Innovations

This study evaluated the impact of different feeding regimens, specifically trash fish and commercial feed on the survival and growth performance of Gladiator swimming crab (Callinectessp.) aquaculture. Across three different systems: Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) with Ultra Violet filter (System A), RAS without Ultra Violet filter (System B), and a flow-through system (System C). Preliminary growth assessments revealed similar average initial weight of 1.63 g across all systems. After six weeks of feeding, the impact of trash fish and commercial feed was assessed revealing that crabs fed with trash fish demonstrated higher growth performance than those fed with commercial feed. Significant differences in final weight, carapace length, and width were observed among the systems (p<0.05). Crabs in System C exhibited the highest growth performance, achieving a final average weight of 16.45 ± 0.58 g, a Specific Growth Rate (SGR) of 35.50 ± 1.0%, and carapace measurements of 31.45 ± 1.34 mm in length and 52.40 ± 0.93 mm in width. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that System C, demonstrated superior growth performance metrics, followed by Systems A and then System B. These findings highlight the importance of optimized appropriate feeding strategies in enhancing the growth and survival of Gladiator swimming crabs in aquaculture systems. The study concluded that flow-through systems offer the most favorable environment for C. pallidusgrowth, particularly when combined with trash fish feeding. These results can inform future aquaculture practices and contribute to the sustainable production of Gladiator swimming crab in tropical regions.  

Background: Estimating sample size is an essential step in the planning stages of epidemiological studies. Although there are many online calculators available to find out sample size for most epidemiological studies, their use needs to understand the underlying factors that determine sample size. Objective: To provide an overview of the factors that determine sample size in epidemiological studies, to explain sample-size estimation for the most common study designs in epidemiological research and to discuss a few sample size reduction techniques. Discussion: If investigators understand key parameters—Type I error, power, effect size, Variability and drop rate—they can estimate the basic sample size. These factors are used throughout this paper to calculate the sample sizes for the following study designs: descriptive cross-sectional study (for continuous and dichotomous data), analytical cross-sectional study, case-control study, cohort study and randomized clinical trial. Conclusion: An investigator can determine the minimum sample size needed with enoTable1: Type I error, Type II error and powerugh power to identify significant effects by carefully choosing the parameter values to include in sample size calculations.

Socioeconomic limitations and psychological stress was found to have a strong impact on academic performance in Indian higher education but little research has been done to understand how socioeconomic status (SES) and test anxiety together affect achievement or how structured interventions such as hatayoga and psychological counselling interventions would buffer these effects. This gap was bridged with this study that explored SES and test anxiety as predictors of academic achievement in undergraduate students and the presence of hatayoga and psychological counselling in affecting these associations. The sample size was 325 students of 12 colleges in Kolkata and was measured with the Updated Kuppuswamy SES Scale, Test Anxiety Scale, and academic scores were measured through SGPA. The participants were classified into intervention group (yoga + counselling) and non-intervention group. Simple and multiple regression analysis revealed that in both groups SES and test anxiety were significant predictors of academic achievement though the predictive power was significantly lower in the students who were subjected to hatayoga and counselling. In the case of non-intervention participants, SES and test anxiety allowed explaining up to 77 percent of the achievement variance, whereas in the case of intervention participants, it reached 36 percent, which serves as a buffering effect of the interventions. These results indicate that mind-body techniques in combination with counselling improve emotional regulation and cognitive stability, which eliminates the drawback of low SES and high test anxiety. The research suggests that hatayoga and counselling programmes should be incorporated into the systems of higher learning to achieve more fair academic results.  

Folktales, as the essence of folk culture, carry the collective memory and cultural genes of a nation. The adaptation of folktales into literary works not only realizes the intergenerational inheritance of folk culture but also injects new vitality into traditional culture through innovative expression. This paper takes the adapted works of Chinese and Korean folktales as the research objects, focusing on the core issues of inheritance and innovation in the adaptation process. By using the research methods of text analysis and comparative study, this paper combs the ways in which the two countries inherit the cultural connotation, narrative mode and artistic characteristics of folktales in their adapted works, and explores the innovative paths such as modern perspective reconstruction, artistic form integration and value concept updating adopted by the two countries to meet the aesthetic needs of contemporary readers. The study finds that the adapted works of Chinese folktales pay more attention to the inheritance of the national cultural spirit and the integration of traditional aesthetic artistic conception, while the adapted works of Korean folktales show obvious characteristics of combining national characteristics with popular culture in innovation. This comparative study is of great significance for deeply understanding the cultural value of folktale adaptation, promoting the cross-cultural communication of folk culture, and providing reference for the creation of folktale adaptation works in the two countries.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also becoming an acknowledged game-changer in the world of agriculture, and it has the potential to increase productivity, efficiency, and food security. This paper discussed how AI can transform agriculture in Nigeria, its present use, opportunities, challenges and the possible effects. Qualitative research design was used, and semi-structured interviews with major stakeholders of active Nigerian agribusiness firms using AI were used. The  companies offered their experience with AI-driven tools such as chatbots, predictive analytics, recommender systems, and pest detection models. The results showed that the early adoption of AI is transforming the agricultural practices by enhancing crop monitoring, improving farmer-market connections, optimising the use of inputs, and minimizing losses after harvesting. The companies cited positive effects of AI on productivity, farmer earnings, and rural development, and it was considered essential in enhancing food security and financial inclusion. But still, there were recurring issues that were found such as inadequate digital infrastructure, disjointed datasets, lack of digital literacy, and high implementation expenses. To solve these, companies implemented strategies like incremental implementation, open source technologies, offline solutions and collaborations with research institutions. The report concludes that AI can revolutionize the agricultural industry in Nigeria and lead to a tremendous economic growth, as long as systemic obstacles are overcome. Strategies to improve rural digital infrastructure, building centralised agricultural data systems, improving digital literacy, establishing inclusive financing systems, and collaboration between government, academia and the business sector are all recommended. These results can play a role in the continued discussion of digital agriculture and can serve as a means to implement AI usage in Sub-Saharan Africa on a larger scale.  

This study discusses Mauritius' persistent challenge in enforcing fair education laws, where deficiencies in accountability, transparency, and stakeholder participation have reduced the efficacy of the laws. Based on Institutional Theory, which holds that external factors like social norms, legal requirements, and cultural expectations impact organizational behaviour in addition to internal efficiency, the study explores how ethical governance and accountability practices can improve educational equity. A combination of semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and structured questionnaires was used in a mixed-methods approach to collect information from community representatives, educators, administrators, and policymakers. Transparency, accountability, fair resource distribution, and stakeholder participation are ethical governance frameworks that significantly predict the effectiveness of education policies (R = 0.684; R² = 0.468; F = 15.762, p < 0.001), according to quantitative analysis. Transparency and accountability have the strongest effects. In order to improve policy outcomes, thematic analysis emphasized the significance of transparent information dissemination, strong monitoring systems, fair resource distribution, and participatory engagement. Research indicates that incorporating ethical governance practices promotes fair educational opportunities, institutional credibility, and trust. The study concludes that in order to attain equitable and sustainable educational results in Mauritius, policymakers should fortify accountability frameworks, institutionalize ethical standards, and promote inclusive stakeholder participation.

This study investigates how exchange rates and exports influence the economic growth of India and Ethiopia, using balanced panel data from 1990 to 2025. Employing models with both random and fixed effects where the test of Hausman determines the preferred approach, the analysis reveals that remittances, inflation, and foreign exchange rates significantly and positively impact real GDP growth in both nations. Conversely, unemployment exerts a significant negative effect. Additionally, foreign direct investment (FDI) demonstrates a statistically outstanding positive connection with the growth of the economy. These findings highlight the critical role of stable exchange rate management, investment promotion, and labor market reforms in achieving sustained economic progress. The study recommends that macroeconomic policies be better targeted, the financial sector be reinforced, and labor market policies be enhanced to maximize growth. Overall, these insights contribute to the broader discussion on exchange rate policies, trade, and development strategies in emerging economies.  

Purpose: This research paper is focused on bringing out some new insights about corporate social responsibility (CSR), brand reputation and customer loyalty in Wa municipality’s banking sector. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: Grounded on a positivist philosophical posture, the data were collected with a questionnaire and the overall sample size is 250 respondents from the Upper West Region. Findings: The results revealed four important key findings. First, the findings indicate CSR significantly affects brand reputation. Further, CSR significantly affects customer loyalty. Moreover, brand reputation significantly affects customer loyalty. Finally, brand reputation is a mediator of the association between CSR and customer loyalty. Practical Implications: This research provides a guide for managers in the banking industry to strategically implement CSR initiatives that are enhancing brand reputation. With the understanding that CSR activities resonate most with customers, banks can tailor their efforts to maximize impact. Original Value: This research is the first to utilized hypothesized model grounded on stakeholder theory to analyze how brand reputation bridges the gap between CSR and customer loyalty in a specific African cultural context.