ALBERT

Notes: After an introduction setting out the general state of work on the national accounts in the Middle East the author considers the principal uses of national accounts statistics in less developed countries. The first group of uses discussed is in connexion with the measurement of growth and the making of international comparisons. The author is of the opinion that in many cases the primary statistical series are so weak that the fact they they are combined together into a series called national income or gross domestic product lends to them a significance which they do not really possess. The real problem is to improve the quality of the primary series.A second use of national accounts statistics is in connexion with fiscal and budgetary policy. In the statistically advanced countries this is one of the most important uses but in the less developed countries budgetary policy has not yet reached a level of sophistication which would call for the use of national accounts data. Moreover, the time factor involved in assembling accurate national accounts estimates militates against their effective use for short term forecasting.The author considers that the most important use for national accounts statistics is to provide a framework for development planning. The United Nations system is not altogether appropriate for this purpose. It grew up primarily as a system for recording income flows but in development planning one is concerned equally with commodity flows with a great deal of attention being focussed upon intermediate products. The proposals of the working group of African Statisticians for an adaptation of the S.N.A. to African countries represents a most important advance in this respect.In the final section of the paper the author advocates a broader definition of capital formation to include developmental expenditure which is not properly defined as fixed capital formation. Education expenditure is cited as an example. It is suggested that in the national accounts it would be desirable to operate with gross concepts. However, the growth of the capital stock is obviously important in less developed countries and it is suggested that statistical techniques be devised to measure it directly wherever possible. Finally, attention is drawn to the ambiguities and weaknesses in the concept of residence as used at present in the S.N.A.

Notes: This study of 158 organizations sought to depict current uses of computers in R&D. A survey of senior R&D management by the Industrial Research Institute identifies a number of salient features. Routine computer use is becoming a characteristic of scientists, engineers, and managers. Yet characteristics of usage differ markedly by size of R&D unit and by line of business. Moreover, patterns of responses suggest on-going changes toward the time when R&D will be strongly coloured by the context of an integrated, intelligent computer environment. This implies new roles and skill requirements for R&D managers, professionals, and support staff.

Notes: SUMMARY— Nucleotides in rested king crab muscle were identified as NAD, AMP, GMP, IMP, ADP, UDPAG, UDPG, ATP, GTP and UTP. Of three additional minor nucleotide fractions, two are tentatively thought to contain NAD; the third remains unidentified. The nucleotide profiles of three different leg sections were very similar, with ATP the predominant nucleotide. Average total nucleotide content of these three sections was 3.47 μM/g. Muscle from severely exhausted crabs held frozen overnight contained 0.35 μM/g of IMP. Since king crabs are processed fresh and IMP does not accumulate to a very high level, IMP probably does not play an important role in king crab flavor.

Notes: The gamma activity of 20 pork and 15 lamb samples, varying over a wide range in composition and each weighing 38 lb, was used to predict their chemical composition in terms of percentage of water, fat, and protein. All correlations between the estimated potassium content of the samples and the sample components were highly significant. However, the standard errors of the regression equations indicated that none of the relationships between the chemical components of the lamb samples and their potassium content were close enough to be of practical significance. The results on the pork samples seemed more promising. The standard errors suggest that chemical analysis should be used when accurate results are required or when the range in composition is small. However, advances in instrumentation may increase the accuracy of the K-40 method. Some of the difficulties in applying the method to the measurement of meat composition are discussed.

Notes: This paper discusses the Stochastic Dominance (SD) approach to the evaluation of risky assets. Given a set of portfolios, the familiar EV procedure chooses a set of EV-efficient portfolios while the SD procedures choose SD-efficient sets that usually are quite similar to (but not identical with) the EV-efficient set. The SD approach can be employed as a refinement of the EV model or as an alternative method of evaluating portfolios. The SD view has certain conceptual advantages in the screening of a set of portfolios, but the EV model has the important advantage of an optimizing algorithm that builds efficient portfolios. Also, the SD approach requires more data than the EV approach.

Notes: Current concepts in the field of Total Quality Management (TQM) are largely based upon case studies, anecdotal evidence and the prescriptions of leading “gurus.” Consequently, there is little consensus on which factors are critical to the success of the approach. Few attempts have been made to scientifically synthesise frameworks for measuring quality management practices, and a methodology for examining the issue has yet to be established. This has meant that current TQM models, such as the Malcolm Baldrige Award, have not been constructed or validated by empirical means. This paper presents a research methodology that can be used to improve self-assessment frameworks, such as the Baldrige Award, to better inform organisations in the development of Total Quality Systems.The research extracts a series of items from the Baldrige model and established literature. These items formed the basis of a questionnaire sent to over 200 managers. Data was examined using several well-established analytical techniques that identified 10 critical factors of TQM. These factors were shown to be reliable and valid, and offer new insights into our understanding of TQM.

Notes: The Russian wheat aphid (RWA), Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), has become a serious, perennial pest of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in many areas of the world. This study was initiated to determine the inheritance of RWA resistance in PI 140207 (a RWA-resistant spring wheat) and to determine its allelic relationship with a previously reported RWA resistance gene. Crosses were made between PI 140207 and ‘Pavon’ (a RWA-susceptible spring wheat). Genetic analysis was performed on the parents, F1, F2, backcross (BC) population and F2-derived F3 families. Analyses of segregation patterns of plants in the F1, F2, and BC populations, and F2-derived F3 families indicated single dominant gene control of RWA resistance in PI 140207. Results of the allelism test indicated that the resistance gene in PI 140207, while conferring distinctly different seedling reactions to RWA feeding, is the same as Dn 1, the resistance gene in PI 137739.

Notes: The 1AL.1RS wheat-rye chromosomal translocation originally found in ‘Amigo’ wheat possesses resistance genes for stem rust, powdery mildew and greenbug biotypes B and C, but also has a negative effect on wheat processing quality. Recently, a second 1AL.1RS translocation carrying Gb6, a gene conferring resistance to greenbug biotypes B, C, E, G and I, was identified in the wheat germplasm line ‘GRS1201′. Protein analytical methods, and the DNA polymerase chain reaction were used to identify markers capable of differentiating the 1RS chromosome arms derived from ‘Amigo’ and ‘GRS1201′. The secalin proteins encoded by genes on 1RS chromosome arms differed in ‘Amigo’ and ‘GRS1201′. A 70 kDa secalin was found in the ‘Amigo’1AL.1RS, but did not occur in the ‘GRS1201’1AL.1RS. Polymorphisms detected by PCR primers derived from a family of moderately repetitive rye DNA sequences also differentiated the two translocations. When ‘GRS1201’was mated with a non-1RS wheat, no recombinants between 1RS markers were observed. In crosses between 1RS and non-1RS parents, both DNA markers and secalins would be useful as selectable markers for 1RS-derived greenbug resistance. Recombination between 1RS markers did occur when 1RS from ‘Amigo’ and 1RS from ‘GRS1201’were combined, but in such intermatings, the molecular markers described herein could still be used to develop a population enriched in lines carrying Gb6. No differences in grain yield or grain and flour quality characteristics were observed when lines carrying 1RS from ‘Amigo’ were compared with lines with 1RS from ‘GRS1201′. Hence, differences in secalin composition did not result in differential quality effects. When compared with sister lines with 1AL.1AS derived from the wheat cultivar ‘Redland’, lines with ‘GRS1201’had equal grain yield, but produced flours with significantly shorter mix times, weaker doughs, and lower sodium dodecyl sulphate sedimentation volumes.