A Novel Approach to Extending Music Using Latent Diffusion

Using deep learning to synthetically generate music is a research domain that has gained more attention from the public in the past few years. A subproblem of music generation is music extension, or the task of taking existing music and extending it. This work proposes the Continuer Pipeline, a novel technique that uses deep learning to take music and extend it in 5 second increments. It does this by treating the musical generation process as an image generation problem; we utilize latent diffusion models (LDMs) to generate spectrograms, which are image representations of music. The Continuer Pipeline is able to receive a waveform as an input, and its output will be what the pipeline predicts the next five seconds might sound like. We trained the Continuer Pipeline using the expansive diffusion model functionality provided by the HuggingFace platform, and our dataset consisted of 256x256 spectrogram images representing 5-second snippets of various hip-hop songs from Spotify. The musical waveforms generated by the Continuer Pipeline are currently at a much lower quality compared to human-generated music, but we affirm that the Continuer Pipeline still has many uses in its current state, and we describe many avenues for future improvement to this technology

Destination Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a prototypical neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons both in the brain and spinal cord. The constantly evolving nature of ALS represents a fundamental dimension of individual differences that underlie this disorder, yet it involves multiple levels of functional entities that alternate in different directions and finally converge functionally to define ALS disease progression. ALS may start from a single entity and gradually becomes multifactorial. However, the functional convergence of these diverse entities in eventually defining ALS progression is poorly understood. Various hypotheses have been proposed without any consensus between the for-and-against schools of thought. The present review aims to capture explanatory hierarchy both in terms of hypotheses and mechanisms to provide better insights on how they functionally connect. We can then integrate them within a common functional frame of reference for a better understanding of ALS and defining future treatments and possible therapeutic strategies. Here, we provide a philosophical understanding of how early leads are crucial to understanding the endpoints in ALS, because invariably, all early symptomatic leads are underpinned by neurodegeneration at the cellular, molecular and genomic levels. Consolidation of these ideas could be applied to other neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) and guide further critical thinking to unveil their roadmap of destination ALS

Destination Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a prototypical neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons both in the brain and spinal cord. The constantly evolving nature of ALS represents a fundamental dimension of individual differences that underlie this disorder, yet it involves multiple levels of functional entities that alternate in different directions and finally converge functionally to define ALS disease progression. ALS may start from a single entity and gradually becomes multifactorial. However, the functional convergence of these diverse entities in eventually defining ALS progression is poorly understood. Various hypotheses have been proposed without any consensus between the for-and-against schools of thought. The present review aims to capture explanatory hierarchy both in terms of hypotheses and mechanisms to provide better insights on how they functionally connect. We can then integrate them within a common functional frame of reference for a better understanding of ALS and defining future treatments and possible therapeutic strategies. Here, we provide a philosophical understanding of how early leads are crucial to understanding the endpoints in ALS, because invariably, all early symptomatic leads are underpinned by neurodegeneration at the cellular, molecular and genomic levels. Consolidation of these ideas could be applied to other neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) and guide further critical thinking to unveil their roadmap of destination ALS

Physician Role in Physical Activity for African-American Males Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer

Purpose Physical activity is recognized as a complementary therapy to improve physical and physiological functions among prostate cancer survivors. Little is known about communication between health providers and African-American prostate cancer patients, a high risk population, regarding the health benefits of regular physical activity on their prognosis and recovery. This study explores African-American prostate cancer survivors’ experiences with physical activity prescription from their physicians. Methods Three focus group interviews were conducted with 12 African-American prostate cancer survivors in May 2014 in St. Louis, MO. Participants’ ages ranged from 49 to 79 years, had completed radical prostatectomy, and their time out of surgery varied from 7 to 31 months. Results Emerged themes included physician role on prescribing physical activity, patients’ perceived barriers to engaging in physical activity, perception of normalcy following surgery, and specific resources survivors’ sought during treatment. Of the 12 men who participated, 8 men (67%) expressed that their physicians did not recommend physical activity for them. Although some participants revealed they were aware of the importance of sustained physical activity on their prognosis and recovery, some expressed concerns that urinary dysfunction, incontinence, and family commitments prevented them from engaging in active lifestyles. Conclusions Transitioning from post radical prostatectomy treatment to normal life was an important concern to survivors. These findings highlight the importance of physical activity communication and prescription for prostate cancer patients

African American prostate cancer survivorship: Exploring the role of social support in quality of life after radical prostatectomy

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the African American prostate cancer survivorship experience following radical prostatectomy and factors contributing to quality of life during survival. DESIGN: African American men who were part of a larger prostate cancer cohort were invited to participate in a focus group. Eighteen open-ended questions were designed by the study team and an experienced moderator to elicit participants\u27 survivorship experiences. RESULTS: Twelve men consented to participate in the study. Emergent themes included views of prostate cancer in the African American community, perceptions of normalcy, emotional side effects following radical prostatectomy, and social support involvement and impact during recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Previous findings suggest that African American men may experience more distress than Caucasian men when facing typical prostate cancer side effects. Traditional masculine role norms and negative perceptions of disease disclosure in the African American community could be contributing to the distress reported by some in this study. Strengthening social support systems by promoting more prosocial coping and help-seeking behaviors early in the survivorship journey may help bypass the detrimental health effects associated with masculine role identification, resulting in improved quality of life throughout the lengthy survival period anticipated for these men

Under-Oil Autonomously Regulated Oxygen Microenvironments: A Goldilocks Principle-Based Approach for Microscale Cell Culture

Oxygen levels in vivo are autonomously regulated by a supply–demand balance, which can be altered in disease states. However, the oxygen levels of in vitro cell culture systems, particularly microscale cell culture, are typically dominated by either supply or demand. Further, the oxygen microenvironment in these systems is rarely monitored or reported. Here, a method to establish and dynamically monitor autonomously regulated oxygen microenvironments (AROM) using an oil overlay in an open microscale cell culture system is presented. Using this method, the oxygen microenvironment is dynamically regulated via the supply–demand balance of the system. Numerical simulation and experimental validation of oxygen transport within multi-liquid-phase, microscale culture systems involving a variety of cell types, including mammalian, fungal, and bacterial cells are presented. Finally, AROM is applied to establish a coculture between cells with disparate oxygen demands—primary intestinal epithelial cells (oxygen consuming) and Bacteroides uniformis (an anaerobic species prevalent in the human gut)

Who will benefit more from low-dose alteplase in acute ischemic stroke?

Objectives: Controversy persists over the benefits of low-dose versus standard-dose intravenous alteplase for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. We sought to determine individual patient factors that contribute to the risk–benefit balance of low-dose alteplase treatment. Methods: Observational study using data from the Enhanced Control of Hypertension and Thrombolysis Stroke Study (ENCHANTED), an international, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial that assessed low-dose (0.6 mg/kg) versus standard-dose (0.9 mg/kg) intravenous alteplase in acute ischemic stroke patients. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the benefit of good functional outcome (scores 0 or 1 on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days) and risk (symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage), under both regimens for individual patients. The net advantage for low-dose, relative to standard-dose, alteplase was calculated by dividing excess benefit by excess risk according to a combination of patient characteristics. The algorithms were externally validated in a nationwide acute stroke registry database in South Korea. Results: Patients with an estimated net advantage from low-dose alteplase, compared with without, were younger (mean age of 66 vs. 75 years), had lower systolic blood pressure (148 vs. 160 mm Hg), lower National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score (median of 8 vs. 16), and no atrial fibrillation (10.3% vs. 97.4%), diabetes mellitus (19.2% vs. 22.4%), or premorbid symptoms (defined by modified Rankin scale = 1) (16.3% vs. 37.8%). Conclusion: Use of low-dose alteplase may be preferable in acute ischemic stroke patients with a combination of favorable characteristics, including younger age, lower systolic blood pressure, mild neurological impairment, and no atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, or premorbid symptoms.</p