A new way to talk about small business: The time has come for a common language

There is a steady call for policies and programs to help small business lead the charge in hiring more workers and helping to restore prosperity to areas that have been hurt by the recession. To be successful, however, it is time for academics, policymakers, investors, community leaders, and business owners to have a more fruitful discussion about what small business actually needs. Such a discussion is imperative now, during a time of financial crisis, but it is also necessary if we are to help move the sector forward in the coming years. In this paper, we are proposing that we adopt a common language based on a new small business taxonomy that can make this conversation more productive by bridging the communication gaps between various stakeholders. In an effort to create that common language, support policy creation, and enhance future discussions, this paper lays out a a system of policies and programs – a support structure – for small business using a simple taxonomy of small-business categories based on revenue. Ideally, this will lead to more efficient models for small business growth, including much needed job growth as the nation emerges from the recession.Small business ; Small business - Finance

Neurocognitive Predictors of Treatment Response to Randomized Treatment in Adults with Tic Disorders

Tourette\u27s disorder (TS) and chronic tic disorder (CTD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by involuntary vocal and motor tics. Consequently, TS/CTD have been conceptualized as disorders of cognitive and motor inhibitory control. However, most neurocognitive studies have found comparable or superior inhibitory capacity among individuals with TS/CTD relative to healthy controls. These findings have led to the hypothesis that individuals with TS/CTD develop increased inhibitory control due to the constant need to inhibit tics. However, the role of cognitive control in TS/CTD is not yet understood, particularly in adults. To examine the role of inhibitory control in TS/CTD, the present study investigated this association by assessing the relationship between inhibitory control and treatment response in a large sample of adults with TS/CTD. As part of a large randomized trial comparing behavior therapy versus supportive psychotherapy for TS/CTD, a battery of tests, including tests of inhibitory control was administered to 122 adults with TS/CTD at baseline. We assessed the association between neuropsychological test performance and change in symptom severity, as well as compared the performance of treatment responders and non-responders as defined by the Clinical Global Impression Scale. Results indicated that change in symptoms, and treatment response were not associated with neuropsychological performance on tests of inhibitory control, intellectual ability, or motor function, regardless of type of treatment. The finding that significant change in symptom severity of TS/CTD patients is not associated with impairment or change in inhibitory control regardless of treatment type suggests that inhibitory control may not be a clinically relevant facet of these disorders in adults

Seeing double with K2: Testing re-inflation with two remarkably similar planets around red giant branch stars

Despite more than 20 years since the discovery of the first gas giant planet with an anomalously large radius, the mechanism for planet inflation remains unknown. Here, we report the discovery of EPIC228754001.01, an inflated gas giant planet found with the NASA K2 Mission, and a revised mass for another inflated planet, K2-97b. These planets reside on ~9 day orbits around host stars which recently evolved into red giants. We constrain the irradiation history of these planets using models constrained by asteroseismology and Keck/HIRES spectroscopy and radial velocity measurements. We measure planet radii of 1.31 +\- 0.11 Rjup and and 1.30 +\- 0.07 Rjup, respectively. These radii are typical for planets receiving the current irradiation, but not the former, zero age main sequence irradiation of these planets. This suggests that the current sizes of these planets are directly correlated to their current irradiation. Our precise constraints of the masses and radii of the stars and planets in these systems allow us to constrain the planetary heating efficiency of both systems as 0.03% +0.03%/-0.02%. These results are consistent with a planet re-inflation scenario, but suggest the efficiency of planet re-inflation may be lower than previously theorized. Finally, we discuss the agreement within 10% of stellar masses and radii, and planet masses, radii, and orbital periods of both systems and speculate that this may be due to selection bias in searching for planets around evolved stars.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, accepted to AJ. Figures 11, 12, and 13 are the key figures of the pape

Registry in a tube:multiplexed pools of retrievable parts for genetic design space exploration

The publisher would like to apologise for an error in Figure 4. The shaded gates in Figure 4C and 4D were missing in the final version. These shaded gates illustrate that any combination of repressors can be wired together by accessing the pools in Figure 4A. The correct figures are available below and have been replaced in the published article

Expression of an anti-CD4 single-chain antibody fragment from the donor cornea can prolong corneal allograft survival in inbred rats

To investigate whether expression of an anti-CD4 antibody fragment (scFv) by a lentivector-transduced donor cornea can prolong rat corneal allograft survival. Methods Inbred Fischer 344 rats received penetrating corneal allografts from Wistar-Furth donors after a 3 h transduction of the donor cornea with a lentivector carrying anti-CD4scFv cDNA (Lv-CD4scFv), a lentivector carrying the reporter gene-enhanced yellow fluorescence protein (LV-eYFP), or an adenoviral vector carrying anti-CD4 scFv cDNA (Ad-CD4scFv). Unmodified controls were also performed. Graft survival was assessed by corneal clarity, and rejection was confirmed histologically. Results In organ-cultured corneas, expression of anti-CD4 scFv was detected at 2 days post-transduction with the adenoviral vector, compared with 5 days post-transduction with the lentivector, and was 10-fold higher than the former. More inflammation was observed in Ad-CD4scFv-modified allografts than in Lv-CD4scFv-modified grafts at 15 days postsurgery (p=0.01). The median time to rejection for unmodified, LV-eYFP and Ad-CD4scFv grafts was day 17, compared with day 22 for Lv-CD4scFv grafts (p≤0.018). Conclusion Donor corneas transduced with a lentiviral vector carrying anti-CD4scFv cDNA showed a modest but significant prolongation in graft survival compared with unmodified, Lv-eYFP and Ad-CD4scFv grafts. However, rejection still occurred in all Lv-CD4scFv grafts, indicating that sensitisation may have been delayed but was not prevented.Australian National Health & Medical Research Council and the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia

Correlation Between Caregiver Reports of Physical Function and Performance-based Measures in a Cohort of Older Adults With Alzheimer Disease

The objectives of this report are to determine the association between performance-based measures of physical function with caregiver reports of physical function in older adults with Alzheimer disease (AD) and to examine whether those associations vary by the level of patients' cognitive functioning. Subjects included 180 patient-caregiver dyads who are enrolled in a clinical trial testing the impact of an occupational therapy intervention plus guideline-level care to delay functional decline among older adults with AD. The primary caregiver-reported measure is the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Group Activities of Daily Living Inventory (ADCS-ADL). Performance-based measures include the Short Physical Performance Battery and the Short Portable Sarcopenia Measure. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models were used to determine the associations of each physical performance measure with ADCS-ADL, adjusting for cognition function and other covariates. We found significant correlations between caregiver reports and observed performance-based measures across all levels of cognitive function, with patients in the lowest cognitive group showing the highest correlation. These findings support the use of proxy reports to assess physical function among older adults with AD

The Building Blocks of Interoperability. A Multisite Analysis of Patient Demographic Attributes Available for Matching.

BackgroundPatient matching is a key barrier to achieving interoperability. Patient demographic elements must be consistently collected over time and region to be valuable elements for patient matching.ObjectivesWe sought to determine what patient demographic attributes are collected at multiple institutions in the United States and see how their availability changes over time and across clinical sites.MethodsWe compiled a list of 36 demographic elements that stakeholders previously identified as essential patient demographic attributes that should be collected for the purpose of linking patient records. We studied a convenience sample of 9 health care systems from geographically distinct sites around the country. We identified changes in the availability of individual patient demographic attributes over time and across clinical sites.ResultsSeveral attributes were consistently available over the study period (2005-2014) including last name (99.96%), first name (99.95%), date of birth (98.82%), gender/sex (99.73%), postal code (94.71%), and full street address (94.65%). Other attributes changed significantly from 2005-2014: Social security number (SSN) availability declined from 83.3% to 50.44% (p<0.0001). Email address availability increased from 8.94% up to 54% availability (p<0.0001). Work phone number increased from 20.61% to 52.33% (p<0.0001).ConclusionsOverall, first name, last name, date of birth, gender/sex and address were widely collected across institutional sites and over time. Availability of emerging attributes such as email and phone numbers are increasing while SSN use is declining. Understanding the relative availability of patient attributes can inform strategies for optimal matching in healthcare

Genome-wide diversity and gene expression profiling of Babesia microti isolates identify polymorphic genes that mediate host-pathogen interactions

Babesia microti, a tick-transmitted, intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite circulating mainly among small mammals, is the primary cause of human babesiosis. While most cases are transmitted by Ixodes ticks, the disease may also be transmitted through blood transfusion and perinatally. A comprehensive analysis of genome composition, genetic diversity, and gene expression profiling of seven B. microti isolates revealed that genetic variation in isolates from the Northeast United States is almost exclusively associated with genes encoding the surface proteome and secretome of the parasite. Furthermore, we found that polymorphism is restricted to a small number of genes, which are highly expressed during infection. In order to identify pathogen-encoded factors involved in host-parasite interactions, we screened a proteome array comprised of 174 B. microti proteins, including several predicted members of the parasite secretome. Using this immuno-proteomic approach we identified several novel antigens that trigger strong host immune responses during the onset of infection. The genomic and immunological data presented herein provide the first insights into the determinants of B. microti interaction with its mammalian hosts and their relevance for understanding the selective pressures acting on parasite evolution