Inquiry Into Which Area of the Life Extension Debate is Most Effective in Changing Attitudes Towards it Among 16 to 17 Year-Olds

Existing research extension has yielded varying results about whether the public’s attitudes towards life extension are positive or negative. Such differences could be accounted for by factors such as general attitudes towards developments in science and technology and exposure to fiction (such as books or movies) which generally portray life extension in an unfavorable light. This study revealed that, at least among 16 to 17 year-old High School Juniors, there was a correlation between a favorable orientation towards scientific and technological developments and positive attitudes towards life extension. Additionally, participants who had witnessed representation of life extension in fiction were less likely to hold positive attitudes towards it. The specification of the physical state in which people would live an extended lifespan in was also found to be significant in forming attitudes towards life extension. The main positive arguments about life extension were cited to be having more time, being able to be with loved ones longer, and it being beneficial towards society and humanity. However, the most significant negative arguments were that overpopulation would become a severe issue, outliving loved ones would be distressing, and abuse of power. In an attempt to change attitudes towards life extension from negative to positive, a 15-minute presentation about either the social and personal, ethical, or scientific aspect was generally ineffective in doing so. However, out of the favorable change that did occur, the presentation on the scientific feasibility of life extension was found to be the most effective.

Entropy in the molecular recognition of membrane protein-lipid interactions

Understanding the molecular driving forces that underlie membrane protein-lipid interactions requires the characterization of their binding thermodynamics. Here, we employ native mass spectrometry in conjunction with a variable temperature apparatus to determine the thermodynamics of individual lipid binding events to the human G-protein-gated inward rectifier potassium channel, Kir3.2. We find that Kir3.2 displays distinct thermodynamic strategies to engage phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphorylated forms thereof. The addition of a 4’- phosphate to PI with 18:1-18:1 (DO) tails results in an increase in favorable entropy along with an enthalpic penalty. The binding of PI with two or more phosphates is more complex where lipids bind to Kir3.2 with the cytoplasmic domain in either a docked or extended configuration. Remarkably, the interaction of 4,5-bisphosphate DOPI (DOPI(4,5)P2) with Kir3.2 is solely driven by a large, favorable change in entropy. Installment of a third 3’-phosphate to DOPI(4,5)P2 results in an alternative thermodynamic strategy for the first binding event whereas each successive binding event shows strong enthalpy-entropy compensation. PI(4,5)P2 with 18:0-20:4 tails results in an inversion of thermodynamic parameters where the change in enthalpy now dominates. Collectively, the data show that entropy can indeed play important roles in regulating membrane protein-lipid interactions.

Understanding Narrative-Driven Intergroup Conflict Dynamics Using Computational Cognitive Coherence Maps

Humans make sense of the world through narratives. Therefore, adversaries often use conflict-sustaining narratives to maintain dominance and delegitimize the actions of the rivals. To better understand narratives’ role and influence in such intractable conflicts, a computational framework and methodology are introduced. The computational cognitive model and its underlying inference mechanism allow analysts to simulate and analyze narratives in relation to opposing narratives. The ability to simulate the interaction of adversarial stories with a set of micronarratives shared by members of a group opens new avenues to counter conflict-sustaining narratives. The methodology and its application to a concrete conflict scenario demonstrate how to conduct simulation-driven exploratory analysis over a complex adaptive narrative space to discern how narratives are matched to unfolding events and how they can be used to facilitate favorable change.

The Making of Languages and New Literacies: San Andrés-Providence Creole with a View on Jamaican and Haitian

The aim of this paper is to examine the idea of «language making» and new literacies in creole languages with a focus on San Andrés-Providence Creole English. Jamaican and Haitian Creole are taken as points of comparison for their more advanced state of consolidation. Posts from Facebook groups gathered between February 2016 and July 2020 as the main source of data were complemented by 2015 data on San Andrés linguistic landscapes. The main finding is that, due to a favorable change in language attitudes both locally and globally, San Andrés-Providence Creole is entering into the domain of writing.

Titrating Growth Hormone Dose to High-Normal IGF-1 Levels Has Beneficial Effects on Body Fat Distribution and Microcirculatory Function Despite Causing Insulin Resistance

To clarify the mechanism underlying the described U-shaped relation of both low and high levels of IGF-1 with cardiovascular disease this study explores the effect of decreasing and increasing growth hormone dose in GH deficient adults on (micro)vascular function, body composition and insulin resistance. In this randomized clinical trial, thirty-two subjects receiving GH therapy with an IGF-1 concentration between −1 and 1 SD score (SDS) for at least one year were randomized to receive either a decrease (IGF-1 target level of −2 to −1 SDS) or an increase of their daily GH dose (IGF-1 target level of 1 to 2 SDS) for a period of 24 weeks. Microvascular endothelium (in)dependent vasodilatation and vasomotion, vascular stiffness by pulse wave analysis, and HOMA-IR were measured. At the end of the study 30 subjects (65.6% men, mean age 46.6 (SD 9.9) years) were analyzed. There was a favorable effect of increasing the IGF-1 level on waist circumference compared to decreasing the IGF-1 level (p=0.05), but a detrimental effect on insulin resistance (p=0.03). Decreasing IGF-1 level significantly lowered the endothelial domain of vasomotion (p=0.03), whereas increasing IGF-1 level increased the contribution of the neurogenic domain (p=0.05). This change was related to the favorable change in waist circumference. In conclusion, increasing IGF-1 levels was beneficial for body composition but detrimental with respect to insulin resistance. The contribution of the neurogenic vasomotion domain increased in parallel, and could be explained by the favorable change in waist circumference.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT01877512.

α-Synuclein emerges as a potent regulator of VDAC-facilitated calcium transport

When the Parkinson’s disease (PD) related neuronal protein, alpha-synuclein (αSyn), is added to the reconstituted mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), it reversibly and partially blocks VDAC conductance by its acidic C-terminal tail. Using single-molecule electrophysiology of reconstituted VDAC we now demonstrate that, at CaCl2 concentrations below 150 mM, αSyn reverses the channel’s selectivity from anionic to cationic. Importantly, we find that the decrease in channel conductance upon its blockage by αSyn is hugely overcompensated by a favorable change in the electrostatic environment for calcium, making the blocked state orders-of-magnitude more selective for calcium and thus increasing its net flux. These findings reveal a new regulatory role of αSyn, with clear implications for both normal calcium signaling and PD-associated mitochondrial dysfunction.

Meal Patterns and Changes in Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Children: A Longitudinal Analysis

We examined whether energy and macronutrient intake from different meals was associated with changes in cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors in children. CMR score (CMRS) was computed by summing Z-scores of waist circumference, the average of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (multiplying by −1), and triglycerides. We included 5517 children aged 6–13 years from six major cities in China. Five meal patterns were identified according to energy intake: balanced, breakfast dominant, lunch dominant, dinner dominant, and snack dominant patterns. These patterns were not significantly associated with changes in CMR factors. Carbohydrate intake (% energy) at lunch was positively associated with the change in CMRS (beta coefficient (95% CI): (0.777 (0.509, 1.046) in quintile 5 versus quintile 1). A positive association between carbohydrate intake at dinner and change in CMRS was observed. High protein intake at both lunch and dinner was associated with a favorable change in CMRS. Moderate fat intake at lunch was associated with a lower increase in CMRS. Meal patterns driven by energy were not significantly associated with CMR factors; however, a low carbohydrate-high protein-moderate fat lunch and low carbohydrate-high protein dinner were associated with favorable changes in CMRS in children.

ANALYSIS OF ROMANIAN IT INDUSTRY; STRATEGIC DIAGNOSTICS USING MICHAEL PORTER'S MODEL

The information technology (IT) sector represents a phenomenon of modern society, which has led to a favorable change in the economic course, in most countries of the world. This study aims to establish the attractiveness of the IT industry in Romania, as well as the factors that led to the development of the competitive environment, through a strategic diagnosis using a tool for strategic analysis and diagnosis - the model of the five forces, developed by Michael Porter. The results of the study indicate that all five strengths of Michael Porter's model exert significant influence, but in different proportions, on the competitive environment and the degree of attractiveness of the IT industry. Although Porter's model offers a clear strategic frame of the IT industry, it is quite static, and the manifestation of the five forces does not maintain its validity over time.

A Community Bundle to Lower School-Aged Obesity Rates in a Small Midwestern City

Background: Multi-component interventions in large communities such as Philadelphia can effectively lower childhood obesity rates. It is less clear whether this type of intervention can be successful in smaller communities with more limited resources. Norwood, Ohio is a small Midwestern city with a population of 19,207. In 2010, Ohio passed a school health law requiring Body Mass Index (BMI) screening of students in kindergarten and grades 3, 5 and 9 along with restrictions on competitive foods and vending machine products and a physical education requirement of 30 min per day. In 2014, Norwood implemented a multi-component childhood obesity prevention and treatment bundle of interventions. Our objective was to describe the effects if this bundle on childhood overweight/obesity (OW/OB) rates. We hypothesized that implementation of the bundle would lower the prevalence of OW/OB in Norwood school children. Methods: In 2012, the Healthy Kids Ohio Act was fully implemented in the Norwood City School District (NCSD). In 2014 a comprehensive bundle was implemented that included: 1. A student gardening program; 2. Supplementation of fresh produce to a local food pantry and a family shelter; 3. A farmers market; 4. A health newsletter; 5. Incentives in the school cafeterias to promote healthy food selection; 6. A 100-mile walking club; 7. “Cook for America” (a “cooked from scratch” intervention for school cafeterias); 8. A school-based obesity treatment clinic; Results: The OW/OB rate in the NCSD was 43% at the time of the Bundle implementation in 2014 and 37% in 2016 (p = 0.029). Conclusions: A childhood OW/OB prevention bundle can be implemented in a small city and is associated with a favorable change in BMI.