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Neuralink faced some technical challenges in their latest research. The first human subject to receive a brain-computer interface implant, Nolan Arbo, experienced a malfunction with the device in his brain. Earlier, Arbo had undergone surgery to implant a chip that could recognize brain signals and control a computer cursor. Unfortunately, soon after the surgery, several threads connected to the chip began to detach from the patient’s brain. This reduced the amount of data from his brain and also decreased the speed and accuracy of Nolan’s cursor control.
Despite this, Neuralink’s researchers quickly took action on the issues found. They adjusted algorithms to increase the sensitivity to neuronal signals, and improved the technology for converting signals to cursor movement. With these adjustments, Nolan’s control functions were restored. In addition, researchers believe that one possible cause of the problem could be pneumocephalus that developed inside Arbo’s skull after the surgery, and Neuralink is considering whether to completely remove the device from the patient’s body.
In another scientific achievement related to the human brain, Harvard University scientists, in collaboration with Google’s machine-learning experts, have successfully mapped out a detailed atlas of a 1 cubic millimeter sample of the human temporal lobe cortex. This map shows the interconnectedness of tens of thousands of cells and billions of synapses in the human brain in unprecedented detail. The analyzed sample contains 57,000 cells and 1.5 billion synapses. In addition to cells and synapses, the researchers also recorded 23 centimeters of blood vessels and a staggering 1.4 petabytes of detailed data.
This result is more than just a count of neurons; it shows the ratio between glial cells and neurons, as well as different types of cells and connections. For instance, the study found that oligodendrocytes are the most common type of cells, and excitatory neurons in the deeper layers of the cerebral cortex can be classified based on the orientation of their dendrites. Surprisingly, they even observed some symmetrical neuronal structures, whose shapes and mirrored arrangements are remarkably similar and extend in different directions.
In the complex network of the human brain, the connections between neurons form intricate and variable patterns. Neurons’ axons encircle themselves to form helix structures and establish contacts with other neurons. These neurons can have thousands of connections, yet over 96% of axons form a single synapse with their target cells. About 3% of axons establish two synaptic connections with their target cells. Notably, some axons form up to 50 synapses with neighboring neurons, which are quite rare and multiple connections.
Scientists believe that these dense segments of connections are crucial for the brain’s learning mechanisms. These structures help explain how certain responses and behaviors can occur instantaneously. Further research could provide us with new perspectives on unravelling the mysteries of the human brain.
In the field of climate change, global temperatures have been breaking historical highs for 11 consecutive months. Compared to the period from 1850 to 1900 which is considered the pre-industrial baseline, the global surface temperature anomaly (°C) line chart from January 1940 to April 2024 shows the trend of seasonal temperature changes. The progression from the blues of the 1940s to the brick reds of the 2020s represents the gradual increase in temperature year by year.
According to the data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the global temperature in April this year has set a record high for the month of April in history. It was 0.14 degrees Celsius higher than the highest temperature in the same period of 2016, which also means that it was 1.6 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial average temperature. Climate experts point out that the recent spike in temperatures is partly due to the El Niño phenomenon, a tropical Pacific climate pattern that affects the global temperature and weather conditions. Although temperature changes are related to natural cyclical events such as El Niño, the continuous increase in greenhouse gas concentrations is trapping extra heat in the oceans and atmosphere, thereby continuing to push global temperatures to new records.
Another study related to health indicates that the excessive intake of ultra-processed foods is closely linked to an increased risk of death. These foods usually contain high-energy components, such as sugar, saturated fat, and salt, as well as additives like colorants, emulsifiers, and flavorings, but they often lack vitamins and fiber. An increasing body of research evidence reveals that ultra-processed foods are associated with an increased risk of obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, and colorectal cancer.
Long-term studies exploring the link between ultra-processed foods and specific causes of disease mortality are relatively rare, particularly in relation to cancer. A study published in the British Medical Journal, which lasted for 30 years, showed that a high intake of ultra-processed foods such as ready-to-eat meats, sugary drinks, dairy desserts, and highly processed breakfast products, is clearly linked to an increased risk of death. Therefore, it is very important to limit the intake of ultra-processed foods.
In the field of health and diet research, American scientists have conducted an in-depth analysis of data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The study period covered 74,563 female registered nurses from 1984 to 2018, as well as 39,501 men from 1986 to 2018, who had no history of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, or diabetes at the start of the study. Through tracking studies of the participants’ health and lifestyle reports every two years and detailed food frequency questionnaires every four years, scientists provided a comprehensive assessment of their diet quality.
During an average follow-up period of 34 years, a total of 48,193 death cases were identified. The study found that compared with people who consumed an average of three servings of ultra-processed foods per day, those who consumed up to seven servings per day had a 4% increase in overall mortality rate and a 9% increased risk of death from causes other than cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The study also pointed out that the association between intake of ultra-processed foods and premature death varied by specific types of food, with ready-to-eat meat, poultry, and seafood-based products, followed by sugary drinks, dairy desserts, and ultra-processed breakfast products, having the most significant correlation with increased risk of premature death. As such, the study provides scientific evidence for promoting the restriction of certain types of ultra-processed foods to maintain long-term health.
When discussing the field of contagious disease prevention, especially in relation to Dengue fever—one of the global health challenges, research has turned its focus to the tropical Indian Ocean sea temperature pattern. Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease spread by mosquitoes, and in the past 20 years, with the warming climate, the number of cases has surged tenfold. Given the current lack of a universal vaccine or specific treatment, controlling mosquitoes and transmission sources is the focus of prevention work. Accurate prediction tools are vital for epidemic preparedness and reducing the risk of Dengue fever outbreaks.
A study published in the journal “Science” by the research team from the Global Change and Public Health Research Center at Beijing Normal University states that the Indian Ocean Basin-wide Warming (IOBW) index is key to predicting global Dengue fever epidemics. Scientists have conducted a long-term analysis of the Dengue fever transmission dynamics by establishing a Global Change and Epidemic model (GCE). The results show that incorporating the IOBW index into the prediction model accurately captures the seasonal and interannual dynamics of Dengue fever epidemics. This prediction system helps advance the warning time to 9 months, providing strong scientific support for timely, targeted intervention measures to reduce the risk of an epidemic, and holds great significance for the early warning and prevention work against global Dengue fever.
Ultra-processed foodincreased risk of early deathtropical Indian Oceansea temperature predictiondengue feverepidemic
