cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of knowledge in technology entrepreneurship: A theoretical foundation

While technology entrepreneurship has been widely recognized as a driver of economic growth, there exists little in the way of a unified framework for understanding technology entrepreneurship and assessing its value proposition, particularly when network externalities and information are involved. In this paper we bring together several strands of literature and identify the components that form a foundation for understanding modern technology entrepreneurship. In particular, technology functions as a capital good that embodies knowledge about performing productive tasks, and the value of this knowledge depends on how well it is able to utilize decentralized local knowledge and spontaneous orders.
Quantum ghost imaging through turbulence

We investigate the effect of turbulence on quantum ghost imaging. We use entangled photons and demonstrate that for a specific experimental configuration the effect of turbulence can be greatly diminished. By decoupling the entangled photon source from the ghost-imaging central image plane, we are able to dramatically increase the ghost-image quality. When imaging a test pattern through turbulence, this method increases the imaged pattern visibility from $V=0.15\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04$ to $0.42\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04$.
AIMStar: Antimatter initiated microfusion for pre-cursor interstellar missions

Abstract We address the challenge of delivering a scientific payload to 10,000 A.U. in 50 years. This mission may be viewed as a pre-cursor to later missions to Alpha Centauri and beyond. We consider a small, aneutronic nuclear fusion engine sparked by clouds of antiprotons, and describe the principle and operation of the engine and mission parameters.
Hauntings: marking flesh, time, memory

ABSTRACTThis collaborative performance explores themes of decay, loss, desire, and transformative discovery through the aging female body. Weaving soundscapes from everyday life, acts of physical endurance, photographs of female-marked bodies embedded in natural settings and disguised in archetypal personas, and interactive performance, we invite audiences to consider how loss (of life, youth, culture, voice, visibility) calls us deeply into the fragile present while simultaneously pulling us, willingly or unwillingly, into haunted pasts and possible futures. Evocative and participatory, “Hauntings” marks flesh, time, and memory to meditate on the joys and terrors of our ever-changing selves.
Evaluation of Small Specimen Geometries for Asphalt Mixture Performance Testing and Pavement Performance Prediction

The use of small specimen geometries in asphalt mixture performance testing to enable the testing of as-built pavement layers has been gaining attention in recent years. Small specimens could also improve the testing efficiency of laboratory-fabricated specimens by allowing the extraction of multiple test specimens per gyratory-compacted sample. Rigorous assessment of the small specimen geometries is required before the use of such geometries is standardized. In this study, small specimens were evaluated for dynamic modulus and simplified viscoelastic continuum damage fatigue. Three specimen geometries (100-mm- and 38-mm-diameter cylindrical specimens and 25- × 50-mm prismatic specimens) were compared by using five mixtures with a nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) ranging from 9.5 to 25.0 mm. The results show that the dynamic modulus and phase angle master curves agreed at low and intermediate temperatures, regardless of the NMAS values of the mixture. At the high temperature, the small specimen dynam...
Generation of a wakefield undulator in plasma with transverse density gradient

We show that a short relativistic electron beam propagating in a plasma with a density gradient perpendicular to the direction of motion generates a wakefield in which a witness bunch experiences a transverse force. A density gradient oscillating along the beam path would create a periodically varying force—an undulator, with an estimated strength of the equivalent magnetic field more than 10 T. This opens an avenue for the creation of a high-strength, short-period undulator, which eventually may lead to all-plasma, free electron lasers where a plasma wakefield acceleration is naturally combined with a plasma undulator in a unifying, compact setup.
Learning important features through propagating activation differences

The purported "black box" nature of neural networks is a barrier to adoption in applications where interpretability is essential. Here we present DeepLIFT (Deep Learning Important FeaTures), a method for decomposing the output prediction of a neural network on a specific input by backpropagating the contributions of all neurons in the network to every feature of the input. DeepLIFT compares the activation of each neuron to its 'reference activation' and assigns contribution scores according to the difference. By optionally giving separate consideration to positive and negative contributions, DeepLIFT can also reveal dependencies which are missed by other approaches. Scores can be computed efficiently in a single backward pass. We apply DeepLIFT to models trained on MNIST and simulated genomic data, and show significant advantages over gradient-based methods. Video tutorial: http://goo.gl/qKb7pL, code: http://goo.gl/RM8jvH.
Wide-field three-photon excitation in biological samples

Three-photon wide-field depth-resolved excitation is used to overcome some of the limitations in conventional point-scanning two- and three-photon microscopy. Excitation of chromophores as diverse as channelrhodopsins and quantum dots is shown, and a penetration depth of more than 700 μm into fixed scattering brain tissue is achieved, approximately twice as deep as that achieved using two-photon wide-field excitation. Compatibility with live animal experiments is confirmed by imaging the cerebral vasculature of an anesthetized mouse; a complete focal stack was obtained without any evidence of photodamage. As an additional validation of the utility of wide-field three-photon excitation, functional excitation is demonstrated by performing three-photon optogenetic stimulation of cultured mouse hippocampal neurons expressing a channelrhodopsin; action potentials could reliably be excited without causing photodamage.
On the empirical content of the Beckerian marriage model

This note studies the empirical content of a simple marriage matching model with transferable utility, based on Becker (J Polit Econ 81:813–846, 1973). Under Becker’s conditions, the equilibrium matching is unique and assortative. However, this note shows that when the researcher only observes a subset of relevant characteristics, the unique assortative matching does not uniquely determine a distribution of observed characteristics. This precludes standard approaches to point estimation of the underlying model parameters. We propose a solution to this problem, based on the idea of “random matching.”
Spatial Dependence, Idiosyncratic Risk, and the Valuation of Disaggregated Housing Data

We investigate whether spatial idiosyncratic risk plays an important role in explaining average housing prices in a representative U.S. market. We discuss a parsimonious hedonic model of demand for differentiated products and derive an equilibrium price function that depends on idiosyncratic risk, among other factors. Empirically, we use a nonlinear spatial regression model and identify a potential measure of idiosyncratic risk from sales data of individual residential properties in Ames, Iowa. The results show that, for our disaggregated housing data, there is a significant volatility interdependence among cross-sectional units because of geographical proximity. In our sample, a 1% increase in idiosyncratic risk, ceteris paribus, is associated with a 0.80% increase in average price of residential properties. We find that accounting for spatial autocorrelation and heteroskedasticity increases the evidence that idiosyncratic risk, which is captured by space-varying volatility, reveals important information about average housing prices. We conclude that using a spatial regression model that allows interaction between property prices and volatility yields strong predictive power.
Water-Energy Nexus in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Water and energy systems have often been treated as separate “silo” systems over the entire pathway from production to consumption. However, their close interdependence requires some perspective of the water-energy nexus (WEN), especially in regions with very high water stresses combined with a myriad of rapid changes in resource production and consumption. This work provides a comprehensive analysis of the interdependence of water and energy in Saudi Arabia, including collecting data to map out energy and water consumption across the Kingdom. By combining and cross-referencing numerous data sources, this work creates the first country-wide Sankey diagram describing the interdependence of water and energy use in the Kingdom, and provides the most comprehensive mapping of power plant type and size. Additionally, this work reviews the energy and water industries, including outlining trends in population, urbanization, natural gas, oil, electricity, desalination, water use in energy production, and energy use in water production. Overall, a clear pattern has emerged: converging trends of rapid population increases, dwindling water resources, and rapidly growing desalination means that water use must be one of the primary driver of resource planning in Saudi, and plans to shift energy production to reduce GHG emissions must include water needs.
Adaptation modulates correlated subthreshold response variability in visual cortex.

Correlated response variability has profound implications for stimulus encoding, yet our understanding of this phenomenon is based largely on spike data. Here, we investigate the dynamics and mecha...
Random Consensus Robust PCA

This paper presents R2PCA, a random consensus method for robust principal component analysis. R2PCA takes RANSAC’s principle of using as little data as possible one step further. It iteratively selects small subsets of the data to identify pieces of the principal components, to then stitch them together. We show that if the principal components are in general position and the errors are sufficiently sparse, R2PCA will exactly recover the principal components with probability $1$, in lieu of assumptions on coherence or the distribution of the sparse errors, and even under adversarial settings. R2PCA enjoys many advantages: it works well under noise, its computational complexity scales linearly in the ambient dimension, it is easily parallelizable, and due to its low sample complexity, it can be used in settings where data is so large it cannot even be stored in memory. We complement our theoretical findings with synthetic and real data experiments showing that R2PCA outperforms state-of-the-art methods in a broad range of settings.
Influence of self-demagnetization effect on data interpretation in strongly magnetic environments

SUMMARY In this paper, we discuss the influence of the selfdemagnetization effect on magnetic data and present an alternative means of quantitatively interpreting such data in highly magnetic environments. In particular, we present two important results based on simulation which one might consider in their interpretation of magnetic data when self-demagnetization is present. First, current methods for estimating total magnetization, which are typically applied to the problem of remanent magnetization, do not reliably recover this parameter when the anomalous source bodies have high magnetic susceptibilities. And second, a single value estimation of total magnetization does not provide adequate information to properly resolve subsurface geology through inversion. Numerical experiments demonstrate that directly inverting amplitude data, calculated from magnetic data yet weakly-dependent on magnetization direction, produces superior results when interpreting data generated in terrain with high magnetic susceptibilities.
STABILIZATION WITH RESPECT TO NONCOMPACT SETS: LYAPUNOV CHARACTERIZATIONS AND EFFECT OF BOUNDED INPUTS

Abstract This paper deals with the global smooth stabilization of nonlinear systems with respect to not necessarily compact sets. We prove a converse Lyapunov theorem, and present a result on stability under input perturbations.
Return of Gonadal Function in Men With Prolactin-Secreting Pituitary Tumors

Gonadal function was evaluated in 10 men [33 +/- 17 (SD) yr] with pituitary tumors and hyperprolactinemia (47-2550 ng/ml) using nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT), semen analysis, urinary LH and FSH excretion, and diurnal variation of serum testosterone and PRL. Results were compared to 16 normal subjects (33 +/- 13 yr). NPT was decreased in tumor patients as demonstrated by reduced maximum circumference change (P less than 0.01) and total tumescence time (P less than 0.05). Semen analysis was examined in 5 patients able to produce specimens. All seminal parameters were significantly abnormal as demonstrated by oligospermia, asthenospermia, teratospermia , and elevated fructose. Urinary LH [570 +/- 72 (SE) vs. 838 +/- 22 mIU/h; P less than 0.01] and serum testosterone (235 +/- 60 vs. 625 +/- 63 ng/dl; P less than 0.01) were decreased in 9 tumor patients, all of whom had serum PRL levels above 50 ng/ml. Diurnal variation of serum PRL was absent in hyperprolactinemic patients whereas all had normal circadian changes in serum testosterone, although at a lower set point. Eight patients were followed for 6-13 months after reduction of serum PRL by surgery and/or drug therapy. Serum PRL reached normal levels in six men after 6 months of treatment. Selected individuals had an increase in serum LH after 2 months of treatment. Significant rises in serum testosterone occurred as early as 3 months and normal levels were found in six patients after 6-8 months of treatment. Only two subjects, however, demonstrated a normal semen analysis. These data suggest that men with serum PRL levels above 50 ng/ml maintain a normal diurnal pattern of serum testosterone at a lower set point, and demonstrate hypogonadism with reduced urinary LH excretion and NPT. In addition, routine seminal parameters are clearly abnormal and are both delayed and incomplete in their recovery.
Propranolol Alters Renin Release During Nitroprusside Induced Hypotension and Prevents Hypertension on Discontinuation of Nitroprusside

Ten patients who received hypotensive anesthesia for surgical correction of a cerebral aneurysm were pretreated for 1 day with propranolol. In the awake state, before start of anesthesia, mean arterial pressure was 91 +/- 3 torr and plasma renin activity 3.0 +/- 0.1 ng/ml/hr. Thirty minutes after the induction of anesthesia mean arterial pressure decreased to 79 +/- 2 torr and plasma renin activity increased to 3.5 +/- 0.1 ng/ml/hr. There was no further significant change in either measurement with surgical stimulation. During sodium nitroprusside-induced hypotension (the dose used was 0.35 +/- 0.02 mg/kg) mean arterial pressure was reduced to 53 +/- 2 torr, and plasma renin activity increased to 8.8 +/- 0.9 ng/ml/hr. Heart rate did not change. Discontinuation of sodium nitroprusside resulted in a gradual reduction of plasma renin activity to the awake level and concurrent gradual increase in mean arterial pressure to its basal anesthetic value. When compared with previous work, these results indicate that propranolol attenuates nitroprusside-induced renin release, reduces the dosage of nitroprusside required to induce hypotension, suppresses reflex tachycardia, and prevents overshoot hypertension on discontinuation of nitroprusside.
Regional Anesthesia for Urologic Procedures

Most urologic procedures can be performed under regional blockade anesthesia. These techniques present specific advantages, including the avoidance of the consequences of general anesthesia. The employment of regional anesthesia is a skill requiring knowledge of anatomy and of the desirable and undesirable actions of local anesthetic agents. Sedation of patients undergoing regional blockade offers specific advantages that may contribute to the patient's comfort and safety.
Principles of Antibiotic Therapy

Many host factors influence both the presentation and response to therapy of clinical infections. Since the selection of an appropriate antibiotic depends significantly upon results of in vitro susceptibility testing, great care should be taken to obtain suitable specimens for culture and susceptibility studies. The likelihood that antibiotic therapy will be successful depends upon whether the drug will reach the infected site at the desired concentration and for an optimal duration of time. Local factors such as pH, oxygen tension, and the presence of inactivating substances may affect antibiotic activity. At present, many of our recommendations for dose, dosage intervals, and duration of therapy are largely empiric. Enhanced understanding of the pharmacokinetics of antimicrobial agents should provide the basis for more rational therapy in the future. The remainder of this symposium will present the data from which such recommendations can be drawn.
School Boards and Student Segregation

Abstract This paper provides the first causal evidence about how elected local school boards affect student segregation across schools. The key identification challenge is that the composition of a school board is potentially correlated with unobserved determinants of school segregation. We overcome this issue using a regression discontinuity design at the electoral contest level, exploiting quasi-random variation from narrowly-decided elections. Such an approach is made possible by a unique dataset, which combines matched information about North Carolina school board candidates with time-varying district-level racial and economic segregation outcomes. Focusing on the political identity of school board members, regression discontinuity estimates reveal that (relative to their non-Democratic counterparts) Democratic board members decrease racial segregation across schools. Our findings suggest that school boards realize such reductions in segregation by shifting attendance zones (which we infer without the need for exact geocoded boundaries) and that white families differentially exit the traditional public school system for local charter schools in response.
Topical glycyrrhizin is therapeutic for Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis.

Abstract Purpose: Glycyrrhizin (GLY), an inhibitor of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protects prophylactically against Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis. However, the therapeutic potential of GLY...
Double-spike data reduction in the presence of isotopic anomalies

The double-spike technique is one of the most robust and commonly used methods for high precision isotopic mass fractionation analyses by either TIMS or MC-ICPMS. It involves measuring the isotopic compositions of the pure sample, as well as a mixture of the sample and a double-spike made of an artificial mixture of isotopes. If isotopic variations follow the laws of mass-dependent fractionation, one does not need to measure the pure sample and a single measurement of the sample–spike mixture is sufficient. This approach is invalid, however, if the isotopic composition of the sample is not related to that of the standard by mass fractionation because nucleosynthetic anomalies are present, the sample is affected by cosmogenic effects, or one or several of its isotopes are produced by the decay of a radioactive parent. Extraterrestrial materials, in particular, often display isotopic anomalies of nucleosynthetic origin that can be troublemakers in double-spike data reduction if not properly accounted for. In the present publication, we derive an analytical equation to calculate the correction that needs to be applied to the isotopic composition if one erroneously assumes that samples and standards are related by the laws of mass dependent fractionation when in reality isotopic anomalies are present (by anomaly, we mean any departure from mass-dependent fractionation). This formula is applied to previous Mo, Ti and Cr isotopic analyses and demonstrated to yield an accurate correction. The newly derived formula also provides a straightforward means of propagating errors arising from the presence of anomalies in the isotopic composition calculated by the double-spike technique.
Constructing an International Community

What unites states and other global actors around a shared governance project? How does the group—what I will call an “international community”—coalesce and stay engaged in the enterprise? A frequent assumption is that an international community is cemented by its members’ commonalities and depleted by their intractable disagreements. This article critiques that assumption and presents, as an alternative, a theory that accounts for the combined integration and discord that actually characterize most global governance associations. I argue that conflict, especially conflict that manifests in law, is not necessarily corrosive to an international community. To the contrary, it often is a unifying force that helps constitute and fortify the community and support the governance project. As such, international legal conflict can have systemic value for the global order, even when it lacks substantive resolution. The implications for the design and practice of international law are far-reaching.
An Experimental Evaluation of Fast Approximation Algorithms for the Maximum Satisfiability Problem

We evaluate the performance of fast approximation algorithms for MAX SAT on the comprehensive benchmark sets from the SAT and MAX SAT contests. Our examination of a broad range of algorithmic techniques reveals that greedy algorithms offer particularly striking performance, delivering very good solutions at low computational cost. Interestingly, their relative ranking does not follow their worst-case behavior. Johnson’s deterministic algorithm is consistently better than the randomized greedy algorithm of Poloczek et al. [2017], but in turn is outperformed by the derandomization of the latter: this two-pass algorithm satisfies more than 99% of the clauses for instances stemming from industrial applications. In general, it performs considerably better than nonoblivious local search, Tabu Search, WalkSat, and several state-of-the-art complete and incomplete solvers, while being much faster. But the two-pass algorithm does not achieve the excellent performance of Spears’s computationally intense simulated annealing. Therefore, we propose a new hybrid algorithm that combines the strengths of greedy algorithms and stochastic local search to provide outstanding solutions at high speed: in our experiments, its performance is as good as simulated annealing, achieving an average loss with respect to the best-known assignment of less that 0.5%, while its speed is comparable to the greedy algorithms.
The use of dithiothreitol for the quantitative analysis of elemental sulfur concentrations and isotopes in environmental samples

Abstract Determining the concentration and isotopic composition of elemental sulfur in modern and ancient environments is essential to improved interpretation of the mechanisms and pathways of sulfur utilization in biogeochemical cycles. Elemental sulfur can be extracted from sediment or water samples and quantified by converting to hydrogen sulfide. Alternatively, elemental sulfur concentrations can themselves be analyzed using HPLC and other methodologies; however, the preparation and analysis times can be long and these methods are not amenable to stable isotopic analysis. Current reduction methods involve the use of costly and specialized glassware in addition to toxins such as chromium chloride or cyanide to reduce the sulfur to hydrogen sulfide. The novel reduction method presented here uses dithiothreitol (DTT) as a less toxic reducing agent to obtain both elemental sulfur concentrations and isotopic composition from the same sample. The sample is dissolved in an aqueous or organic liquid medium and upon reaction with DTT, the elemental sulfur is volatilized as hydrogen sulfide and collected in a sulfide trap using an inexpensive gas extraction apparatus. The evolved sulfide concentrations can easily be measured for concentration, by absorbance spectrophotometery or voltammetry techniques, and then analyzed for sulfur isotopic composition. The procedure is quantitative at >93% recovery to dissolved elemental sulfur with no observed sulfur isotope fractionation during reduction and recovery. Controlled experiments also demonstrate that DTT is not reactive to sulfate, sulfite, pyrite, or organic sulfur.
The Transcriptionally Permissive Chromatin State of Embryonic Stem Cells Is Acutely Tuned to Translational Output

A permissive chromatin environment coupled to hypertranscription drives the rapid proliferation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and peri-implantation embryos. We carried out a genome-wide screen to systematically dissect the regulation of the euchromatic state of ESCs. The results revealed that cellular growth pathways, most prominently translation, perpetuate the euchromatic state and hypertranscription of ESCs. Acute inhibition of translation rapidly depletes euchromatic marks in mouse ESCs and blastocysts, concurrent with delocalization of RNA polymerase II and reduction in nascent transcription. Translation inhibition promotes rewiring of chromatin accessibility, which decreases at a subset of active developmental enhancers and increases at histone genes and transposable elements. Proteome-scale analyses revealed that several euchromatin regulators are unstable proteins and continuously depend on a high translational output. We propose that this mechanistic interdependence of euchromatin, transcription, and translation sets the pace of proliferation at peri-implantation and may be employed by other stem/progenitor cells.
Native American Lands and the Keystone Pipeline Expansion: A Legal Analysis

Multiple branches of the U S government are involved in a historic legal and political battle over granting permits to a foreign corporation to expand the Keystone Pipeline The pipeline is designed to carry tar sands oil mined in Canada across the U S border to refineries in the southern U S The planned pipeline expansion would traverse Native American lands These lands are protected by treaties signed between the U S and the Great Sioux Nation The Sioux claim that the permits that the developer of the pipeline TransCanada a foreign corporation are seeking to build are being considered by the U S government without proper notice or permission from the Tribal Counsel in violation of the Treaties The Native Americans have declared that if the U S grants the permits it would be considered an act of war In this evolving article we will cover important legal issues as well as offer advice and commentary regarding Native American Lands specifically as involves the controversy surrounding the Keystone Pipeline expansion We trust that it will shed important light on significant issues affecting all Americans and be of aid in practice and life nbsp
Have foundations become an independent sector in China? Exploring the links between foundations and the state

The Regulations on the Management of Foundations (2004) potentially marked a watershed in the development of foundations in China. Many practitioners and researchers believe that, since then, foundations have become an independent sector with significant characteristics. This note addresses this matter, based on available data from various sources. It counters the belief about the independence of foundations by indicating that most are state-linked, with state-granted privileges in choosing their fundraising status and the policy areas in which they work. Their state connections serve, at least in part, to explain their structures and modes of operation.
Examining the Effect of Linguistic Style in an MD&A on Stock Market Reaction:

This article investigates the impact of linguistic style in the Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (hereafter MD&A) section of a company’s annual re...
Quantitative unique continuation of solutions to higher order elliptic equations with singular coefficients

We investigate the quantitative unique continuation of solutions to higher order elliptic equations with singular coefficients. Quantitative unique continuation described by the vanishing order is a quantitative form of strong unique continuation property. We characterize the vanishing order of solutions for higher order elliptic equations in terms of the norms of coefficient functions in their respective Lebesgue spaces. New versions of quantitative Carleman estimates are established.
Predicting Accounting Misconduct: The Role of Firm-Level Investor Optimism

Motivated by a large literature on how firm-specific resources (such as leadership and management skills, strategies, organizational capabilities and intellectual properties) drive firm performance, we propose and find that heterogeneity in investor optimism regarding firm-specific attributes plays a very important role in influencing the managerial propensity to manipulate financial statements. When firm-level investor optimism is moderate, the incidence of accounting misconduct increases, but it decreases when investors are highly optimistic. Further, market reaction to the announcement of financial restatements is more negative when investors held more optimistic firm-specific beliefs at the time of initial misstatement. These findings are robust to alternative firm-specific optimism measures linked to analysts, general investors and unsophisticated individual investors, controls for market-wide consumer sentiment unexplained by macroeconomic factors, economy-wide and industry-level optimism, potential selection bias and reverse causality. Our analysis highlights the importance of firm-level investor optimism in predicting, preventing and detecting accounting misconduct.
Deviational Phonons and Thermal Transport at the Nanoscale

We present a new method for simulating phonon transport at the nanoscale. The proposed approach is based on the recently developed energy-based deviational Monte Carlo method by the authors [Phys. Rev. B 84, 205331, 2011] which achieves significantly reduced statistical uncertainty compared to standard Monte Carlo methods by simulating only the deviation from equilibrium. Here, we show that under linearized conditions (small temperature differences) the trajectories of individual particles simulating the deviation from equilibrium can be decoupled and can thus be simulated independently, without introducing any additional approximation. This leads to a particularly simple and efficient simulation method that can be used to treat steady and transient phonon transport problems in arbitrary three-dimensional geometries.
Response and Overall Survival for Yttrium-90 Radioembolization of Hepatic Sarcoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

PURPOSE To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of yttrium-90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) for the treatment of primary and metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review of 39 patients with primary (n = 2) and metastatic (n = 37) hepatic STS treated with TARE at 4 institutions was performed. Fourteen STS subtypes were included, with leiomyosarcoma being the most common (51%). TARE with glass (22 patients) or resin (17 patients) microspheres was performed, with single lobe (17 patients) or bilobar treatment (22 patients) based on disease burden. Adverse events of treatment, overall survival (OS), and tumor response at 3, 6, and 12 months after TARE were assessed per the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. RESULTS Fourteen patients demonstrated either partial or complete response to therapy, with an objective response rate of 36%. Thirty patients (77%) demonstrated disease control (DC)-either stable disease or response to treatment. Median OS was 30 months (95% confidence interval 12-43 months) for all patients. DC at 3 months was associated with an increased median OS (44 months) compared with progressive disease (PD) (7.5 months; P < .0001). Patients with DC at 6 months also demonstrated an increased median OS (38 months) compared to patients with PD (17 months; P = .0443). Substantial adverse events included 1 liver abscess, 1 gastric ulceration, and 1 pneumonitis. CONCLUSIONS Patients with hepatic STS treated with TARE demonstrated a high rate of DC and a median OS of 30 months, which suggests a role for TARE in the palliation of hepatic STS.
Stochastic microenvironment models for air pollution exposure.

Exposure assessment is a crucial link in air pollution risk assessment and management. With the recent advances in instrumentation, it has become possible to measure air pollution exposures in the vicinity of the individual human subjects, using either personal monitoring or microenvironment monitoring. For many important pollutants such as CO, NO2, and VOC, the air pollution exposure depends crucially on the location and activity of the individual: indoor versus outdoor, smoking versus not smoking, etc. The stochastic microenvironment models were developed to relate air pollution exposure to the location and activity. We review the two major existing models, the Cartesianization method (Duan, 1980, 1982, 1987) and SHAPE (Ott, 1981, 1982, 1984), and compare their assumptions and implications. We also propose a new model, the variance components model, which includes both Cartesianization and SHAPE as special cases. The variance components model considers both long-term average concentrations and short-term fluctuations. The Cartesianization focuses on long-term averages, while SHAPE focuses on short-term fluctuations. We propose to choose among the three models by examining the variance function which relates variability to averaging time. The theory is applied to the data collected from U.S. EPA's Washington CO Study, with the variance function estimated using Carroll and Ruppert's (1984) transform-both-sides regression model and Duan's (1983) smearing estimate. For the microenvironment in transit, both long-term averages and short-term fluctuations are important.
Possibilistic fuzzy local information C-means with automated feature selection for seafloor segmentation

The Possibilistic Fuzzy Local Information C-Means (PFLICM) method is presented as a technique to segment side-look synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) imagery into distinct regions of the sea-floor. In this work, we investigate and present the results of an automated feature selection approach for SAS image segmentation. The chosen features and resulting segmentation from the image will be assessed based on a select quantitative clustering validity criterion and the subset of the features that reach a desired threshold will be used for the segmentation process.
Big Data and Dysmenorrhea: What Questions Do Women and Men Ask About Menstrual Pain?

Abstract Background: Menstrual pain is highly prevalent among women of reproductive age. As the general public increasingly obtains health information online, Big Data from online platforms provide...
Problem Dependent Reinforcement Learning Bounds Which Can Identify Bandit Structure in MDPs.

In order to make good decision under uncertainty an agent must learn from observations. To do so, two of the most common frameworks are Contextual Bandits and Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). In this paper, we study whether there exist algorithms for the more general framework (MDP) which automatically provide the best performance bounds for the specific problem at hand without user intervention and without modifying the algorithm. In particular, it is found that a very minor variant of a recently proposed reinforcement learning algorithm for MDPs already matches the best possible regret bound $\tilde O (\sqrt{SAT})$ in the dominant term if deployed on a tabular Contextual Bandit problem despite the agent being agnostic to such setting.
Simultaneous determination of dihydrotestosterone and its metabolites in mouse sera by LC-MS/MS with chemical derivatization

Abstract Androgens play a vital role in prostate cancer development, and their elimination and blockade are essential in the disease management. DHT is the key ligand for androgen receptor (AR) in the prostate. It is locally synthesized from testosterone. In the prostate, DHT is predominantly metabolized to α-diol and β-diol. Recent studies indicate that impaired DHT catabolism is associated with prostate cancer, signifying the necessity of a sensitive quantitative method for the determination of DHT and its metabolites. In this work, an LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of DHT and its metabolites was developed and validated. Steroid-free sera were prepared and used for the preparation of sera calibrators and quality controls (QCs). DHT and its metabolites along with their respective stable heavy isotope labeled analytes representing internal standards were first extracted with methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and derivatized with picolinic acid (PA). The derivatized analytes were then extracted again with MTBE, dried under nitrogen and reconstituted in the mobile phase (80% methanol and 0.2% formic acid in water). Baseline chromatographic separation of the derivatized analytes was achieved isocratically on XTerra C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm) using the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. Quantitation was performed using multiple-reaction-monitoring mode with positive electrospray ionization. The method has calibration ranges from 0.0500 ng/mL to 50.0 ng/mL for DHT and its two metabolites with acceptable assay precision, accuracy, recovery, and matrix factor. It was applied to the determination of DHT and its metabolites in an animal study.
Do Managers Matter? A Natural Experiment from 42 R&D Labs in India

We exploit plausibly exogenous variation in the staggered entry of new managers into India’s 42 public R&D labs between 1994 and 2006 to study how alignment between the CEO and middle-level managers affects research productivity. We show that the introduction of new lab managers aligned with the national R&D reforms raised patenting and multinational licensing revenues by 58% and 75%, respectively, and scientist research productivity, including: a 16%, 10%, 11%, and 22% increase in h-indices, number of coauthors, publications, and citations per scientist, respectively. Using natural language processing techniques on the set of research abstracts produced among these scientists, we also find that overall mood and sentiment increased by 8.5% following the first managerial change.
DRESS Following FIRES: A Clinical Conundrum.

A previously healthy 2-year old Hmong girl presented to the Emergency Department with first time seizures during a febrile illness. Seizures continued for the next two weeks despite multiple antiepileptic agents. All initial cultures and evaluations were negative, and febrile infection related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) was diagnosed. Three weeks into her hospital course, the patient developed a morbilliform rash on her thigh that became generalized. Concurrently, she developed fever and tachycardia. Laboratory studies demonstrated eosinophilia, an increase in ALT, AST, and direct/total bilirubin. CMV, EBV, and HHV-6 were negative. Skin biopsy showed lichenoid interface dermatitis. Clinical picture was suggestive of drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Topical and systemic steroids were started. Potential triggers for DRESS were discontinued. The patient deteriorated and cardiorespiratory failure occurred. She required ECMO for eight days. Patient gradually improved over the following weeks despite recurrent seizures and remained in the hospital for 283 days. FIRES is a rare and highly morbid condition in which patients develop status epilepticus in the setting of febrile illness that is often intractable to anticonvulsants and steroids. Typically no causative infection is identified. DRESS, another rare and potentially fatal condition, is a drug hypersensitivity reaction that includes eosinophilia, characteristic skin findings and potential involvement of liver, lungs, kidneys, or other organs. Allopurinol, antiepileptic agents, and antibiotics are the most frequently reported triggers. In this case report, we describe a patient who developed DRESS following FIRES, a sequence not previously described in the literature.
Measuring lupus arthritis activity using contrasted high-field MRI. Associations with clinical measures of disease activity and novel patterns of disease.

Objective Arthritis in SLE is poorly described, and there is no objective measure for quantification of arthritis. In this pilot study, we aim to assess the utility of the Rheumatoid Arthritis MRI Scoring System (RAMRIS) for the quantification of lupus arthritis. Methods Patients were eligible for entry into the study if they were evaluated at the Medical University of South Carolina Lupus Center and determined by their treating rheumatologist to have active hand arthritis due to SLE. Standard of care lupus activity measures were collected, along with a detailed physical exam. MRIs were obtained using standard musculoskeletal sequences with gadolinium contrast. Semiquantitative scoring of the images used the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials RAMRIS system. Results RAMRIS demonstrates large amounts of synovitis, tenosynovitis, bone marrow oedema and erosive disease in only a minority of patients. Some patients were not scored as having any synovitis or tenosynovitis. We describe potential features of lupus arthritis that are not captured in the RAMRIS scores and may be contributing to symptoms. Conclusion Lupus arthritis is an entity separate from rheumatoid arthritis and requires the development of new quantitative methods to describe and quantitate it. MRI findings suggest the inadequacy of a typical lupus musculoskeletal measure including swollen/tender joint counts to assess the level of disease activity.
A Time-Dependent Formulation of Coupled-Cluster Theory for Many-Fermion Systems at Finite Temperature

We present a time-dependent formulation of coupled cluster theory. This theory allows for direct computation of the free energy of quantum systems at finite temperature by imaginary time integration and is closely related to the thermal cluster cumulant theory of Mukherjee and co-workers [ Chem. Phys. Lett. 1992, 192, 55−61; Phys. Rev. E 1993, 48, 3373−3389; Chem. Phys. Lett. 2001, 335, 281−288; Chem. Phys. Lett. 2002, 352, 63−69; Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 2003, 17, 5367−5377]. Our derivation of the finite-temperature theory highlights connections to perturbation theory and to zero-temperature coupled cluster theory. We show explicitly how the finite-temperature coupled cluster singles and doubles amplitude equations can be derived in analogy with the zero-temperature theory and how response properties can be efficiently computed using a variational Lagrangian. We discuss the implementation for realistic systems and showcase the potential utility of the method with calculations of the exchange correlation ener...
Non-malleable Secret Sharing for General Access Structures

Goyal and Kumar (STOC’18) recently introduced the notion of non-malleable secret sharing. Very roughly, the guarantee they seek is the following: the adversary may potentially tamper with all of the shares, and still, either the reconstruction procedure outputs the original secret, or, the original secret is “destroyed” and the reconstruction outputs a string which is completely “unrelated” to the original secret. Prior works on non-malleable codes in the 2 split-state model imply constructions which can be seen as 2-out-of-2 non-malleable secret sharing (NMSS) schemes. Goyal and Kumar proposed constructions of t-out-of-n NMSS schemes. These constructions have already been shown to have a number of applications in cryptography.
The Strongest Magnetic Fields on the Coolest Brown Dwarfs

We have used NSF's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array to observe a sample of five known radio-emitting late-L and T dwarfs ranging in age from ~0.2 to 3.4 Gyr. We observed each target for seven hours, extending to higher frequencies than previously attempted and establishing proportionally higher limits on maximum surface magnetic field strengths. Detections of circularly polarized pulses at 8–12 GHz yield measurements of 3.2–4.1 kG localized magnetic fields on four of our targets, including the archetypal cloud variable and likely planetary-mass object T2.5 dwarf SIMP J01365663+0933473. We additionally detect a pulse at 15–16.5 GHz for the T6.5 dwarf 2MASS 10475385+2124234, corresponding to a localized 5.6 kG field strength. For the same object, we tentatively detect a 16.5–18 GHz pulse, corresponding to a localized 6.2 kG field strength. We measure rotation periods between ~1.47–2.28 hr for 2MASS J10430758+2225236, 2MASS J12373919+6526148, and SDSS J04234858–0414035, supporting (i) an emerging consensus that rapid rotation may be important for producing strong dipole fields in convective dynamos, and/or (ii) rapid rotation is a key ingredient for driving the current systems powering auroral radio emission. We observe evidence of variable structure in the frequency-dependent time series of our targets on timescales shorter than a rotation period, suggesting a higher degree of variability in the current systems near the surfaces of brown dwarfs. Finally, we find that age, mass, and temperature together cannot account for the strong magnetic fields produced by our targets.
Efficiently Inefficient Markets for Assets and Asset Management

We consider a model where investors can invest directly or search for an asset manager, information about assets is costly, and managers charge an endogenous fee. The efficiency of asset prices is linked to the efficiency of the asset management market: if investors can find managers more easily, more money is allocated to active management, fees are lower, and asset prices are more efficient. Informed managers outperform after fees, uninformed managers underperform after fees, and the net performance of the average manager depends on the number of “noise allocators.” Small investors should be passive, but large and sophisticated investors benefit from searching for informed active managers since their search cost is low relative to capital. Hence, managers with larger and more sophisticated investors are expected to outperform.
Ursa: A Neural Network for Unordered Point Clouds Using Constellations

This paper describes a neural network layer, named Ursa, that uses a constellation of points to learn classification information from point cloud data. Unlike other machine learning classification problems where the task is to classify an individual high-dimensional observation, in a point-cloud classification problem the goal is to classify a set of d-dimensional observations. Because a point cloud is a set, there is no ordering to the collection of points in a point-cloud classification problem. Thus, the challenge of classifying point clouds inputs is in building a classifier which is agnostic to the ordering of the observations, yet preserves the d-dimensional information of each point in the set. This research presents Ursa, a new layer type for an artificial neural network which achieves these two properties. Similar to new methods for this task, this architecture works directly on d-dimensional points rather than first converting the points to a d-dimensional volume. The Ursa layer is followed by a series of dense layers to classify 2D and 3D objects from point clouds. Experiments on ModelNet40 and MNIST data show classification results comparable with current methods, while reducing the training parameters by over 50%.
Topological Semimetals in Square-Net Materials

Many materials crystallize in structure types that feature a square net of atoms. While these compounds can exhibit many different properties, some members of this family are topological materials....