The present technology concerns cell phones and other portable devices, and more particularly concerns use of such devices in connection with media content (electronic and physical) and with other systems (e.g., televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program directories). Some aspects of the technology allow users to easily transfer displayed content from cell phone screens onto a television screens for easier viewing, or vice versa for content portability. Others enable users to participate interactively in entertainment content, such as by submitting plot directions, audio input, character names, etc., yielding more engaging, immersive, user experiences. Still other aspects of the technology involve a program directory database, compiled automatically from information reported by network nodes that watch and identify content traffic passing into (and/or out of) networked computers. By identifying content resident at a number of different repositories (e.g., web sites, TV networks, P2P systems, etc.), such a directory allows cell phone users to identify the diversity of sources from which desired content can be obtained—some available on a scheduled basis, others available on demand. Depending on the application, the directory information may be transparent to the user—serving to identify sources for desired content, from which application software can pick for content downloading, based, e.g., on context and stored profile data. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Media processing methods and arrangements

Disclosed herein is a system and method for rendering media related content and web services. According to one or more embodiments, media content is rendered from a source. In one or more segments of the media source, at least one of an object, person or location is identified and additional information, relevant content or services about the person, object or location are displayed or made accessible while or after the media content is being rendered, on one or more devices and/or on one or more paired devices.

System and method for presenting content with time based metadata

Lamin A/C (LMNA) is one of the most frequently mutated genes associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). DCM related to mutations in LMNA is a common inherited cardiomyopathy that is associated with systolic dysfunction and cardiac arrhythmias. Here we modelled the LMNA-related DCM in vitro using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs). Electrophysiological studies showed that the mutant iPSC-CMs displayed aberrant calcium homeostasis that led to arrhythmias at the single-cell level. Mechanistically, we show that the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signalling pathway is activated in mutant iPSC-CMs compared to isogenic control iPSC-CMs. Conversely, pharmacological and molecular inhibition of the PDGF signalling pathway ameliorated the arrhythmic phenotypes of mutant iPSC-CMs in vitro. Taken together, our findings suggest that the activation of the PDGF pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of LMNA-related DCM and point to PDGF receptor-β (PDGFRB) as a potential therapeutic target.

/pdf/activation-of-pdgf-pathway-links-lmna-mutation-to-dilated-3tarh2gudd.pdf

Activation of PDGF pathway links LMNA mutation to dilated cardiomyopathy.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as an effective platform for regenerative therapy, disease modeling, and drug discovery. iPSCs allow for the production of limitless supply of patient-specific somatic cells that enable advancement in cardiovascular precision medicine. Over the past decade, researchers have developed protocols to differentiate iPSCs to multiple cardiovascular lineages, as well as to enhance the maturity and functionality of these cells. Despite significant advances, drug therapy and discovery for cardiovascular disease have lagged behind other fields such as oncology. We speculate that this paucity of drug discovery is due to a previous lack of efficient, reproducible, and translational model systems. Notably, existing drug discovery and testing platforms rely on animal studies and clinical trials, but investigations in animal models have inherent limitations due to interspecies differences. Moreover, clinical trials are inherently flawed by assuming that all individuals with a disease will respond identically to a therapy, ignoring the genetic and epigenomic variations that define our individuality. With ever-improving differentiation and phenotyping methods, patient-specific iPSC-derived cardiovascular cells allow unprecedented opportunities to discover new drug targets and screen compounds for cardiovascular disease. Imbued with the genetic information of an individual, iPSCs will vastly improve our ability to test drugs efficiently, as well as tailor and titrate drug therapy for each patient.

https://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/pharmrev/72/1/320.full.pdf

Patient and Disease-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Discovery of Personalized Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapeutics.

It is now well recognized that many lifesaving oncology drugs may adversely affect the heart and cardiovascular system, including causing irreversible cardiac injury that can result in reduced quality of life. These effects, which may manifest in the short term or long term, are mechanistically not well understood. Research is hampered by the reliance on whole-animal models of cardiotoxicity that may fail to reflect the fundamental biology or cardiotoxic responses of the human myocardium. The emergence of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes as an in vitro research tool holds great promise for understanding drug-induced cardiotoxicity of oncological drugs that may manifest as contractile and electrophysiological dysfunction, as well as structural abnormalities, making it possible to deliver novel drugs free from cardiac liabilities and guide personalized therapy. This article briefly reviews the challenges of cardio-oncology, the strengths and limitations of using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to represent clinical findings in the nonclinical research space, and future directions for their further use.

Use of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes in Preclinical Cancer Drug Cardiotoxicity Testing: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is frequently caused by mutations in myosin-binding protein C3 (MYBPC3) resulting in a premature termination codon (PTC). The underlying mechanisms of ...

A Premature Termination Codon Mutation in MYBPC3 Causes Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy via Chronic Activation of Nonsense-Mediated Decay

Matching advertising information to media content/user combinations in which information and content are delivered to a user over a network is disclosed. Content providers and advertisers may find out about the offerings of one another as well as user profiles and preferences thereby facilitating agreement of ads with content and users. Viral syndication is also facilitated by allowing the user to share downloaded media with friends and associates. Users may bookmark, share, and/or request/find more content with similarities to the downloaded content with various analytics being reported with respect to the same.

Discovery and Analytics for Episodic Downloaded Media

A customer reward service may reward customers who show or are expected to show frequent patronage to a provider of a good or service. The type of reward given to a customer may depend on a variety of factors including the real-time location of the customer, registration or profile data, or other pertinent data provided by or about the customer including the customer's purchasing history or the customer's social interactions. By collecting and considering a variety of data associated with a customer, a business may provide rewards and incentives tailored to the customer thus improving the ability of the business to better attract and retain customers.

System and method for rewarding customer loyalty in a mobile environment

Systems and methods for securing mobile transactions are provided. An order including a credit card number and a user is sent from the user's mobile device over a communication network to a gateway server, which may be coupled to a point-of-sale terminal. The gateway server generates an encryption key that is based on the user key and a server key stored at the server. The encryption key is used to encrypt the credit card number, and the encrypted credit card number is sent to the mobile device for use in subsequent orders.

Securing mobile transactions

A customer loyalty and gifting service may reward customers who show or are expected to show frequent patronage to a provider of a good or service. A vendor of a good or service may create and provide an offer to one or more existing customers who may choose to purchase, redeem, and/or recommend the offer to other users in the network. The customer may also gift the purchased offer. A reward, such as loyalty points or stars, may then be awarded to the customer to encourage the customer for continued support and patronage. A reward may be redeemed for one or more prizes including gift cards, discounts, or other promotions and deals.

George McMullen

Papers

A Premature Termination Codon Mutation in MYBPC3 Causes Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy via Chronic Activation of Nonsense-Mediated Decay

Discovery and Analytics for Episodic Downloaded Media

System and method for rewarding customer loyalty in a mobile environment

Securing mobile transactions

Building customer loyalty in a mobile environment