cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the burning behavior of pulverized coal chars

Abstract A model that predicts the physical changes that pulverized coal char particles undergo during combustion has been developed. In the model, a burning particle is divided into a number of concentric annular volume elements. The mass loss rate, specific surface area, and apparent density in each volume element depend upon the local particle conditions, which vary as a consequence of the adsorbed oxygen and gas-phase oxygen concentration gradients inside the particle. The model predicts the particle's burning rate, temperature, diameter, apparent density, and specific surface area as combustion proceeds, given ambient conditions and initial char properties. A six-step heterogeneous reaction mechanism is used to describe carbon reactivity to oxygen. A distributed activation energy approach is used to account for the variation in desorption energies of adsorbed O-atoms on the carbonaceous surface. Model calculations support the three burning zones established for the oxidation of pulverized coal chars. The model indicates two types of zone II behavior, however. Under weak zone II burning conditions, constant-diameter burning occurs up to 30% to 50% conversion before burning commences with reductions in both size and apparent density. Under strong zone II conditions, particles burn with reductions in both size and apparent density after an initial short period ( 2 % conversion) of constant-diameter burning. Model predictions reveal that early in the oxidation process, there is mass loss at constant diameter under all zone II burning conditions. Such weak and strong burning behavior cannot be predicted with the commonly used power-law model for the mode of burning employing a single value for the burning mode parameter. Model calculations also reveal how specific surface area evolves when oxidation occurs in the zone II burning regime. Based on the calculated results, a surface area submodel that accounts for the effects of pore growth and coalescence during combustion under zone I conditions was modified to permit the characterization of the variations in specific surface area that occur during char conversion under zones II conditions. The modified surface area model is applicable to all burning regimes. Calculations also indicate that the particle's effectiveness factor varies during conversion under zone II burning conditions. With the adsorption/desorption mechanism employed, a near first-order Thiele modulus–effectiveness factor relationship is obeyed over the particle's lifetime.
Nerve growth factor immunoreactivity and sympathetic sprouting in the rat hippocampal formation.

Several lines of evidence support a role for nerve growth factor (NGF) in the sympathetic sprouting response that occurs following septal cholinergic denervation of the rat hippocampal formation. The present study was undertaken to compare the distribution of NGF-like immunoreactivity and the topography of sympathetic sprouting in rats receiving medial septal lesions. Comparisons were made using adjacent sections of the hippocampal formation stained either for NGF-like immunoreactivity or for NGF receptor-immunoreactivity (p75, to visualize sympathetic fibers). p75-immunoreactive sympathetic axons were localized within the same regions exhibiting NGF-like staining, i.e., the hilus of the dentate gyrus and stratum lucidum in the CA3 area. Furthermore, the sympathetic fibers that invaded the hippocampal formation exhibited NGF-like immunostaining. These results provide additional evidence in support of NGF's role in this collateral sprouting response in the mature rat CNS.
The determination of a coefficient in an elliptic equation from average flux data

Abstract We consider the question of recovering the coefficient q from the equation −Δu j +q(x)u j =ƒ j (x) subject to homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions in a bounded domain Ω⊂ R 2 . The nonhomogeneous source terms {ƒ j (x)} j=1 ∞ form a basis for L 2 (Ω) . It will be proven that a unique determination is possible from data measurements consisting of measurements of the net flux {∫r∂uj/∂vds}⋚1 leaving a subset Γ of the boundary ∂Ω for each input source ƒ j . A continuous dependence result and an algorithm that allows efficient numerical reconstruction of q(x) from finite data is presented.
Absolute UV and VUV emission in the 110–400 nm region from 13.56 MHz driven hollow slot microplasmas operating in open air

We present absolute optical emission spectra in the 110–400 nm regions from radio-frequency-driven (13.56 MHz) hollow slot microplasmas operating in open air at atmospheric pressure. The term microplasma in our research refers to inter-electrode separation (100–600 µm) only, as electrode lengths are scalable from 1 to 30 cm. This creates an extended slot plasma and an associated afterglow plume as described herein. Spectra are presented for gas flows through the microelectrodes of argon and helium with small admixtures of hydrogen and nitrogen into open air. The spectra are discussed in terms of species origin and magnitude of the dominant emission lines. Atomic O and N lines dominate the 110–200 nm region, whereas, in the 200–400 nm region, NO, N2, and NH molecular lines are strongest. The role of the state in the open air microplasmas is discussed and the second positive system of molecular nitrogen (N2(C 3Πg–B 3Πg)), is used to measure the rotational (gas) temperature. Finally, we compare the efficiency and magnitude of light emission from the open air microplasmas with values attainable from commercial sealed mercury lamps in the UVB and UVC regions.
RESEARCH ON PERFECTIONISM AND ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR GIFTED STUDENTS

Perfectionism has been associated with a rigid adherence to impossibly high standards, an irrational importance on the attainment of these standards, and a tendency to overgeneralize failures. Researchers have primarily focused on how perfectionism predicts psychological adjustment; yet, recent research also indicates that perfectionism impacts students' achievement motivation. In this article, research on the relationship between perfectionism and achievement motivation in non-gifted students is reviewed. Conclusions about perfectionism and achievement motivation in non-gifted students will highlight directions for future research and implications for enhancing the achievement motivation of gifted students with perfectionism. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stereoacuity and binocular visual acuity in prism-induced exodeviation.

Background Intermittent exotropia may be controlled by accommodative or motor convergence. Previous studies have reported that reduced binocular visual acuity in intermittent exotropia is due to the accommodation required to control the deviation. To test this hypothesis, we simulated convergence stress by inducing exodeviations in normal volunteers to investigate whether the transition from nonfused to fused is associated with a gradual or immediate transition in stereoacuity and binocular visual acuity. Methods Convergence stress was induced in 25 visually normal adults with 40 Δ base-out prism and reduced stepwise in increments of 5 Δ until 20 Δ , and 2 Δ thereafter. Stereoacuity (Frisby Davis Distance [FD2] and the Distance Randot [DR]) and binocular visual acuity were measured at each step. For each subject, the recovery of fine stereoacuity (≤60 arcsec) was categorized as immediate (nil to fine) or gradual (nil to moderate to fine). Results Twenty-four of 25 (96%) showed gradual recovery of fine stereoacuity on either FD2 or DR. Median binocular visual acuity at baseline, first level of fusion, and subsequent levels was 20/15. Conclusions Under convergence stress, the transition from nonfused to fused is accompanied by a gradual recovery of fine stereoacuity in most individuals, consistent with some studies of patients with intermittent exotropia. Nevertheless, this degradation of stereoacuity was not associated with decreased binocular visual acuity, suggesting that accommodative convergence may not be recruited to restore and maintain binocularity under conditions of convergence stress.
Nonperturbative renormalization of the neutrinoless double- β operator in p -shell nuclei

We use Lee-Suzuki mappings and related techniques to construct effective two-body $p$-shell interactions and neutrinoless double-$\ensuremath{\beta}$ operators that exactly reproduce the results of large no-core-shell-model calculations of (fictitious) double-$\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay in nuclei with mass number $A=6$. We then apply the effective operators to the (also fictitious) decay of nuclei with $A=7$, 8, and 10, again comparing with no-core calculations in much larger spaces. The results with the effective two-body operators are generally good. In some cases, however, they differ non-negligibly from the full no-core results, suggesting that three-body corrections to the decay operator in heavier nuclei may be important. An application of our procedure and related ideas to $fp$-shell nuclei such as ${}^{76}$Ge should be feasible within coupled-cluster theory.
Brain connectivity and novel network measures for Alzheimer's disease classification.

We compare a variety of different anatomic connectivity measures, including several novel ones, that may help in distinguishing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients from controls. We studied diffusionweighted magnetic resonance imaging from 200 subjects scanned as part of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. We first evaluated measures derived from connectivity matrices based on whole-brain tractography; next, we studied additional network measures based on a novel flow-based measure of brain connectivity, computed on a dense 3-dimensional lattice. Based on these 2 kinds of connectivity matrices, we computed a variety of network measures. We evaluated the measures’ ability to discriminate disease with a repeated, stratified 10-fold cross-validated classifier, using support vector machines, a supervised learning algorithm. We tested the relative importance of different combinations of features based on the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and feature ranking of the classification of 200 people into normal healthy controls and people with early or late mild cognitive impairment or AD.
Operations Research in Libraries: A Review of 25 Years of Activity

This paper reviews the record of OR/MS applications to library management. Although libraries constitute a major factor in both the public and the private not-for-profit sectors, OR/MS has not fulfilled its potential in enhancing the cost effectiveness of library systems.
The nonmutagenic (R)- and (S)-beta-(N(6)-adenyl)styrene oxide adducts are oriented in the major groove and show little perturbation to DNA structure.

Conformations of (R)-beta-(N(6)-adenyl)styrene oxide and (S)-beta-(N(6)-adenyl)styrene oxide adducts at position X(6) in d(CGGACXAGAAG).d(CTTCTTGTCCG), incorporating codons 60, 61 (underlined), and 62 of the human N-ras protooncogene, were refined from (1)H NMR data. These were designated as the beta-R(61,2) and beta-S(61,2) adducts. A total of 533 distance restraints and 162 dihedral restraints were used for the molecular dynamics calculations of the beta-S(61,2) adduct, while 518 distances and 163 dihedrals were used for the beta-R(61,2) adduct. The increased tether length of the beta-adducts results in two significant changes in adduct structure as compared to the corresponding alpha-styrenyl adducts [Stone, M. P., and Feng, B. (1996) Magn. Reson. Chem. 34, S105-S114]. First, it reduces the distortion introduced into the DNA duplex. For both the beta-R(61,2) and beta-S(61,2) adducts, the styrenyl moiety was positioned in the major groove of the duplex with little steric hindrance. Second, it mutes the influence of stereochemistry at the alpha-carbon such that both the beta-R(61,2) and beta-S(61,2) adducts exhibit similar conformations. The results were correlated with site-specific mutagenesis experiments that revealed the beta-R(61,2) and beta-S(61,2) adducts were not mutagenic and did not block polymerase bypass.
Energy transfer between helium metastable particles and neon

Light absorption and emission spectroscopy was used to study the time dependences of the He/sup m/(2 /sup 3/S), He/sub 2//sup m/(a /sup 3/..sigma../sub u//sup +/), and Ne/sup m/(/sup 3/P/sub 2/) number densities and spectral-line emission intensities from 19 Ne I states during the afterglow of helium-neon discharges. The Ne I states below 20.56 eV are produced, either directly or by cascading, by excitation transfer between He/sup m/(2 /sup 3/S) and Ne with a reaction rate constant of 4.3 x 10/sup -12/ cm/sup 3/ s/sup -1/, in agreement with previous studies. The Ne(2p /sup 5/3s) states are formed directly by the dissociative-excitation-transfer mechanism He/sub 2//sup m/(a /sup 3/..sigma../sub u//sup +/) + Ne..-->.. (He/sub 2/Ne)/sub r//sup asterisk/..-->..Ne(2p/sup 5/3s) + 2He involving an intermediate repulsive state. No evidence was found for the production of Ne I energy levels above 20.56 eV by binary energy-transfer processes.
Analysis of cubic boron nitride thin films by neutron depth profiling

Abstract Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) thin films are of interest in such diverse areas as semiconducting devices, wear resistant coatings, and low friction coatings, owing to the exceptional electrical and mechanical properties of that material. In this work, the boron to nitrogen ratio of thin films produced by physical vapor deposition (PVD) was determined and compared with the crystal phase of BN thin films. Thin films (approximately 0.1 μm) of c-BN were deposited onto heated silicon substrates by electron beam evaporation of boron with concurrent nitrogen and argon ion bombardment. The films were characterized by IR spectroscopy. The stoichiometry of the BN layer was determined by neutron depth profiling (NDP) using the nuclear reactions 10 B(n,α) 7 Li and 14 N (n,p) 14 C. Boron-to-nitrogen ratios were determined with uncertainties of 2%–3%. Shifts in IR spectra were observed over a narrow range of boron-to-nitrogen ratios near unity. Stoichiometric results are compared with the crystal phase. Details of the NDP analysis are presented.
Theory and Curriculum Reexamining the Curricular Separation of Business and Technical Communication

Business and technical communication have conventionally been separated in academe—a separation that formalist rhetorical theory has supported. Epistemic rhetorical theory, however, suggests that this separation does not reflect the profession's current understanding of workplace discourse. This article demonstrates that the labels business and technical communication are not helpful in understanding two workplace documents: a memorandum and a report. The article then explores the increased explanatory power in two epistemic theoretical approaches, social construction and paralogic hermeneutics, after which the article discusses the radical implications of these approaches for a curricular dialogue concerning workplace writing. Finally, the article describes interests inside and outside academe that preserve the status quo and thus mitigate against curricular change, positing that such change would be difficult, but not impossible, to achieve.
U.S. EPA's voluntary labeling guidelines for pesticide resistance management based on rotation of mode of action

Sharlene Matten from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (7511C) in Washington D.C. discusses the US system of voluntary resistance management labeling guidance.
Constituents of Asparagus officinalis evaluated for inhibitory activity against cyclooxygenase-2.

As part of a project directed toward the discovery of new cancer chemopreventive agents from plants, two new natural products, asparagusic acid anti-S-oxide methyl ester (1) and asparagusic acid sy...
Evidence of species differences in the ultrastructure of the hepatic sinusoid.

Hepatic sinusoids in the calf have been studied by light and electron microscopy. The endothelial lining is shown to be continuous and to be associated with a prominent basement membrane. The perisinusoidal space (of Disse) contains collagen fibrils and is otherwise nearly filled with hepatic cell microvilli. Perisinusoidal cells resembling fibroblasts or reticular cells in morphology and distribution are present in moderate numbers. Hepatic sinusoids in the rat were examined for purposes of comparison. In the rat the sinusoidal lining is discontinuous and there is no identifiable basement membrane. The perisinusoidal space is larger than in the calf and contains more sparsely distributed collagen fibrils. Perisinusoidal cells have not been identified. It is suggested that the difference in structure is not artifactitious but represents a species variation. This species difference seems important to record since observations on the rat and other small laboratory animals provide the basis for most of the current generalizations about the organization of the mammalian liver sinusoid. The functional significance of the two types of sinusoidal arrangement is not clear.
Safety and efficacy of pegfilgrastim in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy

The major dose-limiting toxicity associated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy is neutropenia, which can be ameliorated with proactive administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Pegfilgrastim is a long-acting G-CSF, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy and safety of pegfilgrastim administered once/chemotherapy cycle have been evaluated in clinical trials involving patients treated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy for breast cancer, lung cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Hodgkin's disease. Two pivotal phase III trials in patients with breast cancer showed that pegfilgrastim is as effective as filgrastim regarding the primary efficacy end point, which was duration of grade 4 (severe) neutropenia in cycle 1 of myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Secondary end points were the frequency of fever with neutropenia (febrile neutropenia), duration of neutropenia in cycles 2-4, depth of the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) nadir, and time to ANC recovery in cycles 1-4. Once/cycle pegfilgrastim 100 microg/kg or 6 mg was as safe and effective as daily filgrastim 5 microg/kg in reducing the frequency and duration of severe neutropenia. A trend toward a greater reduction in the overall frequency of febrile neutropenia with pegfilgrastim was observed. The availability of pegfilgrastim simplifies the use of prophylactic G-CSF, with the potential to increase patient convenience and adherence in management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.
Service-Learning Among Nontraditional Age Community College Students

In recent decades, many institutions of higher education have responded to community and student learning needs through the development of service-learning programs (Sapp & Crabtree, 2002). Community colleges have been noted as leaders in the establishment of service-learning programs. The purpose of this study was to better understand the service-learning experiences and subsequent outcome of nontraditional age students at a community college. The study utilized the three commonly noted best practices in service-learning as a guide in the exploration of literature and data: (a) connection between course material and the service experience through reflection; (b) the extent to which it is perceived that participation in service-learning had an impact on the community; and (c) the training or orientation activities incorporated into the service-learning experience. Using case study methodology, multiple data sources were collected and analyzed, including faculty member surveys, course syllabi, agency surve...
Velvetleaf interference effects on yield and growth of grain sorghum

Weed competition studies with grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench are limited. Improved knowledge of growth in response to weed competition could contribute to development of sorghum hybrids that compete better with weeds. Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic.) competition with sorghum hybrids was evaluated in field experiments on a Sharpsburg silty clay loam soil (fine smectitic, mesic Typic Arguidoll) in 1996 and 1997 at Lincoln, NE. The objective was to determine the effects of velvetleaf competition on interception of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), growth, and yield of sorghum hybrids with different heights. Sorghum hybrids used were 'FS2' (1.8 to 2.4 m tall) and 'DK54' and 'X260' (1.2 to 1.5 m tall). Weed treatments included sorghum in monoculture and grown in mixture with velvetleaf. Medium-height hybrids had 0.4 greater mid-season leaf area indices (LAIs) than the tall hybrid in 1996, and in 1997, DK54 had 0.4 to 0.6 greater LAI than the other hybrids after 500 growing degree days. Interception of PAR was similar among hybrids except for 2 to 10% less for X260 in mixture in 1996. In 1996, when weed pressure was greater, the tall hybrid had greater relative growth rate and net assimilation rate but lower leaf area ratio than for the medium-height hybrids. Sorghum intercepted more radiation and produced more biomass in monoculture than in mixture, but the reduction in growth and yield in presence of velvetleaf was less for the tall hybrid. Development of tall sorghum hybrids with high LAI would be useful for integrated weed management.
Adsorption and Structural Properties of Heteropolyacid-modified Pd/AI2O3 Catalysts: Effects on Hydrogenation Activity

The modification of Pd/AI 2 O 3 -catalysts by heteropolyacids (HPA) leads to the formation of qualitatively new surface sites, which determine the sample activity in hydrogenation reaction of C C unsaturated bonds in organic compounds.
Polysialic acid and the formation of oculomotor synapses on chick ciliary neurons.

The polysialic acid (PSA) moiety of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) participates in a variety of developmental processes, including axonal guidance and cell migration. PSA's function in these contexts stems from its ability to reduce cell interactions. The present study examines the regulation of PSA expression during formation of the calyciform synapse by the oculomotor axons on chick ciliary neurons. Prior to synaptogenesis, PSA is abundantly and uniformly expressed on the surface of the ciliary neuron body. However, at the time synaptic bonds start to form, as reflected in the localized accumulation of synaptic vesicles, PSA is lost from the point of synaptic contact. Thereafter, PSA is progressively lost from the ciliary neuron surface as the calyx grows. The dense mats of pseudodendritic-like somatic spines, which extend from the postsynaptic cell body, form an exception. These spines, which are known to undergo morphological remodeling, retain PSA expression until the end of embryogenesis. The experimental removal of PSA did not affect synaptogenesis itself, in that no significant changes were observed in the surface covered by the calyx, the number of spine aggregates, the size of acetylcholine receptor clusters, the cell surface area covered by these receptors, or the ultrastructure of the calyx, spine mats, and active zones. Together, these observations suggest that the synapse eliminates PSA as a part of its normal development and that the loss of PSA from the site of axon-target interaction may serve to stabilize structures formed during synaptogenesis.
A review of mineral deficiency syndromes in ruminants in humid tropical regions

Abstract A periodontal disease widely known as “cara inchada” (swollen face) affects 10 to 20% of the young cattle in certain regions of Central Brazil. Clinical symptoms indicate a periodontitis in nursing calves as young as 30 days of age, followed by loosening and shedding of the teeth (premolar and molar) and enlargement of the maxillary and, less frequently, mandibular bones. These oral lesions are accompanied by emaciation, severe diarrhea, acromotrichia and retarded growth. Gingivitis appears to be aggravated by forage consumption and reduced integrity of the periodontal ligament permits forage impaction in this damaged tissue which results in an alveolas “pyorrhea” and chronic ossifying periostitis. Normal mastication is impeded resulting in unproductive animals and death from starvation. Controlled experiments and extensive field trials indicate that Low Cu and Zn, in addition to the Cu-Mo-S interrelationship, are involved in peridontitis of Brazilian cattle (Camargo, Veiga and Conrad, 1981). A wasting disease called “secadera” is probably the most common cattle disease in the Eastern Plains of Colombia. In a study of 37 ranches, secadera was found on 32% of the ranches in the wet season and 42% of the ranches in the dry season (Corrier et al ., 1978). Contributing factors are the interaction between nutritional deficiencies and infectious diseases. The former due to poor, highly leached, acid soils and extended dry period and the latter due to hemoparasitic diseases including anaplasmosis, babesiosis and trypanosomiases. Secadera has been described as progressive inanition in which there is evidence of failure in intermediary metabolism with symptoms as follows: pathogenic sign of incipient secadera in light-skinned animals is a marked darkening, made more visible by brittle, dry hair which tends to curl. Later the skin thickens and loses pliability, and there is a rapid and continuing loss of weight. Approximately 50% of the cases develop muscular weakness with 12% showing incoordination and ataxia involving the rear legs (Mullenax, 1979). Zinc deficiency appears to be a contributing factor but the most satisfactory treatment has been adequate consumption of a mineral supplement well fortified with copper, sulfur, selenium and zinc (Miles and McDowell, 1983).
How Chemoproteomics Can Enable Drug Discovery and Development

Creating first-in-class medications to treat human disease is an extremely challenging endeavor. While genome sequencing and genetics are making direct connections between mutations and human disorders at an unprecedented rate, matching molecular targets with a suitable therapeutic indication must ultimately be achieved by pharmacology. Here, we discuss how the integration of chemical proteomic platforms (such as activity-based protein profiling) into the earliest stages of the drug discovery process has the potential to greatly expand the scope of proteins that can be pharmacologically evaluated in living systems, and, through doing so, promote the identification and prioritization of new therapeutic targets.
Generation of reactive oxygen species by the mitochondrial electron transport chain

Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), which is composed of four multiprotein complexes named complex I-IV, is believed to be important in the aging process and in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Previous studies have identified the ubiquinone of complex III and an unknown component of complex I as the major sites of ROS generation. Here we show that the physiologically relevant ROS generation supported by the complex II substrate succinate occurs at the flavin mononucleotide group (FMN) of complex I through reversed electron transfer, not at the ubiquinone of complex III as commonly believed. Indirect evidence indicates that the unknown ROS-generating site within complex I is also likely to be the FMN group. It is therefore suggested that the major physiologically and pathologically relevant ROS-generating site in mitochondria is limited to the FMN group of complex I. These new insights clarify an elusive target for intervening mitochondrial ROS-related processes or diseases.
Aberrant epigenetic grooming of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer: a systems biology perspective

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a complex disease harboring a myriad of genetic and epigenetic changes. The dismal survival of patients diagnosed with PC is in part due to de novo and acquired resistance to conventional therapeutics, resulting from deregulated signaling including aberrant expression of small nc miRNAs. Emerging research in this area has lead to the identification and characterization of deregulated miRNAs, which have generated a renewed interest and hope in that novel targeting of miRNAs may lead to a better clinical outcome for patients diagnosed with PC. However, recent evidence suggests that miRNAs are also under a highly coordinated system of epigenetic regulation emphasizing the fact that the design of miRNAs as targeted therapy may not be as simple as originally anticipated. For a successful miRNA-based therapeutic regimen, a holistic integrated approach may be required to take into account because of these emerging epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. In this article, we will discuss miRNA epigenetics, it's significance in PC and the use of a systems science to identify these aberrant epigenetically groomed miRNAs, and we believe that such knowledge would likely benefit further research to realize the dream of miRNA-based targeted therapy for human malignancies.
Factors affecting local recurrence of colonic adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine which aspects of tumor morphology and histology influenced the incidence of local recurrence after curative resection of colonic adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Patients who had a curative resection for a primary colonic adenocarcinoma between 1980 and 1993 (inclusive) were identified from the colorectal cancer database in the Department of Colorectal Surgery. The charts of patients diagnosed with a local recurrence were then reviewed and their findings at operation and histologic assessment analyzed. Patients were followed up for at least five years or until death. RESULTS: Over the period of study, 1,031 patients had a curative resection for colonic adenocarcinoma. Local recurrences were detected in 32 patients (3.1 percent). The gender distribution of patients with local recurrence was 18 males (56.3 percent) and 14 females (43.7 percent) with a mean age of 63.4 years. The median time to local recurrence was 13 (range, 2–71) months. The distribution of primary tumors that recurred locally favored the cecum (n = 9; 28.1 percent) and sigmoid colon (n = 14; 43.7 percent) over other locations; these were, however, the most common sites of primary lesions. Less common sites included the ascending colon (n = 0; 0 percent), hepatic flexure (n = 2; 6.3 percent), transverse colon (n = 1; 3.1 percent), splenic flexure (n = 3; 9.4 percent), and descending colon (n = 3; 9.4 percent). Of the total number of tumors, 101 were found to be adherent to at least 1 other intra-abdominal viscus, and 12 (11.9 percent) recurred locally. Other factors associated with local recurrence were tumor perforation and fistulation. Overall, 30 tumors (2.9 percent) were perforated, and 6 (20 percent) recurred locally. Four tumors (0.4 percent) were fistulating; of these, 2 (50 percent) recurred locally. Advanced tumor stage was also associated with an increased rate of local recurrence (Stage I, 0 percent; Stage II, 2.05 percent; Stage III, 7.0 percent; and Stage IV, 6.1 percent). Similarly, tumor differentiation was related to local recurrence, with no instances in well-differentiated tumors, 2.8 percent in moderately differentiated tumors, and 6.8 percent in poorly differentiated tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The location of the primary tumor is not a factor in producing local recurrence. Fixity to another viscus, perforation or fistulation, advanced stage of disease, and differentiation of tumor appear to increase the chances of recurrence of curatively resected colonic carcinoma. Although the recurrence rate is higher in these groups than for tumors overall, definitive oncologic surgery prevents recurrence in the majority of cases. No colonic tumor that was T1 or T2 (N0, N1, or N2) or that was well differentiated recurred locally.
Brillouin fiber optic gyro with push-pull phase modulator and synthetic heterodyne detection

Intracavity phase modulation in a fiber-optic ring laser gyro can provide 'optical dithering' to reduce the effects of frequency locking while retaining optical reciprocity in the cavity. We show that the use of two antiphased phase modulators placed symmetrically within the fiber cavity can provide uniformly distributed dithering. A modulation index of 2.4 theoretically eliminates the zero-order lock-in band around zero frequency, while use of a high modulation frequency puts higher-order lock-in bands outside the beat frequency dynamic range. Push-pull modulation allows for high modulation frequency with minimum dynamic perturbation of the cavity resonant behavior. We describe results with an experimental Brillouin fiber optic gyro operating at 1.3-micron wavelength using push-pull modulation together with a novel synthetic heterodyne detection scheme for sensing rotation rate and direction. A ten-fold reduction of the width of the zero-order lock-in band is observed. We also demonstrate that the observed frequency bias at zero rotation rate is caused by the Kerr effect due to the power imbalance between the two oppositely directed circulating lasers.
The effect of trifluoroperazine on the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane.

Abstract The inhibitory effect of trifluoroperazine (25–200 μM) on the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump was studied in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated from skeletal muscle. It was found that the lowest effective concentrations of trifluoroperazine (10 μM) displaces the Ca2+ dependence of sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase to higher Ca2+ concentrations. Higher trifluoroperazine concentrations (100 μM) inhibit the enzyme even at saturating Ca2+. If trifluoroperazine is added to vesicles filled with calcium in the presence of ATP, inhibition of the catalytic cycle is accompanied by rapid release of accumulated calcium. ATPase inhibition and calcium release are produced by identical concentrations of trifluoroperazine and, most likely, by the same enzyme perturbation. These effects are related to partition of trifluoroperazine into the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane, and consequent alteration of the enzyme assembly within the membrane structure, and of the bilayer surface properties. The effect of trifluoroperazine was also studied on dissociated (‘chemically skinned’) cardiac cells undergoing phasic contractile activity which is totally dependent on calcium uptake and release by sarcoplasmic reticulum, and is not influenced by inhibitors of slow calcium channels. It was found that trifluoroperazine interferes with calcium transport by sarcoplasmic reticulum in situ, as well as with the role of sarcoplasmic reticulum in contractile activation.
Computational neural network analysis of the affinity of N-n-alkylnicotinium salts for the alpha4beta2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Based on an 85 molecule database, linear regression with different size datasets and an artificial neural network approach have been used to build mathematical relationships to fit experimentally obtained affinity values (Ki) of a series of mono- and bis-quaternary ammonium salts from [3H]nicotine binding assays using rat striatal membrane preparations. The fitted results were then used to analyze the pattern among the experimental Ki values of a set of N-n-alkylnicotinium analogs with increasing n-alkyl chain length from 1 to 20 carbons. The affinity of these N-n-alkylnicotinium compounds was shown to parabolically vary with increasing numbers of carbon atoms in the n-alkyl chain, with a local minimum for the C4 (n-butyl) analogue. A decrease in Ki value between C12 and C13 was also observed. The statistical results for the best neural network fit of the 85 experimental Ki values are r2 = 0.84, rmsd = 0.39; rcv2 = 0.68, and loormsd = 0.56. The generated neural network model with the 85 molecule training ...
FRACTAL DIMENSION OF THE DROSOPHILA CIRCADIAN CLOCK

Fractal geometry can adequately represent many complex and irregular objects in nature. The fractal dimension is typically computed by the box-counting procedure. Here I compute the box-counting and the Kaplan-Yorke dimensions of the 14-dimensional models of the Drosophila circadian clock. Clockwork Orange (CWO) is transcriptional repressor of direct target genes that appears to play a key role in controlling the dynamics of the clock. The findings identify these models as strange attractors and highlight the complexity of the time-keeping actions of CWO in light-day cycles. These fractals are high-dimensional counterexamples of the Kaplan-Yorke conjecture that uses the spectrum of the Lyapunov exponents.
COSMIC-RAY PRODUCTION OF RARE GAS RADIOACTIVITIES AND TRITIUM IN LUNAR MATERIAL.

The argon radioactivities (37)Ar and (39)Ar were obtained by vacuum melting from interior and exterior portions of rock 10057 and from a portion of the fines from the bulk sample container. The release of argon and tritium as a function of the temperature was followed for the fine material. A comparison is made of the activities observed in the lunar samples with those expected from the spallation of iron, titanium, and calcium. From these data and the (38)Ar content, the cosmic ray exposure age of rock 10057 is deduced as 110 x 10(6) years.
Aromatase inhibition in JAr choriocarcinoma cells by 7α-arylaliphatic androgens

Abstract The JAr choriocarcinoma cell cultures have demonstrated high levels of aromatase activity and have been useful for assaying a wide variety of aromatase inhibitors for aromatase inhibition in intact cells. Recently, several 7α-arylaliphatic androgens have shown effective inhibition of human placental microsomal aromatase in vitro , with apparent K i values ranging from 10 to 20 nM. A series of 7α-arylaliphatic androst-4-ene-3,17-dione compounds demonstrated potent competitive inhibition, and 7α-arylaliphatic androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-diones were enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitors. Both series of these potent inhibitors were investigated for the ability to inhibit aromatase activity in JAr cells by measuring the conversion of [1β- 3 H]-androstenedione to 3 H 2 O and unlabelled estrone. JAr cell cultures were incubated for 2 h at 37°C with the aromatase inhibitors at concentrations to 10 pM to 10 μM, the percentage of enzyme inhibition was determined, and IC 50 values for inhibitors were calculated. Both series of synthetic compounds demonstrated good to excellent aromatase inhibition, and the most effective inhibitors in both series were those compounds with a phenylpropyl substituent at the 7α-position of the steroid nucleus. The 7α-arylaliphatic androst-4-ene-3,17-diones exhibited inhibition of JAr aromatase activity with IC 50 values from 300 to 434 nM. More potent aromatase inhibition was observed with the 7α-arylaliphatic androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-diones, which exhibited IC 50 values from 64 to 232 nM. Enhanced efficacy of steroidal enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitors compared to competitive inhibitors was observed in these studies and is consistent with previous reports. These results suggest that JAr choriocarcinoma cells with high levels of aromatase activity may be useful in differentiating steroidal aromatase inhibitors exhibiting different mechanisms of enzyme inhibition. In summary, the 7α-phenylpropyl androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione analogs, which are enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitors, demonstrated the most effective inhibition of aromatase activity present in the JAr cell cultures among the various 7α-arylaliphatic androgens.
The possible role of sugar-sweetened beverages in obesity etiology: a review of the evidence

Over the second half of the last century, soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) have assumed an increasingly significant proportion of total energy intake in the US and most ‘westernized’ populations. These beverages are heavily marketed to youth and adults. As such, obesity researchers and public health activists and officials have targeted SSB as one of the primary culprits in the escalating rates of obesity. The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence from human studies on the topic of SSB and body weight regulation, including a brief review of the purported physiological mechanisms, nutritional surveillance and ecological studies, and a more extensive review of the cross-sectional, prospective and experimental studies in humans to date. The equivocal evidence on this topic makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions regarding the role of SSB in the etiology of obesity. Many of the prospective and experimental studies are of unsatisfactory methodological rigor. Some have drawn analogies between the fight against the food industry and the fight against the tobacco industry. However, the complexity of our food supply and of dietary intake behavior, and how diet relates to other behaviors, makes the acquisition of clear and consistent scientific data on the topic of specific dietary factors and obesity risk especially elusive. Only more high-quality randomized trials on this topic will provide the necessary data to more completely evaluate the possible link between changes in SSB intake and obesity risk.
RESPONSE PATTERNS OF THALAMIC NEURONS DURING CLASSICAL CONDITIONING.

Abstract 1. 1. Neuronal firing patterns were studied in several nuclei of the midline and intralaminar thalamic areas during the course of a classical conditioning procedure using paired shock and flash. 2. 2. Twelve of nineteen units found in these areas showed alterations of discharge patterns which could be extinguished by non-reinforcement of the flash. Repeated extinction and retraining were possible in some cells. 3. 3. Conditioned unit responses of acceleration and deceleration were found in n. dorsalis medialis, n. centralis lateralis, habenular complex, n. centrum medianum and n. parafascicularis. One of two units studied in the dorsal hippocampus showed conditioning. 4. 4. In some instances, the earliest sign of conditioned inhibition was rebound acceleration during extinction. Conditioned responses generally appeared after at least fifty training trials (20 min of training). The response latency was usually about 50 msec. 5. 5. The time course of training suggests that the thalamic nuclei studied are participating in a stage of conditioning which occurs after the generalized orienting processes and before establishment of adaptive motor behavior .
Investigation of the properties of gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution at extremely high lattice temperatures

Abstract Transient absorption data for gold nanoparticles in aqueous solution obtained using a double pump-pulse configuration are presented. The first pulse heats the particles, and the second pulse interrogates the symmetric breathing mode. The experiments were performed as a function of the intensity of the first pulse, and the relative delay between pulses. Analysis of the results show that lattice temperatures of ∼1000 K are achieved at high intensity. This significantly perturbs the surrounding solvent, possibly causing explosive boiling at temperatures greater than 550 ± 50 K. This threshold is consistent with studies of superheated liquids.
Contact between rough surfaces and a criterion for macroscopic adhesion.

At the molecular scale, there are strong attractive interactions between surfaces, yet few macroscopic surfaces are sticky. Extensive simulations of contact by adhesive surfaces with roughness on nanometer to micrometer scales are used to determine how roughness reduces the area where atoms contact and thus weakens adhesion. The material properties, adhesive strength, and roughness parameters are varied by orders of magnitude. In all cases, the area of atomic contact is initially proportional to the load. The prefactor rises linearly with adhesive strength for weak attractions. Above a threshold adhesive strength, the prefactor changes sign, the surfaces become sticky, and a finite force is required to separate them. A parameter-free analytic theory is presented that describes changes in these numerical results over up to five orders of magnitude in load. It relates the threshold adhesive strength to roughness and material properties, explaining why most macroscopic surfaces do not stick. The numerical results are qualitatively and quantitatively inconsistent with classical theories based on the Greenwood−Williamson approach that neglect the range of adhesion and do not include asperity interactions.
Cigarette Smoking, Physical activity, and Alcohol Consumption: Relationship to Blood Lipids and Lipoproteins in Premenopausal Females

A total of 164 premenopausal female subjects were randomly selected for evaluation from a much larger pool of volunteers. The relationships between blood lipid and lipoprotein levels as dependent variables and cigarette smoking, physical activity, and alcohol consumption were determined from partial regression coefficients. A lower HDL-C level (10.1 mg/dL) was seen in smokers v nonsmokers. For each ounce of alcohol consumed, HDL-C level was higher by 2.8 mg/dL, and greater physical activity was associated with a higher HDL-C level of 8.6 mg/dL. An analysis of covariance with covariance adjustments for age and body fat revealed that smokers who regularly exercise or consume alcohol had significantly lower HDL-C levels than nonsmokers with similar habits. Subjects who both exercise and consume alcohol demonstrated higher HDL-C levels than those who indulge in one or the other separately. Results suggest that cigarette smoking may attenuate the effects of chronic exercise or alcohol consumption, or of both, to raise HDL-C levels. Also, chronic exercise and alcohol consumption may exert an additive effect, raising HDL-C level.
Correction for geometric distortion in echo planar images from B0 field variations

A method is described for the correction of geometric distortions occurring in echo planar images. The geometric distortions are caused in large part by static magnetic field inhomogeneities, leading to pixel shifts, particularly in the phase encode direction. By characterizing the field inhomogeneities from a field map, the image can be unwarped so that accurate alignment to conventionally collected images can be made. The algorithm to perform the unwarping is described, and results from echo planar images collected at 1.5 and 4 Tesla are shown.
Do standard scales work in older samples

In a study of 185 adults ranging in age from 21 to 80 years, it was found that the older subjects' (ages 50 and above) responses on Zaichkowsky's ten-item, bipolar adjective, semantic differential, Personal Involvement Inventory were less internally consistent than the younger participants' responses. In addition to lower reliability, the older adults were more likely to omit multiple items in the scale. This was not the case for Likert-style items included in the study. Similar findings have been reported in a small number of other studies using other semantic differential scales. The semantic differential scaling technique needs a thorough examination for its generalizability to older populations.