“Over the last two decades, Nepal has made notable progress in maternal and neonatal healthcare. The maternal mortality ratio has declined from 536 per 100,000 live births in 1996 to 151 by 2021…
There has been a remarkable rise in institutional deliveries, an increase in antenatal visits, and an impressive 70% of women receiving postpartum care from healthcare providers within the first two days after giving birth.”
From Nepali Times.
“The world’s first human trial of a drug that can regenerate teeth will begin in a few months, less than a year on from news of its success in animals. This paves the way for the medicine to be commercially available as early as 2030.
The trial, which will take place at Kyoto University Hospital from September to August 2025, will treat 30 males aged 30-64 who are missing at least one molar. The intravenous treatment will be tested for its efficacy on human dentition, after it successfully grew new teeth in ferret and mouse models with no significant side effects.”
From New Atlas.
Wall Street Journal | Accidents, Injuries & Poisonings
“Now smart-bandage prototypes fill display halls at medical conferences. Many contain small electronics that can detect how a wound is healing and wirelessly transmit the information to a doctor. Some enable the doctor to remotely dispense treatments. Such technical sophistication likely wouldn’t be necessary for a simple cut or scrape, but could be lifesaving for severe wounds treated in the hospital or chronic wounds cared for at home.”
From Wall Street Journal.
“By using an AI method known as a neural network, researchers were able to train Pancho’s implant to decode words based on the brain activity produced when he attempted to articulate them. This AI training method basically allows the brain implant, known scientifically as a brain-computer interface device, to process data in a way that is somewhat similar to the human brain.
By 2021, the technology had significantly helped restore Pancho’s ability to communicate, but only in English.
‘Speech decoding has primarily been shown for monolinguals but half the world is bilingual with each language contributing to a person’s personality and worldview,’ Chang’s research group said on X. ‘There is a need to develop decoders that let bilinguals communicate with both languages.’
However, the 2021 research served as the foundation to develop the decoding system that later made Pancho’s brain implant bilingual in Spanish and English.”
From NBC News.
“AI linked to every day items like kettles and showers could alert family members if their elderly relatives have diverted from their normal morning routine.
The system, being trialled by Censis, learns typical activity of of someone living alone and aims to spot any erratic behaviour, helping to identify when they may have issues.
If Allan Fraser, 94, fails to make his usual morning cup of tea at his home in Buckie and does not respond to an automated text message, then his son will be alerted.
Allan is one of 19 households across Dundee, Glasgow and Buckie taking part in the trial, which Censis hopes to roll out on a larger scale.“
From BBC.
