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Endogenous labor migration and remittances: Macroeconomic and welfare consequences
Get PDFThis paper develops a macrodynamic model of two small economies – a host country and a labor-exporting developing country – to address the impact of migrant workers and remittances on the two economies. It endogenizes the migration decision as part of the intertemporal utility maximization of households in the developing economy. This setup captures the dynamic process of migration, in which evolving circumstances may lead to fundamental differences from those based on treating remittances as exogenous. Extensive numerical simulations consider two diverse sources of structural change that impinge directly on the migration-remittance relationship. In both cases the long-run impact on the remittance-GDP ratio differs markedly from the immediate response, primarily as a consequence of the impact on the evolving migration during the transition. The welfare consequences of the different constituents – domestic residents, migrant workers, and host economy native workers – are considered. Alternative tax policies to offset effects, deemed adverse, are also discussed
New terrestrial cyanobacteria from the Azores Islands: description of Venetifunis gen. nov. and new species of Albertania, Kovacikia and Pegethrix
Get PDFThe taxonomy of cyanobacteria has advanced quickly with the use of molecular methods in combination with well-defined morphological and ecological characters. Using this approach, many taxonomical changes have occurred in the Synechococcales and Oscillatoriales, with the description of new families, genera and species. Here we present the study of four cyanobacterial strains from the Bank of Algae and Cyanobacteria of the Azores (BACA) culture collection, all isolated from the Azores Archipelago. The strains were genetically characterized through the amplification of the 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, as well as morphologically by light and transmission electron microscopy. One of the strains presented a high genetic divergence from known genera of Synechococcales and was described as Venetifunis florensis gen. & sp. nov. (Trichocoleusaceae, Cyanobacteria). The remaining three strains were found to be new species of the genera Albertania, Kovacikia and Pegethrix. Venetifunis florensis was isolated from the shores of Lake Rasa in Flores Island, Kovacikia atmophytica sp. nov. is a new species mainly distinguished genetically from other Kovacikia species from Terceira Island. Albertania obscura sp. nov. was isolated from inside a volcanic cave in Terceira Island and is distinct both morphologically and genetically from the already described species. Pegethrix atlantica sp. nov. is a new morphologically and genetically different species isolated from São Miguel Island. The description of these new taxa increases the biogeographic knowledge of the four mentioned cyanobacterial genera to remote oceanic islands and new terrestrial habitats
