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Oral Microbiome May Influence Cognitive Decline and Brain Health

Source: PNAS Nexus.

The microbial ecosystems within our mouths may affect our cognitive function as we age, according to a study. Interventions such as prebiotics, including dietary nitrate, have potential for delaying cognitive decline.

About 15% of older adults have mild cognitive impairment, which is the largest risk factor for the development of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. There is a known association between periodontitis—gum disease—and worsened cognitive function.

Behind this Door: Learn about EUV, Intel’s Most Precise, Complex Machine

In Intel’s second “Behind this Door” video, take a sneak peek into fab D1X in Oregon to see what is likely the most complicated machine humans have built. An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system uses radically shorter wavelengths to project circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. The #EUV machine pushes Moore’s Law forward and #chip makers cannot produce leading-edge chips without it. (Credit: Intel Corporation)
#Intel #Manufacturing #Semiconductor.

▶ Learn more on Intel’s EUV: https://intel.ly/3AeAKwz.

Notice: This video contains footage provided by external vendors who have their own safety and health policies. Moreover, some footage was recorded prior to the COVID outbreak when no pandemic-related mask or social-distancing policies were needed or in place.

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Case study demonstrates practical applications for quantum machine learning

Quantum researchers from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have demonstrated the potential for quantum computing to significantly improve how we solve complex problems involving large datasets, highlighting the potential of using quantum in areas such as real-time traffic management, agricultural monitoring, health care, and energy optimization.

By leveraging the unique properties of quantum computing, like superposition and entanglement, researchers compressed and analyzed a large dataset with speed, accuracy, and efficiency that traditional computers cannot match.

The work is published in the journal Advanced Science.

People Today Carry DNA from Neandertals. Here’s How It May Affect Our Brain and Behavior

The divide between their lineage and ours narrowed even further in 2010, when researchers published the first Neandertal genome sequence. Comparison of that ancient DNA with modern human DNA showed that the two species had interbred and that people today still carry the genetic fingerprint of that intermixing. Since then, numerous studies have explored the ways in which Neandertal DNA affects our modern physiology, revolutionizing our understanding not only of our extinct cousins but of ourselves as a hybrid species.

This area of research, clinical paleogenomics, is still in its infancy, and there are many complexities to unravel as we explore this new frontier. We therefore must take the findings from these studies with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, the research conducted to date raises the fascinating possibility that Neandertal DNA has wide-­reach­ing effects on our species—not only on general health but on brain development, including our propensity for conditions such as autism. In other words, DNA from our extinct relatives may, to some extent, shape the cognition of people today.

Synthetic Biology: Rewriting Life. Andrew Hessel at NextMed Health

Synthetic Biology is on the cusp of revolutionizing biomedicine.
at NextMed Health 2023 (http://NextMedHealth.com)

Andrew Hessel is chairman of Project-write, and Author of The Genesis Machine, Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology.

More about Andrew Hessel: https://www.nextmed.health/bio-andrewhessel.

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Complete recombination map of the human genome created

Scientists at deCODE genetics/Amgen have constructed a complete map of how human DNA is mixed as it is passed down during reproduction. The map marks a major step in the understanding of genetic diversity and its impact on health and fertility. It continues 25 years of research at deCODE genetics into how new diversity is generated in the human genome, and its relationship to health and disease.

The new map, appearing today in the online edition of Nature, is the first to incorporate shorter-scale shuffling, (non crossover) of grandparental DNA, which is difficult to detect due to the high DNA sequence similarity. The map also identifies areas of DNA that are devoid of major reshuffling, likely to protect critical genetic functions or prevent chromosomal problems. This insight offers a clearer picture of why some pregnancies fail and how the genome balances diversity with stability.

While this shuffling, known as , is essential for genetic diversity, errors in the process can lead to serious reproductive issues. These failures can result in genetic errors that prevent pregnancies from continuing, helping to explain why infertility affects around one in ten couples worldwide. Understanding this process offers new hope for improving fertility treatments and diagnosing pregnancy complications.

Rodent study shows fighting experience plays key role in brain chemical’s control of male aggression

Like humans, mice will compete over territory and mates, and show increased confidence in their fighting skills the more they win. At first, a brain chemical called dopamine is essential for young males to master this behavior. But as they gain experience, the chemical grows less important in promoting aggression, a new study shows.

Dopamine has been linked to male aggression for decades. How past experiences might influence this relationship, however, had until now been unclear.

In experiments in rodents, a team led by researchers at NYU Langone Health boosted activity in -releasing cells in a part of the brain called the . The findings revealed that in inexperienced male fighters, this led the animals to attack for twice as long as they would have fought naturally. When the cells were blocked, the novice mice would not fight at all.