The E3 ubiquitin ligase IDOL regulates synaptic ApoER2 levels and is important for plasticity and learning.

Neuronal ApoE receptors are linked to learning and memory, but the pathways governing their abundance, and the mechanisms by which they affect the function of neural circuits are incompletely understood. Here we demonstrate that the E3 ubiquitin ligase IDOL determines synaptic ApoER2 protein levels in response to neuronal activation and regulates dendritic spine morphogenesis and plasticity. IDOL-dependent changes in ApoER2 abundance modulate dendritic filopodia initiation and synapse maturation. Loss of IDOL in neurons results in constitutive overexpression of ApoER2 and is associated with impaired activity-dependent structural remodeling of spines and defective LTP in primary neuron cultures and hippocampal slices. IDOL-deficient mice show profound impairment in experience-dependent reorganization of synaptic circuits in the barrel cortex, as well as diminished spatial and associative learning. These results identify control of lipoprotein receptor abundance by IDOL as a post-transcriptional mechanism underlying the structural and functional plasticity of synapses and neural circuits

IDOL regulates systemic energy balance through control of neuronal VLDLR expression.

Liver X receptors limit cellular lipid uptake by stimulating the transcription of Inducible Degrader of the LDL Receptor (IDOL), an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets lipoprotein receptors for degradation. The function of IDOL in systemic metabolism is incompletely understood. Here we show that loss of IDOL in mice protects against the development of diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction by altering food intake and thermogenesis. Unexpectedly, analysis of tissue-specific knockout mice revealed that IDOL affects energy balance, not through its actions in peripheral metabolic tissues (liver, adipose, endothelium, intestine, skeletal muscle), but by controlling lipoprotein receptor abundance in neurons. Single-cell RNA sequencing of the hypothalamus demonstrated that IDOL deletion altered gene expression linked to control of metabolism. Finally, we identify VLDLR rather than LDLR as the primary mediator of IDOL effects on energy balance. These studies identify a role for the neuronal IDOL-VLDLR pathway in metabolic homeostasis and diet-induced obesity

In defense of science—What would John do?

Recent onslaughts on the importance of pure research to our collective well-being are trending. In this essay, I discuss the issues involved and offer a rebuttal. The thoughts are inspired by my mentor, academic sibling, and idol John Leask Lumley

ANALISIS LOYALITAS KONSUMENINDONESIAN IDOL

Keywords: LOYALITAS KONSUMEN ABSTRAKSI Penelitian ini merupakan ini merupakan penelitian survey, dimana dalam penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan data mengenai acara reality showi ndonesian idol dengan judul yaitu: “ ANALISIS LOYALITAS KONSUMEN INDONESIAN IDOL”. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengetahui loyalitas konsumen pada acara indonesian idol. Alat analisis yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah teknik cluster. Analisis cluster digunakan untuk mengelompokkan responden kedalam cluster –cluster berdasarkan karakter jawaban yang diberikan..Hasil yang didapat dari hasil analisis diperoleh kesimpulan bahwa responden loyal pada acara Indonesian Idol di yang ditayangkan statsiun televisi RCTI. Dimana loyalitas tersebut terdiri dari tiga kelompok cluster , kelompok pertama memiliki tingkat loyalitas tinggi, kelompok kedua memiliki loyalitas sedang, kelompok terakhir memiliki loyalitas rendah

Who Will Be Idol? The Importance of Social Networks for Winning on Reality Shows

This paper examines, both theoretically and empirically, the effect of social networks and belonging to minority groups (or race) on the probability of winning in reality television shows. We develop a theoretical model that studies viewer behavior by presenting a framework of competition between two contestants from two different groups. The results are examined empirically using unique contestant data from the highly popular reality show "A Star Is Born", the Israeli counterpart of "American Idol". Our main finding is that social networks and belonging to minority groups play key roles in the contestant’s victory, but their effects are nonlinear: the social network effect is U-shaped, whereas that of belonging to a minority group follows an inverted U shape. Beyond the world of reality TV, this paper sheds light on the general behavior of social networks as well.American Idol, social networks, minority groups, contest, voting

American Idol: Should it be a Singing Contest or a Popularity Contest?

In the very popular FOX TV reality show, American Idol, the judges, who are presumably experts in evaluating singing effort, have no voting power when the field is narrowed to the top twenty-four contestants. It is only the votes of viewers that count. In the 2007 season of the show, one of the judges, Simon Cowell, threatened to quit the show if a contestant, Sanjaya Malakar, who was clearly a low-ability contestant, won the competition. He was concerned that the show was becoming a popularity contest instead of a singing contest. Is this a problem? Not necessarily. I show that, under certain conditions, making success in the contest dependent on a contestant’s popularity and not solely on her singing ability or performance, could paradoxically increase aggregate singing effort. It may be optimal to give the entire voting power to the viewers whose evaluation of singing effort or ability is noisier.American Idol, contests, tournaments

Ein Liederabend, Tuesday, November 24, 1998

This is the concert program of the Ein Liederabend performance on Tuesday, November 24, 1998 at 6:30 p.m., at the Boston University Concert Hall, 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts. Works performed were Per Pieta, bell' idol mio by Vincenzo Bellini, Pieta, Signore! by Alessandro Steadella, From Winterreise, D. 911 by Franz Schubert, From Acis and Galatea by George Frideric Handel, Cuatro madrigales amatorios by Joaquin Rodrigo, From Vier Ernste Gesange, Op. 121 by Johannes Brahms, and From Quatre chansons de jeunesse by Claude Debussy. Digitization for Boston University Concert Programs was supported by the Boston University Humanities Library Endowed Fund