cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TOP FIVE RULES TO AVOID NEUROVASCULAR INJURY DURING TSA

Analysis of orthopaedic malpractice claims has shown that highest impact allegations (highest payment dollars per claim) were those that were related to failure to protect anatomic structures in surgical fields. The prevalence of subclinical peripheral neurologic deficit following reverse and anatomic shoulder arthroplasty has been reported to be 47% and 4%, respectively. We propose the following five rules in order to avoid neurovascular injury during shoulder arthroplasty cases: Pre-operative planning would assure a smooth operation without intra-operative difficulties. Adequate planning would include appropriate imaging, obtaining previous operative reports, complete pre-operative neurovascular examination and requesting the necessary operative equipment. Tug test: It is crucial to palpate the axillary nerve and be aware of its location. The tug test is a systematic technique for locating and protecting the axillary nerve. Neuromonitoring has been utilised in shoulder surgery in the past. Nagda et al showed that nerve alerts during shoulder arthroplasty occurred 56.7% of the time and 50% of the events were with the arm in abduction, external rotation and extension; 76.7% of signals returned to normal with retractor removal and change in arm positioning. We recommend removing all retractors and returning the arm to neutral position several times during surgery, especially during the glenoid exposure when the arm is in abduction and external rotation. Newer commercially available nerve stimulators are extremely useful in locating and protecting neurovascular structures. We recommend brachial plexus exploration and axillary nerve dissection with the aid of a nerve stimulator in all revision cases. Availability of a nerve/microvascular surgeon as an assistant in revision cases for brachial plexus exploration using a microscope is crucial for successful revision surgery.
Tuned and non-Higgsable U(1)s in F-theory

We study the tuning of U(1) gauge fields in F-theory models on a base of general dimension. We construct a formula that computes the change in Weierstrass moduli when such a U(1) is tuned, based on the Morrison-Park form of a Weierstrass model with an additional rational section. Using this formula, we propose the form of “minimal tuning” on any base, which corresponds to the case where the decrease in the number of Weierstrass moduli is minimal. Applying this result, we discover some universal features of bases with non-Higgsable U(1)s. Mathematically, a generic elliptic fibration over such a base has additional rational sections. Physically, this condition implies the existence of U(1) gauge group in the low-energy supergravity theory after compactification that cannot be Higgsed away. In particular, we show that the elliptic Calabi-Yau manifold over such a base has a small number of complex structure moduli. We also suggest that non-Higgsable U(1)s can never appear on any toric bases. Finally, we construct the first example of a threefold base with non-Higgsable U(1)s.
Development of Empirically-Based Fragilities of Residential Damage in the 2011 Joplin, Missouri, Tornado

Performance-based engineering (PBE) is a methodology that requires specification on a range of performances or target reliabilities for structures of different importance. Information on these ‘performance levels’ require a probabilistic assessment of the potential factors that may influence a design, including information on the hazard, load, resistance, loss estimates, expert opinion and public perception. This paper describes one such probabilistic assessment in the development of empirically-based fragility functions for tornadoes using damage assessment data and a tornado wind field model for the 22 May 2011 Joplin, MO tornado. The damage assessment data was collected during field surveys of more than 1,240 structures in the aftermath of the tornado, using provisions of the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale to assess the damage. The wind field model was developed from the tree-fall patterns noted in the damage path of the tornado. Fragility functions were developed for the Degrees of Damage (DOD) associated with One- and Two-Family Residences in the EF Scale. The empiricallyderived fragility functions were progressive in nature, with median wind speeds varying from 33.6 m/s for initiation of visible damage to 85.2 m/s for complete destruction. These functions were compared to existing fragility functions for straightline winds to evaluate potential differences in failure mechanisms for structures exposed to tornadoes. Wind speeds associated with the median failure probability were used to estimate load factors, defined as the square of the ratio of the straightline wind speed to the tornado wind speed. Structures tended to fail at lower wind speeds in tornadoes than in straightline winds, with load factors between 1.32 and 1.51. A fragility assessment in the context of PBE naturally requires attribution and quantification of all uncertainties. Uncertainties in the both the damage and wind speed estimation in the development of fragilities are quantified and assessed using Monte Carlo methods. Preliminary results show variance in fragility parameters is higher for higher damage states but all damage states have relatively low coefficients of variation.
Robust solder joint attachment of coaxial cable leads to piezoelectric ceramic electrodes

A technique was developed for the solder attachment of coaxial cable leads to silver-bearing thick-film electrodes on piezoelectric ceramics. Soldering the cable leads directly to the thick film caused bonds with low mechanical strength due to poor solder joint geometry. A barrier coating of 1.5 mu m Cu/1.5 mu m Ni/1.0 mu m Sn deposited on the thick-film layer improved the strength of the solder joints by eliminating the adsorption of Ag from the thick film, which was responsible for the improper solder joint geometry. The procedure does not require special preparation of the electrode surface and is cost effective due to the use of nonprecious metal films and the batch processing capabilities of the electron beam deposition technique. >
Real time recovery of fault tolerant processing elements

A critical problem in the design of ultra-reliable fault tolerant systems is that of how to bring a redundant member back on-line, after a transient fault, without degrading critical real-time functions. Recovery from transients is imperative to maintain necessary system reliability in the face of transient errors which have been estimated to occur at a rate of 5 to 100 times that of permanent failures. Excessive delays associated with recovery become a problem when as much as 1 Mbytes of RAM in the faulty processor must be made congruent with the processing majority while maintaining full functionality of critical, real-time control algorithms. This paper describes a hardware assisted recovery technique which uses memory "tags" to determine which memory segments need to be restored such that recovery can be performed incrementally without affecting real-time operational tasks. Also presented is performance data associated with this technique's application to a Draper Laboratory quad-redundant processor responsible for vehicle control of a manned undersea vehicle.
Bootstrap Unit Root Tests in Panels with Cross-Sectional Dependency

We apply bootstrap methodology to unit root tests for dependent panels with N cross-sectional units and T time series observations. More specifically, we let each panel be driven by a general linear process which may be different across cross-sectional units, and approximate it by a finite order autoregressive integrated process of order increasing with T. As we allow the dependency among the innovations generating the individual series, we construct our unit root tests from the estimation of the system of the entire N cross-sectional units. The limit distributions of the tests are derived by passing T to infinity, with N fixed. We then apply bootstrap method to the approximated autoregressions to obtain critical values for the panel unit root tests, and establish the asymptotic validity of such bootstrap panel unit root tests under general conditions. The proposed bootstrap tests are indeed quite general covering a wide class of panel models. They in particular allow for very general dynamic structures which may vary across individual units, and more importantly for the presence of arbitrary cross-sectional dependency. The finite sample performance of the bootstrap tests is examined via simulations, and compared to that of commonly used panel unit root tests. We find that our bootstrap tests perform relatively well, especially when N is small.
Markets and sustainability

Do markets lead us to make sustainable choices? If not, why not? And what would we need to do to remedy this? This paper takes a preliminary look at these questions. It identifies three categories of reasons why market choices may not be sustainable, related to valuation of the future, recognition of the benefits provided by environmental assets, and incorrect incentives. It gives examples of cases in which these problems have been corrected, and considers the scope for a more positive relation between market forces and conservation of the environment.
Gasoline Price Uncertainty and the Design of Fuel Economy Standards

Abstract What are the implications of gasoline price volatility for the design of fuel economy policies? I show that this problem has a strong parallel to Weitzman's (1974) classic model of using price or quantity controls to regulate an externality. Changes in fuel prices act as shocks to the marginal cost of complying with the standard. Assuming constant marginal damages from fuel consumption, an application of Weitzman (1974) implies that a fixed fuel economy standard reduces expected welfare relative to a “price” policy such as a feebate or, equivalently, a fuel economy standard that is indexed to the price of gasoline. When the regulator is constrained to use a fixed standard, I show that the usual approach to setting the standard—equate expected marginal compliance cost to marginal damage—is likely to be sub-optimal because the standard may not bind if the realized gasoline price is sufficiently high. Instead, the optimal fixed standard will be relatively relaxed and may be non-binding even at the expected gasoline price. Finally, I show that although an attribute-based standard allows vehicle choices to flexibly respond to gasoline price shocks, the resulting distortions imply that the optimal fuel economy standard is not attribute-based.
DeepDSL: A Compilation-based Domain-Specific Language for Deep Learning

In recent years, Deep Learning (DL) has found great success in domains such as multimedia understanding. However, the complex nature of multimedia data makes it difficult to develop DL-based software. The state-of-the art tools, such as Caffe, TensorFlow, Torch7, and CNTK, while are successful in their applicable domains, are programming libraries with fixed user interface, internal representation, and execution environment. This makes it difficult to implement portable and customized DL applications. In this paper, we present DeepDSL, a domain specific language (DSL) embedded in Scala, that compiles deep networks written in DeepDSL to Java source code. Deep DSL provides (1) intuitive constructs to support compact encoding of deep networks; (2) symbolic gradient derivation of the networks; (3) static analysis for memory consumption and error detection; and (4) DSL-level optimization to improve memory and runtime efficiency. DeepDSL programs are compiled into compact, efficient, customizable, and portable Java source code, which operates the CUDA and CUDNN interfaces running on Nvidia GPU via a Java Native Interface (JNI) library. We evaluated DeepDSL with a number of popular DL networks. Our experiments show that the compiled programs have very competitive runtime performance and memory efficiency compared to the existing libraries.
THE CEMENTLESS KNEE: LIFETIME GUARANTEE ON PARTS AND LABOUR – OPPOSES

The initial application of bone ingrowth technology to the fixation of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) components without bone cement was based on the premise that bone cement was “not biologic”, and so over time would undergo fatigue failure with subsequent loosening. It was hoped that this problem could be obviated by cementless fixation by bone ingrowth, which would remodel over time and not fatigue. In addition, it was anticipated that the failed cementless TKA might be easier to revise and leave the surgeon with more bone to work with. Whether or not cementless fixation of TKA components was justified on any of these counts was uncertain through the first 2 decades of their use. Much of the data accumulated during that period poorly supported these contentions, while cemented TKA was increasingly reported as a reliable, consistent and less complicated form of TKA fixation. However, over the past decade, new evidence has accumulated demonstrating greater success with this technology in several well designed studies as well as from registry studies. Most of this evidence involves the use of Porous Tantalum. However, increasing evidence that loosening of well done, well designed cemented TKA is rare along with some evidence that a certain percentage of cementless TKA patients fail to achieve stability remains concerning. In addition, no studies have justified improved longevity to the extent that the increased cost of cementless devices can be justified.
Correction of ankle and hind foot deformity in Charcot neuroarthropathy using a retrograde hind foot nail

Introduction Corrective fusion for the unstable deformed hind foot in Charcot Neuroarthropathy (CN) is quite challenging and is best done in tertiary centres under the supervision of multidisciplinary teams. Patients and methods We present our results with a series of 42 hind foot deformity corrections in 40 patients from a tertiary level teaching hospital in the United Kingdom. The mean patient age was 59 (33–82). 16 patients had type1 diabetes mellitus, 20 had type 2 diabetes and 4 were non-diabetic. 18 patients had chronic ulceration. 17 patients were ASA 2 and 23 were ASA grade 3. All patients had acute single stage correction and Trigen hind foot nail fusion performed through a standard technique by the senior author and managed peri-operatively by the multidisciplinary team. Our outcome measures were limb salvage, deformity correction, ulcer healing, weight bearing in surgical shoes and return to activities of daily living (ADL). Results At a mean follow up of 37 months (7–79) we achieved 100% limb salvage initially and 97% healing of arthrodesis. One patient with persisting non-union has been offered amputation. Deformity correction was achieved in 100% and ulcer healing in 89%. 72.5% patients are able to mobilize and manage independent ADL. There were 11 patients with one or more complications including metal failure, infection and ulcer reactivation. We performed nine repeat procedures including one revision fusion and one vascular procedure. Conclusion Single stage corrective fusion for hind foot deformity in CN is an effective procedure when delivered by a skilled multidisciplinary team.
Traumatic Brain Injury and Recidivism Among Returning Inmates

In recent years, there has been a surge in research that examines the relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and involvement in the criminal justice system. However, the bulk of this research has been largely retrospective and descriptive, comparing rates of TBI in the offending population with the rates of TBI in the general population. Although findings from these studies indicate a higher prevalence of TBI in the offending population, virtually no studies have examined whether those with TBI are more likely to recidivate. To address this gap, the present study examined rearrest post release from prison among a cohort sample of Indiana inmates who were screened using the Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Identification (OSU-TBI-ID) instrument. Findings indicate that, net of control variables, those with TBI were more likely to recidivate sooner than those without TBI. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Geodesics with one self-intersection, and other stories

Abstract In this paper, we show that for any hyperbolic surface S , the number of geodesics of length bounded above by L in the mapping class group orbit of a fixed closed geodesic γ with a single double point is asymptotic to L dim ( Teichmuller space of S . ) . Since closed geodesics with one double point fall into a finite number of Mod ( S ) orbits, we get the same asymptotic estimate for the number of such geodesics of length bounded by L , and systems of curves, where one curve has a self-intersection, or there are two curves intersecting once. We also use our (elementary) methods to do a more precise study of geodesics with a single double point on a punctured torus, including an extension of McShane’s identity to such geodesics. In the second part of the paper, we study the question of when a covering of the boundary of an oriented surface S can be extended to a covering of the surface S itself. We obtain a complete answer to that question, and also to the question of when we can further require the extension to be a regular covering of S . We also analyze the question of the minimal index of a subgroup in a surface group which does not contain a given element. We show that we have a linear bound for the index of an arbitrary subgroup, a cubic bound for the index of a normal subgroup, but also poly-log bounds for each fixed level in the lower central series (using elementary arithmetic considerations) — the results hold for free groups and fundamental groups of closed surfaces.
Using collisions of AGN outflows with ICM shocks as dynamical probes

In this paper, we lay out a simple set of relationships connecting the dynamics of fast plasma jets to the dynamical state of their ambient media. The objective is to provide a tool kit that can be used to connect the morphologies of radio active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in galaxy clusters to the dynamical state of the local intracluster medium (ICM). The formalism is intended to apply to either relativistic or non-relativistic jets. Special attention is paid to interactions involving ICM shocks, although the results can be applied more broadly. Our formalism emphasizes the importance of the relative Mach number of the impacting ICM flow and the internal Mach number of the AGN jet in determining how the AGN outflows evolve.
New Insights Into the Local and Systemic Functions of Sclerostin: Regulation of Quiescent Bone Lining Cells and Beige Adipogenesis in Peripheral Fat Depots.

The discovery of the association between the Wnt signaling pathway and sclerostin with bone mass has propelled our understanding of skeletal homeostasis over the last decades. Sclerostin is a regulatory secreted glycoprotein that plays a prominent role in skeletal homeostasis (1). The major site of sclerostin production is the mature osteocytes in bone; however, sclerostin is also found in the circulation. Sclerostin is a potent antagonist of Wnt/β catenin signaling. It binds to the Wnt co-receptors LRP4/5/6 and antagonizes downstream signaling (2). By inhibiting canonical Wnt signaling, sclerostin decreases bone formation and osteoblast differentiation and stimulates bone resorption (1;2). Pharmacological inhibition of sclerostin with neutralizing antibodies activates Wnt signaling, robustly increases bone formation, and reduces bone resorption in both animal models and humans (3;4). Thus, sclerostin has quickly become a valuable therapeutic target for the treatment of osteoporosis and other skeletal diseases. In spite of the rapid advances made over the last years, there are several unresolved enigmas regarding sclerostin action. We know that osteoblasts are the main target cells of sclerostin and that the major actions of the protein are localized in the skeleton. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which monoclonal antibodies to sclerostin increase bone mass are not completely understood; and accumulating evidence supports the notion that sclerostin modulates the activity of other cells in bone besides osteoblasts. In addition, it is not clear why the anabolic effect of pharmacological inhibition of sclerostin wanes with time. Further, although the current knowledge suggests that the effects of sclerostin are circumscribed to the local bone/bone marrow microenvironment, circulating levels of sclerostin not always reflect the actions observed in bone and the protein might also impact cells in non-skeletal tissues. The current issue of JBMR introduces two articles in which Kim, Wein and colleagues examined the effects of pharmacological inhibition of sclerostin on the activity of bone lining cells (5) and Fulzele, Divieti Pajevic, and colleagues investigated the effects of sclerostin on peripheral white adipocyte tissue (WAT) depots (6). These articles describe two previously unknown functions of sclerostin and extend our understanding of the skeletal and non-skeletal functions of this regulatory protein.
Spicing Up a Portfolio with Commodity Futures: Still a Good Recipe?

In this article, the authors investigate whether employing individual commodity futures provides a superior optimized risk–return strategy relative to an equity portfolio, given the recent rise in correlations between commodity and equity markets. They first construct Markowitz mean–variance optimized portfolios of commodity and financial futures contracts within sample and then evaluate their subsequent out-of-sample performance using various time periods, targeted risk levels, and rebalancing frequencies. These portfolios generally outperform benchmark equity indexes, both in terms of return and risk levels. The portfolios also exhibit lower tail risk (reduced potential extreme losses) relative to the equity indexes. These findings support the use of commodity futures for both diversification and portfolio optimization purposes and illustrate appropriate application metrics. Moreover, the results are superior to using the commodity index approach emphasized by most previous studies.
Two Constructions of Markov Chains on the Dual of U ( n )

We provide two new constructions of Markov chains which had previously arisen from the representation theory of \(U(\infty )\). The first construction uses the combinatorial rule for the Littlewood–Richardson coefficients, which arise from tensor products of irreducible representations of the unitary group. The second arises from a quantum random walk on the von Neumann algebra of U(n), which is then restricted to the center. Additionally, the restriction to a maximal torus can be expressed in terms of weight multiplicities, explaining the presence of tensor products.
Elucidation and characterization of oligonucleotide-accessible sites on HIV-2 leader region RNA

The retroviruses, including the human pathogens HIV-1 and HIV-2, are diploid inasmuch as they encapsidate two copies of their RNA genome. Prior to or during encapsidation, two copies of full-length genomic RNA recognize and stably bind each other in a process called dimerization. RNA structures within the viral genome promote dimerization in both HIV-1 and HIV-2 and are located in the 5'-untranslated leader region. Inhibition of dimerization by mutation of these RNA signals has been demonstrated to drastically reduce viral infectivity and replication kinetics and, thus, represents a potential target for antiretroviral therapy. In this study, we identified sites in HIV-2 leader region RNA that are functionally accessible to hybridization with oligonucleotides (ODNs) by reverse transcription with random ODN libraries (RT-ROL). We then tested specific ODNs directed against these regions for their efficacy in inhibiting RNA dimerization in vitro. We determined that of several hybridization-competent ODNs, only two were very effective in inhibiting RNA dimerization. Both of these ODNs were complementary to viral RNA at the primer binding site (PBS). These results identify regions with high accessibility to ODN binding on HIV-2 RNA and help to map the region(s) essential for dimerization within the viral RNA.
On the Critical Points of the E_k Functionals in Kahler Geometry

We prove that a Kahler metric in the anticanonical class which is a critical point of the functional E_k and has nonnegative Ricci curvature, is necessarily Kahler-Einstein. This partially answers a question of X.X.Chen.
An Effective Continuum Model for the Liquid-To-Gas Phase Change in a Porous Medium Driven by Solute Diffusion: I. Constant Pressure Decline Rates

This report, focuses on the isothermal gas phase growth from a supersaturated, slightly compressible, binary liquid in a porous medium. This is driven by mass transfer, the extent of which is controlled by the application of either a constant-rate decline of the system pressure or the withdrawal of the liquid at a constant rate. This report deals with the first process. Pressure depletion due to constant-rate liquid withdrawal is analyzed in a companion report .
Energy-Efficient Resource Allocation for Mobile Edge Computing-Based Augmented Reality Applications

Mobile edge computing is a provisioning solution to enable augmented reality (AR) applications on mobile devices. AR mobile applications have inherent collaborative properties in terms of data collection in the uplink, computing at the edge, and data delivery in the downlink. In this letter, these features are leveraged to propose a novel resource allocation approach over both communication and computation resources. The approach, implemented via successive convex approximation, is seen to yield considerable gains in mobile energy consumption as compared to conventional independent offloading across users.
An Improved Delayed Signal Cancellation PLL for Fast Grid Synchronization Under Distorted and Unbalanced Grid Condition

Cascasded delayed signal cancellation (DSC) phase-locked loop (PLL) technique has been attractive for grid synchronization under nonideal grid voltage due to its good harmonics filtering capability. However, it has to face the challenge of slow dynamic response. In this paper, an improved DSC-PLL that features high filtering capability, fast dynamic response and simple structure is presented. This PLL employs only one DSC block and one moving average filter (MAF) block to eliminate all even-order and odd-order harmonics while a second-order phase lead compensator and q-axis feedforward path are introduced to increase the PLL bandwidth. The effect of the phase lead compensator on PLL dynamic performance is analyzed. The feedforward path works only when grid voltage frequency or phase jumps and will not affect the steady state behaviors. Therefore, the PLL can improve the phase estimation accuracy and dynamic speed at the same time even under highly distorted and unbalanced grid voltage. Moreover, linear Lagrange interpolation method is adopted to reduce the discretized errors in the digital implementation of the PLL. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by both simulation and experimental results. The comparison results with the existing cascaded DSC-PLL and standard MAF-PLL are also presented.
The Effects Of Proprietary Information On Corporate Disclosure And Transparency: Evidence From Trade Secrets

Abstract I examine the effects of proprietary information on corporate transparency and voluntary disclosure. To do so, I develop and validate two measures of firms’ reliance on trade secrecy: one based on 10-K disclosures and one based on subsequent litigation outcomes. I complement these measures by using the staggered passage of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act as a shock to trade secrecy. I find that firms that begin to rely more heavily on trade secrecy substitute increased voluntary disclosure of nonproprietary information for decreased disclosure of proprietary information. The total effect of trade secrecy is a decrease in corporate transparency.
Colliding Branes and Formation of Spacetime Singularities

A systematic study of spacetimes containing two timelike colliding branes is made in the framework of 10-dimensional string theory. After developing the general formulas to describe such events we study several classes of exact solutions and spacetime singularities in both the D+d dimensional string theory and its D-dimensional effective theory, obtained by Kaluza-Klein compactification. Spacetime singularities in the low dimensional effective theory may or may not remain after lifted to the D+d dimensional string theory, depending on the specific solutions. In some cases, solutions of the low dimensional effective theory are free of singularities, but after they are lifted to string theory, the higher dimensional spacetimes become singular. Therefore, simply lifting low dimensional effective theories to high dimensions seemingly does not solve the singularity problem and additional physical mechanisms are needed. In general however, the spacetime is singular due to the mutual focus of the two colliding branes. Non-singular cases also exist, but with the price that both of the colliding branes violate all the three energy conditions, weak, dominant and strong.
Ultrafast relaxation of hot phonons in graphene-hBN heterostructures

U.S. Army Research Laboratory; U.S. Army Research Office [W911NF-14-1-0653]; National Science Foundation (NSF) [PHY 1505556]
The Econometrics and Some Properties of Separable Matching Models

We present a class of one-to-one matching models with perfectly transferable utility. We discuss identification and inference in these separable models, and we show how their comparative statics are readily analyzed.
Synthesis and preliminary biological evaluation of radiolabeled 5-BDBD analogs as new candidate PET radioligands for P2X4 receptor

P2X4 receptor has become an interesting molecular target for treatment and PET imaging of neuroinflammation and associated brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. This study reports the first design, synthesis, radiolabeling and biological evaluation of new candidate PET P2X4 receptor radioligands using 5-BDBD, a specific P2X4 receptor antagonist, as a scaffold. 5-(3-Hydroxyphenyl)-1-[11C]methyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzofuro[3,2-e][1,4]diazepin-2-one (N-[11C]Me-5-BDBD analog, [11C]9) and 5-(3-Bromophenyl)-1-[11C]methyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzofuro[3,2-e][1,4]diazepin-2-one (N-[11C]Me-5-BDBD, [11C]8c) were prepared from their corresponding desmethylated precursors with [11C]CH3OTf through N-[11C]methylation and isolated by HPLC combined with SPE in 30-50% decay corrected radiochemical yields with 370-1110GBq/µmol specific activity at EOB. 5-(3-[18F]Fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzofuro[3,2-e][1,4]diazepin-2-one ([18F]F-5-BDBD, [18F]5a) and 5-(3-(2-[18F]fluoroethoxy)phenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzofuro[3,2-e][1,4]diazepin-2-one ([18F]FE-5-BDBD, [18F]11) were prepared from their corresponding nitro- and tosylated precursors by nucleophilic substitution with K[18F]F/Kryptofix 2.2.2 and isolated by HPLC-SPE in 5-25% decay corrected radiochemical yields with 111-740GBq/µmol specific activity at EOB. The preliminary biological evaluation of radiolabeled 5-BDBD analogs indicated these new radioligands have similar biological activity with their parent compound 5-BDBD.
Immune System, Friend or Foe of Oncolytic Virotherapy?

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are an emerging class of targeted anticancer therapies designed to selectively infect, replicate in, and lyse malignant cells without causing harm to normal, healthy tissues. In addition to direct oncolytic activity, OVs have shown dual promise as immunotherapeutic agents. The presence of viral infection and subsequently generated immunogenic tumor cell death trigger innate and adaptive immune responses that mediate further tumor destruction. However, antiviral immune responses can intrinsically limit OV infection, spread, and overall therapeutic efficacy. Host immune system can act both as a barrier as well as a facilitator and sometimes both at the same time based on the phase of viral infection. Thus, manipulating the host immune system to minimize antiviral responses and viral clearance while still promoting immune-mediated tumor destruction remains a key challenge facing oncolytic virotherapy. Recent clinical trials have established the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of virotherapies in the treatment of a variety of malignancies. Most notably, Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), a genetically engineered oncolytic herpesvirus expressing granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), was recently approved for the treatment of melanoma, representing the first OV to be approved by the FDA as an anticancer therapy in the US. This review discusses OVs and their antitumor properties, their complex interactions with the immune system, synergy between virotherapy and existing cancer treatments, and emerging strategies to augment the efficacy of OVs as anticancer therapies.
ZBTB16 is a sensitive and specific marker in detection of metastatic and extragonadal yolk sac tumour

Aims Accurate histological diagnosis and classification of germ cell tumours (GCTs) is key to informing successful therapeutic and surveillance strategy. The modern therapeutic approach for yolk sac tumour (YST) is highly curative. Because YST takes on a large morphological spectrum, it can be confused for other GCT subtypes as well as somatic carcinomas, particularly when YST presents in an extragonadal or a metastatic setting. Currently available immunohistochemical markers are limited by suboptimal sensitivity and specificity. We reported recently that ZBTB16 is a sensitive and specific marker for testicular YST. ZBTB16 is absent in other GCTs and in most common somatic carcinomas, including those of gastrointestinal, pancreatobillary, respiratory, genitourinary and gynaecological tracts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the diagnostic utility of ZBTB16 in the settings of metastatic and extragonadal YST. Methods and results We studied 32 archived metastatic and four extragonadal primary YSTs as well as 51 somatic malignancies for their immunohistochemical expression of ZBTB16. For comparison, α-fetoprotein (AFP) and glypican-3 were also studied in parallel. Our results demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 91.6% for ZBTB16 in detecting metastatic and extragonadal YSTs. The non-YST elements (teratoma and embryonal carcinoma) in 15 YST-containing metastatic mixed GCTs were non-reactive. With the exception of occasional myoepithelial cells of salivary gland carcinoma, all the 51 somatic malignancies were negative for ZBTB16. Conclusions ZBTB16 is a sensitive and specific marker for YST and is diagnostically superior to AFP and glypican-3 in metastatic and extragonadal settings.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN BATTICALOA DISTRICT

Corporate governance is wide range of practices which are affected the way of directing the organization. This is an emerging concept which is considered as an important suggestion for growth of companies in recent years. Meanwhile this concept has admired more attention and several analyses were taken place in recent past decades. Such analyses have found that Corporate Governance helps to make efforts to survive from major financial failures which were caused to the organizations. Good corporate governance practices have the impact of improving satisfaction level of stakeholders and enhancement of organization. This research paper investigates corporate governance of financial institutions in Batticaloa district. Factor analysis was employed to ensure the variables and as per analysis, variables were categorized into 4 factors such as board size, corporate governance mechanism, communication strategies, and code of conduct. Questionnaire was used to collect data for this study. 125 management respondents were selected for this study and simple random sampling method was used. Findings show that there is high level corporate governance among financial institutions in Batticaloa district. These findings would be useful to consider more on Corporate Governance practices to avoid the corporate collapses in future.
Large, nonsaturating thermopower in a quantizing magnetic field

United States. Department of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Science (award no. DE-SC0001088)
Clinical management and survival of patients with central nervous system hemangiopericytoma in the National Cancer Database.

Abstract Purpose/objectives Hemangiopericytomas are rare central nervous system (CNS) tumors. We sought to investigate existing clinical management strategies and overall survival (OS) among patients with hemangiopericytomas of the CNS. Methods/materials All patients diagnosed with CNS hemangiopericytoma from 2004 to 2014 in the National Cancer Database were included. Clinical and treatment-related characteristics were analyzed for an association with OS following diagnosis using univariable and multivariable analyses. Results Nine-hundred and eighty-one patients were included (0.22% of all CNS tumors). At diagnosis, 22 patients had spinal tumors (2%), 21 patients had multifocal tumors (2%) 28 had disseminated disease (3%), and the remainder were unifocal intracranial tumors. Patients either underwent surgical resection and radiation (48%), surgery alone (37%), radiation alone (6%), or biopsy alone (9%). Of patients with known extent of resection, 53% underwent gross total resection, and, of patients with known radiation modality, 15% received stereotactic radiosurgery. Among the total cohort, 3 and 10 year OS was 87% and 59%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, factors associated with inferior OS included age (HR = 1.05, p p p = 0.04), disseminated disease (HR = 2.67, p = 0.01), and chemotherapy (HR = 2.66, p = 0.01). Patients receiving surgery alone or surgery and radiation demonstrated improved OS compared to biopsy alone (HR = 0.45, p = 0.01 and HR = 0.47, p = 0.02, respectively). However radiation utilization did not impact OS ( p = 0.691). Conclusions The present data provide large-scale prognostic information from a contemporary cohort of patients with hemangiopericytoma and support an initial attempt at surgical extirpation. The benefits of ionizing radiation are likely limited to improved local control and neurologic function.
Understanding the Magnetic Resonance Spectrum of Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in an Ensemble of Randomly Oriented Nanodiamonds

Nanodiamonds containing nitrogen vacancy (NV–) centers show promise for a number of emerging applications including targeted in vivo imaging and generating nuclear spin hyperpolarization for enhanced NMR spectroscopy and imaging. Here we develop a detailed understanding of the magnetic resonance behavior of NV– centers in an ensemble of nanodiamonds with random crystal orientations. Two-dimensional optically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals the distribution of energy levels, spin populations, and transition probabilities that give rise to a complex spectrum. We identify overtone transitions that are inherently insensitive to crystal orientation and give well-defined transition frequencies that access the entire nanodiamond ensemble. These transitions may be harnessed for high-resolution imaging and generation of nuclear spin hyperpolarization. The data are well described by numerical simulations from the zero- to high-field regimes, including the intermediate regime of maximum complexity. ...
Trophoblast survival signaling during human placentation requires HSP70 activation of MMP2-mediated HBEGF shedding.

Survival of trophoblast cells in the low oxygen environment of human placentation requires metalloproteinase-mediated shedding of HBEGF and downstream signaling. A matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) antibody array and quantitative RT-PCR revealed upregulation of MMP2 post-transcriptionally in human first trimester HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells and placental villous explants exposed to 2% O2. Specific MMP inhibitors established the requirement for MMP2 in HBEGF shedding and upregulation. Because α-amanitin inhibited the upregulation of HBEGF, differentially expressed genes were identified by next-generation sequencing of RNA from trophoblast cells cultured at 2% O2 for 0, 1, 2 and 4 h. Nine genes, all containing HIF-response elements, were upregulated at 1 h, but only HSPA6 (HSP70B’) remained elevated at 2–4 h. The HSP70 chaperone inhibitor VER 155008 blocked upregulation of both MMP2 and HBEGF at 2% O2, and increased apoptosis. However, both HBEGF upregulation and apoptosis were rescued by exogenous MMP2. Proximity ligation assays demonstrated interactions between HSP70 and MMP2, and between MMP2 and HBEGF, supporting the concept that MMP2-mediated shedding of HBEGF, initiated by HSP70, contributes to trophoblast survival at the low O2 concentrations encountered during the first trimester, and is essential for successful pregnancy outcomes. Trophoblast survival during human placentation, when oxygenation is minimal, required HSP70 activity, which mediated MMP2 accumulation and the transactivation of anti-apoptotic ERBB signaling by HBEGF shedding.
Enhanced disclosure of other comprehensive income and increased usefulness of net income: The implications of Accounting Standards Update 2011–05

Abstract Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011–05 eliminates the option to present other comprehensive income (OCI) in the statement of changes in stockholders’ equity. This study empirically investigates whether this mandatory change of OCI presentation format achieves FASB's stated objective of improving the transparency of financial reporting. First, ASU 2011–05 is found to greatly reduce the continuity of OCI from one period to the next. As OCI items are transitory in nature, the increased OCI volatility makes firms’ inherent risk more transparent to investors. Second, ASU 2011–05 is found to significantly increase the ability of net income to influence stock prices. As OCI and net income are intertwined, the more salient presentation of OCI enables investors to better interpret earnings. Supporting FASB's position that OCI items need to be more prominently displayed, these findings suggest that the new standard improves transparency and usefulness of the reported OCI information.
Ultra-low power probabilistic IMT neurons for stochastic sampling machines

Stochastic sampling machines (SSM) utilize neural sampling from probabilistic spiking neurons to escape local minima and prevent overfitting of training datasets [1]. This enables improved error rates compared to deterministic implementations, and, in turn, enables lower bit precision, decreased chip area, and reduced energy consumption. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate: (i) Insulator-to-Metal Phase Transition (IMT) neurons with record low peak operating power of 11.9μW at V DD =0.7V; (ii) the IMT in vanadium dioxide (VO2) provides a natural probabilistic hardware substrate for realizing a compact stochastic IMT neuron for SSMs; (iii) implementation of SSM for pattern recognition on MNIST database [2] using experimentally calibrated device modeling. These results are compared to a 22nm CMOS ASIC which shows stochastic IMT neuron based SSMs result in a 4.5x reduction in system power consumption.
Lecture hall partitions and the affine hyperoctahedral group

In 1997 Bousquet-Melou and Eriksson introduced lecture hall partitions as the inversion vectors of elements of the parabolic quotient $\widetilde{C}/C$. We provide a new view of their correspondence that allows results in one domain to be translated into the other. We determine the equivalence between combinatorial statistics in each domain and use this correspondence to translate certain generating function formulas on lecture hall partitions to new observations about $\widetilde{C}/C$.
Air filter particulate loading detection using smartphone audio and optimized ensemble classification

Abstract Automotive engine intake filters ensure clean air delivery to the engine, though over time these filters load with contaminants hindering free airflow. Today’s open-loop approach to air filter maintenance has drivers replace elements at predetermined service intervals, causing costly and potentially harmful over- and under-replacement. The result is that many vehicles consistently operate with reduced power, increased fuel consumption, or excessive particulate-related wear which may harm the catalyst or damage machined engine surfaces. We present a method of detecting filter contaminant loading from audio data collected by a smartphone and a stand microphone. Our machine learning approach to filter supervision uses Mel-Cepstrum, Fourier and Wavelet features as input into a classification model and applies feature ranking to select the best-differentiating features. We demonstrate the robustness of our technique by showing its efficacy for two vehicle types and different microphones, finding a best result of 79.7% accuracy when classifying a filter into three loading states. Refinements to this technique will help drivers supervise their filters and aid in optimally timing their replacement. This will result in an improvement in vehicle performance, efficiency, and reliability, while reducing the cost of maintenance to vehicle owners.
Decarbonizing the boardroom? Aligning electric utility executive compensation with climate change incentives

Abstract Despite the drastic reversal of decarbonization effort by the Trump administration, the majority of U.S. states continue policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing renewable energy technology (RET) deployment. Although electrical power utilities are required and/or encouraged to comply with these policies, their executives lack direct incentives to do so. In this study, a novel incentive mechanism is evaluated for aligning utility executive compensation with such policies. First, an overview is provided on chief executive officer (CEO) pay and the GHG emissions of utilities. The relationship between GHG emissions, renewable energy diversification, and CEO pay is examined using the case study of three of the largest electric utilities in Michigan. The results show that the regulated utility market is not consistently rewarding CEOs with higher compensation for decreasing GHG emissions and that both an approach incentivizing RETs adoption and an approach encouraging GHG emissions have deficiencies. A combined approach is then analyzed that results in a compensation equation allowing for utility executives to receive incentive pay for reducing overall emissions and increasing renewable generation. The results indicate that by careful calibration of the proposed incentive equations the harmful effects of emissions can be prevented through CEO incentive pay.
For Better or Worse? Couples' Time Together in Encore Adulthood

Objective This study examined the amount of time married couples share together in a new "encore adult" life course stage around the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Also investigated was the relationship between shared time and experienced well-being for this age group. Method Time diary and survey data were used from nationally representative 2003-2014 American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data for 26,303 adults aged 50-79 years. Analyses examined amount of total and exclusive shared couple time and experiences of happiness and stress when together using multivariate models. Results Shared time was positively associated with couples living on their own, conjoint employment/nonemployment, and age. Encore women and men reported feeling happier and less stressed when with their spouses. Men seemed to find time with spouses more enjoyable if both partners or just their wives were working. Discussion Encore adults are living longer as couples; results suggest couple relationships may occupy most of their days, with potentially positive implications for emotional well-being. Men and women are happier during time with a spouse when the woman works, with men reporting even higher levels of happiness than women. This is important as contemporary couples navigate increasingly complex work/retirement transitions in gendered ways.