Advancement in technology will continue to impact the way we work, eat, and even take care of ourselves. A new report from Scientific American takes a look at some of the top emerging technologies that range from the field of biology to computer science. The publication’s chief science editor Seth Fletcher talked to Cheddar about what’s next when it comes to tech.
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TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) — a gut bacteria byproduct formed during digestion—can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes. TMAO is produced when gut bacteria digest choline, lecithin and carnitine, nutrients that are abundant in animal products such as red meat and liver and other animal products.
In concurrent studies, Cleveland Clinic researchers have uncovered new mechanisms that demonstrate why and how regularly eating red meat can increase the risk of heart disease, and the role gut bacteria play in that process.
The research, led by Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., builds upon previous work showing TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) — a gut bacteria byproduct formed during digestion—can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes. TMAO is produced when gut bacteria digest choline, lecithin and carnitine, nutrients that are abundant in animal products such as red meat and liver and other animal products.
In a new dietary intervention study published today in the European Heart Journal, the researchers found that a diet rich in red meat as the primary protein source significantly increases circulating TMAO levels, compared to diets with white meat or non-meat as protein sources. The study showed chronic red meat consumption enhanced the production of TMAO by gut microbes and reduced the kidneys’ efficiency of expelling it. Both enhanced production and reduced elimination caused by a red meat diet contribute to elevation in TMAO levels, which has been linked to the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease complications.
There is increasing evidence that the microbiome contributes to esophageal disease. Diet, especially fiber and fat intake, is a known potent modifier of the colonic microbiome, but its impact on the esophageal microbiome is not well described. We hypothesized that dietary fiber and fat intake would be associated with a distinct esophageal microbiome.
We collected esophageal samples from 47 ambulatory patients scheduled to undergo endoscopy who completed a validated food frequency questionnaire quantifying dietary fiber and fat intake. Using 16S high-throughput sequencing, we determined composition of the esophageal microbiome and predicted functional capacity of microbiota based on fiber and fat intake.
Among all samples, the most abundant phyla were Firmicutes (54.0%), Proteobacteria (19.0%), Bacteroidetes (17.0%), Actinobacteria (5.2%), and Fusobacteria (4.3%). Increasing fiber intake was significantly associated with increasing relative abundance of Firmicutes (p = 0.04) and decreasing relative abundance of Gram-negative bacteria overall (p = 0.03). Low fiber intake was associated with increased relative abundance of several Gram-negative bacteria, including Prevotella, Neisseria, and Eikenella. Several predicted metabolic pathways differed between highest and lowest quartile of fiber intake. Fat intake was associated with altered relative abundance of few taxa, with no alterations at the phylum level and no changes in microbiome functional composition.
Amazon is testing out its cashierless checkout technology in bigger stores — with one eye on Whole Foods, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Sources told the Journal that Amazon is testing out the futuristic tech — which tracks and charges for the items shoppers take from the shelves — in Seattle, in a space formatted like a large store.
I’m Caleb Harper, principal investigator and director of the Open Agriculture initiative at the MIT Media Lab. Kent Larson courtesy of MIT Media Lab.
In his book Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit, Barry Estabrook details how grocery store tomatoes are both less nutritious and delicious than those grown decades ago. Industrial farming now grows crops for yield, sacrificing taste and vitamins for an easy-to-harvest, shippable product. It’s why apples at your local supermarket are probably about a year old. Caleb Harper, a principal research scientist at MIT and director of the OpenAg Initiative, wants to use technology to grow food that’s healthier, tastier, and more sustainable.
“Growing for nutrition and growing for flavor, it’s not really something anyone does,” he told Digital Trends at the recent ReThink Food conference in Napa, California.
Being waited on by robot is something that we all imagine might be possible in the distant future, but one cafe in Tokyo is already offering just that… with a twist. As Fast Company reports, a visit to the “Dawn ver.β” will put you face-to-face with robot waiters that take orders from customers and deliver food to their tables.
It’s all very futuristic, but the twist here is that the robots aren’t powered by AI or some advanced automation system. Instead, they’re controlled remotely by human staff with severe disabilities working right from their own homes. The cafe, which is the result of a partnership between the Nippon Foundation, Ory Lab Inc, and ANA Holdings, is already a big hit, and its creators have big plans for the future.
As more countries appreciate the advantages, she hopes they will be willing to join the coalition of countries committed to reversing the decline in pollinators. Currently, there are only 24 countries in this “coalition of the willing”, mostly from Europe. Eventually, she hopes there will be enough support to multilateral environmental agreement on pollinators similar to the international convention on trade in endangered species. “I hope this week’s conference will be the first step to bringing a multilateral agreement into being because that’s what we need,” she says.
Urgent planting of wildflowers will attract pollinators and boost farmers’ food crops, expert to tell UN.