1,603 research outputs found
Genetic Information: A Metaphor in Search of a Theory
Get PDFJohn Maynard Smith has defended against philosophical criticism the view that developmental biology is the study of the expression of information encoded in the genes by natural selection. However, like other naturalistic concepts of information, this 'teleosemantic' information applies to many non-genetic factors in development. Maynard Smith also fails to show that developmental biology is concerned with teleosemantic information. Some other ways to support Maynard Smith's conclusion are considered. It is argued that on any definition of information the view that development is the expression of genetic information is misleading. Some reasons for the popularity of that view are suggested
Is the rat pancreas an appropriate model of the human pancreas?
No full textDuring my lifetime in pancreatic research, rat and mouse have largely replaced dog and cat in experimental studies. However, as this review clearly demonstrates, the anatomy, physiology and molecular cell biology of the rat pancreas (and also probably the mouse pancreas) differ substantially from those in humans. Indeed, they differ more in rat/mouse than any other common laboratory species. These differences may be irrelevant if one is using the pancreas as a generic model in which to study, say, acinar cell exocytosis or signalling. But if one is interested in more specific aspects of human pancreatic function, especially ductal function, in health and disease, in my opinion the simple answer to the question posed by the title of this article is no: other species are more appropriate. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG and IAP
Buyer and Seller Responses to an Adverse Food Safety Event: The Case of Frozen Salmon in Alberta
Get PDFFish is a low-fat protein source high in omega-3 fatty acids, but in 2004 consumers also heard that farmed salmon had high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs). This research evaluated how Canadian consumers and processors reacted to the conflicting health messages. Demand estimates and time-series analysis of 2001-2006 frozen meat scanner data in Alberta, Canada show a significant drop in salmon expenditure share following the PCB finding. The industry responded by launching low-priced wild salmon products, which contributed to significant demand expansion. The analysis illustrates how a food safety threat was averted and even served as a catalyst for growth.salmon, scanner data, food safety, demand, directed acyclic graphs, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Q10, Q11, Q16, Q22,
The Economic Problem of Happiness. Keynes on Happiness and Economics
Get PDFIn their latest book (2008), Bruno Frey and the members of the research group he chairs at the University of Zurich announce that happiness research is leading a revolution in economics. More precisely, the revolutionary character of happiness economics would draw on measurement, on how people value goods and social conditions, as well as on policies. This paper aims to discuss critically this claim and what we identified as five crucial issues of mainstream happiness economics, i.e.: 1. the ambiguous relationship between income and happiness, 2. the “back to Bentham” approach, 3. problems of incommensurability, 4. heterogeneity and multidimensionality, 5. the scope of economics in relation to happiness. In so doing, we attempt to review John Maynard Keynes’s vision about happiness and economics, starting from a revisiting of his essay Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren in the light of his early unpublished writings on ethics as well as of the whole bulk of his writings in economics. We then provide reasons to argue that the rediscovery of Keynes’s legacy in this respect can be of help to point out and examine the most controversial aspects of today’s happiness research.Happiness, Happiness economics, John Maynard Keynes, Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren
SYNTHESIS, INTRACELLULAR TRANSPORT AND DISCHARGE OF EXPORTABLE PROTEINS IN THE PANCREATIC ACINAR CELL AND OTHER CELLS
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Partnerships and the Fiscal Implications of Planning and Development: A Case Study of Maynard, Massachusetts
No full textRedevelopment of urban sites is an ongoing concern for many communities in the industrial Northeast United States. While many mill sites still languish, examples of successful revitalization can be found. Most of these efforts require more than market conditions to make them viable. Partnerships between developers and the community and state are seen to be crucial. These public-private partnerships come in many forms, not always monetary. The detail and effectiveness of these partnerships often depend on the experience and expertise of developers and community professionals. Given that many of these communities have limited staff, agreements are often made quickly with a rather short-term perspective. This often leads to either side (most often the municipal side) not fully benefiting in terms of long-term impacts. Longitudinal studies to examine impacts over time are helping understand the complexities of these agreements and offer transferable lessons. This paper, a case study of public-private investment in an old mill complex located in Maynard, Massachusetts that was vacated in 1993, is intended to help communities consider those costs and benefits. It discusses the historical significance of the mill to the town, examines the rationale for investors to purchase the mill and their intentions in revitalizing the structures, describes the public-private agreements that were undertaken, analyzes the immediate impact of the resulting agreements, and examines the impact over the years.461-47
The role of the international patent system in the transfer of technology to West Africa : case studies : Ghana and Nigeria
Get PDFThe principal aim of this thesis is to undertake a critical
examination of the role of the international patent system in the
transfer of technology to West Africa, particularly Ghana and Nigeria.
It focuses mainly on the patent systans and technology regulatory
regimes of the two countries. The study is intended to identify and
evaluate the impact of the international patent system on the transfer
and development of technology in this area.
The first chapter provides a theoretical foundation to some of
the more practical issues to be discussed in the subsequent chapters.
The Paris Convention and the diplomatic revision exercise thereof, as
well as other efforts and policies regarding patents and technology
transfer at various levels are discussed in Chapter Two. Chapters
Three to Eight consider the two case-studies undertaken in this
thesis. Chapter Three begins with the historical development of the
patent system in both Ghana and Nigeria, and the remaining chapters
continue with a discussion of the present patent and technology
regulatory regimes of both countries. Based on facts and figures the
two case-studies examine critically the patent law and systems and
technology transfer laws of these two countries including other
related institutional measures highlighting their strengths and
weaknesses.
The study argues that if the patent systems of both countries
are to play a meaningful role in the transfer and developnent of
technology they nust be utilized as a tool of economic policy and also
be related to the technology transfer regimes which nust necessarily
be integrated into the national technology policy which should, in
turn, be made an integral part of the entire national developnent
plan. It is concluded that it is only in this way that the patent
system can effectively contribute to the transfer of technology and
the development of indigenous technological capabilities in the two countries
Virtuality, Innovation and R&D Activities
Get PDFInnovation plays a central role in economic development, at regional and national level. In the competitive environment companies are obliged to produce more rapidly, more effectively and more efficiently in new product development which is a result of research and development (R&D) activities. It is necessary for them to put together different capabilities and services with the goal, through cooperation between suppliers and customers, service providers and scientific institutions to achieve innovations of high quality. Depending on the type of industry, the type of business, the type of innovation and the strategic objectives that have been set, firms will regularly have to modify the way in which their R&D and innovation is organized. Nowadays shift from serial to simultaneous and parallel working in innovation has become more commonplace. Literature's have shown that collaboration is as a meta-capability for innovation. By a comprehensive reviewing of literature this article after define a virtual teams and its characteristics, addressing virtual environments innovation and the relationship to R&D activities. Finally conclude that innovation cannot be successful unless the knowledge and information in the R&D project are effectively captured, shared and internalized by the R&D project’s virtual team members.Innovation, Virtual teams, R&D
R&D managers’ adaptation of firms’ HRM practices.
Get PDFThe heads of R&D departments are those most responsible for the adaptation of firms’ human resource management (HRM) practices to the idiosyncrasies of their departments. From their description, this paper analyzes the HRM practices in R&D departments and the adaptation achieved in four different firms. The data suggest that the main adaptations are produced primarily in recruiting and organizing the work of R&D personnel. In contrast to suggestions in the specialized literature, less adaptation is found in other HRM practices analyzed (managerial support and degree of delegation, compensation and career plans). Psychological theories of procedural justice and social comparison can improve our understanding of such results. The organizational structure affects the reference group for such comparisons and, consequently, the R&D managers’ capacity to adapt such practices. Based on these arguments, the delegation of HRM practices to R&D departments will enhance the degree of adaptation of such policiesR&D; Research and development; Human resource management;
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