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While international remittances provide significant disposable income for many households in less-developed countries, there is no consensus on migrants' remittance motivation. Two principal competing explanations for remittances are altruism and risk sharing. This paper employs previously unanalyzed data to bring new evidence to the debate. We develop a simple theoretical model that yields distinct testable predictions for each motivation. Among the model's testable predictions is differential remittance behavior by migrants from households with multiple versus single migrants under altruism and risk sharing. Our estimation finds significant differences in remittance behavior of multiple and single migrants and these differences support the altruistic incentive to remit. Key words--remittances, migration, South America, Guyana

To modify the dyeability of polyester/cotton blended fabric for natural dye, the blended fabric was first dyed with annatto dye to optimize the temperature and time of dyeing. The data then formed the basis for solvent pretreatment and glucose addition. It was found that 40% concentration of 1-4 dioxane at 80°C for 1 hour gave best-results whereas maximum percent dye exhaustion and KIS value for glucose treatment was found to be at 0.03 mol/lt for 45 min. The fastness properties for washing, light and ironing also improve after solvent treatment and glucose addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with felting of wool. Felts are in class of nonwovens as no thread enters into the composition of this fabric. This paper gives relationship between physical parameters and felting and processing parameters and felting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: New York City has one of the highest reported death rates from coronary heart disease in the United States. We sought to measure the accuracy of this rate by examining death certificates., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional validation study by using a random sample of death certificates that recorded in-hospital deaths in New York City from January through June 2003, stratified by neighborhoods with low, medium, and high coronary heart disease death rates. We abstracted data from hospital records, and an independent, blinded medical team reviewed these data to validate cause of death. We computed a comparability ratio (coronary heart disease deaths recorded on death certificates divided by validated coronary heart disease deaths) to quantify agreement between death certificate determination and clinical judgment., Results: Of 491 sampled death certificates for in-hospital deaths, medical charts were abstracted and reviewed by the expert panel for 444 (90%). The comparability ratio for coronary heart disease deaths among decedents aged 35 to 74 years was 1.51, indicating that death certificates overestimated coronary heart disease deaths in this age group by 51%. The comparability ratio increased with age to 1.94 for decedents aged 75 to 84 years and to 2.37 for decedents aged 85 years or older., Conclusion: Coronary heart disease appears to be substantially overreported as a cause of death in New York City among in-hospital deaths.

Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite, resides and replicates as amastigotes within macrophages. The parasite inflicts the disease visceral leishmaniasis by suppressing host cell function. Neither a therapeutic vaccine nor an effective anti-leishmanial drug to reverse the immunosuppression is available. Although miltefosine (hexadecylphosphocholine or HPC) is a promising orally bioavailable anti-leishmanial drug, its efficacy is seriously compromised by contra-indications in pregnant women. Further rational redesigning of the drug requires studies on its mechanism of action, which is unknown at present. Because miltefosine is proposed to have immunomodulatory functions, we examined whether miltefosine exerts its anti-leishmanial functions by activating macrophages. We observed that miltefosine's anti-leishmanial function was significantly compromised in IFN-gamma-deficient macrophages suggesting the importance of endogenous IFN-gamma in miltefosine-induced anti-leishmanial functions of macrophages. Miltefosine induced IFN-gamma, neutralization of which reduced the anti-leishmanial functions of macrophages. IFN-gamma responsiveness is reduced in L. donovani-infected macrophages but is significantly restored by miltefosine, as it enhances IFN-gamma receptors and IFN-gamma induced STAT-1 phosphorylation but reduced activation of SHP-1, the phosphatase implicated in the down-regulation of STAT-1 phosphorylation. Miltefosine induced protein kinase C-dependent and PI3K-dependent p38MAP kinase phosphorylation and anti-leishmanial function. Miltefosine promotes p38MAP kinase-dependent anti-leishmanial functions and IL-12-dependent Th1 response. Leishmania donovani-infected macrophages induced Th2 response but miltefosine treatment reversed the response to Th1-type. Thus, our data define for the first time the mechanistic basis of host cell-dependent anti-leishmanial function of miltefosine.