Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PDZK1: I. a major scaffolder in brush borders of proximal tubular cells.

BACKGROUND In proximal tubular cells, PDZK1 (NaPi-Cap1) has been implicated in apical expression of the Na+-dependent phosphate cotransporter (NaPi-IIa) via interaction with its C-terminus. PDZK1 represents a multidomain protein consisting of four PDZ domains and thus is believed to have a broader specificity besides NaPi-IIa. METHODS We subjected single PDZ domains derived from PDZK1 either to yeast two-hybrid screens or yeast trap assays. Different pull-down assays and blot overlays were applied to corroborate the PDZK1-mediated interactions in vitro. Co-localization of interacting proteins with PDZK1 in proximal tubular cells was assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS In the yeast screens, the most abundant candidate protein to interact with PDZK1 was the membrane-associated protein of 17 kD (MAP17). Besides MAP17, C-terminal parts of following transporters were also identified: NaPi-IIa, solute carrier SLC17A1 (NaPi-I), Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE-3), organic cation transporter (OCTN1), chloride-formate exchanger (CFEX), and urate-anion exchanger (URAT1). In addition, other regulatory factors were found among the clones, such as a protein kinase A (PKA)-anchoring protein (D-AKAP2) and N+/H+ exchanger regulator factor (NHERF-1). All interactions of itemized proteins with PDZK1 were affirmed by in vitro techniques. Apart from PDZK1, strong in vitro interactions of NHERF-1 were also observed with the solute transporters (excluding MAP17) and D-AKAP2. All identified proteins were immunolocalized in proximal tubular cells, wherein all membrane proteins co-localized with PDZK1 in brush borders. CONCLUSION We hypothesize that PDZK1 and NHERF-1 establish an extended network beneath the apical membrane to which membrane proteins and regulatory components are anchored.
Exploring the use of a game to stimulate energy saving in households

This paper presents a study called the Energy Battle, a game aimed at encouraging home occupants to save energy. Twenty student-households were provided with direct feedback and an online platform with energy feedback over time, ranking of the competing teams, tips and a game. The study showed that the game context strongly influenced the motivation to save energy. Overall, savings averaged 24%, with the highest savings level at 45%. Directly after completion of the Energy Battle, energy consumption increased among most of the households, although consumption levels tended to stay below the baseline measurement level taken before the Energy Battle. Follow-up interviews indicated that some of the behaviours developed in the game had transformed into habits. A game such as the Energy Battle appears to provide a powerful means to stimulate energy saving in the short term. The potential to achieve long term effects appears possible, however further research is required to understand long-term implications for an Energy Battle game.
Six-Month Outcomes for Collaborative Care Management of Depression Among Smoking and Nonsmoking Patients

Background: Collaborative care management (CCM) is an evidence-based model that contributes to better outcomes for depression treatment in the primary care setting. Tobacco use increases overall economic costs, morbidity, and mortality and has been shown to impact behavioral health outcomes. Our study aims to observe clinical outcomes for depression treatment for patients with comorbid tobacco use and depression within the CCM model. Methods: A retrospective chart review study of 2826 adult patients with depression enrolled in CCM was performed to determine the association between regular tobacco use and depression outcomes. Baseline intake data consisting of clinical and demographic variables along with 6-month follow-up of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores for smokers (n = 727, 25.7%) and nonsmokers (n = 2099, 74.3%) were obtained. Depression remission was defined as a PHQ-9 score <5 and persistent depressive symptoms (PDS) as a PHQ-9 score ≥10 at 6 months. Results: Using an intention-to-treat analysis, the multivariate modeling demonstrated that smokers, at 6 months, had an increased adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for PDS: 1.624 (95% CI: 1.353-1.949). Furthermore, smokers had a lower AOR of depression remission: 0.603 (95% CI: 0.492-0.739). Patient adherence to treatment was also lower in smokers with an AOR of 0.666 (95% CI: 0.553-0.802). Conclusions: Smokers enrolled in CCM were associated with reduced treatment adherence and worse outcomes for depression treatment at 6 months compared to nonsmokers, even when baseline clinical and demographic variables were controlled. Thus, new tailored practices may be warranted within the CCM model to treat comorbid depression and tobacco use disorders.
A Direct Test of Methods for Inferring Trade Direction from Intra-Day Data

This study directly tests the ability of several competing methods to identify market buy and sell orders using intra-day quote and trade prices, and identifies factors that affect the accuracy of the methods. Lee and Ready's (1991) algorithm performs about the same as the tick test, but the performance of both methods is worse than expected. The results show that the use of either algorithm to classify trades can lead to significantly biased estimates of effective spreads and signed volume, but the tick test provides better estimates of effective spreads and signed volume than Lee and Ready's method.
The effects of long‐term unemployment on attitudes to employment

This paper is concerned with whether long-term unemployment (6-24 months) affects people's attitudes to employment once they have found a new job. One hundred and forty men aged 25-40 were asked whether they felt various aspects of employment (e.g. job security, pay) are more important to them as a result of being unemployed. The effects of mental well-being when unemployed on attitudes to employment are explored. Unemployment is reported to have made most aspects of employment more important to people. Those whose mental health was worst when unemployed report that job security is most important to them.
Tourism in times of crisis: exploring the discourse of tourism development in Iceland

This paper explores the growth of tourism in Iceland and sets current policy discourses in the context of the global credit crunch of 2008. Tourism in Iceland has grown from being practically non-existent in the mid-twentieth century to being one of the three key sectors of the economy. With this growth, Iceland, as many other island states, started paying more attention to the potentialities of tourism as a development option. However, interest in tourism in public debates and policy seems to become prominent in times of economic crisis while it wanes during years of economic growth. In this light, the paper will relate discourses of tourism to the present condition of economic recession and potential crisis, especially when it comes to government policies. This paper investigates the relationship between tourism and crisis as it features in public discourse in Iceland, and aims at clarifying the implications this particular discourse on tourism has on tourism development in Iceland.
The Impact of Country Diversification on Wealth Effects in Cross‐Border Mergers

We posit that country diversification via cross-border mergers creates wealth by providing benefits for firms that are not available to their shareholders. We hypothesize that these benefits are inversely related to the extent of co-movement in the economies of the bidder's and target's countries. We examine the wealth effects of U.S. targets and bidders involved in cross-border mergers with firms in other countries during 1982–1991. We show that wealth effects vary, depending on country affiliations of two merging firms, and are inversely related to the degree of economic co-movement between the two countries.
Estimates of geoacoustic model parameters from inversions of horizontal and vertical line array data

This paper describes results from geoacoustic inversion of low-frequency acoustic data recorded at a receiving array divided into two sections, a sparse bottom laid horizontal array (HLA) and a vertical array (VLA) deployed in shallow water. The data are from an experiment conducted by the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) in the Barents Sea, using broadband explosives (shot) sources. A two-layer range-independent geoacoustic model, consistent with seismic profiles from the area, described the environment. Inversion for geoacoustic model parameters was carried out using a fast implementation of the hybrid adaptive simplex simulated annealing (ASSA) inversion algorithm, with replica fields computed by the ORCA normal mode code. Low-frequency (40-128 Hz) data from six shot sources at ranges 3-9 km from the array were considered. Estimates of sediment and substrate p-wave velocities and sediment thickness were found to be consistent between independent inversions of data from the two sections of the array
Catastrophe forecasting: seeing “gray” among the “black boxes”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the problem of using “black-box” methods to forecast catastrophe events, and illustrate the value of independent peer review. Design/methodology/approach – The problem with black-box catastrophe forecasts is the absence of both extensive validation data and impartial peer review. These issues may be addressed by comparing black-box forecasts with a set of naive alternative forecasts provided by an independent party. To illustrate this approach, the historical hurricane forecasts of Dr William M. Gray, professor at Colorado State University, are considered and a simple ARIMA analysis is offered as a naive alternative. Findings – The analysis shows that Dr Gray's complex forecasting methodology does in fact provide reasonable forecasts, and may indeed offer value beyond a naive alternative model. Originality/value – The editorial identifies a major problem in catastrophe forecasting, and suggests one way to address this problem.
A Low-Cost Method of Ciliary Beat Frequency Measurement Using iPhone and MATLAB

Objectives (1) To determine ciliary beat frequency (CBF) using a consumer-grade cellphone camera and MATLAB and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. Study Design Prospective animal study. Setting Academic otolaryngology department research laboratory. Methods Five ex vivo tracheal samples were extracted from 3 freshly euthanized (<3 hours postmortem) New Zealand white rabbits and incubated for 30 minutes in buffer at 23°C, buffer at 37°C, or 10% formalin at 23°C. Samples were sectioned transversely and observed under a phase-contrast microscope. Cilia movement was recorded through the eyepiece using an iPhone 6 at 240 frames per second (fps). Through MATLAB programming, the video of the 23°C sample was downsampled to 120, 60, and 30 fps, and Fourier analysis was performed on videos of all frame rates and conditions to determine CBF. CBF of the 23°C sample was also calculated manually frame by frame for verification. Results Recorded at 240 fps, the CBF at 23°C was 5.03 ± 0.4 Hz, and the CBF at 37°C was 9.08 ± 0.49 Hz (P < .001). The sample with 10% formalin did not display any data beyond DC noise. Compared with 240 fps, the means of other frame rates/methods (120, 60, 30 fps; manual counting) at 23°C all showed no statistical difference (P > .05). Conclusion There is no significant difference between CBF measured via visual inspection and that analyzed by the developed program. Furthermore, all tested acquisition rates are shown to be effective, providing a fast and inexpensive alternative to current CBF measurement protocols.
Biology of transforming growth factor β in hepatocarcinogenesis

TGF‐β is an important factor in the regulation of liver growth. It is an inhibitor of hepatocyte DNA synthesis and may induce active cell death, e.g., to remove excessive tissue mass. Studies using transgenic mice suggest that expression in the resting liver has to be well balanced; either under‐ or overexpression appear to cause an increased turnover of hepatocytes and to predispose to hepatocarcinogenesis. TGF‐β overexpression is frequently observed in human hepatocellular carcinomas, probably as a late event in tumor development. In men and mice, TGF‐β overexpression appears to be associated with loss of TGF‐β responsiveness often by disruption of TGF‐β signaling. However, mechanisms as mutations in TGF‐β receptor II or Smad2 and 4 genes, frequently observed in other human cancers, have only rarely been observed in hepatocellular carcinomas. Further studies may clarify the mechanisms by which hepatocellular tumors escape TGF‐β growth control, as well as analyze possible roles of TGF‐β overexpression in immunosuppression and angiogenesis. Microsc. Res. Tech. 52:430–436, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Regulation or Markets? The Case of Employment Contract

Regulation of the employment contract is both wide spread and diverse. The diversity of regulation is surprising because it suggests that there is little consensus regarding optimal intervention into the labor market. This paper discusses several economic reasons why it may be efficient for employers and employees to enter into long term contracts that make employee dismissal expensive. This analysis suggests that employment contracts can be expected to be complex in practice, and hence can be viewed as part of the technology of exchange. Given that knowledge of a technology requires skill and know-how, one cannot expect all employee-employer matches to discover and use the most efficient contract terms possible. It is suggested that the regulation of the employment relationship might be improved with the creation of a market for contracts, similar to the one that currently exists in the United States for construction projects.
Sensitivity of broiler starters to three doses of an enzyme cocktail in maize-based diets

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of an enzyme cocktail composed of xylanase, amylase and protease on the performance and nutrient utilisation of broiler starters fed on a maize-based diet. A maize/soy-based control diet was formulated to be marginal in apparent metabolisable energy (AME) and amino acids and this diet was fed without or with two concentrations (250 and 500 g/tonne) of the exogenous enzyme cocktail. 2. Growth performance was measured over a 21-d period after which ileal contents were collected for measurement of digestible energy, nitrogen and dry matter. Excreta were collected from d 17 to 20 post-hatch and used to determine the AME, and retention of nitrogen and dry matter. 3. Supplementation of the control diet with 250 and 500 g/tonne of the enzyme cocktail resulted in enhanced performance of the chicks (1·4 and 8·3%, respectively, for weight gain and 1·2 and 2·2%, respectively, for feed per gain), but the improvements were significant (P < 0·05) only at 500 g/tonne. 4. Addition of both 250 and 500 g/tonne improved AME, nitrogen-corrected AME and dry matter retention compared with the control though the improvements were greater with the higher dose. These effects were also reflected in the apparent ileal digestibility coefficients of dry matter, nitrogen and energy, with 500 g/tonne of the enzyme cocktail improving ileal digestible energy by 3·4%. 5. These results demonstrate that a cocktail of exogenous enzymes containing xylanase, amylase and protease is effective in improving the performance of broiler chicks fed on a maize/soybean-meal-based diet. However, these benefits may be dose-dependent and so an economic analysis involving ingredient and enzyme pricing and the relative performance and digestibility enhancements could allow the end user to select the most economical dose to maximise return on investment.
In utero and lactational exposure to low-doses of the pyrethroid insecticide cypermethrin leads to neurodevelopmental defects in male mice—An ethological and transcriptomic study

Accumulating evidence suggests that developmental exposure to environmental chemicals may modify the course of brain development, ultimately leading to neuropsychiatric / neurodegenerative disorders later in life. In the present study, we assessed the impact of one of the most frequently used pesticides in both residential and agricultural applications − the synthetic pyrethroid cypermethrin (CYP) − on developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). Female mice were perinatally exposed to low doses of CYP (5 and 20 mg/kg body weight) from gestation to postnatal day 15. Behavioral analyses were performed during the offspring’s early life and during adulthood. Postnatal analyses revealed that perinatal exposure to CYP disturbed motor development without modifying sensory and communicative skills. We found that later in life, CYP-exposed offspring expressed maladaptive behaviors in response to highly challenging tasks and abnormal sociability. Transcriptomic analyses performed in the offspring’s brain at the end of the exposure, highlighted mitochondrial dysfunction as a relevant pathomechanism underlying CYP-induced DNT. Interestingly, several genes involved in proteostasis maintenance were also shown to be dysregulated suggesting that alterations in biogenesis, folding, trafficking and degradation of proteins may significantly contribute to CYP-related DNT. From a regulatory perspective, this study highlights that behavioral and transcriptomic analyses are complementary tools providing useful direction for better DNT characterization, and as such, should be used together more systematically.
Proposed Lease Accounting Changes

Regulators have proposed changes to the existing lease accounting rules that will require the capitalization of all operating leases as assets and liabilities. This study investigated the impact of operating lease capitalization on the financial statements and 11 financial ratios in restaurant and retail firms from 2006 to 2008. Significant absolute and relative differences were found across and within the two industries. All 11 financial ratios related to interest coverage, leverage, and profitability will change significantly and dramatically for both industry sectors. The findings indicate that retail firms will be affected to a greater extent than restaurant firms. Within the restaurant industry, small restaurant firms will face significantly higher debt-related ratios than medium or large restaurant firms. Reconciling previous research, this study found firm size to be an important factor in explaining operating lease usage with small firms likely to use more operating leases than large firms. Restaurant and retail firms should evaluate the impact of the proposed standard on debt agreements and executive compensation contracts and plan for operating under the new rules.
The Impact of Active Labor Market Programs on the Duration of Unemployment in Switzerland

This article evaluates the effects of Swiss active labour market programmes on the job chances of unemployed workers. The main innovation is a comparison of two important dynamic evaluation estimators: the 'matching' estimator and the 'timing-of-events' estimator. We find that both estimators generate different treatment effects. According to the matching estimator temporary subsidised jobs shorten unemployment duration whereas training programmes and employment programmes do not. In contrast, the timing-of-events estimator suggests that none of the Swiss active labour market programmes shortens unemployment duration. Copyright 2008 The Author(s). Journal compilation Royal Economic Society 2008.
Future challenges for tourism in the caribbean

This paper seeks to look at future challenges for tourism in the Caribbean. The community represents an essential component in the development of the tour ism industry and enhances visitor experience. Yet the traditional sun, sea and sand tourism, for which the Caribbean is famous, has never really sought nor incorporated the input of community members in its developmental plans. Given the indication of world trends towards a growing interest in alternative tour ism, the various stakeholders ought to take heed as there are increasing calls for greater levels of local inclusion and participation in tourism enterprises. This would require a new paradigm for tourism development in the Caribbean. One option which could be explored, is that of Community Tourism. The paper also explores the importance and impact of a community-based approach to tourism development, particularly because tourism is the lifeblood of the Caribbean region.
Balancing the Macroeconomic Books on the Backs of Workers: A Simple Analytical Political Economy Model of Contemporary U.S. Capitalism

Reconciling low unemployment with low inflation has proved an enduring problem in capitalist economies, as evidenced by the experience of the past forty years. From the late 1960s until 1979, the average annual rates of both inflation and unemployment rose steadily throughout the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD; see Table 1). Since then, the inflation problem has largely been solved—but at a cost: The rate of unemployment has continued to rise. From a political economy perspective, neither these developments nor the underlying problem of reconciling low unemployment and low inflation are particularly surprising. Even during the earliest days of the Keynesian revolution, Kalecki (1943) warned of the political consequences of full employment, foreseeing deliberate policies of disinflation designed to curb the power of workers that, enhanced by a tight labor market, would threaten corporate profitability and the extent of capitalist control over the workplace. Moreover, the distributional struggle at the core of Kalecki’s argument has long been recognized as a source of inflationary pressure in conflicting-claims models of inflation (see, e.g., Lavoie [1992: ch. 7] and Burdekin and Burkett [1996] for an overview). It is therefore tempting to interpret events since 1979 as a straightforward application of these principles, as a result of which
Flap vs. "flapless" surgical approach at immediate implants: a histomorphometric study in dogs.

AIM To compare the remodeling of the alveolar process at implants installed immediately into extraction sockets by applying a flap or a "flapless" surgical approach in a dog model. MATERIAL AND METHODS Implants were installed immediately into the distal alveoli of the second mandibular premolars of six Labrador dogs. In one side of the mandible, a full-thickness mucoperiosteal flap was elevated (control site), while contra-laterally, the mucosa was gently dislocated, but not elevated (test site) to disclose the alveolar crest. After 4 months of healing, the animals were sacrificed, ground sections were obtained and a histomorphometric analysis was performed. RESULTS After 4 months of healing, all implants were integrated (n=6). Both at the test and at the control sites, bone resorption occurred with similar outcomes. The buccal bony crest resorption was 1.7 and 1.5 mm at the control and the test sites, respectively. CONCLUSIONS "Flapless" implant placement into extraction sockets did not result in the prevention of alveolar bone resorption and did not affect the dimensional changes of the alveolar process following tooth extraction when compared with the usual placement of implants raising mucoperiosteal flaps.