Month: May 2021

New research with an artificial robotic digit has yielded surprising results - in just a few days, people using the thumb were able to operate it naturally to perform complex tasks like building towers from wooden blocks, or stirring your coffee while holding it.   Not only that, but neural scans showed that the presence of the 'third thumb' had actually changed what was going on in the brain, even when the extra appendage was taken off: having a robo-thumb attached for a few days shifted the brain's representation of flesh and blood fingers. Understanding what's going on here is crucial for improving our bodies' relationships with tools, robotic devices, and prosthetics. While these methods of augmentation can be incredibly useful, we need to understand their impact on our brains. D...

The claim: Pfizer trial documents say vaccinated people can transmit vaccine to others through skin contact, with 'devastating' results Fears about people inoculated against COVID-19 exposing those who haven’t gotten a dose of the vaccine, with potentially dangerous consequences, continue to spread online even after they’ve been debunked. In one of the latest versions of a recirculating claim about potential reproductive problems for women who are vaccinated or exposed to someone who is vaccinated, a May 19 Instagram post points to a document about Pfizer’s clinical trial as evidence of the risks to pregnant women. “Stay away from the vaxxed,” the post says in all capital letters. “It is official, from Pfizer’s own documents.” The post presents information in the Pfizer document about the...

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The condition is called macroglossia. It makes it impossible for patients to eat and talk. Dr. James Melville with the UTHealth School of Dentistry has become a specialist in dealing with the condition. He has performed surgeries to help patients regain use of their tongues. When KHOU 11 first reported on the condition last fall, Dr. Melville said there were only two documented cases in the United States. Since then, he has heard about seven more patients. Out of the nine cases, all had been intubated in a hospital. Eight out of the nine are Black. Two had suffered strokes and the other seven were hospitalized with COVID-19 prior to developing macroglossia. Melville says the patients who ...

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez updated the community about the local response to COVID-19 in their briefing Thursday night. Nirenberg reported 221,603 total COVID-19 cases and 3,439 total deaths in Bexar County, an increase of 118 new cases as of Thursday. One new death was reported today. The 7-day rolling average is 138 cases. City officials also reported that 154 patients are hospitalized, 48 are in the intensive care unit and 28 are on ventilators. There are 9% of staffed beds available and 71% of ventilators available. Nirenberg said 995,047 people (59% of the population) have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 741,238 (44% of population) are fully vaccinated. Watch the entire briefing in the video player abov...