Lifeboat Foundation

Artificial neural networks that are inspired by natural nerve circuits in the human body give primates faster, more accurate control of brain-controlled prosthetic hands and fingers, researchers at the University of Michigan have shown. The finding could lead to more natural control over advanced prostheses for those dealing with the loss of a limb or paralysis.

The team of engineers and doctors found that a feed-forward neural network improved peak finger velocity by 45% during control of robotic fingers when compared to traditional algorithms not using neural networks. This overturned an assumption that more complex neural networks, like those used in other fields of machine learning, would be needed to achieve this level of performance improvement.

Continue reading “Simple neural networks outperform more complex systems for controlling robotic prosthetics” »

Combining a map of gene regulatory sites with disease-associated loci has uncovered a new genetic risk factor of adult-onset macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new study publishing January 17 in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Ran Elkon and Ruth Ashery-Padan of Tel Aviv University, Israel, and colleagues. The finding advances the understanding of the leading cause of visual impairment in adults.

AMD is caused by dysfunction in the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), a layer of tissue sandwiched between the photoreceptors that receive light, and the choriocapillaris, which nourishes the retina. Because of the central importance of the RPE in AMD, the authors began by exploring a transcription factor (a protein that regulates specific genes) called LHX2 which, based on the team’s analysis of mouse mutants, is central to RPE development. Knocking down LHX2 activity in RPE derived from human stem cells, they found that most affected genes were down-regulated, indicating that LHX2’s role was likely that of a transcriptional activator, binding to regulatory sites on the genome to increase activity of other genes.

The authors found that one affected gene, called OTX2, collaborated with LHX2 to regulate many genes in the RPE. By mapping the genomic sites that OTX2 and LHX2 could bind to, they showed that 68% of those that bound LHX2 were also bound by OTX2 (864 sites in all), suggesting they likely work together to promote the activity of a large suite of genes involved in RPE development and function.

Summary: Study uncovers new genetic risk factors for age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in adults.

Source: PLOS

Combining a map of gene regulatory sites with disease-associated loci has uncovered a new genetic risk factor of adult-onset macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new study publishing January 17 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Ran Elkon and Ruth Ashery-Padan of Tel Aviv University, Israel, and colleagues.

Summary: Study opens the door for the exploration of information processing in vestibular synapses.

Source: Rice University.

The sensory organs that allow us to walk, dance and turn our heads without dizziness or loss of balance contain specialized synapses that process signals faster than any other in the human body.

The agency is funding research projects to find ways to boost people’s resilience to extreme cold.

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have made a ground-breaking discovery in the field of synthetic DNA, using AI to control the cells’ protein production.

This new technology could revolutionize the way we produce vaccines, drugs for severe diseases, and alternative food proteins by making the process faster and significantly cheaper than current methods.

The process of gene expression is fundamental to the function of cells in all living organisms. In simple terms, the genetic code in DNA is transcribed into the molecule messenger RNA (mRNA), which tells the cell’s factory which protein to produce and in what quantities.

What could the consequences be in the future?

An interesting tweet is making headlines regarding Amazon’s adoption of robots within its company. Posted by Sam Korus, the tweet includes a graph showing the relative numbers of robots and human employees (in the thousands) at the beginning of every year between 2013 and 2022.

The graph shows a growing trend in the number of humans and robots over time, with a noticeable uptick during the pandemic as people spent more time shopping online at home. Korus’ tweet predicts that more robots will be employed than humans at some point in the future; he might have a point.

Continue reading “Amazon may have more robot employees than humans in the future” »

The decline has come faster than the governments predicted. Will this change China’s stance?

Population in China has dipped for the first time in over 60 years, as per data released by the National Bureau of Statistics today. The country that had 1.41260 billion people in 2021 now has 1.41175 billion at the end of 2022. The small difference in decimals here is actually a difference of 850,000 people on the ground.

The decline in China’s population comes in the backdrop of the country reeling under an intense wave of COVID-19 infections after letting go of its ‘zero-COVID’ policy.

Continue reading “China’s population falls for the first time in over six decades” »

This American cryonics facility has preserved “patients” in liquid nitrogen-filled tanks until a future date when technology allows them to be thawed.