Scientist Develop a Computer Tool For Predicting Fatal, Irregular Heart Beats

life saving devices fall risk

Heart-related diseases remain one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In most medical cases, these ailments affect the electrical function of the heart, which in turn, leads to lethal and irregular heart beats (also known as arrhythmias.)

Doctor’s current understanding of the intricate issues that shape the beating heart’s electrical function is still inadequate to prevent these often devastating and common diseases.

That said, the good news is, researchers recently created a computer software that can precisely predict which individuals with the rare heart condition may suffer from a potentially fatal event in the future, and whether they will benefit from lifesaving implanted devices.

The computer system, developed by an international team led by scientists from John Hopkins University in the United States, might also help doctors to avoid unnecessary (and sometimes risky) surgeries to place the implanted devices.

During the research, the scientists concluded that 1 in every 5,000 people suffer from Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC). This is an inherited, complex, and multi-gene ailment of the lower heart chambers that can result in irregular heartbeats or deadly arrhythmias.

In most cases, doctors can effectively manage ARVC using the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD); which is a battery powered tool placed beneath the skin to help keep track of one’s heart rate. Thin wires connect your heart to the ICD.

If the ICD detects an abnormal heart rhythm, it (the ICD) delivers an electric shock that will restore the normal heart beat. These devices have been extremely useful in preventing abrupt deaths in patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia.

Having said that, ICDs retail with their fair share risk and side effects as well. For starters, the device may make an error and deliver an inappropriate shock when the patient isn’t experiencing life-threatening arrhythmia.  

Second, the tool usually fails over time, requiring you to visit the hospital for replacement surgeries. This results in hospitalizations and expenses that can skyrocket up to $20,000 per replacement.

“Because patients develop this condition at such a young age, they typically need several ICD replacements over the course of their lives,” adds James, who is also a member of the Precision Medicine Center for Excellence for Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and Complex Arrhythmias, part of Johns Hopkins InHealth, the precision medicine effort at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “For ARVC patients, getting an ICD is a big decision with serious consequences.”

“If someone is at risk of sudden cardiac death, you don’t want to miss the chance of putting in a lifesaving device. But you also don’t want to put it in if that risk is not worth taking,” says Hugh Calkins, M.D., professor of cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory and Arrhythmia Service at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. “This new model can help doctors and patients decide better if an ICD is warranted on a case-by-case basis,” he adds.

Access to Rapid Magnetic 3D Printing of Human Cells May Revolutionize Research Labs

Medicine

The development of 3D printing within the biological sector may mean the end of using animals for medical testing.

Earlier this year, a team of engineers from McMaster University in Canada developed a 3D printing technique that uses magnets to rapidly create artificial tumors which allows researchers to test new therapies and drugs.

This invention will also allow for personalized medications to match symptoms, instead of receiving the standardised one-size-fits-all treatments, as 3D printed cells can be manipulated to suit different researches.

The Engineers believe this new technique will allow researchers to create accurate 3D cell clusters with various cells layers to better match conditions inside the human body for regenerative medicine research.

According to a study published in Science Partner Journal, they (the engineers) were able to print 3D cancer tumor cells within six hours using the method.

If this method is to be successful,  this will eliminate the need for animals during studies altogether. After all, replicating 3D structures of human tissues will give researchers more accurate information about a medication’s results as it is closer to human biology than using animals.

The technology will also speed up the process of drug development by replacing the simpler testing on human cells in Petri dishes; further saving hundreds of millions of dollars from getting wasted on unsuccessful drug candidates that fail during human clinical trials.

“We have developed an engineering solution to overcome current biological limitations. It has the potential to expedite tissue engineering technology and regenerative medicine,” said Sarah Mishriki, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Biomedical Engineering and lead author. “The ability to rapidly manipulate cells in a safe, controllable and non-contact manner allows us to create the unique cell landscapes and microarchitectures found in human tissues, without the use of a scaffold.”

“This magnetic method of producing 3D cell clusters takes us closer to rapidly and economically creating more complex models of biological tissues, speeding discovery in academic labs and technology solutions for industry,” said Rakesh Sahu, a research associate.

US Energy Department to Invest in Blockchain Technology as New Security Measure

blockchain

The U.S. Department of Energy is exploring blockchain technology as a new defence measure against cyberattacks in phase two of a nationwide project to upgrade power plant security.

Blockchain is a system that allows transactions to be made in cryptocurrency, maintained across several computers or servers. By decentralisation the cybersecurity concerns and only being linked to a peer – peer network. Blockchain technology makes it much harder to hack into than standard cyber security measures.

It was announced recently by the department’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) that development in the electric grid security project will focus on decentralised cybersecurity. Startup company Taekion, specialising in this field has been granted $1 million last year in R&D incentives and now will be focusing on researching how blockchain technology can be implemented as a new line of defence.

The NETL said: “The applications being developed in the NETL-managed project have the potential to thwart such attacks by preventing hackers from altering the plant’s operational information.”

A cyberattack on a power plant in Ukraine in 2016 has shown. The severity of such attacks as it resulted in power outages around the country. Such technology to prevent attacks like this are still in the early stages of development. Projects funded by the Department exploring this technology is funded by the department’s Small Business Innovation Research program.

This is not the first time the NETL has invested in research to explore the potential of blockchain energy for technological improvements in the security between power plants and grids within the nation. In 2017, they partnered with another technological company to explore using blockchain in higher security between transactions.

It has also been announced universities will receive fundings of up to $4.8 million for working on R&D blockchain projects.

Up to $7 Million R&D Incentive for Offshore Wind R&D

offshore energy

New developments and research to America’s offshore wind energy industry will receive a significant books as the US government will provide up to USD $7 million in funding. The funding will be invested in research on new technologies aiming to reduce the costs for developing offshore projects.

Targeted projects will be looking at reducing time and cost  in the implementation of offshore projects. Strategically as this is still a new American industry the R&D Incentive will be critical to its Advancements.  

Nils Bolgen, director of Massachusetts Clean Energy Centre said “ this solicitation provides important resources that will help connect our research and testing community with industry players, driving innovation.”

Revitalizing the Manufacturing Industry

smart manufacturing

The Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) aims to build value in the manufacturing industry by taking advantage of smart technologies including software and sensors. CEO John Dyck says that the institute intends to revitalize US and global manufacturing by tackling the challenges that come with implementing these new technologies, as well as the company data flow issues. For instance, CESMII have developed a basic set of technologies for manufacturers and are funding six month projects to solve specific problems, up to a value of $250,000.

Based in California, the institute is developing regional centers across the US including Texas, New York and plans to expand to the Midwest over the coming year. These regional centers will allow for greater industry specialization.

Ohio could well become home to the new manufacturing center as Dyck lives in Northeast Ohio himself. He stated that, “Not having a presence in the Rust belt is a huge strategic gap.” Furthermore, a potential collaboration with business development organization, Team NEO, may be in the works. Team NEO is interested in increasing Ohio’s adoption of smart manufacturing technology in order to maintain a competitive edge.

CESMII is the ninth manufacturing innovation institute to be developed by the government in order to encourage advanced manufacturing R&D. They attempt to assist manufacturers by organizing support from academics, application vendors and system integrators to solve current issues, with the solutions becoming open-source once completed.

New Monoclonal Antibody Drug One Step Closer to New Breakthrough

pharmaceutical

Some of the biggest pharma giants are coming together to drive the surge in the development of the next generation of antibodies. A new study on the monoclonal antibody therapy is one step closer to treating rare diseases. Analysts predict breakthroughs and research within this market will increase revenues to $140 billion in 2022.  

The US alone invests approximately $45 billion annually within the drug industry with the majority of research in biologics. Overall, the global pharmaceutical market at US$934.8 billion is predicted to be US$1.17trillion in 2021 thanks to innovate studies catalysed by R&D incentives.

Being so innovative and relying heavily on research and development, the pharmaceutical industry is closely intertwined with many discovery platforms including but not limited to:

  • Environmental Science
  • Physiology
  • Natural Science

Are you at the forefront of innovation?

Your company may be eligible for R&D Tax Credit, click here to find out more on how Swanson Reed can help.

 

New Material Offers a Revolutionary Way to Power Electronics

electronics

A recent finding by a research team stationed at Ohio State University could possibly change how future electronic devices are fabricated.

The Ohio State team worked out a unique way to improve how our electronics utilize electrons. They’ll achieve this using a new material that can serve two distinct roles in an electronic device. The dual nature of the material will eliminate the need for manufacturers to use multiple materials.

“We have essentially found a dual-personality material,” said Joseph Heremans, co-author of the study, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and Ohio Eminent Scholar in Nanotechnology at Ohio State. “It is a concept that did not exist before.”

The research team has decided to call this unique material phenomenon and electronic structure “goniopolarity”, to reflect its dual functionality.
If everything works and goes as planned, technologists will be able to avail this discovery to create different sorts of electrical devices, from light emitting diodes in display screens to solar cells. The material can also be used in laptops as well as light sensors needed for our smartphone cameras.

With each device, the material works by moving holes (positive charges) and electrons (negative charges) to conduct electricity. And to complete this process in the past, different materials were needed. One to act as a hole holder whereas the other acts as an electron holder. No material, hitherto, could act as both.

The new material, NaSn2As2, however, is a superlattice (layered crystal) capable of doubling as a hole holder and electron holder simultaneously. The team believes the material works this way due to its exceptional electronic structure. Better yet, the team pointed out there may be other layered materials (yet to be identified) that boast similar properties.

“We just haven’t found them yet,” Heremans said. “But now we know to search for them.”

Life Science in Texas Experience Exponential Growth as a Result of Funding

Life Science Growth

A recent report by CBRE Research has found that between 2014 to 2017 Houston, Texas is the third – fastest growing life science market. With an increase of 14% within the workforce as well as several strong academic institutions the state’s capital has more than 200 life science companies.

In 2017 the state received $1.16 billion in funding .The steady progression in Houston’s life science sectors can be seen as the result of funding and incentives by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Texas is due to receive  more funding the next few years for a collaborative 30 – acre biomedical research campus being developed jointly by the Texas Medical Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The project is expected to generate over 30,000 new jobs and a $5.2 billion return when the project opens in 2022.

Through seeing a sector that was once completely associated with Texas grow into one of the bigger industries, there is no doubt that government initiatives aid in the progression and developments. Being the centre of an exponential life health sector boom, companies should leverage R&D tax credit options available to them now.

To find out more on whether you are eligible contact us today

U.S. Senators Take A Bipartisan Approach to Solve Climate Change

climate change

Energy Research and Development (R&D) is at the heart of combating climate change.

And in order to reverse the snowballing, adverse effects of climate change, our nation needs to, at the very least, move toward a zero carbon emission economy as soon as possible. This is the resounding agreement throughout the scientific realm.

The good news is Congressional Republicans have been increasingly agreeing with their Democratic counterparts that action needs to be taken to alleviate climate change. During the parties’ house hearings, Energy R&D policy emerged as a focal point for bipartisan collaboration.

Better yet, on Friday, March 9, 2019, two centric senators called for the United States to pursue Pragmatic Energy R&D policies that can fight climate change instead of concentrating on drastic, yet unattainable measures.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D – W.Va) wrote a Washington Post article on March 8 stating that the U.S boasts the opportunity to lead the entire world on the improvement of new innovations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They even pledged they’ll support these efforts in the Senate.

“If the United States is going to lead by example, we must continue to lead the world in the development of new and improved technologies,” they wrote. “On the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, we agree it is time to act. And that is why we will work to find responsible solutions worthy of West Virginians, Alaskans, and all Americans.”

Even though they did not name specific Energy R&D policies they intend to pursue, Manchin and Murkowski wrote that they’ll back “pragmatic” energy policies that can attract strong, lasting support from lawmakers and voters alike.

Last month, Murkowski’s committee heard a testimony that was in favor of more than doubling United States’ energy R&D spending.

“If we are serious about creating and leading in a new industrial revolution and competing with China, the E.U. and other parts of the world, Congress should seriously consider ARPA-E’s budget authority to be $1 billion at the very least,” Arun Majumdar, founding director of ARPA-E between 2009-2012 and the co-director of Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy, testified during the Congressional hearing.

Steady Growth For Manufacturing R&D in West Michigan

manufacturing

The manufacturing industry is synonymous with West Michigan. This special relationship was forged by an outburst of technological innovation in the area hundreds of years ago, which included the assembly line and major developments in the transmission system and internal combustion engine.

Fast forward to today’s innovative endeavors in the United States, it isn’t implausible to assert that the state of innovation activities in the manufacturing sector in North America has been improving consistently, with West Michigan retaining its dominant role.

According to an annual report analysis made by MiBiz and filed with federal securities regulators, the nine publicly traded companies in West Michigan collectively spent more than $2 billion on research and development (R&D) in 2018: which marks a 6.5 percent increase from the preceding year.

This analysis proved that manufacturers in the arbitrary region of the state remain consistent and committed to investing in engineering, research and development activities, without overextending themselves financially.

“Even in a time of uncertainty, the local companies around here are keeping disciplined on the R&D,” Wall, director of automotive analysis in Grand Rapids at IHS Markit told MiBiz. “They do that to their credit and it should bear well for them at the end of the day when you look at the investments that they are making. Frankly, I expect all these companies to know that if they don’t, their competitors will.”

West Michigan has been very successful to date in supporting its R&D spending as a percentage of net sales (a metric also regarded to as R&D intensity); with the value ranging from less than 1% to more than 6% among the public traded firms in the analysis.

Better yet, based on the current geopolitical and economic indicators, we haven’t seen or heard anything that’s really likely to change the companies’ level of investments in relation to R&D. We should expect them (the firms) to maintain their steady approach to R&D spending in the following years.