REVISANDO A GUERRA COMERCIAL EUA-CHINA: UMA AVALIAÇÃO ESTRATÉGICA

The relations among United States of America and People’s Republic of China have historically survived several bouts and rounds however the approach employed by the Trump Administration for a program involving reprisal hefty tariff-trade war against China has given a new face to the bilateral relations between the two states. The paper demonstrates that domestic and international agents played a vital role in initiating and nurturing the trade clash between Washington and Beijing since 2018 to date. The aim of the study is to ascertain that how the political climate and past pursuits of one country conditions policy outcomes in another, and how domestic political pressures on politician’s conditions their relations with foreign counterparts. The paradigm of rational choice theory is adopted to provide a conceptual understanding to the triggering of the trade war between the economic giants.As relações entre os Estados Unidos da América e a República Popular da China têm sobrevivo aos históricos altos e baixos, mas a abordagem empregada pela Administração Trump envolvendo represálias e uma pesada guerra comercial-tarifária contra a China concedeu uma nova face às relações bilaterais entre os dois Estados. O artigo demonstra que agentes domésticos e internacionais desempenharam papel vital no início e fomento do confronto comercial entre Washington e Pequim desde 2018 até o momento. O objetivo do estudo é verificar como o clima político e interesses passados de um país condicionam os resultados da política em outro, bem como de que forma as pressões políticas internas sobre os políticos condicionam suas relações com suas contrapartes estrangeiras. O paradigma da teoria da escolha racional é adotado para fornecer uma compreensão conceitual ao desencadeamento da guerra comercial entre os gigantes econômicos

Global drought monitoring with drought severity index (DSI) using Google Earth Engine

Abstract: Unlike most disasters, drought does not appear abruptly. It slowly builds over time due to the changes in different environmental and climatological factors. It is one of the deadly disasters that has plagued almost every region of the globe since early civilization. Droughts are scientifically being studied with the help of either simple or composite indices. At 500-m spatial resolution, this study presents global scale drought severity index (DSI), a composite index using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), 8-day temporal resolution evapotranspiration (ET), potential evapotranspiration (PET), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). This index is mainly used to identify meteorological droughts and also has proven reliable for studying agriculture droughts. In this study, Google Earth Engine (GEE), a cloud-based geospatial data computational platform, is used for drought mapping and monitoring from 2001 to 2019. For annual DSI spatial maps, the statistical median is computed ranging from − 1 to + 1, which means drought struck or dry regions have values closer to negative, and wet zones have values near to positive. For the validity of DSI results, the findings are compared with available records of droughts struck in previous years. This study declares that continent-wise, Australia, Africa, and Asia have the most extreme and frequent drought events while South America and North America come a close second. Europe is the least affected by this particular weather event when compared to other continents

Pregabalin Induced Hypersensitivity Reaction and Joint Pains in Patient with Lumbosacral Radiculopathy

Pregabalin is an antiepileptic medication commonly used for other purposes. It is also approved for neuropathic pain. Reported adverse effects are not severe, short lasting and are usually well tolerated1. The most common side effects comprise of lightheadedness , sedation , double vision ,increase in bodyweight and imbalance whereas decrease in neutrophil count and hypersensitivity are the uncommon adverse effects. In the literature till date, few case reports are available on the drug reactions to pregabalin. We report a case of young female who developed hypersensitivity reaction with pregabalin including body rashes, hives peripheral edema, and joint pains. Using the Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale, a ‘‘probable’’ reaction (Score: 7) was attributed to our patient. Clinicians should keep in mind the reported side effects and counsel patient about the possible side effects before starting it with regular follow up of patients for side effects monitoring

Does the stringency of government interventions for COVID19 reduce the negative impact on market growth? Evidence from Pacific and South Asia

The objective of this study is to empirically assess the effect of government decisions on market growth in response to social distancing initiatives, government reactions, economic support provision, and containment and health responses, to name a few. A panel dataset of daily stock market returns is analysed in this study, changes in COVID-19 cases, and government responses to 17 countries in the Pacific and South Asia from 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020. Findings indicate that social distancing policies have a significant negative effect on stock returns but a substantial positive impact on market growth when new cases’ growth rate declines after accounting for country characteristics and systematic risk due to foreign factors. A direct negative effect is seen almost immediately, and a subsequently indirect positive effect is noted. As expected, policies regarding social distancing have an immediate negative impact, attributed mainly to the expected negative effect on economic activity. Subsequently, we see an indirect positive effect on market return because social distancing measures reduced the growth of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Both awareness, containment, and health index (ACHI) and Income Support and Debt Relief Index (ISDRI) positively affect market growth, as they are perceived to support individuals’ socio-economic well-being and mainly result in positive market returns

Chaotic Behavior of Lorenz-Based Chemical System under the Influence of Fractals

This research examines a chaotic chemical reaction system based on the variation of the Lorenz system. This study demonstrates that although the first phase portraits of the chemical models under consideration and the Lorenz models are comparable, they do not fully follow all the features of the Lorenz system. Questions about the existence of fractals in systems based on chemical reactions are addressed in the current work. Moreover, we have worked on the hidden information inside in each wings of a chaotic system generated through fractal process, for the first time, with the aid of basin for fractals. Additionally, we looked closely at the dynamics of the model across the basin, which revealed additional details regarding the existence of hidden and cyclic attractors inside each wing. We also produced multi-wings for system (1) in the current study, demonstrating in a general manner that the number of cyclic attractors increase in a direct relation to the number of wings. Moreover, Julia approach is used to accomplish the work of multi-wings whereas for searching cyclic attractors inside each extra wing, we have used fifteen million initial conditions and compiled them as a basin set. The data generated in this work is also provided within this paper for the ease of readers

POTENTIAL ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF DIFFERENT HONEY BRANDS FROM PAKISTAN: A QUEST FOR NATURAL REMEDY

Background: Besides a wholesome food, honey is known for its therapeutic implications. We investigated the antifungal activity of five honeys of different types from Pakistan against various pathogenic fungal strains. Antifungal properties of processed and non-processed honey were determined. Materials and Methods: The antifungal assay of honey was carried out against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigates, Alterneria alternata, Fusarium solanai, Microsporum canis, Penicillium funiculosium and Rhizopus solanai. Different dilutions of honey samples were used (20%, 50%, 70%, 90% and 100% w/v so as to find out the minimum effective concentration of each honey type. Results: It was observed that all of the honey samples were highly active, with percent inhibition range of (3-81%) for Aspergillus niger, (2-82%) for Aspergillus flavus, (1-76%) for Aspergillus fumigates, (1-84%) for Alterneria alternata, (2- 67%) for Fusarium solanai, (1-87%) Microsporum canis, (2-78%) Penicillium funiculosium and (1-86%) for Rhizopus solanai. Conclusion: The study of Pakistani honey brands reveals that they possess a substantial antifungal nature. Therefore, they may be used in curing fungal infections along with antifungal drugs as a cheaper alternative natural remedy with no side effects

RESOURCE AMASSEMENT AS A TOOL OF MAXIMIZING SEA POWER IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

 The paper discusses the fundamentals behind the Indian Ocean as the new pivotal of the twenty-first century cauldron, bearing high-yielding economic driving potential analyzed from the sparsely deliberated Classical Realist vistas of Morgenthau that form an intertwine between accumulation of resources and maximization of power. The aim of paper is to provide new dimensions to the IOR rivalry between the power-players whose preponderance remains vital to the control of the sea resources. The present geopolitical settings embedded in the virtues of multifaceted interdependence would not allow for war to be denominated as an appropriate strategy to win the concentrated control of sea wealth. Indian Ocean residues abundant possessions vibrant for the sustenance of human society, economic upheavals and for the purpose of modernizing military capabilities. The Blue Economy approach is subject of discussion in the study offers a way-out, stipulating joint development of resources as the rational approach which would foster cooperation, stability of the Sea-Lines of Communications and smooth running of the economic engines. The proposed approach would provide benefits extending to major littoral and regional states including India, China and Pakistan but also to the foreign stakeholders in the form of United States and Europe.   Key words: Sea Power, Power Maximization, Resource Politics, Blue Econom

Assessing Indian Ocean Economics: Perspective from Pakistan

The Indian Ocean offers the “global commons” the sea lanes of communication that connects the East with the West. These SLOCs nurtures the global economic world by providing for a classical instance of ‘multilateral maritime matrix,’ whereby merchant ships are manufactured in one country, maintained and owned by another, underwritten by third, registered in fourth and crewed by subjects of another. In this regard, the strategic and commercial concerns of nation-states extends from its immediate maritime borders to the protection of chokepoints where merchandise is most vulnerable to array of contemporary security threats. The third largest ocean, since the cessation of bipolar hostilities after the end of the Cold War, has been integrated to global market economics to a critical extent whereby any interruptions to the established trade networks is likely to have a ‘shockwave effect’. The Indian Ocean is presaged to continue as a ‘central shipment pathway’ for regional and inter-continental trade in wide scope of commercial commodity items. The patterns observed in the region consists of up gradation of existing port infrastructure and developing export markets and resources based on blue economy would strengthen maritime ties. These transformations have the potential to permit the Indian Ocean to be the “strategic heart of the maritime world”.       

DIPLOMACIA MARÍTIMA NO OCEANO ÍNDICO: CAMINHO A SEGUIR PARA O PAQUISTÃO

The Indian Ocean has gained prominence in the international geopolitical discourse. It is becoming a showground for major competition between the new and existing great powers. Maritime Diplomacy, in this regard, is a valuable instrument for averting conflict. The range of options available are from the cooperative ones to persuasive and coercive selection for the maritime forces. It is helpful not only to those utilizing it but also to academicians who are trying to decipher the more extensive ramifications of the utilization of sea-based strategy. Mahan documented, the most powerful state of the maritime realm is generally also richest and economically prevalent most in the international order. The study uses qualitative method to analyze the existing literature comprising of primary and secondary set of imperatives to provide structured insight that would be useful to policy-makers and academicians. The Pakistani perspective and interplay in the changing geopolitics is assessed in the region termed as “pivotal of the world”.O Oceano Índico tem ganhado destaque no discurso geopolítico internacional. Está se tornando um palco para grandes competições entre as grandes potências novas e existentes. A Diplomacia Marítima, nesse sentido, é um valioso instrumento para evitar conflitos. A gama de opções disponíveis vai desde as cooperativas até a seleção persuasiva e coercitiva para as forças marítimas. É útil não apenas para aqueles que o utilizam, mas também para acadêmicos que estão tentando decifrar as ramificações mais extensas da utilização da estratégia baseada no mar. Mahan documentou, o Estado mais poderoso no mar é, geralmente, também o mais rico e economicamente predominante na ordem internacional. O estudo usa o método qualitativo para analisar a literatura existente que compreende um conjunto primário e secundário de imperativos para fornecer uma visão estruturada que seria útil para formuladores de políticas e acadêmicos. A perspectiva paquistanesa e a interação na geopolítica em mudança são avaliadas na região denominada como “pivô do mundo”