Ce⁴⁺-doped nanometer ZnO powder was synthesized by so-l gel method. The microstructures and properties of the samples were characterized through XRD, UV-Vis and FTIR. The results indicated that the Ce⁴⁺ was successfully incorporated into ZnO, and the diameter of the nanometer was about 10.7nm. It induced the redshifting in the UV-Vis spectra. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was investigated using methylene blue (MB) as the model reaction under irradiation with ultraviolet light. The results showed that the doping of Ce⁴⁺ could increase the photocatalytic activities of ZnO nanopowders and that the best molar ratio of Ce⁴⁺ was n(Ce)/n(Zn) = 0.05, that the surfactant was sodium dodecyl sulfate, and that the nanometer ZnO was calcinated at 550 ℃ for 3 hours. Meanwhile, it inspected the effect of photocatalytic efficiency through the pH of MB, the amount of catalyst, and illumination time. The experimental results revealed that the initial mass concentration of MB was 10 mg/L, that the pH value was 7-8, that the dosage of Ce⁴⁺/ZnO photo-catalyst was 5 g/L, that the UV-irradiation time was 2 h, and that the removal rate of MB reached above 85%. Under the optimized conditions, the degradation rate of real dye wastewater was up to 87.67% and the removal efficiency of COD was 63.5%.

This article explored mineral resources and their relation to structural settings in the Central Eastern Desert (CED) of Egypt. Integration of remote sensing (RS) with aeromagnetic (AMG) data was conducted to generate a mineral predictive map. Several image transformation and enhancement techniques were performed to Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data. Using band ratios and oriented principal component analysis (PCA) on OLI data allowed delineating hydrothermal alteration zones (HAZs) and highlighted structural discontinuity. Moreover, processing of the AMG using Standard Euler deconvolution and residual magnetic anomalies successfully revealed the subsurface structural features. Zones of hydrothermal alteration and surface/subsurface geologic structural density maps were combined through GIS technique. The results showed a mineral predictive map that ranked from very low to very high probability. Field validation allowed verifying the prepared map and revealed several mineralized sites including talc, talc-schist, gold mines and quartz veins associated with hematite. Overall, integration of RS and AMG data is a powerful technique in revealing areas of potential mineralization involved with hydrothermal processes.

The landlocked and fragile countries’ ability to create a sustainable path to economic growth and poverty reduction is inextricably linked to their export diversification potential, itself related to their connectivity within themselves, in the region, and other external markets. Mali, Chad, and Niger are first challenged by their geography—their landlocked nature with their vast and thinly populated space serves to isolate the most vulnerable communities from external and internal markets. Adding to these geographic disadvantages non-landlocked is incentive environment—defined by high and variable customs common external tariff regimes resulting from multiple overlapping regional trade arrangements—places a wedge between domestic and international prices, provides a disincentive to exports in favor of non-tradable and domestic-oriented sectors. By bringing greater coherence and convergence between the many common external tariff regimes in operation and the rationalization of their structures, and improving connectivity within and between markets, Mali, Chad, Niger, and Guinea can better promote the reallocation of resources toward tradable goods and services, putting the countries on a path toward greater economic inclusion and sustainable growth.

The project finance scenario has changed significantly around the world after the 2008 financial crisis and following the subsequent Basel III recommendations. Project finance loans from commercial banks and financial institutions have largely dried up, leaving it mostly to the export credit agencies and the bilateral and multilateral development banks to provide the institutional credit. Unfortunately, those sources are not enough, given the huge needs for construction of new infrastructure and renovation of the old ones across Asia, Africa and Latin America. The need for capital markets, through market listed financial products across asset class, unlocking a large part of domestic and corporate savings, has never been felt as strongly before. This article seeks to analyze the development story of various Asian capital markets and examine financial products, which have succeeded in their short history in receiving investor interest. The article also delves into the challenges to market development, policy imperatives and the issues relating to market liquidity and credit rating, which are the most significant influencers for public market float and investor interest.

It has become commonplace to describe publicly provided infrastructure as being in a sorry state and to advance public-private partnership as a possible remedy. This essay adopts a skeptical but not a cynical posture toward those claims. The paper starts by reviewing the comparative properties of markets and politics within a theory of budgeting where the options are construction and maintenance. This analytical point of departure explains how incongruities between political and market action can favor construction over maintenance. In short, political entities can engage in an implicit form of public debt by reducing maintenance spending to support other budgetary items. This implicit form of public debt does not manifest in higher interest rates but rather manifests in crumbling bridges and other infrastructure due to the transfer of maintenance into other budgetary activities.