Category: 4. Technology

A large US study suggests that boosting copper in the diet may support sharper thinking in later life, up to a point. Discover how much copper makes a difference, and why stroke survivors might benefit most.

Study: Association between dietary copper intake and cognitive function in American older adults: NHANES 2011–2014. Image Credit: Danijela Maksimovic / Shutterstock

In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers investigated the relationship between copper intake and cognitive function in older adults. All forms of dementia, including mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, are characterized by cognitive decline and are emerging as a global public health concern.

The Global Burden of Disease study has projected that 152.8 million individuals will have dementia by 2050. Exploring protective factors for cognition is vital to preventing cognitive impairment. Of late, micronutrients have received substantial attention for their role in reducing cognitive decline. An imbalance of specific micronutrients in the brain, such as selenium, copper, and zinc, is reportedly linked to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.

Copper is vital for several physiological functions. It is a cofactor for enzymes involved in cellular energy production, antioxidant defenses, and neurotransmitter synthesis. However, both deficiency and excess can be neurotoxic due to copper’s role in oxidative stress pathways. Nonetheless, the relationship between cognition and copper remains poorly understood.

About the study

In the present cross-sectional observational study, researchers investigated the association between dietary copper intake and cognitive function in older adults in the United States. Participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2014 were included. Individuals under 60 years and lacking information on cognitive tests, copper intake, or covariates were excluded. NHANES used a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire to collect information on the intake of all food types within the past 24 hours.

Participants were eligible for two dietary recall interviews. Copper intake was determined from dietary recall data and categorized into quartiles: Q1 (<0.76 mg/day), Q2 (0.76–1.04 mg/day), Q3 (1.05–1.43 mg/day), and Q4 (≥1.44 mg/day). Participants underwent various assessments of cognitive function. These include the delayed and immediate verbal list learning tests (CERAD-DRT and CERAD-IRT), the digit symbol substitution test (DSST; assessing processing speed), and the animal fluency test (AFT; assessing verbal fluency).

A global cognitive Z score was calculated as the mean of the standardized scores of the four cognitive tests, with higher scores indicating superior cognitive performance. The baseline characteristics of the participants were compared using the chi-squared test and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Multivariate linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between cognitive function and copper intake. Model 1 was not adjusted for any confounding variable, whereas model 2 was adjusted for age, race, gender, marital status, education, and poverty income ratio (PIR).

Model 3 was further adjusted for body mass index (BMI), alcohol status, smoking status, and history of stroke, diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease. Model 4 was additionally adjusted for dietary energy, iron, selenium, fat, zinc, and total saturated fatty acids.

Furthermore, a generalized additive model was used to account for the nonlinear relationship between copper intake and cognitive test scores. In addition, subgroup analyses were performed by age, gender, BMI, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Findings

The study included 2,420 participants, with a mean age of 69.3 years and a BMI of 29.2 kg/m². Most participants were female (50.9%), non-Hispanic White (50.2%), and married or cohabiting (58.3%). Participants with higher copper intake were more likely to be male, non-Hispanic White, and have lower smoking rates and higher family income, compared to those with low copper intake. Further, individuals with higher copper intake had higher scores on cognitive tests.

Dietary copper intake was positively associated with cognitive test scores. In the fully adjusted model, participants in the highest quartile (Q4: ≥1.44 mg/day) of copper intake showed significantly higher scores in DSST, AFT, CERAD-DRT, and global cognition, but not in CERAD-IRT (immediate recall). Cognitive test scores increased with an increase in copper intake. These associations remained significant after adjusting for various covariates.

Notably, an inverse, L-shaped relationship was observed between copper intake and DSST, AFT, and global cognitive Z scores, but no nonlinear relationship was found for the CERAD immediate or delayed recall tests. The relationship was no longer significant beyond specific inflection points (1.22 mg/day for the global cognitive Z score, 1.42 mg/day for AFT, and 1.63 mg/day for DSST).

Subgroup analyses showed that increased copper intake was associated with a higher global cognitive Z score, specifically in individuals with a history of stroke, potentially due to copper’s role in reducing post-stroke inflammation and promoting neuronal repair.

Conclusions

In sum, dietary copper intake was associated with superior cognitive function in older adults. The association was sustained after adjusting for various confounding variables. There was a L-shaped relationship between dietary copper intake and processing speed (DSST), verbal fluency (AFT), and global cognition, with the association being insignificant beyond specific thresholds. However, this observational study cannot prove causality, and self-reported dietary data and residual confounding may limit findings. Further longitudinal analyses are needed to corroborate these findings.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a vital yet challenging process in water splitting, requiring a four-electron transfer that often suffers from slow reaction kinetics. Noble metal-based oxides, such as RuO₂ and IrO₂, have been the go-to catalysts for this process, but their scarcity and high cost have motivated the search for alternative, non-precious metal catalysts. NiFe (oxy)hydroxide (NiFeOOH) has emerged as a promising candidate due to its high activity, low cost, and improved stability. However, optimizing its performance to meet industrial standards remains a key scientific challenge.

Led by Xiangjiu Guan, the team at Xi’an Jiaotong University introduced high valence molybdenum (Mo) into NiFeOOH to modify its electronic structure and enhance electrical conductivity. This innovative approach aimed to reduce the overpotential required for the OER and improve the catalyst’s stability under operational conditions. The researchers employed both empirical experiments and theoretical simulations to understand the interactions between Mo, Ni, and Fe in the doped catalyst.

The Mo-doped NiFeOOH catalyst demonstrated a significantly reduced overpotential of 205 mV at 10 mA/cm² and a Tafel slope of 31.7 mV/dec, indicating superior catalytic activity. Moreover, it maintained stable operation for up to 170 h, showcasing its impressive durability. The study revealed that Mo-doping enhances the valence states of Ni and Fe, leading to a shift in the d-band center of the bimetallic active sites, which is crucial for the transformation into the active γ-NiFeOOH phase. Theoretical investigations using density functional theory (DFT) computations further supported these findings, elucidating the most effective OER pathways and the role of Mo in enhancing catalytic activity.

This research offers a promising strategy for developing high-performance, non-precious metal electrocatalysts for the OER. The Mo-doped NiFeOOH catalyst’s combination of low overpotential, rapid reaction kinetics, and long-term stability makes it a strong contender for commercial applications in water electrolysis and other renewable energy technologies. The findings also contribute to the fundamental understanding of bimetallic synergies in catalyst design, providing a foundation for future innovations in the field of electrocatalysis.

Original source: https://journal.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-024-0960-6

A new study from University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center researchers identifies a cellular signature that explains why about one-third of prostate cancers respond especially poorly to treatment.

Treatments such as enzalutamide, which is an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI), are standard of care for advanced prostate cancer. While many patients have long-term good response to the drugs, some will derive no benefit whatsoever. These “extreme non-responder” patients die much more quickly from prostate cancer.

The new study, published in npj Precision Oncology, looked at RNA sequencing data and clinical outcomes from several prostate cancer clinical trial datasets. The researchers identified a gene program linked to ARPI extreme non-response. Moreover, they discovered the chemotherapy docetaxel could be a good option earlier on in patients whose tumor harbors the ARPI extreme non-response program. Docetaxel is approved for prostate cancer but typically given later in the course of treatment.

We found significant differences in the gene expression program between prostate cancers that do exceptionally well vs. exceptionally poorly with ARPIs. Patients who have this extreme non-response program appear to get significant benefit from docetaxel, suggesting these patients may be good candidates for earlier docetaxel treatment.”

Anbarasu Kumaraswamy, Ph.D., lead first author, investigator in the Alumkal Lab at the Rogel Cancer Center

The researchers also found that the kinase CDK2 regulates the extreme non-response program, and targeting CDK2 could block the program and reduce tumor growth in the laboratory samples that harbored the ARPI extreme non-response program. The authors suggest exploring CDK2 inhibitors, currently in clinical trials in other cancer types, as a promising new direction in prostate cancers with the extreme ARPI non-responder program.

With just a few months remaining until the Windows 10 end-of-support date, Microsoft seems to have belatedly realized that owners of tens of millions of consumer PCs running Windows 10 aren’t ready to replace their old computers, and they’re also not about to fork over $30 for a one-year Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription.

So, at the end of June, just days before the end of its fiscal year, the company waved the white flag and announced new “free enrollment options” for the ESU program, along with a description of the steps customers will need to follow to sign up. Anyone willing to try out Microsoft’s cloud-based Windows Backup or spend a few minutes per day with the Bing search engine over the course of a week can avoid the $30 tariff and get that subscription for free using the enrollment wizard shown here.

The news was buried in yet another long-winded post on the Windows Blog, which praises Windows 11 and encourages business customers to upgrade their old PCs, buy new ones, or migrate to cloud-based alternatives like Windows 365.

Also: Can’t quit Windows 10? You can pay Microsoft for updates after October, or try these alternatives

That announcement applies to tens of millions of consumer PCs that are ineligible for the free Windows 11 upgrade because they don’t meet compatibility requirements. Enterprise customers are ineligible for the free options and will be required to pay a significantly higher price (starting at $61 per device per year, and then doubling each year after that) for up to three years of a commercial ESU subscription. Those business options are available through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Program today; Microsoft’s Cloud Service Provider partners will be able to begin selling the commercial ESUs starting Sept. 1.

ESU coverage for personal devices runs from October 15, 2025, through October 13, 2026. The ESU subscription is tied to a Microsoft account and can be applied to as many as 10 PCs when signed in using that account.

Who’s eligible?

The option to sign up for an ESU subscription from a personal Windows 10 PC is available in Windows Insider builds today, and the company says it will begin rolling out to additional Windows 10 PCs in July, with broad availability expected by mid-August.

The option will be available to any PC running Windows 10, version 22H2, Home, Professional, Pro Education, and Workstation editions, with the latest update installed. Enterprise and Education editions are not eligible. The option will also be unavailable on any PC that is joined to an Active Directory domain, Entra ID-joined, or registered with Mobile Device Management software such as Windows Intune. (Full instructions are available in this Microsoft Support document.)

You must be signed in with an administrator account. Because the ESU subscription is tied to a Microsoft account, you will also need to sign into a Microsoft account as part of the enrollment process.

How to sign up 

I was able to test the enrollment process on a PC running the Release Preview edition of Windows 10 Pro. The sign-up link is available in Settings > Windows Update, as shown next:

Clicking “Enroll now” opens the enrollment wizard. Because I was signed in with a Microsoft account and had previously used the Windows Backup program to save my settings to Microsoft’s cloud, I was waved right through with the following message:

If you’re signed in with a local account, or if you haven’t previously run Windows Backup, you’ll need to jump through a few extra hoops. You’ll see this page in the enrollment wizard instead.

The easiest of the free options is to use Windows Backup to sync your settings to the cloud. If you’d rather not do that, you can redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or pay $30 (outside the US, local pricing will vary).

Also: How to upgrade your ‘incompatible’ Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 – 2 free options

As I’ve previously noted, this option is available only for “personal use,” a move that’s obviously designed to discourage business customers from trying to get security updates at a discount. In small businesses that aren’t part of a managed Microsoft environment, it would be impossible to enforce that restriction, so Microsoft has wisely decided to block personal ESU subscriptions only on commercial devices that are part of a managed enterprise network.

What’s the catch with the free options?

Using Windows Backup to “sync your settings to the cloud” sounds like a simple option, but that option might not work for you. As it currently exists, the Windows Backup option also copies personal data to the OneDrive cloud storage service. If you have a substantial amount of data and haven’t paid for a Microsoft 365 Home or Personal subscription or a standalone storage upgrade, you’ll burn through the 5GB of default storage and possibly wind up with a big mess.

Also: Can’t upgrade your Windows 10 PC? Here are your options before it all ends in 3 months

Redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points is a simpler option. If you’ve already created a personal profile using your Microsoft Account in Edge, you might have already amassed enough points to cover that cost (those points would be worth a little under $1 if redeemed for an Amazon gift card). If your Microsoft Rewards count is starting from zero, you can quickly cover the bill by downloading the Bing app for mobile and using it for two days (500 points), then doing a series of search-based quizzes, polls, and other silly tasks for a few days to accumulate 100-200 points per day on the Microsoft Rewards site.

And if none of those options work for you … well, that will be $30, please.

Also: 400 million Windows PCs vanished in 3 years. Where did they all go?

These announcements represent a pretty big climb-down for Microsoft and a tacit acknowledgment that the population of Windows 10 PCs still in use in October is likely to be much larger than expected. The new ESU options won’t change the end-of-support date for Windows 10, but they do offer a one-year reprieve for price-sensitive consumers and a chance for Microsoft to soften the inevitable PR hit it will take at the end of 2025.

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The news: Fortnite-maker Epic Games settled its antitrust lawsuit against Samsung, ending claims that Samsung and Google blocked rival app stores, per Bloomberg.

Epic had accused Samsung’s “Auto Blocker” of preventing third-party app store downloads, alleging collusion with Google. Samsung and Google previously denied wrongdoing, calling Epic’s claims “baseless” and “meritless.” 

Samsung concedes: Epic CEO Tim Sweeney told CNET that the company dismissed its court case after private discussions between the two parties. “We are grateful that Samsung will address Epic’s concerns.”

While the details are scarce, Samsung is likely acquiescing to Epic adding its own app store and payments platform on Galaxy devices.

Breaking down walls: The settlement opens the door for rival app stores on Samsung’s Galaxy Store, which has 400 million monthly active users and hosts 150,000 apps, per Business of Apps.

Other Epic victories: 

• In May, Epic cracked open Apple’s App Store, loosening Big Tech’s tight grip on mobile app stores and clearing a path for the Samsung case. 
• In 2023, a jury unanimously ruled against Google in the Epic vs. Google case. It found the tech giant guilty of establishing an illegal monopoly within the Google Play Store and Google Play billing service. 

Unlocking opportunities in open app ecosystems: As Epic positions its own store with direct payments and curated games, marketers will find fresh channels beyond Google Play and Apple’s App Store, with fewer platform fees and looser restrictions.

While Epic Games Store doesn’t disclose ad revenue separately, its earnings come from a 12% cut of third-party game sales and in-app purchases from first-party titles like Fortnite.

Our take: With Epic’s continued disruption of app store ecosystems, marketers should prepare for a fragmented but freer market—alternative app stores allow more control over promotions, subscriptions, and bundled offerings.

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Nissin Foods Holdings has implemented Qlik as a core component of its newly developed data integration and analytics platform, enabling smarter and faster decision-making for the global food industry company by leveraging real-time data from its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

“We are genuinely committed to building a data-driven culture without relying too much on the strength of our brand. Our goal is to make Nissin Foods Group a company that thinks, communicates and makes decisions based on data. Integrating our ERP system into a single data platform is essential, and Qlik is at the core and the game-changer for us,” Toshihiro Narita, executive officer and CIO (Group Information Officer) of Nissin Foods Holdings, said.

Data integration

Nissin Foods Group, a subsidiary of Nissin Foods Holdings, claims to have gained access to the most up-to-date data, with real-time data integration directly linked to Snowflake.

The adoption of Qlik has not only eliminated the need for manual data downloads but also significantly improved data utilisation and sped up decision-making processes.

Further, AI-powered automation has enabled the tracking of critical data, such as shipments and sales, and alerted staff to anomalies and other decision-critical information in real-time in the logistics and sales departments.

Digital transformation

Maurizio Garavello, senior vice president of Asia Pacific and Japan at Qlik, added, “Data quality—reliability, freshness, and diversity—is essential for making optimal business decisions. We’re excited to support Nissin Food Holdings for wide and real-time data integration efforts and look forward to furthering its digital transformation as it expands the platform across the organisation.”

Narita set high expectations for Qlik’s impact on supply chain management, sales and overall business decisions. He said they also intend to leverage Qlik further to harness Nissin employees’ knowledge as AI-ready data.

SAVE $70.04: Grab the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 for $179.95 at Amazon during day one of Prime Day. This discount knocks 28% off the earbuds’ usual $249.99 price, and beats their old record-low price by $20.

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Amazon Prime Day can be a popular time for newer products to get their first drastic price cut, and that’s exactly what’s happened with Beats’ latest workout headphones.

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are just $179.95 as of July 8, saving you $70.04 on the $249.99 earbuds. Before this price drop, the lowest price we’ve ever seen these earbuds hit was $199.95.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 hit the market just this past February, upgrading the ear-hooked earbuds to include active noise cancellation and a built-in heart rate monitor. In addition to the ear hook, these earbuds come with five ear tip sizes to help you find the right fit and keep the earbuds in while you’re staying active. Beats also smartly opted for on-ear button controls instead of overly sensitive touch controls that might’ve been triggered during periods of high movement. The IPX4-rated earbuds are also sweat- and water-resistant, so they’re safe to bring during more intense gym sessions.

Not to be confused with open earbuds, these earbuds are an in-ear model that provide additional wear security with the hook. While wearing both earbuds, you can also use the buds heart rate monitor sensor, which our sister site PC Mag, also owned by Ziff Davis, finds to work about as accurately as an Apple Watch’s.

Mashable Deals

As well-geared as they are toward working out, the in-ear design paired with the ANC also gives them the flexibility to be used as everyday earbuds. And thanks to their H2 chip, they integrate with Apple devices just as well as AirPods. During Prime Day, you can grab all four colorways — electric orange, hyper purple, jet black, and quick sand — on sale for $70 off.

Original publication

Carla Volkert, Mateusz Brzezinski, Pablo Gomez Argudo, Renan Colucci, Sapun H. Parekh, Pol Besenius, Jasper J. Michels, Ulrike Kraft; “Enhanced Electrical Performance and Stretchability by Plasticizer‐Facilitated PEDOT:PSS Self‐Alignment”; Advanced Science, 2025-5-8