Export Balance Research Articles

Vertical distribution of division rates in coastal dinoflagellate Dinophysis spp. populations: implications for modelling

This study explores vertical heterogeneities of in situ division rates (μ) of 3 species of Dinophysis and discusses its implications in modelling the population dynamics of these species. Based on a post-mitotic index approach, estimates of μ from vertical net-haul (integrated) samples (μint) were compared with those from a single depth (oceanographic bottle samples) (μz) at the cell maximum during 2 daily cell cycle studies in the Galician Rias Baixas (NW Spain). Additionally, ver- tical profiles of μz were obtained during a field survey in Ria de Vigo. A 2-fold difference was observed between estimates of μz from the cell maxima and μint from integrated samples under strat- ified conditions. Differences were much larger when the minimum estimates of μ values from differ- ent depths (μmin) were compared within single vertical profiles. An exponential growth model was applied to simulate the dynamics of a D. acuminata population during a daily cycle in June 1994. Results show that actively dividing cells of a target species may be restricted to narrow layers of the water column. Estimates of μ at different relevant depths during cell cycle studies may be key to determining whether if increased numbers of a target species are due to in situ growth or to the balance of imports and exports.

A comprehensive water balance of Tunisia: blue water, green water and virtual water

This paper envisions a comprehensive balance for water management that takes into account all kinds of water resources: withdrawal (blue) water, (green) water in rainfed agriculture and the net contribution of “virtual water” to the food import–export balance. In countries where water resources are limited, this leads to a better understanding of the relation between water and food production and gives a clearer picture of the potential for agricultural production. In the case of Tunisia, it indicates that food security will depend on the ability of the country to manage all the available water resources, in particular by improving the potential of rainfed agriculture.

Summer phytoplankton blooms in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre: Historical perspective and recent observations

The export of organic matter from the oceanic euphotic zone is a critical process in the global biogeochemical cycling of bioelements (C, N, P, Si). Much of this export occurs in the form of sinking particles, which rain down into the unlit waters of the deep sea. Classical models of oceanic production and export balance this gravitational loss of particulate bioelements with an upward flux of dissolved nutrients, and they describe reasonably well those areas of the ocean where deep winter mixing occurs. The surface waters of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), however, are strongly stratified and chronically nutrient-depleted, especially in summer. Nevertheless, there is ample evidence that blooms of phytoplankton and subsequent pulses of particle export occur during the height of summer stratification in these waters, especially to the northeast of the Hawaiian Islands. These blooms impact regional bioelemental cycling and act as a food source to the deep-sea benthos. We review here numerous published observations of these events in the NPSG, and present new data collected at Station ALOHA (22.75°N, 158°W) during the first 176 cruises of the Hawaii Ocean Time-series program (1988–2005), along with results from transect cruises conducted in the region in 1996 and 2005. We suggest that the summer phytoplankton bloom can be considered a frequent, perhaps annual feature in the northeastern NPSG, and that its perceived stochastic nature is a manifestation of chronic undersampling in time and space. The bloom is typically dominated by only a few genera of large diatoms and the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. It appears to be consistently supported by dinitrogen fixation, but the fate of the organic matter produced during the summer depends critically on the species composition of the responsible diazotrophs. We estimate that the summer bloom is responsible for up to 38% of N 2 fixation and up to 18% of N-based new production annually at Station ALOHA. We hypothesize that the spatial distribution, timing and magnitude of the bloom may be determined largely by the physical and biological processes controlling new phosphorus delivery into the euphotic zone during the summer and the preceding winter.

Regulation of Anterograde Transport of α2-Adrenergic Receptors by the N Termini at Multiple Intracellular Compartments

The studies on the intrinsic structural determinants for export trafficking of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been mainly focused on the C termini of the receptors. In this report we determined the role of the extracellular N termini of alpha(2)-adrenergic receptors (alpha(2)-ARs) in the anterograde transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through the Golgi to the cell surface. The N-terminal-truncated alpha(2B)-AR mutant is completely unable to target to the cell surface. A single Met-6 residue is essential for the export of alpha(2B)-AR from the ER, likely through modulating correct alpha(2B)-AR folding in the ER. The Tyr-Ser motif, highly conserved in the membrane-proximal N termini of all alpha(2)-AR subtypes, is required for the exit of alpha(2A)-AR and alpha(2B)-AR from the Golgi apparatus, thus representing a novel Tyr-based motif modulating GPCR transport at the Golgi level. These data provide the first evidence indicating an essential role of the N termini of GPCRs in the export from distinct intracellular compartments along the secretory pathway.

On the sensitivity of the sedimentary system in the East Frisian Wadden Sea to sea-level rise and wave-induced bed shear stress

The paper addresses the individual and collective contribution of different forcing factors (tides, wind waves, and sea-level rise) to the dynamics of sediment in coastal areas. The results are obtained from simulations with the General Estuarine Transport Model coupled with a sediment transport model. The wave-induced bed shear stress is formulated using a simple model based on the concept that the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) associated with wind waves is a function of orbital velocity, the latter depending on the wave height and water depth. A theory is presented explaining the controls of sediment dynamics by the TKE produced by tides and wind waves. Several scenarios were developed aiming at revealing possible trends resulting from realistic (observed or expected) changes in sea level and wave magnitude. The simulations demonstrate that these changes not only influence the concentration of sediment, which is very sensitive to the magnitude of the external forcing, but also the temporal variability patterns. The joint effect of tides and wave-induced bed shear stress revealed by the comparison between theoretical results and simulations is well pronounced. The intercomparison between different scenarios demonstrates that the spatial patterns of erosion and deposition are very sensitive to the magnitude of wind waves and sea-level rise. Under a changing climate, forcing the horizontal distribution of sediments adjusts mainly through a change in the balance of export and import of sediment from the intertidal basins. The strongest signal associated with this adjustment is simulated North of the barrier islands where the evolution of sedimentation gives an integrated picture of the processes in tidal basins.

Intracellular trafficking of LET-756, a fibroblast growth factor of C. elegans, is controlled by a balance of export and nuclear signals

The superfamily of fibroblast growth factors (FGF), which counts 22 members in humans, exerts many functions during animal development and adult life. LET-756 is one of the two FGFs of the nematode C. elegans. Re-introduction of LET-756 in a null mutant strain restores viability, allowing the study of structural requirements for LET-756 trafficking and function. LET-756 protein has several regions and motifs, including a non-classical internal motif required for secretion. We show here that a main difference in the wild-type LET-756 molecule and a truncated molecule that mimics a partial loss-of-function mutant lies on subnuclear expression. Using Cos-1 cells and rescue activity we show that: (i) nuclear localization is due to various redundant NLS, one of them acting as a nucleolar localization signal; (ii) nuclear LET-756 is addressed to the speckles by a stretch of glutamine residues; (iii) nuclear LET-756 is trafficking between speckles and nucleoli; (iv) in the nucleolus, LET-756 is associated with proteins of the rRNA splicing compartment; (v) changing LET-756 secretion signal prevents its nuclear localization. We propose that LET-756 exerts its functions through a balance between secreted and nuclear forms due to two opposite addressing signals, (i) synergy of several NLS and (ii) attenuated secretion signal.

Activation of Stat3 Sequence-specific DNA Binding and Transcription by p300/CREB-binding Protein-mediated Acetylation

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (Stat) belong to a family of latent cytoplasmic factors that can be activated by tyrosine phosphorylation by members of the Jak tyrosine kinase family in response to a variety of cytokines and growth factors. Activated Stats form dimers and translocate into nucleus to induce expression of critical genes essential for normal cellular events. Here we report for the first time that Stat3 can be modified by acetylation both in vivo and in vitro. A major site of Stat3 that is acetylated by its coactivator, p300/CREB-binding protein (CBP), resides in the C-terminal transcriptional activation domain at lysine 685. Furthermore, the acetylation of Stat3 can stimulate its sequence-specific DNA binding ability and transactivation activity. Inhibition of histone deacetylase activity in cells results in increased Stat3 nuclear localization. These observations clearly indicate a novel mechanism for Stat3 activation in mammalian cells.

The ins and outs of transcriptional control: nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in development and disease

Recent findings relating to SOX transcription factors indicate that defects in organogenesis can be caused not only by impairment of the biochemical properties of transcription factors but also, in some cases, by deficient nuclear import. In addition, experimentally interfering with the nuclear export signals of some SOX factors has now been found to cause developmental defects. Controlling the balance of nuclear import and export might be a common means by which transcription factor activity can be regulated during development, and defects in these processes might underlie a broader spectrum of inherited developmental disorders.

Regulated Nuclear Trafficking of the Homeodomain Protein Otx1 in Cortical Neurons

Otx1 is a homeodomain protein required for axon refinement by layer 5 neurons in developing cerebral cortex. Otx1 localizes to the cytoplasm of progenitor cells in the rat ventricular zone, and remains cytoplasmic as neurons migrate and begin to differentiate. Nuclear translocation occurs during the first week of postnatal life, when layer 5 neurons begin pruning their long-distance axonal projections. Deletion analysis reveals that Otx1 is imported actively into cell nuclei, that the N-terminus of Otx1 is necessary for nuclear import, and that a putative nuclear localization sequence within this domain is sufficient to direct nuclear import in a variety of cell lines. In contrast, GFP–Otx1 fusion proteins that contain the N-terminus are retained in the cytoplasm of cortical progenitor cells, mimicking the distribution of Otx1 in vivo. These results suggest that ventricular cells actively sequester Otx1 in the cytoplasm, either by preventing nuclear import or by promoting a balance of export over import signals.

Dissolved organic carbon in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

The Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) is a highly productive continental shelf region on the eastern North American coast and a potential sight for the export of organic carbon to the open ocean. The dynamics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the MAB were studied during three cruises in April 1994, March 1996 and August 1996 in order to characterize DOC distributions on the shelf, estimate inventories of DOC on the shelf and quantify DOC transport. There were clear spatial and temporal trends in DOC distributions. Concentrations of DOC were greater inshore than offshore and increased southward along the shelf. The total DOC inventory on the shelf during the March and April cruises was estimated at B5.88 � 10 12 g C and this increased by 0.4 � 10 12 g C (7%) in August. A simple mass balance of DOC input and export in the MAB resulted in total export of 18.7–19.6 � 10 12 gC yr � 1 . Up to 67% of this carbon is recycled oceanic DOC that is refractory with respect to MAB seawater residence times, B4% is introduced through estuaries, sediments and rainwater and at least 29% of the exported shelf DOC (4.1–7.4 � 10 12 gC yr � 1 ) is produced on the shelf. Net ecosystem production of DOC in the MAB is estimated to be between 10% and 18% of MAB primary productivity estimates. Our data supports the hypothesis that the MAB as a whole is net autotrophic for the periods of study and that DOC is an important component in ocean margin carbon budgets. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The balance of nuclear import and export determines the intracellular distribution and function of tomato heat stress transcription factor HsfA2.

Tomato heat stress transcription factor HsfA2 is a shuttling protein with dominant cytoplasmic localization as a result of a nuclear import combined with an efficient export. Besides the nuclear localization signal (NLS) adjacent to the oligomerization domain, a C-terminal leucine-rich motif functions as a nuclear export signal (NES). Mutant forms of HsfA2 with a defective or an absent NES are nuclear proteins. The same is true for the wild-type HsfA2 if coexpressed with HsfA1 or in the presence of export inhibitor leptomycin B (LMB). Fusion of the NES domain of HsfA2 to HsfB1, which is a nuclear protein, caused export of the HsfB1-A2NES hybrid protein, and this effect was reversed by the addition of LMB. Due to the lack of background problems, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells represent an excellent system for expression and functional analysis of tomato Hsfs. The results faithfully reflect the situation found in plant cells (tobacco protoplasts). The intriguing role of NLS and NES accessibility for the intracellular distribution of HsfA2 is underlined by the results of heat stress treatments of CHO cells (41 degrees C). Despite the fact that nuclear import and export are not markedly affected, HsfA2 remains completely cytoplasmic at 41 degrees C even in the presence of LMB. The temperature-dependent conformational transition of HsfA2 with shielding of the NLS evidently needs intramolecular interaction between the internal HR-A/B and the C-terminal HR-C regions. It is not observed with the HR oligomerization domain (HR-A/B region) deletion form of HsfA2 or in HsfA2-HsfA1 hetero-oligomers.

The Costs of U.S. Hegemony: Military power, military spending, and U.S. trade performance

For David Gordon and his collaborators in the social structures of accumulation (SSA) tradition, the willingness to threaten potential adversaries with military forces capable of acting on a global scale was seen to positively affect the U.S. terms of trade. U.S. hegemony yielded specific supply side benefits as favorable terms of trade reduced relative input prices and boosted profitability. Although Gordon and his co-authors recognize the potential costs of sustaining a large, globally active military apparatus, these costs are not incorporated in the econometric models supporting the SSA theory. This paper attempts to extend the SSA analysis by empirically measuring the effects of both military spending and military power on U.S. trade performance over the 1951–1987 period. It is shown that while military power and spending commitments may have positive effects on the terms of trade, these military variables had direct and indirect negative impacts on the U.S. net export balance and therefore domestic aggregate demand. In the context of a model of U.S. growth performance open to international transactions, the overall effect of the postwar military system on U.S. economic growth was likely negative in the cold-war era

The Costs of U.S. Hegemony: Military Power, Military Spending, and U.S. Trade Performance

For David Gordon and his collaborators in the social structures of accumulation (SSA) tradition, the willingness to threaten potential adversaries with military forces capable of acting on a global scale was seen to positively affect the U.S. terms of trade. U.S. hegemony yielded specific supply side benefits as favorable terms of trade reduced relative input prices and boosted profitability. Although Gordon and his co-authors recognize the potential costs of sustaining a large, globally active military apparatus, these costs are not incorporated in the econometric models supporting the SSA theory. This paper attempts to extend the SSA analysis by empirically measuring the effects of both military spending and military power on U.S. trade performance over the 1951-1987 period. It is shown that while military power and spending commitments may have positive effects on the terms of trade, these military variables had direct and indirect negative impacts on the U.S. net export balance and therefore domestic aggregate demand. In the context of a model of U.S. growth performance open to international transactions, the overall effect of the postwar military system on U.S. economic growth was likely negative in the cold-war era.

Efficient use of energy and materials: progress and policies

There is a growing awareness of the serious problems associated with the provision of sufficient energy to meet human needs and to fuel economic growth world‐wide. This has pointed to the need for energy and material efficiency, which would reduce air, water and thermal pollution, as well as waste production. Increasing energy and material efficiency also have the benefits of increased employment, improved balance of imports and exports, increased security of energy supply and adopting environmentally advantageous energy supply. A large potential exists for energy savings through energy and material efficiency improvements. Technologies are not now, nor will they be, in the foreseeable future, the limiting factors with regard to continuing energy efficiency improvements. There are serious barriers to energy efficiency improvements, including unwillingness to invest, lack of available and accessible information, economic disincentives and organizational barriers. A wide range of policy instruments, as well as innovative approaches have been tried in some countries in order to achieve the desired energy efficiency improvements. These include: regulation and guidelines; economic instruments and incentives; voluntary agreements and actions; information, education and training; and research, development and demonstration. An area that requires particular attention is that of improved international co‐operation to develop policy instruments and technologies to meet the needs of developing countries. Material efficiency has not received the attention that it deserves. Consequently, there is a dearth of data on the qualities and quantities of final consumption, thus, making it difficult to formulate policies. Available data, however, suggest that there is a large potential for improved use of many materials in industrialized countries.

A strategic simulation model of a fjord ecosystem

We formulate a strategic simulation model of a fjordic ecosystem, paying careful attention to consistency of spatial and temporal scales. Our model incorporates all the major physical and biological elements of the system but is simple enough to allow unambiguous identification of the mechanisms underlying its behavior. Despite this simplicity the model is capable of semiquantitative agreement with the observed behavior of the Killary Harbor ecosystem over the 1981 season.The key conclusion from our analysis of the model is that because of the very high rates of tidal and freshwater flushing in Scottish sea‐lochs, the persistence of such systems is ultimately determined by the balance of nutrient import and export in a manner analogous to a laboratory chemostat. Except at the peak of the spring bloom, inorganic nitrogen supply exceeds biological demand, so that primary production is controlled by physical factors (temperature and irradiance) and the activities of higher trophic levels. The size of the spring phytoplankton bloom is mainly determined by the dynamics of the following zooplankton bloom and is thus strongly influenced by the overwintering success of zooplankton inside the system as well as zooplankton immigration from the sea.

The Japanese Business Community and National Trade Policy, 1920-1942

Miles Fletcher examines the role of the Japanese business community in helping the nation solve an unprecedented combination of economic challenges in the 1920s and 1930s: chronic trade deficits, world depression, rampant protectionism, and mobilization for war in Asia. Because of such severe crises, business executives changed their attitudes toward foreign trade and types of national economic policies needed to succeed in a global marketplace. After trade deficits began occurring in the 1920s, business leaders and business groups became obsessed with finding ways of expanding trade and ensuring a healthy balance of exports and imports. The onset of worldwide depression in 1930 brought trade barriers to Japanese exports in every major market, and the failure of the World Economic Conference in London in 1933 made prospects even more bleak. The idea that companies in each industrial sector would have to cooperate through national cartels began to take hold. Although the business community did not always operate as a unified interest group, its leaders in the interwar decades made progressively more effective attempts to secure a consensus on important proposals. As trade problems mounted, businessmen in many instances urged the increased national control of trade, with government officials and corporate executives working together to form policies. According to Fletcher, business attitudes toward foreign trade and the role of the government that developed during the economic crises of the 1920s and 1930s helped make Japan an economic power today. Japan is an economic power today because of the techniques developed during the period of economic crisis following World War I. After World War II, business leaders once again collaborated closely with the government to guide the nation to economic recovery and then to prominence as a trading power. Fletcher concludes that the travails of the interwar period forged a conviction that the Japanese business community has maintained well into the 1980s as a guiding concept: the task of expanding Japan's international trade resembles a form of competitive warfare demanding national strategies. Originally published in 1989. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

Egypt's Development in the Seventies

Previous articleNext article No AccessEgypt's Development in the SeventiesHenry J. BrutonHenry J. Bruton Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Economic Development and Cultural Change Volume 31, Number 4Jul., 1983 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/451353 Views: 8Total views on this site Citations: 9Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1983 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Kiki Santing Conspiracy Theories and Muslim Brotherhood Antisemitism under Sadat, Religions 13, no.22 (Feb 2022): 143.https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13020143Zoran Utkovski, Melanie F. Pradier, Viktor Stojkoski, Fernando Perez-Cruz, Ljupco Kocarev, Alejandro Raul Hernandez Montoya , PLOS ONE 13, no.88 ( 2018): e0200822.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200822Ibrahim Ahmed Onour Black Market for Foreign Currencies: A Lesson from a Siege Economy, SSRN Electronic Journal (Jan 2012).https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2175032John Baffes, Madhur Gautam Price Responsiveness, Efficiency, and the Impact of Structural Adjustment on Egyptian Crop Producers, World Development 24, no.44 (Apr 1996): 765–771.https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(95)00164-8Salah El-Sheikh Towards a macrometric policy model of a semi-industrial economy, Economic Modelling 9, no.11 (Jan 1992): 75–95.https://doi.org/10.1016/0264-9993(92)90004-L International Monetary Fund Parallel Currency Markets in Developing Countries: Theory, Evidence, and Policy Implications, IMF Working Papers 90, no.114114 (Jan 1990): 1.https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451943221.001John S. Henley, Mohamed M. Ereisha State Ownership and the Problem of the Work Incentive: An Egyptian Case Study, Work, Employment and Society 3, no.11 (Jun 2016): 65–87.https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017089003001005Henry Bruton Chapter 30 Import substitution, (Jan 1989): 1601–1644.https://doi.org/10.1016/S1573-4471(89)02017-6Nathaniel H. Leff Optimal investment choice for developing countries, Journal of Development Economics 18, no.2-32-3 (Aug 1985): 335–360.https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3878(85)90061-6

Some Implications of the EEC's Agricultural Price Policy

AbstractThis article indicates elements of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Economic Community that may result in substantial changes in the future. Regional price indexes are developed for several grain and livestock commodities and projected to 1970 and 1975. By combining these projections with the results of an EEC survey of family farm incomes, this article shows that the projected price changes will favor the farmers with the highest incomes. Also, the operation of the Agricultural Fund causes a transfer of foreign exchange from member countries with agricultural net import balances to member countries with agricultural net export balances. Raising the internal prices of imported and exported commodities in order to establish a common price for the EEC has further increased the foreign exchange transfers.

A Proposed Allocative Mechanism for U.S. Food Aid

Selected data support the conclusion that on the average the United States has provided a proper balance of domestic farm production controls versus food exports to handle excess farm production capacity. The allocation has been much less than optimum at the margin, however, and strong tendencies exist to overdo food aid. A mechanism is proposed in this article that adjusts prices for institutional factors but harnesses the inherent equilibrating forces of the market. The method achieves an optimum balance between food and nonfood aid and between exports and production controls to handle excess U.S. farm production capacity. It is proposed that all our foreign aid be given as cash and that foreign aid recipients be permitted to purchase U.S. farm commodities at a discount. The discount as a percent of market value should be equal to the USDA cost of inducing farmers not to produce $1 of farm commodities.

Textile Industry in Transition

SINCE THE LATTER PART OF 1958, news from the textile industry has been encouraging. The going had been rough over the preceding four or five years, despite a period of strong growth for the American economy. Looking back, it now appears that this interval was actually a transition period during which the textile industry had to adjust itself to new conditions. Technology through the burgeoning use of the new non-cellulosic synthetic fibers, and the declining favorable balance of exports over imports stymied the growth potential engendered by population increase. There are indications that these developments have largely spent themselves and will be less of a factor over coming years.