If you're trying to master a skill, a new study says that using a 'cross-training' regimen may help improve your ability to learn versus solo cognitive training. The study calls this multimodal training, and explains that it 'significantly enhanced learning' among volunteers who participated in the study. Best of all, the method doesn't require any nootropics or otherwise invasive measures.
Amazon is quietly building up its digital health tech talent, reportedly poaching a healthcare exec from Box. The Seattle behemoth may be best known for its retail business, but in the background it has a growing footprint in all manner of health technology areas. This latest Amazon talent grab appears to be another move to shore up those.
An 11-year-old cow was identified in Alabama with the neurological condition known as 'mad cow disease.' The discovery was made before the cow was butchered and, according to the USDA, wasn't at any point any sort of risk for the food supply chains. The discovery of the disease was first made during a routine surveillance of the cows; this particular victim was said to be presenting clinical signs of mad cow disease upon discovery.
Company Highmark Interactive wants to use video games to treat brain injuries, and it has just raised a bunch of cash to help it in that mission. The company has raised $2m in funds as part of a plan to develop games that will be used as treatments for individuals with brain trauma, though the nature of these games isn't clear at this time.
Researchers have successfully reversed brain damage in a drowned two-year-old using a low-risk treatment option. The toddler was the victim of a drowning incident in which she suffered cardiac arrest and lost all responsiveness to stimuli. Though resuscitated, the child had suffered notable white and gray matter loss and was described as having 'deep gray matter injury.' That has changed substantially, though, thanks to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
The World Health Organization has warned of a new superbug version of gonorrhea, one that is drug-resistant and, in some cases, untreatable. Thus far there are reports of untreatable gonorrhea coming out of Japan, France, and Spain, and unfortunately some of the patients may be infecting others; one WHO medical officer reports that a patient infected with untreatable gonorrhea 'just disappeared,' failing to return for follow-ups.
Researchers have found that a person's hands betray their inner struggle when making decisions, such as when facing temptation and having to choose to resist it. Hand movements during these decision-making processes can indicate whether the person is likely to give in to temptation in the future, all the while revealing to others the kind of struggle that is taking place in their mind. The research helps shed light on the topic of human willpower.
Pokemon GO's release resulted, for a while that is, in hordes of people milling around certain places, phones in front of their face, on the hunt for digital creatures. Some decried the game as a public nuisance, but many rose in defense of it, highlighting the fact that these individuals were out walking around rather than sitting at home on the sofa. A recent study from Kent State University researchers takes that observation to a new level, crunching the numbers to confirm that Pokemon GO does indeed promote a healthier lifestyle.
A new study coming out the UK has found an association between 'extreme' Internet and, specifically, social media usage among teens and instances of mental health problems. Though the study doesn't conclude that excessive Internet usage may be the cause of the observed mental issues and decreased life satisfaction, the fact stands that spending many hours online is often associated with some type of life dissatisfaction.
Two companies have teamed up to utilize machine learning for drug development. Exscientia has announced a new collaboration with GSK that will involve using supercomputers to develop new molecules that may one day be used to treat up to ten difference diseases. Exscientia's own artificial intelligence-enabled platform will do the hard work, utilizing GSK 'expertise' in the hunt for 'novel and selective small molecules' designed to address up to ten targets related to diseases of GSK's choice.
Yet another study has found a link between obesity and gut bacteria, shedding light on a possible treatment option that excludes surgery. The findings were made by researchers with the Cleveland Clinic, which reports that a specific chemical called trimethylamine oxide -- TMAO for short -- is the potential key to this treatment. The chemical results from gut bacteria; mice without it demonstrated obesity protection even when consuming high-calorie diets.
Toyota has finished its first domestic robot trial in the US, putting a prototype Human Support Robot in the home of a paralyzed US war veteran. The robot, known as the HSR, is part of Toyota's "partner robots" project, exploring how technology can enable those with limited mobility and other restrictions to live more productive and independent lives. For vet Romy Carmago, in Florida, that means a robot nurse-cum-butler to help in ways he's unable to.
