We use original 2005 survey data from Fiji and Tonga on remittances and household income to estimate the combined impact of migration and remittances on the composition of household income. A two-stage methodology is followed. A variable for the predicted number of migrants in each household is generated to control for selectivity in migration. This variable is then used in a 3SLS remittances a...

We apply the recently proposed statistical neural eld approach 4,2] for modeling orientation selectivity in the primary visual cortex. Firstly, we demonstrate that the neural eld approach is a powerful tool for modeling neural structures with speciic lateral connections. Secondly, we test in a biologically more plausible way our hypothesis 1] that orientation bias and tuning in macaque striate ...

This paper analyzes the delays and therefore the unpredictability of foreign aid in Africa. As many African countries are dependant to foreign aid, it’s important to understand to what extent aid delays matters for the absorptive capacity and therefore influences aid effectiveness. As the aid literature on absorptive capacity was mainly focused on dutch disease, decreasing returns and instituti...

Structures of the prokaryotic K(+) channel, KcsA, highlight the role of the selectivity filter carbonyls from the GYG signature sequence in determining a highly selective pore, but channels displaying this sequence vary widely in their cation selectivity. Furthermore, variable selectivity can be found within the same channel during a process called C-type inactivation. We investigated the mecha...

Design of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors is still a challenging task because of active site similarities between COX isoenzymes. To help with this issue, we tried to generate a 3D-QSAR (3 dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship) model that might reflect the essential features of COX-2 active sites. Compounds in a series of resveratrol derivatives inhibitors with ...

Calcium channels have highly charged selectivity filters (4 COO(-) groups) that attract cations in to balance this charge and minimize free energy, forcing the cations (Na(+) and Ca(2+)) to compete for space in the filter. A reduced model was developed to better understand the mechanism of ion selectivity in calcium channels. The charge/space competition (CSC) mechanism implies that Ca(2+) is m...

ch4, c2h6 and c2h4 are the most important outlet gaseous of oxidative couple methane (ocm) reaction and this process is a new technology for conversion of natural gas to ethane and ethylene products. in this study, adsorption of ocm outlet hydrocarbons over 10x zeolite has been examined at equilibrium conditions. temperature and pressure are the most effective operational parameters in the batc...

The conduction and selectivity of calcium/sodium ion channels are described in terms of ionic Coulomb blockade, a phenomenon based on charge discreteness and an electrostatic model of an ion channel. This novel approach provides a unified explanation of numerous observed and modelled conductance and selectivity phenomena, including the anomalous mole fraction effect and discrete conduction band...

Through a ligand-based pharmacophore model (S)-proline based compounds were identified as potent cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) agonists with high selectivity over the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1). Structure-activity relationship investigations for this compound class lead to oxo-proline compounds 21 and 22 which combine an impressive CB1 selectivity profile with good pharmacokinetic properties. ...

Many neurons in mammalian primary visual cortex have properties such as sharp tuning for contour orientation, strong selectivity for motion direction, and insensitivity to stimulus polarity, that are not shared with their sub-cortical counterparts. Successful models have been developed for a number of these properties but in one case, direction selectivity, there is no consensus about underlyin...