Retina scan may detect onset of Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms emerge

Why it matters to you

Early Alzheimer’s diagnosis could help sufferers access the appropriate medical and support services sooner. Researchers have discovered that a retina scan could help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease years before other symptoms start to emerge.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. It’s a debilitating, progressive condition that affects around 5.5 million Americans at any one time. During the course of the disease, damaging proteins build up in patients’ brains, resulting in the loss of connections between nerve cells, and ultimately to the death of these cells and the loss of brain tissue.

While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, early diagnosis can be crucially important for sufferers. It allows them to access the appropriate medical and support services sooner, and formulate plans for care, as well as legal and financial matters.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s hasn’t always been possible. For decades, the only 100 percent accurate way to diagnose Alzheimer’s was to study a patient’s brain after they had died. Today, physicians use a combination of methods to diagnose the disease — including medical history, analysis of a patient’s mood and mental status, physical and neurological exams, and brain imaging and blood tests to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms.

A new breakthrough from researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USC, UCLA, and other institutes may help make diagnosis much more straightforward. What the researchers have discovered is that Alzheimer’s disease affects the retina of the eye in a similar way to how it affects the brain. This means that an eye scan could be used to detect key signs of Alzheimer’s long before patients experience any noticeable symptoms.

The results, published in the journal JCI Insight, were based on a clinical trial involving 16 Alzheimer’s disease patients.

“Since the retina is a central nervous system organ directly connected with the brain, it was exciting to demonstrate the feasibility of detecting amyloid plaques — early signs of Alzheimer’s disease — noninvasively, inexpensively, conveniently, and with unprecedented details via retinal imaging in living patients,” Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, associate professor in the departments of Neurosurgery and Biomedical Sciences at Cedars-Sinai, told Digital Trends.

Koronyo-Hamaoui notes that, at present, this is still an investigational imaging system and will need to go through Food and Drug Administration approval. “It is hopefully going to be available to patients in the near future, and now it is available as part of large clinical trials,” she said.

Between this and other initiatives using tools like machine learning to make early diagnoses,we’re entering a new era for Alzheimer’s research. Let’s hope that a cure is next!

Engineers have found a way to 3D print more realistic bones for medical use

Why it matters to you

New 3D-printable design could result in stronger and more effective bone replacements.

For medical researchers, the long-term goal of 3D printing is to be able to bioprint complete, fully functional organs which could be transplanted into patients. In the shorter term, additive manufacturing is being used to create medical implants that — while smaller in size and scale — can still have a significant health benefit for patients. One of these areas is the creation of artificial bone grafts, which are traditionally made by physicians by taking real bone fragments from one part of the body and transposing it to another.

A new research project carried out at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan School of Engineering has another solution to the problem. What researcher Hossein Montazerian and colleagues have developed is a new artificial bone design which can be custom-printed using a 3D printer to result in stronger, safer and more effective bone replacements.

“When a bone loss occurs due to fracture, tumor, or otherwise, the doctor may decide to replace or fill the damaged area with a biologically compatible material,” Montazerian told Digital Trends. “These porous bone replacements — which mimic the porous structure of human bone — can be specifically designed based on the patient’s bone shape and fit with the damaged bone.”

Montazerian’s design for the material takes inspiration from patterns that exist in nature to architect a porous structure similar to real bones. “From those patterns, we identified the most suitable ones in terms of the design criteria for bone replacements — strength, stiffness, and porosity — through massive computer simulations for a big library of pore architectures,” he said.

The best designs Montazerian discovered were up to 10 times stronger than the others and had properties very similar to natural bones — which he hopes means that they will be less likely to cause problems over time. The research is not finished yet and no final material has been produced, but the results are highly promising.

“In this research, we focused on the structures in which the geometric features were uniform all over the scaffold,” Montazerian said. “Later we hope to introduce the next generation of scaffolds in which the features of pore architecture, such as porosity or pore shape, smoothly changes to further make its mechanical and biological responses close to the natural bone.”

A paper describing the research was recently published in the journal Materials & Design.

An astronomer at your fingertips: The 6 best solar eclipse apps

On Monday, humans across a total of 14 states (ranging from Oregon to South Carolina) will be in the line of sight of a solar eclipse. And individuals along a nearly 70-mile-wide stretch of land — known as “path of totality” — will be able to experience a total solar eclipse. Seeing as this is the first total solar eclipse viewable from North American in 38 years, everyone from app developers to fraudulent solar eclipse glasses manufacturers are looking to cash in on the cosmic crossing. With only a few days remaining before the eclipse, iTunes and Google Play are both brimming with apps developed specifically for the astronomical event. Thankfully, we’ve done the grunt work and found the best solar eclipse apps currently in existence, whether you’re a fan of astrological simulators or virtual lunar tours.

If you’d rather avoid the crowds, traffic jams, and general risk of eclipse-induced cataclysm, you can always stay indoors and tune into CNN for a 360-degree stream of the event. NASA will also be using 11 spacecraft, three aircraft, and 50 high-altitude balloons to capture and stream real-time eclipse imagery.

Total Solar Eclipse

The Total Solar Eclipse app was designed by the Exploratorium, a museum focused on science, art, and human perception based in San Francisco. During Monday’s eclipse, the Exploratorium team will use a series of telescopes (located in Oregon and Wyoming) to capture and stream the eclipse to the world.

The Total Solar Eclipse app allows individuals to choose between five different live streams. These include discussions hosted by NASA scientists and Exploratorium educators. There’s even a live telescope viewing with musical accompaniment by none other than the Kronos Quartet, giving you the opportunity to potentially savor the solar eclipse while listening to everyone’s favorite KQ hit Flugufrelsarinn. You can also watch and share media from previous Exploratorium expeditions, including the 2016 Micronesia solar eclipse.

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Smithsonian Eclipse 2017

The Smithsonian Eclipse app is one of the more popular options currently in iTunes and Google Play, and for good reason. Like many other apps designed specifically for the total solar eclipse, the Smithsonian Eclipse app allows you to use an interactive map and eclipse simulator to more aptly plan for the astronomical event — you can also use it to tune into NASA’s live stream coverage of the eclipse. As part of the in-app experience, users can peruse some of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s previous solar studies, and even watch “near-live” views from outer space.

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Solar Eclipse Timer ($2)

First and foremost, it is important to note that Solar Eclipse Timer is only useful if you plan on being in the path of totality during the eclipse — the app will be of little use to individuals outside of this area. Once the app accesses your GPS location settings, it will calculate your contact times and peak eclipse projection. During the event, simply tap your device twice and the app will verbally guide you through the eclipse.

The in-app narrator will relay tidbits of information during the various phases, including and not limited to decreases in temperature, lighting, animal behavior, and shadow bands. Most importantly, the app will inform individuals of when they should put on their solar eclipse glasses and when it safe to take them off.

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Sun Surveyor ($10)

Shelling out 10 bucks for an app may be a tall order for most casual stargazers, however, unlike many of these other apps, Sun Surveyor offers plenty of functionality throughout the year. The app allows you to view simulations of the exact location and trajectories of the sun and moon on any given day. Sun Surveyor also lists specific information pertaining to current and projected moon distance, moon phases, and super moon predictions. Photographers and filmmakers will appreciate the calendar tools that pinpoint the exact time of future golden hours, blue hours, sunrises, and sunset. The app also features a useful widget with pull-down notifications regarding sunrise and sunset times.

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Eclipse Soundscapes

Eclipse Soundscapes Project is a collaborative effort between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), NASA, the National Park Service (NPS), and others to create a tactile and auditory real-time experience for the blind and visually-impaired. One of the key features is the interactive “Rumble” map, which translates key portions of the eclipse into a series of “frequency modulated tones.”

These tones make the device vibrate in response to changes in lighting during the eclipse. The Soundscapes app also includes audio descriptions during various phases of the event, as well as a verbal countdown. Users also have access to soundscape recordings from the U.S. National Parks Service, enabling individuals to experience how the eclipse alters the behavior of various animals.

Download now from:

iTunes

Moon Atlas 3D

With so much attention focused on the moon for the next couple of days, it might be best to know a little more about our faithful satellite. Luckily, Moon Atlas 3D makes it easy to take a virtual tour of the moon and learn the names and locations of various geological formations. In total, the app can identify more than 8,000 craters and even pinpoint lunar lander sites from previous missions to the moon. The app also links out to Wikipedia, if you’re in need of further reading. There’s a similar app available on iTunes, but it’ll set you back $6.

Download now from:

Google Play

Amateur and professional photographers alike may also like to take a gander at our tips and tricks for photographing the eclipse. After all, you don’t need the most sophisticated photography equipment to capture spell-binding images of the eclipse — Apple claims your iPhone camera can sufficiently capture the eclipse.

An astronomer at your fingertips: The 6 best solar eclipse apps

On Monday, humans across a total of 14 states (ranging from Oregon to South Carolina) will be in the line of sight of a solar eclipse. And individuals along a nearly 70-mile-wide stretch of land — known as “path of totality” — will be able to experience a total solar eclipse. Seeing as this is the first total solar eclipse viewable from North American in 38 years, everyone from app developers to fraudulent solar eclipse glasses manufacturers are looking to cash in on the cosmic crossing. With only a few days remaining before the eclipse, iTunes and Google Play are both brimming with apps developed specifically for the astronomical event. Thankfully, we’ve done the grunt work and found the best solar eclipse apps currently in existence, whether you’re a fan of astrological simulators or virtual lunar tours.

If you’d rather avoid the crowds, traffic jams, and general risk of eclipse-induced cataclysm, you can always stay indoors and tune into CNN for a 360-degree stream of the event. NASA will also be using 11 spacecraft, three aircraft, and 50 high-altitude balloons to capture and stream real-time eclipse imagery.

Total Solar Eclipse

The Total Solar Eclipse app was designed by the Exploratorium, a museum focused on science, art, and human perception based in San Francisco. During Monday’s eclipse, the Exploratorium team will use a series of telescopes (located in Oregon and Wyoming) to capture and stream the eclipse to the world.

The Total Solar Eclipse app allows individuals to choose between five different live streams. These include discussions hosted by NASA scientists and Exploratorium educators. There’s even a live telescope viewing with musical accompaniment by none other than the Kronos Quartet, giving you the opportunity to potentially savor the solar eclipse while listening to everyone’s favorite KQ hit Flugufrelsarinn. You can also watch and share media from previous Exploratorium expeditions, including the 2016 Micronesia solar eclipse.

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Smithsonian Eclipse 2017

The Smithsonian Eclipse app is one of the more popular options currently in iTunes and Google Play, and for good reason. Like many other apps designed specifically for the total solar eclipse, the Smithsonian Eclipse app allows you to use an interactive map and eclipse simulator to more aptly plan for the astronomical event — you can also use it to tune into NASA’s live stream coverage of the eclipse. As part of the in-app experience, users can peruse some of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s previous solar studies, and even watch “near-live” views from outer space.

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Solar Eclipse Timer ($2)

First and foremost, it is important to note that Solar Eclipse Timer is only useful if you plan on being in the path of totality during the eclipse — the app will be of little use to individuals outside of this area. Once the app accesses your GPS location settings, it will calculate your contact times and peak eclipse projection. During the event, simply tap your device twice and the app will verbally guide you through the eclipse.

The in-app narrator will relay tidbits of information during the various phases, including and not limited to decreases in temperature, lighting, animal behavior, and shadow bands. Most importantly, the app will inform individuals of when they should put on their solar eclipse glasses and when it safe to take them off.

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Sun Surveyor ($10)

Shelling out 10 bucks for an app may be a tall order for most casual stargazers, however, unlike many of these other apps, Sun Surveyor offers plenty of functionality throughout the year. The app allows you to view simulations of the exact location and trajectories of the sun and moon on any given day. Sun Surveyor also lists specific information pertaining to current and projected moon distance, moon phases, and super moon predictions. Photographers and filmmakers will appreciate the calendar tools that pinpoint the exact time of future golden hours, blue hours, sunrises, and sunset. The app also features a useful widget with pull-down notifications regarding sunrise and sunset times.

Download now from:

iTunes Google Play

Eclipse Soundscapes

Eclipse Soundscapes Project is a collaborative effort between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), NASA, the National Park Service (NPS), and others to create a tactile and auditory real-time experience for the blind and visually-impaired. One of the key features is the interactive “Rumble” map, which translates key portions of the eclipse into a series of “frequency modulated tones.”

These tones make the device vibrate in response to changes in lighting during the eclipse. The Soundscapes app also includes audio descriptions during various phases of the event, as well as a verbal countdown. Users also have access to soundscape recordings from the U.S. National Parks Service, enabling individuals to experience how the eclipse alters the behavior of various animals.

Download now from:

iTunes

Moon Atlas 3D

With so much attention focused on the moon for the next couple of days, it might be best to know a little more about our faithful satellite. Luckily, Moon Atlas 3D makes it easy to take a virtual tour of the moon and learn the names and locations of various geological formations. In total, the app can identify more than 8,000 craters and even pinpoint lunar lander sites from previous missions to the moon. The app also links out to Wikipedia, if you’re in need of further reading. There’s a similar app available on iTunes, but it’ll set you back $6.

Download now from:

Google Play

Amateur and professional photographers alike may also like to take a gander at our tips and tricks for photographing the eclipse. After all, you don’t need the most sophisticated photography equipment to capture spell-binding images of the eclipse — Apple claims your iPhone camera can sufficiently capture the eclipse.

Action Launcher 27 brings more color and transparency options to your Android home screen

Action Launcher keeps adding more features so users can fine tune their home screen.

Action Launcher has been a fan favorite launcher for years now, partly due to developer Chris Lacy consistently adding new features. Action Launcher 27 is out now, and here are some highlights of the new features:

• The App Shortcuts and Notification Dots can now be colored to match either the wallpaper or the icon itself.
• Action Launcher’s custom search bar widget can now be placed anywhere on the home screen, not just at the very top.
• Users can now adjust the transparency of folders and the All Apps drawer via Action Launcher’s Quicktheme settings.
• A new weather widget for Android 6.0 and later.

The full changelog is:

• NEW: Weather widget (Alpha). Requires Android 6.0 or later.
• NEW: Adjust the color of the App Shortcuts panels via Quicktheme.
• NEW: App Shortcuts, Shutters and Covers can be tinted with the highlight color of the controlling icon via Quicktheme. Allows for Twitter’s App Shortcuts panel to by light blue, WhatsApp’s to be green, etc.
• NEW: Ability to adjust the transparency of the All Apps page, search box, folders, Shutters and more via Quicktheme.
• NEW: Quickbar (aka the custom Google Search bar) can be placed as a standalone widget anywhere on your layout.
• NEW: Revamped Quickbar icon picker, and the number of icons available for Quickbar customization has increased from ~200 to ~950.
• NEW: Option to disable widget padding (Settings -> Desktop -> Advanced -> Widget padding).

Are you looking forward to these changes to Action Launcher? Let us know down below!

The best Android launchers

Play as David Beckham in his prime in ‘PES 2018’

Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer franchise always vies with EA Sports’ FIFA series for the year’s best football game. To get an edge over its competitor, Konami packed new features into this year’s edition — along with licensing some celebrity athletes to include in your squad. While champion sprinter Usain Bolt was an odd choice to include in the game, the next addition to PES 2018 is a no-brainer: The legendary David Beckham.

Konami signed a deal with the highly-accomplished English footballer, who won 19 major trophies including league titles while playing in England, Spain, France and the United States over his 20-year career. Players can pick Beckham in the myClub mode of PES 2018, which comes out on consoles (including PS3 and Xbox 360) and PC on September 12th.

Source: Konami

Google mobile search shows 6-second video previews

If you’ve searched for videos often enough on Google, you’ve probably had that moment where you tapped the wrong video because you weren’t quite sure it was what you were looking for. No more: Google has added 6-second video previews to its mobile search results. As of this week, searches in Android’s Google app or Chrome can show you a little bit of what each video entails as you flip through them in an on-screen carousel. The sneak peeks will only appear on WiFi by default and are opt-out, so you don’t have to worry about burning through precious cellular data unless you’re ready.

Notably, this feature isn’t available on desktop right now (or, for that matter, iOS). Google tells our TechCrunch colleagues that it’s due to the company’s mobile focus. We’d add that mobile users are the ones likely to appreciate it most. Video dominates your phone screen in a way it doesn’t on your PC, and you’d likely rather not hop back and forth between screens and apps until you find the video you wanted. It won’t be surprising if the feature becomes ubiquitous across Google’s search pages, though, as just about everyone can benefit from a quick look at the video they’re about to watch.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google

Fisker’s luxury EV will debut in January at CES 2018

Legendary car designer Henrik Fisker has announced when we’ll finally get to lay eyes on his electric luxury EMotion sedan in person. The car will debut in January at CES 2018. As Fisker told TheStreet, the team behind the vehicle will also introduce some of the tech behind the EMotion, like its battery pack and LIDAR technology for autonomous driving, though that’s still in development. The battery can reportedly charge in just nine minutes and the car has a 400 mile range.

Fisker Inc. started taking pre-orders for the EMotion in June, but the car isn’t scheduled to ship until 2019. It’s priced at $129,000 and the company is said to be working on a more affordable version priced around $34,000 that aims to take on the Tesla Model 3. That model is expected to hit the market sometime in 2020.

In regards to being labeled a “Tesla killer,” Fisker told TheStreet, “I don’t think anyone is out to kill anybody. Tesla doesn’t really have a competitor. It doesn’t look like one is going to emerge. I think it’s time to move to a next level of this technology and I believe that we have come up with some real breakthroughs.”

Via: The Verge

Source: TheStreet

Bundesliga is the latest soccer league to use video referees

MLS began using video assistant referees (VAR) earlier this month, and when the top German league began its season today, it too employed the tech. Bundesliga announced back in January that it would use the video review tech during the 2017-18 season and now the system has made its debut on the pitch. The league says that all 23 referees from last season will serve as video officials to assist those calling the action up close on critical decisions, including three who retired following the 2016-17 campaign.

Of course, the idea here is to eliminate potentially major mistakes in officiating, especially those when the action happens very quickly. And as you might expect, the VAR system was called upon its first Bundesliga match in a penalty situation between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen.

Opponents of the tech argue that it will slow the pace of the matches, but FIFA technical director Marco Van Basten argues otherwise.”Football will remain the same,” he said earlier this year. “But we’re working so that through the video assistants it will become more honest. All that we want is that the result at the end of a game is achieved in a regular manner.”

Historic moment as the new #Videoassist is called upon for the first time to award @FCBayernEN’s penalty. #FCBB04 pic.twitter.com/MBbI1n3PP8

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) August 18, 2017

Different leagues may employ VAR differently, but Bundesliga will only apply it in four specific situations. Those are limited to irregularities in goal decisions (foul, handball and offside), penalties, red cards and any time there’s mistaken identity over a yellow or red card. This is the same criteria MLS uses to decide when the video assistant referee can intervene in a match. The debut of the tech this month in MLS was the result of nearly three years of testing, which began back in 2014. What’s more, FIFA also plans to use the system during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Source: Bundeliga

China’s online court heard its first case today

The Hangzhou Internet Court, a new online court in China that will hear internet-related civil cases, had its first trial today. Today’s copyright infringement case was between a novelist and a web company that offered her novel to online subscribers without her permission and everyone met via video chat. The judge and both sets of legal agents connected through the web from different parts of the country and the whole thing took around 30 minutes to conclude.

The whole process from beginning to end is done through the internet. The judge presiding over the cases is stationed in a Hangzhou-based courtroom where members of the public can watch a projection of the video feed. A computer program transcribes the trial. Anyone wanting to submit a case can file all required petitions and necessary documents online where they can also pay any fees. Court notifications are delivered online and anyone without a computer can use terminals made available at the courthouse.

China isn’t the only country looking into online hearings. Canada recently launched an online tribunal for small claims disputes and the UK just began an online court pilot program. “The internet court breaks geographic boundaries and greatly saves time in traditional hearings,” said Wang Jiangqiao, the online court’s vice president.

Source: The Times, BBC