Tag: breakthrough

Doctors Combined a Heart Pump and Pig Kidney Transplant in Breakthrough Surgery

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 24, 2024
No Comments on Doctors Combined a Heart Pump and Pig Kidney Transplant in Breakthrough Surgery

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The kidney used in the latest NYU transplant was procured from a pig with a single genetic edit—the removal of a gene that produces a sugar known as alpha gal. This sugar appears on the surface of pig cells and seems to be responsible for rapid rejection in humans. The pig was engineered by Revivicor, a subsidiary of United Therapeutics Corporation.

Mandeep Mehra, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, is excited by the NYU news. “It’s very innovative to combine the two,” he says, but the heart pump carries a risk of infection. Left ventricular assist devices require external batteries to power them. A wire comes out of the patient’s abdomen and connects to a controller and battery pack. “It’s that exit site that can be prone to infection,” he says.

Mehra says it also remains to be seen whether the single gene edit will be enough to prevent rejection and keep the kidney functioning for the long term. “The entire premise of gene editing was to overcome the immunological barrier,” he says.

Close up of surgeons in organ transplant surgery

In the previous pig organ transplants in living patients, the animals had more modifications. The pig used for the heart transplants had 10 edits and the one used in Slayman’s procedure last month had 69. Yet with both Bennett’s and Faucett’s hearts, doctors noted signs of rejection. And even a week after Slayman’s surgery, his kidney showed early evidence of rejection—something his medical team hadn’t expected.

“The evolutionary distance between humans and pigs is 100 million years,” Mehra says. “Any gene editing needs to overcome that.”

The NYU’s team is taking a “less is more” approach with gene editing, Montgomery said, and instead relying on the pig’s thymus to help mediate the immune mismatch.

Pisano says she’s glad she took a chance on the procedure. She hopes she can leave the hospital so she can go shopping and play with her grandchildren. “The worst case scenario is that it doesn’t work,” she says, but even then she thinks it would be worthwhile. “It might work for the next person.”

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Tags breakthrough, Combined, Doctors, Heart, kidney, pig, Pump, surgery, Transplant

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Scientists inch closer to holy grail of memory breakthrough — producing tech that combines NAND and RAM features could be much cheaper to produce and consume far less power

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A revolutionary new memory device that combines the features of DRAM and NAND flash memory is being developed by a group of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Led by Professor Shinhyun Choi of the School of Electrical Engineering, the team’s breakthrough promises cheaper, power-efficient solutions that could potentially replace existing memory solutions or be used to implement neuromorphic computing for the next-generation of AI hardware.

According to KAIST, the new device utilizes next-generation phase change memory with ultra-low power consumption, capable of replacing both DRAM and NAND flash memory.

Taking a novel approach

Typically, DRAM offers high-speed performance but is volatile, resulting in data loss when power is shut down. NAND flash memory offers a solution by preserving data even when the power is off, but it does not match the speed of DRAM. This new phase change memory provides a non-volatile, high-speed solution combining the best of both worlds.

Previous versions of phase change memory have had a problem – high power consumption. Despite attempts to reduce consumption by decreasing the physical size of such devices using state-of-the-art lithography technologies, the reductions were minimal, while costs soared.

To overcome this, Professor Choi’s team have established a way to electrically form phase change materials in an extremely small area, successfully developing an ultra-low-power phase change memory device. Notably, this consumes 15 times less power than previous phase change memory models which used expensive lithography tools, a significant breakthrough in the quest for cost and energy efficient memory development.

“The phase change memory device we have developed is significant as it offers a novel approach to solve the lingering problems in producing a memory device at a greatly improved manufacturing cost and energy efficiency, “ said Professor Choi. He went onto to say that he expects this new research to become the basis for future electronic engineering, paving the path for high-density three-dimensional vertical memory and neuromorphic computing systems.

This isn’t the only neuromorphic computing solution being worked on at KAIST. Last month scientists there unveiled an AI chip that they claimed can match the speed of Nvidia‘s A100 GPU but with a smaller size and significantly lower power consumption.

Illustrations of the ultra-low power phase change memory device developed through this study and the comparison of power consumption by the newly developed phase change memory device compared to conventional phase change memory devices

(Image credit: KAIST)

Microsoft makes major quantum computing breakthrough — development of most stable qubits might actually make the technology viable for many, but will anyone be able to afford it?

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Unlike traditional computing that uses binary bits, quantum computing uses quantum bits or ‘qubits’, enabling simultaneous processing of vast amounts of data, potentially solving complex problems much faster than conventional computers.

In a major step forward for quantum computing, Microsoft and Quantinuum have unveiled the most reliable logical qubits to date, boasting an error rate 800 times lower than physical qubits.

This groundbreaking achievement involved running over 14,000 individual experiments without a single error, which could make quantum computing a viable technology for various industries.

Azure Quantum Elements platform

Microsoft says the successful demonstration was made possible by applying its innovative qubit-virtualization system (coupled with error diagnostics and correction) to Quantinuum’s ion-trap hardware. Jason Zander, EVP of Strategic Missions and Technologies at Microsoft, says, “This finally moves us out of the current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) level to Level 2 Resilient quantum computing.”

The potential of this advancement is enormous. As Zander says, “With a hybrid supercomputer powered by 100 reliable logical qubits, organizations would start to see the scientific advantage, while scaling closer to 1,000 reliable logical qubits would unlock commercial advantage.”

Quantum computing holds enormous promise for solving some of society’s most daunting challenges, including climate change, food shortages, and the energy crisis. These issues often boil down to complex chemistry and materials science problems, which classical computing struggles to handle but which would be far easier for Quantum computers to manage.

The task now, Microsoft says, is to continue improving the fidelity of qubits and enable fault-tolerant quantum computing. This will involve transitioning to reliable logical qubits, a feat achieved by merging multiple physical qubits to protect against noise and sustain resilient computation.

While the technology’s potential is immense, its widespread adoption will depend on its accessibility and cost-effectiveness. For now, though, Microsoft and Quantinuum’s breakthrough marks a significant step towards making quantum computing a practical reality.

NVIDIA CEO unveiling new AI breakthrough at GTC 2024

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date February 22, 2024
No Comments on NVIDIA CEO unveiling new AI breakthrough at GTC 2024

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang unveiling new AI breakthrough at GTC 2024

The upcoming GTC 2024 conference in San Jose is shaping up to be a significant event for those interested in the latest developments in artificial intelligence. From March 18-21, industry professionals and enthusiasts will gather to hear from NVIDIA’s CEO, Jensen Huang, who will open the event with a keynote speech. His talk is expected to cover the newest AI breakthroughs and will be available to everyone, both live and on-demand, without any registration required.

NVIDIA has been at the forefront of AI technology since 2014 and is set to display its latest work in areas such as large language models, cybersecurity, and robotics. The conference boasts an impressive schedule with 900 sessions and 300 exhibitors, providing a comprehensive look at how NVIDIA’s technology is influencing various industries, including healthcare, finance, and automotive.

GTC 2024 conference

The event will feature presentations from some of the biggest names in the tech world, including representatives from OpenAI, Microsoft, Google DeepMind, Meta, and Stanford University. These speakers will share their perspectives and breakthroughs, offering attendees a window into the future of tech.

Notable speakers include:

Brad Lightcap, chief operating officer, OpenAI
Sébastien Bubeck, vice president, Microsoft GenAI
Vincent Vanhoucke, distinguished scientist and senior director of robotics, Google DeepMind
Joelle Pineau, vice president of AI research, Meta
Dr. Fei-Fei Li, professor of computer science and HAI co-director, Stanford University
Dr. Priscilla Chan, cofounder and co-CEO, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Stefan Goebel, senior vice president, chief of staff, product engineering and head of strategic engineering partnerships, SAP Labs
Belinda Neal, chief operating officer for core engineering and head of engineering partnerships, Goldman Sachs
Moises Hernandez-Fernandez, vice president of machine learning center of excellence, JPMorgan Chase
Shan Jegatheeswaran, vice president and global head of MedTech Digital, Johnson & Johnson
Rodolphe Katra, vice president of AI, Medtronic
Aaron Saunders, CTO, Boston Dynamics

Over 1,000 organizations, including Amazon, Adobe, and Mercedes-Benz, will be present to demonstrate how AI is reshaping their businesses. The conference will highlight the progress in large language models by OpenAI and Google DeepMind. Attendees will also gain insights into the latest cybersecurity strategies, where AI is playing a crucial role in combating digital threats. Robotics will be another area of focus, with demonstrations of autonomous robots performing intricate tasks.

NVIDIA AI

For healthcare professionals, there will be valuable discussions on how AI is transforming diagnostics and patient care. The finance industry will explore how AI is being used to assess risks and detect fraud. Meanwhile, the automotive sector will present the newest AI-driven vehicles and advancements in autonomous driving technology.

The GTC 2024 conference promises to be a central point for learning and innovation in AI, with Jensen Huang’s keynote setting the stage for conversations that will shape the future of the field. Participants will come away with a deeper understanding of the profound impact AI is having on different facets of life and business.

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Tags breakthrough, CEO, GTC, NVIDIA, Unveiling