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Podcast with Chuck Brooks, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and President of Brooks Consulting International — Quantum Computing Report

In this episode of The Quantum Spin by HKA, host Veronica Combs discusses the intersections of quantum technology and cybersecurity with Chuck Brooks, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and the president of Brooks Consulting International. Chuck discusses how the evolution of technology, particularly AI and quantum computing, has dramatically transformed cybersecurity. The conversation also touches on the role of CISOs, the integration of new technologies, and the importance of ongoing education and adaptation in the face of rapidly changing technologies.

00:00 Introduction to Quantum Spin Podcast 00:34 Guest Introduction: Chuck Brooks 00:46 Chuck Brooks’ Career Journey 02:09 Evolution of Cybersecurity 02:47 Challenges for CISOs 04:27 Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity 07:43 Future of Quantum and AI 10:51 Disruptive Technologies in Organizations 15:15 AI in Academia and Professional Use 17:06 Effective Communication on LinkedIn 18:23 Conclusion and Podcast Information.

Chuck Brooks serves as President of Brooks Consulting International with over 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, emerging technologies, marketing, business development, and government relations. He also is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University in the Cyber Risk Management Program, where he teaches graduate courses on risk management, homeland security, and cybersecurity.

Cellular senescence related gene signature predicts prognosis and immune features in skin cutaneous melanoma

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is the deadliest skin cancer, with rising global incidence. Cellular senescence plays an essential role in tumorigenesis, progression, and immune modulation in cancer, however, its role in SKCM prognosis and immunotherapy response remains unclear.

We analyzed 279 senescence-related genes (SRGs) in 469 patients with SKCM from The Cancer Genome Atlas. A cellular senescence-related signature (CSRS) was constructed using univariate and LASSO Cox regression analyses. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to evaluate its predictive performance. Consensus clustering based on SRG expression stratified patients into distinct subgroups. External validation was performed using the GSE65904 dataset. We further assessed the association between CSRS, immune cell infiltration, and immunotherapy response. Additionally, immunohistochemistry validated the expression of prognosis-related SRGs and functional assays explored the role of RuvB-like AAA ATPase 2 (RUVBL2) in SKCM cells.

The CSRS effectively stratified patients with SKCM into high-and low-risk groups with significantly different survival outcomes and immune profiles. Moreover, our results suggest that higher levels of cellular senescence may enhance immunosurveillance and promote tumor suppression via a senescence-associated secretory phenotype-dependent mechanism. Based on the expression profiles of 113 SRGs, patients were classified into three distinct clusters, with Cluster 1 associated with the poorest prognosis. Among the identified SRGs, RUVBL2 was markedly upregulated in SKCM cells and its knockdown inhibited cell proliferation.

Prevention and Reversal of Hypertension‐Induced Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction by a Plant‐Based Diet

Rac1 inhibition prevents axonal cytoskeleton dysfunction in transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy.


Magalhães et al. reveal that Rac1 hyperactivation disrupts axonal cytoskeleton and transport in a mouse model of transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy. They show that Rac1 inhibition prevents axonal degeneration and identify a patient-associated RACGAP1 variant suggesting a neuroprotective role for Rac1 inactivation.

Godfather of AI Predicts Total Breakdown of Society

Geoffrey Hinton, one of the three so-called “godfathers” of AI, never misses an opportunity to issue foreboding proclamations about the tech he helped create.

During an hour-long public conversation with Senator Bernie Sanders at Georgetown University last week, the British computer science laid out all the alarming ways that he forecasts AI will completely upend society for the worst, seemingly leaving little room for human contrivances like optimism. One of the reasons why is that AI’s rapid deployment will be completely unlike technological revolutions in the past, which created new classes of jobs, he said.

“The people who lose their jobs won’t have other jobs to go to,” Hinton said, as quoted by Business Insider. “If AI gets as smart as people — or smarter — any job they might do can be done by AI.”

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