Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ayi Kwei Armah's Vulgar Language in the Beautyful Ones are not Yet Born, a Therapeutic Tool

In this discourse I will contend that Ayi Kwei Armah's language in his first novel, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born is deliberately crafted to sound very vulgar for a purpose. The coarse language is used as an electroconvulsive tool to deliberately shock the reader to draw his attention to the decadence and corrupt behaviours Armah exposes and condemns in the novel. In other words, it is for a therapeutic purpose. Consequently, I will posit that Armah uses form to complement content in this novel.
Epigenetic predisposition to reprogramming fates in somatic cells

Reprogramming to pluripotency is a low‐efficiency process at the population level. Despite notable advances to molecularly characterize key steps, several fundamental aspects remain poorly understood, including when the potential to reprogram is first established. Here, we apply live‐cell imaging combined with a novel statistical approach to infer when somatic cells become fated to generate downstream pluripotent progeny. By tracing cell lineages from several divisions before factor induction through to pluripotent colony formation, we find that pre‐induction sister cells acquire similar outcomes. Namely, if one daughter cell contributes to a lineage that generates induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), its paired sibling will as well. This result suggests that the potential to reprogram is predetermined within a select subpopulation of cells and heritable, at least over the short term. We also find that expanding cells over several divisions prior to factor induction does not increase the per‐lineage likelihood of successful reprogramming, nor is reprogramming fate correlated to neighboring cell identity or cell‐specific reprogramming factor levels. By perturbing the epigenetic state of somatic populations with Ezh2 inhibitors prior to factor induction, we successfully modulate the fraction of iPSC‐forming lineages. Our results therefore suggest that reprogramming potential may in part reflect preexisting epigenetic heterogeneity that can be tuned to alter the cellular response to factor induction.
Synaesthesia? A window into perception, thought and language

We investigated grapheme–colour synaesthesia and found that: (1) The induced colours led to perceptual grouping and pop-out, (2) a grapheme rendered invisible through ‘crowding’ or lateral masking induced synaesthetic colours — a form of blindsight — and (3) peripherally presented graphemes did not induce colours even when they were clearly visible. Taken collectively, these and other experiments prove conclusively that synaesthesia is a genuine perceptual phenomenon, not an effect based on memory associations from childhood or on vague metaphorical speech. We identify different subtypes of number–colour synaesthesia and propose that they are caused by hyperconnectivity between colour and number areas at different stages in processing; lower synaesthetes may have cross-wiring (or cross-activation) within the fusiform gyrus, whereas higher synaesthetes may have cross-activation in the angular gyrus. This hyperconnectivity might be caused by a genetic mutation that causes defective pruning of connections between brain maps. The mutation may further be expressed selectively (due to transcription factors) in the fusiform or angular gyri, and this may explain the existence of different forms of synaesthesia. If expressed very diffusely, there may be extensive cross-wiring between brain regions that represent abstract concepts, which would explain the link between creativity, metaphor and synaesthesia (and the higher incidence of synaesthesia among artists and poets). Also, hyperconnectivity between the sensory cortex and amygdala would explain the heightened aversion synaesthetes experience when seeing numbers printed in the ‘wrong’ colour. Lastly, kindling (induced hyperconnectivity in the temporal lobes of temporal lobe epilepsy [TLE] patients) may explain the purported higher incidence of synaesthesia in these patients . We conclude with a synaesthesia-based theory of the evolution of language. Thus, our experiments on synaesthesia and our theoretical framework attempt to link several seemingly unrelated facts about the human mind. Far from being a mere curiosity, synaesthesia may provide a window into perception, thought and language. www.imprint-academic.com/rama copyright © Journal of Consciousness Studies, 8, No. 12, 2001, pp. 3–34 Correspondence: Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr. 0109, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, e-mail: vramacha@ucsd.edu
Stereochemistry of an Agonist Determines Coupling Preference of β2-Adrenoceptor to Different G Proteins in Cardiomyocytes

A fundamental question regarding receptor-G protein interaction is whether different agonists can lead a receptor to different intracellular signaling pathways. Our previous studies have demonstrated that although most β2-adrenoceptor agonists activate both Gs and Gi proteins, fenoterol, a full agonist of β2-adrenoceptor, selectively activates Gs protein. Fenoterol contains two chiral centers and may exist as four stereoisomers. We have synthesized a series of stereoisomers of fenoterol and its derivatives and characterized their receptor binding and pharmacological properties. We tested the hypothesis that the stereochemistry of an agonist determines selectivity of receptor coupling to different G protein(s). We found that the R,R isomers of fenoterol and methoxyfenoterol exhibited more potent effects to increase cardiomyocyte contraction than their S,R isomers. It is noteworthy that although (R,R)-fenoterol and (R,R)-methoxyfenoterol preferentially activate Gs signaling, their S,R isomers were able to activate both Gs and Gi proteins as evidenced by the robust pertussis toxin sensitivities of their effects on cardiomyocyte contraction and on phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. The differential G protein selectivities of the fenoterol stereoisomers were further confirmed by photoaffinity labeling studies on Gs,Gi2, and Gi3 proteins. The inefficient Gi signaling with the R,R isomers is not caused by the inability of the R,R isomers to trigger the protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated phosphorylation of the β2-adrenoceptor, because the R,R isomers also markedly increased phosphorylation of the receptor at serine 262 by PKA. We conclude that in addition to receptor subtype and phosphorylation status, the stereochemistry of a given agonist plays an important role in determining receptor-G protein selectivity and downstream signaling events.
The transactivating isoforms of p63 are overexpressed in high‐grade follicular lymphomas independent of the occurrence of p63 gene amplification

p63 is a p53‐related gene mapping to 3q28 that codes for multiple mRNA transcripts with (TA‐p63) or without (ΔN‐p63) transactivating effects on genes that promote cell differentiation and apoptosis. We analysed p63 alterations by immunohistochemistry, quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR and FISH in a series of 45 follicular lymphomas (FL). None of the tumours showed immunoreactivity for the p40 antibody, which recognizes only the truncated isoforms of p63, or ΔN‐p63 mRNA expression. Immunoreactivity for the 4A4 antibody, which recognizes both the transactivating and the truncated p63 isoforms, was found in 5 ± 5.5%, 6.85 ± 4.88% and 33.2 ± 22.31% of grade I, II and III FL cells, respectively (p < 0.0001). Quantitative RT‐PCR analysis showed that all cases but one had TA‐p63 mRNA levels higher than non‐neoplastic lymphocytes, and that TA‐p63 mRNA expression correlated significantly (r = 0.9194, p < 0.0001) with the prevalence of p63 immunoreactivity. FISH extra signals for the p63 gene were found in seven (23.3%) of the 30 cases analysed (0/6 grade I, 2/15 grade II and 5/9 grade III; p = 0.01937). Further hybridizations showed a pattern highly suggestive of chromosome 3 polysomy in six cases. One of these cases also bore extra copies of the p63 and bcl‐6 genes. Co‐localization of p63 and IgH signals was found in one case. No association between the prevalence of p63 immunoreactivity and extra p63 gene signals was detectable when the cases were dichotomized according to a p63 immunoreactivity threshold of 10%. Our data suggest that TA‐p63 is overexpressed in high‐grade FL, possibly independent of the occurrence of gene abnormalities, and that it may be involved in the highly complex mechanism of regulation of apoptosis of FL cells. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relating with God Contributes to Variance in Happiness, over that from Personality and Age

A previous study on university students reported that personal, communal, and environmental spiritual well-being contributed to happiness over and above personality but that relating with God did not. In this study, happiness was assessed using a modified Oxford Happiness Inventory. Personality scores were obtained using forms of Eysenck’s Personality Questionnaire. Four domains of spiritual well-being were determined using Fisher’s Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire. Relationship with God was reflected by the Transcendental domain of spiritual well-being in this instrument. Studies with 466 university students from Australia, Northern Ireland, and England, 494 people attending churches in Ballarat, and 1002 secondary school students in Victoria showed that relating with God accounts for variance on happiness, over and above personality, and age.
Condition‐dependent mate choice and a reproductive disadvantage for MHC‐divergent male tiger salamanders

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles likely have adaptive value because of overdominance, in which case MHC heterozygous individuals have increased fitness relative to homozygotes. Because of this potential benefit, the evolution of sexual reproduction between MHC‐divergent individuals (i.e. negative assortative mating, NAM) may be favoured. However, the strongest evidence for MHC‐based NAM comes from inbred animals, and context‐dependent mating preferences have rarely been evaluated although they often occur in nature. We assessed the extent MHC‐based mating preferences among wild tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) using multiple molecular approaches. We genotyped 102 adults and 864 larvae from 36 breeding trials at both microsatellite and MHC loci. Parentage analysis revealed that reproductive success among males was positively associated with increased tail length and that with respect to the focal female, MHC‐similar males sired a significantly higher number of offspring than more dissimilar males. This trend was consistent, even under context‐dependent scenarios that favour traditional MHC‐based NAM. These results suggest that the most MHC‐divergent males may be at a reproductive disadvantage in pairwise breeding trials. Our data add to a growing body of evidence that suggests where it exists, MHC‐based choice is probably dynamic and mediated by many factors that vary in the wild, notably signals from other indicator traits and by the quality and quantity of potential mates.
Investigations of Tunneling for Field Eﬀect Transistors

Over 40 years of scaling dimensions for new and continuing product cycles has introduced new challenges for transistor design. As the end of the technology roadmap for semiconductors approaches, new device structures are being investigated as possible replacements for traditional metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). Band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) in semiconductors, often viewed as an adverse effect of short channel lengths in MOSFETs, has been discussed as a promising current injection mechanism to allow for reduced operating voltage for beyond MOSFET technology.This dissertation discusses the proposal of BTBT for tunneling feld effect transistors (TFETs). Some early work is briefly reviewed to better appreciate the academic research landscape regarding BTBT. Then, experimental observations of a steeply switching enhanced-Schottky-barrier MOSFET are analysed in detail and the steep characteristic is plausibly explained by metal impurity trap states near the source tunneling junction. Next, follow-up experiments to investigate the role of traps in BTBT are reviewed with a likely explanation that traps in close proximity to the tunneling junction can lower the activation energy for BTBT. Finally, a source design study for a planar homojunction germanium-on-insulator TFET finds that a static reverse bias can dramatically alter the optimal doping profile for the source tunneling junction and highlights the importance of tight electrostatic control for improved ION/IOFF in TFETs.
Optimal Control of Markov Decision Processes With Linear Temporal Logic Constraints

In this paper, we develop a method to automatically generate a control policy for a dynamical system modeled as a Markov Decision Process (MDP). The control specification is given as a Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) formula over a set of propositions defined on the states of the MDP. Motivated by robotic applications requiring persistent tasks, such as environmental monitoring and data gathering, we synthesize a control policy that minimizes the expected cost between satisfying instances of a particular proposition over all policies that maximize the probability of satisfying the given LTL specification. Our approach is based on the definition of a novel optimization problem that extends the existing average cost per stage problem. We propose a sufficient condition for a policy to be optimal, and develop a dynamic programming algorithm that synthesizes a policy that is optimal for a set of LTL specifications.
Teaching self-instruction utilizing multiple exemplars to produce generalized problem-solving among individuals with severe mental retardation.

Four residents of a group home who had severe mental retardation were taught to use self-instruction in combination with multiple exemplars to solve task-related problems. The combined strategy was associated with generalization to untrained problems as well as response maintenance of the problem-solving strategy (i.e., responding to multiple exemplars and self-instructing). The use of the strategy was discussed in terms of instructional strategies for teaching self-instruction and areas for future research, including isolating the factors responsible for generalization and identifying the role of language in promoting generalized responding.
Enumerating Totally Real Quartic Fields

The problems of counting and enumeration of number fields of small degree upto bounded discriminant have been well-studied over the last fifty years. In 1971, Davenport and Heilbronn computed the density of discriminants of cubic fields using the parametrizations of [16] due to Delone-Faddeev and various techniques from the geometry of numbers, including important asymptotics for the class numbers of binary cubic forms from work of Davenport in 1951 [15],[12], [13], [14]. They showed that the number of cubic fields, having discriminant bounded in absolute value by X is asymptotically linear. In 1997, Belabas used these parametrizations and various ideas derived from the geometry-of-numbers approach of Davenport-Heilbronn, to describe and implement an extremely fast algorithm to enumerate all cubic fields of discriminant bounded in absolute value by 1011 [1]. In Chapter 5 of his 2001 Ph.D thesis [2], revised and published as [4], Bhargava computed the density of discriminants of quartic fields using his own parametrizations from [3] and techniques from the geometry-of-numbers analogous to those used by Davenport-Heilbronn. However the corresponding problem of enumerating quartic fields has not really been approached from this perspective since the work of Buchmann and Ford from 1989 [8], and Buchmann, Ford, and Pohst from 1993 [9]. Indeed, the most recent approach to this problem is due to Cohen, Diaz y Diaz and Olivier using techniques from Kummer theory. In [10], they make complete tables of all quartic fields having discriminant bounded in absolute value by 107. The goal of this junior paper 1 is to outline an effectively linear algorithm to enumerate quartic fields upto bounded discriminant using the parametrizations of [3] and ideas derived from the techniques used in Chapter 5 of [2]. The main result achieved is a partial quartic analogue of the algorithm described in [1]:
Translucent Sums: A Foundation for Higher-Order Module Systems

The ease of understanding, maintaining, and developing a large program depends crucially on how it is divided up into modules. The possible ways a program can be divided are constrained by the available modular programming facilities (“module system”) of the programming language being used. Experience with the Standard-ML module system has shown the usefulness of functions mapping modules to modules and modules with module subcomponents. For example, functions over modules permit abstract data types (ADTs) to be parameterized by other ADTs, and submodules permit modules to be organized hierarchically. Module systems with such facilities are called higher-order, by analogy with higher-order functions. Previous higher-order module systems can be classified as either opaque or transparent. Opaque systems totally obscure information about the identity of type components of modules, often resulting in overly abstract types. This loss of type identities precludes most interesting uses of higher-order features. Transparent systems, on the other hand, completely reveal type identities by inspecting module implementations, which subverts data abstraction and prevents separate compilation. In this dissertation, I describe a novel approach that avoids these problems based on a new type-theoretic concept, the translucent sum. A translucent sum is a kind of weak sum whose type can optionally specify the identity of its type components. Under my approach type identities are not determined by inspecting module implementations, permitting separate compilation. By default, module operations reveal the connections between the types in their input and output modules. However, these connections can be obscured using type coercion. This controlled visibility permits data abstraction where desired without limiting the uses of higher-order features. My approach also allows modules to be treated as first-class values, a potentially valuable feature. In order to lay out the groundwork for my new approach to designing higher-order module systems and to demonstrate its utility, I develop in complete detail a kernel system using my approach. I establish formally the theoretical properties of the system, including soundness even in the presence of side effects. I also show how the system may be effectively type checked.
Electrons initiate efficient formation of hydroperoxides from cysteine

Abstract Amino acid and protein hydroperoxides can constitute a significant hazard if formed in vivo. It has been suggested that cysteine can form hydroperoxides after intramolecular hydrogen transfer to the commonly produced cysteine sulfur-centered radical. The resultant cysteine-derived carbon-centered radicals can react with oxygen at almost diffusion-controlled rate, forming peroxyl radicals which can oxidize other molecules and be reduced to hydroperoxides in the process. No cysteine hydroperoxides have been found so far. In this study, dilute air-saturated cysteine solutions were exposed to radicals generated by ionizing radiation and the hydroperoxides measured by an iodide assay. Of the three primary radicals present, the hydroxyl, hydrogen atoms and hydrated electrons, the first two were ineffective. However, electrons did initiate the generation of hydroperoxides by removing the –SH group and forming cysteine-derived carbon radicals. Under optimal conditions, 100% of the electrons reacting with cysteine produced the hydroperoxides with a 1:1 stoichiometry. Maximum hydroperoxide yields were at pH 5.5, with fairly rapid decline under more acid or alkaline conditions. The hydroperoxides were stable between pH 3 and 7.5, and decomposed in alkaline solutions. The results suggest that formation of cysteine hydroperoxides initiated by electrons is an unlikely event under physiological conditions.
Primary operative management for pediatric empyema: decreases in hospital length of stay and charges in a national sample.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether primary operative management (decortication within the first 2 days of hospitalization) decreases hospital length of stay (LOS) and total charges in children with empyema. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Nationally representative Kids' Inpatient Database for 2003. PARTICIPANTS Children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years (hereinafter referred to as children) with empyema. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Hospital LOS and total charges. RESULTS A total of 1173 children with empyema were identified. Compared with children treated with primary nonoperative management, children treated with primary operative management had a shorter hospital LOS by 4.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-6.4) days and lower total hospital charges by $21,179.80 (95% CI, -$34,111.12 to -$8248.48) and were less likely to be transferred to another short-term hospital (0% vs 13.3%). In addition, children with primary operative management were less likely to have therapeutic failure (odds ratio, 0.08 [95% CI, 0.04-0.15]). There was no difference in complications between the 2 groups (odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.59-1.74]). CONCLUSION Primary operative management is associated with decreased LOS, hospital charges, and likelihood of transfer to another short-term hospital, compared with nonoperative management.
Heterotrimeric G Protein Signaling Outside the Realm of Seven Transmembrane Domain Receptors

Heterotrimeric G proteins, consisting of the guanine nucleotide-binding Gα subunits with GTPase activity and the closely associated Gβ and Gγ subunits, are important signaling components for receptors with seven transmembrane domains (7TMRs). These receptors, also termed G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), act as guanine nucleotide exchange factors upon agonist stimulation. There is now accumulating evidence for noncanonical functions of heterotrimeric G proteins independent of 7TMR coupling. Gα proteins belonging to all 4 subfamilies, including Gs, Gi, Gq, and G12 are found to play important roles in receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, regulation of oxidant production, development, and cell migration, through physical and functional interaction with proteins other than 7TMRs. Association of Gα with non-7TMR proteins also facilitates presentation of these G proteins to specific cellular microdomains. This Minireview aims to summarize our current understanding of the noncanonical roles of Gα proteins in cell signaling and to discuss unresolved issues including regulation of Gα activation by proteins other than the 7TMRs.