Foreign Capital Inflows, Domestic Savings, and Economic Growth: The Case of Algeria

Understanding the growth process is central to development economics. Analyzing and interpreting the determinants of growth, either the process has worked or failed in countries is ultimately an empirical issue. This study attempts to explain this issue not limited to the economic impact of FCI, domestic savings, and Interest rate on economic growth in Algeria but also on how they are related in a dynamic framework.The model for analysis was developed based on the Two Gaps economic growth model.The analysis of this relationship is based on annual time series data for the period of 1980-20 10. This study employs approaches in its estimation of the dynamic relationship vector error correction model and granger causality. The results show that domestic savings have a positive and significant effect, but foreign capital inflows are insignificant to Algeria's economic growth in the long run. Also, the interest rate has significant influence towards economic growth in Algeria in the long run, The insignificant impact of FCI on economic Growth in Algeria, Could be due to the fact that FCI in Algeria during the period of the study is quite small. The finding, particularly on interest rates and savings has some policy relevance at the macro development perspective

Planck constraints on neutrino isocurvature density perturbations

The recent Cosmic Microwave Background data from the Planck satellite experiment, when combined with HST determinations of the Hubble constant, are compatible with a larger, non-standard, number of relativistic degrees of freedom at recombination, parametrized by the neutrino effective number $N_{eff}$. In the curvaton scenario, a larger value for $N_{eff}$ could arise from a non-zero neutrino chemical potential connected to residual neutrino isocurvature density (NID) perturbations after the decay of the curvaton field, parametrized by the amplitude $\alpha^{NID}$. Here we present new constraints on $N_{eff}$ and $\alpha^{NID}$ from an analysis of recent cosmological data. We found that the Planck+WP dataset does not show any indication for a neutrino isocurvature component, severly constraining its amplitude, and that current indications for a non-standard $N_{eff}$ are further relaxed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Constraints on isocurvature models from the WMAP first-year data

We investigate the constraints imposed by the first-year WMAP CMB data extended to higher multipole by data from ACBAR, BOOMERANG, CBI and the VSA and by the LSS data from the 2dF galaxy redshift survey on the possible amplitude of primordial isocurvature modes. A flat universe with CDM and Lambda is assumed, and the baryon, CDM (CI), and neutrino density (NID) and velocity (NIV) isocurvature modes are considered. Constraints on the allowed isocurvature contributions are established from the data for various combinations of the adiabatic mode and one, two, and three isocurvature modes, with intermode cross-correlations allowed. Since baryon and CDM isocurvature are observationally virtually indistinguishable, these modes are not considered separately. We find that when just a single isocurvature mode is added, the present data allows an isocurvature fraction as large as 13+-6, 7+-4, and 13+-7 percent for adiabatic plus the CI, NID, and NIV modes, respectively. When two isocurvature modes plus the adiabatic mode and cross-correlations are allowed, these percentages rise to 47+-16, 34+-12, and 44+-12 for the combinations CI+NID, CI+NIV, and NID+NIV, respectively. Finally, when all three isocurvature modes and cross-correlations are allowed, the admissible isocurvature fraction rises to 57+-9 per cent. The sensitivity of the results to the choice of prior probability distribution is examined.Comment: 20 pages, 24 figures. Submitted to PR

Robust control of room temperature and relative humidity using advanced nonlinear inverse dynamics and evolutionary optimisation

A robust controller is developed, using advanced nonlinear inverse dynamics (NID) controller design and genetic algorithm optimisation, for room temperature control. The performance is evaluated through application to a single zone dynamic building model. The proposed controller produces superior performance when compared to the NID controller optimised with a simple optimisation algorithm, and classical PID control commonly used in the buildings industry. An improved level of thermal comfort is achieved, due to fast and accurate tracking of the setpoints, and energy consumption is shown to be reduced, which in turn means carbon emissions are reduced

Probing quantum-classical boundary with compression software

We experimentally demonstrate that it is impossible to simulate quantum bipartite correlations with a deterministic universal Turing machine. Our approach is based on the Normalized Information Distance (NID) that allows the comparison of two pieces of data without detailed knowledge about their origin. Using NID, we derive an inequality for output of two local deterministic universal Turing machines with correlated inputs. This inequality is violated by correlations generated by a maximally entangled polarization state of two photons. The violation is shown using a freely available lossless compression program. The presented technique may allow to complement the common statistical interpretation of quantum physics by an algorithmic one.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Distribution of nest preparation tasks between mates of the Redbilled Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus

Le Petit Calao à bec rouge, #Tockus erythrorhynchus$, bien qu'abondant et largement réparti dans une grande partie de l'Afrique sub-saharienne, est encore mal connu du point de vue systématique et éthologique. Pendant la période de reproduction les tâches sont bien réparties entre conjoints. Nous avons effectué au Sénégal 80 heures d'observation pendant les deux principales étapes de l'aménagement du nid : apport de matériaux et fermeture partielle de l'entrée du nid. Durant la première étape de préparation du nid, le mâle a passé plus de temps à l'inspection du nid, au toilettage et à son nourrissage ; la femelle a apporté plus de matériaux au nid. A la seconde étape de préparation, la femelle a fermé presque seule l'entrée du nid et s'est reposée moins que le mâle. Il revient au mâle de choisir le site de reproduction et de défendre le nid. Le choix des matériaux pour tapisser l'intérieur du nid et le colmatage de l'entrée avec de la boue sont dévolus presque entièrement à la femelle. Quelques jours avant sa claustration, la femelle ouvre et referme l'entrée du nid une fois de l'extérieur, une autre de l'intérieur pour entrer ou sortir. (Résumé d'auteur

Inference of the optimal probability distribution model for geotechnical parameters by using Weibull and NID distributions

To obtain the optimal probability distribution models of geotechnical parameters, the goodness of fit of the normal information diffusion (NID) distribution and Weibull distribution were investigated and compared for actual engineering samples and Monte Carlo (MC) simulated samples. Two datasets from actual engineering parameters (the strength of a rock mass and the average wind speed) were used to test the fitting abilities of these two distributions. The results show that the parameters of the NID distribution are easily estimated, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test results of the NID distribution are smaller than those of the Weibull distribution, and the NID distribution curves can perfectly reflect the stochastic volatility of geotechnical parameters with small sample sizes. The sample size effects on the fitting accuracy of the NID distribution and Weibull distribution were also investigated in this paper. Eight simulated samples with different sample sizes, namely, 15, 20, 30, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000, were produced by using the MC method based on two known Weibull distributions. The results show that with an increase in the sample size, the K-S test results of the NID distribution gradually decrease and tend to converge, while the chi-square test results of the NID distribution remain low and are always lower than those of the Weibull distribution. The cumulative probability values of the NID distribution are larger than those of the Weibull distribution and are always equal to 1.0000. Finally, the comparison of the fitting accuracy between the NID distribution and normalized Weibull distribution was also analyzed

A fusion protein derived from Moraxella catarrhalis and Neisseria meningitidis aimed for immune modulation of human B cells.

Moraxella IgD-binding protein (MID) is a well characterized trimeric autotransporter that specifically targets the IgD of B cells. We fused the membrane anchor of the meningococcal autotransporter NhhA with the IgD-binding region of MID (aa 962-1200) to create a chimeric protein designated as NID. The aim was to use this specific targeting to provide a better vaccine candidate against meningococci, in particular serogroup B by enhancing the immunogenicity of NhhA. NID was thereafter recombinantly expressed in E. coli. The NID-expressing E. coli bound to peripheral B lymphocytes that resulted in cellular activation. Furthermore, we also successfully expressed NID on outer membrane vesicles, nanoparticles that are commonly used in meningococcal vaccines. This study thus highlights the applicability of the menigococcal-Moraxella fusion protein NID to be used for specific targeting of vaccine components to the IgD B cell receptor