106 research outputs found
The Comparison of Kibbutz Productivity to National Statistics: Analysis and Remarks
No full textThis study examines conceptual problems in measuring product and disposable income of the kibbutz and in comparing them with the relevant national data. The inquiry was prompted by Kroll and Polovin’s paper in this Journal (1997), in which the authors found that per capita product and disposable income of the kibbutz are significantly lower than the national average in Israel. To carry out the analysis, we develop a formal-conceptual model of a national economy which consists of several sectors. Using this model it is shown that the “terms of trade†between the sectors – and the income transfers involved – have a marked effect on the per capita income in each sector, independent of its own productivity. In particular, two downward accounting biases may account for the results of Kroll and Polovin, regarding the kibbutz economy: the “interest effect†and the “tax effectâ€. We hope that this analysis will contribute to a better understanding of this issue, and also – more generally – to the national accounting theory.National income and accounting, interest payments and debt financing, income tax, kibbutz, Productivity Analysis,
An RNA interference knock-down of nitrate reductase enhances lipid biosynthesis in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum
No full textWhen diatoms are stressed for inorganic nitrogen they remodel their intermediate metabolism and redirect carbon towards lipid biosynthesis. However, this response comes at a significant cost reflected in decreased photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency and growth. Here we explore a molecular genetics approach to restrict the assimilation of inorganic nitrogen by knocking down nitrate reductase (NR). The transformant strain, NR21, exhibited about 50% lower expression and activity of the enzyme but simultaneously accumulated over 40% more fatty acids. However, in contrast to nitrogen-stressed wild-type (WT) cells, which grow at about 20% of the rate of nitrogen-replete cells, growth of NR21 was only reduced by about 30%. Biophysical analyses revealed that the photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency of photosystem II was unaffected in NR21; nevertheless, the plastoquinone pool was reduced by 50% at the optimal growth irradiance while in the WT it was over 90% oxidized. Further analyses reveal a 12-fold increase in the glutamate/glutamine ratio and an increase NADPH and malonyl-CoA pool size. Transcriptomic analyses indicate that the knock down resulted in changes in the expression of genes for lipid biosynthesis, as well as the expression of specific transcription factors. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that the allocation of carbon and reductants in diatoms is controlled by a feedback mechanism between intermediate metabolites, the redox state of the plastid and the expression and binding of transcription factors related to stress responses.Peer reviewe
Applying the proto-theory of design to explain and modify the parameter analysis method of conceptual design
No full textThis article reports on the outcomes of applying the notions provided by the reconstructed proto-theory of design, based on Aristotle’s remarks, to the parameter analysis (PA) method of conceptual design. Two research questions are addressed: (1) What further clarification and explanation to the approach of PA is provided by the proto-theory? (2) Which conclusions can be drawn from the study of an empirically derived
design approach through the proto-theory regarding usefulness, validity and range of that theory? An overview of PA and an application example illustrate its present model and unique characteristics. Then, seven features of the proto-theory are explained and demonstrated through geometrical problem solving and analogies are drawn between these features and the corresponding ideas in modern design thinking.
Historical and current uses of the terms analysis and synthesis in design are also outlined and contrasted, showing that caution should be exercised when applying them. Consequences regarding the design moves, process and strategy of PA allow proposing modifications to its model, while demonstrating how the ancient method of analysis can contribute to better understanding of contemporary design-theoretic issues
The Story of Ehud and Eglon in Judges 3:12-30. A Literary Pearl as a Theological Stumbling Block
No full textMaking use of numerous stylistic devices and playing with words, the author of Judg 3:12-30 has succeeded in creating a masterpiece of literature that challenges its reader. Moreover and simultaneously, this story, that narrates the brutal murder of king Eglon by the Israelite Ehud, is very problematic from a theological perspective. The present article offers firstly an analysis of Judg 3:12-20 and subsequently demonstrates how a specific and often-overlooked aspect of the violent nature of the text – after all, king Eglon has been utilized by YHWH to restore obedience among the Israelites – holds a key to unlocking the theological intention of this text
The genetic basis of persistence and recovery in stuttering
No full textThe purpose of this study was to elaborate on genetic perspectives of stuttering with reference to recovery and chronicity in children. Past research has provided evidence of a genetic factor in the transmission of susceptibility to stuttering, but factors governing persistence and recovery have not been as yet identified.Immediate and extended families of 66 stuttering probands were investigated to determine frequencies of persistent and recovered stuttering. Pedigree analysis and segregation analysis were utilized to examine patterns of heritability.The following questions were investigated: (1) Is there a sex effect in recovery from stuttering? This hypothesis examined the notion that females have a greater chance of recovery than do males, leading to the changing sex ratio from approximately 2:1 males to females close to onset of the disorder, to 4 or 5:1 in adulthood. A significant chi square indicated that recovery among females is significantly more frequent than among males, as shown by the sharply different sex ratios of persistent vs. recovered stutterers. (2) Is persistence or recovery from stuttering heritable? If recovery appears to be heritable, (a) are recovered and persistent stuttering a unitary disorder where recovered stuttering is a genetically milder form of persistent stuttering; (b) is recovery transmitted independent of stuttering; or (c) are recovered and persistent stuttering independent disorders? Results indicated that persistence or recovery are indeed heritable, and further, that recovery is not a milder form, nor do the two types of stuttering appear to be unrelated, independent disorders. Data are most consistent with the hypothesis that persistence is in part due to an additional genetic factor.Segregation analyses supported these conclusions and provided statistical evidence for both a single major locus and polygenic component for persistent and recovered stuttering.This study was supported by grant #R01-DC00459 from the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Principal Investigator: Ehud Yairi.Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-07T12:49:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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The Comparison of Kibbutz Productivity to National Statistics: Analysis and Remarks
No full textThis study examines conceptual problems in measuring product and disposable
income of the kibbutz and in comparing them with the relevant
national data. The inquiry was prompted by Kroll and Polovin’s paper in
this Journal (1997), in which the authors found that per capita product and
disposable income of the kibbutz are significantly lower than the national
average in Israel. To carry out the analysis, we develop a formal-conceptual
model of a national economy which consists of several sectors. Using this
model it is shown that the “terms of trade” between the sectors – and the
income transfers involved – have a marked effect on the per capita income
in each sector, independent of its own productivity. In particular, two
downward accounting biases may account for the results of Kroll and
Polovin, regarding the kibbutz economy: the “interest effect” and the “tax
effect”. We hope that this analysis will contribute to a better understanding
of this issue, and also – more generally – to the national accounting theory
A generalized methodology for manufacturability evaluation
No full textVita.In a design for manufacturing (DFM) approach the designer has to consider the interactions between the various parameters in the design and the ease with which it can be manufactured, very early in the design process. This research is aimed at providing designers with a methodology for early, quantitative evaluation of manufacturability. A hierarchical, domain independent model of manufacturability is first presented. Manufacturability is decomposed into five main areas namely, Compatibility, Complexity, Quality, Efficiency, and Coupling. The evaluation process begins with an examination of these issues as they relate to the design being evaluated. Next, the idea of manufacturability indices is introduced and contrasted with traditional measures such as cost. Examples of generalized manufacturability indices are provided. A generalized evaluation methodology which merges the hierarchical model with the idea of manufacturability indices is then explored. Two methods for comparing designs are discussed. The first method is based on a relative reference scale and makes use of priority theory for the evaluation. The second method utilizes a fuzzy linguistic approach to transform the index value into a goodness value. A hierarchical additive weighting technique is then used to combine the relative weights of the attributes in the hierarchy with the evaluations for the different designs. Several metrics for injection molded parts are developed to illustrate the application of the methodology to a specific domain. The ability to integrate expert knowledge into the evaluation makes the methodology particularly attractive to novice designers. Furthermore, its generalized nature ensures that the methodology is applicable to a wide range of manufacturing processes
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