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Financial Analysis: Stryker Corporation (NYSE:SYK) vs. Uroplasty (UPI) - The Cerbat Gem
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) are using the novel approach of combining functional MRI (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) to determine the level of consciousness in intensive care unit patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a study published online in Brain (Brain doi: 10.1093/brain/awx176).
The strategy reportedly is the first attempt to use the two modalities collaboratively on acutely ill patients whose clinicians face critical decisions of how or whether to proceed with life-sustaining treatment.
"Early detection of consciousness and brain function in the intensive care unit [ICU] could allow families to make more informed decisions about the care of loved ones," said co-lead author Brian Edlow, from MGH's Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, in a release from the university. "Also, since early recovery of consciousness is associated with better long-term outcomes, these tests could help patients gain access to rehabilitative care once they are discharged from an ICU."
Previous research has suggested that as many as 40% of conscious patients are misclassified as unconscious. While fMRI or EEG can detect cases of more obvious consciousness among patients who have progressed to rehabilitation or nursing care facilities, no study has been conducted on seriously injured ICU patients.
The researchers enrolled 16 patients with severe traumatic brain injury at MGH's ICU. At the start of the study, eight patients could respond to language, three were classified as minimally conscious with no language response, three were classified as vegetative, and two were in a coma. The study also included 16 healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers who served as a control group.
Functional MRI scans were performed as soon as the subjects were stable enough for the procedure. When possible, EEG readings were taken within 24 hours after the fMRI scan.
The researchers also set up scenarios to test the subjects' abilities. For example, the subjects were asked to imagine squeezing and releasing their right hand while in the MRI scanner and while EEG readings were taken. This test is designed to detect a mismatch between their ability to imagine performing a task and their ability to physically express themselves, known as cognitive motor dissociation.
Through the exercise, the researchers detected evidence of covert consciousness in four (50%) of the eight patients who were unable to respond to language in the bedside exams, including the three classified as vegetative. Interestingly, approximately 25% of the healthy controls had no detectable brain response in the hand-squeeze imagery test.
The subjects were also exposed to brief recordings of spoken language and music during both fMRI and EEG to detect activity in certain regions of the brain. In this test, higher-order cortex activity was seen in two additional subjects.
While higher-order cortical activity doesn't prove that a patient is conscious, finding a response in those structures could have implications for a patient's eventual recovery, Edlow said.
In fact, no associations were found between early brain responses and long-term outcomes. The researchers suggested this could be due to the study's small cohort or the fact that several patients were sedated during the fMRI and EEG tests.
A negative response is not necessarily an indication that a patient has a low likelihood of recovery, Edlow added. In fact, one comatose patient who had no responses to language, music or motor imagery in early fMRI and EEG tests proceeded to an excellent recovery six months later.
It's "difficult to measure the false-positive rate for stimulus-based fMRI and EEG tests in these patients, since there is no definitive, gold-standard test to diagnose their level of consciousness," he said. "Much more work needs to be done to determine the utility of these techniques for detecting consciousness in patients with severe traumatic brain injuries."
Indeed, the researchers plan to continue their work to improve the accuracy of these tests with a larger follow-up study in the near future.
This article was originally published on AuntMinnie.com. 2017 by AuntMinnie.com. Any copying, republication or redistribution of AuntMinnie.com content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AuntMinnie.com.
MPI helps diagnose traumatic brain injury fMRI algorithm maps brain function CBCT made for point-of-care brain imaging Trimodal brain scans with MRI/PET/EEG
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fMRI, EEG may detect consciousness in TBI patients - Medical Physics Web (subscription)
Washington University awarded $2.6 million for neurotechnology research St. Louis Business Journal Washington University plans to create a hub to study neurotechnology with funds from a $2.6 million award from the National Science Foundation. Subscribe to get the full story. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Subscribe to get the full story. Already a ... |
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Washington University awarded $2.6 million for neurotechnology research - St. Louis Business Journal
08Aug2017
Neurotechnology hubs at Cornell, Columbia, Stanford, Brown and other universities funded via latest BRAIN scheme.
The US National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding 17 next-generation networks in the area of neuroscience under the latest phase of the Brain Research through Advancing Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative several of which are based around photonics technology.
Known as NeuroNex awards, the scheme has selected eleven hubs for neurotechnology development, each of which is set to receive up to $2million per year, for up to five years. Two of the hubs are focused on theoretical and computational work, with the other nine working to develop existing techniques to map and measure brain function.
NSF is also awarding six teams smaller NeuroNex Innovation funding to develop what are described as potentially revolutionary, early-stage tools that can be integrated with other NeuroNex projects.
Among the principal investigators leading the hub developments are Karl Deisseroth at Stanford, Cornells Chris Xu, and Christopher Moore at Brown. Of the six innovation projects, one involves the development of chemical and genetic methods to measure and manipulate neurons with light, and is led by Evan Miller at the University of California, Berkeley.
Multi-disciplinary efforts Deisseroth is one of the best-known names in the optogenetics scene, and his Stanford team will collaborate with researchers at Californias Salk Institute on an estimated two-year effort to better understand how the individual components that make up the nervous system operate during behavior, and even how they cause behaviour.
The project abstract states: The team will merge principles from genetics, physics, optics, engineering, and biology, to build and disseminate methodology, instrumentation, and analytics that enable targeting and control of individual kinds of brain cells, and the technology developed will be taught via hands-on training available to the scientific community.
Xus team at Cornell is aiming to push optical imaging so that it is able to monitor neuron function with high spatial and temporal resolution.
The newly developed optical imaging technologies will be employed in behaving animal models across multiple species in different phyla, including mammals, teleost fish, flies, and birds, and will be demonstrated by attacking important neuroscience questions in fruit fly, zebrafish, and mice, states their project abstract.
The work includes setting up the new Laboratory for Innovative Neurotechnology at Cornell (LINC), which is intended to close the loop between technological development and biological implementation.
Multiphoton approach Another of the projects will look to exploit the neuroimaging potential of multiphoton optics. Spencer Smith and colleagues from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill intend to push multiphoton neuroimaging into the next frontier.
That will include working on two specific technologies: miniaturized photonic systems for multiphoton neuroimaging; and super-resolution imaging to image sub-micron structures.
Among the expected outputs are new instrumentation for large-field-of-view two-photon and three-photon imaging, scalable temporal multiplexing, and integrated behavior. The focus will be on calcium and glutamate imaging, in cell bodies and processes, and other fluorescent indicators can be employed, states the Chapel Hill team. The workshops will cover optical design, fabrication, assembly, and use, for an audience of neuroscientists and engineers.
One key element of the project is to develop high-peak-power ultrafast lasers with transform-limited pulses, and another will involve advancing super-resolution multiphoton imaging using spatial frequency modulation, adaptive optics, and novel pulse conditioning.
The three-year, multi-disciplinary innovation project at Berkeley will aim to measure neuronal activity in a non-invasive, high-throughput, high-fidelity manner across multiple length scales, at high speed, and in multiple species with molecular precision.
The team will optically read-out neuronal activity by directly imaging changes in membrane voltage with bright, sensitive, chemically-synthesized voltage-sensitive fluorophores, states the team. The voltage-sensitive fluorophore make use of photo-induced electron transfer (PeT) as a voltage-sensing trigger to provide fast, sensitive, non-disruptive optical recordings in neurons.
For the complete list of the latest BRAIN-funded projects, see the NSF announcement here.
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NSF backs photonics-enabled neuroscience networks - Optics.org
The grant will establish the Cornell Neurotechnology NeuroNex Hub, which will focus on researching, developing and disseminating new optical imaging tools for noninvasive recording of neural activity in animals. It will also establish the Laboratory for Innovative Neurotechnology at Cornell, where engineers and biologists will collaborate on developing and testing the tools.
The hub aims to overcome three barriers faced by neuroscientists:
Deep imaging of intact brains Multiphoton microscopy, invented at Cornell, has allowed neuroscientists to record the activities of individual neurons up to approximately 1 millimeter deep into a mouse brain. However, the mouse brain is about 8 millimeters thick, and even thicker in larger animals. The hub will optimize a recently developed three-photon microscope and focus on making the tool widely available.
Imaging of large and multiple neural regions The best whole nervous system images have come from laval zebrafish, but existing imaging tools cannot holistically view larger brains, even at the scale of an adult zebrafish. Using a combination of two- and three-photon microscopy, the hub will develop a new tool to simultaneously observe neurons in different regions of the mouse brain and the spinal cord.
Faster imaging for volumetric recording To record large numbers of neurons, high-speed imaging will be achieved through the development of an adaptive illumination microscope in which the sample becomes an integral part of the imaging system. By leveraging prior knowledge of the sample, optimum laser exposure will be used to record the activities from a large number of neurons.
Within five years, the hub aims to integrate the three tools to demonstrate the deepest, high-resolution, large-scale neural activity recording ever achieved.
"It is well recognized that neurotechnology development is essential to push the envelope of neuroscience. At the Cornell NeuroNex Hub, we will create, optimize and then disseminate the new tools that will enable biologists to attack some of the impossible problems in neuroscience," said Chris Xu, professor of applied and engineering physics, and principal investigator for the hub.
Using the technology, biologists hope to explore unanswered questions, such as how animals consciously switch from autonomous locomotion to deliberate limb placement.
"Behaviors emerge from interactions of neurons widely distributed in brains, but we do not yet have the tools we need to simultaneously monitor single-cell activity widely in the brains of diverse species," said Joseph Fetcho, professor of neurobiology and behavior, and a senior investigator for the hub.
The hub is part of the larger Cornell Neurotech program launched with a multimillion-dollar gift from the Mong Family Foundation in 2015 with the same goal of encouraging cross-disciplinary research to develop new tools for neuroscience. The hub will also educate the next generation of scientists by involving graduate and undergraduate students who will learn to collaborate across such disciplines as biology, computer science, engineering, medicine and physics.
"In many ways, Cornell Neurotech has been growing at a rate faster than we could have anticipated," said Gretchen Ritter '83, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences. "This trajectory is prompted both by the leading-edge imaging work of its researchers, as well as the attention that Cornell's investment in neurotechnology has been generating more broadly."
Added Lance Collins, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering: "It's been exciting to see this Neurotech initiative blossom here at Cornell, which really is an ideal place to make great discoveries in neurotechnology and neuroscience. We not only have the collaborative environment, but we have a proud history of pioneering new technologies."
A large number of academic and industry partners across the nation have already signed on to participate in the hub, which will be led by Xu, Fetcho, Chris Schaffer, associate professor of biomedical engineering, Nilay Yapici, assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior, and Mert Sabuncu, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and of biomedical engineering.
v13i30
Excerpt from:
News Release 17-069
NeuroNex projects will develop new tools, partnerships to understand the brain
August 1, 2017
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has made 17 Next Generation Networks for Neuroscience (NeuroNex) awards to aid the research community as it pursues one of its grandest challenges: understanding the brain.
These projects will support the development of innovative, accessible and shared capabilities and resources, as well as theoretical frameworks and computational modeling to advance neuroscience research.
NSF's NeuroNex awards will bring together researchers across disciplines with new technologies and approaches, yielding novel ways to tackle the mysteries of the brain. Befitting its multidisciplinary approach to research, the NeuroNex program involves participation from multiple NSF directorates. The overall goal of this activity is to establish a coherent national infrastructure to enhance our understanding of brain function across organizational levels and a diversity of species.
"Through the development of advanced instrumentation to observe and model the brain, we're closer to our goal of building a more complete knowledge base about how neural activity produces behavior," said Jim Olds, NSF assistant director for Biological Sciences. "NeuroNex seeks to take that progress forward, by creating an ecosystem of new tools, resources, and theories. Most importantly, NeuroNex aims to ensure their broad dissemination to the neuroscience community. With these awards, NSF is building a foundation for the next generation of research into the brain."
NeuroNex is one element of Understanding the Brain, NSF's multi-year effort to enable a scientific understanding of the full complexity of the brain. Through Understanding the Brain, NSF participates in the national Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, an alliance of federal agencies and other partners seeking to enhance our understanding of the brain.
Nine of the new awards are for NeuroNex Neurotechnology Hubs, which will focus on the development, refinement and dissemination of innovative neurotechnologies. These hubs will provide:
Two of the awards are for NeuroNex Theory Teams, which will advance theoretical and computational frameworks for understanding the brain. Both of the awarded teams will focus on developing novel conceptual tools to decipher how the structure and dynamics of neurons give rise to behavior. The teams will work in concert with the Neurotechnology Hubs. Each of these eleven awards is for up to $2 million per year, for up to five years.
In addition, NSF issued six smaller NeuroNex Innovation awards, focused on developing potentially revolutionary, early-stage tools that can be integrated with other NeuroNex projects. All NeuroNex awards will also support workforce training opportunities. The complementary nature of the technologies and the mutual synergies between the technologies and the theories hold the promise of ushering in new ways of conducting neuroscience research.
The award titles, principal investigators and sponsor institutions are listed below.
NeuroNex Neurotechnology Hub awards:
NeuroNex Theory Teams awards:
NeuroNex Innovation awards:
-NSF-
Media Contacts Sarah Bates, NSF, (703) 292-7738, sabates@nsf.gov Rob Margetta, NSF, (703) 292-2663, rmargett@nsf.gov
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, its budget is $7.5 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards.
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Useful NSF Web Sites: NSF Home Page: https://www.nsf.gov NSF News: https://www.nsf.gov/news/ For the News Media: https://www.nsf.gov/news/newsroom.jsp Science and Engineering Statistics: https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ Awards Searches: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
Blood cell reconstructions from University of Texas at Austin researcher Kristen M. Harris. Credit and Larger Version
Cornell University's Chris Xu studies how brains produce behavior in a range of species. Credit and Larger Version
Image from the lab of Spencer Smith, who will study next-generation multiphoton neuroimaging. Credit and Larger Version
Karl Deisseroth, professor of bioengineering, in his lab at Stanford University. Credit and Larger Version
An abstract 3-D model of connected neurons, sculpted by neuroscientist Xaq Pitkow. Credit and Larger Version
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ITHACA, N.Y. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Cornell University a five-year, $9 million grant for a neurotech-research hub at the school.
Cornell plans to develop new tools which researchers will use to provide them with an unprecedented glimpse into the inner workings of thebrain, the university said in a news release.
The school will use the grant funding to establish the Cornell Neurotechnology NeuroNex Hub.
Itll focus on researching, developing and disseminating new optical-imaging tools for noninvasive recording of neural activity in animals.
It will also establish the laboratory for innovative neurotechnology at Cornell, where engineers and biologists will collaborate on developing and testing the tools.
Hub objective
The hub aims to overcome three barriers that neuroscientists face, including deep imaging of intact brains.
Multiphoton microscopy, which was invented at Cornell, has allowed neuroscientists to record the activities of individual neurons up to approximately 1 millimeter deep into a mouse brain.
However, the mouse brain is about 8 millimeters thick, and even thicker in larger animals, Cornell said. The hub will optimize a recently developed three-photon microscope and focus on making the tool widely available.
In addition, the imaging of large and multiple neural regions is also seen as a barrier, according to the Cornell release.
The best whole nervous-system images have come from laval zebrafish, but existing imaging tools cannot holistically view larger brains, even at the scale of an adult zebrafish.
Using a combination of two- and three-photon microscopy, the hub will develop a new tool to simultaneously observe neurons in different regions of the mouse brain and the spinal cord.
The third barrier is faster imaging for volumetric recording.
To record large numbers of neurons, neurologists work to obtain high-speed imaging through the development of an adaptive-illumination microscope in which the sample becomes an integral part of the imaging system.
By leveraging prior knowledge of the sample, researchers will use optimum laser exposure to record the activities from a large number of neurons.
Within five years, the hub aims to integrate the three tools to demonstrate the deepest, high-resolution, large-scale neural activity recording ever achieved.
It is well recognized that neurotechnology development is essential to push the envelope of neuroscience. At the Cornell NeuroNex Hub, we will create, optimize and then disseminate the new tools that will enable biologists to attack some of the impossible problems in neuroscience, Chris Xu, professor of applied and engineering physics, and principal investigator for the hub, said in the Cornell release.
Using the technology, biologists hope to explore unanswered questions, such as how animals consciously switch from autonomous locomotion to deliberate limb placement.
The hub is part of the larger Cornell Neurotech program launched with a multimillion-dollar gift from the Mong Family Foundation in 2015 with the same goal of encouraging cross-disciplinary research to develop new tools for neuroscience.
The hub will also educate the next generation of scientists by involving graduate and undergraduate students who will learn to collaborate across such disciplines as biology, computer science, engineering, medicine, and physics.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
See the article here:
NSF awards Cornell $9M grant for neurotech research hub - The Central New York Business Journal
YOUR LOCAL NEWS IS MADE POSSIBLE BY SUPPORT FROM This story was written by Syl Kacapyr and originally published in the Cornell Chronicle. It was NOT written by The Ithaca Voice.
ITHACA, N.Y. As neuroscientists examine challenging questions about the complexities of the central nervous system, new tools to be developed at Cornell will provide them with an unprecedented glimpse into the inner workings of the brain thanks to a five-year, $9 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
The grant will establish the Cornell Neurotechnology NeuroNex Hub, which will focus on researching, developing and disseminating new optical imaging tools for noninvasive recording of neural activity in animals. It will also establish the Laboratory for Innovative Neurotechnology at Cornell, where engineers and biologists will collaborate on developing and testing the tools.
The hub aims to overcome three barriers faced by neuroscientists:
Deep imaging of intact brains Multiphoton microscopy, invented at Cornell, has allowed neuroscientists to record the activities of individual neurons up to approximately 1 millimeter deep into a mouse brain. However, the mouse brain is about 8 millimeters thick, and even thicker in larger animals. The hub will optimize a recently developed three-photon microscope and focus on making the tool widely available.
Imaging of large and multiple neural regions The best whole nervous system images have come from laval zebrafish, but existing imaging tools cannot holistically view larger brains, even at the scale of an adult zebrafish. Using a combination of two- and three-photon microscopy, the hub will develop a new tool to simultaneously observe neurons in different regions of the mouse brain and the spinal cord.
Faster imaging for volumetric recording To record large numbers of neurons, high-speed imaging will be achieved through the development of an adaptive illumination microscope in which the sample becomes an integral part of the imaging system. By leveraging prior knowledge of the sample, optimum laser exposure will be used to record the activities from a large number of neurons.
Within five years, the hub aims to integrate the three tools to demonstrate the deepest, high-resolution, large-scale neural activity recording ever achieved.
It is well recognized that neurotechnology development is essential to push the envelope of neuroscience. At the Cornell NeuroNex Hub, we will create, optimize and then disseminate the new tools that will enable biologists to attack some of the impossible problems in neuroscience, said Chris Xu, professor of applied and engineering physics, and principal investigator for the hub.
Using the technology, biologists hope to explore unanswered questions, such as how animals consciously switch from autonomous locomotion to deliberate limb placement.
Behaviors emerge from interactions of neurons widely distributed in brains, but we do not yet have the tools we need to simultaneously monitor single-cell activity widely in the brains of diverse species, said Joseph Fetcho, professor of neurobiology and behavior, and a senior investigator for the hub.
The hub is part of the largerCornell Neurotech program launchedwith a multimillion-dollar gift from the Mong Family Foundation in 2015 with the same goal of encouraging cross-disciplinary research to develop new tools for neuroscience. The hub will also educate the next generation of scientists by involving graduate and undergraduate students who will learn to collaborate across such disciplines as biology, computer science, engineering, medicine and physics.
In many ways, Cornell Neurotech has been growing at a rate faster than we could have anticipated, said Gretchen Ritter 83, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences. This trajectory is prompted both by the leading-edge imaging work of its researchers, as well as the attention that Cornells investment in neurotechnology has been generating more broadly.
Added Lance Collins, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering: Its been exciting to see this Neurotech initiative blossom here at Cornell, which really is an ideal place to make great discoveries in neurotechnology and neuroscience. We not only have the collaborative environment, but we have a proud history of pioneering new technologies.
A large number of academic and industry partners across the nation have already signed on to participate in the hub, which will be led by Xu, Fetcho, Chris Schaffer, associate professor of biomedical engineering, Nilay Yapici, assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior, and Mert Sabuncu, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and of biomedical engineering.
Featured image:Principal investigators for the Cornell Neurotechnology NeuroNex Hub.Courtesy of Dave Burbank/Cornell University.
Original post:
National Science Foundation $9M grant will fund neurotech research hub at Cornell - The Ithaca Voice
Looking beyond the mouse, fruit fly and roundworm for the neural underpinnings of behavior
Sophisticated techniques for testing hypotheses about the brain by activating and silencing genes are currently available for only a handful of model organisms. Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are working on a simple toolkit that will allow scientists who study animal behavior to manipulate the genomes of many other animals, including the honeybees graduate student Cassondra Vernier is collecting for research. (Photo: Katelyn Marcus.)
On Aug. 1, the National Science Foundation announced 17 Next Generation Networks for Neuroscience (NeuroNex) awards for projects that will yield innovative ways to tackle the mysteries of the brain.
A team from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was awarded $2.6 million to develop a simplified genetic toolkit that will allow scientists who study animal behavior to test hypotheses about its neural underpinnings. The Washington University award is intended to establish a NeuroNex Technology Hub that will develop and disseminate innovative neurotechnology.
Yehuda Ben-Shahar, the projects principal investigator and associate professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, said much of what we know about the connections between behavior and the brain is derived from work with just four species: the fruit fly, mouse, roundworm and zebrafish.
As science has progressed, hard core neuroscience and ethology (the study of animal behavior) have drifted apart. Fewer scientists trained as ethologists would consider testing a hypothesis or model by genetic manipulation, Ben-Shahar said, because theyre not trained in the techniques, and there are all sorts of real and imaginary barriers to adopting them.
So the goal of his team is to devise a simple approach that can be used to produce animal lines that would readily accept transgenes (foreign genes) and to teach organismal biologists how to use it.
In proof-of-principle demonstrations, his team will insert a gene into the olfactory neurons of locusts and honey bees that will allow researchers to watch the response to odors. Although they are starting with insects, the ultimate goal, Ben-Shahar said, is a flexible set of tools that scientists can easily tailor for any purpose and any animal.
Working with Ben-Shahar will be Barani Raman, associate professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University; Gene Robinson, director of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Ian Duncan, professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University.
Raman maintains a breeding facility for the locust Schistocerca americana and Robinson for the honeybee Apis mellifera. Duncan studies the gene expression in fruit flies as they develop from larva to pupa to fly.
A sampling problem
Ben-Shahar has nothing against model organisms. In fact, his desk is covered with small flasks of fruit flies stoppered with cotton balls. Some were different species of Drosophila, he said. Others were various transgenic animals for one of my side projects. I like to keep them on my desk so I dont forget to take care of them.
Still, he points out that the number of species we study with modern neuroscience tools has been steadily shrinking. Many breakthroughs in the neurosciences were made with species that are now rare in the lab. For example, the action potential, or nerve impulse, was originally characterized in the squid, which happened to have a giant axon, or nerve projection, so that it could contract the muscles needed to jet away from danger as quickly as possible. Yet, squids are rarely used in neuroscience research nowadays.
Gradually, the animals used for basic neuroscience have been reduced to a few whose genomes have been completely sequenced. The tools for neural imaging and optogenetics (the manipulation of genes with light) exist primarily for these chosen few, so the gap between canonical model organisms and species not considered genetically tractable is rapidly widening.
Given the accidental way model organisms were chosen, it is highly unlikely that they are the best or the only model organisms we will need to understand the brain. The brain is a noisy organ, Ben-Shahar said. Sometimes theres no easy way to start understanding how something works in a human or a mouse, but you might be able to make a start on a nervous system that is a bit simpler, simple enough that you can see a signal in the noise.
Insert cassette, press play
So how does the team propose to turn neurogenetics into a turnkey operation? To create transgenic animals, they need to be able to control the location where the foreign gene is inserted and the efficiency with which the swap is made. The scientists propose to achieve both goals with the help of a two-step process.
The first step relies on the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to substitute DNA landing sites for a foreign gene (a transgene) for a gene called white that is found in similar or identical form in most insects.
When there is a mutation in white, insects eyes, which are typically bright red, turn white. White was one of the first genes identified in T.H. Morgans fly room at Columbia University because the white-eyed flies were so easy to spot among their red-eyed siblings.
CRISPR/Cas9 is a homing device (the CRISPR part) that guides molecular scissors (the Cas9 enzyme). The scientists plan to use CRISPR/Cas9 to cut a section out of white that is then replaced with a foreign piece of DNA that codes for red fluorescent protein and for landing sites for the enzyme used in the next step.
This first step produces stable insect lines prepped for the insertion of any additional pieces of foreign DNA and which can be easily identified by their white eyes or, under the right light, glowing red eyes.
In the second step, the transgene of a scientists choosing will be inserted into the landing site by a second, highly efficient reaction that replaces the red fluorescent protein. If the integration is successful, the insects eyes will remain white, but the fluorescent proteins will be lost and the eyes will no longer glow.
The reason for the two step process, Ben-Shahar explains, is that CRISPR/Cas9, while precise, is not efficient, meaning that most of the time the effort to insert the DNA cassette in the white gene will fail. But the second step makes use of an enzyme that is highly specific, fast and efficient.
Thats the trick, Ben-Shahar said. We take a first step that is low efficiency and we generate a line that can be used to construct many different transgenic animals with very high efficiency.
Taking it for a spin
The scientists will beta test their toolkit by generating honey bee and locust lines that express a reporter for neural activity in olfactory (smell) neurons.
This reporter, called GCaMP, is a genetically encoded protein, which acts as a fluorescent indicator for levels of calcium ions in neurons. The more active a neuron, the higher its calcium levels, so bright fluorescent GCaMP signals indicate nerves are firing.
The Raman lab has been studying the olfactory system of the locust for a long time, Ben-Shahar said, but theyve been using the traditional method of recording neuronal activity by directly measuring the electrical activity of neurons. That gives you very high temporal resolution, he said, but you can only record activity in a few neurons.
What were going to try to do is to generate grasshoppers with calcium reporters in larger populations of neurons tens to hundreds of neurons. The idea is to do the same experiments theyve done already to see if the activity in whole regions of the brain or subpopulations of neurons differs from the electrophysiological data they have on individual neurons.
Well try something very similar with the honeybee, he said, again inserting a calcium reporter in areas of the brain thought to be important for olfaction. One interesting question we could address is how olfaction changes as bees age into different roles in the hive.
As workers get older, he explains, their roles change from nursing and cleaning the hive to guarding and foraging. Nurse bees are attentive to olfactory cues released by the larvae to which foragers pay no attention, he said. How does that work? The foragers used to be nurses, after all. What changes in a bees sensory system when it suddenly commits to a different task?
There are many models for how this might work, Ben-Shahar said, but now we can generate tools that will allow us to directly test experimental predictions from these models and either prove or disprove them.
We didnt invent anything here, he said. Were really just taking bits and pieces that people have used in different contexts and putting them together in a user-friendly system. The innovative aspect of this is making these tools accessible to a whole community that wasnt able to take advantage of them before.
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What We Should Know about Stryker's 2Q17 Earnings PART 1 OF 3
On July 27, 2017, Stryker (SYK) released its 2Q17 earnings. The company reported strong earnings and exceeded analysts expectations. However, on the day of the release, Stryker stock fell approximately 1.3% from the closing price of $145.70 on July 26, 2017. Notably, Stryker also raised its 2017 guidance during the 2Q17 earnings announcement.
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In 2Q17, Stryker earned revenue of ~$3.0 billion. It registered strong growth of ~6.1% on a YoY (year-over-year) basis and exceeded analysts estimates of $2.98 billion in revenues.
The currency-neutral sales growth for the quarter came in at 6.9% on a YoY basis. The growth included a 0.20% acquisitions contribution and a negative pricing impact of around 1.5%. The companys organic revenue growth was thus around 6.7%. Strykers sales growth was driven by strong results across all three of its business segments: Orthopaedics, MedSurg, and Neurotechnology and Spine. The company continued to witness strong results in Canada and Europe led by its Transatlantic Operating Model (or TOM). For brief details on TOM, read How Stryker Plans to Capture the International Markets.
Organic sales growth of 6.7% for Strykers MedSurg segment was driven by strong instrument sales in the United States. Its Orthopaedics segment witnessed strong sales growth of 6.2%. Orthopaedics sales were driven by strong knee sales as well as strong trauma and extremities sales, led by the strong demand for Strykers 3D-printed products, including its Triathlon Knee and foot and ankle portfolio. Neurotechnology and Spine sales registered an organic growth of around 7.9%, which was mainly led by strong momentum across the companys neurotechnology portfolio. Spine sales continued to be impacted by supply issues in the United States
Sales in the United States rose approximately 7.2%, and international sales rose approximately5.5%. International sales witnessed strong contributions from Europe and Australia, while emerging markets continued to recover.
Strykers peers Zimmer Biomet Holdings (ZBH), Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO), and Abbott Laboratories (ABT) earned revenues of about $1.9 billion, $5.0 billion, and $6.6 billion, respectively, for their recently ended quarters. For exposure to Strykers growth potential, you can invest in theiShares Core S&P 500 (IVV), which holds approximately 0.21% of its total holdings in SYK.
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Stryker Exceeded Analysts' Sales Estimates in 2Q17 - Market Realist
WHEN we think of working out at the gym, we dont normally think of working out our brains.
But thats just what Kyabram Community and Learning Centre (KCLC) are passionate about.
Described as a brain gym and fitness program, NeurOptimal is a brain-training neurotechnology currently on offer at KCLC.
So what does that mean?
Essentially, the program reorganises your brain, enabling it to function at its best.
It helps you think more clearly, boosts quality of sleep and improves thought processes, KCLC chief executive Jen Savage said.
Weve had people report that they feel calmer, less worried and more focused and positive.
Were the only centre we know of offering NeurOptimal in the region.
For those hesitant to try out the new technology, Ms Savage encourages them to give it a crack.
You dont know if you dont try, she said.
Sessions are $35 each or $25 concession.
For more information, call KCLC on 5852 0000.
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A day in the life of Elon Musk isn't easy at all. The man is an active board member of electric car automakerTesla,aerospace manufacturing corporation SpaceX, neurotechnology company Neuralink, tunnellingcompany called the Boring company and also a key member in Non-Profit artificial intelligence startup OpenAI.
Elon Musk
Juggling so many companies at the same time can become a Herculean task.
Even though Musk is now valued at around $16 billion, his path has been one of extreme ups and downs. Responding to some questions about his life on Twitter, the Telsa Founder responded with frankness that we have not seen when it comes to other heavy weights from the technology community.
In a series of tweets Musk described why not many would want to trade places with him. Musk tweeted that his life has had its fare share of 'great highs, terrible lows and unrelenting stress'. On being asked about the latter two, Musk explained that"take the pain and make sure you really care about what you're doing", which by his own admission is not that easy to do.
Musk even claimed that he was bipolar while reply to a tweet. However, he clarified in the next tweet that his condition cannot be medically termed as bipolar. He added that "Bad feelings correlate to bad events, so maybe real problem is getting carried away in what I sign up for". Finally, Musk said thattaking on so many stress-inducing responsibilities is his own fault.
These tweets come right after the official launch of Tesla's most affordable car the Model 3. Musk spoke about how the following months are going to be hell after possible manufacturing problems.
Originally posted here:
Elon Musk opens up about the highs and lows of his life on Twitter - Firstpost
Kevin co-founded the NIT with Dr. Rezai, after a distinguished career spanning over 20 years in venture capital and operating roles specializing in building medical device companies from concept to commercialization.Kevin brings an experienced and practiced hand to NIT, with roles spanning investment and board leadership, executive leadership, engineering, business development, and marketing.Prior to founding NIT, Kevin founded MentorCatalyst to pursue his passion for MedTech company-building and for working intimately with entrepreneurs with a craftsman-styled approach to working with startup MedTech teams, deeply engaging on a select few startup medical device companies, providing comprehensive leadership and guidance. Prior to NIT and MentorCatalyst, Kevin spent eleven years as a Managing Director at Versant Ventures where he focused on investing in and building early stage medical device companies, and participated in the Firms investments in over 100 healthcare companies across 3 different investment funds, with investment allocations of over $1.1 B in capital.Kevin currently serves, or has served, in board or advisory roles with companies which include Acclarent (acquired: Johnson & Johnson), Autonomic Technologies, Cereve, Eargo, LipoSonix (acquired: Medicis), Lutonix (acquired: Bard), Microfabrica, Neoguide Systems (acquired: Intuitive Surgical), Oculeve (acquired: Allergan), Respicardia, Rox Medical, Second Sight Medical (NASDAQ: EYES), St. Francis Medical (acquired: Kyphon), and The Innovation Factory.
Kevin previously held numerous operating leadership roles, including marketing and business development at Guidant Corporation, business development at Heartstream, and engineering development and management at Hughes Aircraft Company. Kevin holds both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in product design, as well as an MBA, all from Stanford University.
Continued here:
Mashable | Elon Musk speaks of being 'bipolar' on Twitter Mashable As the CEO of automaker Tesla and private space transport company SpaceX, founder of neurotechnology company Neuralink and tunneling company Boring Company, and a key figure in AI non-profit OpenAI, Musk is obviously extremely busy. He's also a ... |
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Stryker Corporation (NYSE: SYK) and Uroplasty (NYSE:UPI) are both medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitabiliy and risk.
Profitability
This table compares Stryker Corporation and Uroplastys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
74.3% of Stryker Corporation shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.4% of Stryker Corporation shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Stryker Corporation and Uroplasty, as provided by MarketBeat.
Stryker Corporation presently has a consensus price target of $142.79, indicating a potential downside of 3.39%. Given Stryker Corporations higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Stryker Corporation is more favorable than Uroplasty.
Dividends
Stryker Corporation pays an annual dividend of $1.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Uroplasty does not pay a dividend. Stryker Corporation pays out 37.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Stryker Corporation has raised its dividend for 6 consecutive years.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Stryker Corporation and Uroplastys gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
Stryker Corporation has higher revenue and earnings than Uroplasty.
Summary
Stryker Corporation beats Uroplasty on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.
Stryker Corporation Company Profile
Stryker Corporation is a medical technology company. The Company offers a range of medical technologies, including orthopedic, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine products. The Companys segments include Orthopaedics; MedSurg; Neurotechnology and Spine, and Corporate and Other. The Orthopaedics segment includes reconstructive (hip and knee) and trauma implant systems and other related products. The MedSurg segment includes surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems; endoscopic and communications systems; patient handling, emergency medical equipment, intensive care disposable products; reprocessed and remanufactured medical devices, and other related products. The Neurotechnology and Spine segment includes neurovascular products, spinal implant systems and other related products. The Companys products include implants, which are used in joint replacement and trauma surgeries, and other products that are used in a range of medical specialties.
Uroplasty Company Profile
Cogentix Medical, Inc. (Cogentix Medical) is a medical device company. The Company is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of products for endoscopy with its product lines featuring a visualization system and sterile disposable microbial barrier, known as EndoSheath technology, providing users with endoscope turnover. The Companys products include Urgent PC Neuromodulation System, Macroplastique Bulking Agent, Endoscopy Systems and EndoSheath Technology. The Company is also engaged in the commercialization of the Urgent PC Neuromodulation System, a device which delivers percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) for the office-based treatment of overactive bladder (OAB). Its Macroplastique is an injectable soft-tissue bulking agent used to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI) due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD). The Company offers 5000 and 7000 series of endoscopes, which are video endoscopy systems.
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Stryker Corporation (NYSE:SYK) and Uroplasty (UPI) Financial Survey - Stock Observer
Tufts University is academic host and co-sponsor of the 2017 IEEE Midwest Circuits and Systems Symposium, to be held Aug. 6-9. The symposium will include oral and poster sessions, a student paper contest, tutorials by experts in circuits and systems topics, and special sessions. All areas of electronic circuits and systems will be covered, including the latest innovations in the field.
The three keynote speakers are Linton Salmon, Jesse Wheeler and Donhee Ham. Salmon, a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, will give a keynote titled Microelectronics: Challenges and Opportunities on Aug. 7; Wheeler, the neurotechnology business lead at Draper Laboratory, will speak on Neurotechnology: Biomedical, Biomimetic, and Beyond on Aug. 8; and Ham, the Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering at Harvard University, will speak on CMOS Electronics See Inside Biological Cellular Networks on Aug. 9.
Tufts Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is well represented at the symposium. Associate Professor Valencia Joyner Koomson is technical program co-chair; Professor Sameer Sonkusale is publications co-chair; professor and department chair Eric Miller is advisory committee co-chair; and associate professors Mark Hempstead and Thomas Vandervelde are on the technical program committee.
Tufts undergraduate and graduates students will be presenters at the conference. Among them is Joel Dungan, a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering, who has been selected as a finalist in the student paper contest.He will present research work on the development of a platform to study intercellular communication in non-neural cells as it relates to developmental biology and morphogenetic bioengineering. Co-authors on the paper are Koomson, biology postdoctoral scholar Juanita Mathews, and biology professor Michael Levin.
Other Tufts students presenting their research will be doctoral candidates Meera Punjiya,Yun Miao, Abigail Licht, John Chivers, Emily Carlson and Jun Jadormio, along with former undergraduate student Andrew Bourhis, E17.
For more information, and to register, go to the 2017 IEEE Midwest Circuits and Systems Symposium website.
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Stryker reported 6.1 percent net sales growth for the second quarter of 2017, and raised full year guidance due to strong performance.
Here are seven things to know:
1. Stryker net sales reached $3 billion in the second quarter, a 6.1 percent increase over the same period last year. U.S. sales hit $2.2 billion, up 2.4 percent, while international sales were $811 million, a 2.7 percent growth over last year.
2. Orthopedics net sales hit $1.1 billion, up 5.5 percent over the same period last year. Here is the breakdown by segment:
Knee: $389 million, up 5 percent Hip: $322 million, down 0.3 percent Trauma and extremities: $351 million, up 7 percent Other: $79 million, up 32 percent
3. Stryker's MedSurg net sales were $1.3 million, a 6.2 percent increase over 2017. Here is the breakdown by segment:
Instruments: $392 million, up 4.1 percent Endoscopy: $406 million, up 13.9 percent Sustainability: $64 million, up 10 percent
4. Neurotechnology and spine net sales were $500 million, up 6.9 percent over the second quarter of 2017. Spine sales hit $183 million, a 2.9 percent decrease, and neurotechnology increased 13.9 percent to $352 million.
"We have some challenges [in spine] the market overall looks to be challenged certainly in this quarter," said Katherine A. Owen during Stryker's quarterly conference call, according to Seeking Alpha's transcript. "We've had some Stryker issues as we work through some of the supply challenges, but on the positive front, those do appear to be moderating for us. And we're also seeing really strong demand, but we are capacity constrained for our Tritanium products."
The company has several projects in research and development, and as a result expects to see improvement long term.
5. Net earnings increased 2.9 percent to $291 million in the quarter.
6. Stryker now expects 2017 organic net sales growth between 6.5 percent and 7 percent.
7. In the second quarter, Stryker reported 26 Mako robots were installed globally, a 5 percent increase over last year. There were 20 new systems installed in the U.S., and the company expects to "largely complete all U.S. system upgrades during 2018." There are more than 400 surgeons trained on the Mako system to date.
More articles on orthopedic devices:
Smith & Nephew reports $1.2B in Q2 revenue Zimmer Biomet reports $1.9B Q2 sales NuVasive reports better than expected Q2, revenue reaches $260.6M: 5 key notes
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The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) may be able to detect signs of consciousness among comatose brain injury patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to researchers.
Standard bedside neurological examinations often miss these subtle signs of consciousness.
Reasons why could include that the patient may be unable to speak, write or move due to the brain injury itself or sedating medications, or the doctor may misinterpret a weak but intentional movement as a reflex response, notes a media release from Massachusetts General Hospital.
The study included 16 severely brain injured patients in the ICU. The researchers suggest in their study that the use of fMRI and EEG may be able to reveal a level of consciousness that cannot be detected via a standard bedside examination.
Early detection of consciousness and brain function in the intensive care unit could allow families to make more informed decisions about the care of loved ones, says Dr Brian Edlow, from Massachusetts General Hospitals Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, in the release.
Also, since early recovery of consciousness is associated with better long-term outcomes, these tests could help patients gain access to rehabilitative care once they are discharged from an ICU, adds Edlow co-lead author of the study, published recently in the journal Brain.
Based on these results, our team is working on improving the accuracy of these tests, and we are planning a larger follow-up study in the near future, he concludes.
[Source(s): Massachusetts General Hospital, Medline Plus]
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fMRI and EEG May Be Able to Reveal Consciousness in Comatose Patients - Physical Therapy Products
With the goal of harnessing the untapped potential of Iranian-Americans, and to build the capacity of the Iranian diaspora in effecting positive change in the U.S. and around the world, the Iranian Americans Contributions Project (IACP) has launched a series of interviews that explore the personal and professional backgrounds of prominent Iranian-Americans who have made seminal contributions to their fields of endeavor. We examine lives and journeys that have led to significant achievements in the worlds of science, technology, finance, medicine, law, the arts and numerous other endeavors. Our latest interviewee is Arshya Vahabzadeh.
Arshya Vahabzadeh, M.D, is the Chief Medical Officer at Brain Power, a federally and Congressionally supported neurotechnology company that is building transformative technologies for the treatment of autism community. Dr. Vahanzadeh is a leader in developing new technologies and scientific approaches to reduce human suffering and to improve mental health and wellbeing.
Dr. Vahabzadeh is on the staff of the Massachusetts General Hospital and has served as faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and at Exponential Medicine. He is triple trained in pediatric psychiatry, psychiatry, and family medicine, and has over 20 national and international awards in research, innovation, education, and medical leadership. He was the youngest council chairman at the American Psychiatric Association, and was described as one of ten outstanding physicians who represent the future of psychiatry by the American College of Psychiatrists.
Dr. Vahabzadeh is a regular national and international speaker on technology and mental health, and has given talks at Google, Stanford, Harvard, Health 2.0, the Digital Health Summit, and at Singularity University. He has been honored as a 40 under 40 healthcare innovator by MedTechBoston, and was one of only ten people globally to win the Khan Academy/American Association of Medical Colleges/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation MCAT Video competition.
Tell our readers where you grew up and walk us through your background. How did your family and surroundings influence you in your formative years?
I was born in Tehran, Iran, and spent much of my childhood growing up in England where I also attended medical school. I moved to the United States in 2010 to continue my medical training.
As a child I had a number of formative experiences. I remember watching Iraqi aircraft bombing Tehran as I peered out of the window during one of the regular blackouts. I also remember arriving at one of our country homes in Iran and seeing that it had been bombarded.
After moving to England, where my parents had previously undertaken their university studies, I was hit and near-fatally injured by a car outside of my home. I spent months hospitalized in a children's hospital and was essentially rebuilt.
Being an immigrant to England, and subsequently the United States, I have a first-hand insight into the arduous challenges that migrants face. I also have a deep appreciation for all of the individuals that have invested in me in both countries, and my hope is that my efforts to create healthcare and educational technologies will help to pay back some of that investment.
My parents provided me with not only a nurturing environment, but also a sense of resiliency to the turmoil that may have surrounded me at any moment. They promoted the importance of education, protecting the vulnerable, and receiving encouragement from the successes of others. I had the opportunity to see both immense poverty and wealth, as well as the humanity and struggles that faced people across society.
My professional life has included going to medical school in England and completing three residency programs over 11 years of postgraduate training, including family medicine under the Royal College of General Practitioners, adult psychiatry at Emory University, and child and adolescent psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. After completion of my training, I became a faculty member in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy, headed by one of my mentors Dr. David Rubin. I have also spent a considerable amount of time working on emerging technologies, mostly through my work as the Chief Medical Officer at Brain Power, a neurotechnology company founded by one of my friends from Harvard and MIT, Dr. Ned Sahin. Since completing my training, I have continued to see patients with severe mental health challenges on the frontlines of healthcare, including in emergency departments and in maximum-security correctional facilities.
You received a number of awards and honors for your research, mentorship and teaching. What were the significant accomplishments that led to these?
Over the last decade I have been honored with over two dozen different national and international awards as well as scholarships for innovations in medicine, medical leadership, research, and a host of other innovation related projects. I should say, however,that the most important part of any of these achievements is the opportunity that comes with them. The ability to build networks with like-minded people who are willing to improve healthcare, education, and the future of humanity has been both empowering and humbling.
I have long been involved in many different areas of medical and neuroscientific research, publishing articles, papers, and book chapters in neurobiology and clinical neuroscience on topics such as autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, neuromodulation, and digital mental health. I have presented at numerous institutions on my research and perspectives on mental health and transformative technologies,
Among my awards, I have been fortunate to have received the American College of Psychiatrists Laughlin Fellowship, the American Medical Association Foundation Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award, and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Leadership Fellowship. I was lucky to have been federally supported through a NIMH/AADPRT BRAIN Scholarship, and a SAMSHA/APA grant focusing on autism.
I am very honored and always humbled by the awards I have received. I believe part of the reason for the recognition is a willingness I find within myself to go the extra mile in my academic work and to advocate publicly for mental health awareness wherever and whenever I can. The importance of doing good work and providing a voice for those who need it is something that I believe is an important part of my role as a physician with a public profile.
What has been your personal key to success? What were the biggest inspirations for your career?
I would like to say that I have consistently worked hard, averaging around 100 hours a week, and I have always tried to maximize the opportunities that I have been given. However, I have also realized the importance of having a powerful network, and indeed I often believe that having an empowered network of individuals behind you is as important as working hard or being naturally gifted. I also think that there is a lot to be said of never expecting others to treat you the way you treat them. I am also a huge fan of reducing the noise around myself. There are so many devices and social media platforms designed to distract you and pull your focus away from what you need to be doing. Eliminating or consciously reducing your engagement time with these distractions is crucial to your focus and ultimate success. Reducing the noise also means not allowing yourself to become too wrapped up in what other people are doing or claim to be doing.
I am a strong believer in achieving mind-body balance, and maintaining a balanced diet. I usually work out 7 days a week to improve physical coordination, strength, and endurance. On some days I may face a 16-hour clinical day, several hours of data analysis and academic work, and a social function, and I believe that having the right level of physical conditioning has been very helpful in these situations.
I am not a huge fan of idolizing people in the way that is often seen in the media, but I am inspired by those around me all the time. I am particularly fond of people who achieve personal success while making the world a better place, those who are relentless in pursuing their dreams, and people who put their ambitions on hold in order to care for their family members. Inspiration can be found in the most unexpected of places, and as a psychiatrist I hear about these stories all the time. A younger mother who was working at a fast-food restaurant recently impacted me, as I learned she was essentially living out of her car in the parking lot, and used the money saved to ensure that her children went to school. Her grit, resiliency, and steadfast approach to doing what was necessary were absolutely inspirational to me.
Your fields of interest cover using transformative technology to improve the lives of people with special needs and mental health conditions. Can you share some highlights of your work in these areas?
As I look around the world today, I see humans creating tremendous progress and opportunities in certain communities, while despair and isolation are rife in many others. Often these communities overlap in time and space; living and dying can exist just footsteps away from one another.
My fundamental belief is that we can use our knowledge of science and technology to improve the well-being of our fellow humans. We can produce technologies that can help us empower people through education, heal them in ill health, and allow them to reach their full potential. While technology advances at a rapid pace, we must also understand that the human experience involves giving other people your time and understanding them in the context of their relationships, communities, and social world. This is a task that is easier to articulate than to achieve in person!
While I hold certain lofty ideals, I am also very much a realist, as I have and will always continue to work with the most disadvantaged communities. As a frontline clinician, I have seen how immense healthcare needs in this country are, and just how critical it is to recognize and address the social determinants of health. I have witnessed how some of our greatest mental health challenges do not get the level of funding and support that they need, and how we still have huge gaps between scientific research and the practical real-world impacts of scientific advances.
I believe that technology has a crucial role to play in helping us throughout our daily lives, such as aiding those who have the biggest mental health challenges and promoting mental wellness in many others. I believe that understanding human mental health through the use of technology is extremely challenging perhaps much more than people realize. We are trying to gain insights into a persons mood state, cognitive functioning, and social thinking through the use of wearables, apps on smartphones, and smart glasses, but there is still quite a considerable way to go. Research in digital mental health continues to be quite fragmented, is often not reproducible, and rarely do results translate into a product that can positively impact peoples lives. One of my hardest tasks has been to create an actual device that would be helpful to people, and I think this goal continues to stump many overambitious entrepreneurs and can be intimidating to academics.
This is why I find my work at Brain Power very exciting. We are currently combining cutting edge augmented reality, artificial intelligence, social neuroscience, and digital tools to help the autism community succeed in education, health, and work. We have recently published the first scientific paper on the use social communication smart glasses in autism. We have also been fortunate to partner with a number of leading organizations like Google and Affectiva, and have both federal and congressional funding to build these next-generation technologies. The feedback that we have received from the community and experts has been very humbling, and we have been lucky enough to receive a wide range of scientific and autism-related awards for our work. We also run a number of internship training programs for students from local high schools, autism vocational training programs, and universities. Part of our mission is to not only create accessible technologies, but also help teach the next generation of innovators from across the breadth of society.
Can you tell us about your advocating for innovations in healthcare to reduce death and disability from brain disorders on a global scale?
We face a number of problems when we think about global mental health and the burden of brain disorders. Firstly, these conditions are the biggest cause of disability in the world, and they predominantly disable people in their youth. Secondly, our resources for tackling these problems are very limited. We simply do not have enough human experts to be able to provide the mental health care that is needed. We are going to have to rely more on technology to deliver scalable solutions to these challenges. My approach for tackling these issues partly comes through my work with Brain Power, but I am also involved in innovative brain health projects at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Exponential Medicine, Neurolaunch, and the American Psychiatric Association.
I am also passionate about working with organizations that are creating real-world impacts for the people who need it most. I am proud to be a part of two childrens charities. The Special Needs Network was founded by my friend Areva Martin ESQ, and focuses on helping children with special needs in Los Angeles, while Art of Hope was founded by one of my fellow Iranian-Americans, Tara Kangarlou, and provides art therapy to child refugees in Syria and the surrounding areas.
In your view, what is the biggest challenge with which your field is currently grappling?
Mental health has long been underserved by science, healthcare, and education. Because of stigma and ignorance, millions of people are suffering from psychiatric conditions that are unrecognized, untreated, disabling, and all too often, deadly. I recognize that stigma has had a significant role to play in this situation. However, understanding mental health requires challenging some of the most basic assumptions in the field. Many of the conditions that we diagnose and treat are based on behavioral symptoms, with the underlying scientific cause less clear. Future efforts that harness digital assessment, biological tests, and use large data-sets may help us to redefine these conditions, subtype them, and find more scalable and accessible means for people to lead healthier lives. I have already published and written about some of the most cutting edge areas such as digital suicide prevention, machine learning in depression, and the use of wearable technology for mental health.
Future challenges will involve access to care as the population increases and ages, along with changes to healthcare provision. In order to successfully overcome these challenges, I believe that the medical profession as a whole, but especially psychiatry, needs to embrace the potential of technologies such as telemedicine, virtual/augmented reality, and other forms of digital health to help to increase access, and ideally improve the quality of care that we deliver. That engagement needs to start today, it needs to be taken very seriously, and should be given far more attention than it is currently being given by the medical community.
Can you share your thoughts on your Iranian-American identity? What does it mean to be an Iranian-American to you?
The United States, with the exception of the Native Americans, is a nation of immigrants. It is a fact that the Iranian-American community has been described as being one of the most successful immigrant groups. I have found the Iranian-American community to be very warm and welcoming, and believe that the community shows incredible pride in both their Persian heritage and American identity. However, we should be mindful that the community also faces many challenges. Iranian-Americans continue to face racism, largely fueled by individuals with little appreciation of the current geopolitical situation, and a lackluster grasp of the history of human civilization. Secondly, being an immensely proud community has caused us to have blind spots; shame and honor impede our ability to tackle issues such as mental health, poverty, gender identity, and drug addiction. I have been inspired by the mentorship and education that I have received from Iranian-American organizations such as PAAIA, and have been particularly impressed with the work of outstanding Iranian Americans including Dr. FirouzNaderi (Former Director at NASA), and Bita Darybari(Pars Equality Center).
I believe that the Iranian-American community embraces many of the values that have made America great. It is also profoundly important to me that we support and work to empower other communities. I am committed to advancing equality and opportunity for all, regardless of background.
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Arshya Vahabzadeh: Innovating at the Intersection of Brain ... - HuffPost
Stryker Corporation (NYSE: SYK) and Trivascular Technologies (NASDAQ:TRIV) are both medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation, earnings, profitabiliy and analyst recommendations.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings for Stryker Corporation and Trivascular Technologies, as provided by MarketBeat.
Stryker Corporation presently has a consensus price target of $139.21, suggesting a potential downside of 4.69%. Given Stryker Corporations higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Stryker Corporation is more favorable than Trivascular Technologies.
Dividends
Stryker Corporation pays an annual dividend of $1.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Trivascular Technologies does not pay a dividend. Stryker Corporation pays out 38.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Trivascular Technologies has raised its dividend for 6 consecutive years.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
74.3% of Stryker Corporation shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.4% of Stryker Corporation shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
This table compares Stryker Corporation and Trivascular Technologies net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Stryker Corporation and Trivascular Technologies gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
Stryker Corporation has higher revenue and earnings than Trivascular Technologies.
Summary
Stryker Corporation beats Trivascular Technologies on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Stryker Corporation
Stryker Corporation is a medical technology company. The Company offers a range of medical technologies, including orthopedic, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine products. The Companys segments include Orthopaedics; MedSurg; Neurotechnology and Spine, and Corporate and Other. The Orthopaedics segment includes reconstructive (hip and knee) and trauma implant systems and other related products. The MedSurg segment includes surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems; endoscopic and communications systems; patient handling, emergency medical equipment, intensive care disposable products; reprocessed and remanufactured medical devices, and other related products. The Neurotechnology and Spine segment includes neurovascular products, spinal implant systems and other related products. The Companys products include implants, which are used in joint replacement and trauma surgeries, and other products that are used in a range of medical specialties.
About Trivascular Technologies
Trivascular Technologies, Inc. is a medical device company developing and commercializing technologies to advance minimally invasive treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The Ovation System, the Companys solution for the treatment of AAA through minimally invasive endovascular aortic repair, or EVAR, is a stent graft platform, providing an alternative to conventional devices. It is designed to specifically address many of the limitations associated with conventional EVAR devices and expand the pool of patients eligible for EVAR. The Company is developing Ovation iX iliac limbs for use with both its Ovation Prime and its Ovation iX and Alto aortic bodies, which are in development. Trivascular is developing Ovation iX aortic bodies for use with both its Ovation Prime and its Ovation iX iliac limbs. The Company is developing an aortic body that together with the iliac limbs makes up the Ovation Alto stent graft.
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Trivascular Technologies (TRIV) & Stryker Corporation (SYK) Critical Review - Stock Observer