In recent years, neuroscientists have begun to explore the connection between mind and brain using techniques including functional MRI and magnetoencephalography to show how specific brain regions "light up" during particular activities.
But these techniques have limited spatial resolution and result in images that lack detail. Also, fMRI – which measures the oxygenation of blood rather than the activation of neurons directly – is rather slow.
Injecting neurons with voltage-sensitive dyes that change colour when the brain cells "fire" provides a faster read-out. But the dyes can only be injected into small regions, and the process often damages the tissue.
Now Martin Fischer at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, US, has developed a new imaging technique. It exploits the fact that the passage of a laser light pulse through neurons is altered when the neurons fire.
By zapping the brain with carefully chosen light pulses, and observing how they are changed by the tissue, it is possible to read out the neuronal activity. Fischer says that this entirely new form of imaging has a spatial resolution on the submicron scale and takes snapshots just milliseconds apart.
However, light will likely only be able to penetrate at best a few millimetres into a brain. Fischer says this is enough to investigate much of the cerebral cortex where the brain's higher function lies. It should also be enough to image entire mouse or rat brains.
Read the full mind-mapping light pulses patent application.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Archive for May, 2008
Mind-mapping light pulses
Thursday, May 15th, 2008Bloggers Unite for Human Rights……..by Susan
Thursday, May 15th, 2008
I'm writing today about Domestic Violence for "Bloggers Unite for Human Rights", because it is a human right for all of us to live our lives free of fear and free of abuse. Domestic Violence happens in all kinds of families and relationships. It's devastating to all who are involved. I know this from my own experience in being raised by parents who engaged in some domestic violence. It's very confusing for a child, in addition to being extremely frightening and dangerous.
When my parents started fighting, my sibblings and I would disappear to our rooms or outdoors. Mom and Daddy were oblivious to where we were or what we were doing. Oddly, none of my sisters have ever talked with me about our history of living with domestic violence. I guess for them, it's still our "family secret". I'm happy this topic is now publicly discussed and there is hope and help for the victims of domestic violence.
No one deserves to be abused, be it verbally or physically. Men, women and children can be victims of abuse. Physical violence even among family members is wrong and against the law. It could be happening in the house next door and you may never know it. Too often it is a well kept "family secret".
Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. Both men and women can be abused though most victims are women. Children in these homes are also likely to be abused. Sometimes the people being abused don't see themselves as victims because they think it only involves hitting, but domestic violence can be psychological, emotional or sexual abuse as well.
According to http://domesticviolence.org , in addition to pushing, hitting, slapping, choking, kicking and biting, the following are other signs of domestic violence:
1. threatening you or your children
2. threatening suicide to get you to do something
3. using or threatening to use a weapon against you
4. keeping or taking your paycheck
5. putting you down
6. forcing you to have sex
7. keeping you from seeing your friends or family
8 keeping you from going to work
These abusive behaviors can happen repeatedly in any kind of relationship and are often followed by a period of making up until the next cycle occurs. If you are being abused please know that you aren't alone, it's not your fault and help is available. It's your human right to be free of domestic violence. You can find a list of helpful groups and their website links at Internet Resources.
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When my parents started fighting, my sibblings and I would disappear to our rooms or outdoors. Mom and Daddy were oblivious to where we were or what we were doing. Oddly, none of my sisters have ever talked with me about our history of living with domestic violence. I guess for them, it's still our "family secret". I'm happy this topic is now publicly discussed and there is hope and help for the victims of domestic violence.
No one deserves to be abused, be it verbally or physically. Men, women and children can be victims of abuse. Physical violence even among family members is wrong and against the law. It could be happening in the house next door and you may never know it. Too often it is a well kept "family secret".
Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. Both men and women can be abused though most victims are women. Children in these homes are also likely to be abused. Sometimes the people being abused don't see themselves as victims because they think it only involves hitting, but domestic violence can be psychological, emotional or sexual abuse as well.
According to http://domesticviolence.org , in addition to pushing, hitting, slapping, choking, kicking and biting, the following are other signs of domestic violence:
1. threatening you or your children
2. threatening suicide to get you to do something
3. using or threatening to use a weapon against you
4. keeping or taking your paycheck
5. putting you down
6. forcing you to have sex
7. keeping you from seeing your friends or family
8 keeping you from going to work
These abusive behaviors can happen repeatedly in any kind of relationship and are often followed by a period of making up until the next cycle occurs. If you are being abused please know that you aren't alone, it's not your fault and help is available. It's your human right to be free of domestic violence. You can find a list of helpful groups and their website links at Internet Resources.
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High-pressure tooth spray
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
Cars have been cleaned for years using high-pressure hoses that rely on water droplets moving at high speed to displace dirt. A number of people have thought of trying the same idea with teeth to remove food, bacteria and plaque from the teeth.But treading the line between damaging the mouth and having no effect at all relies on the distance between the spray head and the teeth, says consumer electronics company Philips.
The company has designed a spray head with a couple of probes that project out in front of it. The user simply places these against their teeth to ensure that the sprayer head is the optimum distance away.
The company seems to be planning toothbrushes with the sprays built in. A separate Philips patent describes a sensor for a spray toothbrush that reflects a light beam off tooth enamel to measure how clean, allowing the user to be told exactly when to stop.
Another patent describes a version of the spray that can have its temperature controlled by the user.
Read the full high-pressure spray toothbrush, clean tooth detector and temperature-controlled tooth spray patent applications.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Plasma-powered flying saucer
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Pass a current or magnetic field through a conducting fluid and it will generate a force.Numerous aerospace engineers have tried and failed to exploit this phenomenon, known as magnetohydrodynamics, as an exotic form of propulsion for aircraft. But perhaps attempts so far have all been too big.
A very small design could have a better chance of taking off, says Subrata Roy, an aerospace engineer at the University of Florida, Gainesville, US.
With a span of less than 15 centimetres, his aircraft qualifies as a micro air vehicle (MAV), but it has an unconventional design to say the least. It is a saucer shape covered with electrodes that ionise air to create a plasma. This plasma is then accelerated by an electric field to push air around and generate lift.
Roy says the machine can be filled with helium to reduce its weight, and is efficient enough to be powered by onboard batteries. Its ability to hover and generate lift electronically means that it is particularly robust against gusts of wind that send other MAVs off course, says Roy.
All he needs to do now is build one and get it flying. Like other MAVs, the primary application would probably be surveillance, but a plasma flying saucer would make a great toy too.
Read the full wingless hovering micro-flyer patent application.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Happy Mental Health Month…..by Susan
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
May is Mental Health Month. This is a time for us to work harder at attempting to raise awareness about mental health issues.
According to the Mental Health Association, 95% of us talk to someone about important decisions in our lives. I would imagine this would include family members, other relatives, friends and professionals. It sounds like many of us are getting support and have friends.
I happened upon an article written by Dr. John Grohol which addresses the findings of the Mental Health Association. You can find it in the PsychCentral Newsletter. I think it is interesting. In the article there is a link to the survey and findings of the Mental Health Association. It's really worth reading.
I hope our blog readers have people in their lives who are supportive and lend an ear when you need it. David and I have found that having each others' support, makes a huge difference in our ability to keep on going when things are tough.
Happy Mental Health Month to everyone!
According to the Mental Health Association, 95% of us talk to someone about important decisions in our lives. I would imagine this would include family members, other relatives, friends and professionals. It sounds like many of us are getting support and have friends.
I happened upon an article written by Dr. John Grohol which addresses the findings of the Mental Health Association. You can find it in the PsychCentral Newsletter. I think it is interesting. In the article there is a link to the survey and findings of the Mental Health Association. It's really worth reading.
I hope our blog readers have people in their lives who are supportive and lend an ear when you need it. David and I have found that having each others' support, makes a huge difference in our ability to keep on going when things are tough.
Happy Mental Health Month to everyone!
Nanotube filter
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Carbon nanotubes are tiny tubes of carbon atoms. When properly formed and lined up, they can be superb conductors or semiconductors, have high thermal conductivity and huge mechanical strength. The versatile structures are touted as being invaluable for everything from space elevators to anti-HIV treatments.
But nanotubes are tricky to control. So far it has only been possible to lay them down at random, which makes exploiting their amazing properties much more difficult.
Now Mary Chan, a chemical engineer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore has come up with a simple solution.
She suggests suspending the nanotubes in water and passing the fluid through narrow channels. The nanotubes would only be able to pass through the channels if they are aligned with the direction of flow.
When the liquid is drained, the aligned nantotubes settle into place creating a material in which the extraordinary properties of carbon nanotubes can be exploited to the full.
Read the full nanotube filter patent application.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
But nanotubes are tricky to control. So far it has only been possible to lay them down at random, which makes exploiting their amazing properties much more difficult.
Now Mary Chan, a chemical engineer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore has come up with a simple solution.
She suggests suspending the nanotubes in water and passing the fluid through narrow channels. The nanotubes would only be able to pass through the channels if they are aligned with the direction of flow.
When the liquid is drained, the aligned nantotubes settle into place creating a material in which the extraordinary properties of carbon nanotubes can be exploited to the full.
Read the full nanotube filter patent application.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Spinal disc transplant
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
Nearly four out of five people experience back pain at some point in their lives. For the worst affected, having some vertebrae fused together is the only way to prevent further pain. But this puts an increased burden on the adjacent vertebrae, which can cause further problems.
Artificial replacements are far from ideal, because like artificial hips and knees they eventually break down and have to be replaced. Now Keith Luk at the University of Hong Kong Medical Centre has developed a way to harvest the soft tissue discs that absorb shocks and let the spine flex from cadavers and transplant them into patients.
In theory, transplanting the dics and part of the vertebrae either side should overcome the problems of fused vertebrae, because the donor bone should form a natural strong bond with the recipient's tissues.
The technique consists of removing the disc along with some cartilage and bone, rinsing the section in saline solution and freezing it in a cryopreservative solution.
When needed, the extracted chunk of spine is thawed and transplanted into the patient along with growth promoters such as stem cells, to encourage natural healing. Luk reported last year that the first trials of the technique, used to replace neck vertebrae, were a success. Applying it to the more complex lower back, where most back pain starts will be more difficult though.
Read the full spinal disc transplant patent application.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Artificial replacements are far from ideal, because like artificial hips and knees they eventually break down and have to be replaced. Now Keith Luk at the University of Hong Kong Medical Centre has developed a way to harvest the soft tissue discs that absorb shocks and let the spine flex from cadavers and transplant them into patients.
In theory, transplanting the dics and part of the vertebrae either side should overcome the problems of fused vertebrae, because the donor bone should form a natural strong bond with the recipient's tissues.
The technique consists of removing the disc along with some cartilage and bone, rinsing the section in saline solution and freezing it in a cryopreservative solution.
When needed, the extracted chunk of spine is thawed and transplanted into the patient along with growth promoters such as stem cells, to encourage natural healing. Luk reported last year that the first trials of the technique, used to replace neck vertebrae, were a success. Applying it to the more complex lower back, where most back pain starts will be more difficult though.
Read the full spinal disc transplant patent application.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Plastic red blood cells
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Red blood cells travel through the bloodstream delivering vital oxygen to body tissues and taking away unwanted carbon dioxide – and they have to squeeze through blood vessels as thin as 3 micrometres across to do it. But in some diseases, such as malaria and sickle cell disease, red blood cells lose this ability to deform.
Because of the small size of red blood cells and the demanding work they do, nobody has succeeded in making artificial versions to help people with such conditions.
Now though Joseph DeSimone, a chemical engineer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US, thinks he knows how.
He has created tiny sacks of the polymer polyethylene glycol just 8 micrometres across – in the range of human red blood cells – that are capable of deforming in a way that allows them to pass through the tiniest capillaries.
Polyethylene glycol is biologically benign, but binds easily with other substances, which makes it ideal for carrying cargo through the blood, says DeSimone.
For example, a haemoglobin-type molecule carried inside the bag could deliver oxygen to the body and carry away carbon dioxide. The bags could also deliver drugs instead, or help as contrast agents for scans such as magnetic resonance imaging, PET or ultrasound.
DeSimone has injected the particles into mice with "no adverse side effects", but there is no news yet of more extensive tests.
Read the full plastic red blood cells patent application.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
Because of the small size of red blood cells and the demanding work they do, nobody has succeeded in making artificial versions to help people with such conditions.
Now though Joseph DeSimone, a chemical engineer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US, thinks he knows how.
He has created tiny sacks of the polymer polyethylene glycol just 8 micrometres across – in the range of human red blood cells – that are capable of deforming in a way that allows them to pass through the tiniest capillaries.
Polyethylene glycol is biologically benign, but binds easily with other substances, which makes it ideal for carrying cargo through the blood, says DeSimone.
For example, a haemoglobin-type molecule carried inside the bag could deliver oxygen to the body and carry away carbon dioxide. The bags could also deliver drugs instead, or help as contrast agents for scans such as magnetic resonance imaging, PET or ultrasound.
DeSimone has injected the particles into mice with "no adverse side effects", but there is no news yet of more extensive tests.
Read the full plastic red blood cells patent application.
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant
If you have Fear of Failure then have Faith in Yourself
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Fear of failure is at least as common as the desire for success. In fact, if properly harnessed, it can be the energy that drives the wheel. But for many people it becomes debilitating. Learning to use fear rather than letting it use you is obviously not just a problem for enterpreneurs but for anyone [...]
Happiness, Success, Wealth, Health and Love are all a by-product
Thursday, May 1st, 2008
Most of us are in the always eternal look for Happiness, Success, Wealth, Health and Love. You try hard to have them but for many of you is like a shadow which seems to always be a step ahead of you. But these factors we look for have something in common and that is that [...]