Structural Reforms and Productivity Growth in Emerging Market and Developing Economies

We examine the impact of market-oriented structural reforms on fiscal sustainability in 62 Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs) over the period 1973–2014. This paper aims to assess whether such reforms contribute to reducing debt-to-GDP ratios and improving fiscal outcomes. Our empirical analysis finds that market-oriented reforms are associated with a sizable and long-lasting reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio – approximately 4 percentage points within 4 years following a significant deregulation episode – primarily through higher GDP growth, increased tax revenues, and lower borrowing costs. These effects are more pronounced when reforms are implemented under strong business cycle conditions and in countries with greater tax efficiency, lower informality, and higher initial debt levels. Overall, our findings suggest that structural reforms can play a crucial role in enhancing fiscal sustainability by simultaneously promoting economic growth and reducing public debt burdens.

The pandemic COVID-19 has plunged the world economy into the deepest recession since World War II. Despite additional policy support, GDP of world in 2020 decreased by 5.2 percent, then followed by an increase of 4.2 percent in 2021. The pandemic has deeply interrupted livelihoods, with the termination in nearly 500 million full-time jobs in second quarter of 2020 alone. And this situation pushed about 150 million people into poverty by 2021. The revival of pandemic is blowing out a shadow over the global restoration as countries are forced to pull tight social-distancing measures, but trust has been picked up by news that various vaccines have shown high effectiveness in clinical experiments. The pandemic is forecasting to have long-lasting scarring effects on productivity and prospective growth, as investment loses strength further and human capital accumulation slows for reason of prolonged school lock-downs and extended unemployment. Financing situations in Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs) have s amid gathering speed in COVID-19 cases. EMDEs suffering of higher debt burdens or financing needs are especially vulnerable to acute rise in borrowing costs and to restrictions in their access to financing. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows to EMDEs dropped by about 32 percent in 2020 among stalling investment and poor corporate profit. Keywords: pandemic, fiscal assistance, government measures.

Research into faculty members’ instructional development has primarily focused on individual skills and knowledge. As collegial interactions may support or constrain faculty’s professional development in higher education, this study compared and contrasted the networks of faculty members in different stages of instructional development (novice, experienced non-expert, and experienced expert teachers). Faculty networks comprised the relations that teaching faculty members used to communicate about their teaching practice. To capture these networks, a total of 30 faculty members were interviewed. We used an egocentric network approach to examine the differences between the networks in network size, tie strength, and network diversity. Results based on analyses of variance and multilevel analyses suggested three key findings: (a) Faculty members in different stages of instructional development varied in the size of their network; (b) faculty members in different stages of development had access to different types of networks in terms of tie strength; and (c) faculty members in different stages of development varied in the diversity of teaching experience in their networks. Experienced expert teachers had larger, stronger, and more diverse networks compared with experienced non-experts. Novices also had larger networks, but they were characterized by lower tie strength and less diversity. These findings demonstrate that network development is not just a time–age effect, but suggests arrested development for experienced non-experts linked to limited network input. This provides important evidence for the role of collegial interactions throughout faculty’s development as a teacher. We further discuss the implications of this study in light of faculty members’ instructional development.

BackgroundMicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are involved in various biological processes including insect development. Anopheles stephensi serves as primary vector of malaria parasite in Asia and exhibits holometabolous life cycle that involves four different stages of development. Regulation and role of mosquito miRNAs during various stages of mosquito development remain largely unknown.MethodsHigh throughput small RNA sequencing was employed for identification and profiling of miRNAs across immature and adult stages of malaria vector, which were further validated using Northern hybridization and real time PCR. Target prediction and pathway analysis was carried out to understand the role of regulated miRNAs in insect development. Degradome sequencing was employed to identify cleaved targets of some regulated miRNAs. Loss of function strategy was employed for miR-989 to understand its probable role in female reproductive process.ResultsSmall RNA sequencing and data analysis revealed 111 and 14 known and novel miRNAs respectively across all stages of Anopheles stephensi. Nine miRNAs showed gender specific regulation across different stages of mosquito development. Analysis of miRNAs revealed regulation of 24 and 26 miRNAs across different stages of male and female mosquito development respectively. mRNA targets and significant pathways targeted by regulated miRNAs were identified for each stage of mosquito development. Degradome sequencing revealed twenty nine cleaved targets of insect miRNAs. MicroRNA-989 showed significant up-regulation in the adult female as compared to adult male mosquito. Knockdown of miR-989 expression in adult female using miRNA specific antagomir affected targets playing roles in protein binding, proteolysis and nucleic acid binding in ovary tissue of female mosquito post blood feeding.ConclusionsThis is the first comprehensive effort to understand regulation of Anopheles stephensi miRNAs across developmental stages of male and female mosquito. Preliminary role of regulated miRNAs in mosquito development was revealed by target prediction and pathway analysis. MicroRNA-989 emerged to have important roles in adult female mosquitoes showing significant up-regulation which was further studied using miR-989 specific antagomir. This study provides insights into mosquito development and reproductive process and has implications for effective control of mosquito population required for reducing spread of mosquito-borne infectious diseases.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0772-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Participation in global value chains (GVCs) has become a defining feature of international trade, offering both opportunities and challenges for economies at different stages of development. On the benefits side, GVC integration enables countries to access larger markets, acquire advanced technologies, and specialize in specific production stages where they hold a comparative advantage. This specialization can drive productivity growth, foster industrial upgrading, and create new employment opportunities, particularly in export-oriented sectors. However, participation also entails significant costs. Heavy dependence on foreign inputs can expose economies to external shocks, supply chain disruptions, and volatile demand in global markets. Moreover, gains distribution is often uneven: low-income countries may remain locked into low-value segments, face limited spillover effects, or face downward pressure on labor and environmental standards. Policymakers must therefore weigh short-term efficiency gains against long-term developmental risks. Overall, the costs and benefits of GVC participation are highly context-dependent, shaped by domestic capabilities, institutional quality, and strategies for upgrading within the chain.

The tolerance of striped trumpeter, Latris lineata (Bloch and Schneider 1801) embryos to ozonated seawater was examined as a possible means of disinfection. The effect of a range of ozone doses and exposures (CT = concentration × exposure time) was tested at different stages of embryonic development. Three-day-old embryos two-thirds developed around the yolk were exposed for 0.5, 1 or 5 min to ozone concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2 and 5 mg O3 l−1 in a fully orthogonal factorial design. For each treatment there were four replicate 250 ml containers that each received 100 ± 15 embryos. There was no significant difference in hatching success between control-treated embryos or embryos ozonated at 0.5 or 1 mg O3 l−1 for 0.5, 1 or 5 min (P < 0.05). However, hatching success was significantly reduced when embryos were treated with 2 or 5 mg O3 l−1 for 5 min or 5 mg l−1 O3 for 1 min (P < 0.05). The tolerance of embryos to 0, 0.5 or 2 mg O3 l−1 for 1 min at different stages of development (Day 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4), was then examined. An ozone concentration of 0.5 mg l−1 had no effect on hatching success at any stage of development, but a concentration of 2 mg l−1 significantly reduced hatching success on all days except Day 3. A safe and tested hatchery practise is to disinfect striped trumpeter embryos with 1 mg O3 l−1 for 1 min on Day 3 post-fertilisation when the embryo is two-thirds developed around the yolk.

Evaluation of fruit detachment forces and related characteristics reveals differential fruit detachments at developmental stages and cultivar differences in cashew

Sample preparation is crucial for obtaining high-quality proteins for the purpose of electrophoretic separation and further analysis from tissues that contain high levels of interfering compounds. Hypericum perforatum is a medicinal plant that contains high amounts of phenolic compounds, of which hypericins, hyperforins, and flavonoids contribute to the antidepressant activities of the plant. This study focuses on obtaining optimized amounts of high-quality proteins from H. perforatum, which are suitable for electrophoretic analyses. From the tested protein extraction solutions, sodium borate buffers at pH 9 and 10 gave the best protein yields from mature H. perforatum leaves. With these buffers, relatively high protein yields could also be obtained from roots, stems, and flower buds. The protein extracts of all organs were well resolved in SDS-PAGE after an efficient removal of non-protein contaminants with PVPP, phenol extraction, and methanolic ammonium acetate precipitation. The method was suitable for high-quality protein extraction also from other tested species of genus Hypericum. The applicability of the protocol for immunoblotting was demonstrated by detecting Hyp-1 in H. perforatum leaves at different stages of development. Hyp-1, which has been suggested to attend to the biosynthesis of hypericin, accumulated in high amounts in H. perforatum leaves at mature stage.

Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata), a conifer native to Taiwan, is an economically important tree species due to its high resistance to insect infection and high wood utilization properties; however, when it was grown in clonal orchards, no filled seeds or fertile pollen were obtained. To address this reproductive dilemma, a suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) library was constructed from male cones, female cones and leaves. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis confirmed that two bark storage proteins, a beta-phellandrene synthase, an endochitinase A2 precursor and two male-cone protein 1 precursors were specifically expressed in the reproductive organs of Taiwania. Comparisons of these two male-cone protein 1 precursors with those of Pinus radiata suggest that these genes may have different functions during different stages of male cone development and that different specific genes may be obtained from male cones collected at different stages of development.

This is the first morpho-histological comparison of guanaco ovaries between reproductive (long-days) and non-reproductive (short-days) seasons, and oestrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ) detection. Different stages of follicle development were found in the cortical area, but no corpus luteum was detected. The size and frequency of antral follicles and large atretic follicles were higher in long-day ovaries than short-days, consistent with ovarian activity in this season. Differential expression of ERα and ERβ was observed in follicles at different stages of development between short and long days. These data reveal histological and molecular differences between reproductive and non-reproductive seasons of guanaco ovaries.

Desmanthus (Desmanthus spp.) is a native, naturalised or sown legume in many tropical and subtropical areas, including Australia where its potential use as a companion legume is extending to more southern latitudes. Desmanthus pastures are commonly sown into former cropping paddocks which have a significant weed burden. In these situations, weeds can be an issue during the establishment phase as well as in established desmanthus pastures. Three field experiments were conducted in northern New South Wales to assess the sensitivity of D. virgatus ‘Marc’ to herbicides at different stages of pasture development. At sowing, imazethapyr [0.41 kg active ingredient (a.i./ha)] and trifluralin (0.85 kg a.i./ha) were suitable for pre-emergent use. In a 9-week-old seedling pasture, bromoxynil (0.14–0.56 kg a.i./ha) and flumetsulam (0.02–0.08 kg a.i./ha) caused little plant damage and are suitable for use, while 2,4-D amine (0.54–2.16 kg a.i./ha) and MCPA (0.49–1.95 kg a.i./ha) caused extensive damage, reducing herbage production and delaying flowering. In a 10-month-old established pasture, bromoxynil (0.14–0.56 kg a.i./ha), imazethapyr (0.04–0.14 kg a.i./ha) and terbuthylazine (0.44–1.75 kg a.i./ha) caused minor short-term plant damage. Isoxaflutole (0.04–0.15 kg a.i./ha) resulted in temporary plant foliage bleaching and reduced production, without on-going effects following cutting. Established plants of desmanthus were defoliated by paraquat (0.2–0.8 kg a.i./ha) but regrew without phytotoxic effects. All these herbicides could be used on desmanthus plants. In established desmanthus pastures 2,4-DB (0.35–1.4 kg a.i./ha) caused significant damage but not plant death. There were no ongoing effects of the herbicide on plant productivity following cutting.

IN this paper we shall employ a dynamic concept of advanced technology. Advanced technology should be considered differently in different stages of economic development. Different types of technology correspond to different stages of development. In the initial stage of industrialization and during the long period required for the development of a large engineering industry, mechanization — the replacement of manual labour by machines — represents the basic type of technical progress. A whole epoch of economic development is characterized by this type of technical progress. The criteria of advanced technology, however, are constantly changing, so that, in the mature stage of industrialization, the technology of production is evolving more and more into a system of automation. Advanced technology also has national criteria. By advanced technology we mean that technology which, though not necessarily the highest in the world, is on a considerably higher level than the prevalent national standards.KeywordsTechnological ChangeTechnical ProgressSocialist EconomySocialist CountryAgricultural LabourThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

&lt;b&gt;Background and Objective:&lt;/b&gt; Fungi of the genus &lt;i&gt;Trichoderma &lt;/i&gt;have high versatility in the control of different plant diseases. Among the main mechanisms of action of these fungi against phytopathogenic fungi, the production of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is mentioned. These compounds are said to inhibit the mycelial growth of various fungal pathogens. The objective of this work was to evaluate the &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; inhibition of the mycelial growth of &lt;i&gt;Sclerotinia sclerotiorum &lt;/i&gt;by VOCs from six &lt;i&gt;Trichoderma &lt;/i&gt;strains in different stages of development of the biocontrol agent. &lt;b&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; In this work, the &lt;i&gt;in vitro &lt;/i&gt;evaluation of the mycelial growth of the phytopathogen &lt;i&gt;S. sclerotiorum &lt;/i&gt;by VOCs from six &lt;i&gt;Trichoderma &lt;/i&gt;strains was carried out: &lt;i&gt;T. koningiopsis &lt;/i&gt;(CEN1386), &lt;i&gt;T. asperelloides &lt;/i&gt;(CEN1397), &lt;i&gt;T. longibrachiatum &lt;/i&gt;(CEN1399) &lt;i&gt;T. lentiforme &lt;/i&gt;(CEN1416), &lt;i&gt;T&lt;/i&gt;. &lt;i&gt;perbedyi&lt;/i&gt; (CEN1389) and &lt;i&gt;T. azevedoi&lt;/i&gt; (CEN1241). Observations were made at different stages of antagonist development: mycelial Growth Phase (GP), Sporulation Phase (SP) and paired with the Pathogen Phase (PP). Besides, the sporulation of the tested strains was quantified. &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; In all experimental conditions, the VOCs produced by the CEN1241 strain showed a greater inhibitory effect, although the inhibition was less evident when the cultures of &lt;i&gt;S. sclerotiorum &lt;/i&gt;were exposed in the GP phase of the antagonist. Greater sporulation was observed with &lt;i&gt;T. lentiforme&lt;/i&gt; (CEN1416), a fact not related to a better ability to inhibit &lt;i&gt;S. sclerotiorum&lt;/i&gt;, by VOCs.

The effect of visual stimulation at different stages of embryonic development on approach behaviour

Developmental changes in storage proteins and peptidyl prolyl cis–trans isomerase activity in grains of different wheat cultivars