‘Smart necklace’ could monitor health | Diagnosing pancreatic cancer earlier

‘Smart necklace’ could monitor health

COLUMBUS, OH–A research team at The Ohio State University has fabricated a “smart necklace” that may one day be used to detect changes in a person’s health through their sweat. The battery-free, wireless biochemical sensor detects the blood sugar – or glucose – humans excrete from their skin when they exercise.

Wearable device may one day decrease disability after stroke

KANSAS CITY, KS–On the topic of wearable devices, a clinical trial at the University of Kansas Medical Center is testing whether a wearable device that stimulates the brain and spinal cord with electromagnetic energy might one day help decrease disability after a stroke. Researchers are investigating if stimulating neurons in the brain while performing therapeutic exercise improves recovery after a moderately severe ischemic stroke. KU Medical Center is one of 20 sites nationally expected to participate in this randomized, double-blind study.

Machine learning models may help diagnose pancreatic cancer earlier

ROCHESTER, MN–According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), pancreatic cancer accounts for approximately 3 percent of all cancers in the U.S. and about 7 percent of all cancer deaths. One of the reasons for this rate is that pancreatic cancer is rarely detected in its earliest stages when it would be more curable. A team at Mayo Clinic has published a study showing that radiomics-based machine-learning (ML) models may help diagnose pancreatic cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage than standard diagnosis methods.

University of Cincinnati to study deep frozen molecules

CINCINNATI, OH–The University of Cincinnati is making a significant commitment of funds and resources to establish the latest innovation in microscopy: Cryo-EM technology (deep freezing molecules). The innovation allows scientists to see the intricate structures of proteins in order to study how they move and change as they perform their functions. This research is valuable for studying how proteins are related to human disease.