Daily Archives: November 7, 2021

What are thoughts made of?

Theyre really just electro-chemical reactionsbut the number and complexity of these reactions make them hard to fully understand

The human brain is composed of about 100 billion nerve cells (neurons) interconnected by trillions of connections, called synapses. On average, each connection transmits about one signal per second. Some specialized connections send up to 1,000 signals per second. Somehow thats producing thought, says Charles Jennings, director of neurotechnology at the MIT McGovern Institute for Brain Research.

Given the physical complexity of whats happening inside your head, its not easy to trace a thought from beginning to end. Thats a little like asking where the forest begins. Is it with the first leaf, or the tip of the first root? says Jennings. Simpler, then to start by considering perceptionsthoughts that are directly triggered by external stimulia feather brushes your skin, you see these words on the computer screen, you hear a phone ring. Each of these events triggers a series of signals in the brain.

When you read these words, for example, the photons associated with the patterns of the letters hit your retina, and their energy triggers an electrical signal in the light-detecting cells there. That electrical signal propagates like a wave along the long threads called axons that are part of the connections between neurons. When the signal reaches the end of an axon, it causes the release of chemical neurotransmitters into the synapse, a chemical junction between the axon tip and target neurons. A target neuron responds with its own electrical signal, which, in turn, spreads to other neurons. Within a few hundred milliseconds, the signal has spread to billions of neurons in several dozen interconnected areas of your brain and you have perceived these words. (All that and you probably didnt even break a sweat.)

The fact that you are then able to convert the perception of these shapes into symbols, language, and meaning is a whole other storyand a good indication of the complexity of neuroscience. Trying to imagine how trillions of connections and billions of simultaneous transmissions coalesce inside your brain to form a thought is a little like trying to look at the leaves, roots, snakes, birds, ticks, deerand everything else in a forestat the same moment.

With new brain imaging tools, however, researchers are making strides towards doing just that. A better understanding of where and how different types of thoughts arise in the brainsuch as facial recognition, emotion, or languagemay help researchers develop treatments for disorders such as autism or dyslexia.

But reaching that goal? Thats a tall order, said Evelina Fedorenko, a postdoctoral associate at the McGovern Institute. Working with Brain and Cognitive Sciences professor Nancy Kanwisher, Fedorenko is working to develop better tools for dissecting recordings of thoughts. Theirrecent workreveals a clearer picture of where the brain processes language, one of the defining activities that makes us human.

Thanks toRugada Meghanathof Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, India, for this question.

Posted: April 26, 2011

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MIT School of Engineering | What are thoughts made of?

The skull acts as a bastion of privacy; the brain is the last private part of ourselves, Australian neurosurgeon Tom Oxley says from New York.

Oxley is the CEO of Synchron, a neurotechnology company born in Melbourne that has successfully trialled hi-tech brain implants that allow people to send emails and texts purely by thought.

In July this year, it became the first company in the world, ahead of competitors like Elon Musks Neuralink, to gain approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct clinical trials of brain computer interfaces (BCIs) in humans in the US.

Synchron has already successfully fed electrodes into paralysed patients brains via their blood vessels. The electrodes record brain activity and feed the data wirelessly to a computer, where it is interpreted and used as a set of commands, allowing the patients to send emails and texts.

BCIs, which allow a person to control a device via a connection between their brain and a computer, are seen as a gamechanger for people with certain disabilities.

No one can see inside your brain, Oxley says. Its only our mouths and bodies moving that tells people whats inside our brain For people who cant do that, its a horrific situation. What were doing is trying to help them get whats inside their skull out. We are totally focused on solving medical problems.

BCIs are one of a range of developing technologies centred on the brain. Brain stimulation is another, which delivers targeted electrical pulses to the brain and is used to treat cognitive disorders. Others, like imaging techniques fMRI and EEG, can monitor the brain in real time.

The potential of neuroscience to improve our lives is almost unlimited, says David Grant, a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne. However, the level of intrusion that would be needed to realise those benefits is profound.

Grants concerns about neurotech are not with the work of companies like Synchron. Regulated medical corrections for people with cognitive and sensory handicaps are uncontroversial, in his eyes.

But what, he asks, would happen if such capabilities move from medicine into an unregulated commercial world? Its a dystopian scenario that Grant predicts would lead to a progressive and relentless deterioration of our capacity to control our own brains.

And while its a progression that remains hypothetical, its not unthinkable. In some countries, governments are already moving to protect humans from the possibility.

In 2017 a young European bioethicist, Marcello Ienca, was anticipating these potential dangers. He proposed a new class of legal rights: neuro rights, the freedom to decide who is allowed to monitor, read or alter your brain.

Today Ienca is a Professor of Bioethics at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and advises the European Council, the UN, OECD, and governments on the impact technology could have on our sense of what it means to be human.

Before Ienca proposed the concept of neuro rights, he had already come to believe that the sanctity of our brains needed protection from advancing neurotechnology.

So 2015, around that time the legal debate on neurotechnology was mostly focusing on criminal law, Ienca says.

Much of the debate was theoretical, but BCIs were already being medically trialed. The questions Ienca were hearing six years ago were things like: What happens when the device malfunctions? Who is responsible for that? Should it be legitimate to use neurotechnology as evidence in courts?

Ienca, then in his 20s, believed more fundamental issues were at stake. Technology designed to decode and alter brain activity had the potential to affect what it meant to be an individual person as opposed to a non-person.

While humanity needs protection from the misuse of neurotech, Ienca says, neuro rights are also about how to empower people and to let them flourish and promote their mental and cerebral wellbeing through the use of advanced neuroscience and neurotechnology.

Neuro rights are a positive as well as protective force, Ienca says.

Its a view Tom Oxley shares. He says stopping the development of BCIs would be an unfair infringement on the rights of the people his company is trying to assist.

Is the ability to text message an expression of the right to communicate? he asks. If the answer is yes, he posits, the right to use a BCI could be seen as a digital right.

Oxley agrees with Grant that the future privacy of our brains deserves the worlds full attention. He says neuro rights are absolutely critical.

I recognise the brain is an intensely private place and were used to having our brain protected by our skull. That will no longer be the case with this technology.

Grant believes neuro rights will not be enough to protect our privacy from the potential reach of neurotech outside medicine.

Our current notion of privacy will be useless in the face of such deep intrusion, he says.

Commercial products such as headsets that claim to improve concentration are already used in Chinese classrooms. Caps that track fatigue in lorry drivers have been used on mine sites in Australia. Devices like these generate data from users brain activity. Where and how that data is stored, says Grant, is hard to track and even harder to control.

Grant sees the amount of information that people already share, including neuro data, as an insurmountable challenge for neuro rights.

To think we can deal with this on the basis of passing legislation is naive.

Grants solutions to the intrusive potential of neurotech, he admits, are radical. He envisages the development of personal algorithms that operate as highly specialised firewalls between a person and the digital world. These codes could engage with the digital world on a persons behalf, protecting their brain against intrusion or alteration.

The consequences of sharing neuro data preoccupies many ethicists.

I mean, brains are central to everything we do, think and say, says Stephen Rainey, from Oxfords Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics.

Its not like you end up with these ridiculous dystopias where people control your brain and make you do things. But there are boring dystopias you look at the companies that are interested in [personal data] and its Facebook and Google, primarily. Theyre trying to make a model of what a person is so that that can be exploited.

Chile is not taking any chances on the potential risks of neurotechnology.

In a world first, in September 2021, Chilean law makers approved a constitutional amendment to enshrine mental integrity as a right of all citizens. Bills to regulate neurotechnology, digital platforms and the use of AI are also being worked on in Chiles senate. Neuro rights principles of the right to cognitive liberty, mental privacy, mental integrity, and psychological continuity will be considered.

Europe is also making moves towards neuro rights.

France approved a bioethics law this year that protects the right to mental integrity. Spain is working on a digital rights bill with a section on neuro rights, and the Italian Data Protection Authority is considering whether mental privacy falls under the countrys privacy rights.

Australia is a signatory to the OECDs non-binding recommendation on responsible innovation in neurotechnology, which was published in 2019.

Australian neuroscientist and ethicist Assoc Prof Adrian Carter, of Monash University, Melbourne, is described by peers as having a good BS detector for the real and imagined threats posed by neurotech. As a self-described speculative ethicist, he looks at the potential consequences of technological progress.

Hype that over-sells neuro treatments can affect their effectiveness if patients expectations are raised too high, he explains. Hype can also cause unwarranted panic.

A lot of the stuff that is being discussed is a long way away, if at all, says Carter.

Mind-reading? That wont happen. At least not in the way many imagine. The brain is just too complex. Take brain computer interfaces; yes, people can control a device using their thoughts, but they do a lot of training for the technology to recognise specific patterns of brain activity before it works. They dont just think, open the door, and it happens.

Carter points out that some of the threats ascribed to future neurotechnology are already present in the way data is used by tech companies every day.

AI and algorithms that read eye movement and detect changes in skin colour and temperature are reading the results of brain activity in controlled studies for advertising. This data has been used by commercial interests for years to analyse, predict and nudge behaviour.

Companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon have made billions out of [personal data], Carter points out.

Dystopias that emerge from the data collected without consent arent always as boring as Facebook ads.

Oxfords Stephen Rainey points to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data from 87 million Facebook users was collected without consent. The company built psychological voter profiles based on peoples likes, to inform the political campaigns of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

Its this line where it becomes a commercial interest and people want to do something else with the data, thats where all the risk comes in, Rainey says.

Its bringing that whole data economy that were already suffering from right into the neuro space, and theres potential for misuse. I mean, it would be naive to think authoritarian governments would not be interested.

Tom Oxley says he is not naive about the potential for bad actors to misuse the research he and others are doing in BCI.

He points out Synchrons initial funding came from the US military, which was looking to develop robotic arms and legs for injured soldiers, operated through chips implanted in their brains.

While theres no suggestion the US plans to weaponise the technology, Oxley says its impossible to ignore the military backdrop. If BCI does end up being weaponised, you have a direct brain link to a weapon, Oxley says.

This potential appears to have dawned on the US government. Its Bureau of Industry and Security released a memo last month on the prospect of limiting exports of BCI technology from the US. Acknowledging its medical and entertainment uses, the bureau was concerned it may be used by militaries to improve the capabilities of human soldiers and in unmanned military operations.

Concerns about the misuse of neurotech by rogue actors do not detract from what it is already achieving in the medical sphere.

At the Epworth centre for innovation in mental health at Monash University, deputy director Prof Kate Hoy is overseeing trials of neuro treatments for brain disorders including treatment-resistant depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia and Alzheimers.

One treatment being tested is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which is already used extensively to treat depression and was listed on the Medicare benefit schedule last year.

One of TMSs appeals is its non-invasiveness. People can be treated in their lunch hour and go back to work, Hoy says.

Basically we put a figure of eight coil, something you can hold in your hand, over the area of the brain we want to stimulate and then we send pulses into the brain, which induces electrical current and causes neurons to fire, she says.

So when we move [the pulse] to the areas of the brain that we know are involved in things like depression, what were aiming to do is essentially improve the function in that area of the brain.

TMS is also free of side effects like memory loss and fatigue, common to some brain stimulation methods. Hoy says there is evidence that some patients cognition improves after TMS.

When Zia Liddell, 26, began TMS treatment at the Epworth centre about five years ago, she had low expectations. Liddell has trauma-induced schizophrenia and has experienced hallucinations since she was 14.

Ive come a long way in my journey from living in psych wards to going on all sorts of antipsychotics, to going down this path of neurodiverse technology.

Liddell wasnt overly invested in TMS, she says, until it worked.

She describes TMS as, a very, very gentle flick on the back of your head, repetitively and slowly.

Liddell goes into hospital for treatment, normally for two weeks, twice a year. There shell have two 20-minute sessions of TMS a day, lying in a chair watching TV or listening to music.

She can remember clearly the moment she realised it was working. I woke up and the world was silent. I sprinted outside in my pyjamas, into the courtyard and rang my mum. And all I could say through tears was, I can hear the birds Mum.

It is a quietening of the mind that Liddell says takes effect about the three- to five-day mark of a two-week treatment.

I will wake up one morning and the world will be quiet Im not distracted, I can focus. TMS didnt just save my life, it gave me the chance of a livelihood. The future of TMS is the future of me.

But despite how it has changed her life for the better, she is not naive about the dangers of setting neurotech loose in the world.

I think theres an important discussion to be had on where the line of consent should be drawn, she says.

You are altering someones brain chemistry, that can be and will be life changing. You are playing with the fabric of who you are as a person.

Read more:

Our notion of privacy will be useless: what happens if technology learns to read our minds? - The Guardian

LAKELAND Michigan-based medical technology and supply company Stryker is laying off 532 employees in the next two yearsas it closes and unwinds its Lakeland production facility.

The company, in a letter to state officials, says the facility will permanently close by Dec. 31, 2023. The first wave of layoffs will begin Dec. 31 of this year with 26 job cuts.

Stryker expects to eliminate another 497 positions on a rolling basis by the end of 2023, Sanita Pinchback, senior director of human resources, says in the letter.The letter was sent to the state to meet federally mandated Worker AdjustmentRetraining and Notification (WARN) Act requirements.

A Stryker spokeswoman says in an email that the company "constantly evaluates our business to ensure our resources are aligned to drive growth, serve our customers and increase operating efficiencies in a complex global environment."

"After a careful and detailed analysis, we have decided to close our Lakeland, Florida, facility and move these operations to other Stryker locations," she says, adding that "People are one of our most important values and we will support impacted employees throughout the closure process."

According to its website, Stryker is one of the worlds leading medical technology companiesoffering innovative products and services in orthopedics, medical and surgical and neurotechnology and spine that help improve patient and hospital outcomes. It has about 43,000 employees worldwide, about 24,000 of those in the U.S., and its 2020 sales topped $14 billion.

Stryker, with its facility located at 5300 Region Courtin Lakeland, is listed as one of the top employers in Polk County, according to a ranking by the Central Florida Development Council. Its No. 26, behind companies like Publix Super Markets, Rooms-to-Go and Amazon.

In the letter to the state, Pinchback refers to the company as Stryker Employment Company LLC, but her email address corresponds to the web address used by the medical supply company, the logo on the letterhead matches the medical supply company and the LLC is registered to the same address as the global headquarters for the medical supply company.

Excerpt from:

Medical supply giant to close area facility, lay off more than 500 people - Business Observer

MAHWAH, N.J., Nov. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Stryker, one of the world's leading medical technology companies, continues to demonstrate its commitment to the United States military by working with VA and military hospital systems across the nation to provide innovative technology to those who care for veterans and individuals serving our country. Most recently, Stryker successfully completed Mako SmartRobotics placements in every VA hospital across one of the 18 Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISNs), offering patients an advanced treatment option for knee and hip joint pain. This is the first VISN-level placement agreement Stryker has executed.

"Our team is comprised of 100% veterans, and we are truly passionate about advocating for our brothers and sisters to provide them with effective treatment options for joint pain," said John Murray, Senior Director, Government Sales, Stryker. "Our mission is to make Mako SmartRobotics the standard of care across VA and military hospitals throughout the nation."

Mako SmartRobotics is the only robotic platform that offers 3D CT-based planning, Accustop haptic technology, and insightful data analytics and has demonstrated better outcomes for total hip, total knee, and partial knee patients.1,2,3,4

"Over one in three veterans have arthritis5, one of the most common chronic conditions facing this population," said Murray. "Our team is honored to be able to provide these deserving patients with access to this advanced technology and a treatment option to help get them back on their feet and enjoying day-to-day activities."

Stryker's passion for supporting veterans and active military members is exemplified through a number of initiatives. Recently, Stryker announced a $55,474 donation to K9s For Warriors, the nation's largest provider of service dogs to American veterans living with military-related trauma. Through its "Own the Walk" initiative, Stryker partnered with Minor League Baseball (MiLB) and pledged to donate $1 for every walk issued to a batter during the 2021 regular season. Stryker has been a committed partner of K9s For Warriors since 2015, having sponsored 31 service dogs to date the largest number by any corporate partner.

It is important for those living with joint pain to speak with their healthcare professional about which treatment plans may be appropriate for them. To learn more about joint health treatment options, please visit makosmartrobotics.com.

All surgery carries risk. See your orthopaedic surgeon to discuss your potential benefits and risks. Not all patients will have the same postoperative recovery and activity level. Individual results vary.

About Stryker

Stryker is one of the world's leading medical technology companies and, together with its customers, is driven to make healthcare better. The company offers innovative products and services in Orthopaedics, Medical and Surgical, and Neurotechnology and Spine that help improve patient and hospital outcomes. More information is available atstryker.com.

1.

Kayani B, Konan S, Tahmassebi J, Pietrzak JRT, Haddad FS. Roboticarm assisted total knee arthroplasty is associated with improved early functional recovery and reduced time to hospital discharge compared with conventional jig-based total knee arthroplasty: A prospective cohort study. Bone Joint J. 2018;100-B(7):930-937. doi:10.1302/0301-620X.100B7.BJJ-2017-1449.R1

2.

Mahoney O, Kinsey T, Mont M, Hozack W, Orozco F, Chen A. Can computer generated 3D bone models improve the accuracy of total knee component placement compared to manual instrumentation? A prospective multi-center evaluation. Poster presented at: 32nd Annual Congress of the International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty (ISTA); October 2-5, 2019; Toronto, Canada.

3.

Illgen RL, Bukowski BR, Abiola R, et al. Robotic-assisted total hip arthroplasty: outcomes at minimum two year follow up. Surg Technol Int. 2017;30:365-372.

4.

Kleeblad LJ, Borus T, Coon TM, Dounchis J, Nguyen JT, Pearle AD. Midterm survivorship and patient satisfaction of robotic-arm-assisted medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a multicenter study. J Arthroplasty. 2018;33(6):1719-1726. doi:10.1016/j.arth.2018.01.036.

5.

https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/communications/features/arthritis-among-veterans.html

SOURCE Stryker

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Stryker Expands Its Mako SmartRobotics Footprint To Reach More Veterans And Military Suffering From Joint Pain - PRNewswire

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SYK - Market Data & News

Today, Stryker Corp. Incs (NYSE: SYK) stock gained $2.33, accounting for a 0.88% increase. Stryker opened at $266.13 before trading between $269.73 and $266.07 throughout Mondays session. The activity saw Strykers market cap rise to $101,212,639,405 on 1,224,359 shares -above their 30-day average of 1,079,667.

Stryker employs around 40000 people with a head office in Portage, Michigan.

Stryker is one of the world's leading medical technology companies and, together with its customers, is driven to make healthcare better. The company offers innovative products and services in Orthopaedics, Medical and Surgical, and Neurotechnology and Spine that help improve patient and hospital outcomes.

Visit Stryker Corp.'s profile for more information.

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Sustainable Shoe Maker Allbirds Seeks IPO Valuation North of $2 Billion

Sustainable shoe brand Allbirds Inc is eyeing a valuation exceeding $2 billion in its US initial public offering (IPO).

In its amended Form S-1 filed Monday, the company said it is offering about 19.23 million shares priced between $12 and $14 apiece. At the high end of that range, Allbirds would fetch gross proceeds of over $269 million.

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California Proposes Oil and Gas Drilling Buffer Zone Around Communities

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a statewide ban on oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet of homes, schools and hospitals in order to protect public health and further its goal to combat climate change.

The draft rules, released last week by the states oil regulator California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), aim to create what would be the largest buffer zone in the country. Existing wells in those setback areas would not be banned, but subject to stricter regulation.

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CDC Extends COVID-19 Safety Rules for Cruise Industry Through January 15

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended its COVID-19 safety regulations for the cruise ship industry into January, citing concerns over the highly contagious Delta variant and breakthrough cases among fully vaccinated travelers.

Under the current measures, called a conditional sailing order, cruise lines have been permitted to operate as long as they adhere to certain precautions, such as requiring vaccinations or testing of crew and passengers as well as face masks onboard.

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The New York Stock Exchange is the worlds largest stock exchange by market value at over $26 trillion. It is also the leader for initial public offerings, with $82 billion raised in 2020, including six of the seven largest technology deals. 63% of SPAC proceeds in 2020 were raised on the NYSE, including the six largest transactions.

To get more information on Stryker Corp. and to follow the company's latest updates, you can visit the company's profile page here: Stryker Corp.'s Profile. For more news on the financial markets be sure to visit Equities News. Also, don't forget to sign-up for the Daily Fix to receive the best stories to your inbox 5 days a week.

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Stryker (SYK) gains 0.88% in Active Trading on November 1 - Equities.com