Does Longevity Cause Growth

This article challenges conventional wisdom by arguing that greater longevity cannot explain the significant accumulation of human capital during the transition from stagnation to growth. This is because greater longevity raises children's future income proportionally at all levels of education, leaving the relative return between quality and quantity unaffected. This result is consistent with historical evidence that longevity began to increase long before education did. Our theory also casts doubts on recent findings about a positive effect of health on education. This is because health raises the marginal return on quality and quantity, resulting in an ambiguous effect on the accumulation of human capital. We conclude that longevity and health have had a minor effect, if any, on the transition from stagnation to growth via investment in education.longevity, health, fertility, education

Effects of Trade on Female Labor Force Participation

Male and female labor are imperfect substitutes and some sectors are more suitable for female employment than others. Clearly, expansions of those sectors that use female labor intensively must affect aggregate female labor force participation (FLFP). We suggest that FLFP actually drops when trade and international specialization expand sectors that use female labor intensively. This effect arises because expansions of the former sectors come along with contractions of others. The latter contractions, in turn, induce male workers to move to the expanding sectors, driving female workers out of formal employment. Thus, a country that is exporting female labor content is actually substituting male labor for female. Finally, building on U.S.-Mexican trade data, we provide empirical evidence that support our argument.Trade, Female Labor Force Participation, Fertility, Technological Change

Empowerment Potential of Social Work Techniques among Practitioners in Israel and the USA

Even though empowerment is an intervention approach that occupies an important place in social work, social workers’ perceptions of intervention techniques that may empower their clients have not been examined. This paper reports the findings of a pilot study on the perceptions of social workers regarding the empowerment potential of various intervention techniques. Data were collected on convenience samples of social workers in Israel and the USA. The findings indicate that the social workers in the two countries broadly agree on the high empowerment potential of techniques aimed at helping clients to change their behaviors so as to make their conduct more functional and to augment their control over their lives but have differing perceptions regarding the empowerment potential of other approaches, including therapeutic approaches, aspects of service delivery, and means of providing support. Further study is recommended to better understand the relationship between social workers’ perceptions of the empowerment potential of different approaches and techniques and their cultural backgrounds

Dynamic Cycle Time in Traffic Signal of Cyclic Max-Pressure Control

In this paper, a new cyclic structure of a max pressure travel time-based traffic signal control is developed to seek an optimal coordination in large-scale urban networks. The focus of the current paper is on dynamic manipulation of cycle lengths within cyclic structure. Following the application of a decentralized approach, which requires only local information in order to offer proper phase durations, the control strategy aims at maximizing the overall network throughput. Previous works of cyclic max-pressure control have presented a cyclic notion to actuate the controller in a cyclic manner. However, no input has been provided on the optimal cycle length for each intersection to be chosen in a network, and along with the dynamic and stochastic nature of the trips, it is not clear what are the main phases of the intersections and how to coordinate them. The developed cyclic max pressure control schemes are compared with an exiting cyclic scheme in the literature. Simulation results show that the newly proposed cyclic structure of the time-based approach offers better decision-making

The Role Of Gis Technology In Urban Development In The Arab Gulf States

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the role of the geographic information systems (GIS) in improving urban development in the Arab Gulf States. The paper is structured as follows. Background information on the definition of GIS, its usage, and recent trends is given. The implications of GIS in some Gulf States are discussed. Recommendations and concluding remarks are presented

Using Animation To Improve The Students' Academic Achievement On Bipolar Junction Transistor

Teaching abstract subjects to students studying towards a degree in electronics practical engineering (a degree between a technician and an engineer) requires didactic tools that enable understanding of issues without using advanced mathematics and physics. One basic issue is the BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor) that requires preliminary knowledge of semiconductor basics and modern physics, which is not addressed in the curriculum. Existing teaching methods reinforce students' tendency to use familiar formulas, without discussing the BJT internal structure and without comprehending the nature of the current. Therefore, it is not surprising that students do not understand the manner in which the current flows in a device that can be described as two back-to-back diodes. This article shows preliminary results of a study in which a computer animation was developed in order to depict the dynamic processes in BJT, and compares the academic achievements of students who learned BJT via animation to those who learned via static diagrams. 41 students were randomly divided into two groups, 21 students in the experimental group and 20 students in the control group. The experimental group received explanations including animation while the control group received traditional explanations using a blackboard but no animation. A comparison was made between the students' achievements in both groups via a pretest. After learning about BJT, a posttest and new comparison was conducted. The comparison referred to two categories: A. Total score on the test; B. Score on questions that require higher level of thinking. The pretest results showed no significant difference between the groups’ achievement. In contrast the results of the posttest were significant, showing a 12-point advantage in the average total score, and about a 14-point advantage in the average on higher level thinking questions in the experimental group as opposed to control group. Thus, while the results of the study are preliminary, it is encouraging and important to present the results.

STEP/XML based macro data representation for parametric CAD model exchange

There is tremendous need in collaborative design today for the integration of heterogeneous CAx systems. This general practice has serious shortcomings like design discontinuity, limited parallelisation, loss of information, and conversion errors. To overcome these shortcomings, macro-parametric approach (MPA), which is a history-based method of parametric CAD model exchange, has been proposed. The macro-parametric approach is a way to achieve compatible CAD model exchange amongst a variety of mutually incompatible CAD systems. CAD models can be exchanged in the form of a macro file that comprises a sequence of modeling commands. A standard macro file that contains a set of event-driven commands can transfer the designer intent such as parameters, features and constraints. Currently, STEP (STandard for the Exchange of Product model data) as an international standard (ISO-10303, Industrial automation systems and integration - Product data representation and exchange) for the computer-interpretable representation and the exchange of product model data is widely used. STEP is becoming the 'lingua franca' in the area of modelling and exchanging product data. One remaining problem of the using STEP as a neutral format is that it does not retain parametric information such as the designer intent but only the pure boundary representation (B-rep) of the CAD model. The B-rep model without parametric information presents difficulties for engineering changes and it may also lead to an unexpected distortion of shape. This research aims to investigate an exchange method that uses STEP/XML (extensible mark-up) technology to express a set of standard modeling commands extracted from CAD models created by Autodesk InventorTM, to enable the same CAD models are readable and shareable with other CAD application systems

Reflexivity and the change in women’s status: the case of Arab Bedouin women in Israel

In recent years, there has been a sharp decline in the birth rate among Arab Bedouin women in Israel, despite the traditional prevailing patriarchal norms that advocate for large families. What has been behind this reduced birth rate? To answer this question, we build on the reflexive theory of Beck et al. who referred to the occurrence of increased reflexivity during increases in feelings of uncertainty and instability as a result of social transformation. This paper examines through in-depth interviews the reflexive discourse that Arab Bedouin women engage in regarding social conventions that harm their security, stability, and status and lead to a decrease in the number of children in the family. Theoretically, this paper articulates a new conceptual framework proposing that reflexivity processes on critical social subjects that pose uncertainties and threats to women have the power to lead to desired social changes. Accordingly, the high birth rate is a critical reflexive subject for women, since it poses social, psychological, and economic threats to women. Thus, through reflexivity on the birthrate subject, women apply new social strategies to change their existing social reality, free themselves from the patriarchal social structures and seek mastery over their lives. Due to the women’s reflexivity process, they were able to lead a significant social shift in decreasing their birth rates, one of the dominant patriarchal conventions, achieving better social status and improving their economic and social security, certainty, and stability

The Effect of Using Constructivist Teaching Approach Model on the Achievement, Creation of an Integrated Conceptual Structure and Attitudes of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University Students Towards Islamic Culture.

This study aimed at investigating the effect of A Constructional Learning Model on the achievement, creation of an Integrated Conceptual Structure and attitudes of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University students towards Islamic culture. The sample of the study consisted of 120 students at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University. The sample was divided into two groups: control and an experimental. Three tools were used in conducting this study: a) Test of Islamic culture concepts, b) Test of conceptual integration, c) and Scale of Students' attitudes towards Islamic culture course.The findings of the study were: There was a statistically significant difference between the mean cores of the experimental and control group in the test of the Islamic culture concepts in favor of the experimental group. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental and control group in the test of conceptual integration in favor of the experimental group. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental and control group in the students' attitudes towards the Islamic literacy in favor of the experimental group, researchers recommend the use of the constructivist learning model in teaching Islamic culture for other university students. They also recommend developing learning materials based on this model and train instructors of Islamic culture/ to use them