title: Innovation and the local workforce

authors: Maré, David C.

subjects: O31

abstract: We combine firm-level innovation data with area-level Census data to examine the relationship between local workforce characteristics, especially the presence of immigrants and local skills, and the likelihood of innovation by firms. We examine a range of innovation outcomes, and test the relationship for selected subgroups of firms. We find a positive relationship between local workforce characteristics and average innovation outcomes in labour market areas, but this is accounted for by variation in firm characteristics such as firm size, industry, and research and development expenditure. Controlling for these influences, we find no systematic evidence of an independent link between local workforce characteristics and innovation.

text: Innovation and the local workforce We combine firm-level innovation data with area-level Census data to examine the relationship between local workforce characteristics, especially the presence of immigrants and local skills, and the likelihood of innovation by firms. We examine a range of innovation outcomes, and test the relationship for selected subgroups of firms. We find a positive relationship between local workforce characteristics and average innovation outcomes in labour market areas, but this is accounted for by variation in firm characteristics such as firm size, industry, and research and development expenditure. Controlling for these influences, we find no systematic evidence of an independent link between local workforce characteristics and innovation.

year: 2013

title: Eurythermalism and the temperature dependence of enzyme activity

authors: Lee, Charles Kai-Wu

subjects: enzyme temperature optimum

abstract: The "Equilibrium Model" has provided new tools for describing and investigating enzyme thermal adaptation. It has been shown that the effect of temperature on enzyme activity is not only governed by ΔG‡cat and ΔG‡inact but also by two new intrinsic parameters, ΔHeq and Teq, which describe the enthalpy and midpoint, respectively, of a reversible equilibrium between active and inactive (but not denatured) forms of enzyme. Twenty-one enzymes from organisms with a wide range of growth temperatures were characterized using the Equilibrium Model. Statistical analysis indicates that Teq is a better predictor of growth temperature than enzyme stability (ΔG‡inact). As expected from the Equilibrium Model, ΔHeq correlates with catalytic temperature tolerance of enzymes and thus can be declared the first intrinsic and quantitative measure of enzyme eurythermalism. Other findings shed light on the evolution of psychrophilic and thermophilic enzymes. The findings suggest that the description of the Equilibrium Model of the effect of temperature on enzyme activity applies to all enzymes regardless of their temperature origins and that its associated parameters, ΔHeq and Teq, are intrinsic and necessary parameters for characterizing the thermal properties of enzymes and their temperature adaptation and evolution.

text: Eurythermalism and the temperature dependence of enzyme activity The "Equilibrium Model" has provided new tools for describing and investigating enzyme thermal adaptation. It has been shown that the effect of temperature on enzyme activity is not only governed by ΔG‡cat and ΔG‡inact but also by two new intrinsic parameters, ΔHeq and Teq, which describe the enthalpy and midpoint, respectively, of a reversible equilibrium between active and inactive (but not denatured) forms of enzyme. Twenty-one enzymes from organisms with a wide range of growth temperatures were characterized using the Equilibrium Model. Statistical analysis indicates that Teq is a better predictor of growth temperature than enzyme stability (ΔG‡inact). As expected from the Equilibrium Model, ΔHeq correlates with catalytic temperature tolerance of enzymes and thus can be declared the first intrinsic and quantitative measure of enzyme eurythermalism. Other findings shed light on the evolution of psychrophilic and thermophilic enzymes. The findings suggest that the description of the Equilibrium Model of the effect of temperature on enzyme activity applies to all enzymes regardless of their temperature origins and that its associated parameters, ΔHeq and Teq, are intrinsic and necessary parameters for characterizing the thermal properties of enzymes and their temperature adaptation and evolution.

year: 2007

title: Issues in testing the proficiency of learners of indigenous languages: an example relating to young learners of Maori

authors: Crombie, Winifred

subjects: te reo Māori

abstract: In 1999 the New Zealand Ministry of Education commissioned the authors to develop and trial a Māori language proficiency test.  The test was to be appropriate for students in Year 5 of schooling (aged 9/10) who were being educated wholly, or in part, through the medium of Māori language.  In this paper, we discuss the development and trialling of that proficiency test, focusing on the problems we experienced as well as on the test itself and on the ways in which it can be further developed. We also consider the implications of this project for the development of proficiency tests for other indigenous languages.

text: Issues in testing the proficiency of learners of indigenous languages: an example relating to young learners of Maori In 1999 the New Zealand Ministry of Education commissioned the authors to develop and trial a Māori language proficiency test.  The test was to be appropriate for students in Year 5 of schooling (aged 9/10) who were being educated wholly, or in part, through the medium of Māori language.  In this paper, we discuss the development and trialling of that proficiency test, focusing on the problems we experienced as well as on the test itself and on the ways in which it can be further developed. We also consider the implications of this project for the development of proficiency tests for other indigenous languages.

year: 2000-10