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Cadmium (Cd) is a very poisonous and non-essential heavy metal which is easily absorbed by plants. The metal makes living organisms susceptible to its acute and chronic toxicity through plant food. Similarly, Cd hinders the growth of plants by causing the loss of chlorophyll, which in turn negatively impacts the activities of photosynthesis. Therefore, this current study aims to evaluate the effects of Cd on the germination behaviour, morphology, growth and development of Pak Choi plants. The sterilized Pak Choi seeds were germinated on a soaked filter paper of a petri dish. The petri dish included seven different treatments of Cd chloride with concentrations of 0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mM. Each treatment was replicated five times. The germination and growth of the seeds were observed for 15 days. Pak Choi seedlings were also planted under hydroponic conditions to investigate their morphological characteristics, growth and development. After two weeks of growth, the application of CdCl2 was made with four treatments consisting of nutrient solution without CdCl2 (control) and 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mM CdCl2 -nutrient solution. Two weeks of plant growth were allowed before the experiment was terminated. At the end of the experiment, the chlorophyll content (SPAD), root and shoot length (cm), and fresh and dry weight (g) of plants were quantified accordingly. The increase in CdCl2 concentration led to a significant decrease in the length of root and shoot of germinated seedlings significantly. The seedling's growth of Pak Choi was inhibited three days after germination, and the seedling's height (root and shoot) in higher concentrations of CdCl2 was lower than lower doses of Cd. Chlorosis symptoms in the leaf were visible in hydroponic Pak Choi containing Cd. The growth of Cd-treated hydroponic Pak Choi was adversely affected by Cd treatment. The Cd treatment also reduced SPAD, biomass content (fresh and dry), and length of root and leaves number significantly. It can be concluded that exogenous Cd inhibits the Pak Choi germination and growth under hydroponic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is a crucial staple crop cultivated extensively in command areas worldwide. In the command areas, the release of water varies due to the inadequate amount of rainfall in the source area and its proper supply. To combat such situations, direct seeding (DS) methods can be opted for; however, lacunae like excess seeds per drop, scattering of seeds, and intercultural operations like thinning, gap filling, and excess weed growth need a clear refinement to enhance the profitability of rice cultivation. Therefore, a research trial was conducted during 2022-24 at Central Farm, Agricultural College & Research Institute, Madurai, to evolve a suitable direct seeding method. The present investigation was laid out under a split-plot design comprising four main plot treatments and four subplot treatments replicated thrice. The main plot treatments comprised different seeding methods (S) and the subplot treatments comprised different seed coating techniques (P). Based on the experimental results, paper roll seeding and DS + Seed coating @ 2% KNO3 fb Bacillus sp. and Azospirillum (PR + P-KN) combination performed better on establishment with grain (6150 kg/ha) and straw yield (7824 kg/ha) respectively. Regarding the B:C ratio, OS-GP + P-KN resulted in higher with 2.64, closely followed by PR + P-KN with 2.61. The least effect was recorded in the combination of round slots in rice drum seeder and dry seeding (RS + DS). Investigating different techniques of direct seeding and seed coating is essential across various regions, particularly in regulated areas where water discharge remains unpredictable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Sport Culture & Science (IntJSCS) is the property of International Journal of Sport Culture & Science (IntJSCS) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper assesses the growth-enhancing and growth-retarding effects of different budgetary fiscal variables using a balanced panel of 32 middle-income countries for the time period of 2000–2017. Much of previous research requires to be re-evaluated as it ignores the biases associated with either incomplete or wrong specification, or both, of the budget constraint and the money supply. This paper addresses these gaps and obtains more unbiased, consistent and efficient estimates for the fiscal variables, using both static and dynamic panel econometric techniques. Specifically, this paper finds that (1) larger tax and non-tax revenues retard economic growth; (2) higher allocation to public capital expenditure appears to have positive and significant effect on growth; (3) fiscal deficit appears to have neutral-growth effects; and (4) controlling broad money supply corrects for biases in the orthogonal specification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study of the experiences of five individuals who explore their unique relationship between music and spirituality. Each participant critically narrates their faith and beliefs and explores how these relate to their experiences with music. The paper begins with a brief exposition of the literature concerning music and spirituality and the linkages between the two. The methodology combines narrative and auto-ethnography, underpinned by a phenomenological approach to reflection on experiences. Using deep self-analysis, the five authors derive and discover lessons concerning their own relationship between faith, spirituality, and music. These are then analysed to produce common themes concerning the intertwining of spirituality with music. Finally, the conclusions present a novel contribution which includes lessons on how through self-exploration, one can use music and spirituality to repair and ultimately enrich the soul. The paper exposes the interplay between faith, spirituality and music, which will be of general interest and provide inspiration to those who intend to use music to enrich their lives and heal themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the controversial issue of the direct and indirect effects of public R&D on growth. We look at six variables of R&D-driven growth jointly for 14 OECD countries using methods of dynamic systems for panel data analysis: GDP, technical change, domestic and foreign businesses and public R&D. Cointegration tests suggest four long-run relations for the six variables. We estimate these relations using group mean versions of fully modified and dynamic OLS. Domestic public R&D has positive long-run regression coefficients for direct effects on productivity and indirect ones via private R&D. Here, we build a panel vector-error-correction model with these long-term relations. Shocks to domestic public R&D enhance domestic private R&D, technical change and the GDP. Permanent changes in foreign public and private R&D have positive growth effects, which are transitional for foreign public R&D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to elucidate the multifaceted nature of the carbon dioxide emissions dilemma and underscore the urgent need for concerted action to mitigate their adverse effects. Design/methodology/approach: This paper elucidates the methodology of footprint research, outlining its key components, approaches and principles. It encompasses a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on various methodologies and tools to explore alternative futures and identify strategic opportunities. Combining multiple methods has provided a more complete and detailed understanding of complex interactions. Findings: This study aims to analyse the main indicators of the impact of the ecological footprint on the state of the environment, to determine their dynamics over time, to assess the prospects of the negative impact of humanity on nature. Emissions of greenhouse gases are of particular importance in this analysis. Research limitations/implications: Ultimately, the goal is to inspire action and advocacy for policies and practices that prioritize environmental stewardship, social equity and resilience in the face of climate change. The implications of this study underscore the importance of stakeholder engagement and adaptive management for effective integration. Originality/value: The footprint of carbon dioxide emissions encompasses a broad spectrum of impacts, spanning environmental, economic, and social dimensions. At its core, the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, largely attributed to human activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels and widespread deforestation, triggers a cascade of consequences with farreaching implications. These results could be especially interesting for researchers whose studies are interdisciplinary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide a synthesis of theoretical and empirical work related to the professionalization of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from a knowledge-based perspective. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review consisting of three major steps of planning, conducting and reporting is conducted. Papers are identified, selected and deductively coded. Quantitative and qualitative methods are used to analyze the papers. The finalized list includes 78 papers and 48 journals, with the oldest paper published in 1980 and the most recent papers published in 2022. Findings: The findings showed that the empirical works (n = 69) outnumbered the conceptual works (n = 9). Most papers focused on the organizational level of analysis and identified causal conditions, modes, intervening conditions and consequences. A multidimensional characteristic of professionalization emerged inductively as an additional attribute. Originality/value: This paper provides a synthesis of the current literature and offers a research agenda to academics and practitioners interested in the professionalization of SMEs from a knowledge-based perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital marketing is one of the most important things that affect the targeted growth and development of e-businesses, digital marketing is essential for achieving business goals. Digital marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses, enabling them to create brand awareness, build trust, and increase consumer awareness. This study aims to determine the influence of social media-based digital marketing on online businesses and impact of digital marketing (social media) on e-business growth. The role and applicability of social media on e-business growth is the main topic of this paper. This study aims to determine the influence of social media-based digital marketing on e-businesses and impact of digital marketing (social media) on business growth. The study paper's goal is to evaluate the efficacy of social media and digital media marketing techniques on e-business growth. The paper primarily examines the value of digital marketing as well as the impact of social media and technology tools on the efficacy of digital advertising strategies. In this paper, we bring a lot of information from different sources about digital marketing, where special importance is given to the impact of digital marketing on the growth of e-businesses. From the findings of this study, we came to the conclusion that digital marketing is necessary for a e-business, digital marketing affects the growth of a e-business and there are benefits of using digital marketing for e-business. Based on the fact that recently e-businesses have become very aware of investments in this field as any investment easily turns into profit, and based on the fact that digital marketing is the key to the success of business nowadays. The importance of this scientific research is that the knowledge gained from this work can be useful for another ebusinesses, how necessary is digital marketing for e-business, are they think that digital marketing affects the growth of a e-business, how aware they for the benefits of digital marketing for their e-business, what kind of digital marketing are they using for their e-business growth, digital marketing (social media) affects e-business growth. Also, it can be used to inspire those who have started their own e-business, showing you the role of digital marketing in your business. Numerous studies with results have been published on the relationships of personality factors with business intentions and business success. Also of particular importance in this research is the fact of how much an e-business can pay for digital marketing, to spend time or provide adequate staff for the realization of various advertisements, for the use of genuine marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the number of senior citizens has grown, along with the burden of old age, and aging has hampered economic growth. The advent of the digital age has led to the emergence of the digital economy as a new engine for economic growth. This paper uses DEA-Malmquist index model to measure the total factor productivity growth rate of 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2021, and uses the moderating effects model to empirically investigate the relationship between the digital economy, aging and total factor productivity, and to verify whether the development of the digital economy can mitigate the negative impact of aging on total factor productivity. The results show that aging inhibits total factor productivity growth, and the digital economy can promote total factor productivity growth. Digital economy can alleviate the negative impact of aging on total factor productivity growth, and has a moderating effect. Digital economy plays a moderating role by improving the level of human capital and facilitating technological progress. The regional heterogeneity analysis shows that the moderating effect of the digital economy exists in the eastern and western regions and the southern region, but not in the central region and the northern region. Furthermore, the digital economy has a moderating effect on both the high and low aging groups. The research in this paper not only helps to evaluate the productivity effects of the digital economy, but also has important implications for finding ways to mitigate the negative effects of aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Academica Turistica is the property of University of Primorska, Faculty of Tourism Studies - Turistica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Weed control and replenishing soil moisture and fertility are important areas in fruit production. The number of studies focused to determine whether living mulches in tree rows can fulfil these tasks increases recently. In the paper the results of an 11-year experiment on the effect of two such mulches (Trifolium repens L. and Agrostis capillaris L.) on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of three pear cultivars ('Alfa', 'Dolores', 'Amfora') in relation to herbicide fallow are presented. In the experiment, a single sowing of covering plants without additional treatments was used. A statistically significant reduction in yield (20-22%) was found for both mulches used, which was related to weakening the vegetative growth of trees. The average fruit mass did not change significantly, but the percent share of large fruits increased significantly (about 17%) in the A. capillaris mulch. Fruits from trees growing in T. repens contained significantly more soluble solids and Ca. However, that mulch became heavily infested with weeds after a few years. The obtained results allow us to recommend the use of the living mulch A. capillaris in the tree rows of a commercial pear orchard. The 'Dolores' and 'Amfora' cvs are particularly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his Ecolinguistics, Stibbe (2020) declares the story of economic growth (the continuous increase in production and consumption) as the 'master narrative' that is at the same time the most harmful story we live by. This paper explains where this story of growth comes from and describes how it supplants or suppresses alternatives, such as stories of thrift and sharing. By connecting the biosemiotic model of Funktionskreis (e.g. Uexküll, 1920) as "the primary mechanism of meaning making" (Kull 2020) to cognitive linguistics (e.g. Lakoff, 2009) and critical discourse analysis (e.g. van Leeuwen, 2018), this paper explores how stories of thrift and sharing can be turned into activism that seeks to reframe waste as surplus that can be shared; but they can also hide the old business models of the master narrative. Stories of sharing are often erased to protect corporate interests. Narratives of sharing can be duplicitous, especially in the context of the 'sharing economy'. Attempts at reframing resources and energy as common wealth owned by everyone are squelched by the master narrative in contexts like resource and energy distribution. Can the new story of shrinking and degrowth become a new alternative to the master narrative and promote new decelerated semiotic habits (Maran, 2023) for a more fulfilling life with less (e.g. Herrmann 2022)? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industria Textila is the property of Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Textile si Pielarie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Our main contribution to this paper consists of analyzing the impact of public sector efficiency on economic growth. For this purpose, we based on a sample of seventy-five developing countries during the period 2000–2018. In the first step, we have estimated the countries' efficiency scores of public spending using data envelopment analysis (DEA). In the second step, we have incorporated them into a simple model of growth through government expenditure by applying a generalized method of moments (GMM). The results demonstrate that increasing government expenditure reduces economic growth in developing countries. However, when government expenditure is interacted with public sector efficiency, we find evidence for efficiency to boost the impacts of public spending on economic growth. Moreover, the empirical results show that above a critical threshold, efficiency lowers the optimal size of government expenditure required to maximize growth. Our findings can be useful for policymakers in order to set out a structural adjustment plan to improve the efficiency level of the public sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper computes Balassa's index of revealed comparative advantage for machinery and equipment (a rough proxy for high-tech goods) for a number of emerging areas (East Asia, South-East Asia, South Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East) and for selected individual countries over some 50 years, from the early 1970s to the early 2020s. The focus is on why some economies were successful in promoting high-tech sectors. As could be expected, experience differs hugely. In some countries, interventionist trade or industrial policies were crucial in fostering comparative advantage. In others, however, the role of policies appears to have been minor and successes were achieved thanks to the free play of market forces (including an important contribution, at least in some countries, coming from foreign direct investment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a Schumpeterian growth model with considering consumption and leisure externalities. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of patent protection policy on growth and inequality, as well as the interaction between policy effect and externalities. According to the log form utility function specification, this means that the elasticity of intertemporal substitution is unity. The following are the key findings of this paper. Patent protection policy encourages innovation and increases employment in the R&D industry, which enhances economic growth while increasing income inequality. In regard to externalities, an increase in the degree of consumption (leisure) externalities results in a higher (lower) growth rate and more (smaller) income inequality. When consumption (leisure) externality is greater intensity, the growth effect of patent protection policy becomes stronger (weaker), while its influence on expanding income inequality lessens (enhances). Finally, both the Pareto optimal patent protection policy and the optimal patent policy under the maximization of social welfare positively correlate with consumption externalities, but negatively correlate with leisure externalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Anhui Agricultural Sciences is the property of Journal of Anhui Agricultural Sciences Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Little Fires Everywhere is a novel written by contemporary writer Celeste Ng in 2017. The novel portrays a stubborn and sensitive, brave and bold little girl--Izzy. She has been living in a repressed physical space for a long time, suffering from the control and contempt of family members as well as the isolation and ostracism of teachers and classmates in the social space, which eventually led to the alienation of her psychological space. Later, in the process of communicating with her tenant, Izzy's shriveled heart is ignited. She sees different lifestyles, captures the meaning of life, and begins to defend freedom and seek her true self in an extremely rebellious way. Finally, she achieves transformation and growth in psychological space and achieves self-redemption in a rigid world. This paper employs spatial criticism theory to analyze the existential predicament Izzy confronts in various spaces and her resistance from three dimensions: the mundane physical space, the oppressive social space, and the estranged psychological space. The aim is to illuminate to readers that only through persistent rebellion can individuals shatter the constraints of space and attain true freedom in the face of repression and injustice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex analysis is a very important branch of research in Pure Mathematics and so many works in different directions have been explored in this field. Moreover, in this regard, the study of growth analysis of composite entire functions in terms of maximum modulus or maximum terms is one of the most important part of research. Order and lower order are the classical growth indicators which are the main tools to determine the growth rate of composite entire functions. Continuing the research work and proceed ahead, the idea of order has been modified and extended to iterated p-order, (p, q)-th order, generalized order, (p, q)-φ order etc. by different researchers. Recently, Belaïdi et al. [1] have introduced the concept of (α, β, γ)-order of entire function which is considerably extended and generalized all the previous ideas of different growth indicators. However, study of growth properties of composite entire functions in terms of their central index is another active side of research and in this paper, we have discussed some central index based growth properties of composite entire functions on the basis of their (α, β, γ)-order and (α, β, γ)-lower order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bacteria frequently encounter nutrient limitation in nature. The ability of living in this nutrient shortage environment is vital for bacteria to preserve their population and important for some pathogenic bacteria to cause infectious diseases. Usually, we study how bacteria survive after nutrient depletion, a total starvation condition when bacteria almost cease growth and try to survive. However, nutrient limitation may not always lead to total starvation. Methods: Bacterial adaptation to nutrient shortage was studied by determining bacterial growth curves, intracellular pH, intracellular amino acid contents, gene transcription, protein expression, enzyme activity, and translation and replication activities. Results: No exogenous supply of methionine results in growth attenuation of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a human pathogen. In this paper, we refer to this inhibited growth state between ceased growth under total starvation and fullspeed growth with full nutrients as semi-starvation. Similar to total starvation, methionine semi-starvation also leads to intracellular acidification. Surprisingly, it is intracellular acidification but not insufficient methionine synthesis that causes growth attenuation under methionine semi-starvation. With excessive glutamine supply in the medium, intracellular methionine level was not changed, while bacterial intracellular pH was elevated to ~ 7.6 (the optimal intracellular pH for pneumococcal growth) by glutamine deamination, and bacterial growth under semi-starvation was restored fully. Our data suggest that intracellular acidification decreases translation level and glutamine supply increases intracellular pH to restore translation level, thus restoring bacterial growth. Discussion: This growth with intracellular pH adjustment by glutamine is a novel strategy we found for bacterial adaptation to nutrient shortage, which may provide new drug targets to inhibit growth of pathogenic bacteria under semi-starvation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little documented information on how Systems Engineering (SE) teams are structured with respect to the various SE subdisciplines. This paper provides five possible role‐based structures to aid in filling this knowledge gap and in helping projects structure their own SE teams for success. The five structures range from a simple, single‐role structure to an advanced embedded SE with lead. The paper defines, illustrates, and presents key advantages and disadvantages for the structures. It also presents two real‐world examples to show the value of organizing or reorganizing SE teams to these structures. One focuses on large‐sized and complex waterfall project with a separate SE team restructuring for efficiency and growth opportunities and the other focuses on a medium‐sized and complex Agile project where the SE team restructures for better design definition and schedule efficiencies. Both show how a restructuring helped improve the overall quality of work, the integration with others in the project, and the overall understanding of the systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study concentrated on a business report that typically reveals a company's non-financial information, aiming to uncover its strategic direction. Using text-mining techniques, the research extracted and analyzed the report's overview sections, identifying key strategic themes categorized into the financial, customer, learning and growth, and internal process perspectives. The empirical analysis applied a two-stage model to assess how shifts in company strategies affect profitability, stability, and growth. This research provided insights into the management strategies and financial metrics within the information security sector, examining how strategic priorities shape financial health. The findings were as follows. Firstly, companies emphasizing financial strategies in their reports tended to exhibit higher profitability. Secondly, those focusing on customer-oriented strategies also reported greater profitability. Thirdly, companies prioritizing internal processes demonstrated increased organizational stability. Fourthly, an emphasis on learning and growth strategies was associated with lower stability but higher growth potential. This paper contributes to the field by offering a method to quantitatively analyze qualitative textual data, providing a more precise approach to understanding management strategies through direct content analysis of business reports. It also highlights the specific financial and strategic characteristics of information security firms, a relatively under-researched area, thereby offering valuable guidance for these companies in terms of strategic planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth is resulting in serious environmental problems. Effectively establishing an economic growth model that considers environmental pollution is an important topic. To analyze the interplay between economic growth and environmental pollution, a fractional-order time-delayed economic growth model with environmental purification is proposed in this paper. The established model considers not only the environment and economic production but also the labor force population and total factor productivity. Furthermore, the asymptotic stability conditions and parameter stability interval are provided. Finally, in numerical experiments, the correctness of the theory is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the global concern about food safety and environmental pollution is increasing day by day. Reducing the use of toxic and harmful additives such as antibiotics, hormones, and chemicals in livestock and poultry feed, developing green, safe, efficient, and low-residue additives, ensuring consumers' health, and improving the ecological environment are the focus of animal husbandry at present. Flavonoids are secondary metabolites of plants, which widely exist in bark, root, stem, leaf, fruit, and seeds of plants. They have many biological activities such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, reducing oxidative stress, protecting intestinal mucosa, improving intestinal flora structure, promoting growth, and regulating immunity, etc. They can improve animal production performance and product quality, and have potential development value to enhance the economic benefits of farms. In this paper, the role of flavonoids and their application in livestock and poultry breeding were reviewed, and the application research progress of flavonoids in calves and adult cattle was emphasized, to provide a reference for its rational application in cattle production at different growth stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Análisis Filosófico is the property of Sociedad Argentina de Analisis Filosofico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Amid a massive influx of development assistance, considerable skepticism remains regarding the effectiveness of aid in promoting the development of conflict-affected states under post-conflict conditions. Although the importance of aid modalities and policies for allocating aid to improve aid effectiveness has been the subject of much discussion, there is still limited research on post-conflict countries. The current paper, accordingly, contributes to the aid-development literature by offering an assessment of the effectiveness of specific aid modalities in the context of post-conflict circumstances. We measure the effects of four key aid modalities—financial program aid, project aid, technical assistance, and food aid—on the economic growth of conflict-affected countries employing the system-GMM estimator and using the conflict database of the Uppsala Conflict Data Program and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee aid database. We find that financial program aid, which generally supports national finance and state-led development programs, has a marginally significant positive effect when it is administered in post-conflict conditions, particularly for non-least developed and African countries. In contrast, other aid types—food aid and technical assistance show statistically insignificant or negative effects on the GDP per capita growth under post-conflict conditions. These heterogeneous effects of aid by type depending on a country's development status and region suggests that the allocation of aid to conflict-affected countries must be strategic, considering the conflict type, development policy, and absorptive capacity of the recipients to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial published in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology. It discusses the role of environmental and internal factors in the neuroendocrine regulation of fish. The editorial highlights the importance of the brain-pituitary axis in controlling various physiological processes in fish, such as growth, reproduction, metabolism, and stress responses. It also mentions recent research findings on new components and mechanisms involved in endocrine regulation and plasticity in fish. The editorial introduces a research topic on neuroendocrine regulations in fish, which includes five original research articles covering different aspects of neuroendocrine regulation in fish. The articles explore the measurement of signaling molecules in fish tissues, the role of aromatases in zebrafish reproduction, the hormonal regulation of oocyte hydration in marine teleosts, the effects of cysteamine on growth and the GH/IGF axis in gilthead sea bream, and the role of somatostatin in regulating growth hormone secretion and reproductive hormone levels in tilapia. The editorial concludes by stating that the research topic provides valuable insights into the complex neuroendocrine mechanisms that regulate growth and reproduction in fish and hopes that it will contribute to the development of more effective strategies for promoting growth and reproductive success in fish populations. [Extracted from the article]

Clinical Key Message: We present a case of recurring ameloblastoma in soft tissue, for which we have estimated the growth rate of the lesion. This information could help clinicians to establish follow‐up protocols for the early diagnosis of recurrent ameloblastomas. In the present paper, we present a case of recurring ameloblastoma in soft tissue, for which we have estimated the growth rate of the lesion. The area of the whole resected specimen was measured using the ImageJ guide for complex object area. After dividing the area of the recurrent tumor by the number of years during the follow‐up, we found that the lesion growth rate was 5.3 cm2 per year. Although further studies are still necessary in the literature to assess the growth rate of ameloblastoma, the present report shows a different methodology to estimate it. This information could help clinicians to establish follow‐up protocols for the early diagnosis of recurrent ameloblastomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines cooperatives from the Agricultural sector and the Manufacturing industry. The research focuses on the growth of cooperatives of different sizes and ages. The period of the research is 5 years. After an indepth study of the empirical data of the studied sectors, an analysis of the rate of change in net sales revenue and their productivity is made. The productivity, growth and age of the cooperatives are expected to be positively related for the period under study. Cooperatives with longer working experience are predicted to realize a higher rate of change in net sales revenue compared to cooperatives that have been operating for a shorter period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How can we explain the success of cooperative networks of firms which share innovations, such as Silicon Valley or the Open Source community? This paper shows that if innovations are cumulative, making an invention publicly available to a network of firms may be valuable if the firm expects to benefit from future improvements made by other firms. A cooperative equilibrium where all innovations are made public is shown to exist under certain conditions. Furthermore, such an equilibrium does not rest on punishment strategies being followed after a deviation: it is optimal not to deviate regardless of another firm's actions following a deviation. A cooperative equilibrium is more likely to arise the greater the number of firms in the network. When R&D effort is endogenous, cooperative equilibria are associated with strategic complementarities between firms' research effort, which may lead to multiple equilibria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper discusses the crystallization kinetics of potassium sulfate in a stirred bed crystallizer through experimental investigation. Using classical nucleation theory, the homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms of potassium sulfate are studied. The induction time and critical nucleation parameters, including surface tension (γ), critical nucleation radius (r*), critical nucleation free energy (ΔG*), and critical nucleation molecule number (i*), are measured under different temperatures and supersaturation ratios. Experimental results show that as temperature and supersaturation ratio increase, induction time, critical nucleation free energy, critical nucleation radius, and critical molecule number decrease while nucleation rate increases. The crystal shape remains relatively unchanged with temperature and supersaturation ratio, but the average particle size increases with increasing supersaturation and temperature. Changes in measured nucleation parameters are consistent with classical nucleation theory. In addition, the kinetic equations of crystal nucleation and growth rate in a stirred crystallization system are fitted using population balance equations, and the results show that the growth rate increases with increasing supersaturation and stirring speed. In addition, the effects of the parameters in the nucleation rate equation suggest that suspension density has the greatest impact, followed by supersaturation ratio and stirring speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing yield of Flammulina filiformis, spent mushroom root waste (MRW) has emerged as a major agricultural residue in F. filiformis production. In this paper, MRW was used as a new supplement for substrate mixtures to produce F. filiformis. Thirteen formulations and a control were designed to evaluate 37 cultivation and quality indices, including the physicochemical properties of the substrate, mycelial growth and development, yield, biological efficiency, fruiting body appearance quality, and nutritional quality. The cultivation substrate, including 1% (P4) or 3.1% (P8) MRW, was found to improve the yield and the biological efficiency while having no effect on or even improving some cultivation and nutritional indices, such as the growth rate of the length of the stipe (SLGR), the length of the stipe during harvest time (SL), and the crude fiber content (CFC), crude protein content (CPC) and phenylalanine in the fruiting body, compared with the control. In addition, the content of MRW had a significant impact on 37 cultivation indices except for FWC. However, in terms of correlation, it was only substantially correlated with the content of eight amino acids, four substrate indices, and two growth and development indices. The findings above indicated that adding 1–5% MSW could improve the mycelial growth rate, yield, biological efficiency, and quality of F. filiformis, which was a cost-effective method to recover MSW in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]