Reader's Digest - USA (2019-08)

ILLUSTRATIONS:

SHUTTERSTOCK

HELPINGTHE PARALYSED

Researchershavepioneereda technology
thathelpsparalysedpeoplewalk
again.AccordingtoProfessorSusan
Harkema,wholedtheresearchatthe
KentuckySpinalCordInjuryResearch
Center,US,thousandsofneuronsthat
controlmovementcandieatthesiteof
a spinalinjury.But“therearemillions
morebelowtheinjurythatarehealthy
andhavethecapacitytorelearn,make
decisionsandintegratenewconnections
fromthebrain,"shesays.
Afterimplantingelectricalstimulators
inthespinesofstudyparticipants,
researchersweresurprisedtofindthat
onecompletelyparalysed
patientcouldthenwiggle
histoes.Researchers
workedwithhimand
threemoreparalysed
patients,trainingthemfirst
tostand,thentotakesteps.
Twoarenowwalkingwith
the aid of walkers.

HeartHealth

Warning

Mostheartattacksarecaused

byplaquebuild-upthatnarrows

thearteriesandcanbeseenon

CTscans.Butwhatif doctors

couldpredictwhere– inwhich

arteries– plaquewould

accumulate?AnewCTscan

technology,developedin

Germany,theUKandtheUS,

analysestheinflammationin

arteriestodeterminewhichare

indangerofdeveloping

blockagesfiveormoreyears

beforetheyactuallydo,intime

forpeopletomakepotentially

life-saving lifestyle changes.

BeatingAntibiotic-ResistantBacteria

Around700,000peoplearoundtheworlddieofdrug-resistantdiseaseseach
year.But a combinationofantibioticsandprobiotics(so-called‘goodbacteria’

• suchasthemicrobesthatturnmilkintoyoghurt)were
  recentlyshowntodestroytwostrainsofdrug-resistant
  bacteriathatinfectwounds.Thoughneitherprobioticor
  antibioticalonecouldentirelykillthesuper-bugs,a one-
  twopunchfrombothtogether,“completelyeradicatedthe
  bacteria,”accordingtoresearch scientist Dr Ana Jaklenec
  of MIT in Massachusetts.

40 Augus t 2019

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