TECHNOLOGICAL UPDATES IN MEDICAL SCIENCE : CANCER SPIT TEST

Forget biopsies—a device designed by researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles detects oral cancer from a single drop of saliva. Proteins that are associated with cancer cells react with dyes on the sensor, emitting fluorescent light that can be detected with a microscope. Engineer Chih-Ming Ho notes that the same principle could be applied to make saliva-based diagnostic tests for many diseases.





A CHEAP saliva test that would reveal a patient’s likelihood of developing breast or prostate cancer could be part of a routine visit to the doctor within five years.

The news follows an international research project, involving more than 1,000 scientists, that analyzed the DNA of 200,000 people – half of them with cancer and half without. The study, the largest to look for the faulty DNA that drives cancer, identified more than 80 genetic markers that make people more susceptible to developing ovarian, breast and prostate cancer. Together the cancers affect almost 100,000 people a year in the UK, 26,000 of whom die prematurely.


 

BIO TECHNOLOGY : SCIENTISTS PINPOINTS PROTIENS VITAL TO LONG TERM MEMORY

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found a group of proteins essential to the formation of long-term memories.

The study, published online ahead of print on September 12, 2013 by the journal Cell Reports, focuses on a family of proteins called Wnts. These proteins send signals from the outside to the inside of a cell, inducing a cellular response crucial for many aspects of embryonic development, including stem cell differentiation, as well as for normal functioning of the adult brain.

"By removing the function of three proteins in the Wnt signaling pathway, we produced a deficit in long-term but not short-term memory," said Ron Davis, chair of the TSRI Department of Neuroscience. "The pathway is clearly part of the conversion of short-term memory to the long-term stable form, which occurs through changes in gene expression."

The findings stem from experiments probing the role of Wnt signaling components in olfactory memory formation in Drosophila, the common fruit fly -- a widely used doppelgänger for human memory studies. In the new study, the scientists inactivated the expression of several Wnt signaling proteins in the mushroom bodies of adult flies -- part of the fly brain that plays a role in learning and memory.

The resulting memory disruption, Davis said, suggests that Wnt signaling participates actively in the formation of long-term memory, rather than having some general, non-specific effect on behavior.

"What is interesting is that the molecular mechanisms of adult memory use the same processes that guide the early development of the organism, except that they are repurposed for memory formation," he said. "One difference, however, is that during early development the signals are intrinsic, while in adults they require an outside stimulus to create a memory."

ONE OF THE TINIEST ROBOT : MESHWORM

One of the tiniest robots in development -- about the size of a fingertip -- the Meshworm moves and acts like a small earthworm. It propels itself inch by inch, using artificial muscles that mimic the way an earthworm moves, by stretching one part of itself forward, then pulling the rest of its body along behind it.

 The Meshworm can move silently into the tiniest places to report back data, such as temperatures inside a confined space. It can also record audio and maybe even video in future versions. Made entirely of synthetic fibrous material, it's nearly indestructible. You can step on it or hit it with a hammer and it will keep going because the fibers are not damaged by impact. 

ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE

From Massachusetts-based Boston Dynamics, which works closely with DARPA, an amazingly agile "pack mule" robot will one day be commonplace on military missions in the field. 









The robot will carry gear, such as heavy backpacks that can slow down ground forces. The four-legged "mule" easily negotiates rocks and divots in the road and field. It is intended to follow a military unit of soldiers autonomously, catching up with the unit on field forays with supplies, including food and ammunition. Refinements have made the robot surprisingly quiet, an important characteristic on a secret mission. Future versions of the pack mule will be able to interpret verbal and visual commands.

A SMART PHONE WITH 41 MP CAMERA : NOKIA LUMIA 1020

AN EXTRAORDINARILY DESIGNED BY NOKIA : LUMIA 1020 HAS FOLLOWING FEATURES:

1.  41 MP CAMERA :

The Nokia Lumia 1020 takes photos and video that no other smartphone can match with a 41 megapixel camera sensor, PureView technology, Optical Image Stabilisation and amazing high-resolution zoom.

2.Zoom Reinvented :

Nokia Pro Cam on the Nokia Lumia 1020 lets you shoot in super high resolution, which means you can zoom in close to your shot after you’ve taken it. Then rotate, reframe, crop and share new images as many times as you want.



3.Take photos like a pro :

Capturing stunning images is easier than ever with Nokia Pro Cam. Take your photos to a new level by adjusting focus, shutter speed, white balance and more with easy and intuitive controls.

4.Video that brings back the moment:

Capture sharp, detailed HD video, and zoom in up to six times without losing quality. And with Nokia Rich Recording, you can capture distortion -free, stereo sound – so you can relive the moment as if you were there again.

5. A smartphone like no other.

The Nokia Lumia 1020, powered by Windows Phone 8, comes with MS Office and all the unique Lumia features like Nokia Music and free voice-guided navigation. Add on a wireless charging cover to power up without plugging in.

 RELEASE DATE IN US :       September 12 2013
 RELEASE DATE IN INDIA : October 2013

OUSTANDING GADGET : SAMSUNG SMART WINDOW

The Samsung Smart Window is a window, but it’s a display. It’s a giant transparent touchscreen you can use as a window. It’s a see-through, window iPad. It’s amazing. 

 

It only takes a few features to drive home how crazy this technology is. For instance, it comes with a blinds app. If you activate it, you can slowly open and close the digital blinds and affect the amount of actual light that comes in. It’s also a one-way mirror, meaning that you don’t have to be afraid of passersby seeing you or what’s on your screen; they’ll only see themselves. As if all that wasn’t enough, because the Samsung Smart Window doesn’t need back light units (it uses natural light for that), it uses about 1/10th of the electricity that a standard LCD display its size would use. And in the dark, it has transparent back light units you can use at the cost of a little more power, so you’re always covered.

 Also watch the video:

My views on the gadget :

Its an amazing and a multitasking app

IMPORTANT KNOW HOW : HOW TO CREATE A DISK PARTITION

Follow this steps to create a disk partition :
1. Right click on My computer

 

 

 



2. Click on Manage

     3.The following menu should open

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Now click on Disk Management.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. This shows your current partition.

6.Now right click on a drive you want to create a partition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.Select Shrink Volume option.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Mention the space you want for your new drive.

9.So this way you will get a new drive unallocated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can also see this video:

 

 

 

DRIVERLESS CARS BY GOOGLE : A REVOLUTION IN TRANSPORTATION

AMAZING AND SHOCKING NEWS:

Google is working on a project to launch DRIVERLESS CARS . This will bring a change in transportation system . The project is currently being led by Google engineer Sebastian Thrun, director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and co-inventor of Google Street View.

The project team has equipped a test fleet of at least ten vehicles, consisting of six Toyota Prius, an Audi TT, and three Lexus RX450h, each accompanied in the driver's seat by one of a dozen drivers with unblemished driving records and in the passenger seat by one of Google's engineers. The car has traversed San Francisco's Lombard Street, famed for its steep hairpin turns and through city traffic. The vehicles have driven over the Golden Gate Bridge and around Lake Tahoe. The system drives at the speed limit it has stored on its maps and maintains its distance from other vehicles using its system of sensors. The system provides an override that allows a human driver to take control of the car by stepping on the brake or turning the wheel, similar to cruise control systems already found in many cars today.

On March 28, 2012, Google posted a YouTube video showing Steve Mahan, a Morgan Hill California resident, being taken on a ride in its self-driving Toyota Prius. In the video, Mahan states "Ninety-five percent of my vision is gone, I'm well past legally blind". In the description of the YouTube video, it is noted that the carefully programmed route takes him from his home to a drive-through restaurant, then to the dry cleaning shop, and finally back home.

MY VIEWS ON THIS TECHNOLOGY :
This  technology is useful but has some negative points too it will increase accidents in case of system failure as finally its a software running .
Software though may be protected but have chances of getting hacked and lead to accidents.
Also it cannot be useful in a country like India which would eat up many rickshaw and taxi drivers and increase unemployment.