scholarly journals From Weber to Kafka: Political Instability and the Overproduction of Laws

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (9) ◽  
pp. 2964-3003
Author(s):  
Gabriele Gratton ◽  
Luigi Guiso ◽  
Claudio Michelacci ◽  
Massimo Morelli
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Political Instability ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Bureaucratic Institutions ◽  
Bureaucratic Efficiency

With inefficient bureaucratic institutions, the effects of laws are hard to assess and incompetent politicians may pass laws to build a reputation as skillful reformers. Since too many laws curtail bureaucratic efficiency, this mechanism can generate a steady state with Kafkaesque bureaucracy. Temporary surges in political instability heighten the incentives to overproduce laws and can shift the economy towards the Kafkaesque state. Consistent with the theory, after a surge in political instability in the early 1990s, Italy experienced a significant increase in the amount of poor-quality legislation and a decrease in bureaucratic efficiency. (JEL D72, D73)

High-Vorticity with Periodic Flow Enhances in Vitro Biogenesis of Healthy Platelets from iPSC-Derived-Megakaryocytes

Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 2181-2181
Author(s):  
Yukitaka Ito ◽  
Sou Nakamura ◽  
Tomohiro Shigemori ◽  
Naoshi Sugimoto ◽  
Yoshikazu Kato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Annexin V ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Flow Chamber ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Platelet Production

Abstract Each transfusion requires 200-300 billion platelets in patients with thrombocytopenia. To continuously supply such a huge number of platelets by ex vivo generation, two distinct steps, megakaryopoiesis and platelet shedding, must be both considered. For the former, one approach is to increase the number of source cell, megakaryocytes. For example, the immortalized megakaryocyte cell line (imMKCL) system uses self-renewing megakaryocyte (MK) cell lines derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) (Nakamura et al., Cell Stem Cell, 2014). For the latter, there have been an idea of bioreactors whereby shedding of platelets from proplatelets could be promoted by flow-dependent shear force within the bone marrow in vivo (Junt et al., Science, 2007; Zhang et al., J Exp Med, 2012). Based upon this idea, we constructed a flow chamber type bioreactor recapitulating in vivo blood flow shear rate. However, this bioreactor failed to efficiently yield platelets, and moreover, the produced platelets had poor quality as indicated by high Annexin V levels (Exp Hematol, 2011 and unpublished result). Recently, we demonstrated two different kinetics of platelet biogenesis from bone marrow MKs, whereby either thrombopoietin (TPO) mostly regulates steady-state shedding of platelets from proplatelets, or interleukin-a (IL-1a) triggers inflammation-dependent rupture of MK cytoplasm contributing to a quick increase of platelet count at higher rate (Nishimura et al., J Cell Biol, 2015). However, the rupture type platelets revealed shorter half-life with relatively higher Annexin V levels. Therefore, to gain insights from platelet biogenesis in vivo, we focused on biophysical analysis of steady-state platelet biogenesis via proplatelets in bone marrow. Our observations strongly indicated that the presence of 'vorticity' defined by vortex turbulence in addition to shear-dependent 'stress' and 'strain' correlates with the efficient shedding of competent platelets. From this new finding, we developed an alternative bioreactor system, which enabled generation of 100 billion platelets from imMKCL in a 16L-scale liquid culture condition without any adherent machinery using two 10L-bioreactors. Furthermore, platelets generated via new bioreactors showed low Annexin V levels (<10-15%) and shortened bleeding time post transfusion into NOG mice and rabbits with thrombocytopenia, comparable to human blood product platelets. Regarding the platelet production using WAVE bag system (GE healthcare, UK), the system is already clinically available for cord blood cell expansion in most countries, but lacks adequate levels of vorticity and shear strain/stress. Accordingly, the produced platelets had high Annexin V levels (i.e., 50-65%) as well as diminished yield efficiency (P<0.001). In conclusion, our study has uncovered the novel biophysical aspect of platelet biogenesis. The application of the new set of physical parameters in constructing large sized bioreactors shall facilitate the industrialization of platelet production. Disclosures Eto: Megakaryon Co. Ltd.: Research Funding.

Transient Decay from the Steady-State in Microcrystalline Silicon

2002 ◽  
Vol 715 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Brüggemann ◽  
S. Reynolds ◽  
C. Main
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Decay Time ◽  
Carrier Mobility ◽  
Chemical Vapour ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Carrier Interaction ◽  
Minority Carrier Mobility

AbstractWe measured the transient photocurrent decay from the steady state in microcrystalline silicon from plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and hot-wire chemical vapour deposition. Samples exhibiting a range of photoconductive properties in terms of both the majority and minority carrier mobility-lifetime products or sub-gap absorption coefficients were studied. Measurements were made over a wide range of steady-state photogeneration rates for which we detail the variation with generation rate of the decay time. Samples with a short steady-state photocarrier lifetime show a long decay time. We relate the slow decay process to the much larger density of traps in the band gap in the poor-quality samples. Trapped carriers are released, undergo emission and trapping processes and eventually recombine in these samples, on a much longer time-scale than in the higher-quality samples so that the decay time cannot be taken as a fingerprint for photo-electronic quality. Analytical and numerical modeling indicate bimolecular recombination behavior during the decay. Results are in agreement with free-carrier interaction with exponentially distributed band-tail states.

scholarly journals A case study of government and civil societies’ collaboration and challenges in securing the rights of Congolese refugees living in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 116 (3/4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sikanyiso Masuku ◽  
Sharmla Rama
Keyword(s):  
Group Discussion ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Refugee Policy ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Employment Education ◽  
Bureaucratic Institutions ◽  
The Many ◽  
Bureaucratic Efficiency

Several South African focused studies have identified the numerous challenges faced by refugees in securing their legal rights to employment, education, health care, etc. There is a need therefore to investigate the extent to which such challenges are conterminous with bureaucratic institutions (such as government departments) limitations in fully implementing the refugee policy. In cognisance of the many shortcomings associated with state-assisted integration models, we examined how bureaucratic efficiency (in the provisioning of refugee rights) can be achieved, i.e. the feasibility of instituting dependency partnerships between the state and civil society. A case study based interpretive research design technique was adopted, drawing from one focus group discussion with Congolese refugees and face-to-face in-depth interviews with three purposively selected NGO representatives. We used two theoretical perspectives, namely the theory of monopolisation and Weber’s theory on bureaucracy, to analyse how bureaucratic arrangements can negatively impact on the implementation of the refugee policy and consequently on the refugees’ quality of life and standard of living in their host country. We identified that primary cultural factors, amongst others, unruly practices, social closure, and institutional biases widen the chasm between the formulation of a progressive refugee policy and its efficient implementation. The setting up of human rights education interventions and dependency partnerships is recommended as a means of improving bureaucratic efficiency in the transfer or implementation of refugee social protections.

Studies on Water in the Hydration Chamber of a Modified Electron Microscope

1970 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 544-545
Author(s):  
R. C. Moretz ◽  
G. G. Hausner ◽  
D. F. Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Small Mass ◽  
Equilibrium Pressure ◽  
Biological Objects ◽  
Mechanical Pump ◽  
Differential Pumping

Use of the electron microscope to examine wet objects is possible due to the small mass thickness of the equilibrium pressure of water vapor at room temperature. Previous attempts to examine hydrated biological objects and water itself used a chamber consisting of two small apertures sealed by two thin films. Extensive work in our laboratory showed that such films have an 80% failure rate when wet. Using the principle of differential pumping of the microscope column, we can use open apertures in place of thin film windows.Fig. 1 shows the modified Siemens la specimen chamber with the connections to the water supply and the auxiliary pumping station. A mechanical pump is connected to the vapor supply via a 100μ aperture to maintain steady-state conditions.

Continuous hydrogenolysis of acetal-stabilized lignin in flow

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wu Lan ◽  
Yuan Peng Du ◽  
Songlan Sun ◽  
Jean Behaghel de Bueren ◽  
Florent Héroguel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

We performed a steady state high-yielding depolymerization of soluble acetal-stabilized lignin in flow, which offered a window into challenges and opportunities that will be faced when continuously processing this feedstock.

Network reconstruction based on steady-state data

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 161-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo D. Sontag
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Reverse Engineering ◽  
Theoretical Method ◽  
Network Reconstruction ◽  
Quasi Steady State ◽  
State Data

This paper discusses a theoretical method for the “reverse engineering” of networks based solely on steady-state (and quasi-steady-state) data.

Parasite defense mechanisms in bees: behavior, immunity, antimicrobials, and symbionts

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison E. Fowler ◽  
Rebecca E. Irwin ◽  
Lynn S. Adler
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Immune Priming ◽  
Social Bees ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Landscape Scales ◽  
And Function ◽  
Solitary Species

Parasites are linked to the decline of some bee populations; thus, understanding defense mechanisms has important implications for bee health. Recent advances have improved our understanding of factors mediating bee health ranging from molecular to landscape scales, but often as disparate literatures. Here, we bring together these fields and summarize our current understanding of bee defense mechanisms including immunity, immunization, and transgenerational immune priming in social and solitary species. Additionally, the characterization of microbial diversity and function in some bee taxa has shed light on the importance of microbes for bee health, but we lack information that links microbial communities to parasite infection in most bee species. Studies are beginning to identify how bee defense mechanisms are affected by stressors such as poor-quality diets and pesticides, but further research on this topic is needed. We discuss how integrating research on host traits, microbial partners, and nutrition, as well as improving our knowledge base on wild and semi-social bees, will help inform future research, conservation efforts, and management.

Steady State Disinfection of Water By Ozone and sonozone

1979 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-24
Author(s):  
E. Dahi ◽  
E. Lund
Keyword(s):  
Steady State
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