It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, August 09, 2024
Turning unused signals such as Wi-Fi into energy for electronics
Tohoku University
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Schematic illustration of a wireless network with energy-harvesting modules. RF signals that are unused by electronic gadgets and would otherwise go to waste are used to generate usable DC power to drive sensors and devices.
We are constantly surrounded by electromagnetic waves such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals. What if we could turn the unused excess into usable energy? Researchers at Tohoku University, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Messina developed a novel technology to efficiently harvest ambient low-power radiofrequency (RF) signals into direct-current (DC) power. This ‘rectifier’ technology can be easily integrated into energy harvesting modules to power electronic devices and sensors, enabling battery-free operation.
The results were published in Nature Electronics on July 24, 2024.
The downside of this method is that the source of the signal typically has to be in close proximity to the electronic device in question. Existing technologies, such as the Schottky diode, face challenges in terms of low RF-to-DC conversion efficiency for faint ambient RF signals (typically less than -20 dBm).
To address these challenges, the research team has developed a compact and sensitive rectifier technology that uses a nanoscale spin-rectifier (SR) to convert ambient wireless RF signals that are less than -20 dBm to a DC voltage. The SR consists of a nanoscale magnetic tunnel junction made of CoFeB/MgO, that is used in a nonvolatile memory technology.
The team optimized the SR devices, taking particular attention to the material’s magnetic anisotropy, device geometry, and tunneling barrier properties. Then, the RF-to-DC conversion performance was tested for two configurations: 1) a single SR-based rectenna operational between -62 dBm and -20 dBm, and 2) an array of 10 SRs in series. Integrating the SR-array into an energy harvesting module, they successfully powered a commercial temperature sensor at -27 dBm.
Collecting and then converting ambient energy sources into usable energy is referred to as “harvesting.” Small devices can harvest the energy, which can reduce battery dependency, extend device lifetimes, and minimize the environmental impact. Instead of having to physically travel to devices in remote regions to constantly replace batteries, the device can be powered remotely by ambient energy sources such as everyday RF wireless signals.
The researchers are now exploring the integration of an on-chip antenna to improve the efficiency and compactness. The team is also developing series-parallel connections to tune impedance in large arrays of SRs, utilizing on-chip interconnects to connect individual SRs. This approach aims to improve how RF power is harvested. The study of this technology may lead to the adoption of a self-sustaining, green alternative energy choice that could solve many issues in the future.
(a) Schematic of the spin rectifier device (magnetic tunnel junction) and its scanning electron microscopy image. (b) Demonstration of energy harvesting. The generated voltage output by an array of spin rectifiers is connected across a capacitor to a DC-to-DC booster converter. The amplified voltage output by the converter powers the temperature sensor. The multimeter displays the output voltage of the spin rectifier array (24.1 mV) and the temperature sensor displays the room temperature (23.4 ℃).
Nanoscale spin rectifiers for harvesting ambient radiofrequency energy
Florey research finds association between prenatal exposure to plastics and autism in boys
Common plastic associated with autism in boys
University of Melbourne
Florey researchers have found evidence of higher levels of the plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in pregnant mothers who gave birth to sons with autism.
Research published in Nature Communications, led by Florey scientists Dr Wah Chin Boon and Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby, supports the hypothesis of a possible link between autism and exposure to plastic chemicals in the womb.
Professor Ponsonby said the researchers analysed two large birth cohorts – the Barwon Infant Study (BIS) in Australia and the Columbia Centre for Children’s Health and Environment in the USA.
“Exposure to plastic chemicals during pregnancy has already been shown in some studies to be associated with subsequent autism in offspring,” Professor Ponsonby said.
“Our work is important because it demonstrates one of the biological mechanisms potentially involved. BPA can disrupt hormone controlled male fetal brain development in several ways, including silencing a key enzyme, aromatase, that controls neurohormones and is especially important in fetal male brain development. This appears to be part of the autism puzzle.”
The study examined children with lower levels of the enzyme aromatase, which in the brain converts testosterone to neuroestrogen, Professor Ponsonby said.
The link between BPA presence and autism was particularly evident in the top fifth of boys with vulnerability to the endocrine-disrupting properties of this chemical. That is, those with lower levels of the enzyme aromatase. The study found boys in that group, who were born to mothers with higher urinary BPA levels in late pregnancy were:
3.5 times more likely to have autism symptoms by age 2 years.
6 times more likely to have a verified autism diagnosis by age 11 years than those whose mothers had lower levels of BPA during pregnancy.
In both birth cohorts, mechanistic evidence demonstrated higher BPA levels were associated with epigenetic (gene switching) suppression of the aromatase enzyme overall.
In laboratory work, Dr Boon studied the impact of prenatal BPA on mice.
“We found that BPA suppresses the aromatase enzyme and is associated with anatomical, neurological and behavioural changes in the male mice that may be consistent with autism spectrum disorder,” Dr Boon said.
“This is the first time a biological pathway has been identified that might help explain the connection between autism and BPA,” she said.
Professor Ponsonby said BPA, similar bisphenols and other plastic chemicals with endocrine-disrupting effects are now widespread and almost impossible for individuals to avoid.
“We all ingest plastic chemicals in many ways – through ingesting plastic food and drink packaging, inhaling home renovation fumes, and through the skin from sources such as cosmetics. There are so many ways these chemicals enter our bodies, so, it’s not surprising that BPA was present in a large proportion of the women’s urine samples we studied. It’s important for us to understand how these plastics affect our health,” Professor Ponsonby said.
These findings are now feeding into public safety regulators which update safety recommendations on manufactured chemical exposure, including plastic chemicals, during pregnancy and early life.
The team also looked for ways to reduce the adverse effect of BPA on the aromatase system.
Dr Boon added that a type of fatty acid called 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid tested in mice could be worth further investigation.
“10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid shows early indications of potential in activating opposing biological pathways to improve autism-like characteristics when administered to animals that have been prenatally exposed to BPA. It warrants further studies to see whether this potential treatment could be realised in humans.”
Male autism spectrum disorder is linked to brain aromatase disruption by prenatal BPA in multimodal investigations and 10HDA ameliorates the related mouse phenotype
Article Publication Date
7-Aug-2024
COI Statement
W.C.B. is a co-inventor on ‘Methods of treating neurodevelopmental diseases and disorders’, USA Patent No. US9925163B2, Australian Patent No.2015271652.This has been licensed to Meizon Innovation Holdings. A.-L.P. is a scientific advisor and W.C.B. is a board member of the Meizon Innovation Holdings. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by diet and exercise even in individuals with a high genetic risk
University of Eastern Finland
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland is the first in the world to show that a healthy diet and regular exercise reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes even in individuals with a high genetic risk. In other words, everyone benefits from lifestyle changes, regardless of genetic risk.
Type 2 diabetes is a global problem. According to the International Diabetes Federation, IDF, one in eleven adults worldwide has diabetes, with type 2 diabetes accounting for 90 per cent of the cases. To date, researchers have identified more than 500 genetic variants that predispose individuals to type 2 diabetes, but lifestyle factors, too, affect the risk of developing the disease. Significant lifestyle-related risk factors include overweight, low intake of dietary fibre, high intake of saturated fats, and lack of exercise. Previous studies have shown that type 2 diabetes can be effectively prevented by lifestyle changes, but it has not been explored whether the disease can be prevented even in individuals carrying numerous genetic variants that predispose them to type 2 diabetes.
The T2D-GENE Trial was a three-year lifestyle intervention that involved nearly 1,000 men aged 50 to 75 in eastern Finland. All those invited to the study had elevated fasting glucose at baseline. The lifestyle intervention group included more than 600 men, and the rest served as a control group. Men in the intervention group received guidance on health-promoting lifestyles in group meetings, and they were supported by a web portal designed for the study. Those invited to the study belonged either to the lowest or the highest tertile in terms of genetic risk, i.e., they had either a high or a low risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Genetic risk was determined based on 76 gene variants known to predispose to type 2 diabetes. During the intervention, neither the study participants nor the researchers knew to which genetic risk group the participants belonged. All those who participated in the intervention received the same lifestyle guidance.
Men participating in the lifestyle intervention were able to significantly improve the quality of their diet. They increased their intake of dietary fibre, improved the quality of fats in their diet and increased their consumption of vegetables, fruits and berries. Weight loss was also observed, although this was not an actual weight loss study. The participants were physically very active already at baseline, and they managed to maintain their good exercise habits throughout the study. With these changes, it was possible to reduce the deterioration of glucose metabolism. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes was significantly lower in the lifestyle intervention group than in the control group. The effects of lifestyle changes were equally significant for individuals regardless of whether they had a low or a high genetic risk.
“These findings encourage everyone to make lifestyle changes that promote health. Furthermore, they demonstrate the effectiveness of group- and internet-based lifestyle guidance, which saves healthcare resources,” says University Lecturer, Docent Maria Lankinen of the University of Eastern Finland, the first author of the study.
Journal
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Effects of genetic risk on incident type 2 diabetes and glycemia: the T2D-GENE lifestyle intervention trial.
Common tree in São Paulo (Brazil) tolerates extreme drought and can help mitigate adverse effects of climate change
A study conducted at the University of São Paulo shows that Tipuana tipu grows faster at higher temperatures and can contribute to the city’s resilience
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
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The researchers concluded that photosynthesis accelerates in tipuana trees when temperatures rise, both in different urban microhabitats and during droughts
One of the three main tree species in São Paulo city, Brazil – the largest mega-city in the southern hemisphere – is the Tipuana (Tipuana tipu), also known as rosewood or tipu, a tall tree with a large spreading canopy. It is tolerant of extreme drought and can be considered an option to promote urban climate resilience, according to a scientific paper published in the journal Urban Climate.
The study assessed the impact of the 2013-14 drought on trees in the city’s streets and parks. The period was chosen because of the extreme drought that occurred in the summer, normally a rainy season when tree growth is vigorous.
Based on an analysis of the width of growth rings and processes relating to the carbon cycle, the authors concluded that photosynthesis by tipuana trees accelerates at high temperatures both in different urban microhabitats and during droughts, so that growth rates also rise even under restrictive weather conditions.
“We need cities to be increasingly resilient in the context of global warming. One way to get there is by planting trees and taking good care of existing trees. We must be pragmatic at times, choosing species capable of responding well to extreme weather so as not to lose the provision of ecosystem services, such as carbon capture and temperature regulation,” said Giuliano Locosselli, a professor at the University of São Paulo’s Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA-USP) and corresponding author of the paper. The study was supported by FAPESP via two projects (17/50341-0 and 19/08783-0).
Urban areas are expected to be home to 68% of the world population by 2050, according to a report issued by UN Habitat, with a rise of 2.2 billion in the number of city dwellers from current levels. On the other hand, cities are increasingly vulnerable to drought and extreme events owing to the shrinkage of permeable green areas and expansion of heat islands.
In light of these trends, discussion of resilient cities, territorial planning, preparedness, and rapid response and recovery in face of climate challenges is growing. On May 5, in honor of World Environment Day, the Brazilian government published a decree that instituted Resilient Green Cities, a program to increase the resilience of cities nationwide in the face of climate change. It main aims are integrating policies and fostering sustainable practices to valorize the ecosystem services provided by urban green areas.
“The composition of urban plant cover including species that are resistant to different situations makes the entire city resilient to any extreme event. Our study adds an element that extends its biodiversity. We’re also researching other native species,” Locosselli said.
In partnership with Marcos Buckeridge, full professor at the Institute of Biosciences (IB-USP) and last author of the article, and a group of scientists at other institutions, Locosselli has conducted studies on nature-based solutions to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and pollution by optimizing the ecosystem services provided by urban forests.
In one of these studies, using the tipuana tree as a model, they showed that air pollution stunts tree growth and restricts the environmental services trees provide (read more at: agencia.fapesp.br/30552).
Besides the tipuana tree, considered an exotic (non-native) species in São Paulo, the other most common tree species in the city are Ligustrum lucidum (glossy privet, a small tree or shrub that can reach a height of 3 m and bears white flowers) and Caesalpinia pluviosa (sibipiruna in Brazil, momoqui in Bolivia, reaching 28 m, with a rounded crown and yellow flowers). The number of trees lining public streets in São Paulo is estimated at some 652,000.
“There’s always a very pertinent and important discussion about the need to cultivate native versus exotic species. Native species, which occur naturally, have a key cultural significance, and the environmental legislation contains incentives to plant and protect them. However, the urban environment is unique and we need to look for resilient alternatives,” Locoselli said.
The characteristics of the urban environment that affect plant health include concrete structures, impervious soil, air pollution, and varying microclimates, with heat islands and the impact of global warming exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions. The average temperature in São Paulo city is 4 °C higher than in the past.
The tipuana tree originated in Bolivia and northern Argentina, but it has been ubiquitous in São Paulo for over a century. The species is can also be seen lining streets in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.
Carbon isotope analysis
In the study, the scientists analyzed growth rings in street trees and park trees, focusing on δ13C (pronounced “delta C 13”), a measure of stable carbon isotopes that reflects processes relating to the carbon cycle. Tree rings help estimate the past variability of ecosystem services based on wood microdensity, hydraulic architecture, and carbon and oxygen isotopes, serving as a reliable proxy to assess physiological processes and development over time.
They fed the data into a regression tree, a type of algorithm often used in urban forest analysis as its output is easily interpreted to support decision-making. One of the results showed a rise of δ13C during the drought, boosting tipuana tree growth.
“Tipuana trees are part of São Paulo’s heritage, and a purely negative view of exotic species can therefore be overhasty. We showed that these species can indeed be a valuable part of urban biodiversity. Having tipuana trees in the city is a significant advantage,” Locosselli said.
It remains to be seen whether the species will be able to maintain its tolerance of water stress if a sequence of extreme events occurs, he added.
About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.
Macaques on Thailand’s Koram Island may engage in food-washing based on their social rank. The researchers set trays of sliced cucumber mixed with varying amounts of sand on the beach to observe how thoroughly the animals cleaned their food before eating it. They found that lower-ranked animals (pictured) first washed their cucumber slices in the ocean, often well past the point it was clean.
Anyone who has picnicked on the beach has experienced the unpleasant crunch of a sandwich with a surprise helping of sand. But for primates, the tolerance for sand may depend on whether their energy is better spent reproducing and fighting rivals or on protecting their teeth from a mouthful of grit, according to a new Dartmouth study.
Social rank may determine whether animals prioritize immediate energy consumption over long-term health, or vice versa, the researchers report in the journal eLife. They observed the eating habits of long-tailed macaques on Thailand's Koram Island and found that the dominant and lowest-ranked animals briefly rubbed sand-covered food on their fur or between their paws before devouring it, along with most of the sand, and moving on to the next morsel.
Middle-ranked monkeys, however, having more time on their paws, carried their food to the water's edge and washed it in the sea to remove the sand. These animals often expended time and energy scrubbing their snacks past the point when they were clean and would even amble down the beach on their hind legs with their front paws full of food.
Nathaniel Dominy, the study's corresponding author and the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth, says the findings provide insight into how animals—even those in hierarchical groups—choose survival strategies based on individual needs. The study supports the disposable soma hypothesis, which proposes that animals sometimes prioritize immediate survival and reproduction over longevity, Dominy says, adding, "Delayed gratification has its limits."
That may be the case for monkeys at the top and the bottom of the social ladder, for whom life is short and hard, Dominy says. As a result, these animals consume and conserve energy whenever they can. Existing research shows that sand causes significant damage to macaque tooth enamel. But for dominant males especially, that may not be important in a life fraught with challengers.
"High-ranking males are constantly lunging at or chasing other males, behaviors that maximize their siring of offspring. So, they need to eat rapidly to make up for that energy expenditure and that's exactly what we saw them doing," Dominy says. "They just stuff food into their mouths—sand be damned—because they don't have time to walk to the water. It's the urgency of now that matters, not their teeth. To humans, it seems like a shrewd calculation."
The monkeys that wash their food might instead be playing a long game, says Amanda Tan, the study's co-corresponding author and an assistant professor of anthropology at Durham University. Tan worked on the project as a postdoctoral scholar in Dominy's research group at Dartmouth.
"We think these animals invest a lot more time in washing their food because they cannot afford to damage their teeth and compromise their longevity," Tan says. "This strategy could allow them to maximize their potential reproductive success by living longer and producing more offspring over their lifetime."
The findings also could shed light on how the wear and pitting observed in the fossilized teeth of early humans relate to social structure and access to water, Dominy says.
"What if tooth wear is telling us about rank, not food properties," Dominy asks. "If we find more variable wear on a male hominin tooth, the classic interpretation is that it's the result of a varied diet. We ought to consider the possibility that he was eating quickly and couldn't be bothered to clean his food. Or maybe he lived in an area that was historically arid. We have cause to be more open-minded about variable tooth wear."
To observe the macaques' eating habits, Tan and the study's first author, Jessica Rosien '21, arranged plastic trays on the beach that contained cucumber slices. The slices were either on their own, placed on top of sand, or buried in sand. Rosien and Tan recorded the animals every day for six weeks as they foraged for cucumbers in the trays, capturing nearly 1,300 instances of food-handling by 42 individual macaques.
The monkeys that washed their food devoted an average of five seconds to over a minute to each cucumber slice—often washing multiple slices—while the average amount of time spent just brushing sand off a slice was effectively zero, the researchers report. That time makes a difference. In lab trials with sand-coated cucumbers, the researchers found that washing removed 93% of sand and brushing removed only 75%.
The researchers determined social rank using established methods of observing how the animals interact. But the social order was not subtle, Rosien says. She recalls a low-ranking male that, rejected by his peers, spent his time sitting next to her on the beach. A high-ranked female would fearlessly challenge other macaques for their cucumbers and steal anything Rosien left unattended, including her backpack of supplies. "I loved getting to know the different monkeys' personalities over time and I definitely got a sense of the impact of social rank," she says.
Before the study, Tan worked on Koram Island for years observing how the macaques developed skills using tools through social learning. She knew that some animals washed their food while others did not. It was Dominy who wondered if there was a rank-based trade-off between getting calories quickly versus preventing tooth wear, Tan says. "To our knowledge, no one had tested the hypothesis that food-washing served as an adaptive function for removing grit," she says.
Food-washing among primates is not common, Dominy says. The Koram Island macaques were first observed doing so after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Their habit became a draw for tourists, who, before authorities put a stop to it, would throw fruit on the beach from boats to watch the animals wash it in the surf.
The other known instance is among the Japanese macaques on Japan's Kōjima Island. In the 1950s, researchers studying the animals lured them toward the beach with wheat and sweet potatoes to observe them more clearly.
In 1953, a young female named Imo first picked up a sandy sweet potato and washed it in a stream. Five years later, the other animals had taken up the practice, washing their food in the sea. Today, 92% of the Kōjima Island macaques wash their food.
"I love the story of Imo," Rosien says. "It shows how an individual can cause a shift in a whole population. To see such a significant advance in real time makes it easier to understand how small changes can lead to big changes."
The spread of a similar habit in two independent populations separated by 50 years and 5,000 miles speaks to the value of culture, Dominy says.
"You have to be experimental and entrepreneurial to invent a new behavior out of whole cloth, but it has to be clear enough that other individuals will understand its purpose and copy it," he says. "And they have to be smart enough to recognize when another animal has figured out something valuable. That's what culture is—seeing the value of a new behavior and adopting it."
The value for the macaques of washing their food was considered so obvious, no one had studied it before, the researchers write in their paper. "Even if something seems intuitive, it’s still important to be curious, ask questions, and test assumptions," Tan says.
"In this case," she continues, "our study provides a fuller picture of the various trade-offs that animals may juggle relative to their place in a social structure and gives us a better understanding of how that leads individuals to behave distinctly."
First author Jessica Rosien '21 recorded nearly 1,300 instances of food-handling by 42 individual macaques over six weeks. Monkeys that washed their food devoted an average of five seconds to over a minute to each cucumber slice—often washing multiple slices—while the average amount of time spent just brushing sand off a slice was effectively zero, the researchers report. The researchers determined social rank using established methods of observing how the animals interact.
Dominant macaques briefly brushed cucumber slices from the experimental setup on their fur before eating them, along with a mouthful of tooth-degrading sand. Lower-ranked macaques carried their slices to the ocean and washed them obsessively before eating. The macaques picked up their habit of washing food after the 2004 tsunami. Afterward, tourists would throw fruit from boats to watch the animals food-wash, but the government put a stop to the practice.
A new study from Swansea University has revealed a surprising relationship between grooming behaviour and physiological stress in wild female baboons, addressing a crucial gap in our understanding of how sociality is linked to health and fitness in animals.
Published in the journal Biology Letters, the researchers studied wild chacma baboons in South Africa. Tracking collars with motion sensors provided data on how much time each baboon spent giving or receiving grooming. The baboons’ physiological stress levels were estimated by measuring concentrations of glucocorticoid metabolites in their faeces.
Consistent with previous work, the team found that higher average grooming rates were linked to lower average stress levels, suggesting that grooming has long-term positive effects on health and fitness. However, when the researchers time-matched the high-resolution grooming and physiological stress data, they found that when baboons spent more time grooming (both giving and receiving), higher physiological stress levels followed, contrary to expectations.
This finding suggests that the long-term positive link between physiological stress and grooming is unlikely to be subserved by grooming itself because, in the short term, grooming is physiologically costly.
High-resolution grooming data from collars can now be used to study how this short-term hormone–behaviour relationship might change across environmental and social contexts and, if deployed in other social animals, confirm how widespread this phenomenon is.
Dr Charlotte Christensen, a former Swansea University PhD student now based at the University of Zurich, commented: "Our findings challenge the conventional view that grooming is purely relaxing and suggest that the immediate physiological costs may be outweighed by long-term fitness benefits."
Senior author Dr Ines Fürtbauer, head of the Behavioural Ecology & Endocrinology lab at Swansea University, emphasised the broader implications: "This study provides valuable insights into the proximate mechanisms of social bonding and stress regulation. Understanding these dynamics can help us better comprehend the health and survival strategies of social animals."
This research highlights the importance of exploring the link between social behaviours and physiological stress at different time scales, with sometimes counterintuitive results, contributing to the ongoing debate about the costs and benefits of sociality in animals.
Los Angeles, California – August 6, 2024 - In a significant leap forward for healthcare equity and accessibility, researchers at the University of Victoria and the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) have developed a revolutionary system that combines remote health monitoring and drug delivery using 3D-printed hollow microneedles. This innovative approach, detailed in a recent study published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, promises to transform healthcare delivery, particularly for those in underserved or remote regions.
The integrated theranostic microneedle array (MNA) system significantly advances personalized medicine. These 3D-printed hollow microneedles provide painless and minimally invasive access to interstitial fluid, revolutionizing drug delivery and diagnostics.
It features an array of colorimetric sensors that quantitatively measure key health indicators such as pH, glucose, and lactate levels. Simultaneously, the system incorporates a remotely-triggered mechanism for on-demand drug delivery.
One of the most notable features of this technology is its use of an ultrasonic atomizer, which streamlines the drug delivery process. This innovation enables rapid, pumpless, and point-of-care drug administration, significantly enhancing the system's portability and reducing complexity.
The system's capabilities are impressive, with a demonstrated ability to detect pH levels ranging from 3 to 8, glucose concentrations up to 16 mm, and lactate levels up to 1.6 mm. These measurements provide crucial data for monitoring various health conditions.
A vital component of this technology is its accompanying smartphone application, which serves as an interface for both the sensing and drug delivery functions. This user-friendly approach ensures that patients and healthcare providers can easily access and interpret the data and control the drug delivery process.
The implications of this technology are far-reaching. By enabling remote health monitoring and treatment, it has the potential to bridge geographical and socioeconomic disparities in healthcare access. This democratization of healthcare could lead to more timely interventions, continuous monitoring, and truly personalized care, regardless of a patient's location or economic status. The system's potential impact on managing chronic diseases that require long-term treatment is particularly promising. The ability to deliver medications on-demand and monitor health indicators non-invasively could significantly improve patient outcomes and quality of life. As healthcare systems worldwide grapple with issues of equity and access, this technology offers a glimpse into a future where quality healthcare is not limited by geography or socioeconomic factors. This system combines remote monitoring, on-demand drug delivery, and user-friendly interfaces. It represents a significant step towards a more equitable distribution of health resources and outcomes.
Dr. Ali Khademhosseini, CEO of the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation and a renowned expert in bioengineering, commented, "This innovative approach confronts drug delivery challenges, particularly in managing chronic diseases requiring long-term treatment, while also offering avenues for non-invasive health monitoring through microneedle-based sensors."
The researchers behind this groundbreaking work have addressed current drug delivery and health monitoring challenges and paved the way for future innovations in personalized, accessible healthcare for all.
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For more information, please contact:
Stewart Han
Email: shan@terasaki.org
Alireza Hassani, Ph.D.
Email: hassania@terasaki.org
Grant Information: This study received backing from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI).
About Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI):
The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation is a non-profit research organization dedicated to leveraging cutting-edge technology to address global health challenges. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and pushing the boundaries of innovation, TIBI aims to transform healthcare and improve lives worldwide.
