This research study explores the addition of chromium (Cr⁶⁺) ions as a nucleating agent in the alumino-silicate-glass (ASG) system (i.e., Al₂O₃-SiO₂-MgO-B₂O₃-K₂O-F). The important feature of this study is the induction of nucleation/crystallization in the base glass matrix on addition of Cr⁶⁺ content under annealing heat treatment (600 ± 10 °C) only. The melt-quenched glass is found to be amorphous, which in the presence of Cr⁶⁺ ions became crystalline with a predominant crystalline phase, Spinel (MgCr₂O₄). Microstructural experiment revealed the development of 200–500 nm crystallite particles in Cr⁶⁺-doped glass-ceramic matrix, and such type microstructure governed the mechanical properties. The machinability of the Cr-doped glass-ceramic was thereby higher compared to base alumino-silicate glass (ASG). From the nano-indentation experiment, the Young’s modulus was estimated 25(±10) GPa for base glass and increased to 894(±21) GPa for Cr-doped glass ceramics. Similarly, the microhardness for the base glass was 0.6(±0.5) GPa (nano-indentation measurements) and 3.63(±0.18) GPa (micro-indentation measurements). And that found increased to 8.4(±2.3) (nano-indentation measurements) and 3.94(±0.20) GPa (micro-indentation measurements) for Cr-containing glass ceramic.

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.

Given the importance of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in stimulating stock market development, many researchers have investigated their influences on the developed markets and high-income economies. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of ICT diffusion on stock market development for a panel of 17 selected emerging countries over the period 1990–2020 and employed the system-generalized method of moments (S-GMM) to test its objective. Three stock market development indicators are also used, namely: stock market capitalization (SMC), stock market total value traded (SMTT), and stock market turnover (SMT). Three ICT indicators are also employed, namely: Fixed telephone subscriptions (FTS), Individuals using the Internet (IUI), and Mobile cellular subscriptions (MCS). Three financial development indicators (deposit money among bank assets (DMB), liquid liabilities (LLB), and private credit by deposit money bank (PCM)) were employed as control variables. In its findings, all selected ICT dynamics positively affect stock market development and its constituents. Secondly, no proof was confirmed in relation to the impact of fixed telephone and stock market development with its elements. Thirdly, evidence of a positive relationship is sparingly apparent in financial development and its components. Fourthly, compared with fixed telephone, internet users more positively and significantly affect stock market development indicators. Policy implications are discussed.

Beta macrocarpa, Guss is an interesting species showing very low germination rates. The leading objectives of this work were to investigate the dormancy mechanism and to find methods to break dormancy in order to achieve rapid, uniform and high germination. Macro and micro-morphologic analyses were performed by stereo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed two fruit coats. The yellow external coat or persistent perianth coat (PPC) was accrescent with 5 erect segments contiguous to the operculum of the seed capsule. This coat forms spongy layers (50 to 300 µm thick) that could be eliminated manually. The narrow internal coat or pericarp or achene coat (AC) forms woody joined seed capsules, each presenting a pressed operculum that cannot be manually opened. This coat was not adherent to seeds and was composed of compressed cells (50 to 200 µm thick) which form pockets for salt cristal. Seeds were lentiform (1 to 2 mm diameter and 0.5 to 0.8 mm thick) and highly fragile. The embryo was whitish surrounded peripherally by the perisperm with two highly developed cotyledons and radical. Polyphenol concentrations in both coats showed that after 4 months of collection, total polyphenol concentrations were 4-fold higher in the pericarp than in the persistent perianth. However, after one year, this parameter decreases significantly in the pericarp, whereas, it increases to a larger extent in the perianth. Different germination tests indicated that the pericarp provides a chemical and a physical resistance to seed germination during the first 4 months of the experiment after collection. The chemical dormancy was released to higher levels of total polyphenol compounds that inhibited seed germination and seedling growth. However, the physical dormancy was associated with the hardness of this intern coat which caused a mechanical resistance to radicle emergence. After one year of storage, total polyphenol pericarp concentration decreased notably, and chemical resistance disappeared, whereas the physical one persisted. Consequently, one year of storage pericarp removal is sufficient to break this exogenous dormancy.