Lifeboat Foundation

No matter how cheap or fast paid internet service gets, the Internet of Things (IOT) won’t take wings until we have ubiquitous access to a completely decentralized, open-standard network that does not require a provider subscription. This month, we may be a step closer.

Let’s talk about internet connected gadgets. Not just your phone or PC—and not even a microwave oven or light bulb. Instead, think of everyday objects that are much smaller and much less expensive. Think of things that seemingly have no need to talk with you.

Now think of applications in which these tiny things need to communicate with each other and not just with you. Think of the cost of this “thing” compared to the added cost of continuous communications. Do so many things really need to talk in the first place?

First, there were Trackers…

Continue reading “IOT needs decentralized, long-range connectivity. It’s finally coming” »

An innovation may lead to lifelike evolving machines.

Published today in Science, the research team from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute), the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and CSL Limited say this breakthrough of discovering how gamma-delta T cells become activated addresses a question that has baffled scientists for 25 years.

The study by University of Melbourne’s Marc Rigau, Ph.D. student at the Doherty Institute, was co-led by Dr. Adam Uldrich, a Senior Research Fellow at the Doherty Institute, Professor Dale Godfrey a laboratory head at the Doherty Institute, and Dr. Andreas Behren, a Laboratory Head from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute.

Dr. Uldrich explained that gamma-delta T cells are known to respond to the presence of small molecules, known as phosphoantigens, that are produced by bacteria and cancer cells.

The year of treating the untreatable: 2019 breakthroughs that could transform medicine.

Preliminary data from an innovative clinical trial suggests CRISPR could be safe for use in cancer therapy.

Breakthrough research shows that type 2 diabetes occurs when fat from the liver overspills into the pancreas and confirms that weight loss can reverse it.

Thoughts on this. True or BS.

DCA Dichloroacetate Breakthrough Anticancer Agent

Mary, an old patient in my office, called in last week to ask for advice about her husband, Jim. He had been quite healthy for many years, and recently noticed back pain. His primary care doctor ordered a CAT scan which showed a large lung mass (Red Arrow Above image) and destructive lesions in the spine. Biopsies confirmed the lung mass was indeed cancer, with metastatic spread to the thoracic vertebral bodies. Jim was referred to the local oncologist who started radiation and chemotherapy. Above Header Image CAT scan of lung cancer mass (Red Arrow) in left lung courtesy of wikimedia commons…

Continue reading “DCA Dichloroacetate Breakthrough Anticancer Agent” »

Physics has thrived over the last 10 years through some remarkable breakthroughs — and more excitement lies in store as a new decade dawns.

Professor Varda Shoshan-Barmatz of the Department of Life Sciences and the founding Director of the NIBN, in collaboration with Dr. Jay Chung of the NIH, have successfully demonstrated that the mitochondrial protein VDAC1 is critical for the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) associated with the lupus disease.

They demonstrated that restricting of VDAC1 with a newly developed molecule resulted in substantial improvement in pathological aspects of the disease.

“When VDAC1 is over-expressed, as found in several diseases, a large pore composed of several VDAC1 units is formed, allowing the release of pro-cell death factors and mtDNA,” BGU explained in a statement.