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Integrating AI into mental health services is not without its hurdles, but the potential health benefits it brings to the table are too significant to ignore. A world where access to mental health assistance is not bound by geographical limitations, where the stigma associated with seeking help is diminished by the anonymity and accessibility of digital platforms, and where every individual receives mental health crisis care that is as unique as their own story.

The Current State Of Mental Health Support

Despite significant advancements in healthcare, mental health systems often struggle to meet the growing demand for mental health emergency assistance and services. Traditional approaches, while effective to an extent, are hampered by limitations in accessibility, personalization, and early detection of crises. Mental health is also critical today — according to Bernard Marr of Forbes, “It’s a tragic fact that suicide is now the fourth leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds worldwide.”

Challenges In Mental Health Emergency Support

The primary challenges are the stigma surrounding cognitive wellness, the shortage of mental health professionals, and the lack of personalized treatment options. These issues contribute to the gap in providing timely and effective therapeutic mental health emergency assistance to those in need. Here are some of the most common challenges faced in mental health emergency assistance:

Limited Accessibility: Many individuals struggle to access mental health services due to geographic, financial, or societal barriers, leaving them without the help they need.

• Stigma and Discrimination: The stigma surrounding mental health emergency assistance issues often prevents people from seeking help due to fear of judgment or discrimination.
• Shortage of Professionals: There is a significant shortage of mental health professionals worldwide, leading to long waiting times and reduced quality of mental health emergency assistance.
• Lack of Personalization: Traditional mental health services can sometimes lack the personalized approach needed to effectively treat diverse individual needs and conditions.
• Insufficient Funding: Mental health services often suffer from insufficient funding, which can limit the availability of resources, research, and advancements in care.
• Inadequate Training: Not all healthcare providers receive adequate training in mental health, which can hinder their ability to offer effective assistance.
• Fragmentation of Care: The fragmentation between different healthcare services can lead to a lack of coordination in care, making it difficult for patients to receive comprehensive assistance.
• Over-Reliance on Medication: There is often an over-reliance on medication as the primary treatment method, neglecting other therapeutic approaches that can be beneficial for mental health emergency assistance.
• Cultural and Language Barriers: Cultural and language differences between patients and healthcare providers can lead to misunderstandings and hinder the effectiveness of treatment.
• Lack of Early Intervention: Many mental health systems are reactive rather than proactive, missing opportunities for early intervention that could prevent more severe mental health conditions.
• Digital Divide: The increasing use of digital health solutions can exacerbate inequalities, as not everyone has access to the necessary technology or internet connectivity.
• Privacy Concerns: With the rise of digital mental health services, there are growing concerns about the privacy and security of sensitive personal information.

Role Of AI In Mental Health

Artificial intelligence’s integration into mental health services is beginning to address these challenges by enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of care. Here are some of the innovations that artificial intelligence is bringing to the table to cater to mental health support:

• Artificial Intelligence-driven Therapy and Counseling: Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots and virtual therapists are offering new ways for individuals to access mental health support. They provide immediate, 24/7 assistance that can guide users to relevant resources or help manage mild symptoms.
• Predictive Analytics in Mental Health: Through the analysis of data patterns, artificial intelligence can predict potential mental health crises before they escalate, enabling proactive intervention and support.
• Personalized Treatment Plans: artificial intelligence algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data to tailor treatment plans to the individual’s specific needs, improving the efficacy of mental health interventions.
• Virtual Therapists and Chatbots: Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots and virtual therapists can provide immediate, round-the-clock emotional support and counseling, guiding individuals to appropriate resources or helping them manage mild to moderate mental health symptoms.
• Predictive Analytics for Early Detection: By analyzing patterns in speech, text, or online behavior, speech patterns, and language patterns, artificial intelligence can accurately identify early signs of mental health issues, enabling proactive intervention before conditions worsen.
• Personalized Treatment Plans: artificial intelligence algorithms can sift through vast amounts of data to tailor treatment plans to the individual’s specific needs, considering factors like genetic information, lifestyle, and response to past treatments for a more effective approach.
• Enhancing Accessibility: artificial intelligence can make mental health support more accessible, breaking down barriers related to geography, availability of specialists, and cost, thus reaching individuals who might otherwise go without care.
• Emergency Intervention Tools: Artificial intelligence systems can monitor for signs of acute distress or suicidal ideation in real time, alerting professionals to intervene immediately in cases where urgent support is needed.
• Training and Support for Clinicians: artificial intelligence can assist mental health professionals by providing diagnostic support, treatment recommendations, and ongoing learning opportunities, enhancing their ability to offer effective care.
• Monitoring and Follow-up Care: Through wearable devices and mobile apps, Artificial intelligence can help monitor patients’ progress and sleep patterns, adjust treatment plans as needed, and provide continuous support, making it easier to manage chronic conditions and prevent relapse.

AI And Cognitive Issues

AI’s role is expanding beyond traditional applications, offering innovative solutions that could significantly enhance the efficiency, accessibility, and effectiveness of mental health services. Here are several key aspects that illustrate the potential advanced impact of artificial intelligence in this crucial area:

Enhanced Accessibility And Availability

Artificial intelligence-driven platforms can offer 24/7 support, overcoming barriers such as geographical isolation, shortage of local specialists, and the stigma associated with seeking help.

Individuals in emergencies can receive immediate assistance anytime and anywhere, potentially saving lives by providing crucial assistance in moments of severe distress.

Improved Emergency Intervention

Utilizing real-time data analysis, AI possesses the remarkable ability to swiftly pinpoint individuals at potential risk, thereby enabling the prompt initiation of protective measures. This technology has proven priceless in the realm of cognitive wellness, offering diagnostic capabilities that surpass those traditionally available to human therapists. For instance, artificial intelligence can aggregate and analyze relevant patient data from a variety of sources quickly, facilitating a holistic assessment of an individual’s mental state. Such comprehensive analysis significantly improves the accuracy of diagnoses and the effectiveness of subsequent treatments.

Furthermore, Artificial intelligence systems possess the capability to vigilantly monitor digital communications, including social media posts and social media activity, in search of signs of suicidal ideation. This proactive strategy enables prompt intervention by emergency treatment response teams, potentially revolutionizing suicide prevention by providing timely assistance before a situation worsens. This innovative application of artificial intelligence underscores its transformative impact on mental health care, emphasizing its role in enhancing early detection and intervention strategies.

Personalized Support And Treatment

AI can take a deep dive into how people act, what they say, and even their physical signs (like heart rate) to help doctors figure out exactly what each person needs. It’s similar to having a custom-made plan for everyone, making sure they get the kind of help that works best for them. This personalized touch could really make a difference for folks going through tough times, ensuring they get the right kind of assistance right when they need it. It’s all about making care as effective as it can be, tailored just for them.

Ethical Considerations And Privacy

As artificial intelligence becomes more ingrained in mental health emergency assistance, ethical considerations and privacy concerns will come to the forefront. Ensuring the ethical use of artificial intelligence involves safeguarding patient data, maintaining confidentiality, and ensuring artificial intelligence systems are transparent and accountable.

Developments will need to address these concerns head-on, establishing robust ethical frameworks and privacy protections that build trust among users and practitioners alike.

Integration With Traditional Care Services

Looking ahead, artificial intelligence will likely become deeply integrated with traditional healthcare services, acting as a complement to human clinicians rather than a replacement. This content reads as if it is human-written. By integrating AI tools for early detection, risk assessment, and ongoing monitoring, we can cultivate a comprehensive approach to mental health emergency assistance. This harmonious blend of technology and human expertise enables us to provide unparalleled care – AI offers invaluable assistance, while human professionals offer empathy, understanding, and nuanced care that cannot be replicated. Together, we can revolutionize cognitive assistance for a brighter tomorrow.

Learning And Improvement

The continuous improvement cycle promises to steadily enhance the quality and effectiveness of mental health emergency assistance, adapting to new challenges and incorporating the latest research findings.

Overcoming The Challenges

Integrating artificial intelligence advancement into mental health services presents challenges, including ensuring equitable access and building trust among users and professionals.

Privacy And Data Security Concerns

Healthcare providers will need to implement strict data protection policies and use encryption to ensure all patient information is securely handled and stored.

Ethical Considerations

As a new technology, the ethics around artificial intelligence advanced tend to be very vague. Lawmakers and healthcare providers will need to develop ethical guidelines and frameworks that prioritize patient welfare and consent in the development and application of AI technologies.

Lack Of Personal Touch

AI chatbots can seem very impersonal. Professional providers must combine artificial Intelligent tools with human oversight and empathy to ensure a balanced approach that values personal interaction.

Potential Bias In AI Algorithms

According to an article from the WHO, “data and models mostly remain private, and there is little collaboration between researchers.”

One of the biggest issues in the advancement of AI is bias in their datasets. Developers should ensure that they use diverse datasets in training artificial intelligence models and conduct regular audits to identify and eliminate biases.

Regulatory And Compliance Challenges

Proponents of AI should work closely with regulatory bodies to ensure artificial intelligence applications comply with healthcare regulations and standards.

Technology Integration With Existing Systems

AI tools must be interoperable with current healthcare IT systems, facilitating smooth integration and user adoption.

Limited Understanding And Trust Among Users

AI developers will need to provide education and transparent information about how artificial intelligence tools work and their benefits to build trust, consent, and understanding among healthcare providers and patients.

Ensuring Equity And Health Accessibility

Developers will need to think of artificial intelligence solutions with accessibility in mind, ensuring they are usable for people of diverse backgrounds and do not exacerbate existing inequalities.

Building Trust In Future AI Systems

Building trust in artificial intelligence involves transparency, rigorous testing for bias, and ongoing dialogue between artificial intelligence developers, mental health professionals, and the public.

The advancement of artificial intelligence in cognitive or mental health emergency assistance is bright and filled with opportunities to transform how aid is provided to those in need. By enhancing accessibility, improving emergency intervention, offering personalized assistance, and addressing ethical and privacy concerns, artificial intelligence has the potential to make a profound impact on the field of mental health and could enhance other treatment approaches, like VR-based pain management techniques. As we navigate this advancement, it will be crucial to balance innovation with empathy, ensuring that artificial intelligence serves as a powerful tool in the compassionate care of individuals facing mental health crises.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is The Advancement Of AI In Mental Health?

How Can AI Help People With Mental Illness?

How Does AI Help Mental Health Professionals To Improve The Accuracy Of Diagnosis And Treatment?

Can Artificial Intelligence Detect Mental Health Issues?

What Is The Advancement Of Mental Health Apps?

How Can Artificial Intelligence Help In Emergency Management?

How Can AI Help With Stress?

How Can Artificial Intelligence Help Stress Management?

Can AI Replace Mental Health Professionals?

Is There an Artificial Intelligence Chatbot For Mental Health?

What Is The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Psychiatry?

How Can artificial intelligence Help In Achieving Good Health And Well-Being?

Can Artificial Intelligence Help Reduce Human Medical Errors?

What Is The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Psychiatry?

Virtual Reality technology has revolutionized various sectors, and healthcare is no exception. In recent years, discomfort administration has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional chronic discomfort relief methods. It distracts patients and helps them manage acute and chronic aches through technological experience.

 

Discomfort can be classified into two main types: acute and chronic.

Acute Pain

A warning signal indicating injury or a problem that needs attention, typically subsiding as the body heals.

Chronic Pain

Persists beyond the expected period of healing, often without a clear cause.

Traditional pain control approach encompass a wide range of approaches, from medication, such as analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, to physical therapies, including massage, heat treatment, cancer treatment, and exercise. Psychological methods, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), also play a vital role in managing discomfort by distracting patients and helping them change their discomfort perception and develop coping strategies.

However, these conventional methods have their limitations. Medications may lead to side effects or dependency issues, while physical and psychological therapies require time and commitment, and their effectiveness can vary from person to person. According to Dr. David Binder, a doctor interviewed by Harvard Health, “Opioids have many downsides, and providers are thirsty for alternative treatments.”

Virtual Reality technology offers an innovative approach to pain control by immersing patients in a virtual world environment. This immersion can distract the brain from processing discomfort signals or addressing chronic discomfort reduction, effectively reducing the perception of pain.

The Science Behind Virtual Reality And Pain Relief

Virtual Reality pain control strategies involve using virtual reality technology to shift where the brain focuses and reduce the perception of pain. Studies have shown that engaging in a Virtual Reality environment can effectively manage pain, possibly by altering how the brain processes discomfort signals. Some may require fewer mental resources to cater to distress conditions.

Virtual reality (VR) serves as a nonpharmacologic method of pain relief by influencing various emotional, cognitive, and attentional mechanisms within the body’s intricate discomfort modulation system.

The science behind Virtual Reality and pain administration involves several key concepts that explain how VR devices and technology can be effective in reducing discomfort perception and improving patient outcomes. Here’s an expanded view of the principles underlying this innovative approach:

Gate Control Theory

This theory suggests that the nervous system can only process a limited amount of sensory information at a time. Virtual Reality engages the brain with immersive, sensory-rich environments, potentially “closing the gate” to discomfort signals before they reach the brain.

Neuroplasticity

VR can promote neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. Engaging in Virtual Reality experiences can help retrain the brain’s response to pain, leading to long-term severe pain administration benefits.

Attentional Displacement

Virtual Reality commands the user’s full attention, displacing it from the sensation of pain to the virtual environment. This shift can significantly reduce pain or the user’s perception of pain.

Stress Reduction

By placing users in calming and controlled environments, Virtual Reality can lower stress and anxiety levels. Since stress and pain are interrelated, reducing stress can lead to a decrease in pain.

Endorphin Release

Engaging with Virtual Reality, especially through enjoyable and immersive experiences, can trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers, thus discomfort reduction without medication.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Mechanisms

Virtual Reality can facilitate CBT by simulating environments where patients can practice coping strategies for pain administration, altering their behavioral and cognitive responses to discomfort.

Pain Conditioning and Habituation

Over time, repeated exposure to virtual surroundings or virtual environments that distract from or alter the perception of discomfort can condition the brain to respond differently to pain stimuli, potentially leading to habituation or decreased sensitivity to distress.

Empowerment and Control

Virtual Reality gives patients an active role in their pain administration, empowering them with control over their human services and treatment and promoting a sense of autonomy and efficacy.

According to the experts of the Health National Institute, each of these principles plays a role in how Virtual Reality can be harnessed to manage discomfort, highlighting the intersection of technology, psychology, and neuroscience in modern therapeutic practices.

Types Of VR-Based Pain Administration

Good pain management can make use of several different Virtual Reality approach; each method also offers a unique approach to managing different types of pain. These Virtual Reality approaches represent a blend of technology and therapeutic approaches, offering innovative ways to address pain control beyond traditional methods.

The Virtual Reality-formed pain technique utilizes immersive virtual environments to help patients manage discomfort through various strategies. For instance, Grag Lavine, in an article for NIH’s HEAL Initiative, points out that when changing bandages on burn patients or victims, certain individuals have reported a remarkable reduction in pain perception when employing virtual reality (VR) during wound care. This innovative approach has allowed them to undergo what is typically an excruciating process without even noticing it. Here are some of the most common types.

Pain Distraction Strategies

• These involve engaging the patient in a virtual environment that captures their attention and distracts them from the discomfort. Activities can range from playing games to exploring virtual worlds, effectively reducing the patient’s focus on their discomfort.

Guided Imagery

• This technique uses Virtual Reality to guide patients through peaceful and relaxing scenarios, such as walking through a forest or sitting by a beach. The immersive nature of Virtual Reality helps enhance the experience, promoting relaxation and stress reduction, which can indirectly help manage discomfort.

Rehabilitation Exercises

• Virtual Reality can be used to facilitate physical therapy and rehabilitation exercises, especially for patients recovering from injuries or surgeries. The virtual environment makes the exercises more engaging and less painful, encouraging patients to complete their therapy sessions.

Exposure Therapy

• For patients, chronic discomfort management, like Virtual Reality-formed exposure therapy, gradually exposes them to their discomfort triggers in a controlled, virtual environment. This method can help decrease discomfort sensitivity over time and improve coping strategies.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Virtual Reality can be used as a tool to deliver CBT, helping patients modify their pain-related thoughts and behaviors. By immersing patients in scenarios that trigger pain-related thoughts, Virtual Reality-established CBT or virtual and augmented reality treatment aims to teach coping mechanisms and alter discomfort perception.

Mindfulness And Meditation

• Some Virtual Reality applications are designed to facilitate mindfulness meditation practices or breathing exercises. By placing the user in calming virtual environments, these applications can help reduce stress and anxiety, which are often linked to discomfort.

Biofeedback

• VR can be combined with biofeedback, allowing patients to control and modify their physiological processes, such as heart rate and muscle tension, in response to discomfort. This technique often involves visual or auditory feedback within the Virtual Reality environment, helping patients learn relaxation methods or less hurtful procedures to manage chronic lower back pain.

 

Benefits Of VR In Addressing Discomfort Issues

The benefits of using VR for pain management extend beyond its effectiveness. Patients report a reduction in pain levels, improved mood, and even decreased reliance on pain medication. Additionally, future Virtual Reality products offer a non-invasive, less painful, and low-risk option for pain administration.

1. Distraction from Pain: Virtual Reality diverts the patient’s attention away from their discomfort, reducing their perception of pain.
2. Increased Engagement in Rehabilitation: Patients are more likely to participate in and complete rehabilitation exercises when they’re made enjoyable through VR.
3. Reduction in Anxiety and Stress: Immersive VR experiences can promote relaxation, lowering stress and anxiety levels, which are closely linked to pain perception.
4. Non-Pharmacological Approach: VR offers an alternative to drugs for discomfort management, avoiding potential side effects and risks associated with medication.
5. Enhanced Pain Education: VR can educate patients about their pain and treatment in an interactive way, improving their understanding and coping strategies.
6. Personalized Pain Management: VR programs can be tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the patient, offering a more personalized approach to pain management.
7. Improved Physical Outcomes: By making physical therapy more engaging, VR can lead to better compliance and outcomes in physical rehabilitation.
8. Accessibility: VR technology can be used in various settings, including at home, making pain administration more accessible to patients.
9. Potential for Long-Term Benefits: Regular use of Virtual Reality for pain management may lead to long-term improvements in discomfort tolerance and psychological well-being.
10. Immediate Feedback: Virtual Reality can provide immediate feedback during exercises or therapy, helping patients adjust their approach for better pain management.

Challenges And Limitations Of VR In Pain Management

Despite its potential, VR-based pain management faces challenges, including technological barriers and limitations in treating certain types of pain. Addressing these issues is crucial for the broader adoption of VR in pain handling.

1. High Costs: The initial setup and ongoing maintenance of VR technology can be expensive, limiting accessibility for some healthcare providers and patients.
2. Technological Limitations: Current VR systems may have limitations in terms of realism and user interaction, which can affect the immersive experience and, consequently, pain management effectiveness.
3. Accessibility Issues: Not all patients have easy access to Virtual Reality technology, especially in remote or underserved areas, which can create disparities in pain management care.
4. User Discomfort: Some users may experience discomfort, such as motion sickness, dizziness, or eye strain, when using a Virtual Reality headset, potentially limiting their use.
5. Lack of Standardized Protocols: There is a need for standardized protocols and guidelines for using Virtual Reality in pain control, which can make it challenging for healthcare providers to implement Virtual Reality treatments effectively.
6. Data Privacy and Security: As with any digital health tool, there are concerns regarding the privacy and security of patient data within VR applications.
7. Need for Training: Healthcare providers require training to effectively integrate Virtual Reality into pain management practices, which can be a barrier to adoption.
8. Limited Research: While growing, research on the long-term effectiveness and potential side effects of Virtual Reality in pain management is still limited, requiring further studies to fully understand its benefits and limitations.

VR-Based Pain Management

VR-based pain management offers a groundbreaking approach to treating pain scores, providing patients with an effective, non-invasive option. As technology advances, the potential applications of Virtual Reality in healthcare continue to expand, promising a future where pain management is more accessible and effective than ever before.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can Virtual Reality help with discomfort management?

What are the methods used in virtual reality?

How does VR modulate pain?

What is an example of Virtual Reality therapy?

What are some benefits of Virtual Reality in therapy?

Why is Virtual Reality so effective?

What type of therapy is virtual reality?

What are VR’s advantages and disadvantages?

How is VR used in rehabilitation and therapy?

Why is VR good for mental health?

What is virtual reality in physical therapy?

Does VR have positive effects?

How does VR help the brain?

What are the negative side effects of VR?

What are the disadvantages of VR in health?

The 2019 Technology Invention Conference held last December at Bangkok, Thailand, featured some of the most groundbreaking researches, inventions, and innovations in the country. Approaches from various fields such as statistics, biotechnology, chemistry, and marine science, among others, were explored in the studies presented. The goal? Restoring the deteriorating ecosystem.

Incorporating Technology And Education
Such conferences underscore the importance of incorporating modern technology not only in higher education institutions and academic research but also in primary and secondary education centers. After all, those are the places where learning and development begin. Given that the world is in constant flux, humans, with the need and desire to make life better, continue to pursue scientific and technological breakthroughs. They become global citizens whose ability to access, understand, and control technology can define whether they’ll succeed in their pursuits or not.

With the explosion of information and available sources of knowledge, education is one of the sectors that saw massive and rapid changes from the technological revolution. Earlier generations of students who flocked to libraries have now been replaced by a breed of learners who can access knowledge at any time and place. Big data can now be processed by statistical software in seconds. Mechanical and architectural designs can be designed with digital tools and, including their motion and composition, can be analyzed with ease.

Making The Transition
Expectedly, learning institutions had to change their instructions accordingly to apply online and digital methods of teaching since there’s no doubt there’s a lot of benefits of technology. Some have already required their pupils to transition to digital modes of studying in their tablets or laptops. This is the case for private schools and students who have purchasing capacity.

Numerous discussions between parents and teachers were conducted pre-roll out. These discussions focus on the trade-offs between efficient and lightweight technologies versus the expenses, security and safety issues, and compromised attention that it entails. Unfortunately, this shift widens the gap for students who have little to no resources.

We are at a time when possibilities are endless. Thanks to the iterative process of education and society, individuals continue to experience, ideate, prototype, test, and inspire. Learning is now literally at your fingertips. It is up to knowledgeable and capable individuals, as well as society, to promote digital literacy and equip students with the resources they need. Then, the youth can hopefully find the cure to the world’s most complex problems.

Today, technology has been evolving and is becoming easier to use that even children at a very young age will have no problem navigating it. There are also apps and other entertainment things that can be deemed as fun or educational, but what we don’t know is that this can be addicting, too. Something too much (hours upon hours watching TV, playing video games, and using tablet devices) is a bad thing for our mental health, according to a psychologist.

Continue reading Will Technology Ruin Your Children’s Mental Health Development? Psychologist Says Yes

 

 

Wearable technology has flooded the market this year. It seems like every tech company is giving its touch to the wearable device industry. The innovation is almost applicable to anything. There are wearable devices for fitness, health, entertainment, and even sports. It has excellent use for analytics and monitoring purposes. That is why the engineers of the University of California in San Diego developed a wearable device that is capable of predicting a person’s blood pressure. The technology uses the personal information of the user in creating a set of personalized recommendations to manage their blood health. This invention has predictive capability. It is considered a first of its kind in the market.

 

The Analyzed Research In Ground-Breaking Technology

This particular research of the UC team enabled them to win the Best Paper award at the Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Healthcom 2018. According to the research team, it is the first ever device that can investigate blood pressure levels on a daily basis from the user’s analyzed and collected data. The predictive wearable device pinpoints the exact health behavior that needs modification to lower blood pressure levels. It gives the user a lot better goals and a to-do list to follow compared to an array of references. The structure of the device comes from the factors of sleeping behavior, healthy lifestyle, blood pressure levels, and daily exercise monitoring.

A University Of California School Of Engineering professor notes that patients are not too compliant with their doctors whenever they recommend a change of lifestyle for the benefit of their overall health. Sometimes, doctor’s recommendations are never taken too seriously unless it’s already a life and death situation. From that instance, the UC research conducted tests on how patients follow a particular medical order and approach. They concluded that it’s easier for an individual to depend on visual representation than to try to comply with some lifestyle changes from verbal recommendations.

 

 

The First-Hand Testing

The study conducted by the UC team gathered data from eight volunteer patients for 90 days. Based on the research confirmed that personalized data is much more efficient than the general data gathered by almost all healthcare center databases. That’s because each person has a unique lifestyle choice, and the suggested data from most healthcare databases is very general and doesn’t pinpoint a specific recommendation. That is why the research has more positive results when it comes to lowering average systolic blood pressure by 15.4 percent and lowering diastolic pressure by 14.2 percent. Both results are in one-week use of the predictive wearable device.

The research shows that wearing wireless predictive devices is more systematic in handling blood pressure levels. It exceeds expectations compared to the conventional way of going to the doctor for a blood pressure rise checkup. With the wireless blood pressure monitor (such as FitBit charge HR or Omron Evolv), there is a created algorithm that predicts a person’s health parameters. The data accumulated from this device can help both the patient and the doctor adjust treatments and prescriptions without undergoing a lot of constraints. This technology will give the doctors access to increase the overall efficiency of monitoring blood pressure levels.

 

 

The device is still under development. Dey, the creator, and its team have partnered with a group of specialists from the University of California Health. They are bound to integrate the system into a greater sample size. The data gathered from this collaboration aims to increase the overall performance of the device and provide a basis for studying the long-term effect of health behaviors on blood pressure.

 

 

 

The invention of the computer has pushed humanity to new heights. Back in the day, it was impossible to handle data gathering and calculations in the most intricate form. But today, everything is possible with the use of a single computer.

The revolution of data processing and computing is still on the rise without any signs of slowing down. That’s because computer technology handles millions of entry every day. Its usage brings people near accuracy, convenience, and low effort. However, most computers are not energy efficient. But thanks to the new research from Binghamton University (a State University of New York), energy efficient computers are now possible.

 

The Developmental Start

A lot of devices depend on Wi-Fi for connectivity, and somehow, this possesses a lot of disadvantages for the end user. That is why Louis Piper (an associate professor of physics and director of material science and engineering at Binghamton University New York) is trying to develop an energy-efficient computer that allows a device’s total responsiveness. It focuses on a structure that stops devices from losing WIFI connectivity and enables them to stick with the primary computer system.

According to Professor Piper, there are two ways to address the problem of device connectivity and data processing. It is either addressing it through a signal connectivity level or accessing it from the hardware level (which is what his team is currently doing). The main idea of their project is to create a set of chips that are capable of handling computing on their own rather than doing a back-and-forth communication with a more massive computer machine or server.

 

 

The Complexity Of The Creation

Modern research is trying to replicate the functions of the neurons in a human brain. And through this continued research, scientists have finally created neuristors. Neuristors are circuits that act at the same level as biological neurons. It can do complex computations with the use of minimal power. Part of a neuristor is made up of niobium dioxide, which can act similarly to the switching action of ion channels.

Though the study is currently progressing, these components are very difficult to fabricate. It is complicated, elaborate, and time-consuming. The parts require a companion capacitor to be able to function within the neuristor circuit. Its overall complexity process is challenging because the fabrication stage of the niobium dioxide needs a bolt of electricity for it to be created.

Seemingly, the specifications of the process are not how engineers do the fabrication, and that’s not how silicon transistors get incorporated into its manufacturing as well. That is why in the study proposed by the Georgia Tech team in creating NB2O5x based devices, they are not going to inject an additional pulse of energy. This method was verified by Piper’s team and even said that it could lead to an inexpensive and energy efficient neuristor circuit.

The team aims to create the devices in a traditional way of fabrication without undergoing the required steps in manufacturing. However, current data supports that the possibility of creating highly efficient devices might deviate from the original manufacturing technique. According to the data from Binghamton, Piper’s team is trying to model the neuristor from a more atomic perspective. Therefore, they don’t want to compromise the nature of every material and give the device the capability to evolve during its operational process.

 

Technology is getting smaller and smaller while increasing its effectivity. Gone are the days of gigantic computers handling thousands or millions of data processes. The future of technological advancement is pointing towards multiple data computing where it welcomes a single device that can compute, manage, retain, and process all information in a split second.

 

 

The number of data that gets processed today is different from the information fed to old computers a long time ago. Today, everything is digitally available, and as the increased digital data has flooded the present computer system, it is inevitable for it to experience hiccups upon processing. That’s because the current computer system cannot handle the abundance of data that needs consistent handling. That is why IBM researchers have been developing the technology of upgraded computer architecture with a different approach so that it can sustain both the previous and present design.

Results show that the new computer architecture outperforms the conventional computer systems of today’s technology. The Artificial Intelligence technology of computer architecture has found its way towards the mainstream market. The system becomes efficient in handling, storing, and processing elaborate data information from different sources. That’s because the design of the new system mimics the various concepts of a human brain, which by the way is still the ultimate data processor up to date.

 

Going Deep With Its Development

During the 1940s, a computer architecture called “von Neumann” was built, and since then, it has become the basis of every computer system. Its structure includes the following essential components. There’s a central processor that acts as the brain of the system where it enables arithmetic and logic executions. There’s also a storage and memory unit that is useful for storing contents and data from external sources. There are a couple of I/O devices (input and output) that are used to enter data into the system. These are the generic parts of a computer system.

 

 

However, the researchers from IBM suggested creating a much more efficient system that can achieve 200 times faster performance than its conventional counterpart. From those functions, they focused on a brain-like computer with processing and memory components that coexist.  To move forward, researchers based their brain-like architecture design on three specific levels of the human brain concept.

• The first level is to make use of the device memory state dynamics. It is the same as to how a human brain performs tasks where it involves basic up to complicated recollection of information. The processing of the data happens in the memory function itself. In a human intellect, both the processing and memory occurs in the same location.
• In the second level, the concept was drawn out from the brain’s synaptic network structures, where the phase changes ideas of its memory components. This concept was used to accelerate the enhancement of deep neural networks. It allows the computer to make an accurate response and have significant numerical integration.
• Finally, the stochastic nature of neurons and synapses of the brain inspires the third level of the system. Through this concept, the researchers were able to assemble a superior computational substrate beneficial for boosting neural networks and allowing the system to have digital-based critical thinking. This phenomenon is characterized by analog storage that resembles biological synapses same as the brain, where it stores a lot of data in only one Nanoscale device.

According to the IBM research team, the new computer design bounds to leap a better function than the conventional computing system. The researchers made sure that the new architecture is a good translation of the human brain function. Thus, it will potentially manage, handle, store, and process millions of data without any hassle. And even during the conceptual stage, they already predicted that the new architecture would exceed users’ expectations.

 

 

The development of computer architecture is still underway, but the design of the latest innovation is way better than the conventional system. It can process without hiccups flooding information from AI systems, giving it the power to work accurately and quickly.

 

 

 

It seems that technology has improved in making medicines over the years. However, viral diseases have also evolved into a more formidable opponent as technology rises. That is why an international research team has applied an idea in restructuring pharmaceutical methods. Right now, the industry is focusing on the source first before creating a cure in search for a new pharmaceutical technique.

The field of pharmaceuticals is one of the wealthiest industries in the world. Though we all know there are still a lot of viral diseases that are yet to be cured by antibiotics, researchers from different prestigious Universities (such as Carnegie Mellon University, the University of California in San Diego, and St. Petersburg in Russia) gathered for a proposition. They proposed a modern means of searching big repositories of compounds emanating from microbes.

The analysis of the mass spectra was able to pinpoint the known elements inside the repository using the information gathered from the reviewed compounds (microbes). It tends to focus on the unknown parameters that can potentially create a much more efficient type of antibiotic or even anticancer medicine. The researchers named the algorithm – Dereplicator. It is the process of capably finding an excellent efficiency of antibiotic candidates from different elements and compounds.

 

 

Testing The Algorithm

Before the use of mass spectrometry, data repositories were put into halt because of its complexity. Not to mention the high cost needed to push through the process, including the hit-or-miss efficiency of rediscovering known compounds. However, the researchers still test the Dereplicator for a week with 100 running computers. From that test, the algorithm sorted through a billion mass spectra in the Global Natural Products Social molecular network at the University of California. They primarily measure the masses within a sample that seems ionized. Positively, it had identified 5000 plus unknown compounds that need to undergo a more thorough investigative process.

After the breakthrough, the researchers made sure that the algorithm was available for use to any investigator who wanted to study additional repositories. The aim is to test the effectivity of the algorithm and gather opinions throughout the pharmaceutical industry. However, according to some researchers, analyzing the compound’s mass spectra is an inexpensive way of recognizing the new type of drug. Although the method used by some was only limited to peptides, it is solely composed of simple structures like loops and chains.

The unknown structures of the gathered result were tested to analyze the variety of complex compounds. The group of researchers from the collaborating universities created a technique for predicting how a mass spectrometer would break molecules. The method started with the weakest rings. From there, it gets simulated as the molecules get placed into a breaking process. An AI technology was integrated into the creation of an algorithm, using 5000 specific known compounds and their mass spectra. They made a computer model that can predict the process of the breakdown of other unknown compounds.

According to the lead researcher Mohimani, the algorithm and biotechnology of Dereplicator do not only recognized known compounds that don’t need any further investigation, but it can also identify “not so common” variants of several known compounds that are likely to go undetected in the process.

 

 

With this new algorithm that is seemingly already available, new ventures in the field of pharmaceuticals become wide open. It will create more efficient progress in the creation of suitable and effective drugs that aid a lot of diseases. And it’s not just antibiotics — algorithms, and the future of AI in mental health crisis support mean that computers might be able to help us with a broad range of illnesses, not just medicine. From there, people and healthcare providers can somehow conclude that the Dereplicator algorithm can become a gateway to a more efficient compound discovery and rediscovery process.