needed from the user, and the device handles the rest: “The user interface displayed the continuous-glucose-monitor tracing and insulin and glucagon doses, and allowed announcement of meal size as “typical,” “more than usual,” “less than typical,” or “a small bite” and the meal type as “breakfast,” “lunch,” or “dinner.” This triggered a partial meal-priming bolus, which automatically adapted insulin dosing to meet 75% of the 4-hour postprandial insulin need for that meal size and type.”

The study was fairly small, using only 20 adults and 32 children for a span of 5 days each. The adults stayed in a hotel for five days for monitoring and were given dietary freedom, though they were told to limit alcohol consumption. The children were at a facility sort of like a summer camp, and were also not restricted in what they could eat. To be sure the devices were functioning properly, their blood sugar was periodically tested via finger pricks.

At the end of the five day period, the study participants had overall healthier blood sugar levels using the bionic device than with using traditional management options. Typically, diabetics monitor their blood sugar several times per day and calculate how much insulin they need. The insulin can either be administered with a pump, or measured and injected. If insulin is not given properly, sugar can build up in the body, putting the patient at an increased risk for seizure, stroke, or heart disease.

In addition to just dispersing insulin, which lowers blood sugar, the device is also able to deliver glucagon, which increases it. This helps keeps blood sugar levels even, rather than experiencing large fluctuations.

A great deal of further study will be needed before this device can be approved by the FDA, though researchers hope the device will be ready within the next three years. The next phase of study will involve 40 adults who will use the implanted device for 11 days.

Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/scientists-develop-bionic-pancreas-type-1-diabetics#w8uyltZapIgqGr8b.99

We all know that the Lorax speaks for the trees, but what do they sound like when they speak for themselves?

Rings on a tree can give information about the age of the tree, as well as indicate environmental conditions such as rain levels, disease, and even forest fire. Light colored rings indicate quick growth, while darker rings indicate times when the tree did not grow as quickly. Slices of trees are not uniform, and they all tell a story about the tree’s history.
What Do Tree Rings Sound Like When Played Like A Record?

Bartholomäus Traubeck created equipment that would translate tree rings into music by playing them on a turntable. Rather than use a needle like a record, sensors gather information about the wood’s color and texture and use an algorithm that translates variations into piano notes. The breadth of variation between individual trees results in a individualized tune. The album, appropriately titled “Years,” features spruce, ash, oak, maple, alder, walnut, and beech trees. It is available to download now, though it will be available to purchase on vinyl in August. The end product of these arbor “records” is haunting and beautiful and you need to check it out.

Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/what-do-tree-rings-sound-when-played-record#A5lQMGBvWl2cQhYf.99

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYLaPVi_I2U

Quadriplegic Man Uses Thoughts To Move His Limb.


In a groundbreaking clinical trial, a quadriplegic man moved his fingers and hand with his thoughts thanks to a brain implant developed by researchers at Ohio State University and Battelle.

The paralyzed man, named Ian Burkhart, is the first of five potential participants to trial the new system which has been dubbed Neurobridge. The technology, which was designed for spinal cord injury patients, translates and transmits brain signals to muscles via a chip, effectively re-joining the brain with paralyzed limbs.

“It’s much like a heart bypass, but instead of bypassing blood, we’re actually bypassing electrical signals,” research leader Chad Bouton said in a news-release. “We’re taking those signals from the brain, going around the injury, and actually going directly to the muscles.”

The treatment involves the implant of a tiny chip into the motor cortex of the individual’s brain which records and decodes neural impulses that would usually result in the initiation of limb movement. This brain activity is then forwarded to a computer that uses algorithms to translate the signals which are ultimately directed to a high-definition stimulation sleeve fitted onto a particular limb of the individual. This non-invasive sleeve is then able to stimulate precise muscles in the paralyzed limb which results in the execution of movement.

With the addition of a sophisticated software system which acts as a “virtual spinal cord” the individual can execute movements of individual fingers as well as coordinated hand and wrist movements.

While this may sound like it could take some time from the initial thought to the execution of movement, incredibly it takes just seconds for intention to be translated into action.

“I’ve been doing rehabilitation for a lot of years, and this is a tremendous stride forward in what we can offer these people,” said Dr. Jerry Mysiw, chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Ohio State. “Now we’re examining human-machine interfaces and interactions, and how that type of technology can help.”




Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/quadriplegic-man-uses-thoughts-move-his-limb#oL2meT4WOxzICLja.99

For people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the form of motor neurone disease affecting Stephen Hawking, good news is rare. Now, however, hot on the heels of treatment success in mice comes an announcement of progress at a more fundamental level.

“ALS/MND is characterized by the progressive loss of nerve cells (motor-neurons) that connect the brain with the muscles to control movements. As the disease progresses, patients may lose the ability to walk, move, eat, talk and finally breathe,” says Professor Mimoun Azzouz of the University of Sheffield

Inherited ALS is a result of faulty SOD1 genes. When the gene is defective it produces proteins that become misshapen and kill the motor neurones in which they function. A program at the University of Sheffield aims to fix the genes to prevent the production of the warped proteins.

"Silencing the SOD1 gene that is associated with 20% of familial MND cases may be as close as we can get to a cure for MND in the near future,” Azzouz says. “Our ultimate goal is to get the gene therapy for SOD1-related MND into the clinic as soon as possible. Gene therapy is regarded as an innovative technique with huge potential for the treatment of neurological conditions including Motor Neurone Disease.”

The project has been funded by a £2.2 anonymous donation, allowing preclinical trails to start immediately. Professor Pam Shaw, who is leading the team jointly with Azzouz says, “We plan submission for regulatory approval by August 2015, for permission to take this therapy to patients in the clinic." They are also preparing for a trial of gene therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a childhood onset form of MND.

Despite some successes, gene therapy is still in its infancy, so progress may prove slower than the approach being tested at Melbourne University of enriching the spinal fluid with copper. However, if Azzouz and Shaw's work succeeds it should provide something closer to a cure than the alternative. Meanwhile a third approach, using pluripotent stem cells to slow the disease's progress in mice, has also been announced in the last month.

Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/progress-gene-therapy-motor-neurone-disease#laOTTm2ALIvqfBCb.99