JH Surgical Assistant Services Pty. Ltd.

05/10/2025

05/10/2025

🧠 Long COVID brain fog finally has a scientific explanation

For years, millions of people suffering from Long COVID have reported “brain fog”—trouble with memory, focus, and thinking clearly. Now, researchers in Japan have identified a biological cause behind these cognitive struggles.

A team at Yokohama City University used an advanced brain imaging technique called [11C]K-2 PET scanning to reveal abnormal increases in AMPA receptors (AMPARs)—molecules crucial for learning and memory—in patients with Long COVID. Elevated AMPAR levels were directly linked to both the severity of brain fog and higher inflammation markers, providing the first clear molecular evidence of the condition.

Published in Brain Communications (Oct 2025), the study found that AMPAR density could distinguish affected individuals from healthy ones with remarkable accuracy—100% sensitivity and 91% specificity. This breakthrough opens the door to new diagnostic tools and potential treatments, such as drugs targeting AMPAR activity.

With brain fog affecting over 80% of Long COVID patients worldwide, this discovery is a vital step toward validating patients’ experiences and accelerating the search for effective therapies.

📖 Reference: Yu Fujimoto et al., Systemic increase of AMPA receptors associated with cognitive impairment of long COVID, Brain Communications, 1 October 2025.

23/09/2025

Scientists have just built the first perovskite-based gamma-ray camera, marking a breakthrough in nuclear medicine imaging.

Developed by a team from Northwestern University and Soochow University, this camera uses perovskite crystals—best known for transforming solar technology—to achieve unprecedented clarity, precision, and sensitivity in medical scans.

Unlike conventional detectors, which rely on costly or less effective materials, perovskite detectors are cheaper, easier to produce, and more efficient. They can pick up even faint gamma-ray signals, producing crisp images while reducing scan times and radiation exposure.

This innovation could make advanced diagnostic imaging more accessible worldwide, allowing hospitals and clinics—even those with limited budgets—to adopt cutting-edge nuclear medicine tools. A Northwestern spinout, Actinia Inc., is already moving toward commercialization, bringing this technology closer to real-world applications.

This is not just an upgrade—it’s the start of a new era in medical diagnostics.

📖 Reference: Shen, N. et al. Nature Communications (Aug 30, 2025), “Single photon γ-ray imaging with high energy and spatial resolution perovskite semiconductor for nuclear medicine.”

10/08/2025

In a world-first medical milestone, scientists have used CRISPR-edited insulin-producing cells to restore natural insulin production in a person with type 1 diabetes, without the need for immune-suppressing drugs. The breakthrough came when a 42-year-old patient, who had lived with diabetes for nearly four decades, received lab-grown cells transplanted into his arm muscle.

Within weeks, the patient’s body began producing insulin on its own, eliminating the need for injections or extra medications to protect the new cells. Even more remarkable, this insulin production continued for at least 12 weeks, marking the first time such a therapy has worked in humans without immune rejection. The CRISPR edits allowed the cells to evade detection by the immune system while functioning like healthy pancreatic cells.

Although it’s still early days, the implications are profound. If this success holds in long-term studies, it could pave the way toward a functional cure for type 1 diabetes, ending decades of daily shots, blood sugar spikes, and medication reliance. For millions worldwide, this could be the beginning of a new era in diabetes treatment.

31/07/2025

As a healthcare worker and patient who lives in the area, I understand the level of frustration we need to offer for our level of care for ourselves and loved ones. We stretched beyond anything and the last we want are threats and harassment from all sides. We ask only for your patience and kindness.

BLACKTOWN: There have been several media stories in the past week focused on resourcing issues in Blacktown Hospital’s emergency department.
As a result of the coverage, staff at Blacktown are experiencing an increase in aggressive behaviour from patients and their families – both in the ED and on the wards.
Many patients are threatening to contact media if their demands are not met or if they are not treated immediately, disregarding the triage system which allows those in need of life-saving care to be seen first.
We understand the frustrations and believe it is important to continue raising these issues until more funding is provided for our public hospitals.
But we ask that doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff are not abused or threatened.
They are not responsible for the under-resourcing crises and are working hard every day to deliver the best care possible with limited resources.
Let’s look after them.

10/05/2025

21/04/2025

15/04/2025

People don’t get rich by being selfless and generous. They get rich by being greedy and exploiting everybody they can. They just can’t understand how public healthcare works.

29/03/2025

The end of cognitive decline? Researchers just used nanoparticles to reverse neurological damage caused by Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disease affecting millions, involves the accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein in the brain, leading to dopamine neuron death and motor control loss.

The new approach uses gold nanoparticles coated with antibodies and peptides, designed to target specific neural receptors and break down harmful alpha-synuclein fibrils.

The treatment was successful on mice, and humans could be next.

Nanoparticles, guided by antibodies, are delivered to the brain and attach to damaged dopamine neurons. Near-infrared light, shone through the skull, activates the nanoparticles, converting light to heat. This heat triggers cellular repair and releases peptides that dissolve harmful protein tangles, restoring the neurons and improving motor function.

This differs from current treatments that boost dopamine levels with medication, often causing side effects.

The nanoparticle system targets the root cause, "reawakening" damaged neurons to produce dopamine naturally, eliminating the need for problematic drugs. While still in early stages, with tests only on mice and cell models, the results are promising. The treatment dramatically improved Parkinson's-like symptoms in mice without observed side effects. The wireless nature of the system allows for activation without further invasive procedures. While human trials are distant, this proof-of-concept study offers hope for a less invasive, more effective Parkinson's treatment.

learn more https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ado4927

19/02/2025

Research shows a cat's purr can heal bones and promote tissue repair:

Cats may purr when snuggled in your lap, but the soothing rumble isn’t just a signal of happiness.

Research suggests that the vibration is produced by muscles within the larynx, which dilate and constrict the glottis as the cat breathes. This results in a sound with frequencies ranging from 20Hz to 150Hz — known to correspond with therapeutic healing frequencies for bones and tissues in humans. Studies find that bones respond to the pressure of a cat's purr by hardening.

In fact, cats often purr in stressful situations, during recovery, or even when facing death, hinting that the purr may function as a form of self-soothing or physical rejuvenation.

Behavioral experts, such as Marjan Debevere and Gary Weitzman, highlight the varied meanings behind a purr. Cats might purr to express nervousness, communicate with other cats, or simply as a way to encourage humans to feed them.

As researchers continue to study feline communication, one thing is clear: the purr is more than just a simple expression — it’s a biological marvel that deepens our understanding of the bond between cats and their humans.

Learn more: https://pubs.aip.org/asa/jasa/article/110/5_Supplement/2666/550913/The-felid-purr-A-healing-mechanism

13/01/2025

X - ray