cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The analytical nexus of ceramic paste composition studies: A comparison of NAA, LA-ICP-MS, and petrography in the prehispanic Basin of Mexico

Ceramic compositional analyses have become a common part of archaeological inference. With a multitude of techniques available, which provide the best opportunity to answer specific research questions? I define an analytical nexus of techniques to help archaeologists determine which techniques provide the most appropriate methodology for their study regions. The relation among bulk chemical (NAA), spot chemical (LA-ICP-MS), and in situ mineral (petrography) analyses are explored through ceramics sampled from different time periods across the Basin of Mexico. Spatial and temporal patterns of compositional variability are identified with respect to the cultural systems living there. While different questions require different techniques, a stable bulk signature, like that provided by NAA, acts as a closed system that sums to 100 percent of all cultural and natural variables affecting paste composition. By comparison to the bulk baseline, any other technique that focuses on a fraction of the whole will also provide information on the unknown fractions.
$Z$ boson mediated dark matter beyond the effective theory

Direct detection bounds are beginning to constrain a very simple model of weakly interacting dark matter---a Majorana fermion with a coupling to the $Z$ boson. In a particularly straightforward gauge-invariant realization, this coupling is introduced via a higher-dimensional operator. While attractive in its simplicity, this model generically induces a large $\ensuremath{\rho}$ parameter. An ultraviolet completion that avoids an overly large contribution to $\ensuremath{\rho}$ is the singlet-doublet model. We revisit this model, focusing on the Higgs blind spot region of parameter space where spin-independent interactions are absent. This model successfully reproduces dark matter with direct detection mediated by the $Z$ boson but whose cosmology may depend on additional couplings and states. Future direct detection experiments should effectively probe a significant portion of this parameter space, aside from a small coannihilating region. As such, $Z$-mediated thermal dark matter as realized in the singlet-doublet model represents an interesting target for future searches.
Computational Fact Checking through Query Perturbations

Our media is saturated with claims of “facts” made from data. Database research has in the past focused on how to answer queries, but has not devoted much attention to discerning more subtle qualities of the resulting claims, for example, is a claim “cherry-picking”? This article proposes a framework that models claims based on structured data as parameterized queries. Intuitively, with its choice of the parameter setting, a claim presents a particular (and potentially biased) view of the underlying data. A key insight is that we can learn a lot about a claim by “perturbing” its parameters and seeing how its conclusion changes. For example, a claim is not robust if small perturbations to its parameters can change its conclusions significantly. This framework allows us to formulate practical fact-checking tasks—reverse-engineering vague claims, and countering questionable claims—as computational problems. Along with the modeling framework, we develop an algorithmic framework that enables efficient instantiations of “meta” algorithms by supplying appropriate algorithmic building blocks. We present real-world examples and experiments that demonstrate the power of our model, efficiency of our algorithms, and usefulness of their results.
The Brain and Its Maps: An Illustrative History

The human brain has been studied and mapped in a number of ways since antiquity. This chapter reviews investigative methods and the evolution of human brain maps from ancient times to the present. Special focus is given to the shift in modern history from purely structural mapping, through purely functional mapping, to neuropsychological maps displaying the relation between structure and function. The historical review that begins the chapter presents a number of key findings and investigators, major historical debates and detours in the field, and the more recently developed synergies between clinical treatment, neuropsychological measurement, and technological advancement. An introduction to current brain mapping techniques presents the mechanisms, strengths, and weaknesses of X-ray computed tomography (CT), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES), and the various forms of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A final section reviews promising current approaches and initiatives in human brain mapping and the value they may add to neuropsychological investigation and the refinement of human brain maps. These relatively new approaches include more advanced statistical analyses, better data management and informatics specialized to handle very large data sets, functional network analysis, nonlinear and chaos/complexity analysis, development of whole-brain connectome maps, and new advances in the imaging of the microstructure of brain cells. This chapter is organized in such a way as to highlight the shifts in preferred metaphors guiding different eras of human brain research–from inert lump of flesh, to a container for mental and spiritual functions, to mechanistic pump, to an information processing computer , to a hyper-connected and mutable network.
Thematic analysis of US stakeholder views on the influence of labour nurses’ care on birth outcomes

Background Childbirth is a leading reason for hospital admission in the USA, and most labour care is provided by registered nurses under physician or midwife supervision in a nurse-managed care model. Yet, there are no validated nurse-sensitive quality measures for maternity care. We aimed to engage primary stakeholders of maternity care in identifying the aspects of nursing care during labour and birth they believe influence birth outcomes, and how these aspects of care might be measured. Methods This qualitative study used 15 focus groups to explore perceptions of 73 nurses, 23 new mothers and 9 physicians regarding important aspects of care. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Participants in the final six focus groups were also asked whether or not they thought each of five existing perinatal quality measures were nurse-sensitive. Results Nurses, new mothers and physicians identified nurses9 support of and advocacy for women as important to birth outcomes. Support and advocacy actions included keeping women and their family members informed, being present with women, setting the emotional tone, knowing and advocating for women9s wishes and avoiding caesarean birth. Mothers and nurses took technical aspects of care for granted, whereas physicians discussed this more explicitly, noting that nurses were their ‘eyes and ears’ during labour. Participants endorsed caesarean rates and breastfeeding rates as likely to be nurse-sensitive. Conclusions Stakeholder values support inclusion of maternity nursing care quality measures related to emotional support and providing information in addition to physical support and clinical aspects of care. Care models that ensure labour nurses have sufficient time and resources to engage in the supportive relationships that women value might contribute to better health outcomes and improved patient experience.
Overcoming Educational Racism in the Community College: Creating Pathways to Success for Minority and Impoverished Student Populations

In Overcoming Educational Racism in the Community College, the editor Angela Long brings together a group of community college scholars, practitioners, and administrators to grapple with the comple...
Abstract 113: Racial Comparisons in the Outcomes of SAVR and TAVR

Background: Racial disparities in the outcomes after intervention for aortic valve disease remain understudied. Methods: Data of patients who underwent surgical (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valv...
Lumbar Microendoscopic Discectomy

Low-back pain is one of the most common complaints that lead patients to seek medical attention. It is estimated that there are nearly 15 million physician office visits each year for low-back pain (1). Additionally, back pain causes nearly 80% of workers to miss at least 8 wk of work following a back injury (2). Estimates of lifetime prevalence and annual incidence has been reported to be 60–90 and 5%, respectively (3). With this prevalence, it has been estimated that the total health care expenditures incurred by individuals with back pain in the United States reached $90.7 billion. The total incremental expenditures attributable to back pain among these individuals are estimated to be approx $23.6 billion. On average, individuals with back pain encumbered health care expenditures about 60% higher than individuals without back pain (4).
Sterile marginal flowers increase visitation and fruit set in the hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides, Adoxaceae) at multiple spatial scales.

Background and aims Enlarged sterile flowers on the periphery of inflorescences increase the attractiveness of floral displays, and previous studies have generally demonstrated that these have positive effects on insect visitation and/or reproductive success. However, experiments have not specifically been designed to examine the benefits of sterile flowers under conditions that reflect the early stages in their evolution, i.e. when plants that produce sterile flowers are at low frequency. Methods Over three years, three experiments were performed in natural populations of Viburnum lantanoides, which produces sterile marginal flowers (SMFs). The first experiment established that fruit production in V. lantanoides increases with the receipt of outcross pollen. The second tested the role of SMFs under extant conditions, comparing fruit production in two populations composed entirely of intact plants or entirely of plants with the SMFs removed. The third was designed to mimic the presumed context in which SMFs first evolved; here, SMFs were removed from all but a few plants in a population, and rates of insect visitation and fruit set were compared between plants with intact and denuded SMFs. Key results In comparing whole populations, the presence of SMFs nearly doubled fruit set. Under simulated 'ancestral' conditions within a population, plants with intact SMFs received double the insect visits and produced significantly more fruits than denuded plants. There was no significant effect of the number of inflorescences or fertile flowers on insect visitation or fruit set, indicating that the presence of SMFs accounted for these differences. Conclusions The presence of SMFs significantly increased pollinator attraction and female reproductive success both in contemporary and simulated ancestral contexts, indicating that stabilizing selection is responsible for their maintenance, and directional selection likely drove their evolution when they first appeared. This study demonstrates a novel approach to incorporating historically relevant scenarios into experimental studies of floral evolution.
A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial to Increase Breast Cancer Screening Among African American Women: The Black Cosmetologists Promoting Health Program

Background : African American women have disproportionately higher rates of breast cancer mortality than all other ethnic groups, thus highlighting the importance of promoting early detection. Methods : African American women (N = 984) from San Diego, California, participated in a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of breast cancer education sessions offered in beauty salons. Cosmetologists received ongoing support, training, and additional culturally aligned educational materials to help them engage their clients in dialogues about the importance of breast cancer early detection. Posters and literature about breast cancer early detection were displayed throughout the salons and cosmetologists used synthetic breast models to show their clients how breast cancer lumps might feel. Participants in the control group received a comparable diabetes education program. Baseline and 6-month follow-up surveys were administered to evaluate changes in women’s breast cancer knowledge, attitudes, and screening behaviors. Results : This intervention was well received by the participants and their cosmetologists and did not interfere with or prolong the client’s salon visit. Women in the intervention group reported significantly higher rates of mammography compared to women in the control group. Training a single educator proved sufficient to permeate the entire salon with the health message, and salon clients agreed that cosmetologists could become effective health educators. Conclusions : Cosmetologists are in an ideal position to increase African American women’s breast cancer knowledge and adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines.
Abstract TP391: Reach Out: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial of Emergency Department-Based Hypertension Management

Introduction: Hypertension (HTN) is the most important modifiable stroke risk factor. The Emergency Department (ED) represents an opportunity to identify and treat HTN in difficult-to-reach populat...
Photonic integrated circuits for Department of Defense-relevant chemical and biological sensing applications: state-of-the-art and future outlooks

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs), the optical counterpart of traditional electronic integrated circuits, are paving the way toward truly portable and highly accurate biochemical sensors for Department of Defense (DoD)-relevant applications. We introduce the fundamentals of PIC-based biochemical sensing and describe common PIC sensor architectures developed to-date for single-identification and spectroscopic sensor classes. We discuss DoD investments in PIC research and summarize current challenges. We also provide future research directions likely required to realize widespread application of PIC-based biochemical sensors. These research directions include materials research to optimize sensor components for multiplexed sensing; engineering improvements to enhance the practicality of PIC-based devices for field use; and the use of synthetic biology techniques to design new selective receptors for chemical and biological agents.
Graph Enhanced Cross-Domain Text-to-SQL Generation.

Semantic parsing is a fundamental problem in natural language understanding, as it involves the mapping of natural language to structured forms such as executable queries or logic-like knowledge representations. Existing deep learning approaches for semantic parsing have shown promise on a variety of benchmark data sets, particularly on text-to-SQL parsing. However, most text-to-SQL parsers do not generalize to unseen data sets in different domains. In this paper, we propose a new cross-domain learning scheme to perform text-to-SQL translation and demonstrate its use on Spider, a large-scale cross-domain text-to-SQL data set. We improve upon a state-of-the-art Spider model, SyntaxSQLNet, by constructing a graph of column names for all databases and using graph neural networks to compute their embeddings. The resulting embeddings offer better cross-domain representations and SQL queries, as evidenced by substantial improvement on the Spider data set compared to SyntaxSQLNet.
Two-Level Index for Truss Community Query in Large-Scale Graphs

Recently, there has been a significant interest in the study of the community search problem in large- scale graphs. K-truss as a community model has drawn increasing attention in the literature. In this work, we extend our scope from the community search problems to a more generalized local community query problem based on a triangle- connected k-truss community model. We classify local community query into two categories, community-level and edge-level query, based on the information required to process a given query. We design a two-level index structure that supports both types of queries with multiple query vertices and arbitrary cohesiveness criteria. We conduct extensive experiments using real-world large-scale graphs and compare with the state-of-the-art methods of k-truss community search. The results show that our method outperforms the state-of-the- art works in various types of local k-truss community queries.
Modular Fluted Tapered Stems in Aseptic Oncologic Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Game Changer?

Abstract Background Modular fluted tapered (MFT) stems are the most frequently used femoral component in revision total hip arthroplasties (THAs). Despite this, no data are available on how they perform in revision THA for oncologic salvage. This is a unique population, often with severe bone loss and prior radiation that extends the limits of uncemented femoral reconstruction. The aims of this study were to evaluate the implant survivorship, radiographic results, and clinical outcomes of MFT stems used for revision oncologic salvage. Methods We identified 17 patients treated initially with primary THA for an oncologic diagnosis (15 primary oncologic, 2 metastatic disease) who underwent subsequent femoral revision with an MFT stem. Mean age at revision was 66 years and 35% of patients were female. Mean follow-up was 4 years. Before revision, 5 of 17 had undergone local radiation. Results Ten-year survivorship free from aseptic loosening was 100%. The survivorship free of any reoperation was 76%. There were no femoral component fractures. Three patients were revised for recurrent instability, and 1 patient underwent irrigation and debridement for an acute infection. At most recent follow-up, no patient had radiographic evidence of progressive femoral component subsidence or failure of osteointegration. The mean Harris Hip Score improved from 29 preoperatively to 76 postoperatively (P Conclusion In this series of patients with cancer, many of whom had severe bone loss and/or prior local radiation, being treated with revision THA, there were no revisions for femoral component loosening and no cases of implant fracture. Level of Evidence III.
Minimal access to male fertility prices online: an analysis of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) clinics.

Background Though insurance coverage is evolving for male infertility services, most patients continue to pay out of pocket. These costs such as semen analysis and intracytoplasmic sperm injection preparation may affect the utilization of those services. We sought to determine online price transparency specifically for male infertility services on the websites of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics in the US. Methods In this cross-sectional analysis, pricing data was acquired from each clinic on the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) website as of July 2019. Each website was examined for availability and cost of services. Pricing data that required applying for a quote or a phone call was excluded. Mean price was calculated for each service. Additionally, practice location in an insurance coverage mandated state (ICMS) was also analyzed to evaluate for any effect on price transparency. Results Only 24.7% (89/361) of SART clinic websites included any pricing information. Of clinics with websites (361/383), 16.3% (59/361) had ≥2 prices reported and only 5.0% (18/361) had ≥6 prices reported. Only 3.6% (13/361) reported prices for male-related infertility services. Average semen analysis price was $161 of 10 reporting clinics. Four clinics reported sperm cryopreservation or annual sperm storage price, $388 and $555, respectively. Sperm retrieval cost $244 at the two reporting clinics. ICMS did not affect male price transparency, ICMS 3.1% (6/194) vs. non-ICMS 4.2% (7/167) (P=0.576). Conclusions Price transparency of SART clinics on websites is relatively poor with only about one-quarter of clinics providing any cost information at all. Male infertility related pricing information is even more rarely reported compared to other IVF services potentially causing a stronger barrier for males to pursue infertility treatment.
Recoverability of Shipboard MVdc Architectures

Future shipboard electrical system designs, utilizing MVdc distribution, face many challenges. One of these challenges is designing a survivable system that can withstand faults, while maintaining quality of service during Fault Detection Isolation and Recovery (FDIR). Equipment implementations affect both the fault characterization and the system level recovery time. This work attempts to make topological comparisons as they relate to fault characterization and protection scheme planing in order to determine the minimum amount of energy storage needed to ride through an electrical fault.
Exploring patient willingness to accept hepatitis C-infected kidneys for transplantation

As organs infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) provide an opportunity to expand the donor pool, the primary aim of this study is to explore patient willingness to accept a kidney from HCV-infected donors compared to other high-risk donors. An anonymous, electronic survey was sent to all active kidney transplant waitlist patients at a single large volume transplant center. Patients were asked to respond to three hypothetical organ offers from the following: 1) HCV-infected donor 2) Donor with active intravenous drug use and 3) Donor with longstanding diabetes and hypertension. The survey was sent to 435 patients of which 125 responded (29% response rate). While 86 out of 125 patients (69%) were willing to accept an HCV-infected kidney, only a minority of respondents were willing to accept a kidney from other high-risk donors. In contrast to other studies, by multivariable logistic regression, age and race were not associated with willingness to accept an HCV-infected kidney. In this exploratory study, utilization of kidneys from HCV-infected donors to expand the donor pool appears to be an acceptable option to patients.
Clinical experience with platelet-activating factor antagonists

The overall balance of published clinical results following 8 yr of development shows disappointing results in therapeutic areas where the greatest expectations were first hypothesized. However, such a negative statement is largely subsided by the most recent breakthrough in life-saving conditions. It is rather bewildering to note that clinical efficacy was better ascertained in the very areas where pathophysiological rationale was the most hypothetical. Conversely, asthma, which was the indication where PAF antagonists have been largely predicted to be an ideal drug, is now of much less interest. Indications, such as “prevention of acute tubular necrosis following kidney transplant” and “prevention of mortality in gram-negative documented severe sepsis,” could appear far away from each other. However, these indications are consistent with a common hypothesis, which is that PAF acts as an amplifier of the local inflammatory/immune response, although its precise interaction with other mediators (cytokines, integrins, nitric oxide [NO]) and the exact timing of sequences in the various pathological processes remain elucidated. Also, the actual limit of the potential therapeutic interest of PAF antagonists is that clinical manifestations of inflammation will still require a number of years to be elucidated, together with the potential benefit of coadministration with other drugs.
Farmer characteristics and decision-making: A model for bioenergy crop adoption

Abstract The commercial development of biofuels and bioproducts depends on whether renewable biomass feedstock is available while not directly competing with the production of food. Farmers are one of the most important stakeholders in the biofuel supply chain and confront a range of uncertainties while entering the bioenergy market. Their decision-making process is extremely complex and rarely purely rational. Modeling farmer behavior requires considering a wide range of individual-level factors, socio-temporal dynamics, institutional settings, and their interactions. These characteristics make agent-based modeling a suitable framework for evaluating such systems. We developed a model to simulate farmer bioenergy crop adoption behavior across a 50-county study region in Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado. The analysis considers adoption decisions for two bioenergy feedstocks, crop residues and energy crops. We examine the influence of individual and farm characteristics, market structure, social networks, and media influence on farmer adoption decisions. Our results indicate that different factors can have varied impacts on the speed of adoption for the crop residues and energy crops. Identifying levers that have the most impact on grower adoption can inform the design of interventions both from policy and private sector standpoints with important implications for the future the bioenergy industry.
Internet Retailing Intermediation: Multi-Level Analysis of Inventory Liquidity and Fulfillment Guarantees

Internet retailers intermediate online markets by setting prices, matching wholesalers' supply with consumers' demand, affording inventory liquidity, and meeting fulfillment guarantees to consumers. Little attention has been given to studying the two latter intermediation functions. To fill this research gap, this study examined a sample of 25 mainstream online retailers in some 704 transactions with consumers. The study evaluates the inventory liquidity and the fulfillment guarantees these Internet retailers provide to consumers. Furthermore, it presents a path-analysis model, which suggests that retailers coordinate their actual and promised inventory-liquidity and delivery performance to satisfy the fulfillment guarantees made to consumers. Moreover, the results show that key transactional attributes (i.e., the net prices and the number of items fulfilled) commonly present in Internet markets and visible to all market participants impact both the levels of inventory liquidity and the delivery performance of the transactions between consumers and Internet retailers.
Associations of gender, race, and ethnicity with disparities in short-term adverse outcomes after pancreatic resection for cancer.

Background Several studies have identified disparities in pancreatic cancer treatment associated with gender, race, and ethnicity. There are limited data examining disparities in short-term adverse outcomes after pancreatic resection for cancer. The aim of this study is to evaluate associations of gender, race, and ethnicity with morbidity and mortality after pancreatic resection for malignancy. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement database was retrospectively reviewed. The χ2 test and Student's t-test were used for univariable analysis and hierarchical logistic regression for multivariable analysis. Results Morbidity and major morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy are associated with male gender, Asian race, and Hispanic ethnicity, whereas 30-day mortality is associated with the male gender. Morbidity and major morbidity after distal pancreatectomy are associated with the male gender. Morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy is independently associated with male gender, Asian race, and Hispanic ethnicity; major morbidity is independently associated with male gender and Asian race, and mortality is independently associated with Hispanic ethnicity. Conclusions Gender, race, and ethnicity are independently associated with morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer; gender and race are independently associated with major morbidity; and ethnicity is independently associated with mortality. Further studies are warranted to determine the basis of these associations.
Female Preponderance in Diuretic-associated Hypokalemia

A retrospective review of the medical records of 161 geriatric nursing-home patients receiving diuretics alone or in combination with potassium supplements or potassium sparing-diuretics revealed a 13.7 per cent overall prevalence of hypokalemia. The prevalence of hypokalemia in patients receiving diuretics alone, diuretics with potassium supplements, and potassium-sparing diuretics with kaliuretic diuretics were similar. However, there was a significantly higher prevalence of hypokalemia in women (16.4 per cent) compared with men (3.0 per cent), P less than 0.05. In patients taking non-chloride salts of potassium, there was a significantly higher prevalence of hypokalemia than in those taking the chloride salt (3.6 per cent vs. 8 per cent, P less than 0.025). Seven per cent of patients taking diuretics with potassium supplements and 11.5 per cent of patients taking potassium-sparing diuretics had hyperkalemia. Thus, although many elderly women taking diuretics may have hypokalemia routine potassium supplementation for all non-digitalized geriatric patients receiving diuretics does not seem to be indicated.
Wal-Mart as a Phenomenon in the Legal World: Matters of Scale, Scale Matters

The paper's aim is to simply to explore the areas of Wal-Mart litigation available from the vast public record of the mega-corporation's litigation and sketch the contours of that record, imagining a blueprint for gauging Wal-Mart's effect on the legal rules, which then come to control the legal lives of many other persons, artificial and natural, members of the nation and world. Economic, civic, and social laws (and lives) seem to be refit along the lines of the predominant private institution. This decade, perhaps this century, is the era of the super-retailer, Wal-Mart litigation. Certainly other corporate entities stand out as exhibiting disproportionate influence in other arenas of government and law, for example, Haliburton in government contracts and the tobacco industry in maintaining lobbying efforts, but in terms of shaping the common law as a repeat player in the courts, Wal-Mart may be king. It is theoretically well established that large firms, like corporations, can and do pursue legal strategies that shape the common law not only for themselves, but for all those that come after. Marc Galanter's powerful analysis of Why the Haves Come Out Ahead demonstrated that repeat players can have an influence on the rules of the legal system and upon the judicial agenda, not only by aggressive lawyering, but also by playing for rules. Currently, Wal-Mart is not only a repeat player in one area of litigation, it is most likely the largest repeat player in the nation on several distinct legal issues. This not only gives Wal-Mart a wider opportunity for legal influence on the judicial agenda, it may give the mega corporation opportunities of an additional kind: to play off rules for advantage between different areas of law conventionally seen as self contained. Thus, the question about Wal-Mart's influence is not only whether and the extent to which it plays for rules as all repeat players are presumed to, but also whether, by virtue of its position as the largest repeat player, its influence becomes a phenomenon in itself. The paper proposes examining Wal-Mart's influence by examining rule-shifting cases as signature cases, parallel cases, and positional cases. Then using this terminology, the paper then examines Wal-Mart's litigation profile with a view to suggesting additional paths of research.
Possible mechanism for changes in glycogen metabolism in unloaded soleus muscle.

Carbohydrate metabolism has been shown to be affected in a number of ways by different models of hypokinesia. In vivo glycogen levels in the soleus muscle are known to be increased by short-term denervation and harness suspension. In addition, exposure to 7 days of hypogravity also caused a dramatic increase in glycogen concentration in this muscle. The biochemical alterations caused by unloading that may bring about these increases in glycogen storage in the soleus were sought.
Down-sizing The Little Guy Myth in Legal Definitions

What is “small” in the eyes of the law? In fact, there is not one standard definition. Current lax legal definitions of firm’s size are inconsistent and overinclusive. They result in data distortion that reinforces favoritism toward small entities as studies on the contribution of small business to the economy are greatly dependent on those studies’ delineation of the term “small.” Therefore, I argue that the current focus on size in legal definitions is a waste of time and money. In this time of huge deficits and rise in economic inequality, a lot of money is being spent based on the entrenched belief that small firms are the essence of our economy, which is not necessarily true. This paper lays out the policy considerations that underlie the favorable regulatory treatment granted to small firms throughout the law. It provides a comprehensive survey of legal definitions of small entities and concludes that the historical emphasis on magnitude and the creation of legal demarcations concentrated on “smallness” are erroneous. The recent integration of federal commerce and trade agencies is the first step toward this proposed shift from size-centered to goal-driven approach.
Comparative analysis of a hierarchical bayesian method for quantitative trait loci analysis for the arabidopsis thaliana

This work performs an analysis on two, quite different, techniques for Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) Analysis. Interval Mapping (IM) as described by Karl Broman is compared to a Hierarchical Bayesian Model (HBM) technique that reduces the problem of QTL analysis down to one of model selection. Simulations were generated for the flowering plant of the Arabidopsis thaliana for evaluation of the techniques. It is shown that the HBM technique was much more successful at determining the appropriate loci/markers and corresponding chromosomes than the IM technique given a single loci. It was further elucidated through simulation runs that the HBM was robust against two loci/markers, whereas IM completely failed. The contribution of this work is in the comparison and analysis of the IM method to that of the HBM; hence, demonstrating through simulations that the HBM technique is superior to that of the IM for the Arabidopsis simulated data.
Holistic student assessments

An assessment from a holistic perspective considers the overall well-being of the adolescent and seeks to understand the adolescent's development and resiliency in relation to social relationships and their context and risks, given the association between these factors and the goal to promote each area. It is recommended that measures in the assessment obtain information from each of these factors from paper-and-pencil questionnaires, to more qualitative means such as forging relationship with practitioners. Ideally, an assessment should be easily administered by youth workers such as practitioners. A successful assessment procedure includes translation of the assessment findings to a referral by the assessment administrator to explain why the service is needed.
Reconstituting ethnocentrism: The American Ethnic coalition and official English

This analysis considers the rhetoric of the Texas‐based American Ethnic Coalition, and details the AEC's Attempt to achieve legal protection of English as the official language of the U.S. AEC rhetoric aligns itself with key metaphors, and uses the metaphors to exclude its opponents. Further, the AEC seeks legitimacy by posing as spokesman for the English language movement at a time when such languarge issues find currency. The constructs of freedom and unity are used to ethnocentrically justify support for Official English.
Surgical versus non surgical treatment and recurrent periodontal disease in beagle dogs

Abstract The present study was designed to compare clinical, micro bio logic and histometric parameters of recurrent periodontal disease in areas which had been treated either surgically (SU) or nonsurgically (NS). Periodontal disease was induced for 6 months in 3 quadrants in each of 6 beagle dogs. 2 of the 3 diseased quadrants were treated by definitive surgical or nonsurgical therapy followed by plaque control for 4 months. 2 dogs were then sacrificed to provide histometric data. Periodontal disease was reinduced in the remaining 4 dogs by allowing plaque accumulation for 6 months after which the dogs were sacrificed for histometric analysis. Clinical parameters were recorded and darkfield microscopic analysis of subgingival plaque samples was performed at regular intervals. Following 6 months of plaque accumulation during disease reinduction, there were significant changes (p < 0.05) in the pocket depths, bleeding scores and attachment levels in both the SU and NS areas. These changes were accompanied by significant increases (p < 0.05) in the proportions of spirochetes and motile rods and decreases in the proportions of coccoid cells in both the SU and NS areas. There were, however, no significant differences between the SU and NS areas when clinical and microbiologic parameters were compared. At the end of disease reinduction phase, the length of inflammatory cell infiltrate and % inflammed connective tissue had increased significantly in both the SU and NS areas. However, there were no significant differences in any of the histometric parameters between the SU and NS areas after disease reinduction. The present landings suggest that progression of disease recurrence, measured in clinical, microbiological and histometric parameters, may be independent of the mode of previous periodontal therapy.
First-principles calculation of thermal transport in metal/graphene systems

Thermal properties in the metal/graphene (Gr) systems are analyzed by using an atomistic phonon transport model based on Landauer formalism and first-principles calculations. The specific structures under investigation include chemisorbed Ni(111)/Gr, physisorbed Cu(111)/Gr and Au(111)/Gr, as well as Pd(111)/Gr with intermediate characteristics. Calculated results illustrate a strong dependence of thermal transfer on the details of interfacial microstructures. In particular, it is shown that the chemisorbed case provides a generally smaller interfacial thermal resistance than the physisorbed one due to the stronger bonding. However, our calculation also indicates that the weakly chemisorbed interface of Pd/Gr may be an exception, with the largest thermal resistance among the considered. Further examination of the electrostatic potential and interatomic force constants reveals that the mixed bonding force between the Pd and C atoms results in incomplete hybridization of Pd and graphene orbital states at the junction, leading effectively to two phonon interfaces and a larger than expected thermal resistance. Comparison with available experimental data shows good agreement. The result clearly suggests the feasibility of phonon engineering for thermal property optimization at the interface.
Coulomb correlations and optical gap in polyacetylene

Abstract A model including both electron-phonon coupling (as in the SSH Hamiltonian) and electron-electron interactions (on-site term U , nearest-neighbor term V ) is treated within the variational scheme of Gutzwiller. It is shown that for weak electron-phonon coupling the primary effect is a bond-order wave induced by electronic correlation, whereas the lattice dimerization is a secondary effect. Correspondingly the optical gap is mainly due to electronic correlation.
The near u.v. absorption spectrum of CS2 and SO2 at 300 K

Abstract Absorption cross sections for the near u.v. spectra of CS 2 and SO 2 are reported. The data were obtained at a temperature of 300 K and a spectral resolution of 0.06 nm, over the wavelength range 271–374 nm for CS 2 and 228–339 nm for SO 2 . The results are in general in good agreement with previous measurements, but cover a wider range of wavelengths and/or are of higher precision than past results.
Sending a lossy version of the innovations process is suboptimal in QG rate-distortion

In the critical range O < D les Dc, the MSE rate-distortion function of a time-discrete stationary autoregressive Gaussian source is equal to that of a related time-discrete i.i.d. Gaussian source. This suggests that perhaps an optimum encoder should compute the related memoryless sequence from the given source sequence with memory and then use a code of rate R(D) to convey the memoryless sequence to the decoder with an MSE of D. In this scenario, the question is, "for D les Dc can a D-admissible code for the original source be obtained via the R-D coding of the innovations process and additional post-processing at the decoder without having to provide any additional information of positive rate?" We show that the answer of this question often is "No"
Shock acceleration of energetic particles in the heliosphere

The apparent distinction between 'V x B' and 'Fermi' mechanisms is clarified in a discussion of the theory of the shock acceleration of energetic particles which restricts attention to those cases where the energetic particles do not themselves influence the given shock structure. The theory is applied to the acceleration of energetic particles in corotating interaction regions (CIR) in the solar wind, where particles are accelerated at either the forward and reverse shocks which bound the CIR by being compressed between the shock fronts and magnetic irregularities upstream of the shocks, or by being compressed between upstream irregularities and those downstream from the shocks. The model is shown to account for the observed exponential spectra at the earth, observed spectra behavior with radial distance and radial intensity gradients, and differences in spectra intensity at the forward and reverse shocks. Energy spectra are also calculated for the shock acceleration of energetic particles in large solar flare events.
Nutrition knowledge in paediatric intensive care

■ There are three categories (including 18 key areas) related to nutrition outlined in the Health of the Nation strategy■ Paediatrics and intensive care were areas where knowledge of nutrition was regarded as important■ The pilot questionnaire reflects knowledge levels in the study unit; further refinement of the tool would be necessary for future studies■ The nutrition knowledge among nursing staff was less than shown in other studies■ The study highlighted an urgent need for nutrition education among the nursing staff in the unit.
Revascularization of isolated extracorporeal canine eyes by direct microsurgical anastomosis

Microsurgical techniques were used to anastomose the femoral artery and vein of anesthetized rats to the ciliary artery and internal ophthalmic vein of isolated extracorporeal canine eyes. Microscopic inspection and fluorescein angiography appeared to show early patency of the anastomoses. The application of such an experimental model are discussed.
Dirt Bikes and All Terrain Vehicles: The Real Threat to Pediatric Kidneys

Purpose: Recent reviews show that bicycles are the major cause of significant renal injury with few injuries occurring during contact sports. All-terrain vehicles are also responsible for significant pediatric renal trauma. We determined whether dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles cause more significant renal injuries than contact sports.Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of our pediatric trauma database revealed 115 consecutive patients treated for renal trauma from 2000 to 2005. A total of 20 bicycle injuries occurred, including 6 on dirt bikes. A total of 13 all-terrain vehicle injuries occurred, including 4 involving rollovers. A total of 12 contact sport injuries occurred, including 2 during pick-up games. The mean grade of renal injury was compared among the mechanisms, with grades III–V considered high grade.Results: In descending order of renal injury the mechanisms were dirt bike (2.8), all-terrain vehicle rollover (2.8), bicycle (2.3), all-terrain vehicle (2.1), contact sports (1.8) a...
Science‐Related Attitudes of High‐ability Students

This study compared college-age student attitudes toward junior high/middle school science classes, teachers, and the value of science content. Subjects represented two groups: academically talented college students majoring in the sciences, and equally talented nonscience college students. The data were compared with responses from noncollegiate young adults, reported in an earlier investigation (Yager & Penick, 1986). Results indicated that science students expressed the most favorable impressions of school science instruction, followed by nonscience students, and then by noncollegiate adults. Although science student attitudes were positive overall, many high-ability students indicated that their secondary science classes were neither exciting nor relevant to daily living. Curricular implications for enhancing students' attitudes are discussed.
Simple methods for convection in porous media: scale analysis and the intersection of asymptotes

This article outlines the basic rules and promise of two of the simplest methods for solving problems of convection in porous media. First, scale analysis is the method that produces order-of-magnitude results and trends (scaling laws) for concrete and applicable results such as heat transfer rates, flow rates, and time intervals. Scale analysis also reveals the correct dimensionless form in which to present more exact results produced by more complicated methods. Second, the intersection of asymptotes method identifies the correct flow configuration (e.g. Benard convection in a porous medium) by intersecting the two extremes in which the flow may exist: the many cells limit, and the few plumes limit. Every important feature of the flow and its transport characteristics is found at the intersection, i.e. at the point where the two extremes compete and find themselves in balance. The intersection is also the flow configuration that minimizes the global resistance to heat transfer through the system. This is an examples of the constructal principle of deducing flow patterns by optimizing the flow geometry for minimal global resistance. The article stresses the importance of trying the simplest method first, and the researcher's freedom to choose the appropriate problem solving method.
On the Number of Cyclic Projective Planes

An explicit formula for the number of finite cyclic projective planes (or planar difference sets) is derived by applying Ramanujan sums (Von Sterneck numbers) and Mobius inversion over the set partition lattice to counting one-to-one solution vectors of multivariable linear congruences.
Syntactic class influences phonological priming of tip-of-the-tongue resolution.

During tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) experiences, phonologically related words have both facilitated and impeded word retrieval. In the present experiment, we examined whether phonologically related words’ syntactic class (part of speech) is responsible for these differential effects. Sixty college students saw general knowledge questions whose answers were designated target words and responded “know,” “don’t know,” or “TOT.” Following “TOT” and “don’t know” responses, the participants saw five words, one of which was a prime. The primes contained the target’s first syllable and either shared or did not share the target’s part of speech. Following presentation of the primes, retrieval of the target was attempted again. Different-part-of-speech primes facilitated resolution of TOT states, whereas same-part-of-speech primes had no effect, relative to phonologically unrelated words. These results support node structure theory’s most-primed-wins principle and the transmission deficit model account of TOT states and detail the importance of syntactic class in the selection of words that are candidates for speech production.