Cocoa is important for the economy and rural development of Ghana. However, small-scale cocoa production is the leading agricultural product driver of deforestation in Ghana. Uncertain tree tenure disincentivizes farmers to retain and nurture trees on their farms. There is therefore the call for structures that promote tree retention and management within cocoa farming. We examined tenure barriers and governance for tree resources on cocoa farms. Data was collected from 200 cocoa farmers from two regions using multistage sampling technique. Information was gathered on tree ownership and fate of tree resources on cocoa farms, tree felling permit acquisition and associated challenges and illegal logging and compensation payments on cocoa farms. Results suggest 62.2% of farmers own trees on their farms. However, these farmers may or may not have ownership rights over the trees depending on the ownership of their farmlands. More than half of the farmers indicated they require felling permits to harvest trees on their farms, indicative of the awareness of established tree harvesting procedures. Seventy percent of the farmers have never experienced illegal logging on their farms. There is however the need to educate the remaining 30% on their rights and build their compensation negotiation powers for destructions to their cocoa crops. This study has highlighted ownership and governance issues with cocoa farming and it is important for the sustainability of on-farm tree resources and Ghana’s forest at large.

Nowadays, copper and zinc nanoparticles are widely employed in a variety of applications. With nanoscale particle sizes, copper oxide/zinc oxide composite is easily synthesized using a variety of techniques, including hydrothermal, microwave, precipitation, etc. In the current work, chemical precipitation is used to create a copper oxide/zinc oxide nanocomposite. XRD analysis was used to determine the nanocomposite’s structural characteristics. Through SEM analysis, the surface morphological properties are investigated. EDAX is used to study the chemical composition of produced materials, while UV/Visible spectroscopy is used to determine their optical properties. The assessment of the copper oxide/zinc oxide nanocomposite’s degrading property on dyes like methyl red and methyl orange under UV and visible light are the main objectives of the current work.

The expanding blue economy, marked by its focus on sustainable use of ocean resources, offers enormous opportunity for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). However, for SMEs to properly integrate and succeed in this economy, they must first have a thorough awareness of the sector’s challenges and prospects. This research used a scoping review and a qualitative study to identify the challenges and opportunities facing SMEs operating in the blue economy. The study discovered recurring themes and gaps in the existing literature by conducting an extensive examination of scholarly publications. The key challenges identified include complicated regulatory frameworks, restricted access to funding, infrastructure restrictions, talent deficiencies, government support, and market outreach. In-depth interviews with Malaysian SME leaders, industry stakeholders, and policymakers were conducted to decipher these findings. The results of interviews confirmed the relevance of the regulatory framework, infrastructure restrictions, talent deficit, and market access challenges in the Malaysian context. In particular, the study revealed emerging opportunities for Malaysian blue SMEs in sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable fisheries, marine biotechnology, and ecotourism. The study emphasizes the importance of an encouraging policy framework, knowledge-sharing platforms, and capacity building activities. It finishes by underlining the ability of SMEs to drive a sustainable and thriving blue economy, if challenges are systematically handled, and opportunities are appropriately capitalized.

The augmentation of firm performance via customer concentration is particularly indispensable for organizational evolution. Both trade credit financing and financing constraints play pivotal roles in the nexus between customer concentration and performance. This research constructs a moderated mediation model to rigorously investigate the impact of customer concentration on firm performance, positing trade credit financing as the mediating variable and financing constraints as the moderating variable. The relevant hypotheses are evaluated empirically using panel data compiled from listed manufacturing firms in China over the period 2013–2020, yielding 8 firm-year observations. The empirical outcomes denote that customer concentration exerts a positive influence on firm performance, albeit having a negative impact on trade credit financing. Trade credit financing serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between customer concentration and manufacturing firm performance. Financing constraints are found to positively moderate the mediating role of trade credit financing in the relationship between customer concentration and firm performance. This research broadens the understanding of the implications of customer relationships on trade credit financing and performance, thereby enriching the knowledge base for managing a firm’s financing channels more effectively.

Kinnow production is hampered due to the lack of micronutrient applications such as zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn), which play a significant role in the metabolic activities of the plant, affecting yield and quality. The farmers of the region use mineral micronutrient fertilizers, but it leads to phytotoxicity due to unoptimized fertilizer application dose. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to optimize the Zn, Mn, and Fe minerals dose as tank mix foliar application for improvement of fruit yield, quality, and uptake of nutrients. The twelve combinations of different doses of zinc sulphate, manganese sulphate, and ferrous sulphate fertilizers replicated three times were tested at kinnow orchards established at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bathinda, Punjab, India. The data revealed that the fruit drop was significantly low in the treatment F₁₂ (43.4%) (tank mix spray of 0.3% ZnSO₄ + 0.2% MnSO₄ + 0.1% FeSO₄ ) compared to control treatment. The fruit yield per tree was significantly higher in the treatment F12 compared to untreated control. The juice percentage was also recorded higher in treatment F12 as compared to control, and the juice percentage improved by 2.6%. The leaf nutrient analysis also revealed translocation of higher amount of nutrient from leaf to fruit under optimized supply of micronutrient. Thus, the application of tank mix spray of 0.3% ZnSO₄ + 0.2% MnSO₄ + 0.1% FeSO₄ may be used for better fruit yield and quality.

The need to expand the range of banking services in Ukraine is stipulated with technological progress, the European integration processes and the legal regime of martial law introduced in the country. Under the conditions of war, the need to strengthen the security of banking activities and protect the banking system from the influence of any internal and external factors gains meaning. The topical direction of economic and legal research of scientists today is the possibility to introduce digital technologies with elements of artificial intelligence (AI) into the banking activity in Ukraine to improve its protection. The AI law as an independent branch of the Ukrainian law has not been developed so far. The sources of AI law, its functions, tasks, scope, risks and limits of legal responsibility for prohibited practices of artificial intelligence have not been defined. The purpose of the article is to analyze the theoretical and legal provisions that underpin the regulation of AI application in Ukrainian banking. The comparative legal method made it possible, considering the provisions of the draft law on AI of the European Union, to determine the trends in the development of the legal regulation of AI in Ukraine. Following the study, proposals to the legislation of Ukraine were formulated, which will contribute to the legal regulation of banking activities using digital technologies with elements of AI.