MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'artificial'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:26 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174693&cid=t_115161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fhow-do-i-decide-which-treatment-is.html Many infertile couples are confused as to which treatment to select. There seem to be so many choices – and even worse, so many different opinions from different doctors ! It’s hard for them to figure out if IUI is better for them ( as recommended by their gynecologist) or whether they should move on to IVF ( as suggested by their RE) ! This is why it's very important to create a comprehensive treatment plan right from the beginning . For example, I recently saw a young patient with polycystic ovarian disease . I sat with her and explained her options to her. Step number one would be ovulation induction with metformin , and if that didn't work, then we’d use ovulation induction drugs such as letrozole or clomiphene. If that failed, then one option would be laparoscopic ovarian drill... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174693 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 03:14:00 +0100 5174693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086175&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearchers-make-an-artificial-lung-that-would-not-require-a-mechanical-pump%2F2011.07.31 Researchers from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio made a prototype of an artificial lung which reaches gas exchange efficiencies almost equal to the genuine organ. The small device does not need extra oxygen, it works with normal air. Joe Potkay, a research assistant professor in electrical engineering and computer science published the technique this week in the journal Lab on a Chip. The scientists developed this prototype while keeping track of the natural design of our lungs. It is made of breathable silicone rubber acting as blood vessels that get as small as one-fourth of the width of a human hair. Because it works on the same scale as normal lung tissue, the team was able to shrink the distances for gas diffusion compared to current techniques. Tests usin... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086175 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:00:01 +0100 5086175 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077836&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=39278&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogsite.mdbuyline.com%2F%3Fp%3D315 Have you noticed that there has been a lot of news focused on the development of artificial livers?  Although life support devices have been used for years for kidney, heart, and lung transplant patients, liver functions are very difficult to mimic and over 30,000 Americans die each year awaiting a liver transplant.  But, several companies have been developing technologies that are in various stages of clinical trials.  The first goal is to function as a life support for patients suffering from end-stage liver disease.  Currently, there are both mechanical and biological filters; biological systems are designed to remove metabolic wastes and produce liver serum proteins (albumin and alpha-fetoproteIn). I spoke with Dr. Jeffrey D. Punch, MD, FACS, a leading transplant surgeon, about the... MD Buyline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077836 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:55:42 +0100 5077836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050784&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=22291&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedgadget%2F%7E3%2F551pYVef_DQ%2Fscientists-create-artificial-neural-network-from-dna.html Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have successfully created an artificial neural network using DNA molecules that is capable of brain-like behavior. Hailing it as a “major step toward creating artificial intelligence,” the scientists report that, similar to a brain, the network can retrieve memories based on incomplete patterns.  Potential applications of such artificially intelligent biochemical networks with decision-making skills include medicine and biological research. The researchers predict that, eventually, neural networks could be developed that operate within cells to gather information for disease diagnosis. More details from Caltech: Consisting of four artificial neurons made from 112 distinct DNA strands, the researchers’ neural network... Medgadget blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050784 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:33:15 +0100 5050784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028087&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F008177.html Kyle Munkittrick argues we need cognitive enhancement to deal with existential threats. The reason I use Ender’s Game as an example is that we human beings face a lot of existential threats. We have our current challenges such as climate change, over-population, the looming health care crisis, and the ever present threat of global nuclear war (forgot about that one for a while there, didn’t ya?); not to mention the improbable but possible future-threats of asteroid impact, AI uprising, or alien invasion. Having more rather than less great minds to work together to solve these problems could be the difference between human survival and extinction. But, as it stands, the number of geniuses among humanity is a result of genetic statistical probability.... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028087 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5028087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028088&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F008178.html Even if more human geniuses get produced by genetic engineering before artificial intelligence is realized does AI doom us anyhow because geniuses will underestimate the threat? This becomes a plausible idea if even geniuses suffer from the Dunning-Kruger Effect. The Dunning-Kruger Effect? Yes, the Dunning-Kruger Effect. It could doom us to being wiped out by hostile A.I.'s. As you can read at that link, Cornell professor of social psychology David Dunning and his then grad student Justin Kruger did some cool experiments showing that incompetent people are not competent enough in self evaluation to know they are incompetent. People don't know their limits. People assume they can model what's important about their place in the world and make decisions wisely.... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028088 Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5028088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008054&cid=t_115161_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fartificial-organ-implanted-patient%2F Dr. Paolo Macchiarini and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have manufactured and inserted the first permanent artificial organ into a patient. Stem cells from the patient were used to fashion a complete trachea that replaced the original trachea that was nearly occluded by a malignancy. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008054 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:47:22 +0100 5008054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902502&cid=t_115161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fvery-pregnant-patient-from-us.html After three years of trying to conceive our first child (with efforts that included three rounds of Clomid with IUI, plus one un-medicated IUI) with some of the top infertility specialists in California, my husband and I were feeling sad, discouraged and borderline broke (our insurance didn't cover any infertility treatment), with still no baby in sight. We realized that IVF was the appropriate next step for us, but were daunted by the incredibly high costs in the US (our fertility center's rates start at $15K per cycle and can go up to $25K when taking on ICSI and other add-ons, but they couldn't tell you exactly how much it would cost until you were already committed to a cycle). We knew that giving up on our dream of having a family was not an option, but that paying upwards of $20K for... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902502 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:21:00 +0100 4902502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803134&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Felectronic-pancreas-may-keep-glucose-in-safe-range-overnight%2F2011.05.10 A team led by researchers from University of Cambridge showed that closed loop insulin delivery was effective in controlling overnight blood glucose levels in patients with type 1 diabetes. The system took readings every fifteen minutes and automatically titrated a proper amount of insulin. University of Cambridge researcher Dr Roman Hovorka led two studies to evaluate the performance of the artificial pancreas in 10 men and 14 women, aged 18 to 65, who had used an insulin pump for at least three months. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803134 Tue, 10 May 2011 14:05:52 +0100 4803134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758826&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=39278&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogsite.mdbuyline.com%2F%3Fp%3D246 Would you rather have rods, screws, or an artificial disk placed in your back?  How about injectable glue?  If degenerative disc disease (DDD) is diagnosed early, most medical professionals prefer to prescribe more conservative therapies before fusion is required. Injectable glue made up of recombinant protein hydrogels is being studied as an option to slow the process of DDD.  Several companies have developed technologies to function either as a standalone therapy or as an adjunct to microdiscectomy.  The technology intends to keep a patient’s natural disc intact and to preserve the normal motion of the spine. I asked Dr. Anthony Yeung, MD, orthopedic spine surgeon at the Arizona Institute for Minimally Invasive Spine Care in Phoenix, AZ, and voluntary associate clinical professor a... MD Buyline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758826 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:53:13 +0100 4758826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742536&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FWMn1-gocfY8%2F SharpBrains served a highly thought-provoking and informative 2011 Virtual Summit on Retooling Brain Health for the 21st Century over 3 days, March 30th — April 1st. Here is a brief distillation of the large number (40+) of presentations. 1.The range and variety of presentations left no room for doubt that the digital brain health market is concerned with much more than improving cognitive performance and preventing/treating disease. There is a need for many tools in each of the following categories: computerized assessment for myriad cognitive, psychological and neurological concerns; data analysis and recommendation systems; interventions for manifold clinical and non-clinical problems; measurement of the effectiveness of interventions; dynamic feedback and intervention adjustment. Sig... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742536 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:40:06 +0100 4742536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658642&cid=t_115161_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F30%2Ftalking-natural-colors-on-nbc-with-tom-costello%2F I was honored to give an interview as part of a story on artificial colors. There is mounting concern about the safety of artificial colors in U.S. food products (anything from sweetened drinks, colored candies, and even mac-n-cheese. The FDA is holding meetings over the next few days to discuss the latest evidence and possible link between artificial colors and ADHD. The segment featured a mom who has claimed her child’s behavior has improved when the artificial colors were taken out. [watch it] We need to follow the science – absolutely. But let’s look at the big picture 70% of Americans don’t get the whole food fruits and veggies they need. The foods with artificial colors should not be part of our “typical day” of food intake anyway. Since we’... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658642 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:33:28 +0100 4658642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636555&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F2MrgmzutFLQ%2Fembodied-cognition-with-lawrence-shapiro-bsp-73.html Discussion) Brooks, R. (1991) "New Approaches to Robotics," Science 253: 1227-32. Brooks, R. (1991) "Intelligence without Representation," Artificial Intelligence 47: 139-59. Clark, A. and Chalmer, D. (1998) "The Extended Mind." Analysis 58: 7-19. Glenberg, A. and Kaschak, M. (2002) "Grounding Lanquage in Action," Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 9: 558-65. Ehrlich, S., Levine, S., and Golden-Meadows, S. (2006) "The Importance of Gesture in Children's Spatial Reasoning," Developmental Psychology 42: 1259-68. Thelan, E. and Smith,L. (1994) A Dynamical Systems Approach to the Development of Cognition and Action (Cambridge: MIT Press) See Episode Transcript for additional references.  Subscribe to the Brain Science Podcast: Annoucements:   Join the discussion of this episode in... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636555 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:00:06 +0100 4636555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636495&cid=t_115161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F03%2Finfertility-mans-perspective-ivf.html We were a happy carefree couple, enjoying our freedom to do things that we liked, for the first four years of our marriage. And then when we finally thought of starting a family…. It didn’t happen for another year and we were happy childfree couple. Couldn’t figure out initially what can go wrong, but when we decided to do a reality check, we landed up at a neighborhood Obs&G’s clinic. She ran a few preliminary tests which didn’t point to anything in particular, prescribed few medicines for me. Six months later, the same tests were repeated again, and again. And then I was referred to a urologist for surgery for a suspected varicocele. That’s when it dawned upon us that may be we are knocking on the wrong door!After a couple of months & a million clicks on the net, we d... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636495 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 03:21:00 +0100 4636495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4580955&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F14%2Fdiet-coke-and-depression%2F When you are a recovering drunk, you don’t have a ton of options at parties. I used to be an avid Diet Coke drinker. But last summer my sister scared the well you know out of me when she started talking about what aspartame can do to your system. I am chemically sensitive as it is, and many of you are, too, probably — which is why I don’t drink alcohol and gave up smoking. But I was curious if Diet Coke was really that dangerous. I did some research, and as you well know, every paranoia will be confirmed eventually by some article on the web. I found an article about Diet Coke on John McManamy’s website about Diet Coke . What was particularly interesting to me was the relationship between aspartame and depression and bipolar disorder. Says John: In 1993, Dr Walt... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4580955 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:15:06 +0100 4580955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570603&cid=t_115161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fspringtime-in-mumbai-ivf-success-story.html My husband and I have been married for seven years, and are now 11 weeks pregnant! Even with the euphoria of this moment I don’t want to forget the journey of three years that brought us here, and Dr. Malpani and his team have been like a guiding light in this.The ‘TTC’ CoupleWe wanted the first few years of our marriage for ourselves and made the most of them by traveling all we wanted, my establishing myself in my career and having time with each other. After the fourth year we started trying for a baby, once the initial 7-8 months were over we started to think that we should get a medical opinion so that we can eliminate the possibility of a problem or rectify it if there’s one. We met our OB&G and she suggested a few basic tests, based on these she started some medication f... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570603 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:10:00 +0100 4570603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532211&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdr-watson-and-the-7-human-qualities-of-an-ideal-physician%2F2011.02.28 After the computer known as Watson easily dispatched of the best two human Jeopardy! contestants in history, IBM announced that one of the first applications of their artificial intelligence technology would be in the medical field. We should soon expect virtual physician assistants in the exam room. At least one of my friends even speculated that the days of human doctors are numbered. Is it possible that machines will replace humans in the doctor-patient relationship? I doubt it. According to a study done by the Mayo Clinic in 2006, the most important characteristics patients feel a good doctor must possess are entirely human. According to the study, the ideal physician is confident, empathetic, humane, personal, forthright, respectful, and thorough. Watson may have proved his cognitive ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532211 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:00:27 +0100 4532211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532274&cid=t_115161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fhappy-patient-from-europe-who-did-donor.html I am the classic case of a woman who postponed starting a family to focus on her career while never believing that one day she would be facing infertility issues. I even believed that I could choose the month I wanted to get pregnant! I was almost 34 years old by the time my husband and I were out of school and settled enough in our jobs to start our family. I guess that is not really so old if there are no fertility issues, but if there are then time is definitely not on your side. By the time I turned 35 years old, we were living in Europe and began seeing a infertility specialist. In the middle of all the standard infertility tests, I managed to fall pregnant naturally. Our joy did not last long because at 8 weeks pregnant all that could be seen on the ultrasound were two empty gesta... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532274 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:11:00 +0100 4532274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498276&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fibm-watson-could-revolutionize-healthcare%2F2011.02.19 If you’ve been watching Jeopardy! over the past couple days, you probably know that IBM’s highly-advanced artificial intelligence software, Watson, has been competing against Jeopardy!’s most successful contestants (and as of Tuesday night, took a commanding lead over the humans, despite having some trouble with United States geography). Besides the amazing ability to power through “Daily Doubles” and answer random trivia in the form of a question, IBM researchers believe that Watson could revolutionize the healthcare industry. From diagnostics to informatics, Watson could quickly search through medical records, clinical documents, and research information for precise answers that would benefit both doctors and patients. Check out the video below to see physic... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498276 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 14:00:16 +0100 4498276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495322&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2011%2F02%2F19%2Fai-mashup-challenge%2F A mashup is a lightweight (web) application that offers new functionality by combining, aggregating and transforming resources and services available on the web. The AI mashup challenge accepts and awards “intelligent” mashups that use AI technology The deadline is April 1, 2011. Awards • € 1750 sponsored by Elsevier • Speech outfit from Linguatec • 10 O’Reilly e-books • 2 x up to 5 mashup books from Addison-Wesley http://sites.google.com/a/fh-hannover.de/aimashup11/ AI Mashup Challenge 2011 http://sites.google.com/a/fh-hannover.de/aimashup11/ of the 8th Extended Semantic Web Conference (ESWC) http://www.eswc2011.org/ May 29 – June 2, 2011, Heraklion, Greece Topics of interest A mashup is a lightweight (web) application that offers new functionality by co... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495322 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 08:36:58 +0100 4495322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482758&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-giant-artificial-gut%2F2011.02.15 What do you do when you’re one of the world’s biggest food companies and you’re looking to explore what happens after your products get chewed and swallowed? Apparently you build a large refrigerator-sized, million dollar model of a human gut, complete with valves, injection ports for enzymes, and a transparent window for visibility, of course. Nestle, in their quest to create foods that trick your body into feeling even more satisfied after eating than you otherwise would be, has a research and development center that holds this artificial gut, tucked next to the mountains in Lausanne, Switzerland. Here they’re busy studying and trying to commercialize gastrointestinal phenomenon such as the “ileal break,” a peptidal feedback mechanism that both slows transit through the GI s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482758 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:00:52 +0100 4482758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455263&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fartificial-sweeteners-and-telling-pregnant-women-in-moderation%2F2011.02.09 I can already tell that this pregnancy is different from my first. When I was pregnant with Little Isis, I drank no caffeine and took no over-the-counter medication. I remember having a few headaches and Mr. Isis fighting with me to take a headache pill. I would then proclaim dramatically, “But I can’t! What if it hurts the baby?!” This morning, now pregnant with my second, I washed down a Zyrtec and two Tylenol with a cup of coffee. The little bugger is going to have to grow up with Little Isis. He might as well start building up his tolerance to exogenous substances at some point. I figure, now that its got a closed neural tube and a beating heart, we might as well begin. Still, you can’t blame a pregnant woman for being a bit neurotic. The feeling that one is solely res... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455263 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:00:01 +0100 4455263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372048&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsynthetic-blood-via-artificial-cells-and-platelets-from-stem-cells%2F2011.01.19 There’s hema­tology news, times two (at least): 1. Progress in devel­oping syn­thetic red blood cells A University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill research group has created hydrogel par­ticles that mimic the size, shape and flex­i­bility of red blood cells (RBCs). The researchers used PRINT® (Particle Replication in Non-wetting Templates) tech­nology to gen­erate the fake RBCs, which are said to have a rel­a­tively long half-life. The findings were reported on-line yes­terday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) (abstract available, sub­scription required for full text). According to a PR-ish but inter­esting post on Futurity, a website put forth by a con­sortium of major research uni­ver­sities, tests of the par­ticles’ ability to ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372048 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:47 +0100 4372048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349256&cid=t_115161_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fartificial-light-at-night-may-lower.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349256 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:32:00 +0100 4349256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314004&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F7-3-10-foods-to-avoid-in-2011%2F2011.01.05 A patient reading a copy of Prevention in the waiting room brought to my attention an interesting article entitled “7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Plate.” I would have to agree that these seven commonly eaten foods should be avoided, so I’ll rehash them here, along with three more of my own choosing to flesh out a New Year’s 7 + 3 = Top 10 list. The lead into the article implores the reader to recognize that “clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing.” Michael Pollan, the regarded author of The Omnivores Dilemma and In Defense of Food, puts it even more simply: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” So here are the food items to avoid, in no particular order: 1) Canned Tomatoes – The resin t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314004 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:10 +0100 4314004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4251159&cid=t_115161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fhappy-nri-patient-from-usa.html We live in the US and I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in 2003. We had been to an obgyn in the US and she had recommended 3 cycles of clomid treatment. Since this did not work for us, she had asked us to go for higher infertility treatments like Artificial Insemination or IVF. At that point we did not have proper information regarding these treatments and hence were not mentally prepared to proceed further.Later we started research on the Internet regarding various infertility treatment options for us. It was at this time that we came across this amazing website. Dr.Malpani's website is an excellent source of information for infertility related issues. This was a panacea for all our questions. We then started interacting with Dr.Malpani through his website. We submitted the... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4251159 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 15:15:00 +0100 4251159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249196&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FIibUXVa9Vu0%2Fday-5-of-the-crud.php It seems like every time I get back on track with regards to counting carbohydrates and exercise, I end up knocked down by some respiratory concern or another.  (Does this happen to you?  I'd like to know I'm not the only one.) The past few days are no exception - I have a cruddy cold, complete with cruddy high blood sugars. When I have a cold, my appetite grows (what seems) exponentially.  I've found myself craving my mom's chicken noodle soup, complete with noodles from scratch.  I never even liked the soup, except for those darn carb-filled noodles, yet the craving has included all the ingredients of the soup with this particular cold. Since I don't have the recipe, I'm finding comfort in batches of the spicy butternut squash chili I cooked in the croc... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249196 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:00:15 +0100 4249196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4220403&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2F_12pqmOmKiU%2Fjdrf-type-1-talk.php On World Diabetes Day, November 14, 2010, I headed out to the local JDRF chapter office. They were hosting a Type 1 Talk meeting, and I wanted to check it out.  I wasn't really sure what to expect.  I'm not sure if that is because I'm chronically behind on blog & news reading, or if JDRF didn't know the best way to promote it and get more people involved.We had a group of about 12-15 people there, and it was good to meet some new people living around here that live with type 1.  I also enjoyed meeting some of the local JDRF office staff.There were some technical difficulties during the first 20 minutes of the broadcast, but they got it all figured out in time to catch most of the session.  One thing I did catch in the first couple minutes, which made it all worthwhi... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4220403 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0100 4220403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4207352&cid=t_115161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fcanadian-couple-success-story.html We have been married for 7 years now. We tried to get pregnant after the first year of marriage with no success. We then tried IVF clinics in Canada the first Doctor we went to we did IVF it was a positive result only to find out that it was a chemical pregnancy. We took that very hard because we wanted to have a baby and we wanted to start our family right away. This Doctor told us that because of age that we had to use a donor’s egg we despised that thought we did not accept it so we decided to go to another Doctor. We were with this Doctor for 2 years trying all kinds of treatment, firstly , IUIs with no success, we then decided to try IVF again but every cycle my eggs got lesser and lesser and not developing the way they should for a successful IVF procedure so I we would be detour t... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4207352 Sun, 28 Nov 2010 17:18:00 +0100 4207352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133941&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=39278&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogsite.mdbuyline.com%2F%3Fp%3D81 End-stage pulmonary disease affects over 150,000 patients per year in the U.S.  The most common treatment is mechanical ventilation, and although mechanical ventilators have come a long way, they are still costly and have their own inherent risk.  Several years ago, when I was first researching artificial lung technology, only one company (Alung) had a working prototype, but now, there are several companies developing unique technologies, accelerating the development of a practical artificial lung.  One of the leading artificial lung researchers, Dr. Theodor Kolobow, MD, pointed out some of the problems with mechanical ventilators.  He said, “Once you get them on a vent, it is hard to get them off, especially once they get an acute infection.  You can also damage the lungs by forcin... MD Buyline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133941 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:10:27 +0100 4133941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098203&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2010%2F10%2F20%2Fphenotropic-computing%2F (from 2003) Jaron Lanier talks about the “phenotropic” programme, which consists of trying to design software systems that uses pattern recognition, rather than protocols, for communication between components of the system. …where might things have gone wrong? The leaders of the first generation were influenced by the metaphor of the electrical communications devices that where in use in their lifetimes, all of which centered on the sending of signals down wires. If you model information theory on signals going down a wire, you simplify your task in that you only have one point being measured or modified at a time at each end…At the same time, though, you pay by adding complexity at another level….which leads to a particular set of ideas about coding schemes... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098203 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:52:22 +0100 4098203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082170&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2010%2F10%2F18%2Fhrp-4c-cybernetic-human-dance.html Dance Robot LIVE! is a performance recently shown at the Digital Content Expo in Tokyo. The performance features AIST's feminine HRP-4C robot and four humans. The routine was produced by renowned dancer/choreographer SAM-san and the lip-synced song is a Vocaloid version of "Deatta Koro no Yō ni" by Kaori Mochida (Every Little Thing). (Source: Positive Technology Journal) Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082170 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:00:21 +0100 4082170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040637&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2010%2F10%2F07%2Fraytheon-shows-off-the-xos2-exoskeleton-robotic-suit.html (Source: Positive Technology Journal) Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040637 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 01:04:00 +0100 4040637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018177&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Faspartame-facts-vs-fiction%2F2010.09.30 If you believe everything you read on the Internet, then is seems that a chemical found in thousands of products is causing an epidemic of severe neurological and systemic diseases, like multiple sclerosis and lupus. The FDA, the companies that make the product, and the “medical industrial complex” all know about the dangers of this chemical, but are hiding the truth from the public in order to protect corporate profits and avoid the pesky paper work that would accompany the truth being revealed. The only glimmer of hope is a dedicated band of bloggers and anonymous email chain letter authors who aren’t afraid to speak the truth. Armed with the latest anecdotal evidence, unverified speculation, and scientifically implausible claims, they have been tirelessly ranting about the evils o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018177 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:00:22 +0100 4018177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3983451&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2010%2F09%2F19%2Fartificial-skin-projects-could-restore-feeling-to-wearers-of.html Via Telemedicine and E-Health news Research groups at Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley are developing sensor-based artificial skin that could provide prosthetic and robotic limbs with a realistic sense of touch. Stanford's project is based on organic electronics and is capable of detecting the weight of a fly upon the artificial skin, according to Zhenan Bao, professor of chemical engineering at Stanford. The highly sensitive surfaces could also help robots pick up delicate objects without breaking them, improve surgeons' control over tools used for minimally invasive surgery, and increase efficiency of touch screen devices, she noted. Meanwhile, UC Berkeley's "e-skin" uses low-power, integrated arrays of nanowire transistors, according to UC Berkeley Profes... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3983451 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:31:00 +0100 3983451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862047&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2Fj1NcIpcQuBg%2Fdiffuse_to_focal_shifts_with_a.php Two seemingly contradictory trends characterize brain development during childhood and adolescence: Diffuse to focal: a shift from relatively diffuse recruitment of neural regions to more focal and specific patterns of activity, whether in terms of the number of regions recruited, or the magnitude or spatial extent of that recruitment Local to distributed: a shift in the way this activity correlates across the brain, from being more locally arranged to showing more long-distance correlations. In this post I will describe some of the most definitive evidence for each of these developmental shifts, and will then conclude with a discussion of how they may relate to one another as informed through computational modeling. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Sour... Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862047 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:06:20 +0100 3862047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805777&cid=t_115161_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fsenator-charles-grassley-investigating-maker-artificial-hips-knees%2F Iowa senatory Charles E. Grassley has contacted Zimmer Holdings of Warsaw, Indiana regarding their policy for handling complaints about the performance and safety of their artificial knees and hips. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805777 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:53:23 +0100 3805777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794840&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2FbyCRDFUQF3A%2Fsynapse_in_pusuit_of_the_cogni.php "What we're seeking is not just one algorithm or one cool new trick - we're seeking a platform technology. In other words, we're not seeking the entirety of a collection of point solutions, what we're seeking is a platform technology on which we can build a wide variety of solutions." Dharmendra Modha, manager of cognitive computing at IBM Research Almaden, discusses the Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics ("SyNAPSE") project. Mad scientist eyes are also on display: Video after the jump: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Developing Intelligence) Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794840 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:20:36 +0100 3794840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780400&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2FQzR2ZbpEwTM%2Ftwo_varieities_of_reinforcemen.php Recent work has leveraged increasingly sophisticated computational models of neural processing as a way of predicting the BOLD response on a trial-by-trial basis. The core idea behind much of this work is that reinforcement learning is a good model for the way the brain learns about its environment; the specific idea is that expectations are compared with outcomes so that a "prediction error" can be calculated and minimized through reshaping expectations and behavior. This simple idea leads to exceedingly powerful insights into the way the brain works, with numerous applications to improving learning in artificial agents, to understanding the role of exploration in behavior and development, and to understanding how the brain exerts adaptive control over behavior. So far, however, neuroima... Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780400 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:08:29 +0100 3780400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767337&cid=t_115161_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F227%2Fhow-to-choose-safe-natural-skin-care-products%2F Choosing safe and natural skin care products can be very hard.   It isn’t that manufacturers don’t “claim” to provide them.  It’s just that their claims are not always completely honest. Safety is actually the big issue here.  If you are like most people, you would like naturally occurring ingredients, because you think they are safer than artificial ingredients. In many cases, you are right.   But, there are a few exceptions. Lead, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals are found in nature.   They are probably not on the list of ingredients in your favourite cosmetics, they can be there as contaminants in natural plant extracts. Numerous contaminants are present in tap water, which is why water must be purified before it is used in skin care products. P... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767337 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:43:12 +0100 3767337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753823&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftoo-much-journalistic-enthusiasm-again-for-the-artificial-heart%2F2010.07.14 Here we go again. And believe me, as one who’s covered the artificial heart experiments of the 1980s, I feel like I’ve been through this countless times before — but so have health news readers. Another entrepeneurial team announces hopes for its artificial heart device and some news coverage trumpets the company’s announcement:                         But this was in The New York Times! Now, granted — it’s in a “Global Business” section. But we don’t see why that removes the need for more scrutiny, for independent perspective, and for a better discussion of evidence. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753823 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:00:27 +0100 3753823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753780&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fartificial-heart-coming-to-your-chest-soon-in-france%2F If sheep clones, designer babies, and face transplants aren’t enough to make you feel like you live in a science fiction novel, a French company is saying that it has the technology to begin standard artificial heart transplants. The New York Times reports that Carmat, a medical start-up backed by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space company, is conducting preclinical tests of artificial hearts for patients with heart failure, and hopes to begin human testing in France next year. The artificial hearts are made of synthetic materials and animal tissue, with two small motors powered by pelectromagnetic induction through the skin or through a plug implanted behind the patient’s ear. (Whoah.) Other companies have produced artificial hearts, but they’re only used as temporary... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753780 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:57:20 +0100 3753780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753873&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2FTE4jCP3M2WU%2Fdestination_computational_deve.php How can we enhance perception, learning, memory, and cognitive control? Any answer to this question will require a better understanding of the way they are best enhanced: through cognitive change in early development. But we can't stop there. We also want to know more about the neural substrates that enable and reflect these cognitive transformations across development. Some information is provided by developmental neuroimaging, but even that's not enough, because the real question we have can only be answered via mechanisms ("how"/"why") - quite different than the "what" "where" and "roughly when" questions addressed by neuroimaging. For "how/why," we ultimately need a mathematical way of describing cognitive changes and how they unfold in tandem with changes in neural information proces... Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753873 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:35:38 +0100 3753873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746706&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fits-official-real-friends-are-better-than-robot-friends%2F While watching New York Times correspondent Amy Harmon try with some difficulty to have a conversation with a robot woman, it becomes increasingly obvious that robots will not replace humans for emotional fulfillment anytime soon. The only similarity between Bina48 and your best friend is that they both sometimes say, “Um.” But Bina48 makes awkward jokes about scheming to take over the world. via The Daily What Post from: BlissTree It's Official: Real Friends are Better than Robot Friends (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746706 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:01:25 +0100 3746706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733308&cid=t_115161_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F211%2Fbest-wrinkle-cream-ingredients-to-look-for-and-others-to-stay-away-from%2F What will you find in the best eye wrinkle cream?  Which ingredients should be avoided?  You’ll find the answers here. If you read a few online reviews, you will see that some people have terrible adverse reactions to these products.  The reactions include extreme redness, swelling, itching and irritated eyes.  Those reactions can be avoided if you avoid certain ingredients used in wrinkle creams. Paraffin wax is one to avoid.  I’m not sure why cosmetic companies include this ingredient in serums to be used around the eyes.  It is too thick and hard to apply.  But, it is included in some of the big brand named products. Artificial preservatives and added fragrances should be avoided in all cases, regardless of where the product is to be applied.  They are the most common causes... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733308 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:10:25 +0100 3733308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3730103&cid=t_115161_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fis-diet-cola-bad-for-alcoholics-addicts%2F Conclusion There seems to be a small proportion of people who are sensitive and have side effects from drinking diet colas and eating foods with the sweetener aspartame. Two groups of people who may be sensitive to aspartame, and ethanol in particular, are alcoholics and drug addicts. Indeed anyone who has abused any drug or medication. For these people will have damaged their bodies and especially the liver and kidneys. Some alcoholics / addicts may also have PKU or an inherited sensitivity to phenylalanine. The Cure? The absolute cure is abstinence from all artificial sweeteners. Now this may be hard as most prepared foods contain some artificial sweeteners. You will need to find your own safe level. Detoxification When you stop using aspartame you may experience some acute withdr... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3730103 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:05:59 +0100 3730103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718475&cid=t_115161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fdid-doctor-cheat-us.html I got this email from a patient today.I am 28 years old . I require your help. Recently I had a IVF done through the doctor based in Mumbai. The doctor had extracted around 10 ovums and informed that they were of very good quality.Ovum pickup was on 1st June and he got 6 healthy embryos and he transferred 3 healthy embryos on 3rd june and advised complete bed rest with progesterone tablets to be inserted in the vagina and other injections and tablets etc. He was saying many times that everything is fine and confirmed 110% pregnancy as everything was fine. My uterus was strong etc. etc. I had blood test done on 19th June and it confirmed pregnancy. I was very happy. Later again on 24th when the blood test was done he said the foetus did not grew properly and got aborted. I started bleeding ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718475 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:11:00 +0100 3718475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695831&cid=t_115161_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F195%2Fall-natural-skin-care-products-with-wakame%2F A major ingredient in the all natural skin care products on the market is grape seed oil.  It is valuable as a moisturizer and a shaving lubricant.  It is healing and soothing when used on bags under the eyes. The antioxidants it contains can help prevent free radical damage, one of the primary causes of wrinkles.  But, grape seed oil is not the only natural ingredient that works. Recent research has focused on proactively preventing the aging of the skin.   The grounds for the focused research is obvious.   Billions of customers are interested in anti-aging solutions. Antioxidants are some of the most important ingredients to look for.   Refined protein complexes like Functional Keratin and protein peptides are also promising.  Extracts from plants like the avocado and certain ... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695831 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:34:14 +0100 3695831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695647&cid=t_115161_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fworlds-first-virtual-ivf-clinic-on.html We have created the world’s first IVF clinic on Second Life. The clinic is now open – please do come and browse around ! We have a reception area where you can watch videos about IVF a consultation room, where you can do a consultation with a virtual IVF specialist an operation theater, where you can watch an egg collection and embryo transfer an IVF lab, where you can see how embryos grow an andrology lab where you can see how we process sperm for IUI a PGD lab, where you can watch how we do an embryo biopsy a virtual support group, where you can get counseling and support Go to Second Life ( www.secondlife.com) and set up a free account. Use the link below to get to the clinic once you in Second Life http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nileswarm/40/... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695647 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:09:00 +0100 3695647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3678668&cid=t_115161_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F174%2Fthe-best-wrinkle-creams-wont-be-advertised-in-magazines%2F The best anti wrinkle creams according to independent scientists are those that contain natural compounds.  It doesn’t matter what designer or celebrity is promoting the products.   They get paid to do that anyway.   All that matters is the ingredients the product contains. The ingredients that work include Shea butter, avocado extract, the protein functional keratin, grape seed oil, vitamin e, CoenzymeQ10…notice a pattern?  All of these compounds are naturally occurring, not created synthetically using petrochemicals. The safest skincare products are always the ones that contain no chemical fragrance or preservatives.   The skin care companies try to make everyone think that artificial preservatives are essential to extend shelf-life, but the truth is this.   Natural ... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3678668 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 11:53:22 +0100 3678668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671877&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2010%2F06%2F16%2Fi-b-m-building-a-i-to-play-jeopardy%2F NYTimes: I.B.M.’s Supercomputer Challenges ‘Jeopardy!’ Champions – NYTimes.com IBM is building a massive question answering A.I., named “Watson”, that is going to play on Jeopardy in the fall. (Source: neurodudes) neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671877 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:25:24 +0100 3671877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662642&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fartificial-sweeteners-vs-sugar-more-risk-than-reward%2F photo: Thinkstock If you check out the candy aisle in any grocery store, chances are you’ll see a growing number of sugar-free sweets. While this may seem like the perfect solution to reconcile a sweet tooth with good nutrition, eating foods that are artificially sweetened may be worse for you than the real thing. First of all, removing sugar from something doesn’t remove any of its other unhealthy substances like fat or refined carbohydrates. And the process of artificially sweetening may actually introduce chemicals into a food, which could lead to upset stomach and diarrhea. Plus, artificial sweeteners also may make you crave more food. We know – pretty confusing. So we’re just going to keep eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, and then when we i... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662642 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:13:04 +0100 3662642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560431&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2Fsc3kV61oHOk%2Fdiabetes-blog-week-to-carb-or-not-to-carb.php Karen came up with a fantastic idea to unite the diabetes blogging community this week - a full seven days of prompting topics for us to ponder - in other words, a Diabetes Blog Week.  Check out the long list of participants!  Today's topic, "To carb or not to carb", is described as:"Today let's blog about what we eat.  And perhaps what we don't eat.  Some believe a low carb diet is important in diabetes management, while others believe carbs are fine as long as they are counted and bolused for.  Which side of the fence do you fall on?  What kinds of things do you eat for meals and snacks?  What foods do you deem bolus-worthy?  What other foodie wisdom would you like to share?"***Oh, my ever-changing views on the carbohydrate and the role i... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560431 Thu, 13 May 2010 14:19:45 +0100 3560431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556097&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-doctors-deliver-babies-too-early%2F2010.05.11 Babies born between the 34th and 36th week have more complications and cost the U.S. $26 billion annually. These children have more risk of death, cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment, or respiratory problems. In the United States, nearly 13% of infants are born before they reach 37 weeks gestation. According to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), that rate is much higher than other developed nations, and physicians may be partially to blame for the early deliveries. Some of the reasons may be older moms or the increased use of artificial reproductive technology and multiple births, but some physicians are choosing to deliver between 34 and 37 weeks even when there is no clear medical indication. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556097 Tue, 11 May 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3556097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552244&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fan-artificial-pancreas-for-type-1-diabetes%2F2010.05.11 Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University have reported that an “artificial pancreas” has worked in 11 patients enrolled in a study sponsored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The device consists of insulin pumps, glucose sensors, and a laptop with regulatory software. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552244 Tue, 11 May 2010 12:00:01 +0100 3552244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552425&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2010%2F05%2F10%2Fwhen-will-we-be-able-to-build-brains-like-ours%2F – by Terry Sejnowski – scientificamerican.com Terry Sejnowski discusses the recent ‘catfight’ that erupted between Dharmenda Modha of IBM and Henry Markram of the EPFL over claims from Modha that his group had successfully modeled the brain of a cat. Dr. Sejnowski provides a summary of the quest to describe the nervous system using computational models and introduces a central question: What level of abstraction is appropriate? “Looking at the same neuron, physicists and engineers tend to see the simplicity whereas biologists tend to see the complexity. The problem with simplified models is that they may be throwing away the baby with the bathwater. The problem with biophysical models is that the number of details is nearly infinite and much of it is unknown. How muc... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552425 Mon, 10 May 2010 19:10:42 +0100 3552425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499272&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fa-techie-type-1-reviews-the-new-medtronic-revel-insulin-pump-cgm-system.html Technology blogger and Type 1 diabetic Scott Hanselman works for Microsoft, and is quite famous in software developer circles.  As it happens, he’s been wearing the brand new “Revel” combo Insulin Pump and Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) system from Medtronic for six days now, and has just posted his thoughts on his tech blog, Computer [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499272 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:50:08 +0100 3499272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471991&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fdesign-challenge-outlook-from-the-original-diabetes-entrepreneur.html Robert Oringer is currently Co-Chairman and Board Director of AMG Medical Inc. in Canada, which distributes professional and home healthcare products. But he’s also the man who pioneered private-label diabetes products in the US, including syringes, glucose products, and testing supplies. One might call Robert a serial diabetes entrepreneur — and at least as importantly, father [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471991 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:00:38 +0100 3471991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471744&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007096.html We move ever closer to human-machine hybrids. An artificial pancreas system that closely mimics the body's blood sugar control mechanism was able to maintain near-normal glucose levels without causing hypoglycemia in a small group of patients. The system, combining a blood glucose monitor and insulin pump technology with software that directs administration of insulin and the blood-sugar-raising hormone glucagon, was developed at Boston University (BU). The first clinical trial of the system was conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and confirmed the feasibility of an approach utilizing doses of both hormones. In their report, appearing in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers also found unexpectedly large differences in insulin absorption rates between study particip... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471744 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3471744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463712&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2010%2F04%2F13%2Fmloss-machine-learning-open-source-software%2F http://mloss.org/software/ In addition to an index of over 200 open source machine learning software projects, the “about” section notes that there is an open source tools track of the journal JMLR, and that there are MLOSS workshops sometimes at NIPS and ICML. (Source: neurodudes) neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463712 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:07:09 +0100 3463712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443794&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2010%2F04%2F07%2Fgeminoid-f-remote-control-female-android.html Via: Kokoro, AFP Researchers from the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University have teamed up with robot maker Kokoro Co., Ltd. to create a realistic-looking remote-control female android that mimics the facial expressions and speech of a human operator. Modeled after a woman in her twenties, the android has long black hair, soft silicone skin, and a set of lifelike teeth that allow her to produce a natural smile. According to the developers, the robot friendly and approachable appearance makes her suitable for receptionist work at sites such as museums. The researchers also plan to test her ability to put hospital patients at ease. The research is being led by Osaka University professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, who is known for creating teleoperated robot twins such as the celebrated ... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443794 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:09:10 +0100 3443794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3390934&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F03%2Ffda-hearings-on-blood-glucose-meters-an-advocates-perspective.html Many of you may know that the FDA held a two-day Public Hearing on the issue of Glucose Meter Accuracy late last week. Dozens of experts gathered at the Washington DC Hilton/Gaithersburg Hotel to lend testimony. The issue at hand, according to FDA statements, is that: “Glucose meters are increasingly being used to achieve tight glycemic [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3390934 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:00:50 +0100 3390934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374321&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fnewsflash-medtronics-new-next-gen-pump-cgm-okd-by-the-fda.html Happy St. Patrick’s Day, again.  See this morning’s post with some wee silliness on that. A quick newsflash on this lovely green day: this morning Medtronic has announced that it has received FDA approval for its new Paradigm Revel combination insulin pump/continuous glucose monitor, which they’re calling “the industry’s most advanced integrated system for diabetes [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374321 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:23:55 +0100 3374321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3307029&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fteens-with-diabete.html In the past few weeks, the diabetes community has suffered several tragedies in losing young people to diabetes. It is shocking and upsetting when diabetes takes the life of anyone, but somehow more so when it cuts a young life so short. Moira McCarthy Stanford is a journalist, a long-time JDRF volunteer and mom to [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3307029 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:00:42 +0100 3307029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298459&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2010%2F02%2F22%2Ffoldit-the-useful-protein-folding-game%2F You can help with protein folding research! http://fold.it/ According to the website, currently they are collecting data from the game to see if humans can actually contribute anything beyond what the computers can already do. (Source: neurodudes) neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298459 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:50:26 +0100 3298459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3246949&cid=t_115161_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FQcY-dRv5yag%2F People who live with diabetes know how frustrating it can be to try to maintain a healthy and balanced level of sugar in the blood, particularly if they take insulin. Much progress has been made in terms of developing technology to help manage insulin doses, especially in children, but as good as they can be, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Type 1 diabetes, what used to be called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes, cannot be cured. Insulin isn’t a cure, but rather, a way to manage it. The insulin must be given in specific doses and adjusted according to activity and food intake, something which can be quite difficult to do for an active child or teen. When blood sugar isn’t properly controlled, this can lead to severe complications later in life (blindness, ki... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3246949 Sat, 06 Feb 2010 10:05:15 +0100 3246949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3246940&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34817&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshrinkwrapped.blogs.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fempathy-and-ai-part-v.html In Empathy and AI: Part I I discussed the possibility of coding for empathy in our imagined AI offspring. In Empathy and AI: Part II I wondered about how to perform the mirroring function for an AI.  Most AI researchers believe that the AI's mind will evolve rather than spring into being fully formed.  As such, encoding for empathy becomes a significant issue. In Empathy and AI: Part III I briefly described some of the factors involved in the development of a coherent sense of self and how such development depends upon an empathic connection to another's mind. In Empathy and AI: Part IV I speculated on how the development of a self in an AI could go awry analogous to disorders of the self in humans. In this final post in the series I want to discuss th... ShrinkWrapped blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3246940 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:47:12 +0100 3246940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239632&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34817&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshrinkwrapped.blogs.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fempathy-and-ai-part-iii.html In Empathy and AI: Part I I discussed the possibility of coding for empathy in our imagined AI offspring. In Empathy and AI: Part II I wondered about how to perform the mirroring function for an AI.  Most AI researchers believe that the AI's mind will evolve rather than spring into being fully formed.  As such, encoding for empathy becomes a significant issue. The early Psychoanalysts developed a Theory of Mind that continues to resonate and have significance, including having gained some support from modern neurosciences, as noted in A Conscious Digression: Mahler's contributions included her elegant descriptions of the child's sense of self emerging from the undifferentiated mother-infant matrix.  She called the first glimmers of separateness &q... ShrinkWrapped blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239632 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:44:05 +0100 3239632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231610&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34817&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshrinkwrapped.blogs.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fempathy-and-ai-part-ii.html In Empathy and AI: Part I I discussed the possibility of coding for empathy in our imagined AI offspring.  The discussion among the commenters was impressive, as so often occurs here, and toughed upon many themes worth exploring in more detail.  Two themes stood out in the comments.  First the probability that even were we able to write code determining the acquisition of consciousness, we could never delineate a wide enough set of "human like" experiences for our AI.  We might be able to simulate Jimmy J's transcendental experience but we could never do it in a way in which the AI would believe it emerged from within his own (organic) conscious mind and he would always be aware that it did not enter him from outside of his programming.&#01... ShrinkWrapped blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231610 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:13:04 +0100 3231610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227844&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34817&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshrinkwrapped.blogs.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fempathy-and-ai.html There are a lot of very smart people working on developing human level AI, with the expectation that once created, it will rapidly evolve past us.  Literature and cinema have accustomed us to concerns about creating our own "Frankenstein" monsters (though the identity of the monster in the story always surprises people the first time they read and think about the book.)  The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence was created to increase the likelihood that any future Superintelligence/AI would be friendly to its creators.  Michael Anissimov, blogging at Accelerating Future writes cogently for the layperson about the dangers and benefits that we might expect from AI.  Through his site I have found my way to a number of other very smart peop... ShrinkWrapped blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227844 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:33:56 +0100 3227844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208600&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F01%2Faaron-kowalski-your-questions-on-the-artificial-pancreas-answered-here.html When the  JDRF recently announced its newest artificial pancreas push — a partnership with Animas and Dexcom to actually develop a commercial product — head of the project Aaron Kowalski kindly agreed to answer reader questions here. Today, I bring you those answers, direct “from the horses’ mouth,” as it were. Usage Issues Q) How much more [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208600 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:00:43 +0100 3208600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3185563&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fchasing-the-omnipod-patch-me-if-you-can.html Last week, I spent a little bit of time at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, a nearly-thirty-year-old annual gathering that’s become “the health care industry’s premier financial event, giving more than 330 companies a chance to make formal pitches to institutional investors.”  Due to a houseful of sickies at home, I wasn’t able to attend [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3185563 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:00:34 +0100 3185563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167321&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fnews-flash-jdrf-joins-with-animas-dexcom-to-build-first-generation-artificial-pancreas.html Very big news in the diabetes world today, Folks: the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has announced a partnership with insulin pump makers Animas Corp. (a Johnson & Johnson company) to actually start building the first ready-for-market artificial pancreas, i.e. “a fully automated system to dispense insulin … based on real-time changes in blood sugar [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167321 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:03:12 +0100 3167321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133701&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2009%2F12%2F31%2Fcatalina-vallejos-statement-of-purpose-art%2F I devote my life to the momentary constructions for the purpose of maintaining a regular study of neural biochemistry, processes, patterns, and networks whose effects on a performance installation would successfully present a solution. An example of this is affecting a site’s mood initally set up by a pre-set design, with a resulting performance based upon the affected concentration of biochemicals in each present body. The modulation of mood and perception, as evoked or supressed by the artwork itself. A more specific example of this is the observation of different levels of dehydration which affect the integral effectiveness of body enzymes by varying concentrations. This type of work is relevant since exemplary leading behaviours are that which initiate communication before utterance ... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133701 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:23:25 +0100 3133701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133702&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2009%2F12%2F30%2Fnew-brain-model-applied-to-%25e2%2580%259cpythagorean-harmonics%25e2%2580%259d%2F Neurodudes kindly allowed me to post links to my “alternative brain models” in 2006 ( http://neurodudes.com/2006/09/14/new-brainmind-theory/ ) and 2007 ( http://neurodudes.com/2007/02/24/more-on-quad-nets-new-brainmind-theory/ ) and I hope a third occasion is permitted as there is no comparable resource for a person like me.  I am an amateur in brain science but have a solid technical background (B.S.E.E. MIT; M.A. Physics/Materials Science, UC Berkeley). I have developed a new class of proposed devices called “timing devices.”  Timing devices are idealized models of neurons, with a variety of forms and components.  The timing devices system resembles that of components (resistances, capacitances, transistors, etc.) used in standard electronic circuits.  In both cases, there is... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133702 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:51:53 +0100 3133702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071265&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2009%2F12%2F08%2Fhow-to-make-robot-friends-and-influence-people.html The world's first robot with its own Facebook page (and that can use its information in conversations with "friends") has been developed by Nikolaos Mavridis and collaborators from the Interactive Robots and Media Lab at the United Arab Emirates University. The main hypothesis of the FaceBots project is that long-term human robot interaction will benefit by reference to "shared memories" and "events relevant to shared friends" in human-robot dialogues. More to explore: N. Mavridis, W. Kazmi and P. Toulis, "Friends with Faces: How Social Networks Can Enhance Face Recognition and Vice Versa", contributed book chapter to Computational Social Networks Analysis: Trends, Tools and Research Advances, Springer Verlag, 2009. pdf N. Mavridis, W. Kazmi, P. Toulis, C. Ben-AbdelKader, "On the synergie... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071265 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:41:00 +0100 3071265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989343&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fdiabetes-technology-society-on-the-horizon.html Today, just a sampling of some of the interesting stuff presented at last week’s Diabetes Technology Society meeting, that will be out on the market in … um… some years from now (?): IN-105 Oral Insulin for Type 2 diabetes - Biocon Limited, apparently India’s premier biotechnology company, has been developing oral insulin tablets for some [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989343 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:15:50 +0100 2989343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984968&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fthe-diabetes-technology-society-from-algorithms-to-adherence.html The Diabetes Technology Society held its annual meeting last Thursday through Saturday, which always takes place just about a mile and a half from my house. But guess what? This was the very first year that I found myself on the inside of this exclusive event, participating in a panel (the very last panel of [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984968 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:52 +0100 2984968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916369&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fthe-case-for-real-chocolate.html Halloween is on its way, and of course, we PWDs are bracing ourselves for all that candy — in your face. It ain’t easy to resist, even if you’re not normally tempted, because suddenly there are the bowls-full of the stuff at home and work, at the mall and at the dentist’s office. Yipes! I noticed some [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916369 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:18:24 +0100 2916369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904850&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006639.html Robin Hanson doesn't want to live in a country where robots are held back from full sentience and autonomy. On Tuesday I asked my law & econ undergrads what sort of future robots (AIs computers etc.) they would want, if they could have any sort they wanted.  Most seemed to want weak vulnerable robots that would stay lower in status, e.g., short, stupid, short-lived, easily killed, and without independent values. When I asked “what if I chose to become a robot?”, they said I should lose all human privileges, and be treated like the other robots.  I winced; seems anti-robot feelings are even stronger than anti-immigrant feelings, which bodes for a stormy robot transition. At a workshop following last weekend’s... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904850 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2904850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871535&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fprosthetic-art-flaunt-it-dont-hide-it%2F Whether it’s an artificial leg, a cast for a broken arm, or even a corset for an injured back, you can use these items to express yourself and have some fun if you want. You can make your prosthetic yours and really, the only limit is your imagination. You can choose to have a functioning but unique leg that extends for rock climbing or you can have a glass leg that you can fill up with something decorative. Your artificial arm could be tattooed from shoulder to wrist or you could decide to cover your stump with a wing. Even casts for broken arms can be made into works of art – as long as you’re willing to pay for it. NewScientist.com has a gallery of 13 photos, unique prosthetic art that is either style, function, or a combination of the two. What do you think you would ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871535 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:56:25 +0100 2871535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855727&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2009%2F10%2F01%2Frobust-systems%2F A great essay by Gerald Sussman, “Robust Systems”. In the first half or so (my favorite part) he describes architectural principals of biological systems that contribute to robustness. In the second half, he gives proposals for making computers more robust. (Source: neurodudes) neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855727 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:11:47 +0100 2855727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851996&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fdan-hurley-on-diabetes-part-2-transformative-technology.html Welcome to Part 2 of my talk with award-winning journalist and Type 1 diabetic Dan Hurley, whose new “epic book” Diabetes Rising is due out soon.  In case you missed it, read Part 1 of the interview here.  Today, Dan talks about achieving the impossible — an artificial pancreas that works, and a diabetes [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851996 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:40:46 +0100 2851996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842729&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fauthor-dan-hurley-on-diabetes-part-1-try-harder-is-not-enough.html Dan Hurley is a journalist and science writer who contributes regularly to the New York Times.  He’s also written for the Medical Tribune and Psychology Today.  And he’s one of us PWDs.  His new book, Diabetes Rising, is an exposé on the academic world of diabetes, coming out January. Have a look at last week’s [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842729 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:33 +0100 2842729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832246&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2009%2F09%2F25%2Fmiruko-eyeball-robotic-eye.html Via Pink Tentacle Miruko is a camera robot in the shape of an eyeball capable of tracking objects and faces. Worn on the player’s sleeve, Miruko’s roving eye scans the surroundings in search of virtual monsters that are invisible to the naked human eye. When a virtual monster is spotted, the mechanical eyeball rolls around in its socket and fixes its gaze on the monster’s location. By following Miruko’s line of sight, the player is able to locate the virtual monster and “capture” it via his or her iPhone camera. In this video, Miruko’s creators demonstrate how the robotic eyeball can be used as an interface for a virtual monster-hunting game played in a real-world environment.     According to its creators, Miruko can be used for augmented reality games, security,... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832246 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:31:35 +0100 2832246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814508&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2009%2F09%2F21%2Fhal-new-assistive-walking-device.html Japanese company Cyberdyne, with the scientific support provided by Professor Sankai of Tsukuba University, have developed the Hybrid Assistive Limb - HAL - a device designed to help people walk or carry heavy loads. The assistive walking system weights 10 kilogram and has a battery at the back. Embedded sensors collects electric signals that are delivered to the brain through the skin surface. Thanks to these sensors, the system can help users to move in the direction they are thinking. The walking speed is 1.8 km p/h. Watch the HAL in action in this video: (Source: Positive Technology Journal) Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814508 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:10:00 +0100 2814508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761923&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2Fwu15RmyIXko%2Frobots_in_the_classroom_sejnow.php I've been busy writing up a new paper, and expect the reviews back on another soon, so ... sorry for the lack of posts. But this should be of interest: The Dana Foundation has just posted an interview with Terrence Sejnowki about his recent Science paper, "Foundations for a New Science of Learning" (with coauthors Meltzoff, Kuhl & Movellan). Sejnowski is a kind of legendary figure in computational neuroscience, having founded the journal Neural Computation, developed the primary algorithm in independent components analysis (infomax), contrastive hebbian learning, and played an early role in linking the mathematical concept of "prediction error" to dopamine function. One snippet from the interview: Q: In what ways has the study of how children learn been used to solve engineering problem... Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761923 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:05:31 +0100 2761923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699656&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F14%2F5-good-reasons-to-track-your-mood-an-interview-with-james-bishop%2F Today I have the pleasure of interviewing one of my first Internet buddies, James Bishop, who runs the site FindingOptimism.com and writes the Finding Optimism blog which has been voted as one of the top depression blogs by Psych Central. James also is the brainiac behind Optimism Software, a tool to help you track your mood. Question: Why did you develop the software, James? Was there a certain “Aha!” moment you’d like to share with us, as though you were sitting on the Oprah set? James: An “Aha!” moment? Yes, I’ve had lots of those. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 6 years ago, and I started on the difficult path of finding appropriate treatment. At the same time Anna started keeping a paper health journal. In 2004 I took part in a 6-part e... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699656 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:39:37 +0100 2699656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688647&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fcreating-artifical-bone-from-wood%2F Italian scientists have created a new procedure to turn blocks of wood into artificial bones. It starts with taking a block of wood  and heat it up until it turns to pure carbon (in other words charcoal).  They then spray calcium over the carbon thereby creating calcium carbide. Further chemical and physical steps will convert the calcium carbide into carbonated hydroxyapatite which is then able to be implanted and used as the artificial bone. According to the scientists, the wood-derived bone substitute will let live bones to heal faster and more securely after a break than currently available titanium and ceramic implants. But using wood to create artifical bone is still a work in progress. Scientists are currently limited to trialing the process on sheep. Implantation in hum... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688647 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:51:29 +0100 2688647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688859&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fdiabetes-then-and-now-and-leaping-into-the-future-or-why-i-joined-medtronic.html Francine Kaufman is one of the most recognized individuals in the field of diabetes care. She’s a world-renown pediatric endocrinologist at USC, a former ADA  president, the author of Diabesity. Late last year, she made the leap to industry, joining Medtronic to become “a key architect of the company’s global diabetes strategy.”  Today we’re privileged [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688859 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:00:50 +0100 2688859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2685167&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fadvertising-of-infant-milk%2F Ever since the first artificial baby milk became commercially available in 1867, the infant formula makers have battled for market share — battled amongst themselves and battled against breastfeeding. At times it seems like breastfeeding is losing that battle in spite of a clearly superior “product” and a price that can’t be beat! Why is that? Well, when we examine why breastfeeding rates are not where we would like them to be, we can certainly look to questionable birth and hospital practices, poor breastfeeding support, and lack of proper education in the medical community. In the end though, the battle comes down to money. Formula makers invest millions of dollars in advertising and marketing each year. A 2006 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office c... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2685167 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:27:57 +0100 2685167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441217&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F4LrfOUoeA40%2FI_hIIDEQY3w%26hl%3Den%26fs%3D1%26rel%3D0 It's summertime and time for a new Terminator movie -- and Terminator Salvation asks the age-old question will Artificial Intelligence (the coming Superbrain, as the NY Times article dubs it) be our salvation or annihilation?: "Today, artificial intelligence, once the preserve of science fiction writers and eccentric computer prodigies, is back in fashion and getting serious attention from NASA and from Silicon Valley companies like Google as well as a new round of start-ups that are designing everything from next-generation search engines to machines that listen or that are capable of walking around in the world. A.I.’s new respectability is turning the spotlight back on the question of where the technology might be heading and, more ominously, perhaps, whether computer intelligence wil... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441217 Fri, 29 May 2009 00:42:05 +0100 2441217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442423&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FUf0w7DtHXug%2Fthere-are-worse-things-i.php There are worse things I could do.I could be downing regular soda and chocolate bars for a snack, like I did back in college as my finals' week sustenance.I could be drinking alcohol to the point where I've passed out cold on a friend's couch, like I used to do when I was younger and a bit more stupid.I could be eating fast food twice a week instead of twice... (Source: Diabetes Daily) Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442423 Wed, 27 May 2009 02:43:46 +0100 2442423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405719&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2009%2F05%2F11%2Ffuturist-or-random-number-generator%2F Hmmm… Ray Kurzweil from Salon/bigthink.com on simulating the human brain: I think he might be right that we can simulate the brain before we understand it, however. (Source: neurodudes) neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405719 Tue, 12 May 2009 02:48:56 +0100 2405719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349465&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fsevere-hypoglycemia-linked-to-dementia-and-other-big-bad-jama-diabetes-news.html The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has devoted an entire special issue to Diabetes this week.  It features the results of four big studies that are enlightening, but are not going to make you happy. The first comes from Kaiser Permanente, and shows that in elderly people with Type 2 diabetes, severe hypoglycemia is [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349465 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00:58 +0100 2349465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2325198&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F04%2Ftechnology-friday-intouchdiabetes-software-and-computer-simulation-for-an-artificial-pancreas.html Two steps forward in diabetes technology were announced this week, My Friends: First, the FDA has cleared a new wireless diabetes management system called inTouch™·diabetes.  The system was created by West Chester, PA-based SymCare, Inc., a company started by Johnson & Johnson. “The new web-based system uses a combination of objective biometric data, education and a rewards [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2325198 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:46:20 +0100 2325198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232562&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2F9b7k34auiDk%2Fworking_memory_without_recurre.php A principal insight from computational neuroscience for studies of higher-level cognition is rooted in the recurrent network architecture. Recurrent networks, very simply, are those composed of neurons that connect to themselves, enabling them to learn to maintain information over time that may be important for behavior. Elaborations to this basic framework have incorporated mechanisms for flexibly gating information into and out of these recurrently-connected neurons. Such architectures appear to well-approximate the function of prefrontal and basal ganglia circuits, which appear specialized for maintenance and gating, respectively. However, these architectures do not capture some subtleties in the temporal dynamics of prefrontal cortex and other regions showing delay-period activity. Si... Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232562 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:57:17 +0100 2232562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182645&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F538406944%2Fsweet-soft-matter-candy-cotton-for.html I love interdisciplinary journals, but I had not stumbled across Soft Matters, where physics meets chemistry meets biology for fundamental soft matter research, until today when the following story caught my eye: (Via Red Orbit) "Scientists are turning to cotton candy as a novel tool to help grow replacement tissues for people. It seems the long-time favorite treat may provide an ideal way to generate a network of blood vessels within lab-grown skin, bone, muscle or fat for breast reconstruction, researchers say. Dr. Jason Spector of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York and Leon Bellan of Cornell University conducted the research on the new technique. It works by first pouring a thick liquid chemical over the cotton candy, and waiting for the liquid to ... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182645 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:18:03 +0100 2182645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2104502&cid=t_115161_135_f&fid=35274&url=http%3A%2F%2Facidrefluxweb.com%2F%3Fp%3D2200 Ahhh my little puppy has to go into the vet. You see, this is the curse of paying off your credit card off! The universe somehow get’s wind of that zero balance, and bam you’ve got a 2.5 pound puppy that is not eating and throwing up. But now it’s time to bring something a little more fun for the cold winter months. My pal sent me this url for Real Touch, sex toy. This isn’t just any sex toy. Apparently NASA (they claim) had something to do what it’s expected to do. I’m sure what NASA tested in this case might exactly mean with all those month they spend in space. Maybe that has something to do with the Haptic technology. What I can’t believe is that it is supposed to hook up to your commuter to provide a coordinated sensory experience to the porn you are watching. I gues... acidrefluxweb.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2104502 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:41:47 +0100 2104502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035844&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F485199383%2Flife-imitating-art-twenty-seconds-into.html I just had flashback to the eighties when I saw this headline: Dreams may no longer be secret with Japan computer screen.Does anyone else remember the Max Headroom episode entitled 'Dream Thieves.', where unscrupulous entrepreneurs steal people's dreams and sell them to the highest bidders? (as visions of privacy lawsuits danced across my head.)What next? Neurostim, a device to directly stimulate the brain and bypass the need to use television for advertising? Naaahhh, too sci-fi, right? Or not. (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035844 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:10:38 +0100 2035844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021542&cid=t_115161_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FWpeG8jRAZyY%2F And we thought artificial life was in the distant future… J. Craig Venter and his institute has successfully manufactured the first synthetic yeast organism, in one step! The key? "Co-transformation of 25 different pieces at once" writes lead author Daniel Gibson, a JCVI scientist, in the advance issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. “Thus, large DNA molecules can be assembled much more rapidly from synthetic or naturally occurring sub-fragments than with any other system described previously.” J. Craig Venter Institute has dedicated its efforts to creating a synthetic organism, and this new finding is one step closer to that goal. Synthetic Genomics, founded by Venter, is reportedly using the new method to come up with biofuels and other b... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021542 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:40:01 +0100 2021542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1939197&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F443420219%2FAmendment%252048.pdf In light of the recent defeat of the embryos-are-full-persons amendment in Colorado, this article from New Scientist from a few days ago sheds some interesting light on the spectrum of thought on when life (or more specifically moral and/or legal status) begins:[Whether the legal rights enjoyed by citizens in the state of Colorado should extend to embryos from the point of fertilisation will be decided by its voters on 4 November. A "yes" decision could pave the way for anti-abortion legislation. But an online poll of people with a range of nationalities and religions shows opinion varies widely on the age-old question of when life begins.The poll was part of a questionnaire compiled by the IVF clinic Reproductive Biology Associates in Atlanta, Georgia, to see how people might view new rep... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939197 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:57:41 +0100 1939197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1926553&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F438414719%2Fwho-knows-what-evil-lurks-in-heart-of.html A Special Halloween post: No, not the Shadow - try Selmer Bringsjord, cognitive scientist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Although he admits it is 'creepy,' he is working on what is evil and how to formally define it. According to the article in Scientific American, Bringsjord says that to be truly evil, someone must have sought to do harm by planning to commit some morally wrong action with no prompting from others:"Bringsjord's research builds on earlier definitions put forth by San Diego State University philosophy professor J. Angelo Corlett as well as the late sociopolitical philosophers and psychologists, Joel Feinberg and Erich Fromm, but most significantly by psychiatrist and author M. Scott Peck in his 1983 book, People of the Lie, The Hope for Healing Human Evil. After readi... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1926553 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:11:13 +0100 1926553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1865531&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F414924396%2Ffield-of-dreams-developing-rules-for.html In 1989 the movie Field of Dreams promised, "if you build it, they will come". And come they did: all those hoping to have their faith in something bigger than them, restored. For the title character, Ray Kinsella, the field gave him the opportunity to see his father, again and create a relationship the two never had.I'm reminded of that movie as I think about the development of an artificial womb. 'If you build it, they will come". They, being childless couples, in hopes of a bringing their baby into the world, the fulfillment of their dreams. But along with the honest and pure of heart will come those less chaste. As in the movie, the field attracted plenty of gawkers and those who just wanted to be part of something special. But should they have been allowed to partake in something so d... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1865531 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:58:59 +0100 1865531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841255&cid=t_115161_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F406307151%2F How’s this for chutzpah? Along with Biopure and two other former execs, Howard Richman was accused in 2005 by the Securities and Exchange Commission of misleading investors about the progress of the Hemopure artificial blood product, which the FDA had so far refused to approve over safety concerns (see lawsuit). To escape the SEC litigation and settlement talks that subsequently ensued, the former head of Biopure’s regulatory affairs decided that he had developed a bad case of colon cancer, which conveniently spread to his stomach and lymph nodes, according to court documents. And the needed treatment meant that he was in no condition to face trial. To convince a federal judge that he really was in terrible shape, Richman, 57, allegedly forged a letter from his doctor and had h... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841255 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:28:46 +0100 1841255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1812891&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FBMdCpprXYrk%2F Which artificial sweetener do you prefer? Splenda Sweet n Low Equal None View Results Share This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1812891 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:57:36 +0100 1812891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1788693&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2F390839161%2Fdomaingeneral_use_of_visual_ve.php Much evidence supports the idea that parietal cortex is involved in the simple maintenance of information, such as in object permanence paradigms (also here) and other tasks. This evidence is part of the justification for the "parietofrontal integration theory", which suggests that parietal areas work in concert with prefrontal regions of the brain to accomplish the maintenance and manipulation of information. Orthodoxy holds the prefrontal cortex is more involved than parietal cortex in information manipulation (eg). However, some have suggested that the spatial transformations accomplished by parietal cortex might also be used for the manipulation or organization of nonspatial information - for example, in the subtraction and addition of magnitudes. Read the rest of this post... | Read... Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1788693 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:01:33 +0100 1788693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773303&cid=t_115161_85_f&fid=36195&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealth.tesstermulo.com%2F%3Fp%3D488 I think this statement will effectively summarize the state of reproductive health in the Philippines (no matter how irresistibly funny it may sound): Akala ko kapag unang beses lang ng pagtatalik, hindi mabubuntis (I thought one won’t get pregnant during the first sexual encounter). Honestly, I have heard this so many times from patients that it already gets frustrating.  Not only does it reflect that a lot of misinformation are spreading around, but it also says how uninformed most of our countrymen can be.  Imagine, I’ve heard this statement from people dwelling in urban areas.  How much more in the rural areas where sexual and reproductive health education may not be that much improved upon? It is equally frustrating how the dear old Roman Catholic Church and its bishop... Prudence, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773303 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:22:03 +0100 1773303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1645883&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2008%2F07%2F22%2Frobot-butler.html From Smart Mobs    (Credit: Fraunhofer IPA)    German researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute have introduced their third generation of household robots, the Care-O-Bot 3. The robot has has a flexible arm with seven degrees of freedom and a hand with three fingers. This allows it to pick up bottles, cups and similar objects and to operate machines. Here are the major functionalities of Care-O-bot 3:   Omnidirectional Navigation: Care-O-bot 3 has an omnidirectional platform, with four steered and driven wheels. This kinematic system enables the robot to move in any desired direction and therefore also safely to negotiate narrow passages. Safe Manipulation: Care-O-bot 3 is equipped with a highly flexible, commercial arm with seven degrees of freedom as well as with... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1645883 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:25:00 +0100 1645883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1405464&cid=t_115161_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F279633688%2F Artificial blood products increased the risk of death by 30 percent and almost tripled the risk of heart attacks in 16 clinical trials, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers write that the FDA should have stopped the studies eight years ago, but meanwhile five trials are still under way and another is about to begin. Eight years ago, the FDA received data on individual studies showing increased risks that should have triggered suspension of testing until a large-scale analysis could be conducted, according to the researchers, who say the FDA should end the trials and Congress should review rules forcing the agency to keep info on new products confidential for competitive reasons. “One straightforward solution to these problems would ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1405464 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:07:54 +0100 1405464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1363701&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2F267764228%2Fbrains_are_they_really_like_an.php Peter Hankins has written an excellent commentary criticizing the "positive comparisons" I make after contrasting brains with computers. Peter says: "... the concept of processing speed has no useful application in the brain rather than that it isn't fixed." While this statement may intuitively appeal to some philosophers, temporal limitations in neural processing are both critical for neuronal function and well accepted in both neuroscience and psychometrics. At the biological level, the membrane capacitance of neurons is important for regulating the firing rate of neurons, which itself has an upper limit. Myelination is another feature of neurons which is clearly critical for the speed that information can be processed. At the level of individual differences, "processing speed" is a we... Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1363701 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:02:49 +0100 1363701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1321797&cid=t_115161_145_f&fid=35710&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstoryofhealing.com%2F2008%2F03%2F23%2Fcan-our-art-and-science-keep-pace-with-technological-evolution%2F This article explores further its possible medical use. The arrival this June of an enterprise-friendly iPhone is exciting to more than just business users. Doctors, too, are eyeing Apple’s handheld and wondering if it could kill off the old-fashioned clipboard and X-ray light box once and for all. “If you could use the gesture-based way of manipulating images on the iPhone and actually manipulate a stack of X-rays or CT scans, that would be a huge selling point,” says Adam Flanders, director of informatics at Thomas Jefferson University and an expert in medical imaging. To date, such a feature has remained a pipe dream due to most smartphones’ inability to handle the sophisticated compression techniques used on large medical images. Also, most phones lack the requ... the story of healing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1321797 Sun, 23 Mar 2008 06:39:16 +0100 1321797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1306516&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2008%2F03%2F16%2Fa-second-life-for-ai.html Source: Eetimes  Passing the Turing test - the holy grail of AI (a human conversing with a computer can't tell it's not human) - may now be possible in a limited way with the world's fastest supercomputer (IBM's Blue Gene) and mimicking the behavior of a human-controlled avatar in a virtual world, according to AI experts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. "We are building a knowledge base that corresponds to all of the relevant background for our synthetic character--where he went to school, what his family is like, and so on," said Selmer Bringsjord, head of Rensselaer's Cognitive Science Department and leader of the research project. The researchers plan to engineer, from the start, a full-blown intelligent character and converse with him in an interactive virtual environment, lik... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1306516 Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:46:06 +0100 1306516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1288708&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F248006264%2F Discussion Forum about whether the importance of embodiment is an essential obstacle to trying to simulate human cognition with computers. Meanwhile, the role of embodiment in cognition continues to be a growing area of research. I enjoyed a recent post on the Scientific American Community website entitled Thinking with the Body by Art Glenberg from Arizona State University. He reviews recent research by Holt and Bellock. The bottom line is that even when people are involved in verbal tasks, like reading sentences, their comprehension is influenced by their body knowledge of what is being described. You can read more at Mind Matters: Neuroscience, Psychology, Psychiatry, and More. (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1288708 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:52:07 +0100 1288708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1277931&cid=t_115161_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fyour-invitation-to-nihniddk-artificial.html After 31 years of tolerating type 1 diabetes, I must admit that I'm just plain sick of it. Even moreso, while cheerleaders are fine for football teams, as a person with diabetes, I find many diabetes cheerleaders to be just plain annoying -- certainly not motivating. I need my job made easier, which does not mean motivation, a fact that seems to elude far too many diabetes researchers. The fact of the matter is that unlike other chronic diseases, type 1 diabetes never gives you a break (unlike MS, another chronic autoimmune disease, which sometimes gives patients a period of remission) and more often than not, diabetes will "act up" when you're least able to deal with it.For example, even with "sick day rules", many people find it close to impossible to really manage their blood glucose le... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1277931 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:40:00 +0100 1277931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1277915&cid=t_115161_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F245527067%2F   Geneticist Craig Venter has announced that he is creating a life form that feeds on climate-ruining carbon dioxide to produce fuel.  He disclosed his potentially world-changing “fourth-generation fuel” project at an elite Technology, Entertainment and Design conference in California. Among the audience were Al Gore and Google co-founder Larry Page. Biofuel alternatives to oil are third-generation. The next step, Venter says, is to re-engineer existing life forms that feed on CO2 and give off fuel such as methane gas as waste.  Simple organisms can be genetically re-engineered to produce vaccines or octane-based fuels as waste. Venter’s team is using synthetic chromosomes to modify organisms that already exist, not making new life.  The limiting part of the equati... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1277915 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:08:05 +0100 1277915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1242401&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F237734557%2F An article newly published in Maternal and Child Nutrition discusses the flaws of the “breast is best” promotional message that many of us favored in a recent poll. According to a ScienceAlert piece, one of the article authors, doctoral student Nina Berry, argues that the “breast is best” message is misleading and fails to communicate the importance of breastfeeding: “In fact, these messages may have obscured the importance of breastfeeding to infant and maternal health and the well-established risks associated with early weaning from breastfeeding,” Ms Berry said. “To say that ‘breast is best’ is to suggest that what breastfeeding offers is a handful of optional bonuses and that formula-fed infants are the normal standard for comparison. I... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1242401 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:19:51 +0100 1242401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1234978&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F235654247%2F The latest episode of Talking Robots is an interview with Inman Harvey of the University of Sussex. He observes that when researchers attempt to build automous robots their approach is strongly influenced by their philosophy of mind, even if that philosophy is only implicit. He also points out that what he calls “good old-fashioned AI” fails to represent how brains really work. This is a point I have emphasized repeatedly. Inman observes that approaches liked embodied artificial intellingence (which we discussued with Rolf Pfeifer in Episode 25) are really based on a different philosophy of mind that “good old-fashioned AI.” His paper Philosophy of Mind Using a Screwdriver is available as a PDF. (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1234978 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:09:15 +0100 1234978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1218319&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F231753227%2F Sixty-four percent of 111 voters said their most recent or only child had only had breast milk and had never had any artificial milk. That left 36% of voters whose child has had at least some artificial milk at some point. Here is the complete breakdown: Special shout-out to the 11 percent of voters who started off supplementing with formula and made a successful transition to exclusive breastfeeding! Please vote in the new poll! Tags: artificial-milk, breast milk, breastfeeding, exclusive-breastfeeding, formula, lactation, poll, supplementation, supplementing, surveyShare This (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1218319 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:03:56 +0100 1218319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1205021&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F229303619%2F I often emphasize the fact that our brains our different from computers. If you would like to read an article that comes at the subject from the opposite direction (computers are not brains) read this summary of a recent talk given by Jeff Hawkins about “why computers can’t be more like a brain on Dean Takahashi’s Tech Talk Blog. Jeff Hawkins was the co-founder of Palm, Inc. and he is author of On Intelligence, which was discussed in the Brain Science Podcast Episode 2. (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1205021 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:07:25 +0100 1205021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1192958&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F226993486%2F Perhaps the formula industry never heard the phrase, “Don’t mess with Mother Nature.” In an attempt to market artificial milk as “closer to breast milk” and “closest to human milk,” forrmula companies developed DHA and ARA fatty acid additives. Those additives are made from fermented algae and fungus, and require the use of hexane (a neurotoxin) in the manufacturing process. Now the Cornucopia Institute has released a report detailing the 98 complaints filed with the FDA by parents and physicians who observed adverse reactions in infants fed the DHA/ARA formula. The complaints involved cases of diarrhea, vomiting, severe dehydration, and seizures. The Cornucopia Institute and the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Action have petitioned the FDA to... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1192958 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:24:20 +0100 1192958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1191354&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2F226628759%2Fare_analog_artificial_neural_n.php Phil Stearns has constructed a 45 "neuron" network of electronic parts which responds to lights and tones with a (rather cute) squealing sound. A picture of the strange device: Each "neuron" consisted of analog electronics corresponding to each of 6 functions: Input, Summing, Threshold, "Offset," "Output," and "Structure" (not sure about those latter three). The connectivity was determined by hand. Phil states that the sculpture is not intelligent, but rather "some kind of squid baby." Neural networks have great potential for contributing to the arts. For example, JP Thivierge used results from the cascade correlation learning algorithm to visualize random output values from a neural network: Here's some art from a portion of rat brain placed into a petri dish: And, of course, t... Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1191354 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:05:40 +0100 1191354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1180118&cid=t_115161_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F223935213%2F Micrograph images of synthetic Mycoplasma genitalium  J Craig Venter and his team at the J Craig Venter Institute Rockville, Md. Venter continue to expand our horizons of what constitutes life.  They have built, from scratch, a synthetic chromosome containing all the genetic material needed to produce a primitive bacterium - this is considered a giant step toward the creation of artificial life. The feat is described in an online edition of the journal Science.  A team led by Dr. Hamilton Smith, director of the Venter Institute’s Synthetic Biology Group, has manufactured from laboratory chemicals a ring of DNA containing all the genes of Mycoplasma genitalium - the tiniest bacteria ever found. That means the team is incredibly close to creating an artificial form of life that... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1180118 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 10:52:47 +0100 1180118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1179242&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fnew-vistas-in-mapping-genome-of-life.html (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1179242 Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:56:00 +0100 1179242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146288&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2F215198903%2Fa_cortical_network_for_rapid_d.php One of the bottlenecks in human memory capacity is its "filtering efficiency" - irrelevant information in memory only detracts from an already-constrained memory span. New work by McNab & Klingberg images the neural structure directly responsible for such filtering, and shows it can predict behavioral measures of memory span. Impressively, the location of this "memory filter" is the globus pallidus, as predicted by a computational network model of cortex, but in contrast to that model, it shows functional correlations with parietal in addition to frontal areas. This work has immediate implications for understanding how the brain accomplishes attention and goal-directed behavior, including topics like perceptual load, the attentional blink, and methods for enhancing memory. Read the rest of... Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146288 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:09:37 +0100 1146288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1120928&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2F207805857%2F Is breast milk better than formula, or is formula inferior to breast milk? Is breastfeeding the best, and formula-feeding second choice? Or should we consider breastfeeding the norm, and formula-feeding as substandard? There are lots of ways to frame the debate. Some are aggressive. Some might make formula-feeding mothers feel bad. So what’s the best way to advocate breastfeeding to pregnant women, new mothers, and the public in general? What is the appropriate/best message for the breastfeeding community to send? Breast is best Breast milk is the norm; formula is subpar The wording doesn't matter I don't know View Results Share This (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1120928 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:57:06 +0100 1120928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1117812&cid=t_115161_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F206558097%2F Hot dog!!! We are one step closer to artificial blood vessels. Not the big ol’ fat ones that are relatively “easy” to reproduce but the tiny, fragile, minuscule capillary types that are needed to supply blood within ones body. Researchers out of MIT, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, were able to grow the very tiny vessels out of stem cells and got them to grow along channels and grooves in a lab type setting. In no way are these “blood vessels” ready to be placed in humans but it is exciting none the less. via BBC/UK Share This (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1117812 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:22:43 +0100 1117812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106176&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2007%2F12%2F19%2Favatar-controlled-robots.html Via KurzweilAI.net Researchers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a system for controlling physical robots using software robots, displayed as virtual-reality avatars.   Article   (Source: Positive Technology Journal) Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106176 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:53:41 +0100 1106176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1098832&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fcreation-of-new-life-forms-next-step.html (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1098832 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:47:00 +0100 1098832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1076195&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2007%2F12%2F07%2Ftoyota-unveils-robot-violinist.html Via Pink Tentacle     Link Video  (Source: Positive Technology Journal) Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1076195 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:03:46 +0100 1076195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1068649&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2007%2F12%2F04%2Fsimroid.html Via Pink Tentacle    Simroid is a robotic dental patient designed by Kokoro Company Ltd as a training tool for dentists. The simulated patient can follow spoken instructions, closely monitor a dentist’s performance during mock treatments, and react in a human-like way to mouth pain thanks to mouth sensors. video (Source: Positive Technology Journal) Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1068649 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:37:47 +0100 1068649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1064593&cid=t_115161_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fperfect-spouse.html (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1064593 Sun, 02 Dec 2007 01:47:00 +0100 1064593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1063142&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F193044796%2F Discussion Forum Audience Survey Subscribe via iTunes™ Subscribe in a reader Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1063142 Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:35:45 +0100 1063142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1061021&cid=t_115161_109_f&fid=34743&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDevelopingIntelligence%2F%7E3%2F192743168%2Fis_google_in_your_brain_pagera.php The world wide web can be understood as a giant matrix of associations (links) between various nodes (web pages). At an abstract level, this is similar to human memory, consisting of a matrix of associations (learned relationships, or neuronal connections) between various nodes (memories, or the distributed representations constituting them). In the new issue of Psych. Science, Griffiths et al. ask whether Google's famously accurate and fast PageRank algorithm for internet search might behave similarly to the brain's algorithm - whatever that might be - for searching human memory. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Developing Intelligence) Developing Intelligence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1061021 Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:01:59 +0100 1061021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1048967&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2007%2F11%2F25%2Fbrain2robot.html     Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Architecture and Software Technology FIRST and the Charite hospital in Berlin have developed a new EEG-controlled robot arm, which might one day bring help to people with paralysis.   Electrodes attached to the patient's scalp measure the brain's electrical signals, which are amplified and transmitted to a computer. Highly efficient algorithms analyze these signals using a self-learning technique. The software is capable of detecting changes in brain activity that take place even before a movement is carried out. It can recognize and distinguish between the patterns of signals that correspond to an intention to raise the left or right hand, and extract them from the pulses being fired by millions of other neurons in th... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1048967 Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:50:00 +0100 1048967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1013374&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35069&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcognews.com%2F1194357356 A new program developed in the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Haifa enables computers to "know" if an artwork is a Leonardo da Vinci original or the work of a less well-known artist. The researchers "taught" the computer to identify the artworks of different artists. The computer learned to identify the artists after the program turned the drawings of nature, people, flowers and other scenes to a series of mathematical symbols, sines and cosines. After the computer "learns" some of the works of each artist, the program enables the computer to master the individual style of each artist and to identify the artist when looking at other works--works the computer has never seen. www.physorg.com/news113480676.html (Source: CogNews) CogNews blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1013374 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1013374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=979144&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2007%2F10%2F25%2Fjapanese-android-recognizes-and-uses-body-language.html Via Pink Tentacle   Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) researchers have developed an autonomous humanoid robot that can recognize and use body language. According to the press release, the android can use nonverbal communication skills such as gestures and touch to facilitate natural interaction with humans. NICT researchers envision future applications of this technology in robots that can work in the home or assist with rescue operations when disaster strikes.   NICT press release (japanese) (Source: Positive Technology Journal) Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=979144 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:45:00 +0100 979144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=968369&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35069&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcognews.com%2F1192714279 Using a Google Labs widget called Google Sets (Source: CogNews) CogNews blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=968369 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 968369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=947961&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35069&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcognews.com%2F1192219091 Called Object Recognition via Brain-Inspired Technology (ORBIT), the system will automatically recognize objects in urban environments from ground and aerial surveillance. "We think ORBIT will reduce analysis time of one square kilometer of imagery from 1,300 hours to less than 10 hours. Faster turnaround time for analysts means more timely and accurate mission planning." said Dr. Peter Bilazarian, Lockheed Martin (Source: CogNews) CogNews blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=947961 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 947961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=933157&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2007%2F10%2F07%2Fnips-2007-workshop-robotics-challenges-for-machine-learning.html Via Neurobot Dates: 7-8 December, 2007 Organizers: Jan Peters (Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics & USC), Marc Toussaint (Technical University of Berlin) http://www.robot-learning.de email: nips07@robot-learning.de Abstract Submission Deadline: October 21, 2007 Acceptance Notification: October 26, 2007 (Source: Positive Technology Journal) Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=933157 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:12:46 +0100 933157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=925312&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35069&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcognews.com%2F1191363080 (University of Southern California (Source: CogNews) CogNews blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=925312 Tue, 02 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 925312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=917923&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2007%2F10%2F01%2Foribotics.html Re-blogged from Networked Performance Part of the Melbourne International Arts FestivalOribotics [network] is a unique art and technology installation in the Atrium at Federation Square, drawing on cutting edge research in biology, computing, and scientific origami. Discover living biomimetic works attached to the glass panes of the Atrium’s Fracture Galleries. Seek out Oribotics [network] and you will find robots rooted to the architecture, surviving on solar power, with their faceted folded mechanical blossoms attracting data, moving in response to the physical audience and stimuli from online users at www.oribotics.net. In Oribotics [network] each robot is individually connected to the vastness of the internet, and to local mobile phone, Bluetooth and wifi networks, enabling interact... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=917923 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:26:35 +0100 917923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=917926&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2007%2F10%2F01%2Fartificial-brain-falls-for-optical-illusions.html Via New Scientist A computer program that emulates the human brain falls for the same optical illusions humans do. It suggests the illusions are a by-product of the way babies learn to filter their complex surroundings. Researchers say this means future robots must be susceptible to the same tricks as humans are in order to see as well as us. For some time, scientists have believed one class of optical illusions result from the way the brain tries to disentangle the colour of an object and the way it is lit. An object may appear brighter or darker, either because of the shade of its colour, or because it is in bright light or shadows. The brain learns how to tackle this through trial and error when we are babies, the theory goes. Mostly it gets it right, but occasionally a scene contradic... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=917926 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:15:29 +0100 917926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914090&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2007%2F09%2F29%2Fpostdoctoral-position-in-nonlinear-dynamics-of-memory-and-active-perception%2F POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH in NONLINEAR DYNAMICS of MEMORY and ACTIVE PERCEPTION Biologically Inspired Neural & Dynamical Systems (BINDS) Laboratory University of Massachusetts Amherst The postdoc work will be concentrating on: How memories are modified, what other systems take part of it, how can the system benefit from changing memories? These questions are asked from the functional and computational view, and will be tackled using theories of dynamical systems, knowledge of neurobiology and memory system, mathematical analysis and control. The modeling created will then be transferred into crisp principles and from there to machine learning, detection, and navigation. The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Engineering or a rel... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914090 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:22:29 +0100 914090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914118&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35069&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcognews.com%2F1190984557 Beau Lotto and David Corney at University College London, UK, developed a computer program that learns to predict the lightness of an image based on its past experiences--just like a baby. As expected, filtering its environment in this manner makes its subject to the same illusions as the brain. Researchers say this means future robots must be susceptible to the same tricks as humans are in order to see as well as us. http://technology.newscientist.com/article_view/default.jsp (Source: CogNews) CogNews blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914118 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 914118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=908515&cid=t_115161_113_f&fid=34637&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgaggio.blogspirit.com%2Farchive%2F2007%2F09%2F27%2Fa-device-for-robotic-upper-extremity-repetitive-therapy.html Design and control of RUPERT: a device for robotic upper extremity repetitive therapy. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng. 2007 Sep;15(3):336-46 Authors: Sugar TG, He J, Koeneman EJ, Koeneman JB, Herman R, Huang H, Schultz RS, Herring DE, Wanberg J, Balasubramanian S, Swenson P, Ward JA The structural design, control system, and integrated biofeedback for a wearable exoskeletal robot for upper extremity stroke rehabilitation are presented. Assisted with clinical evaluation, designers, engineers, and scientists have built a device for robotic assisted upper extremity repetitive therapy (RUPERT). Intense, repetitive physical rehabilitation has been shown to be beneficial overcoming upper extremity deficits, but the therapy is labor intensive and expensive and difficult to evaluate quantitati... Positive Technology Journal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=908515 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:33:11 +0100 908515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=903368&cid=t_115161_122_f&fid=35069&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcognews.com%2F1190641433 Talks and discussions that took place during Singularity Summit 2007 (Source: CogNews) CogNews blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=903368 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 903368