Nanotech 'Tattoo' can Map Emotions and Monitor Muscle Activity
A new temporary "electronic tattoo" developed by Tel Aviv University that can measure the activity of muscle and nerve cells researchers is poised to revolutionize medicine, rehabilitation, and even business and marketing research. The tattoo consists of a carbon electrode, an adhesive surface that attaches to the skin, and a nanotechnology-based conductive polymer coating that enhances the electrode's performance. It records a strong, steady signal for hours on end without irritating the skin.
Read more ...
Your Wearable Devices Reveal Your Personal PIN
Wearable devices can give away your passwords, according to new research. In the paper "Friend or Foe?: Your Wearable Devices Reveal Your Personal PIN" scientists from Binghamton University and the Stevens Institute of Technology combined data from embedded sensors in wearable technologies, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, along with a computer algorithm to crack private PINs and passwords with 80-percent accuracy on the first try and more than 90-percent accuracy after three tries.
Read more ...
A 'Big Data' Approach to Developing Cancer Drugs
Scientists are starting to accumulate huge datasets on which genes mutate during cancer, allowing for a more systematic approach to "precision medicine." In a study published in Cell, researchers compared genetic mutations in patient tumors to those in cancer cell lines and then tested the cell lines' responses to therapeutic compounds.
Read more ...
Artificial Intelligence may Aid in Alzheimer's Diagnosis
Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence that allows computer programs to learn when exposed to new data without being programmed. Now, researchers in The Netherlands have coupled machine learning methods with a special MRI technique that measures the perfusion, or tissue absorption rate, of blood throughout the brain to detect early forms of dementia, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.
Read more ...
Electronic Tablets Speed Stroke Care During Patient Transport
A clinical trial testing mobile videoconferencing as a means for physicians to diagnose stroke patients while they're being transported to the hospital has found that a tablet-based system produced diagnoses highly correlating with a bedside assessment - a finding that could have important implications for the early treatment of stroke and for preventing the disability it causes.
Read more ...
Can a Computer Game Train Your Brain to Resist Sweets?
That's the question Drexel University researchers hope to answer with one of two new studies launching this month. They have developed a computer game and smartphone app to help people control unhealthy eating habits and ultimately lose weight. The game is designed to improve a person's "inhibitory control," the part of the brain that stops you from giving into unhealthy cravings - even when the smell of French fries is practically begging you to step inside a fast food restaurant.
Read more ...
Smartphone Apps not so Smart at Helping Users Avoid or Achieve Pregnancy
You might not want to depend on your smartphone app alone to help you avoid or achieve pregnancy, say the authors of a new study. A review of nearly 100 fertility awareness apps finds that most don't employ evidence-based methodology. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, also found that many apps include a disclaimer discouraging use for avoiding pregnancy.
Read more ...