E6: A titanium, magnetic levitation, artificial heart pump breakthrough, and much more
Tony Morley, August 8th, 2024
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Breakthrough maglev, titanium, turbine heart pump successfully transplanted
A 58-year-old man just became the first person to receive a breakthrough, titanium, valveless heart pump from BiVACOR. The next-gen pump has a single magnetic levitation turbine, improved reliability, and enough "output for an adult male undergoing exercise."
"It’s hard for me to get perspective on what we’ve achieved," — ‘Can I get a soda?’ First words from historic artificial heart recipient
The culmination of more than 20 years of work by Daniel Timms and the team at BiVACOR — this new pump is the only one in the world to utilize magnetic levitation. A singular rotating turbine, magnetically suspended within the pump dramatically improves durability and output. The design, manufacture, and successful transplant represent a breakthrough technology in artificial heart life support.
Tom Ireland
"Artificial hearts made from magnets and titanium could save many lives" BBC, Science Focus
Michael
The Texas Heart Institute Implants BiVACOR® Total Artificial Heart
Mortality rates have fallen across all ages, not just among infants and children
Over the last two hundred years, human mortality has fallen dramatically, not just in France, but globally — and while 0—5 child mortality has made the most dramatic progress. Globally the child mortality rate has plunged from roughly 40% circa 1800, to just 3.8% today.
With that being said, it's a common misconception that reductions in mortality have declined only among the youngest. This latest graph from Our World In Data shows how mortality has fallen across the full range of ages in France.
"When data collection began in 1816, around 1 in 5 babies in France died during infancy. Two centuries later, that figure was 1 in 274, a 50-fold reduction. In 1816, around 1 in 20 people aged 65, died. In 2021, it was 1 in 106, a five-fold reduction."
Now, with that being said, infant death rates have declined so dramatically over the same period as to be simply amazing. Every day of infancy is safer than in the past
New Dual-Target Drug Could Make Antibiotic Resistance 100 Million Times Harder
"A team of scientists from the US and China has calculated that a new class of dual-action antibiotics could make it 100 million times more difficult for bacteria to evolve resistance."
Depositphotos
Clare Watson
A new prototype vaccine could help cattle farming move the needle on climate change
A new prototype vaccine from US start-up ArkeaBio, cut cow methane emissions by 13 percent in a small trial, suggesting enormous potential to combat the climate impact of cattle farming. — Anti-methane vaccine could reduce the climate impact of livestock.
"Cows given the prototype vaccine produced 12.9 per cent less methane over a period of 105 days, according to results from a 2023 trial seen by New Scientist, with no adverse side effects or disruption to growth rates."
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A new AI powered ultrasound software deployed in Uganda is encouraging mothers to undertake early ultrasounds
"While ultrasound services are normal practice in many countries, software being tested in Uganda will allow a scan without the need for specialists, providing an incentive for pregnant women to visit health services early on"
“It has made pregnant mothers so interested in coming for ultrasound scans,” says Lukakamwa. “People are very much willing to join the study without any apprehension. Apparently, we are getting overwhelmed.”
Kat Lay
Global air pollution fatalities in children under five have fallen by more than 50% since 2000
"The report finds that while air pollution was the second largest risk factor of death for children under five in 2021, the death rate from air pollution for this group has decreased by 53% since 2000."
The results were driven in large part by a significant reduction in child death from indoor air pollution in China and South Asia, where the switch to cleaner indoor heating, cleaning, and cooking fuels has helped reduce the death rate from indoor air pollution in the greater region by 36%.
elena
Breakthrough study shows drug protected >2,000 young women with 100% effectiveness from contracting HIV
A breakthrough study published in The New England Journal of Medicine has shown that a twice-yearly injection of the antiviral drug Lenacapavir prevented >2,000 young women who received the injection from contracting HIV.
Stunning trial shows twice-yearly shots can prevent HIV infection: Paywall Bypass
"Among 5338 participants who were initially HIV-negative, 55 incident HIV infections were observed: 0 infections among 2134 participants in the lenacapavir group (0 per 100 person-years; 95% confidence interval"
Root Source: Twice-Yearly Lenacapavir or Daily F/TAF for HIV Prevention in Cisgender Women, The New England Journal of Medicine
A seventh person has been confirmed cured of HIV
"A 60-year-old man in Germany has become at least the seventh person with HIV to be announced free of the virus after receiving a stem-cell transplant." — Seventh patient ‘cured’ of HIV: why scientists are excited
"The case “broadens the horizon of what might be possible” for treating HIV," "Researchers are now trying to work out why these two transplants succeeded when others have failed."
Humanity is closing in on the eradication of Guinea worm
Improved sanitation and drinking water access, along with a decades-long knowledge campaign on how to filter out the parasites have driven Guinea worm disease to the brink of eradication.
"Globally, Guinea worm has declined from an estimated 3.56 million cases across 20 countries in 1986 to just 14 human cases in 5 countries in 2023"
Sarah DeWeerdt
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