Category Archives: Technology

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating neurological disease that affects tens of thousands of Americans. While there is yet no cure for the illness, researchers are working hard to understand its causes and mitigate its symptoms. New research investigates the effects of cutting-edge cognitive training technology on people with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an often disabling neurological disease that affects one's muscles, vision, mood, and concentration.

MS is estimated to affect anywhere between 250,000-350,000 people in the United States, and 200 new cases of MS are diagnosed each week.

While there is currently no cure for the condition, treatment options are available for reducing the symptoms. The most common therapy consists of steroid drugs, which have been shown to speed up recovery.

A new technology called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been recently shown to improve some of the symptoms of MS. The tDCS device was created by Marom Bikson, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical engineering at The City College of New York, in collaboration and Abhishek Datta, Ph.D., the chief technology officer of Soterix Medical.

Researchers from New York University's (NYU) Langone's Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center conducted a feasibility study for tDCS, and the results were published in the journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface.

The team was led by Leigh E. Charvet, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of research at Langone's Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center.

During the tDCS procedure, a low-amplitude current that travels through a set of electrodes is placed on the scalp of the participants.

The electric current stimulates the brain's cortex, thus enabling neurons to signal to each other more easily. This, in turn, improves neural connectivity and hastens the learning process that occurs during MS rehabilitation.

For the study, 25 participants used tDCS while playing computer games as part of their brain-training program. The aim of the games was to improve cognitive skills, such as problem-solving abilities, attention, information processing, response time, and other working memory skills.

The tDCS training targeted the brain's dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This brain region has been associated with fatigue, depression, and cognition - areas that are affected by MS.

The participants underwent the training at home, where they completed 10 sessions of cognitive training while being supervised remotely. A study technician would check in with each participant via online video conferencing, and they were able to control the tDCS dosage remotely. Each session lasted for 20 minutes.

The study also included a control group of 20 participants who also underwent cognitive training, but without tDCS.

The cognitive outcomes were assessed using composite scores that measured performance on standard cognition tests, basic and complex attention tests, as well as response variability.

Overall, the tDCS group scored higher on the cognitive scores than those who just played the brain-training computer games.

Sensitive, computerized measurements of complex attention showed the tDCS group had much greater improvements compared with the control group. The tDCS-trained participants also showed significantly greater response time, and these improvements all increased with the number of sessions. The earliest signs of improvement were observed in complex attention and response time.

The study found no differences in basic attention or standard cognitive measures. According to Charvet, this suggests more treatment sessions may be needed for improvements to show in the patients' day-to-day activities.

"Our research adds evidence that tDCS, while done remotely under a supervised treatment protocol, may provide an exciting new treatment option for patients with multiple sclerosis who cannot get relief for some of their cognitive symptoms.

Many MS medications are aimed at preventing disease flares, but those drugs do not help with daily symptom management, especially cognitive problems. We hope tDCS will fill this crucial gap and help improve quality of life for people with MS."

Leigh E. Charvet

The authors also note this technology could replace hospital visits, which often proves challenging for those living with MS and especially for those whose disease is advancing. However, they also caution against several tDCS products on the market which are available directly to the consumer.

These products, Charvet says, are not backed by clinical research, so he strongly recommends that anyone wishing to try out this technology consult with their physician.

Read how stem cell transplantation may halt MS progression.

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Multiple sclerosis: New technology improves cognition - Medical News Today

The Government will grant more visas to technology workers in a major boost to the industrys attempts to secure access to overseas talent after the Brexit vote.

Tech City UK, the government organisation that processes applications for the special visa, has been granted the right to endorse 250 immigration visas this year, 50 more than it had originally been allocated.

The move comes after surging demand for the visas following the EU referendum and amid concerns in the technology industry that Britains exit from Europe will make it harder to hire talented foreign workers.

The Tech Nation visa was introduced in 2014 as a way to address a shortage of skilled coders among the UKs fast-growing technology company start-ups.

However, the original requirements were seen as onerous, and originally it only saw a trickle of applications. In late 2015 the rules were relaxed, leading to a leap in applications which has increased again since the referendum last year.

In the current fiscal year, which runs to April 6, the Home Office has granted more than 170 tech visas, so was likely to hit the previous ceiling of 200 in the coming weeks.

Gerard Grech, Tech City UKs chief executive, said raising the number to 250 showed that the Government had responded to the technology sectors call for greater access to foreign talent.

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More technology visas granted after fears of worker shortage - Telegraph.co.uk

China's Huawei Battles to Own the Next Generation of Wireless Technology Wall Street Journal (subscription) As the global telecommunications industry determines the parameters of its next-generation network of superfast connections, one company is playing an outsize role: China's Huawei Technologies Co. The modern concept of a mobile-phone network was ...

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China's Huawei Battles to Own the Next Generation of Wireless Technology - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

February 26, 2017 by Lisa Rathke

Maple syrup doesn't get that rich flavor and color in an instant. It's a long process from tree to bottle.

But an improved technology could keep maple sugarers from working late into the night boiling sap into syrup.

The new machine removes more water from sap, leaving it with higher sugar content. The concentrated sap takes half the time to boil into syrup.

"For commercial maple producers, time is money and energy is money. It all comes down to how efficient you can be to make syrup, and this is just the next big step to save time," said Timothy Perkins, director of the University of Vermont's Proctor Maple Research Center.

The center produced its first batch of syrup with a new machine last week. "It definitely processed syrup very, very fast," Perkins said.

Most large maple operations already use the traditional reverse osmosis systems that have a membrane that separate water from sugar. The new reverse osmosis technology removes even more water.

Producing maple syrup is an old New England cottage industry based on tradition, so some maple sugarers are wondering if faster is actually better. They worry it could impact the quality.

"We're questioning it," said Eric Randall, president of the North American Maple Syrup Council. "We're looking to see that we're doing the right thing."

Perkins said the flavor of the syrup produced with the new machine is so far acceptable as the center continues to research the technology.

Parker Family Maple Farm, in West Chazee, New York, expects a new machine to arrive Wednesday that may double its syrup production. "We're anticipating making 300 gallons of syrup an hour" with the new machine, Michael Parker said.

Dozens of producers in Vermont, New York, Maine and Wisconsin are now using the machines, which are made by a handful of companies. It's an investment of tens of thousands of dollars depending on the size of the maple operation and how much equipment is needed. Industry officials say the cost is about 15 to 20 percent higher than the cost of the current technology.

Parker said the time savings will be welcome. "There's only so many hours in a day and we're using all of them," he said.

Explore further: How fresh is your maple syrup?

2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The maple syrup that's tapped from the tree may not be as fresh as you think it is.

Forget about buckets. In recent years, maple syrup has been made with reverse osmosis sap extractors and air injectors. This week, the University of Vermont's Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill Center, VT, has opened ...

Maple syrup, a concentrated sap from the maple tree Acer saccarum, is used as a sweet alternative to refined sugar across the world. Scientists are becoming interested in maple syrup as a source of beneficial compounds such ...

For decades, maple syrup producers have eyed the weather to help understand spring sugar yields. But new research in the journal Forest Ecology and Management reveals a more valuable metric for understanding and even ...

Catherine Aaron and Gabrielle Beaudry were 17 when they knocked on the door of the laboratory of Alex Parker, a neuroscience researcher at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM). While students at Collge ...

The future of sweet syrup could come from some unlikely sources: birch and walnut trees.

Photographers, poachers and eco-tour operators are in the crosshairs of a Canadian conservationist who warns that tracking tags are being hacked and misused to harass and hunt endangered animals.

Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new tool to identify interactions between RNA and DNA molecules. The tool, called MARGI (Mapping RNA Genome Interactions), is the first technology that's ...

Small "bubbles" frequently form on membranes of cells and are taken up into their interior. The process involves EHD proteins - a focus of research by Prof. Oliver Daumke of the MDC. He and his team have now shed light on ...

The first skirmish was fought last week in what could be a long war over a revolutionary patent on gene-editing technology, with colossal amounts of money at stake.

Scientists from The University of Western Australia have identified a tiny mutation in plants that can influence how well a plant recovers from stressful conditions, and ultimately impact a plant's survival.

The last Neanderthal died 40,000 years ago, but much of their genome lives on, in bits and pieces, through modern humans. The impact of Neanderthals' genetic contribution has been uncertain: Do these snippets affect our genome's ...

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Improved technology saves maple syrup producers time, energy - Phys.Org

Huawei has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the P10.

The 5.1-inch handset is intended as a direct rival to the iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7, featuring high-end specs and a number of unusual tweaks.

The P10 comes with a 5.1-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 screen, 64GB of storage, a 3,200mAh battery and a Hisilicon Kirin 960 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM.

The P10 Plus, which has launched alongside it, instead features a 5.5-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 display, 128GB of storage, a 3,750mAh battery and 6GB of RAM.

Both phones support Huawei Supercharge through the USB Type-C port, which promises a full day of battery life from 20 minutes of charging.

They also run Android 7.0 Nougat, but Huawei has tinkered with the operating system by laying its own EMUI 5.1 software over the top of it.

The companys also decided to ditch the phones soft keys.

The home, back and recent apps commands all live within the fingerprint sensor below the screen. Users have to tap it once to go back, hold it to go home and swipe it to view the recently used apps screen.

Huawei says that maximising the usefulness of the display was the reason behind the move, but were not sure users will be too thrilled about having to learn a bunch of new gestures, albeit simple ones.

The smartphone also features something called Ultra Memory, which uses a machine-learning algorithm to optimise memory use, something Huawei claims will make apps open faster.

Ultra Response, meanwhile, enables the phone to predict which areas of the screen the users fingers will next touch.

The P10s camera system is also somewhat unusual, combining a 12-megapixel colour sensor with a 20-megapixel mono sensor.

Huawei calls the system the Leica Dual Camera 2.0 Pro Edition, and says the Portrait Mode included in the P10s camera app will optimise the lighting in scene to help users capture more artistic shots.

The P10 will be available in a wide number of colours, including Ceramic White, Dazzling Blue, Dazzling Gold, Prestige Gold, Graphite Black, Mystic Silver, Rose Gold, Greenery.

Huawei hasn't announced UK pricing yet, but the P10 will cost 649 and the P10 Plus will cost 699 when they go on sale in March.

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Huawei P10 launches with AI touch technology and multi-purpose fingerprint sensor - The Independent

Feyenoord extended their lead at the top of Eredivisie by five points on Sunday, but it might not have happened without goal-line technology.

Jeroen Zoet spilled Jan-Arie van der Heijden's effort on the goal line with the scores level at 1-1 and with defenders on the line and the goalkeeper's own body obscuring the ball, it was almost impossible for the linesman to see if the ball had crossed the line.

But referee Bas Nijhuis only needed the help of his watch as he awarded the 82nd minute winner to Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side - after goal line technology told him the ball had crossed the line.

The video footage shows the ball had only entered the goal by a couple of millimeters.

The two points ensured by the new technology could be crucial to Feyenoord, who have now put a cushion between themselves and second-placed Ajax as they search for a first league title since 1999.

PSV are now a further 11 points back behind their rivals following the defeat at the De Kuip.

Jens Toornstra had given the home side the lead before Gaston Pereiro's equaliser for PSV.

PSV boss Philip Cocu said: "Goal-line technology has proved decisive today. A goal is a goal and we cannot dispute that."

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Feyenoord vs PSV decided by goal line technology - and half an inch - as hosts go five points clear - Mirror.co.uk

Huffington Post

Uber may have bought self-driving car technology that was stolen from Google Quartz A blog post published yesterday by Waymo, the self-driving car company spun out of Google (now Alphabet)'s X research lab, outlined what it believes to have been an organized excavation of its intellectual property by one of its previous employees ... Waymo Says Uber Stole Critical Self-Driving Technology, Files SuitHuffington Post Google Self-Driving Car Unit Accuses Uber of Using Stolen TechnologyNew York Times Google and Uber Are Fighting Over Lidar Technology. What Is It?Bloomberg Telegraph.co.uk -ExtremeTech -CNNMoney -Medium all 510 news articles »

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Uber may have bought self-driving car technology that was stolen from Google - Quartz

Forbes

Artificial Intelligence, IoT Will Fuel Technology Deal-Making In Year Ahead Forbes The relentless drive to digital transformation among tech and non-tech companies pushed mergers and acquisitions to record levels over the past year, the latest analysis finds. Now, artificial intelligence and machine learning loom as the next wave of ...

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Artificial Intelligence, IoT Will Fuel Technology Deal-Making In Year Ahead - Forbes

Forbes

New Technology Empowers You To Fight Crime With Your Smartphone Camera Forbes We live in the age of the smartphone. Just about everyone and their mother has one, and it is attached to them at the hip. Most of us can't go anywhere without our phones, let alone go just fifteen minutes without checking them. One study found the ...

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New Technology Empowers You To Fight Crime With Your Smartphone Camera - Forbes

Photo: Stephanie Kim / Hearst Connecticut Media

Larry Mauer learning how to transfer his music files to his MP3 player with help from Wilton High School junior Erin Sweeney at the Senior center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Larry Mauer learning how to transfer his music files to his MP3 player with help from Wilton High School junior Erin Sweeney at the Senior center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Linda Gortz uploads photos unto Shutterfly with help from Debbie McClelland at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Linda Gortz uploads photos unto Shutterfly with help from Debbie McClelland at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Alec Favarolo helps Barabara Sage with using her iPhone at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Alec Favarolo helps Barabara Sage with using her iPhone at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Ann Byrne receives email help from Shelby Connor, junior at Wilton High School, at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Ann Byrne receives email help from Shelby Connor, junior at Wilton High School, at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Luke Terradista, junior at Wilton High School, helps Gierdra Troncone at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Luke Terradista, junior at Wilton High School, helps Gierdra Troncone at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

NoraNol Nolan, senior at Wilton High School and founder of Candy Stripers, helps Anne Richards navigate her new iPhone at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

NoraNol Nolan, senior at Wilton High School and founder of Candy Stripers, helps Anne Richards navigate her new iPhone at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

High schoolers teaching seniors in the community how to use their tech devices at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

High schoolers teaching seniors in the community how to use their tech devices at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

High schoolers teach seniors how to use technology

WILTON Larry Mauer came to the Senior Center Wednesday afternoon for help with transferring his music to his SanDisk MP3 player. He also needed help creating an email account.

In a matter of minutes, his problem was solved after a one-on-one session with Wilton High School junior Erin Sweeney.

Shes really great, Mauer said.

I can lend her, but I wont easily lend her, he laughed.

Sweeney is part of the Candy Stripers, a group of Wilton High Schoolers who find ways to connect with and serve the senior community.

The club partnered with Stay at Home in Wilton to launch the tech class this year, meeting in the senior technology room twice a month for one-on-one sessions with seniors. The sessions last about an hour.

Those of us who live in Wilton are fortunate to have very capable students who enjoy working with seniors in the community in technology instruction, said Peter Dodds, president of Stay at Home in Wilton.

The program also allows for the building of inter-generational relationships. Conversations about growing up in Wilton and life stories were shared between seniors and the high-schoolers, in the midst of tips on how to use the latest technology devices and platforms.

NoraNol Nolan, a Wilton High School senior who founded the club last year, said she started the Candy Stripers for this very reason: to add enriched experiences and interactions in the lives of seniors who live in Wilton.

The clubs name was inspired by the original Candy Stripers, started by a group of female junior high and high-schoolers who volunteered at hospitals in the 1940s.

All of the members of our club, we all have an elderly member of our family who has been lonely or has needed help or been in a home, Nolan said. So we just go around the homes in the community and throw events for them.

Nolan said the best part of the tech class so far is helping seniors connect to friends and loved ones, and to the world, overall.

I know that my grandpa says that technologys left him behind, like everythings moving so quickly, she said. So its good for them just to sit down with us, and we go step by step.

Giedra Troncone, who needed help removing closed captioning on a foreign film, agreed.

Its the best thing you could have ever imagined, she said. These are answers to specific questions, and this way, we get the undivided attention.

For more information about the program, contact Stay at Home in Wilton at info@shwil.org or 203-423-3225.

SKim@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1044; @stephaniehnkim

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High schoolers teach seniors how to use technology - Thehour.com