Research | Business Upturn

Blood-based marker developed to detect acute sleep deprivation

Tushar Aggarwal — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 07:03:31 +0000

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the realm of sleep science by developing a blood test capable of identifying acute sleep deprivation, specifically when an individual has been awake for 24 hours or more. This research, led by experts from Monash University in Australia and the University of Birmingham in the UK, has significant implications for health and safety, particularly in safety-critical environments where lack of sleep can lead to serious injury or even fatalities.

The study, published in the prestigious journal Science Advances, showcases the biomarker’s remarkable accuracy, boasting a 99.2% probability of correctly detecting sleep deprivation. This breakthrough could revolutionize the management of health and safety concerning inadequate sleep, according to Professor Clare Anderson, a leading expert in Sleep and Circadian Science at the University of Birmingham.

One of the most compelling aspects of this development is its potential impact on road safety, with approximately 20% of road accidents worldwide attributed to sleep deprivation. By enabling quick and accurate identification of sleep-deprived individuals, this blood test could help prevent accidents and save lives. Professor Anderson highlighted the alarming comparison between driving after 24 hours of wakefulness and driving under the influence of more than double the legal limit of alcohol in Australia, emphasizing the critical need for effective detection methods.

While the current biomarker focuses on detecting 24 hours of wakefulness, it is also capable of identifying individuals who have been awake for as little as 18 hours. This versatility enhances its applicability in various contexts, including forensic use. However, further validation is necessary to ensure its reliability and effectiveness in practical scenarios.

The development of this blood-based marker for acute sleep deprivation represents a major breakthrough in sleep science. Its potential to enhance safety and prevent accidents in safety-critical settings is immense, highlighting the transformative impact of research in advancing our understanding of sleep and its effects on human health and well-being.

Wireless chargers exposed to cyberattacks, raising concerns about device damage and fires

Eesha Chakraborty — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 03:35:15 +0000

A recent study published by researchers from Florida University and cybersecurity firm CertiK has sent shockwaves through the tech world, revealing a novel cyberattack method targeting wireless chargers. This “VoltSchemer” attack, as it’s been dubbed, exploits vulnerabilities in these seemingly innocuous devices, posing a significant risk to smartphones and potentially other nearby electronics.

The research delves into the intricate workings of wireless chargers, uncovering security weaknesses that hackers could leverage to wreak havoc. By manipulating the charger’s input voltage, attackers can trigger a series of alarming consequences. In the worst-case scenario, this manipulation can lead to overheating and potential fires within smartphones placed on the charging pad. Additionally, the attack can damage nearby devices due to excessive electromagnetic interference or even trigger unauthorized voice commands through voice assistants integrated into the targeted device.

The study’s findings are particularly concerning as they highlight the vulnerability of popular brands like Anker and Phillips, and even major smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Google. This widespread susceptibility underscores the potential scale of the threat, raising significant concerns for users who rely heavily on wireless charging technology.

The researchers emphasize the gravity of this discovery, describing the attack as scary and akin to black magic due to its ability to manipulate electromagnetic frequencies and inject inaudible voice commands. This emphasizes the sophistication and potential harm associated with VoltSchemer.

The researchers recommend staying informed about the latest developments regarding the attack and familiarizing oneself with the detailed findings outlined in their paper. Additionally, exploring alternative charging methods or implementing security measures specific to wireless chargers may offer some level of protection.

In conclusion, the discovery of the VoltSchemer attack serves as a stark reminder of the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape. As wireless charging technology becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it’s crucial to acknowledge the potential risks associated with it and take necessary precautions to safeguard our devices and personal information.

Veterans utilize Virtual Reality and A.I. to detect previous head injuries

Tushar Aggarwal — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 05:33:04 +0000

In a groundbreaking initiative, military veterans are leveraging virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (A.I.) technologies to detect and understand the impact of previous head injuries. This project, part of the Veterans’ Suicide Prevention Project, aims to identify predictors of mental health issues and suicide ideation among veterans.

Over 100 veterans participated in electronic surveys conducted by Arkansas State University’s Masters of Athletic Training Program. The surveys, hosted at the Beck Center for Veterans over a two-day period, collected crucial data to help researchers understand and address the challenges faced by veterans.

Dr. Scott Bruce, Director of Research for the project, emphasized the importance of understanding veterans’ problems to provide effective support. He highlighted the alarming statistic that 22 veterans commit suicide daily in the United States, underscoring the urgent need for interventions based on solid data.

The use of VR technology allows researchers to assess participants’ reaction times and cognitive responses to specific cues. This approach is particularly valuable in identifying individuals who may have experienced concussions, as their reaction times tend to be slower. By utilizing advanced technologies, the project aims to improve the detection and treatment of head injuries among veterans.

Jasmine Espinoza and Emily Clark, students in the program, demonstrated the VR survey process. They emphasized the need for participants to focus intensely to enable the A.I. to accurately assess their responses. The sensitivity of the VR equipment requires precise hand positioning for optimal results.

Veterans who participated in the surveys were compensated for their time and contribution. They received $25 for completing the electronic surveys and an additional $25 for undergoing biomarker tests. This initiative not only provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by veterans but also demonstrates the commitment to supporting their well-being and mental health.

Through the innovative use of VR and A.I., this project represents a significant step forward in understanding and addressing the complex issues surrounding veterans’ mental health. By combining cutting-edge technology with compassionate care, researchers and healthcare professionals can work towards reducing the number of veteran suicides and improving the overall quality of life for those who have served their country.

Dry shampoo causing cancer, new study reveals

Dixita Hazarika — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 06:17:22 +0000

Recently, the product, dry shampoo, has been gaining quite popularity among the women as a way of refreshing hair without having to wash it.

And I mean, why shouldn’t it be right? A product coming for our rescue during times when we need to attend an event or just visit someone while having no time to wash our hair.

But, along with this innovative product, comes concerns regarding our health as some studies suggest that there might be a potential link between the use of dry shampoo and an increased risk of cancer.

While research is still going on by the scientific community over these claims, as consumers, it is better to stay cautious than be sorry later. It is also important to have knowledge about the ingredients in products that we, consumers chose to use.

Dry shampoo contains ingredients like starches, clays, and solvents which are designed to absorb excess oil from the scalp and provide a clean look to hair without having to wash them. But, recent studies have raised questions over the ingredients used in these products and if they are really safe to use.

According to the studies, the potential risk lies over the use of certain chemicals like talc and some synthetic fragrances which are mainly used in dry shampoos. These chemicals are said to disrupt hormonal balance.

Let me give you an example. Ok so talc has been said to cause ovarian cancer when used in feminine hygiene products, and even though the area of application is different in dry shampoos, the prolonged and frequent exposure to these chemicals still remains a subject of concern.

These concerns are said to be taken seriously by the scientists and regulatory bodies. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other health agencies worldwide are said to be reviewing available research to see if there is a link between dry shampoo and cancer.

Still, it’s our duty as a consumer to be cautious about this and be aware of the products and the ingredients in them available in the market. Who knows, what other products might have harmful ingredients than can threaten our health.

Civil wars escalated during COVID-19 pandemic in Asia-Pacific region: University Of Melbourne

Sarthak Yadav — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 10:10:37 +0000

According to a new research conducted by the University of Melbourne in Australia reported that, armed conflict activities have increased in five countries during the first wave of COVID 19.

India, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan and the Philippines all saw an escalation of civil wars because conflict parties exploited either state weakness or a lack of international attention due to the pandemic.

The research was conducted by researcher Dr Tobias Ide, a Discovery Early Career Researcher Fellow from the School of Geography, said, “I looked at the countries that had the most palpable records of conflict.”

“What I found was that rebel groups try to exploit situations in which governments are busy with containing the pandemic and its economic fallout. Increased activities of the Islamic State in Iran are just one example. At the same time, there is little international protest or support as each country is focused on its own struggle with the virus,” he added.

The study was published in ‘World development’ journal. The research was focused on examining armed conflicts in nine countries within the first six months of 2020 that had reliable data on both the pandemic and on-going conflicts.

Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Yemen, all these countries were considered due to their similar Coronavirus metrics over the same study period.

Armed conflict intensity in four countries (Afghanistan, Colombia, Thailand and Yemen) decreased between March and June, the study revealed as a result of both state and rebel forces failing to get traction under the pandemic.

“However, there are few reasons to be enthusiastic about this development,” said Dr Ide. “The Taliban in Afghanistan and the ELN rebels in Colombia, for instance, reduced their attacks during the first months of the pandemic. But they also used the COVID-19 crisis to recruit new fighters among impoverished groups, and to gain public support from their own pandemic response,” the Dr added.

The study revealed that Taliban exploited the pandemic to set themselves up in contrast to the government they painted as “incompetent” in order to extend their influence and garner support for their cause in communities.

There has been consistent insurgent attacks in southern Thailand since 17 years between the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) and Thai security forces.

The research pointed out that the severe travel restrictions enforced by the Thai government in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 severely affected the BRN’s operation, who normally travel extensively to recruit new members especially in Malaysia.

India saw a rise in armed conflict during the study period, with violent clashes in the Kashmir region between Kashmiri separatists facing off against the Indian military, as well as conflicts between Pakistan and India.

“So what mostly drove the increase in conflict intensity…were basically due to two factors,” Ide said.

“The first being that there is some evidence that Pakistan sponsors or supports these insurgents in Kashmir, to encourage them to increase their attacks [on Indian forces] because they perceived them to be weak and struggling with the pandemic.”

The second factor, Ide explained, was that while Indian government enacted a “pretty comprehensive lockdown in Kashmir, and sealing it way from international media attention…launched more intense counter insurgency efforts and…cracked down on any pro Pakistani sympathy expressions.”

The civil war in Libya between the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) forces and the Libyan National Army escalated during the study period, after a ceasefire in January was broken

The ongoing conflict with India saw a rise in armed conflict in Pakistan during the study period which were unrelated to the pandemic, but also a rise in Taliban affiliated groups and anti government sentiments due to pandemic restrictions.

“There were a lot of anti government grievances, Dr Ide said, “There were restrictions on religious gatherings, which religious groups did not like, and there were some negative economic impacts which affected the local people.”

With the pandemic currently raging in the northern hemisphere and several key states in the Asia-Pacific (e.g. India and Indonesia) and international attention preoccupied with the pandemic that has so far infected some 71,581,532 according to the World Health Organisation, the findings provide important insights.

“Escalating armed conflicts pose significant obstacles when dealing with the pandemic as health infrastructure is destroyed and the government losses resources to respond to the virus,” said Dr Ide.

Indian Researchers crack the process of Glass Transformation into Crystal

Anu Jain — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 09:58:01 +0000

Indian researchers have decoded the process of devitrification that is, glass converting into a crystal. The team of researchers has visualised the process for the first time in experiments, the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru said.

The team was led by Rajesh Ganapathy, Associate Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, with Ajay Sood, DST Year of Science Chair and Professor at the IISc, and their PhD student Divya Ganapathi (IISc). The results of this study have been published in ‘Nature Physics’.
Glass is amorphous in nature its atomic structure does not involve the repetitive arrangement seen in crystalline materials, the Bengaluru-based IISc noted in a statement on Tuesday. But occasionally, it undergoes a process called devitrification, which is the transformation of glass into a crystal often an unwanted process in industries.

To understand devitrification is difficult because the process can be extremely slow, spanning decades or more, according to IISc. The trick was to work with a glass made of colloidal particles. Since each colloidal particle can be thought of as a substitute for a single atom but being ten thousand times bigger than the atom, its dynamics can be watched in real-time with an optical microscope, Divya Ganapathi said. “Also, to hasten the process we tweaked the interaction between particles so that it is soft and rearrangements in the glass occurred frequently, “she said. In order to make glass, Divya Ganapathi and the team jammed the colloids together to reach high densities.

Researchers noticed different regions of the glass following two routes to crystallisation: an avalanche-mediated route involving rapid rearrangements in the structure, and a smooth growth route with rearrangements happening gradually over time.

The researchers then used machine learning methods to determine if there was some subtle structural feature hidden in the glass that ”apriori” decides which regions would later crystallise and through what route.

Despite the glass being disordered, the machine learning model was able to identify a structural feature called “softness” that had earlier been found to decide which particles in the glass rearrange and which do not, the statement said.

The team found that regions in the glass which had particle clusters with large “softness” values were the ones that crystallised and that “softness” was also sensitive to the crystallisation route. Perhaps the most striking finding emerging from the study was that the authors fed their machine learning model pictures of a colloidal glass and the model accurately predicted the regions that crystallised days in advance, IISc said.
“This paves the way for a powerful technique to identify and tune ”softness” well in advance and avoid devitrification,” said Ajay Sood.

Understanding devitrification is “crucial” in areas like the pharmaceutical industry, which strives to produce stable amorphous drugs as they dissolve faster in the body than their crystalline counterparts, the IISc said. Even liquid nuclear waste is vitrified as a solid in a glass matrix to safely dispose of it of deep underground and prevent hazardous materials from leaking into the environment.

“It is really cool that a machine learning algorithm can predict where the glass is going to crystallise and where it is going to stay glassy. This could be the initial step for designing more stable glasses like the gorilla glass on mobile phones, which is ubiquitous in modern technology,” says Rajesh Ganapathy. The ability to manipulate structural parameters could usher in new ways to realise technologically significant long-lived glassy states, the statement added.

Scientist identified genes which help cancer cells to penetrate brain

Pravin Suryawanshi — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 08:49:13 +0000

Moscow: In an attempt to establish new approaches for cancer diagnosis and treatment, the international team of scientists, including a researcher at Sechenov University, has reviewed scientific papers on proteins (and genes encoding them) that help cancer cells reach the brain.

Brain tissues are very sensitive to changes in the levels of many substances and to the infiltration of microorganisms and immune cells, which need a significant amount of nutrients and oxygen. Responding to the needs of the brain involves a thick network of thin blood vessels, protected by a special membrane,
which lets in vital substances and blocks all other compounds and cells.

This shell, consisting of adjacent endothelial cells tightly connected to each other by special proteins, forms the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents the free exchange of substances between blood vessels and brain tissues.

BBB works very well (letting fewer than 2% of molecules) but is still not perfect: cancer cells still manage
to get through it and cause metastases; since other drugs can not get into the brain, this greatly complicates
cancer care and worsens the prognosis for patients with metastases.

‘Metastasis formation is controlled by proteins and genes encoding these proteins. The purpose of this work was to systematize experimentally or clinically proven findings of the proteins and microRNAs that allow migration of tumor cells to the brain. It turned out that their production is typical for a number of metastases, while most of the cell molecules described in the literature are unique for a particular type of tumor.

Thus, the possibility of regulating genes that stimulate the migration of tumor cells to the brain may be a challenge faced by doctors in reducing the formation of intracerebral metastases in the future,’ said Ilya Ulasov, one of the authors, a leading researcher at the Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University.

It is recognized that tumor cells invade the brain both by thick interactions between the tunica cells
(layers of the blood vessels) and through these cells themselves. In the first example, cancer cells use enzymes and/or microRNAs to break the structure of dense contacts and improve BBB permeability.

One of these enzymes is cathepsin C: it destroys the proteins of the dense contacts, and its inhibitors (substances that slow down its action) can suppress the growth of metastases in breast cancer. Two other enzymes – seprase and urokinase-type plasminogen activator – have shown similar effects in melanoma, and some metalloproteinases may be possible targets for anti-cancer therapy. Another protein, placental growth factor, triggers a chain of reactions to facilitate the development of metastases in lung, gastric or colorectal cancer.

MicroRNAs enable communication between cancer cells and their environment, including BBB cells and proteins. For example, miR-105 affects ZO-1 protein, contributing to the formation of metastases in breast cancer, while miR-143-3p can enhance BBB permeability in lung cancer.

The second way – penetration of cancer cells through BBB cells – is possible due to proteins of the cell wall, integrins, and certain groups of enzymes. In several types of cancer, metastasis cells showed an increased content of integrins avb3 and avb8. It is possible that they are involved in the formation of metastases in the brain and can serve as a biomarker of the disease. Another integrin, VLA-4, is produced in the metastases of most melanoma patients and promotes the binding of cancer cells and BBB cells, which opens the way to the brain.

The authors reviewed 44 proteins in total, identified the mechanism of their effect on metastasis formation, and listed the encoding genes for them. The research will assist scientists in finding new ways to prevent and treat cancer, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease, which also impacts the reputation of BBB.