Tag Archives: Health

Meta gives researchers access to Instagram data for teen mental health study

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Serious concerns have been raised about the effect of social media on teenagers’ mental well-being. Meta is letting a group of researchers examine some of Instagram’s data to determine if social media is psychologically damaging younger users.

The Verge reported that the Center for Open Science (COS) is launching a new joint pilot program with Meta to produce independent studies about how social media affects teenagers’ mental health.

The Instagram Data Access Pilot for Well-Being Research program will conduct “independent academic” research using up to six months of Instagram data to determine the “potential positive or negative associations of Instagram use” among teens and young adults. The study will also examine the positive and negative differences of large populations across the world and the causes of “statistical relationships between Instagram and social or emotional health,” according to the program’s website.

The data researchers can access may include an Instagram user’s followers and the accounts they follow, account settings and the amount of time they spend on the photo sharing service. The researchers will not have access to users’ demographic information or the contents of their posts and comments. The data will come from accounts based in 24 countries including the US and UK, according to the request for proposal (RFP).

Other scientific studies conducted by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and New York University and Stanford have found parallel links between social media use and the state of a person’s mental health. The link earned greater awareness last year when Arturo Béjar, a former director of engineering for Protect and Care at Facebook, testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that he alerted the company and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg by email of the dangers their product could have on young people.

Béjar testified that seven days before the hearing, 13 percent of users on Instagram between the ages of 13-15 receive unwanted sexual advances. He also testified that his own 16-year-old daughter exhibited signs of a momentary decline in mental health when a user commented that she should “get back to the kitchen” under one of her posts.

A month before the hearing, 41 states filed a lawsuit against Meta for allegedly misleading the public about the potentially addictive nature of its platforms like Facebook and Instagram among teenagers.

"My experience, after sending that email and seeing what happened afterwards, is that they knew there were things they could do about it, they chose not to do them and we cannot trust them with our children," Béjar said during the hearing. "It's time for Congress to act. The evidence, I believe, is overwhelming."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-gives-researchers-access-to-instagram-data-for-teen-mental-health-study-204322979.html?src=rss

Epileptic teen receives first ever seizure-controlling brain implant

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A 13-year-old boy with severe epilepsy in the United Kingdom has become the first person in the world to receive a brain implant that helps keep seizures under control. Per The Guardian, Oran Knowlson underwent surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London to have the Picostim neurostimulator fitted into his brain to address Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare treatment-resistant form of epilepsy.

Knowlson received the neurostimulator in October 2023 as part of a pilot program run by GOSH in collaboration with University College London, King’s College Hospital and the University of Oxford. Since receiving the implant, which was developed by Amber Therapeutics, Oran’s daytime seizures have been reduced by 80 percent. Previously, his seizures were so severe he required constant care, and would sometimes lose consciousness and need resuscitation.

“For Oran and his family, epilepsy completely changed their lives and so to see him riding a horse and getting his independence back is absolutely astounding,” said Martin Tisdall, the pediatric neurosurgeon at GOSH. “We couldn’t be happier to be part of their journey.”

Tisdall’s surgical team installed the implant by mounting the Picostim to Knowlson's skull and inserting two electrodes deep into his brain until they hit the thalamus. The electrodes were then connected to the neurostimulator, which sends constant, mild electrical current to his brain to prevent or attenuate seizures. Justine Knowlson, Oran’s mother, confirmed as much when she discussed how the implant improved her son’s quality of life.

“We’ve seen a big improvement; seizures have reduced and are less severe,” she said. “He’s a lot more chatty, he’s more engaged. He’s turned 13 and I definitely now have a teenager – he’s happy to tell me no. But that adds to his quality of life, when he can express himself better.”

The Picostim neurostimulator is just one device for seizure treatment being tested. In 2020, researchers in Israel developed a wearable EEG device called Epiness, which can predict seizures up to an hour before they start. Two years earlier, a smart arm bracelet called Nightwatch was created to detect nighttime epileptic seizures and contact the wearer’s care staff when they strike.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/epileptic-teen-receives-first-ever-seizure-controlling-brain-implant-193617887.html?src=rss

The world’s first tooth-regrowing drug has been approved for human trials

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I remember being a kid and seeing my grandmother without her dentures for the first time. It was a harrowing experience. Now my dad has dentures so, genetically speaking, I’m several decades out from needing some myself. However, it’s possible that modern medicine will solve the issue of lost teeth by then, thanks to a new drug that's about to enter human trials.

The medicine quite literally regrows teeth and was developed by a team of Japanese researchers, as reported by New Atlas. The research has been led by Katsu Takahashi, head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital. The intravenous drug deactivates the uterine sensitization-associated gene-1 (USAG-1) protein that suppresses tooth growth. Blocking USAG-1 from interacting with other proteins triggers bone growth and, voila, you got yourself some brand-new chompers. Pretty cool, right?

Human trials start in September, but the drug has been highly successful when treating ferrets and mice and did its job with no serious side effects. Of course, the usual caveat applies. Humans are not mice or ferrets, though researchers seem confident that it’ll work on homo sapiens. This is due to a 97 percent similarity in how the USAG-1 protein works when comparing humans to other species.

September’s clinical trial will include adults who are missing at least one molar but there’s a secondary trial coming aimed at children aged two to seven. The kids in the second trial will all be missing at least four teeth due to congenital tooth deficiency. Finally, a third trial will focus on older adults who are missing “one to five permanent teeth due to environmental factors.”

Takahashi and his fellow researchers are so optimistic about this drug that they predict the medicine will be available for everyday consumers by 2030. So in six years we can throw our toothbrushes away and eat candy bars all day and all night without a care in the world (don’t actually do that.)

While this is the first drug that can fully regrow missing teeth, the science behind it builds on top of years of related research. Takahashi, after all, has been working on this since 2005. Recent advancements in the field include regenerative tooth fillings to repair diseased teeth and stem cell technology to regrow the dental tissue of children.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-worlds-first-tooth-regrowing-drug-has-been-approved-for-human-trials-174423381.html?src=rss

The world’s first tooth-regrowing drug has been approved for human trials

Posted on by

I remember being a kid and seeing my grandmother without her dentures for the first time. It was a harrowing experience. Now my dad has dentures so, genetically speaking, I’m several decades out from needing some myself. However, it’s possible that modern medicine will solve the issue of lost teeth by then, thanks to a new drug that's about to enter human trials.

The medicine quite literally regrows teeth and was developed by a team of Japanese researchers, as reported by New Atlas. The research has been led by Katsu Takahashi, head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital. The intravenous drug deactivates the uterine sensitization-associated gene-1 (USAG-1) protein that suppresses tooth growth. Blocking USAG-1 from interacting with other proteins triggers bone growth and, voila, you got yourself some brand-new chompers. Pretty cool, right?

Human trials start in September, but the drug has been highly successful when treating ferrets and mice and did its job with no serious side effects. Of course, the usual caveat applies. Humans are not mice or ferrets, though researchers seem confident that it’ll work on homo sapiens. This is due to a 97 percent similarity in how the USAG-1 protein works when comparing humans to other species.

September’s clinical trial will include adults who are missing at least one molar but there’s a secondary trial coming aimed at children aged two to seven. The kids in the second trial will all be missing at least four teeth due to congenital tooth deficiency. Finally, a third trial will focus on older adults who are missing “one to five permanent teeth due to environmental factors.”

Takahashi and his fellow researchers are so optimistic about this drug that they predict the medicine will be available for everyday consumers by 2030. So in six years we can throw our toothbrushes away and eat candy bars all day and all night without a care in the world (don’t actually do that.)

While this is the first drug that can fully regrow missing teeth, the science behind it builds on top of years of related research. Takahashi, after all, has been working on this since 2005. Recent advancements in the field include regenerative tooth fillings to repair diseased teeth and stem cell technology to regrow the dental tissue of children.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-worlds-first-tooth-regrowing-drug-has-been-approved-for-human-trials-174423381.html?src=rss

Diet-friendly electric spoon enhances saltiness in food without actual salt

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It’s almost too easy to take salt for granted these days given how common it is, but there was a time long ago when it was as valuable as gold. The role that salt and salty flavors play in our lives becomes all too apparent the moment we taste bland food, resulting in requesting for seasoning or, well, salt. Too much salt, however, put people’s health at risk, especially in cultures that lean towards very salty dishes. Replacing salt with healthier alternatives might just be a stopgap solution, so this innovative electric spoon simply tries to trick our tongues into tasting saltiness where there is barely any salt, allowing people to consume less salt without actual giving up their favorite flavor.

Designer: Kirin

Simple as it may look, our tongues are really complex systems of taste buds that may react different depending on their location and sensitivity to certain flavors. We’ve all been through science experiments related to the different areas of the tongue as well as how weak electrical currents, like those from a lemon, can affect our sense of taste. The latter is the principle behind this simple-looking electric salt spoon that aims to promote a healthier diet by reducing the amount of salt you need to use or consume just to get that salty flavor you love.

In a nutshell, the plastic and metal spoon passes a very weak electrical current on your tongue that tries to draw sodium ions that are normally dispersed and wasted, enhancing the salty flavor that would have otherwise been lost normally. This does mean that the salty flavor doesn’t just magically appear and there needs to still be some amount of salt in the dish for the magic to work. That said, the technology promises 1.5 times more saltiness, which mean you can use 1.5 times less salt to taste the same flavor. For a food culture like Japan that consumes 10g of salt daily, much higher than what the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends, that’s still a significant reduction.

The design of the spoon itself is pretty basic, and its large handle almost makes it look and feel like a child’s spoon. Operating the electric spoon is a simple matter of pressing a single button to turn it on and cycling through different electrical intensities. Amusingly, they recommend a proper way of holding the spoon and positioning your arm in order to maximize the effect of the weak current provided by a rechargeable lithium battery.

It might be a weird idea to be giving your tongue a tiny electrical shock to make food taste saltier, and the company behind the innovation promises it’s all within safe ranges. While it’s not going to make food magically taste better, the electric salt spoon offers a simpler, and somewhat more affordable way to enjoy low-salt diets without resorting to expensive salt alternatives.

The post Diet-friendly electric spoon enhances saltiness in food without actual salt first appeared on Yanko Design.

Another patient will get Neuralink’s brain implant

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Neuralink will be able to surgically implant its device into another patient’s brain. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company was approved to move forward with a second procedure months after Noland Arbaugh became the first person to receive the brain implant.

Elon Musk said last week that the company was “accepting applications for the second participant” in the trial. The company began recruiting potential participants for its first clinical trial last year with the goal of bringing the technology to people with ALS, spinal cord injuries or other conditions that cause quadriplegia.

Neuralink has also reportedly come up with a potential fix for an issue that caused Arbaugh’s implant to malfunction about a month after his surgery. The company said earlier this month that some of the implant’s threads “retracted from the brain” causing the issue. Arbaugh recently told Bloomberg that software updates have since restored many of those capabilities. Neuralink has shared clips of Arbaugh, who is paralyzed from the neck down, playing chess, controlling a music player app and performing other activities. 

According to The Journal, Neuralink told the FDA that in a second procedure it would place the implant’s threads deeper into the patient’s brain to prevent them from moving as much as they did in Arbaugh’s case. The FDA is apparently on board with the changes. The company reportedly wants to complete the second surgery in June and has seen more than 1,000 people sign up for a chance to participate in the trial.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/another-patient-will-get-neuralinks-brain-implant-235059248.html?src=rss

EU investigating Meta over addiction and safety concerns for minors

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Meta is back in hot water for its methods (or lack thereof) for protecting children. The European Commission has launched formal proceedings to determine whether the owner of Facebook and Instagram has violated the Digital Services Act (DSA) by contributing to children's social media addiction and not ensuring they have high levels of safety and privacy.

The Commission's investigation will specifically examine whether Meta is properly assessing and acting against risks brought on by its platforms' interfaces. It's concerned about how their designs could "exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of minors and cause addictive behavior, and/or reinforce so-called 'rabbit hole' effect. Such an assessment is required to counter potential risks for the exercise of the fundamental right to the physical and mental well-being of children as well as to the respect of their rights."

The proceedings will also explore whether Meta takes necessary steps to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content, has effective age-verification tools and minors have straightforward, strong privacy tools, such as default settings.

The DSA sets standards for very large online platforms and search engines (those with 45 million or more monthly users in the EU) like Meta. Obligations for designated companies include transparency about advertising and content moderation decisions, sharing their data with the Commission and looking into risks their systems pose related to areas such as gender-based violence, mental health and protection of minors.

Meta responded to the formal proceedings by pointing to features such as parental supervision settings, quiet mode and it automatically restricting content for teens. "We want young people to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online and have spent a decade developing more than 50 tools and policies designed to protect them. This is a challenge the whole industry is facing, and we look forward to sharing details of our work with the European Commission," a Meta spokesperson told Engadget.

However, Meta has continuously failed to prioritize the safety of young people. Previous alarming incidents include Instagram's algorithm suggesting content that features child sexual exploitation and claims that it designs its platforms to be addictive to young people while suggesting psychologically harmful content, such as the promotion of eating disorders and body dysmorphia.

Meta has also famously served as a hub of misinformation for people of all ages. The Commission already launched formal proceedings against the company on April 30 due to concerns around deceptive advertising, data access for researchers and the lack of an "effective third-party real-time civic discourse and election-monitoring tool" before June's European Parliament elections, among other concerns. Earlier this year, Meta announced that CrowdTangle, which has publicly shown how fake news and conspiracy theories move around Facebook and Instagram, would be completely shut down in August.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/eu-investigating-meta-over-addiction-and-safety-concerns-for-minors-120709921.html?src=rss

EU investigating Meta over addiction and safety concerns for minors

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Meta is back in hot water for its methods (or lack thereof) for protecting children. The European Commission has launched formal proceedings to determine whether the owner of Facebook and Instagram has violated the Digital Services Act (DSA) by contributing to children's social media addiction and not ensuring they have high levels of safety and privacy.

The Commission's investigation will specifically examine whether Meta is properly assessing and acting against risks brought on by its platforms' interfaces. It's concerned about how their designs could "exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of minors and cause addictive behavior, and/or reinforce so-called 'rabbit hole' effect. Such an assessment is required to counter potential risks for the exercise of the fundamental right to the physical and mental well-being of children as well as to the respect of their rights."

The proceedings will also explore whether Meta takes necessary steps to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content, has effective age-verification tools and minors have straightforward, strong privacy tools, such as default settings.

The DSA sets standards for very large online platforms and search engines (those with 45 million or more monthly users in the EU) like Meta. Obligations for designated companies include transparency about advertising and content moderation decisions, sharing their data with the Commission and looking into risks their systems pose related to areas such as gender-based violence, mental health and protection of minors.

Meta responded to the formal proceedings by pointing to features such as parental supervision settings, quiet mode and it automatically restricting content for teens. "We want young people to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online and have spent a decade developing more than 50 tools and policies designed to protect them. This is a challenge the whole industry is facing, and we look forward to sharing details of our work with the European Commission," a Meta spokesperson told Engadget.

However, Meta has continuously failed to prioritize the safety of young people. Previous alarming incidents include Instagram's algorithm suggesting content that features child sexual exploitation and claims that it designs its platforms to be addictive to young people while suggesting psychologically harmful content, such as the promotion of eating disorders and body dysmorphia.

Meta has also famously served as a hub of misinformation for people of all ages. The Commission already launched formal proceedings against the company on April 30 due to concerns around deceptive advertising, data access for researchers and the lack of an "effective third-party real-time civic discourse and election-monitoring tool" before June's European Parliament elections, among other concerns. Earlier this year, Meta announced that CrowdTangle, which has publicly shown how fake news and conspiracy theories move around Facebook and Instagram, would be completely shut down in August.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/eu-investigating-meta-over-addiction-and-safety-concerns-for-minors-120709921.html?src=rss

An insulin pump software bug has injured over 200 people

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Class I recall for the t:connect mobile app on iOS, which is used to monitor and control the t:slim X2 insulin pump used by people with diabetes. It was supposedly the first smartphone app that can program insulin doses that the FDA had approved. The agency issued the highest level of recall it could, because the app had serious software problems that could've have caused life-threatening conditions or even death. In fact, while there were no mortalities reported, the FDA received 224 injury reports as of April 15. 

According to the agency, version 2.7 of the t:connect mobile app had a bug that initiated a cycle wherein the app would crash and then would be relaunched by the iOS platform again and again. That apparently led to excessive Bluetooth communication that would drain the pump's battery and cause it to shut down earlier than the user would expect. Insulin pumps like the t:slim X2 are designed to automatically deliver insulin under the user's skin at set time intervals and whenever needed. They're supposed to take on the burden of managing the user's sugar levels so that they can go about their day without having to stop and inject themselves or if they're prone to getting hypo or hyperglycemia. 

If a pump shuts down without warning and before the user expects it to, it could lead to the under-delivery of insulin. As the FDA explained in its recall, that could result in hyperglycemia and even diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication caused by the inability of the body to turn sugar into energy due to the lack of insulin. Tandem Diabetes Care, the company behind the app and the pump, sent all affected customers an emergency notice back in March. It advised them to update their app, to monitor their pump battery level closely and to carry backup insulin supplies. The FDA's recall notice could reach potentially affected customers who may not have seen the manufacturer's alerts, however, or who may have brushed it aside. Malfunctioning insulin pumps had been linked to multiple deaths in the past, so users may want to keep a close eye on theirs regardless of the brand. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/an-insulin-pump-software-bug-has-injured-over-200-people-123056847.html?src=rss

Top 10 Medical Innovations That Are Changing & Upping The Healthcare Game

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When it comes to taking care of our health, proactive action and a mindset of preparedness are always necessary. By taking the right precaution, and being prepared always, we can handle a medical emergency to the best of our ability. And the medical industry has been coming up with ingenious innovations, that are completely transforming the healthcare game. Designers have been coming up with new and improved, life-saving medical designs that not only boost medical care but also relieve some of the pressure from our tireless medical force. From an award-winning inflatable stretcher design to a copper jacket that can protect from diseases – these innovations are upping the medical arena.

1. Inflatable Stretcher

Dubbed the Inflatable Stretcher, and designed by Yu-Hsin Wu, a student of Taiwan’s Shih Chien University, this stretcher is a refreshing new upgraded version of the conventional stretcher. This stretcher carries patients from the site of the accident to the hospital in a safe and protected manner. The innovative stretcher cushions and protects the patient in the same way you would wrap someone or something in bubble wrap!

2. Cadence

Meet the Cadence concept design which is equipped with a pharmacy-grade pill sorting plate that makes it easier to organize pills, and place them where they belong. The tray is specially designed and features an opening for one day only, so you don’t accidentally place pills inside compartments that are already full. You could also simply pour the pills onto the tray, and then utilize the built-in spatula to move the exact number and kind towards the opening.

3. MedEasy

Called MedEasy, this thoughtful medicine box has been designed for the elderly. It functions as a dependable everyday companion for the older generation, as it helps them keep track of, manage, and stock their medicines. Loneliness is quite prevalent among senior citizens living alone, and this useful product aims to focus on their well-being and take better care of them, ensuring they don’t miss their medication or mix them up.

4. Withings Beamo

The Withings Beamo is a USB-shaped 4-in-1 multi-scope that keeps an eye on the vitals of your heart, and lungs, as well as temperature. Withings says that “Once, body temperature was the only health scan routinely taken at home. BeamO will revolutionize the measurement of the core vitals carried out during medical visits from the comfort of one’s own home. This crucial data will provide a vital overview of overall health or warning signs of potential areas of concern.”

5. The Ergostone Pebble

Called the Ergostone Pebble, this versatile and handy pouch is made using fine-grained sand from soapstone. The utilization of the natural mineral adds amazing heating and cooling properties to the pouch, which provides comfort to different parts of your body. The soapstone sand is tactile and placed inside the smooth shell of silicone, which allows the Pebble to gently conform to your body, while still offering heat or cold.

6. Full Metal Jacket

Meet the Full Metal Jacket by Vollebak! This jacket is built from germ-repelling metallic textiles. It utilizes a fabric with woven strands of copper, making it completely breathable, and flexible, and making sure it doesn’t make any sound as you move around. The jacket contains 11 kilometers of copper, and the apparel is strengthened by copper’s innate ability to kill any bacteria or virus that comes in contact with it.

7. Transcutaneous Oxygen Sensor

Designed by Deokhee Jeong, this wearable medical gadget helps patients suffering with any kind of disease related to peripheral capillaries like peripheral arterial disease (PAD). With such diseases, it is extremely important to take proactive action and be on your toes once it has been identified. This device keeps an eye on the earliest signs, by measuring the skin oxygen levels. The patch is wearable and is called the Transcutaneous Oxygen Sensor.

8. Wethm

Called Wethm this little device creates gentle vibrations of a train ride to slow your head down, and this is known as cardiovascular synchronization. This accessory is simple and yet effective as it uses soft and gentle sounds to lull our mind and body to sleep. This process provides us with a more peaceful and calmer state of sleep. Wethm utilizes soft buzzing to slowly wake you up, allowing you to feel fresh and recharged, ready to deal with the day!

9. Resilience Wheelchair

Dubbed the Resilience Wheelchair – this isn’t your ordinary wheelchair in the least. It transforms a conventional rugged motorized wheelchair into a rather elegant and classy chaise lounge. The wheelchair is available in choices of gray and chrome, which impart it with a sophisticated and refined touch. The chair is made from plastic and leather, providing you with utmost comfort, and a pretty pleasant tactile experience.

10. BHeart

Meet BHeart – the world’s first health tracker with an ‘endless battery’. Hearing the word endless with battery is really quite intriguing, and BHeart utilizes your own body movements to charge itself. This cuts down on your electricity bill and carbon emissions too. BHeart uses its patent-pending energy-harvesting technology to recharge itself using motion, body heat, and environmental light.

The post Top 10 Medical Innovations That Are Changing & Upping The Healthcare Game first appeared on Yanko Design.