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Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk‘s brain-chip startup Neuralink said on Tuesday it has received approval from an independent review board to begin recruitment for the first human trial of its brain implant for paralysis patients.

Those with paralysis due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may qualify for the study, it said but did not reveal how many participants would be enrolled in the trial, which will take about six years to complete.

The study will use a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink said, adding that its initial goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.

The company, which had earlier hoped to receive approval to implant its device in 10 patients, was negotiating a lower number of patients with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after the agency raised safety concerns, according to current and former employees. It is not known how many patients the FDA ultimately approved.

Musk has grand ambitions for Neuralink, saying it would facilitate speedy surgical insertions of its chip devices to treat conditions like obesity, autism, depression and schizophrenia.

In May, the company said it had received clearance from the FDA for its first-in-human clinical trial when it was already under federal scrutiny for its handling of animal testing.

Even if the BCI device proves to be safe for human use, it would still potentially take more than a decade for the startup to secure commercial use clearance for it, according to experts.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Ancient Roman Silver Coins As Old As 2,000 Years Unearthed By Researchers

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September 8, 2024

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Ancient Roman Silver Coins As Old As 2,000 Years Unearthed By Researchers

A significant discovery of ancient silver coins has been made on the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, located between Sicily and Tunisia. Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen, Germany, unearthed 27 Roman silver coins, known as “denarii,” dating back more than 2,000 years. The coins were found hidden in a hole in the wall during excavations at the Acropolis of Santa Teresa and San Marco. Some of these coins feature a human head profile, which remains unidentified.

Pirate Attack Theory

It is believed that the coins were hidden during one of the many pirate raids that plagued the region around 94 to 74 B.C., a period when the Roman Republic ruled. The discovery was made after earth from the site slipped following rainy weather, revealing part of the stash. The rest of the coins were found under a boulder. According to archaeologist Thomas Schäfer, the coins may have been concealed by locals during a pirate attack.

Pirates frequently raided coastal areas across the eastern Mediterranean until the Roman general Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, known as Pompey the Great, defeated them in 67 B.C.

Roman Ruins and Previous Discoveries

The discovery of these coins occurred near an earlier find – the heads of three Roman statues. These marble heads included portrayals of Julius Caesar, Emperor Titus (who ruled from A.D. 79 to 81), and a woman who could be Agrippina the Elder, the granddaughter of Augustus, or Antonia the Younger, daughter of Mark Antony.

The archaeological site, once a Roman settlement known as Cossyra or Cossura, remains untouched by looters and features an assembly area known as a “comitium.” Only five such locations have been found in Italy, making this a significant and well-preserved find.

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Great White Sharks Gather in This Mysterious Spot Every Year

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September 8, 2024

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Great White Sharks Gather in This Mysterious Spot Every Year

The White Shark Café, located in the Pacific Ocean between Baja California and Hawaii, is a mysterious region where great white sharks gather every winter and spring. This area, once thought to be an ocean desert, has puzzled scientists for years. Great white sharks, typically found off the coast of California, make a long journey to this remote location. Barbara Block, a marine sciences professor at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station, named the area while studying the migration of these sharks using electronic tags between 1999 and 2000.

The Enigmatic Migration

Block’s research revealed that four out of six tagged sharks swam southwest, staying in this unexplored ocean patch the size of Colorado. These sharks also engaged in deep dives, some reaching depths of 1,500 feet, sparking curiosity among scientists. Why would these sharks leave their abundant hunting grounds in California to travel to what was once considered a barren part of the ocean?

A Lively Ocean Oasis

In 2018, Block and her team embarked on a mission to uncover the mystery behind the White Shark Café. They tagged 20 sharks and retrieved data from 10, revealing surprising findings. The Café, once thought to be desolate, was brimming with life.

Deep-sea fish, squids, and microscopic algae populated the area, suggesting it could be a vital food source for the sharks. But the study suggested that the food options in the open ocean were not more than the ones they could have found in their familiar hunting grounds, which leads to the speculation that the White Shark Café might have significance for mating practices.

Mysteries of Shark Diving Patterns

However, the question remains: why do sharks seek this food in the open ocean? Observing the sharks’ diving patterns, researchers noted that males increased their deep dives in April, leading to speculation about potential mating behaviours. Still, why males dive more than females remains unclear, leaving scientists like Block and her team searching for answers.

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Placebo Effect Link Found With Previously Unassociated Parts of the Brain

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September 8, 2024

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Placebo Effect Link Found With Previously Unassociated Parts of the Brain

Patients suffering from chronic pain have limited treatment options, often relying on medications like opioids that come with harmful side effects and high addiction risks. A new study in mice, published in Current Biology journal, suggests a new way to use the placebo effect for treating chronic pain. By activating specific neurons in the brain linked to pain relief, researchers managed to create an environment where mice associated pain relief with their surroundings, providing a sustained placebo effect.

Study by Fan Wang’s Team

Fan Wang, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, led this research. Wang and her team explored how neurons in the central amygdala could be “reverse-engineered” to mimic the placebo effect, according to a Science.org report. They conditioned mice, previously affected by chemotherapy-induced chronic pain, to link a particular environment with pain relief. Even when the neural stimulation was removed, the mice continued to display pain relief, showing reduced pain-related behaviours.

The Role of Pain-Suppressing Neurons

This placebo effect was achieved without reactivating the pain-suppressing neurons, indicating a separate brain mechanism driving this response. Researchers discovered that the placebo effect also occurred, though weaker, when the mice were given morphine instead of neural stimulation.

Potential Implications for Human Treatment

Fabrizio Benedetti, a placebo expert from the University of Turin Medical School, believes this study supports the idea that placebos and drugs might share common mechanisms. While the placebo effect in humans involves complex factors like social interaction, these animal models could help deepen our understanding of pain management.

Dr. Benedict Alter of the University of Pittsburgh notes that, although there is a long way to go before this research applies to human patients, these findings hold significant potential for drug-free treatments.

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