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The supply of macroalgal feed materials for abalone aquaculture is threatened by increasing costs, limited availability. and the allocation of seaweed resources for other purposes. The use of biofouling Sargassum horneri (SH) as additional macroalgal biomass for abalone has been studied, albeit full inclusion is discouraged due to low utilization. This study applied heat treatment and fermentation to increase the nutritive value of SH meals for the aquaculture feed industry. Untreated (UN) as control, heat treated (HT, 121[degrees]C for 20 min), and fermented (FE, 10' CFU/mL each of Bacillus sp. SJ-10 and Bacillus sp. KRF-7) SH meal was fed to the abalone (11.60 [+ or -] 0.02 g body weight and 42.98 [+ or -] 0.53 mm shell length) for 8-wk growth trial. The results showed that there is no apparent difference in the growth performance (body weight and shell length morphometries) and survival of abalone given experimental diets (P > 0.05). The crude protein, lipid, and ash composition of edible abalone flesh were similarly unaffected (P > 0.05). The gut microbiota profile of abalone was analyzed through next-generation sequencing. The [alpha]-diversity indicators (microbial richness and abundance) were statistically similar (P > 0.05). and the [beta]-diversity of operational laxonomic units revealed short distances within samples and clustering among diet groups. The core phyla (Fusobacteria, Proteobaeteria. Tenericutes) and genera (Psychrilyohacter, Vibrio, Mycoplasma) known to inhabit the gut of abalone predominantly were likewise identilied irrespective of diets; however, there is a difference in their relative abundance. Genus Psychrilyohacter was relatively abundant in UN and FE compared with HT, whereas Vibrio and Mycoplasma had higher abundance in FE and HT-fed abalone, respectively. Taste sensory attributes were discriminated in the abalone meat using an electronic tongue. Principal component analysis of sensor scores revealed several overlapping points, resulting in a negative discrimination index (-184). which means no apparent difference in the general taste profile was detected. Furthermore, the taste screening matrix through radar mapping revealed slight intensity differences in the umami. saltiness, and sourness flavor. Overall, the methods used for heat treatment and fermentation procedures herein were ineffective in improving the nutritive value of seaweed meal for abalone. KEY WORDS: abalone, gulfweed. heat treatment, fermentation. Haliotis discus harmed, Sargassum horneri, INTRODUCTION The abalone (Haliotis spp.) is an ecologically and economically important marine gastropod mollusc worldwide. They are found in tropical and temperate regions, particularly in the low intertidaj zone of [...]

Pacific razor clam shell growth was examined using data provided by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game containing 235,606 length-al-age records based on visible annuli on the shell from 57,534 individual clams measured from 1966 to 2021 at nine locations in Cook Inlet, AK. Shell growth was modeled via the von Bertalanffy Growth Function treating each individual clam as a random effect. Asymptotic mean length at time infinity (LJ varied considerably between sites, from 121.35 to 186.58 mm, as did the growth coefficient k which ranged from 0.28 to 0.54 [y.sup.-1]. When both [L.sub.[infinity]] and k were examined collectively via a growth performance index ([empty set]'), all Cook Inlet sites were similar ([empty set]' range: 3.80-4.02). The growth performance of Pacific razor clams in Cook Inlet was also compared with summary statistics from previously published mean length-at-age estimates for Pacific razor clams across their distribution. Growth performance estimates from Alaska and British Columbia sites were largely similar, whereas sites in Washington, Oregon, and California were generally characterized by faster growth and smaller maximal lengths. Although this study did not attempt to quantitatively identify predictors of variation in growth parameters and performance within and outside of Cook Inlet, AK, this manuscript concludes with speculations on possible correlates to growth and recommendations for future work. KEY WORDS: Pacific razor clams (Siliquapatuld), von Bertalanffy growth function, Alaska, INTRODUCTION The Pacific razor clam, Siliqua patula, is a large bivalve that inhabits fine to medium-grain sandy beaches from southern California to the Aleutian Islands, AK (Weymouth et al. 1925, [...]

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tickbome zoonosis caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV). The World Health Organization considers CCHF one of the highest priority diseases because of its epidemic potential, [...]

Countries devote a lot of time and effort to develop economically, but they nevertheless struggle to attain that growth consistently. Research into economic growth should have provided some guidance as to which actions these countries should adopt, but multiple studies using different methods and datasets generally have led to an array of outcomes that contradict one another. However, Granger causality analysis can provide better insight into the relationship between some key variables and economic growth to give these countries more direction. Granger causality results establish a stronger connection between variables, even though they do not depict true causation. We therefore use a Vector Auto Regression method with Generalized Method of Moments estimation and then Granger-causality to discover how commonly used variables in the literature individually impact economic growth and in what way for a selection of OECD and non-OECD countries. We choose government expenditure, foreign direct investment (FDI), education (as a proxy for human capital), population growth, urbanization, and trade openness as our variables of interest. We also utilize updated datasets from the World Development Indicators (WDI) ranging from the years 2000-2016, based on the availability of the data. We find that FDI and population growth do Granger-cause economic development for OECD countries but that government expenditures, education, urbanization, and trade openness do not show such Granger causality. However economic growth Granger-causes government expenditures, FDI, and education for these OECD countries. For the non-OECD countries, we find that FDI, population growth, and trade openness Granger-cause growth but Granger causality does not occur from government expenditure, education, and urbanization to economic development. Yet similar to the OECD countries, economic growth does Granger-cause FDI and trade openness for the non-OECD countries as well. The overall results indicate that all countries should encourage the expansion of foreign direct investment to grow their economy, which then in turn can lead to additional investment as well as more resources available for the country as a whole. We also suggest further studies should focus on the economic development of individual countries rather than regions, particularly in terms of how technology can drive growth and impact these other variables. JEL Classifications: H11, O1 Keywords: economic growth, Granger causality, OECD, non-OECD, INTRODUCTION Economic growth provides a multitude of benefits. It helps countries to exploit their resources more efficiently. It creates a higher standard of living for citizens even as it increases [...]

The Caribbean region faces a daunting challenge as it confronts the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to shed light on the intricate relationship between governance quality and the economic performance of Caribbean nations, especially in the context of a global health crisis. Our research method involves a panel-random effects model, which captures the effects of governance quality and the COVID-19 pandemic on economic growth. We utilize data from various Caribbean countries, considering six dimensions of governance quality, trade openness, inflation, investment, and human capital. This comprehensive approach ensures a nuanced understanding of the region's economic landscape during these turbulent times. Our findings expose a significant negative association between the various dimensions of governance and the ongoing pandemic crisis. Specifically, governance indicators such as voice and accountability, rule of law, political stability, and absence of violence, along with government effectiveness, emerge as positive catalysts for economic growth. On the contrary, the control of corruption and regulatory quality demonstrate a notable negative impact on growth. Furthermore, our research unveils that investment and human capital significantly contribute to boosting output growth in the Caribbean. Conversely, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and trade openness is observed to be detrimental to economic growth. These findings corroborate existing empirical evidence on the governance-growth nexus, underscoring the complex interplay between governance and economic development. These results emphasize the urgency of long-term strategies to enhance governance quality in Caribbean countries. It is imperative to bolster the capacity of governments to address future epidemic episodes, recognizing the persistent threat of pandemics. Policymakers should prioritize measures that promote voice and accountability, rule of law, political stability, and government effectiveness while addressing corruption and regulatory quality issues. This research holds profound significance for both academics and policymakers, offering a pathway to stable and sustainable long-term economic growth and calling for proactive preparedness in the face of future global health challenges. It also invites further research in this critical area. JEL Classifications: F63, O10, C33, C01 Keywords: COVID-19, virus, governance quality, economic growth, Caribbean, panel-random effects model, INTRODUCTION The novel COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on the economies in the Caribbean and elsewhere. This is reflected in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, [...]

Official Development Assistance (ODA) remains an important tool for nurturing economic growth in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. This is evidenced by numerous studies that have investigated the ODA-growth nexus in SSA region. However the existing studies on the relationship between ODA and economic growth is subject to identification issues. More specifically, the issue of distributional heterogeneity has not been given the attention it deserves in this field. In other words, the issue of whether ODA- growth nexus differ among developing nations with different economic growth levels has not been meticulously explored. This study aims to examine the heterogeneous impact of ODA on economic growth across 24 SSA countries over a 38-year period. To achieve this, an attempt is made in this study to investigate how the effect of ODA varies along the conditional economic growth distribution by employing the Moment of Moments Quantile Regression (MM-QR) approach, an approach that is able to capture the diverse effects of ODA across different levels of growth distribution. Moreover, this study explores the role of social infrastructure and institutional quality in shaping this relationship. The results suggest that ODA has a positive impact on economic growth in the SSA region, with a larger positive impact in countries with high levels of economic growth. This finding is key as it underlines the important idea that though ODA positively influence growth, it doesn't homogeneously affect all nations; but instead, it remarkably enhance it in areas with relatively robust and healthy economic conditions. The study also finds a positive and significant relationship between social infrastructures and institutions quality and economic growth, particularly in the 50th, 75th, and 95th quantiles, thereby highlighting the fact that well-developed social infrastructures and high-quality institutions play a pivotal role in nurturing economic progress, particularly at the mid to higher percentiles of economic development. The inclusion of institutions quality and interaction terms in the model influences the effect of aid on economic growth, with ODA being effective in countries located within the 25th and 50th quantiles. The findings suggest that aid can be strategically used to stimulate economic growth in SSA countries, particularly low-income countries. JEL Classifications: F35, C1, E2 Keywords: Official Development Assistance, MM-QR, GDP, INTRODUCTION Over the past four decades, Sub-Saharan African countries have been receiving substantial amounts of foreign aid in the form of Official Development Assistance (ODA). Despite efforts to reduce poverty [...]

Transformative rural smallholder agriculture addressing biophysical constraints requires farmer-led innovations for increased technology adoption. Following the need to further intensify the cereal push-pull technology (PPT) for pest and weed control through integration with vegetables, we conducted surveys to determine suitable vegetables across three different counties in Kenya namely Homabay, Siaya, and Trans-Nzoia. Farming in these areas is predominantly maize based and introducing vegetables to the system will improve household food and nutritional security, together with income. A systematic random sampling method was used to sample a total of 124 smallholder farmers who were interviewed during field days where farmer awareness of technology was mobilised. Descriptive results showed kale (47%) and black nightshade (30%) were the most preferred high-value vegetables for integration into push-pull plots in these regions. This was followed by cowpea (15%), onion (6%) and tomato (2%) underlying the wide range of farmer preferences and priorities. There were also gender differences in vegetable preferences with men preferring capital intensive and high value vegetables, while women preferred traditional vegetables. Results from multinomial logit model revealed that age of the farmer, education level, gender, and farming experience were determinants of smallholder farmers' vegetable preferences for integration into the PPT plots. The contribution of these determinants to farmer preferences varied across different vegetables where the contribution of the market value of the vegetable in selection diminished with while the effect of farmers' age. Overall, male farmers preferred capital-intensive and market-oriented vegetables in compared to their female counterparts. We conclude that gender and geographic location play a pivotal role in farmers` crop selection for integration in the PPT. Targeted awareness creation pathways accounting for these factors will be critical for wider adoption of the PPT. Key words: Food security, Multinomial Logistic Regression Model, Participatory rural appraisal, Sustainable agricultural intensification, Technology adoption, INTRODUCTION Pests and diseases are major hindrances to vegetable production and a threat to global food security and are major contributors to poverty and food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa [1, [...]

The study analysed the efficiency of Watermelon (Citrullus lenatus) Production in Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting three hundred and sixty (360) respondents. Selection was done with purposive and simple random sampling, and data collected with a structured questionnaire. The objectives of the study were to identify the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, determine the technical efficiency and measure the total resource productivity of watermelon production in the study area. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and quantitative analytical tool of stochastic frontier model (Cobb Douglas production function). Socio-economic attributes like age, farm size, educational status and farm experience were described to show their relationship with watermelon production in the study area. Results of the stochastic frontier model showed that all the estimated coefficients of the variables of the production function were positive except fungicide. They included: farm size (0.0795), labour (0.0201), number of seed grown (0.926) and fertilizer (0.0207). This implied that watermelon output increases with increase in these variables. It was also shown that labour (0.441), fertilizer (0.475) and fungicide (-1.662) did not exert any significant effect on watermelon output as shown by their t-ratio values. For the factors affecting technical inefficiency of watermelon farmers, age of farmers and farm size were negative and significant at 0.05 levels of probability, while household size, educational qualification and farming experience were all positive and significant at 5% levels of significance and type of cropping was positive and significant at 10% level of significance. Non-farm income was positive and significant at 5% level of probability. This means that one unit increase in these variables would increase technical inefficiency of the farmers and hence decreasing their technical efficiency. Finally, the return to scale parameter returned the value 0.967 which indicated that watermelon production in the study area was in the Stage II of the production surface. Based on the results of the analysis the following were recommended. Watermelon farmers should be provided and encouraged to take loans, be assisted with extension services and become members of farmer associations, in order to boost their production. Also inputs such as farm size, labour, seeds, fertilizer and fungicide should be increased for optimum production. Key words: Watermelon, production, stochastic frontier model, technical efficiency, Nigeria, INTRODUCTION Watermelon (Citrullus lenatus) is a warm season crop that is cultivated worldwide ostensibly for it numerous nutritional benefits [1,2]. The fruit contains nutrients and phytochemicals beneficial to human health [...]

Bambara groundnut is an indigenous African legume, which is the third most important after peanut and cowpea in terms of consumption and socio-economic impact in semi-arid Africa. There is, therefore, the need for adequate research attention, especially with regard to yield improvement. In this study, nine genotypes of the Bambara groundnut (Cream with white eye, Black with white eye, Cream with brown eye, Cream with black eye, Cream with black eye and brown stripes, Cream with brown stripes, Deep-brown with white eye, Cream with black stripes and Brown white eye) were evaluated at Kuru, Nigeria (Lat. 09[degrees] 44'N, Long. 08[degrees] 47'E, altitude 1, 217 m above sea level) in 2018 in order to determine character associations and to analyse the pathways to grain yield. Results showed that emergence rate, plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area index, relative growth rate, harvest index, number of pods per plant and shelling percentage were positively correlated with total grain yield. The Results of the path coefficient analysis showed that the number of days to onset of flowering exerted the highest direct influence on total grain yield. Then followed by harvest index, emergence rate, 100-seed weight, net assimilation rate, shelling%, days to 50% flowering, relative growth rate, number of seeds per pod, and number of pods per plant. The highest total effect (0.988) was observed in 100-seed weight, followed by days to first flowering (0.837), days to 50% flowering (0.701), shelling% (0.658), emergence rate (0.574), number of pods per plant (0.557), relative growth rate (-0.375), net assimilation rate (0.226), harvest index (0.183) and number of seeds per pod (- 0.126) in that order. The study demonstrated that combining correlation and path coefficient analyses is important in determining reliable trait associations that can be used for developing superior genotypes. Therefore, days to first flower, days to 50% flowering, harvest index, emergence rate and 100-seed weight should be considered as major selection indices for the improvement of the Bambara groundnut in the Jos-Plateau environment in Nigeria. Key words: Correlation, direct effect, indirect effect, grain yield, Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc., INTRODUCTION Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc] is an indigenous African legume, which is the third most important after peanut and cowpea in terms of consumption and socio-economic impact in [...]

The coastal fishing of the snail Titanostrombus gakatus is carried out in some coastal countries of the Tropical Eastern Pacific. In this study, the individual growth of T. galeatus that are fished in the community at Punta Maldonado was estimated. The size structure was made using the shell length (SL), and the growth parameters were estimated through the five Schnute cases, where cases 1, 2, and 5 describe asymptotic growth and cases 3 and 4 describe nonasymptotic growth. The male population was more abundant than the females, with 398 and 322 specimens, respectively, but the females were larger (198 [+ or -] 9.66 mm). In general, the average SL during the two sampling cycles was 196 [+ or -] 9.44 mm; this size was not significantly different between the first and second cycles (P = 0.98). Females had a greater range of SL (170-267 mm) compared with males (170-240 mm). The lengths of both sexes showed significant differences between months (P < 0.05). The multinomial analysis showed a multimodal SL distribution, with one to three modal groups for females and males. In growth, cases 2 and 5 were the ones that best describe the growth in females, in males the best were cases 5 and 2. According to the best case (case 2) in females, the growth curve is sigmoidal. In males, the best case (case 5) describes growth according to an inverted exponential curve. In relation to the estimated growth parameters, females showed faster growth than males, analyzed using Kimura's test. The present investigation is the first that reports the growth for both sexes of T. galeatus using the five cases of the Schnute model. The information generated can be used for management purposes, as this species is not currently regulated in Mexico. KEY WORDS: Titanostrombus galeatus, Strombidae, growth parameters, shellfish fisheries, Mexican Pacific, INTRODUCTION In fisheries biology, growth estimation is one important objective in the assessment and management of fishery resources. The growth pattern of individuals can provide details on their age structure [...]

The age and growth of northern quahogs Mercenaria mercenariu (=hard clam) from inner Tokyo Bay, central Japan, were investigated by observing the annuli in their hinge teeth. The ages in the shallow and deep areas are 2-9+ and 1-13+, respectively. Significant differences in growth between clams found in the shallow and deep areas were detected. The growth coefficient and shell length of clams of a particular age in the shallow area were greater than those in the deep areas. Northern quahogs in both shallow and deep areas were confirmed to spawn around summer. A larger gonadosomatic index and a higher proportion of spawning individuals were found in shallow areas. These results indicate that shallow habitats provide enhanced conditions for somatic development in northern quahogs in this region. KEY WORDS: Mercenariu mercenaria, growth function, shell sectioning, INTRODUCTION The northern quahog (=hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria inhabits shallow water from the intertidal zones to approximately 10m depth (Walker & Tenore 1984, Walker & Sweeney-Reeves 2000). The native distribution [...]

1. INTRODUCTION A crucial feature of proper enterprise management is coping with new, complicated, and difficult situations. Their specificity is individual and may bring an opportunity to one entity while [...], This paper aims to evaluate the response of high-growth enterprises (HGEs) to the circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Adaptation to the pandemic situation presented an enormous challenge for these enterprises. The ability to exercise sound judgment affects rational decision-making and adaptation to the circumstances. The study adopts a situational theory perspective related to high-growth enterprises. Data collection was conducted twice - at the beginning of 2019, and after the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in October 2021. The Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) method was used to analyze the sample of 150 Polish HGEs. Results show that the impact of the pandemic mainly relates to the reduction or stagnation of market opportunities. The importance of human resources decreased in favor of technological and financial resources. The majority of the surveyed companies also maintained their HGE status. KEYWORDS: contingency theory, high-growth enterprises, COVID-19 pandemic, Generalized Estimating Equations, market indicators

This research aims to determine the influence of corporate Governance, capital structure, and company growth on dividend policy and company value. The data is secondary data from the financial reports of consumer goods sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2015-2020. The sample for this research consisted of 14 companies. This explanatory research uses a quantitative approach and implements the Partial Least Square (PLS) approach. This research finds that corporate Governance, capital structure, and company growth have insignificant effect on dividend policy, while they have a significant impact on company value. Dividend policy has a negative effect on company value.

The COVID-19 pandemic reminded accountants and auditors of one of the most important concepts of modern accounting – the going concern assumption. Going concern refers to a company's ability to make enough money to stay afloat or to avoid bankruptcy. Based on the application of agency theory and signalling theory this study aimed to examine the influence of GCG practices, financial condition and company growth on the going concern of transportation and logistics service sector companies listed on the IDX. This study is associative research with secondary data obtained from the annual report on the IDX website and CGC reports. The data collected for analysis covers the period from 2019-2022. Going concern is proxied by going concern opinion with dummies 1 and 0. GCG practices are measured using disclosure quality based on the CG index covering GCG structures and processes and the performance of its issuers in terms of internal control units, remuneration, and Corporate Secretary. Financial condition is measured using the Altman Z-score prediction model. Corporate growth is proxied by calculating the sales growth ratio based on each corporation's profit/loss statement. The research sample is transportation and logistics service sector companies listed on the IDX in 2019-2022, amounting to 20 companies with a total observation data of 80. The data testing in this study uses logistic regression analysis to determine the predictive power of these financial ratios, which are the most dominant in determining whether a corporation will receive a going concern audit opinion. The researchers found that only financial condition significantly affects the company's going concern in this study. The negative coefficient direction means that transportation and logistics service sector companies that experience poor financial conditions still get a non-going concern opinion where management can convince stakeholders and auditors that they can still maintain their business sustainability. Meanwhile, good corporate governance practices do not significantly affect going concern because investors take into account many other factors to consider the sustainability of the company's business. Company growth also has no significant effect on going concern because companies with profit growth also do not guarantee that the company is free from financial problems that may affect its business continuity.

Somatic growth rate is an important determinant of population growth and recruitment in marine fish species (Kerns and Lombardi-Carlson, 2017). Clupeoids have an opportunistic life history strategy, which is characterized [...]

Remittances from migrant workers are the major sources of financial inflows into the Nepalese economy. The World Bank's data of 2021 suggests that Nepal is one of the top ten recipients of remittances in terms of its share of GDP. Even though remittances make up a significant portion of foreign capital flows, the macroeconomic impact of these transfers on economic growth has not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, the aim of our study is to investigate the impact of remittances on the Nepalese economy for the period 1990 -2021 using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. The ARDL approach is applied to identify the long-term and short-term effects of worker remittances on the Nepalese economy. The model uses real GDP as a proxy for economic growth and uses workers' remittances as main explanatory variable along with gross fixed capital formation, trade openness, foreign aid, and human capital as the control variables. The findings of the bound test suggest that there is a long-run relationship between remittances and economic growth. Furthermore, it is also demonstrated that remittances, gross fixed capital formation and foreign aid have a positive effect on real GDP. While we found a negative effect of trade openness and human capital on real GDP in short run and long run dynamics. The positive influence of remittances appears to be very weak, as a significant portion of remittances to Nepal are used for private domestic consumption. Moreover, the negative contribution of imports to economic growth suggests that a larger portion of remittances is spent on daily consumption and consumer durable items such as television, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioning, and so on. Based on the analysis of the results, Nepal needs to develop an integrated policy to motivate migrants in intensity of saving and investment on multiple productive sectors rather spending on basic consumption. In doing so, such practice helps in channelising the remittances into economic growth through the multiplier effect. The transaction cost of remitting money is another challenging issue in Nepal. Therefore, policy measures must be focused on minimising transaction cost of remittances through the formal and organised channels. JEL Classifications: F24, E22, E60, F20 Keywords: Remittances, Economic Growth, Nepal, ARDL Model, INTRODUCTION Remittance inflow to Nepal has dramatically increased starting since fiscal year 1999/2000 with 10% of GDP and becoming a significant source of foreign exchange reserves. It is evident that [...]

The economic costs of tobacco use are substantial particularly in developing countries. While much has been written on healthcare costs from tobacco use related diseases, little is known on the macro-economic impacts of tobacco-related productivity loss. The objective of the current research is to understand the macroeconomic burden of tobacco use in developing countries. Using World Bank's development indicators database for 44 low-and lower-middle-income countries, most of which are African, this paper assesses the relationship between tobacco consumption and economic growth. Specifically, using the fixed effect regression approach, we examined whether tobacco prevalence affects long-run growth rate in the real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. We adopted an empirical framework from the growth literature by including the national tobacco prevalence rate as one of the determinants of long-run growth in the real GDP per capita. The tobacco prevalence rate varies across countries ranging from 5% in Ethiopia to almost 50% in Myanmar. The prevalence rate is much higher among males than females in almost all countries, with Myanmar males having above 70%. The regression results indicate the existence of a statistically significant negative relationship between the prevalence of tobacco and economic growth after controlling for other determinants of growth, including the initial level of GDP per capita, gross fixed capital formation, trade, resource revenues, institutional quality, a human capital indicator, and infrastructure capacity. A 1% increase in the total tobacco prevalence rate reduces the economic growth rate by almost 2%, all else equal. These findings are robust even after running separate models for male and female tobacco prevalence rates. The results on the other determinants of growth are consistent with the previous empirical studies on economic growth in the context of developing countries. The findings of this study provide additional support to the existing body of empirical economic research on the role of better health, as a form of human capital, in increasing economic output. Thus, actively targeting tobacco control interventions, both in and outside of the workplace, can likely improve workers' productivity and hence economic growth. JEL Classifications: I150, O470 Keywords: Tobacco, Economic growth, Productivity, Fixed effect, Low- and lower-middle-income countries, INTRODUCTION Tobacco smoking has been identified as the single most preventable cause of both morbidity and premature deaths worldwide. In 2019, tobacco (smoked, second-hand, and chewing) alone accounted for 15.4% [...]

Research and Development (R&D) in particular and innovation in general are the best drivers of long-run sustainable economic growth and spending in R&D has been recognized as one of the means to the economic accomplishment of both developed and developing countries. However, the sustainability of the association between R&D & economic growth exclusively depends upon the performance of other macroeconomic determinants. Hence, we examine the effect of R&D on economic growth in the existence of five important macroeconomic determinants. The study focusses on 151 selected countries, including both developed and developing, over the period 1996-2020 and focused on the macro-level analysis. Our research is based on the deployment of system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique. The GMM technique encompasses longitudinal data; and is gathered by pooling time-series across a pool of cross-sectional units, specifically country-wise. The biggest advantage of using the GMM technique is that it allows for addressing the endogeneity problem using lagged explanatory variables as instrumental variables. We have three samples in our analysis, namely pool of developed countries, pool of developing countries, and the pool of both developed and developing countries. Our study deploys four proxies of R&D to work the nexus between R&D and economic growth in presence of five important macroeconomic determinants. In each of these three samples, we run four GMM models, depending upon the deployment of four R&D activities that we used in this study. We observe an evidence that R&D plays a significant role in economic growth when the selected macroeconomic determinants are used as control variables. Our findings are mostly robust to R&D specifications, country specifications, model specifications, and estimation strategies. Most importantly, the effect of lagged economic growth is highly positive, signifying that economies with higher economic growth in the previous years tend to grow faster in presence of R&D intensity. The behaviour of other macroeconomic variables is having diverse nature. Some of these variables behave positively, while others behave negatively. This study suggests that policymakers should focus on improving R&D activities and strengthening the chosen macroeconomic determinants to facilitate economic development. Hence, it contributes to the ongoing policy debate, that is with reference to R&D effect on economic growth, on the finest strategies for attaining sustainable economic growth in all these selected countries. Hence, we can use these findings to develop a targeted policy that promotes R&D intensity in the phases of economic development. JEL Classifications: O43, O16, E44, E31 Keywords: R&D, economic growth, GMM, INTRODUCTION Research and development (R&D) is very vital for long run economic growth (Pradhan et al., 2020; Tung and Hoang, 2022; Celli et al., 2021; Kacprzyk and Swieczewska, 2019; OECD, [...]

One of the primary policy issues over the years in the context of the Nigerian economy has been how to enhance the performance of the non-oil export sector of the economy in order to diversify the country's export base and contribute more to GDP (gross domestic product). Rather than a lack of policy initiatives, the noticeably abysmal performance of Nigerian non-oil exports has been increasingly attributed to poor policy implementation. However, the question of whether such poor implementation is due to the quality of institutional settings, particularly in a developing economy such as Nigeria, has been largely unexplored. To the best of our knowledge, none of the previous studies deemed it necessary to control for the role of institutional quality in the non-oil export-growth nexus from the perspective of the Nigerian economy. To bridge this important gap in the literature, we hypothesize that institutional qualities matter in the relationship between economic growth and non-oil exports. Motivated by a desire to diversify Nigeria's economy away from its reliance on oil exports, this study re-examines the export-led growth hypothesis from the standpoint of non-oil exports while accounting for the role of institutional qualities. We employ the ARDL estimation technique as the best econometric model for the study given its suitability for variables of mixed order of integration in terms of the series' stationarity. More so, the ARDL technique enables us to simultaneously capture both the short-run and long-run dynamics of the nexus. Empirically, we show results that suggest that improved institutional qualities have the potential to boost the positive effects of non-oil exports on economic growth. We also find that the extent to which institutional quality matters for enhancing the effects of non-oil exports on economic growth depends on the institutional quality indicators chosen. On the whole, we expand on the export-led growth hypothesis by considering the role of institutional characteristics and conclude that improving institutional qualities should be prioritized in the path to Nigerian economic diversification. JEL Classifications: Keywords: Non-oil exports; Economic growth; Institutional quality; ARDL, INTRODUCTION It is only commonplace knowledge that before the discovery and development of the oil economy in Nigeria, agriculture was the primary economic activity of approximately 70% of the country's [...]

This commentary delves into the evolution of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), highlighting its transformation from a consultative mechanism to a robust international entity with geostrategic significance. The paper examines key developments such as the Shusha Declaration, the impact of the Second Karabakh War, and the strategic partnership among Turkic states in the context of global geopolitical dynamics. The paper focuses on Azerbaijan's vision of the development of the Turkic unity, some historical aspects, which preceded the idea of the Turkic unity, and contemporary trends in the regional and global politics, which gave impetus to the enhancement of the OTS. The conclusion highlights the importance of Turkic unity as it stands out more prominently in the complex geopolitical environment and posits that trends make it necessary to strengthen and develop cooperation among the Turkic states. Keywords: Azerbaijan-Turkiye Relations, Geopolitical Strategy, Organization of Turkic States, Shusha Declaration, Second Karabakh War, Turkic Council, Introduction: Historical Overview of the OTS On November 4, 2023, leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), comprising Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkiye, and Uzbekistan, met in Astana to celebrate [...]