Researchers at the University of Cambridge have used an early 20^th century mathematical tool to help identify which quantum states are truly useful for quantum computing and which are not, reshaping our understanding of where the power of classical computers ends and the one of quantum computers begins.

For years, scientists have known that regular physical activity can help lower the risk of dementia. But new USC research suggests that it’s not only the amount but also the activity’s context — for work or for leisure — that makes a difference.

A meta-analysis of more than 4.2 million people has found that leisure-time exercise — activities such as walking, cycling, running, swimming or playing sports — is associated with a substantially lower risk of dementia. In contrast, physical activity performed as part of a job appears to be linked with a higher risk of developing the condition.

The findings, published in The Lancet Public Health, are the first to systematically examine whether the so-called “physical activity paradox” extends to dementia. This paradox, well documented in cardiovascular research, describes the surprising observation that physically demanding jobs do not provide the same health benefits as voluntary exercise — and may even increase disease risk.

New research has found that improvements to the severity of delusions in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder recovering from an acute psychotic episode were significantly associated with reductions in volatility priors—someone’s expectations about the unpredictability of their environment. The findings from the new study, appearing in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, published by Elsevier, suggest that volatility priors are modifiable, pointing to a potential novel treatment target.