Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Portrait of AKT Kinases: Human Cancer and Animal Models Depict a Family with Strong Individualities

More than a decade after their discovery, the three AKT kinase family members have emerged as central players in the signaling cascades that regulate cell growth, proliferation, survival and various aspects of intermediary metabolism. The mechanisms of activation of AKT kinases have been defined in relatively precise terms and new substrates are currently being validated in vivo. However, it is presently unclear whether AKT1, -2 and -3 are functionally redundant or whether each one performs specific functional role(s). In this review, we will summarize the signaling properties and highlight the specificities of AKT kinases that have emerged from the study of human cancer and animal models. While AKT kinases are an attractive target for pharmacological intervention, knowledge of the precise individual roles of AKT family members will improve the design of highly specific AKT-based therapeutics having reduced toxicity and improved efficacy.
Survivability of Microbes in Natural Environments and Their Ecological Impacts

Microbiology often focuses on the growth properties or physiological capabilities of microbes. However, most microbes in the natural environment are not actively growing. As has been proposed for plants, microbial life strategies should consider stress tolerance as well as competitive relationships and physiological and biological disturbance (19). Reports studying microbial communities in oligotrophic or nutrient-limited environments have increased recently, e.g. (10), (21), and (41). How do microbes live? Do they mostly simply do nothing? Recent reports on microbial survivability, introduced in this Research Highlight, are providing informative answers for these questions, and discovering new aspects of microbial ecosystems.
An Analysis of Affective Words in Machine Translation

Overview To our knowledge, no-one has analysed the choice of affective word choices in a machine translation (MT) system, that is, an MT system that pays attention to the translation of words connoting some kind of affective state. “Affective states” include emotions, feelings, and moods. We are working on the analysis of affective translation in statistical machine translation (SMT) systems, in particular for translation from Spanish to English. In this paper we report on the following: availability of suitable bilingual/multilingual corpora, availability of suitable English affect seed words, manual translation of the English affect seed words into Spanish, translation of a development set of about 2,000 English sentences (each sentence contains at least one affective word) into Spanish and the evaluation of the translation on (a subset of) the development set focused on affect words.
METHACRYLOYL DERIVITIZED HYPERBRANCHED POLYESTER. 2. PHOTO-POLYMERIZATION AND PROPERTIES FOR DENTAL RESIN SYSTEMS

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the usefulness of the synthesized hyperbranched multi-methacrylates (H-MMAs) in dental applications. We synthesized three hyperbranched multi-methacrylate oligomers and evaluated them as modifiers for use in the dental resin system: bisphenol A glycidyl dimethacrylate (BisGMA)/tri(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). Their photo-polymerization activities, viscosity, mechanical properties, such as compression, diametral tensile, and flexural strength, were evaluated. H-MMAs (10%) modified dental resins have lower polymerization shrinkage and about 15% increase in mechanical strength compared to the Bis-BisGMA control. For example, H30-MMA has compressive, diametral tensile, and flexural strength of 576, 47, and 85 MPa, compared with the BisGMA control having 497, 43, and 77 MPa. In addition, hyperbranched polymer modified resins have higher glass transition temperature (Tg) and lower thermal expansion coefficient (α) than the control. This research is significant both for increasing our knowledge about hyperbranched multi-functional polymers as well as leading to new dental resin systems with better performance.
Evaluation of tensile strength of surgical synthetic absorbable suture materials: an in vitro study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tensile strength of surgical synthetic absorbable sutures over a period of 14 days under simulated oral conditions. Methods Three suture materials (polyglycolic acid [PGA], polyglactin [PG] 910, and poly (glycolide-co-є-caprolactone) [PGC]) were used in 4-0 and 5-0 gauges. 210 suture samples (35 of each material and gauge) were used. All of the samples were tested preimmersion and 1 hour and 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days postimmersion. The tensile strength of each suture material and gauge was assessed. The point of breakage and the resorption pattern of the sutures were also assessed. Results During the first 24 hours of immersion, all 4-0 and 5-0 samples of PGA, PG 910, and PGC maintained their initial tensile strength. At baseline (preimmersion), there was a statistically significant (P<0.001) difference in the tensile strengths between the 4-0 and 5-0 gauge of PGA, PG 910, and PGC. PGA 4-0 showed the highest tensile strength until day 10. At 7 days, all the 4-0 sutures of the three materials had maintained their tensile strength with PGA 4-0 having significantly greater (P=0.003) tensile strength compared to PG. Conclusions 4-0 sutures are stronger and have greater tensile strength than 5-0 sutures. The PGA 4-0 suture showed the highest tensile strength at the end of day 10.
Influence of the National Curriculum for Physical Education on Inner-City Teachers' Behaviours Associated with Pupils' Psychosocial Development

This study examined the quality of instruction provided by a sample of teachers working in a depressed urban setting and within the confines of the National Curriculum for Physical Education in terms of use of behaviours related to pupils' psychosocial development. Subjects were 18 specialist physical education teachers working in seven mixed-sex secondary schools in one large city in southeastern England. Two lessons of each teacher's choice, in which they taught any activity to pupils in Years 7, 8, or 9, were videotaped during the summer term of 1996. Lessons were coded with the Coaching Behavior Assessment System, an observational procedure designed to record the rate at which teachers use behaviours positively and negatively associated with pupils' psychosocial development. Descriptive statistics indicated that teachers used behaviours linked with pupils' positive psychosocial development much more frequently than they used behaviours associated with pupils' negative psychosocial development. A comparison of the data collected at these seven urban schools with those collected previously in a rural setting (Curtner-Smith, Kerr, & Hencken, 1995) suggested that, in general, British physical education teachers' behaviours are similar across the locations.
Partial discharge pattern classification for an oil-pressboard interface

This paper compares the ability of a Single Neural Network (SNN) and an Ensemble Neural Network (ENN) in classifying and discriminating oil-pressboard interface partial discharge (PD) degredation. Discharges were sustained for 15 hours and PD patterns captured, evaluated and correlated with the tracking damage on the pressboard surface. For the same experimental arrangement two samples were stressed, one at 18.5kV (rms) and the other at 30kV (rms). Training data for both the SNN and the ENN comprised statistical parameters obtained from the Φ-q-n discharge patterns. Data sets for application were were split into periods of the first 9 hours and last 6 hours, as these time periods appeared to show most variabilty and stabilty of the statisical paremeters respectively. The results show that both the ENN and the SNN are able to discriminate the Φ-q-n patterns over these periods. It is also shown that the ENN always provides a higher recognition rate for unseen trained data while the SNN actually appears to show a higher ability to discriminate the patterns.
Hypothyroidism in pregnancy affects babies' intelligence

Pregnant women with untreated hypothyroidism give birth to children with slightly lower IQs, according to a new study, but experts disagree on whether the difference is enough to justify routine screening for pregnant women. The study, conducted by a team from the Foundation for Blood Research in Scarborough, Maine, examined whether undetected or inadequately treated maternal thyroid deficiency during pregnancy was associated with lower IQ scores in the offspring in …
Hydrogen bonding in 2-carboxyanilinium dihydrogen phosphite at 100 K

The title compound, C7H8NO2 +·H2PO3 −, is formed from alternating layers of organic cations and inorganic anions stacked along the a-axis direction. They are associated via O—H⋯O, N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonding, giving rise to two different R 2 2(8) graph-set motifs and generating a three-dimensional network.
Oligosaccharides Affect Performance and Gut Development of Broiler Chickens

The effects of oligosaccharide supplementation on the growth performance, flock uniformity and GIT development of broiler chickens were investigated. Four diets, one negative control, one positive control supplemented with zinc-bacitracin, and two test diets supplemented with mannoligosaccharide (MOS) and fructooligosaccharide (FOS), were used for the experiment. Birds given MOS or FOS had improved body weight (BW) and feed efficiency (FCR), compared to those fed the negative control diet during the 35-d trial period. The effect on FCR became less apparent when the birds got older. FOS and MOS supplementation reduced the pancreas weight as a percentage of BW, with an effect similar to that of the antibiotic, at 35 d of age. Birds given MOS tended to have a heavier bursa (p = 0.164) and lower spleen/bursa weight ratio (p = 0.102) at 35 d of age. MOS and Zn-bacitracin showed a clear improvement on flock uniformity, compared to FOS. The mortality rate was not affected by FOS or MOS.
Extrusion of Thermoplastic Starch: Effect of “Green” and Common Polyethylene on the Hydrophobicity Characteristics

Novel plastics that are biodegradable, environmentally benign, and made from renewable natural resources are currently being researched as alternatives to traditional petroleum-based plastics. One such plastic, thermoplastic starch (TPS) is produced from starch processed at high temperatures in the presence of plasticizers, such as water and glycerol. However, because of its hydrophilic nature, TPS exhibits poor mechanical properties when exposed to environmental conditions, such as rain or humidity. The overall objective of this research work was to produce a thermoplastic starch based material with low water absorption that may be used to replace petroleum-based plastics. With a recent emergence of “green” polyethylene (GPE), sourced from renewable feedstock, it has become possible to develop novel biodegradable polymers for various applications. In this work, GPE was melt blended with starch in three different ways; reactive extrusion of GPE and starch facilitated by maleic anhydride (MAH) and dicumyl peroxide (DCP), melt blending of GPE and starch by extrusion, and melt blending of maleated polyethylene and starch by extrusion. Comprehensive testing and analysis has shown that all methods reduced water absorption significantly with some variations across the board.
Millimetre observations of the IRAS 18162−2048 outflow: evidence for cloud disruption around an intermediate-mass protostar

In order to study the morphology and the dynamics of the molecular outflow associated with IRAS 18162−2048, a wide area of ∼95 arcmin 2 around the source has been mapped by means of CO and 13 CO (1‐0) lines, and has been complemented by a map of a smaller region surrounding the high-mass object using the C 18 O (1‐0) and CH3OH (2k‐1k) and (3k‐2k) transitions. The lines profile reveals the presence of several velocity components among which two major line components at 11.9 and 12.8 km s −1 have been detected in all the tracers. Simple morphological and energetic considerations led us to interpret the observations in a relatively straightforward scenario in which the powerful jet ejected by IRAS 18162−2048 sets a big portion of the surrounding molecular cloud into motion. The energy and momentum deposited by the flow break the cloud apart, shifting the northern region to a blue velocity and the southern region to a red velocity, and giving rise to a giant outflow. We calculated the physical parameters of the outflow, which make the IRAS 18162−2048 outflow one of the most massive (M = 570 M� ) and energetic (K > 10 46 erg) known. Despite the intrinsic difficulties in giving a precise value of the age and of the inclination angle of the flow, we used different methods to derive a reliable estimate. Our data show evidence in favour of a small inclination angle (<50 ◦ ) and of a maximum outflow age of ∼10 6 yr. C 18 O and CH3OH trace the dense core surrounding IRAS 18162−2048 and show an elongated emission in the direction perpendicular to the outflow axis. Besides the peak emission associated with the IRAS source, we found another peak at the position RA(B1950) = 18 h 16 m 20. s 2, Dec.(B1950) =− 20 ◦ 49 � 18 �� which coincides with a red near-infrared source. We provided evidence that this second peak may be surrounded by a flattened rotating structure, suggesting that the newly discovered infrared source can be another site of recent star formation in this region. Our analysis suggest that the powerful wind/outflow from the luminous stars within the young cluster embedded in the GGD 27 nebula is tearing apart the parental molecular cloud. IRAS 18162−2048 appears to be in the act of clearing the surrounding material on the verge of becoming an optically revealed young stellar cluster, similar to those associated with Herbig Be stars.
Morphology/behavior relationship and recyclability of composites based on PP/EPDM blends and short aramid fibers

The effect of short aramid fibers on the mechanical behavior of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM) and their blends has been investigated by means of an experimental design. The results have shown that aramid fibers are very effective reinforcing agents for composites when the continuous phase of the matrix is constituted by PP, so sensible increments in tensile modulus and strength are obtained as fiber content in the composites increases. An optimal matrix composition and fiber content has been observed that produced high abrasion resistance compounds. However, the abrasion resistance of very rich EPDM matrices is hardly affected by fibers content. The addition of fibers to EPDM rich (>50%) matrices gives rise to a sensible decrease of the impact strength of this polymer. However, at PP contents above 50% in the polymer matrix, an increase of impact strength is observed at fiber percentages in the composites above 10%. The different behavior of the fibers depending on matrix type can be attributed to a better affinity of these fibers for PP matrix. Morphological studies of the composites have been carried out by scanning electron microscopy. Finally, the price and recyclability of these materials have been analyzed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 2474–2484, 2002
NADPH oxidase deficiency results in reduced alveolar macrophage 5‐lipoxygenase expression and decreased leukotriene synthesis

Reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) play an important role in cell signaling in addition to their role in microbial killing. We have shown previously that exogenous ROI regulate activity of the enzyme 5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LO) in alveolar macrophages (AM). Here, we examined the role of endogenous ROI, specifically generated by NADPH oxidase, in the regulation of leukotriene (LT) synthetic capacity in AM, which from NADPH oxidase knockout (KO) mice, was significantly less than that from wild‐type (WT) AM. The decrease in LT synthesis could not be explained by reduced release of the substrate for 5‐LO, arachidonic acid. However, the expression of 5‐LO was reduced ∼50% in AM from NADPH oxidase KO mice compared with WT mice. Reduced 5‐LO expression could be reproduced by treating WT AM with ROI scavengers and with selective pharmacologic inhibitors of NADPH oxidase. Furthermore, conditioned media from WT AM augmented 5‐LO metabolism in AM from NADPH oxidase KO mice. This decrease in 5‐LO expression in NADPH oxidase KO cells was associated with decreased expression of the transcription factors, specificity protein‐1 and early growth response‐1, both of which are known to regulate 5‐LO mRNA expression. These data reveal a previously unrecognized influence of endogenous ROI generated by NADPH oxidase on expression of the key LT biosynthetic protein, 5‐LO. In view of the antimicrobial actions of LT, a reduction in LT synthetic capacity by AM from NADPH oxidase KO mice may contribute to the susceptibility of these animals to infection.
Effect of chronic alcohol consumption on the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and pituitary beta-endorphin as a function of alcohol intake, age, and gender.

BACKGROUND Experimental evidence indicates that components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and of the endogenous opioid system, such as beta-endorphin (beta-END), influence alcohol consumption, whereas chronic alcohol abuse alters the activity of both systems. Furthermore, gender and age differences have been reported in the activity of the HPA axis under basal conditions, in response to stress and acute alcohol challenge. The objective of the present studies was to investigate the hypothesis that chronic alcohol consumption alters the activity of the HPA axis and pituitary beta-END as a function of severity of alcohol abuse, gender, and age. METHODS Three age groups of each gender (18-29, 30-44, and 45-60 years old) were recruited. Each age and gender group included four subgroups: (a) nondrinkers, (b) light drinkers, (c) heavy drinkers, and (d) alcoholics in treatment. Demographic characteristics, alcohol consumption, and presence of alcohol dependence were recorded by using a structured interview. Blood samples were taken on the day of the interview. The levels of plasma adrenal corticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, and beta-END were estimated as an index of the activity of the HPA-axis and pituitary beta-END. RESULTS Plasma ACTH and beta-END levels were significantly lower in females than males of all age and drinking category groups. Plasma cortisol levels were higher in 18- to 29-year-old female subjects compared with the 18- to 29-year-old male subjects. The plasma ACTH and beta-END levels were lower whereas plasma cortisol levels were higher in heavy drinkers than nondrinkers. This decrease in plasma ACTH and beta-END levels with heavy drinking was more pronounced in female than male subjects of the 30-44 and 45-60 age groups. CONCLUSIONS Chronic drinking, gender, and age influence the activity of the HPA-axis and pituitary beta-END, which in turn may influence drinking behavior.
Toward fully coordinated multi-level multi-carrier energy efficient networks

Enabling coordination between products from different vendors is a key characteristic of the design philosophy behind future wireless communication networks. As an example, different devices may have different implementations, leading to different user experiences. A similar story emerges when devices running different physical and link layer protocols share frequencies in the same spectrum in order to maximize the system-wide spectral efficiency. In such situations, coordinating multiple interfering devices presents a significant challenge not only from an interworking perspective (as a result of reduced infrastructure), but also from an implementation point of view. The following question may then naturally arise: How to accommodate integrating such heterogeneous wireless devices seamlessly? One approach is to coordinate the spectrum in a centralized manner. However, the desired autonomous feature of future wireless systems makes the use of a central authority for spectrum management less appealing. Alternately, intelligent spectrum coordination have spurred great interest and excitement in the recent years. This paper presents a multi-level (hierarchical) power control game where users jointly choose their channel and power control selfishly in order to maximize their individual energy efficiency. By hierarchical, we mean that some users' decision priority is higher/lower than the others. We propose two simple and nearly-optimal algorithms that ensure complete spectrum coordination among users. Interestingly, it turns out that the complexity of the two proposed algorithms is, in the worst case, quadratic in the number of users, whereas the complexity of the optimal solution (obtained through exhaustive search) is N! These results offer hope that such simple and accurate power control algorithms can be designed around competition, as hierarchical behavior does not only improve the mechanism's performance but also leads to simpler distributed power control algorithms.
Theories of Communication Networks

1. Networks and Flows in Organizational Communication PART I: THE MULTITHEORETICAL, MULTILEVEL FRAMEWORK 2. Network Concepts, Measures, and the Multitheoretical, Multilevel Analytical Framework 3. Communication and Knowledge Networks as Complex Systems 4. Computational Modeling of Networks PART II: SOCIAL THEORIES FOR STUDYING COMMUNICATION NETWORKS 5. Theories of Self-Interest and Collective Action 6. Contagion, Semantic, and Cognitive Theories 7. Exchange and Dependency Theories 8. Homophily, Proximity, and Social Support Theories 9. Evolutionary and Coevolutionary Theories PART III: INTEGRATION 10. MultiTheoretical, Multilevel Models of Communication and Other Organizational Networks Appendix: Data Sets Used in Chapter 2 References Author Index Subject Index
The Effect of Difluoromethylornithine on Decreasing Prostate Size and Polyamines in Men: Results of a Year-Long Phase IIb Randomized Placebo-Controlled Chemoprevention Trial

Background: Prostate cancer is a major health issue, and prevention of prostate cancer and/or its progression will yield benefits for men. Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is an antiproliferative agent, inhibiting ornithine decarboxylase, the first enzyme in the polyamine pathway, and has been studied as a therapeutic and chemopreventive agent. The prostate has high levels of tissue polyamines and has shown sensitivity to DFMO both in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Eighty-one men participated in a 1-year randomized trial of placebo or DFMO. Prostate volume determination and biopsy of the prostate for histology and polyamine content were done at baseline and after 12 months. Other biomarker variables were assessed, including total and free prostate-specific antigen and prostate-specific antigen doubling time. Results: Compared with baseline, men receiving DFMO had a smaller increase in prostate volume (0.14 cm3) than those on placebo (2.95 cm3; P = 0.0301) at 1 year. In addition, DFMO caused a 60.8% reduction of prostate putrescine levels compared with a 139.5% increase in the placebo arm (P = 0.0014). Stratification by ornithine decarboxylase genotype showed that DFMO reduced prostate volume (P = 0.029) and putrescine levels (P = 0.0053) in the AA + GA group but not in the GG group. There were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities. There was no clinical ototoxicity, with one subclinical grade 2 hearing decline on audiogram. Conclusion: In this randomized placebo-controlled trial, DFMO induced a decrease of prostate putrescine levels and rate of prostate growth. The potential of this compound for prostate cancer or hyperplasia should be further studied. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(2):292–9)