Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamin-and Rab 5-Dependent Endocytosis of a Ca 2 +-Activated K + Channel , KCa 2 . 3

Regulation of the number of ion channels at the plasma membrane is a critical component of the physiological response. We recently demonstrated that the Ca-activated K channel, KCa2.3 is rapidly endocytosed and enters a Rab35and EPI64C-dependent recycling compartment. Herein, we addressed the early endocytic steps of KCa2.3 using a combination of fluorescence and biotinylation techniques. We demonstrate that KCa2.3 is localized to caveolin-rich domains of the plasma membrane using fluorescence co-localization, transmission electron microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP). Further, in cells lacking caveolin-1, we observed an accumulation of KCa2.3 at the plasma membrane as well as a decreased rate of endocytosis, as assessed by biotinylation. We also demonstrate that KCa2.3 and dynamin II are co-localized following endocytosis as well as demonstrating they are associated by co-IP. Further, expression of K44A dynamin II resulted in a 2fold increase in plasma membrane KCa2.3 as well as a 3-fold inhibition of endocytosis. Finally, we evaluated the role of Rab5 in the endocytosis of KCa2.3. We demonstrate that expression of a dominant active Rab5 (Q79L) results in the accumulation of newly endocytosed KCa2.3 on to the membrane of the Rab5-induced vacuoles. We confirmed this co-localization by coIP; demonstrating that KCa2.3 and Rab5 are associated. As expected, if Rab5 is required for the endocytosis of KCa2.3, expression of a dominant negative Rab5 (S34N) resulted in an approximate 2-fold accumulation of KCa2.3 at the plasma membrane. This was confirmed by siRNA-mediated knockdown of Rab5. Expression of the dominant negative Rab5 also resulted in a decreased rate of KCa2.3 endocytosis. These results demonstrate that KCa2.3 is localized to a caveolin-rich domain within the plasma membrane and is endocytosed in a dynaminand Rab5-dependent manner prior to entering the Rab35/EPI64C recycling compartment and returning to the plasma membrane. Citation: Gao Y, Bertuccio CA, Balut CM, Watkins SC, Devor DC (2012) Dynaminand Rab5-Dependent Endocytosis of a Ca-Activated K Channel, KCa2.3. PLoS ONE 7(8): e44150. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0044150 Editor: Agustin Guerrero-Hernandez, Cinvestav-IPN, Mexico Received April 19, 2012; Accepted July 30, 2012; Published August 28, 2012 Copyright: 2012 Gao et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This work was supported by a National Institutes of Health grant (HL092157) to DCD. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: dd2@pitt.edu . These authors contributed equally to this work.
Anaemia and zidovudine-containing antiretroviral therapy in paediatric antiretroviral programmes in the IeDEA Paediatric West African Database to evaluate AIDS

There is a risk of anaemia among HIV‐infected children on antiretroviral therapy (ART) containing zidovudine (ZDV) recommended in first‐line regimens in the WHO guidelines. We estimated the risk of severe anaemia after initiation of a ZDV‐containing regimen in HIV‐infected children included in the IeDEA West African database.
Geometric and quantum methods for information retrieval

This paper reviews the recent developments in applying geometric and quantum mechanics methods for information retrieval and natural language processing. It discusses the interesting analogies between components of information retrieval and quantum mechanics. It then describes some quantum mechanics phenomena found in the conventional data analysis and in the psychological experiments for word association. It also presents the applications of the concepts and methods in quantum mechanics such as quantum logic and tensor product to document retrieval and meaning of composite words, respectively. The purpose of the paper is to give the state of the art on and to draw attention of the IR community to the geometric and quantum methods and their potential applications in IR and NLP.
Effect of Baseline or Changes in Adrenergic Activity on Clinical Outcomes in the &bgr;-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial

Background—Adrenergic activation is thought to be an important determinant of outcome in subjects with chronic heart failure (CHF), but baseline or serial changes in adrenergic activity have not been previously investigated in a large patient sample treated with a powerful antiadrenergic agent. Methods and Results—Systemic venous norepinephrine was measured at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months in the &bgr;-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST), which compared placebo treatment with the &bgr;-blocker/sympatholytic agent bucindolol. Baseline norepinephrine level was associated with a progressive increase in rates of death or death plus CHF hospitalization that was independent of treatment group. On multivariate analysis, baseline norepinephrine was also a highly significant (P<0.001) independent predictor of death. In contrast, the relation of the change in norepinephrine at 3 months to subsequent clinical outcomes was complex and treatment group–dependent. In the placebo-treated group but not in the bucindolol-treated group, marked norepinephrine increase at 3 months was associated with increased subsequent risks of death or death plus CHF hospitalization. In the bucindolol-treated group but not in the placebo-treated group, the 1st quartile of marked norepinephrine reduction was associated with an increased mortality risk. A likelihood-based method indicated that 18% of the bucindolol group but only 1% of the placebo group were at an increased risk for death related to marked reduction in norepinephrine at 3 months. Conclusions—In BEST, a subset of patients treated with bucindolol had an increased risk of death as the result of sympatholysis, which compromised the efficacy of this third-generation &bgr;-blocker.
Personal determinants of organic food consumption: a review

– A lot of literature is available that discusses personal determinants of organic food consumption. However different models and determinants are used in the literature. This paper aims to provide an overview, within a framework linking Schwartz' values theory and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Also it seeks to focus on the importance of affective attitude, emotions, personal norm, involvement and uncertainty related to organic food consumption. , – The paper is based on secondary data sources, namely the literature concerning personal determinants of organic food consumption. , – Both the values theory and the theory of planned behaviour have been referred to as relevant theories for better understanding consumers' choice for organic food. Organic food consumption decisions can be explained by relating attributes of organic food with more abstract values such as “security”, “hedonism”, “universalism”, “benevolence”, “stimulation”, “self‐direction” and “conformity”. Appealing to these values can positively influence attitudes towards organic food consumption. Besides attitude, subjective and personal norm and (perceived) behavioural control influence consumption of organic food. , – More research related to the role of uncertainty (reduction) during the process of buying organic food is recommended. , – Relatively little research has examined the affective component of attitude and emotions in relation to organic food consumption, while these may play an important role as drivers of involvement and thus help to jolt food purchasers out of their routine of buying conventional food and set a first step to adopt organic food. , – To the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper providing a comprehensive overview and linking the literature on organic food consumption to the values theory and the theory of planned behaviour, including the role of personal norm and focusing on emotions. The proposed integration of mental processing in an organic food consumption model leads to interesting hypotheses and recommendations for policy makers, researchers and stakeholders involved in the organic food market.
Undergraduates' use of text messaging language: Effects of country and collection method

Abstract Studies of mobile phone text messaging have reported widely varying proportions of textisms (e.g., u for you, 2 for to). We investigated whether conclusions about textism use are influenced by participant country, text message collection method, and categorisation method. Questionnaire data were collected from 241 undergraduate students in Australia and Canada, who also provided text messages via three methods used in previous research: translation from conventional English, writing a message in response to a scenario, and providing naturalistic messages. Significantly higher proportions of textisms were observed in messages written by Australians than Canadians, and in messages collected experimentally than naturalistically. A re-categorisation of textism forms as “contractive” versus “expressive” was explored and overall implications for text-message collection are discussed.
Indian adolescents’ cyber aggression involvement and cultural values: The moderation of peer attachment

Although research on cyberbullying and cyber aggression is growing, little attention has been given to examinations of these behaviors among adolescents in Asian countries, particularly in India. The present study examined the relationships among cyber aggression involvement and cultural values (i.e. individualism, collectivism), along with peer attachment as a moderator in these associations, while controlling for gender and face-to-face aggression involvement. Participants were 480 adolescents (ages 13- to 15-years-old) from India. Findings revealed that individualism and collectivism were related positively to peer attachment. In addition, individualism was associated positively with cyber aggression perpetration and cyber victimization, whereas these relationships were negative for collectivism. Peer attachment was related negatively to cyber aggression involvement. At lower levels of peer attachment, the association between cyber aggression perpetration and individualism was stronger. In contrast, the relationships between cyber aggression involvement (i.e. perpetration, victimization) and collectivism were more negative at higher levels of peer attachment. These results are discussed in the context of cultural values and peer attachment, and recommendations are given for future research and for school personnel in India.
Cross Modality Facilitation in Tachistoscopic Word Recognition

In its old form, the logogen model (Morton, 1969) would have predicted extensive cross-model facilitation of tachistoscopic word recognition. An experiment by Winnick and Daniel (1970) violated this prediction by showing no effects on subsequent visual word recognition of naming a picture or filling a definition. The latter results was replicated, and it was also found that pretraining with handwritten words transferred to printed words from 10-45 min later. A further experiment showed no significant transfer from auditory presentation to subsequent visual recognition. A third experiment, designed to minimize the role of conscious guessing strategies showed a significant cross-model transfer. The logogen model was modified substantially in the light of these data. There are now seen to be modality specific input categorization systems which are separate from the output lexicon and which are identified as the site of facilitation in the experiments.
Data Fusion Technique Using Wavelet Transform and Taguchi Methods for Automatic Landslide Detection From Airborne Laser Scanning Data and QuickBird Satellite Imagery

Landslide mapping is indispensable for efficient land use management and planning. Landslide inventory maps must be produced for various purposes, such as to record the landslide magnitude in an area and to examine the distribution, types, and forms of slope failures. The use of this information enables the study of landslide susceptibility, hazard, and risk, as well as of the evolution of landscapes affected by landslides. In tropical countries, precipitation during the monsoon season triggers hundreds of landslides in mountainous regions. The preparation of a landslide inventory in such regions is a challenging task because of rapid vegetation growth. Thus, enhancing the proficiency of landslide mapping using remote sensing skills is a vital task. Various techniques have been examined by researchers. This study uses a robust data fusion technique that integrates high-resolution airborne laser scanning data (LiDAR) with high-resolution QuickBird satellite imagery (2.6-m spatial resolution) to identify landslide locations in Bukit Antarabangsa, Ulu Klang, Malaysia. This idea is applied for the first time to identify landslide locations in an urban environment in tropical areas. A wavelet transform technique was employed to achieve data fusion between LiDAR and QuickBird imagery. An object-oriented classification method was used to differentiate the landslide locations from other land use/covers. The Taguchi technique was employed to optimize the segmentation parameters, whereas the rule-based technique was used for object-based classification. In addition, to assess the impact of fusion in classification and landslide analysis, the rule-based classification method was also applied on original QuickBird data which have not been fused. Landslide locations were detected, and the confusion matrix was used to examine the proficiency and reliability of the results. The achieved overall accuracy and kappa coefficient were 90.06% and 0.84, respectively, for fused data. Moreover, the acquired producer and user accuracies for landslide class were 95.86% and 95.32%, respectively. Results of the accuracy assessment for QuickBird data before fusion showed 65.65% and 0.59 for overall accuracy and kappa coefficient, respectively. It revealed that fusion made a significant improvement in classification results. The direction of mass movement was recognized by overlaying the final landslide classification map with LiDAR-derived slope and aspect factors. Results from the tested site in a hilly area showed that the proposed method is easy to implement, accurate, and appropriate for landslide mapping in a tropical country, such as Malaysia.
Wild West: Rainforests of Western Solomon Islands

This is a remarkable, highly informative and beautifully illustrated account of the islands of the two westernmost provinces of the Solomon Islands. With two relatively large islands, Choiseul and New Georgia, the region has an unusual diversity of plant and animal species, unmatched in the smaller islands to the east. Moreover, new species of smaller animals are still being discovered, especially in the cloud forests of the high mountain ranges. Yet, at the same time, this is an area where the ‘development’ pressures of forestry have been hard to resist and forestry has taken a toll of fauna and flora on some islands. All the lowland forests have gone. For Patrick Pikacha, a graduate of the University of the South Pacific who previously worked for Conservation International, this has clearly been a labour of love, based on diaries and field observations over 20 years, but also a labour of science where fauna and flora have been carefully and rigorously documented. It is the story of his own extended and informed wakabaut (travels) through his home islands, using the local knowledge of a multitude of informants. The book begins with a general account of the geology and geography of the islands, pointing to the diversity of habitats where the highest mountains are over 1000 m. That quickly moves into five separate sections on mammals, birds, frogs, reptiles and invertebrates, followed by a shorter chapter on the threats to diversity and the impacts of local hunting activities. Pikacha reveals both the considerable biodiversity of this group of islands and the endemism of many species (but especially of birds and frogs). Pikacha points to the rapid loss of key habitats and the extinction of many species. Forestry has taken its toll, so too has the pet trade. Pollution has disturbed coastal environments. Introduced cane toads have devastated lizard and monitor populations. Feral cats have depleted ground birds. Superior hunting technologies and population growth have removed some of the larger distinct mammals such as the tree rats. Other giant rats are highly endangered. However, Tetepare, the largest uninhabited island in the Pacific, has been preserved as a centre of conservation and research, and Marovo lagoon has been proposed as a World Heritage Site, so there is some hope for a new future. Production of the book has been supported by the World Wildlife Fund and the EU and they have enabled Pikacha to give us a magnificent volume. If only there were similar volumes for other parts of the region. The book would have benefited from another proof read, and it is not exhaustive; nor could it be, but it is a magnificent start. It provides real clarity in its examination of diversity and the
A Unified Approach to Polyvariance in Abstract Interpretations ∗

We describe an approach to exploring polyvariance in abstract interpretations by exposing the allocation of abstract bindings as an analysis parameter. This allocation policy is a method for selecting abstract addresses based on the current state of execution. As addresses are chosen from a finite set, the allocation policy is responsible for determining the exact degree of merging which occurs between different values at a given point in the analysis. This approach allows us to select any kind of polyvariance desired through the selection of an abstract allocation function. We show how this can be done for an intermediate representation of Scheme, implementing a sound parametric framework for such analyses. We distinguish three disparate interpretations of the k-CFA hierarchy and compare them, instantiating each within our framework and motivating our approach.
A Comparative Analysis of Post Restructuring Performance of Firms in Financial and Real Sectors in Nigeria

This study carries out a comparative analysis of post restructuring performance of firms in the financial sector proxy by banks and real sector proxy by the firms in the oil and gas industry and to see if corporate restructuring affects the performance of firms selected from the banking sector as well as oil and gas sector in Nigeria. It also tries to see if the post restructuring performance also varies in these sectors. A sample of Ten (10) banks were randomly chosen from the list of quoted banks after the restructuring exercise and four (4) firms that had restructured their operations were drawn from the Oil and Gas sector. Data were collected from the NSE Factbook and Annual Statement of Account and Reports of the Firms. The study covers 2000 – 2011. Financial ratios and‘t’ test were calculated and compared for a period of 3 years before restructuring and 3 years after restructuring for firms in each sector. The study discovers that restructuring has significant effect on the profitability, liquidity and solvency of firms in real sectors and that restructuring does not have any significant effect on firms in the financial sector. It recommends that Management should instill discipline upon itself by ensuring good corporate governance, promote technological progress, and increase its paid up capital regardless of the statutory requirements so that the continued existence of the firm is not jeopardized.
Effects of Lipid Abnormalities on Arteriosclerosis and Hemostatic Markers in Patients under Hemodialysis

Vascular events caused by arteriosclerosis are the major cause of death in patients under hemodialysis (HD). Arteriosclerosis is associated with lipoprotein abnormalities such as increased serum levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), especially of modified LDL (M-LDL) and oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL). We examined the relationship between markers of arteriosclerosis, hemostasis, and lipid metabolism in patients with chronic renal failure, hyperlipidemia, and healthy volunteers. In patients under HD, the serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride (TG) were decreased, but the serum levels of M-LDL were increased compared to HL and healthy volunteers. In patients with CRF, the serum levels of OxLDL in patients under HD were lower than in those under continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis or conservative therapy. The plasma levels of antithrombin and protein C were significantly lower and the plasma levels of thrombomodulin were significantly higher in patients under HD compared to those under conservative therapy. These data show that patients under HD were more in hypercoagulable state than those under conservative therapy. Among patients under HD, only the plasma levels of von Willebrand factor were significantly increased in patients with more than 30 U/L of Ox-LDL compared to those with less than 30 U/L of Ox-LDL. There was no significant difference in the tests of arteriosclerosis among M-LDL values and OxLDL values. These findings suggest that abnormalities of lipid are not the main risk factor for arteriosclerosis disease in patients under HD.
Toilets, Bodies, Selves: Enacting Composting as Counterculture in Hawai’i

Defecation has received limited attention within the social sciences and humanities. Toilets not a great deal. Urination even less. However, examining the practice of composting faeces and ‘pee[ing] on any tree’ by white, West Coast US ‘hippies’ and ‘drop-outs’ living in Hawai’i suggests that the disposal of excreta is never simple disposal. Rather, it entails engagement with the state, one’s own body and sense of placedness. Through looking at the everyday defecatory practices of hippies and drop-outs in Hawai’i, this article seeks to examine the interplay of the acts of defecation and urination with the materiality of toilets themselves. Each depends on the other, and both exist in relation to various others: other toilet designs, other communities, other people. As such, it becomes possible to extend beyond Douglas’s argument that ‘dirt is matter out of place’ to explore the notion that — at least in relation to toilets — ‘dirt is relations out of place’. By placing relationships at the heart of this analysis of defecation and urination, this article provides fertile ground for the exploration of embodiment at its most base level, as site of generative action and social critique.