Does Economic Integration Really Improve Trade Competitiveness? The Case of BRICS

This research assesses the trade competitiveness of BRICS nations during the period 2001-2017. The ultimate aim of the study is to investigate the effects of economic integration in enhancing the trade competitiveness of member countries. Various price and non-price measures that carry information on trade competitiveness are computed and their relative importance is analyzed. The findings of the research demonstrate the asymmetric pattern of trade development in BRICS region even after the formation of group. The benefits under integration are more country specific and in particular, the partnership favors more to the growth of China and India. Surprisingly, the research finds the loosely linked stock markets as and real exchange markets in BRICS that acclaims the lack of consensus among market regulators in their intervention policies

A test of tau neutrino interactions with atmospheric neutrinos and K2K

The presence of a tau component in the flux of atmospheric neutrinos inside the Earth, due to flavor oscillations, makes these neutrinos a valuable probe of interactions of the tau neutrino with matter. We study -- analytically and numerically -- the effects of nonstandard interactions in the nu_e-nu_tau sector on atmospheric neutrino oscillations, and calculate the bounds on the exotic couplings that follow from combining the atmospheric neutrino and K2K data. We find very good agreement between numerical results and analytical predictions derived from the underlying oscillation physics. While improving on existing accelerator bounds, our bounds still allow couplings of the size comparable to the standard weak interaction. The inclusion of new interactions expands the allowed region of the vacuum oscillation parameters towards smaller mixing angles, 0.2 ~< sin^2 theta_{23} ~< 0.7, and slightly larger mass squared splitting, 1.5 * 10^{-3} eV^2 ~< |\Delta m^2_{23}| ~< 4.0 * 10^{-3} eV^2, compared to the standard case. The impact of the K2K data on all these results is significant; further important tests of the nu_e-nu_tau exotic couplings will come from neutrino beams experiments such as MINOS and long baseline projects.Comment: 8 figures, some typos corrected, minor editing in the reference

Compatibility of RuO₂ electrodes with PZT ceramics

Because of its high electrical conductivity and good diffusion barrier properties ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a good electrode material for use with ferroelectric lead zirconate–titanate (PZT) solid solutions. Under certain conditions, RuO2 can react with PZT to form lead ruthenate (Pb2Ru2O6⋅5) during processing at elevated temperatures resulting in lead depletion from PZT. The standard Gibbs energies of formation of RuO2 and Pb2Ru2O6⋅5 and activities of components of the PZT solid solution have been determined recently. Using this data along with older thermodynamic information on PbZrO3 and PbTiO3, the stability domain of Pb2Ru2O6⋅5 is computed as a function of PZT composition, temperature and oxygen partial pressure in the gas phase. The results show PbZrO3-rich compositions are more prone to react with RuO2 at all temperatures. Increasing temperature and decreasing oxygen partial pressure suppress the reaction. Graphically displayed are the reaction zones as a function of oxygen partial pressure and PZT composition at temperatures 973, 1173 and 1373 K

Fermi Velocity Spectrum and Incipient Magnetism in TiBe2

We address the origin of the incipient magnetism in TiBe$_2$ through precise first principles calculations, which overestimate the ferromagnetic tendency and therefore require correction to account for spin fluctuations. TiBe$_2$ has sharp fine structure in its electronic density of states, with a van Hove singularity only 3 meV above the Fermi level. Similarly to the isovalent weak ferromagnet ZrZn$_2$, it is flat bands along the K-W-U lines of hexagonal face of the fcc Brillouin zone make the system prone to magnetism, and more so if electrons are added. We find that the Moriya $B$ coefficient (multiplying $\frac{\omega}{q}$ in the fluctuation susceptibility $\Delta \chi(q,\omega)$) is divergent when the velocity vanishes at a point on the Fermi surface, which is very close (3 meV) to occurring in TiBe$_2$. In exploring how the FM instability (the $q$=0 Stoner enhancement is $S\approx 60$) might be suppressed by fluctuations in TiBe$_2$, we calculate that the Moriya A coefficient (of $q^2$) is negative, so $q$=0 is not the primary instability. Explicit calculation of $\chi_o(q)$ shows that its maximum occurs at the X point $(1,0,0)\frac{2\pi}{a}$; TiBe$_2$ is thus an incipient {\it anti}ferromagnet rather than ferromagnet as has been supposed. We further show that simple temperature smearing of the peak accounts for most of the temperature dependence of the susceptibility, which previously had been attributed to local moments (via a Curie-Weiss fit), and that energy dependence of the density of states also strongly affects the magnetic field variation of $\chi$

Evaluation of Brazilian wild Hevea germplasm in India for cold tolerance: Variability and character associations in juvenile growth phase

Natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), cultivation has been extended to non-traditional regions due to limited scope of further expansion in traditional rubber growing areas in India. These areas are often confronted with various abiotic stresses especially temperature extremes. A set of 18 wild accessions, two popular clones along with two control clones RRIM 600 and Haiken 1, were evaluated in the juvenile growth phase at the Regional Experiment Station of the Rubber Research Institute of India, Nagrakata, West Bengal, a sub-Himalayan cold prone region of India. The genotypes exhibited highly significant clonal differences (P&lt;0.01) for all the eight quantitative traits. During the pre-winter period, the number of leaves per plant ranged from 14.2 (AC 3074) to 47.6 (MT 2229). In the post winter period maximum leaves per plant was recorded in MT 900 (29.27) comparable to the control clone Haiken 1 (28.20), while the accession AC 3293 recorded very high loss in leaves. An increase in number of whorls per plant during winter period was noted in MT 1020 as compared to Haiken 1 (0.80). Increment of plant height during winter ranged from 6.53 cm (AC 3293) to 45.01 cm (MT 1020) as compared to the control clone Haiken 1 (40.73 cm). Girth ranged from 5.36 cm (AC 3293) to 11.53 cm (MT 915) while the control clone Haiken 1 recorded a girth of 10.50 cm. Girth was significantly correlated with the other growth traits. Based on rank sum values, the accessions were ranked for overall performance and the top 20 per cent of the potential accessions showing early growth vigour were identified. These can be used for the development of cold tolerant clones

Role of clinical pharmacist in drug utilization evaluation, medication adherence and pharmacovigilance

A series of systematic, criterion-based drug evaluation known as Drug utilization review are conducted on a regular basis to ensure that medication is utilized appropriately. It’s a mean of learning more about the issues brought on by drug usage, if done properly, may help to solve the issues. Medication adherence generally refers to a patient’s ability to take prescription drugs as directed and their continued use of those drugs. The increasing body of research linking medication non adherence to unfavorable outcomes and increased healthcare cost has raised concerns among clinicians, healthcare institutions, and other stakeholders. Pharmacovigilance, in which the procedures keeping an eye on the assessing adverse medication reactions, is essential to clinical practice, public health and efficient drug regulating system.  Aim of the study was wo study about the role of pharmacist in drug utilization review, medication adherence and pharmacovigilance

Thermodynamic evidence for phase transition in MoO<SUB>2-&#948;</SUB>

The standard Gibbs free energy of formation of MoO2-&#948;, &#916;fG(MoO2-&#948;), has been measured over a wide temperature range (925 to 1925) K using an advanced version of bi-electrolyte solid-state electrochemical cell incorporating a buffer electrode: Pt|Mo + MoO2-&#948;||(Y2O3)ThO2||(CaO)ZrO2||O2(0.1MPa)|Pt The Gibbs free energy of formation of MoO2-&#948;, which is directly related to the measured cell e.m.f., can be represented by two linear segments: &#916;fG&#176;(MoO2-&#948;)&#177;570(Jmol-1)=-579,821+170.003(T/K) in the temperature range(925 to 1533)K, and &#916;fG&#176;(MoO2-&#948;)&#177;510(Jmol-1)=-564,634+160.096(T/K) in the temperature range (1533 to 1925) K. The change in slope at T = 1533 K is probably related to the phase transition of MoO2 from monoclinic structure with space group P21/c to tetragonal structure characteristic of rutile with space group P42/mnm. The enthalpy and entropy change for the phase transition are: &#916;Htr = (15.19 &#177; 2.1) kJ &#183; mol-1; &#916;Str = (9.91 &#177; 1.27) J &#183; mol-1&#183; K-1. The standard enthalpy of formation of MoO2-&#948; at T = 298.15 K assessed by the third-law method is: &#948;fH(M&#177;O2-&#948;) = (-592.28 &#177; 0.33) kJ&#183; mol-1. The new measurements refine thermodynamic data for MoO2

Thermal expansion of doped lanthanum gallates

Thermal expansion of several compositions of Sr and Mg-doped LaGaO3 including an A-site deficient composition (La0.9Sr0.1)0.98(Ga0.8Mg0.2)O2.821 were measured in the temperature range from 298 to 1273 K. The effect of doping on thermal expansion was studied by varying the composition at one site of the perovskite structure (either A or B), while keeping the composition at the other site invariant. Thermal expansion varied nonlinearly with temperature and exhibited an inflexion between 550 and 620 K, probably related to the change in crystal structure from orthorhombic to rhombohedral. The dependence of average thermal expansion coefficient (α av) on the dopant concentration on either A or B site of the perovskite structure was found to be linear, when the composition at the other site was kept constant. Mg doping on the B-site had a greater effect on the average thermal expansion coefficient than Sr doping on the A-site. Cation deficiency at the A-site decreases thermal expansion when compositions at both sites are held constant

Existence and uniqueness for Legendre curves

We give a moving frame of a Legendre curve (or, a frontal) in the unite tangent bundle and define a pair of smooth functions of a Legendre curve like as the curvature of a regular plane curve. The existence and uniqueness for Legendre curves are holded like as regular plane curves. It is quite useful to analyse the Legendre curves. As applications, we consider contact between Legendre curves and the arc-length parameter of Legendre immersions in the unite tangent bundle.