1,505 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
Racial conflict and polarization as a constraint on black mayoral leadership in urban policy: an analysis of public finance and urban development in Atlanta, Georgia during the mayoral tenure of Maynard H. Jackson, 1973-1977, 1989
Get PDFThis research represents a case study of black mayoral leadership under conditions of racial conflict and polarization. The subject is Maynard H. Jackson, who was elected as the first black mayor of Atlanta, Georgia in 1973 . This study examines Mayor Jackson's leadership in the areas of public finance and urban development during his first term in office. The research begins with a socio-economic and political profile of Atlanta as of 1973, which establishes the existence of a state of racial conflict and polarization in the city as of Mayor Jackson's election. After identifying specific preferences of Maynard Jackson relative to the policy areas under review in this research, the study isolates particular behavioral tendencies exhibited by Mayor Jackson in pursuit of his desired policy agenda and examines the outcomes of mayoral leadership. Content analysis of relevant urban studies literature and government documents represents a major methodological tool employed in this research. Additional data sources include items from a collection of Maynard Jackson�s papers housed at the Altanta University Center Library, media accounts of political affairs in Atlanta during the Jackson administration, and personal interviews with individuals prominently associated with the Jackson administration. The study concludes that Mayor Jackson�s leadership in the policy areas covered by this research corresponds to a style characterized as "progressive conciliation.� This term is used to describe a mode of leadership behavior particularly germane to black mayors in racially polarized communities wherein the balancing of policy reform initiatives in behalf of historically disadvantaged urban blacks against accommodating concerns of traditionally dominant white interests relative to the impact of such reforms is a predominant tendency. This behavior is best understood as an attempt to establish a state of parity between elements in the respective racial groups relative to urban policy as opposed to representing the pursuit of a racially partisan agenda. This study ultimately aspires to contribute toward the development of a typology of leadership styles applicable to black mayors as a unique group of urban chief executives
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
A case and follow-up study of the retarded children seen in the child guidance clinic, Washington, D.C. between June 1, 1946 and December 31, 1949, 1951
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