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Researchers at Boston University (BU) have used computer simulations of the brain to predict language recovery in stroke survivors.
The research group is currently working to better comprehend how language and speech are processed in the brain and how best to rehabilitate and aid language recovery in people who have lost their ability to communicate as a result of brain damage caused by brain injuries such a stroke, or trauma.

This type of language loss is called aphasia, which is a long-term neurological disorder triggered by injury to the part of the brain accountable for language production and processing. This disorder affects over a million people in the US alone.

“It’s a huge problem,” said Swathi Kiran, director of BU’s Aphasia Research Lab, and College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. “It’s something our lab is working to tackle at multiple levels.”

Over the last decade, Kiran’s team have been observing the brain and analysing how it changes as people’s language skills improve with speech therapy. They have now established a novel technique to predict a person’s capacity to improve before starting therapy.

The researcher’s findings have been reported in Scientific Reports and outline how BU scientists along with collaborators at the University of Texas at Austin have been able to predict language recovery in Hispanic patients who speak both English and Spanish fluently – a group of aphasia patients particularly at risk of long-term language loss – by utilising advanced computer models of the brain. They say that this groundbreaking development could have transformative impacts in the field of speech therapy and for stroke survivors impacted by aphasia.

A team of scientists have developed an innovative strategy for manipulating insulin production that utilises the commonly used smartwatch.
The ETH research team have devised a novel method that proficiently controls the behaviour of cells and genes through the use of the LED lights emitted by smartwatches; this groundbreaking technique can potentially regulate the vital insulin production that impacts diseases such as diabetes.

Their research is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers have been a futuristic addition to the health industry that has captivated millions of users in the UK alone, allowing users to track their steps, record workouts, listen to their favourite music, and record their heart rate as they burn off calories, oh and they tell the time too.

However, perhaps the most futuristic function of smartwatch technology has only just been realised, with the ETH scientists utilising the integrated green LED light – usually used to measure heart rate – to trigger an implanted molecular switch that can effectively manage insulin production.

Martin Fussenegger, the leader of the research from the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, said: “No naturally occurring molecular system in human cells responds to green light, so we had to build something new.”

The use of digital technology is becoming increasingly pervasive in the workplace, but what are its actual impacts on our employment?
We know digital technology has had an impact on every area of our lives. We can manage almost our entire lives through our smartphones, from arranging appointments to paying bills. Technological innovations have also found a way into the workplace, completely revolutionising the way we work.

As digital technology is embedded into workplaces, it can unsettle workers. With technologies including artificial intelligence and automation able to replicate elements of our jobs, it’s easy to see why. Half of UK workers believe they may be replaced by automation, AI, or robots in the next decade. A further 61% are concerned about AI.

While it’s inevitable that digital technology and AI will replace some low-skilled, manual jobs, the good news is that it will create more jobs than it eradicates. According to the World Economic Forum, technology will displace 85 million jobs globally but create 97 million new roles by 2025. What’s more, it will enhance skilled positions and allow employees to be more efficient and productive.

How will AI and automation change the workforce?
As with every industrial revolution, the jobs most likely to be made redundant by digital technology are those that are low-skilled and easily replicated with automation. The ONS predicts that the roles at the highest risk from automation are waiters, shelf-fillers, “elementary sales occupations” (manual roles that can include shop greeters and trolley collectors), bar staff, and kitchen and catering assistants.

Pure Extraction Corp has announced it will be joining forces with AVL Powertrain UK Limited and Ballard Power Systems Inc to facilitate the production of a fuel-cell-powered vehicle.
All parties have entered into definitive agreements, which with the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary First Hydrogen Corp (First Hydrogen), will work together to design and develop a fuel-cell-powered vehicle in which First Hydrogen will own the commercial rights for the design.

Ballard Power Systems Inc is a global industry leader in innovative clean energy and fuel cell solutions, developing and industrialising proton exchange membrane fuel cell products for a vast array of sectors, such as portable power, heavy-duty motive, and material handling, in addition to creating technology solutions services. Furthermore, Ballard will provide support and integration of its hydrogen fuel-cell module for First Hydrogen’s prototype light commercial vehicle.

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