The Life and Times of Joseph Beuys

Program for the seventh annual RISD Cabaret held in the Waterman Building. Graphic design: Mark Snyder; program editor: Margaret Lewis; program photography: Marcin Gizycki.https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/liberalarts_cabaret_programs/1006/thumbnail.jp

Correction to: Cluster identification, selection, and description in Cluster randomized crossover trials: the PREP-IT trials

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article

Early changes in arterial structure and function following statin initiation: Quantification by magnetic resonance imaging

Effective LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction improves vascular function and can bring about regression of atherosclerosis. Alterations in endothelial function can occur rapidly, but changes in atherosclerosis are generally considered to occur more slowly. Vascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful technique for accurate non-invasive assessment of central and peripheral arteries at multiple anatomical sites. We report the changes in atherosclerosis burden and arterial function in response to open label statin treatment, in 24 statin-naïve newly diagnosed stable coronary artery disease patients. Patients underwent MRI before, and 3 and 12 months after commencing treatment. Mean LDL-C fell by 37% to 70.8 mg/dL (P < 0.01). The plaque index (normalised vessel wall area) showed reductions in the aorta (2.3%, P < 0.05) and carotid (3.1%, P < 0.05) arteries at 3 months. Early reductions in atherosclerosis of aorta and carotid observed at 3 months were significantly correlated with later change at 12 months (R2 = 0.50, P < 0.001; R2 = 0.22, P < 0.05, respectively). Improvements in aortic distensibility and brachial endothelial function that were apparent after 3 months treatment were sustained at the 12-month time point

CDK12 inhibition reduces abnormalities in cells from patients with myotonic dystrophy and in a mouse model

Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an RNA-based disease with no current treatment. It is caused by a transcribed CTG repeat expansion within the 3' untranslated region of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) gene. Mutant repeat expansion transcripts remain in the nuclei of patients' cells, forming distinct microscopically detectable foci that contribute substantially to the pathophysiology of the condition. Here, we report small-molecule inhibitors that remove nuclear foci and have beneficial effects in the HSALR mouse model, reducing transgene expression, leading to improvements in myotonia, splicing, and centralized nuclei. Using chemoproteomics in combination with cell-based assays, we identify cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) as a druggable target for this condition. CDK12 is a protein elevated in DM1 cell lines and patient muscle biopsies, and our results showed that its inhibition led to reduced expression of repeat expansion RNA. Some of the inhibitors identified in this study are currently the subject of clinical trials for other indications and provide valuable starting points for a drug development program in DM1

Plaque features associated with increased cerebral infarction after minor stroke and TIA: a prospective, case-control, 3-T carotid artery MR imaging study.

The goal of this study was to determine whether a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol combining carotid atherosclerotic plaque and brain imaging can identify features of high-risk acutely symptomatic plaque that correlate with brain injury.It has previously been demonstrated that, in asymptomatic patients, MRI can identify features of carotid plaque that are associated with stroke, such as the presence of a large lipid core. We hypothesized that the early phase (6 weeks later), only 2 cases of symptomatic AHA type VI plaque showed evidence of full healing. The presence of fibrous cap rupture was associated with higher DWI brain injury at presentation and higher total cerebral FLAIR signal at follow-up (p < 0.05).Early carotid wall MRI in patients experiencing minor stroke or TIA showed a higher proportion of "complex" plaques compared with asymptomatic controls; a majority were in arteries of <70% stenosis. Fibrous cap rupture was associated with increases in DWI and FLAIR lesions in the brain. Combined carotid plaque and brain MRI may aid risk stratification and treatment selection in acute stroke and TIA

The effects of Facebook and Instagram on the 2020 election: A deactivation experiment.

We study the effect of Facebook and Instagram access on political beliefs, attitudes, and behavior by randomizing a subset of 19,857 Facebook users and 15,585 Instagram users to deactivate their accounts for 6 wk before the 2020 U.S. election. We report four key findings. First, both Facebook and Instagram deactivation reduced an index of political participation (driven mainly by reduced participation online). Second, Facebook deactivation had no significant effect on an index of knowledge, but secondary analyses suggest that it reduced knowledge of general news while possibly also decreasing belief in misinformation circulating online. Third, Facebook deactivation may have reduced self-reported net votes for Trump, though this effect does not meet our preregistered significance threshold. Finally, the effects of both Facebook and Instagram deactivation on affective and issue polarization, perceived legitimacy of the election, candidate favorability, and voter turnout were all precisely estimated and close to zero