Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transactional and Transformational Leadership Styles as Predictors of Employee Performance During the Covid-19 Crisis and the Mediating Role of Organisational Culture

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of transformational and transactional leadership styles on employee performance. The mediating role of organisational culture was also examined. This quantitative study utilised a survey approach to collect primary data from 165 respondents engaged in the private sector in Jakarta, Indonesia. The data was collected during the Covid 19 pandemic. Structural equation modelling using Smart Pls was used to analyse the data. The data analysis showed that only transformational leadership behaviour had a strong and significant impact on employees’ performance. However, the impact of transactional leadership on employee performance was not significant. In addition, the organisational culture had an indirect effect on employee’s performance. The practical implications suggest that leaders should adopt transformational leadership to inspire and motivate employees. Transformational leaders must develop the inner agility to resolve problems by being open-minded, flexible and adopt best practices. This study provided new insights from the theoretical perspective, and the findings were consistent with the transformational leadership model. From an originality perspective, this study found that organisational culture mediates the relationship between leadership styles on employee performance.
Nonconcave penalized M-estimation for the least absolute relative errors model

Abstract In this paper, we propose a nonconcave penalized M-estimation of the least absolute relative errors (penalized M-LARE) method for a sparse multiplicative regression model, where the dimension of model can increase with the sample size. Under certain appropriate conditions, the consistency and asymptotic normality for the penalized M-LARE estimator are established. Simulations and a real data analysis are in support of our theoretical results and illustrate that the proposed method performs well.
The Application of Electromagnetic Induction Methods to Reveal the Hydrogeological Structure of a Riparian Wetland

Understanding ecologically sensitive wetlands often requires non‐invasive methods to characterize their complex structure (e.g., deposit heterogeneity) and hydrogeological parameters (e.g., porosity and hydraulic conductivity). Here, electrical conductivities of a riparian wetland were obtained using frequency domain electromagnetic induction (EMI) methods. The wetland was previously characterized by extensive intrusive measurements and 3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys and hence offers an ideal opportunity to objectively assess EMI methods. Firstly, approaches to obtain structural information (e.g., elevation and thickness of alluvium) from EMI data and inverted models were assessed. Regularized and sharp inversion algorithms were investigated for ERT calibrated EMI data. Moreover, the importance of EMI errors in inversion was investigated. The hydrological information content was assessed using correlations with piezometric data and petrophysical models. It was found that EMI data were dominated by the thickness of peaty alluvial soils and relatively insensitive to topography and total alluvial thickness. Furthermore, although error weighting in the inversion improved the accuracy of alluvial soil thickness predictions, the multi‐linear regression method performed the best. For instance, an iso‐conductivity method to estimate the alluvial soil thickness in the regularized models had a normalized mean absolute difference (NMAD) of 21.4%, and although this performed better than the sharp inversion algorithm (NMAD = 65.3%), the multi‐linear regression approach (using 100 intrusive observations) achieved a NMAD = 18.0%. In terms of hydrological information content, correlations between EMI results and piezometric data were poor, however robust relationships between petrophysically derived porosity and hydraulic conductivity were observed for the alluvial soils and gravels.
Corporate governance and COVID-19: a literature review

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review the literature on corporate governance (CG); environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and corporate social responsibility (CSR) during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and addresses three research questions: What are the characteristics of the literature on CG and COVID-19? What are the themes in CG in the COVID-19 era? and What are key areas of future research on CG and COVID-19? Design/methodology/approach The authors attempted a systematic literature review of 62 studies published in 2020. The authors used four criteria to identify characteristics of the literature on CG and COVID-19 and three criteria to identify key themes in the literature addressing CG and the pandemic. The authors analyzed answers to the above research questions and proposals from studies reviewed to guide future research. Findings CG in the context of COVID-19 has been studied mostly in developed countries and within a theoretical framework. As accounting data are insufficient, more research is required in all countries (developed, emerging and other). Further, there are no conclusive results regarding the relevance of ESG and CSR to financial performance. Future research should use additional methodologies and data sources to fully explain the impact of COVID-19 on CG. Practical implications Practitioners and policymakers could benefit from the study, as the authors present key challenges to CG for the present and the future. Originality/value This study is the first to provide a systematic literature review on CG during the COVID-19 pandemic and presents current trends, challenges and avenues for future research.
Bonding preferences of non-bridging O atoms: Evidence from 17O MAS and 3QMAS NMR on calcium aluminate and low-silica Ca-aluminosilicate glasses

Abstract The fraction of O atoms as non-bridging O atoms (NBO) can be well approximated based on composition alone in many silicate glasses, but the NBO preference for specific network forming cations is much less well known. Using oxygen-17 (17O) NMR on low-silica calcium aluminosilicate (CAS) glasses, this study shows that Al-NBO (155 ppm) can be readily distinguished from Si-NBO (110-120 ppm), and that there is a strong preference for the latter. This study also presents a consistent equilibrium constant formulation that indicates that for thermodynamic modeling of most CAS melts with Si > Al, Al-NBO are of minor importance, although they could be significant in some models of diffusion and viscosity. Al-27 one pulse NMR and analyses of spinning side bands show that AlO5 and AlO6 species are below detection limits (<0.5%) in the low-silica (SiO2 ≤ 20 mol%) glasses of this study (NBO/T = 0.6 to 0.8). In addition, 17O MAS NMR does not detect any obvious (<2%? ) Al3O triclusters; hence calculations of NBO assignments can be assigned unambiguously.
Parametric Study of Pt/C-Catalysed Hydrothermal Decarboxylation of Butyric Acid as a Potential Route for Biopropane Production

Sustainable fuel-range hydrocarbons can be produced via the catalytic decarboxylation of biomass-derived carboxylic acids without the need for hydrogen addition. In this present study, 5 wt% platinum on carbon (Pt/C) has been found to be an effective catalyst for hydrothermally decarboxylating butyric acid in order to produce mainly propane and carbon dioxide. However, optimisation of the reaction conditions is required to minimise secondary reactions and increase hydrocarbon selectivity towards propane. To do this, reactions using the catalyst with varying parameters such as reaction temperatures, residence times, feedstock loading and bulk catalyst loading were carried out in a batch reactor. The highest yield of propane obtained was 47 wt% (close to the theoretical decarboxylation yield of 50 wt% on butyric acid basis), corresponding to a 96% hydrocarbon selectivity towards propane. The results showed that the optimum parameters to produce the highest yield of propane, from the range investigated, were 0.5 g butyric acid (0.57 M aqueous solution), 1.0 g Pt/C (50 mg Pt content) at 300 °C for 1 h. The reusability of the catalyst was also investigated, which showed little or no loss of catalytic activity after four cycles. This work has shown that Pt/C is a suitable and potentially hydrothermally stable heterogeneous catalyst for making biopropane, a major component of bioLPG, from aqueous butyric acid solutions, which can be sourced from bio-derived feedstocks via acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation.
The Influence of Perceived Trust on the Relationship Between Image Interactive Technology and Behavioral Intention Associated with Online Purchase of Goods in Malang City

The high potential for growth in the digital economy through e-commerce has penetrated various aspects of business life. This research focused on image interactive technology because using animation and image design through social media can provide an attractive nuance to the viewer and generate more trust. The sale of goods online requires an active and attractive nuance of content so that customers are happy and choose online sales media as a convenient online shopping medium. This research was conducted in Malang City, East Java, with a sample of 190 respondents, all of whom have transacted online or bought their necessities online. The data were analysed through path analysis and hypothesis testing. The results demonstrate that image interactive technology influences perceived trust and behavioral intention, either directly or indirectly. Keywords: (IIT) Image Interactive Technology, behavioral intention, perceived trust, online
Are emotionally intelligent people less prejudiced? The importance of emotion management skills for outgroup attitudes

People vary in their ability to understand, process, and manage information about one's own and others’ emotions, a construct known as Emotional Intelligence (EI). Past research highlighted the importance of EI in interpersonal relations as well as the key role of emotions underlying outgroup prejudice. Remarkably, hardly any research has investigated the associations between EI and outgroup prejudice. In three studies (total N = 922) conducted in Spain and the United Kingdom, we measured emotional intelligence using self- report and performance tests and prejudice toward a variety of outgroups. Results showed that those with stronger performance- based emotion management skills expressed lower generalized ethnic prejudice (Studies 1– 3), more positive attitudes toward immigrants (Study 2a) and refugees (Study 2b), and less homophobic attitudes (Study 3). This negative association between emotion management and prejudice was found with different performance- based EI measures and held after controlling for self- perceived EI (Study 1) and self- reported abilities to regulate emotions (Study 3). Study 3 further demonstrated that higher empathy partly accounted for the association between emotion management and prejudice. The findings suggest that emotion management abilities play an important, but so far largely neglected role in generalized prejudice.
Co-Sorption of Cd and Phosphate on the Surface of a Synthetic Hydroxyiron-Montmorillonite Complex

Hydroxymetal-clay complexes, which contain reactive surface hydroxyl groups, have a strong affinity for both heavy-metal cations and oxyanions and hence can serve as efficient sorbents for ionic contaminants. The co-sorptive behavior of heavy-metal cations and oxyanions on the surface of hydroxymetal-clay complexes is not well understood, however. The objective of the present investigation was to help bridge that gap by determining the feasibility of co-sorbing Cd cations and phosphate from aqueous solution to a hydroxyiron-montmorillonite complex (HyFe-mont). A montmorillonite-rich clay from Inner Mongolia, China, was the starting material. The results showed that Cd and phosphate could be sorbed, simultaneously and synergistically, to HyFe-mont without a change in solution pH. Similarly, when phosphate was sorbed before Cd, the sorption capacities were comparable to those obtained in the simultaneous sorption experiment, and the solution pH did not change.When Cd was pre-sorbed, however, the subsequent sorption of both Cd and phosphate decreased as did solution pH. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that the binding energies of P2p, Cd3/2, and Cd5/2 were of similar magnitude for both the simultaneous sorption system and the phosphate pre-sorbed system. In addition, the single Cd and Cd pre-sorbed systems had similar Cd3/2 and Cd5/2 binding energies. The combined sorption and XPS results suggested that sorbed phosphate and Cd formed P-bridged ternary complexes on the HyFe-mont surface, contributing to the synergistic uptake of the contaminants in the simultaneous sorption system.
Language dominance and multilingual word learning

ABSTRACT Studies on multilingual word learning have focused on identifying a bilingual advantage over monolingual peers, paying little attention to the relationships between bilinguals’ existing vocabulary size and novel word learning. This study compared monolingual and bilingual school-age children on word learning tasks in familiar and unfamiliar languages and examined the relationships between bilingual vocabulary and multilingual word learning. The results showed no significant differences between monolingual and bilingual children in any of the word learning tasks. In addition, the results suggested that bilingual children use vocabulary in the languages they know in a specific way; whereas vocabulary in the dominant language seems to have a facilitative role for word learning in any language (language-dominant pattern), vocabulary in the non-dominant language is used only when learning new words in that particular language (language-dependent pattern).
Density, parasitism, and sexual reproduction are strongly correlated in lake Daphnia populations

Abstract Many organisms can reproduce both asexually and sexually. For cyclical parthenogens, periods of asexual reproduction are punctuated by bouts of sexual reproduction, and the shift from asexual to sexual reproduction has large impacts on fitness and population dynamics. We studied populations of Daphnia dentifera to determine the amount of investment in sexual reproduction as well as the factors associated with variation in investment in sex. To do so, we tracked host density, infections by nine different parasites, and sexual reproduction in 15 lake populations of D. dentifera for 3 years. Sexual reproduction was seasonal, with male and ephippial female production beginning as early as late September and generally increasing through November. However, there was substantial variation in the prevalence of sexual individuals across populations, with some populations remaining entirely asexual throughout the study period and others shifting almost entirely to sexual females and males. We found strong relationships between density, prevalence of infection, parasite species richness, and sexual reproduction in these populations. However, strong collinearity between density, parasitism, and sexual reproduction means that further work will be required to disentangle the causal mechanisms underlying these relationships.
“Over-zealous Parents, Over-programmed Families”: Asian Americans, Academic Achievement, and White Supremacy

Discussions of white supremacy focus on patterns of whites’ stature over people of color across institutions. When a minority group achieves more than whites, it is not studied through the lens of white supremacy. For example, arguments of white supremacy in K-12 schools focus on the disfranchisement of African Americans and Latinxs. Discussions of high-achieving Asian American students have not been framed as such and, in fact, can be used to argue against the existence of white privilege. This article explains why this conception is false. White supremacy can be active even when people of color achieve more than whites. Drawing from interviews and observations of mostly white educators in Boston suburbs that have a significant presence of Asian American students, I demonstrate that even when Asian Americans outcompete whites in schools, white supremacy is active through two means. First, Asian Americans are applauded in ways that fit a model minority stereotype and frame other groups as not working hard enough. Second and more significantly, Asian Americans encounter anti-Asian stereotypes and are told to assimilate into the model of white educators. This treatment is institutionalized within the school system through educators’ practices and attitudes. These findings somewhat support but mostly contrast the notion of “honorary whiteness,” for they show that high-achieving minorities are not just tools of white supremacy toward other people of color but also targets of it themselves. Understanding how high-achieving minorities experience institutionalized racism demonstrates the far reach of white supremacy.
Development of a 3‐Day Intervention Program for Family Members of
 Hikikomori
 Sufferers

Hikikomori (a severe form of social withdrawal) is a serious mental health issue. A family approach is the initial step to support hikikomori; thus effective family intervention programs are warranted. We recently developed a 5-day family intervention program (120 min weekly) based on Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT). In the present study, we modified the 5-day program to a 3-day program (180 min fortnightly), and examined the effectiveness of the 3-day program using a single-arm procedure. Data of 23 parents (four fathers and 19 mothers; age = 62.0 9.1 years) were analyzed. Mental health conditions among participants themselves improved at the 4-month followup, but the confidence in hikikomori support declined and stigma toward mental health problems did not change. However, short-term improvements in perceived skills in approaching hikikomori sufferers were detected. Hikikomori sufferers’ actual behavioral changes, such as social participation or utilization of support, were also observed (six out of 20 hikikomori sufferers). Preliminary effectiveness was confirmed for the 3-day program. Further revision of the program and a validation study with controls are required.
Genome-wide Identification and Expression Analysis of NAC Transcription Factor Family Genes during Fruit and Kernel Development in Siberian Apricot

The NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) family is a group of plant-specific transcription factors that have vital roles in the growth and development of plants, and especially in fruit and kernel development. This study aimed to identify members of the NAC gene (PsNACs) family and investigate their functions in siberian apricot (Prunus sibirica). A total of 102 predicted PsNAC proteins (PsNACs) were divided into 14 clades and the genes were mapped to the eight chromosomes in siberian apricot. The PsNACs of the same clade had similar structures. A synteny analysis showed that the PsNACs had close relationships with the NAC genes of japanese apricot (Prunus mume). An expression pattern analysis of the PsNACs revealed many differences in various tissues and at different stages of fruit and kernel development. All eight PsNACs in clade XI have crucial roles in fruit and kernel development. Seven PsNACs (PsNACs 18, 64, 23, 33, 9, 4, and 50) in clades I, III, VI, VII, and XIII are related to fruit development. Eight PsNACs (PsNACs 6, 13, 46, 51, 41, 67, 37, and 59) in clades I, II, V, VIII, and XIII are involved in fruit ripening. Five PsNACs (PsNACs 6, 94, 41, 32, and 17) in clades I, IV, V, VII, and XI regulated the rapid growth of the kernel. Four PsNACs (PsNACs 50, 4, 67, and 84) in clades I, III, V, and XIII affected the hardening of the kernel. Four PsNACs (PsNACs 17, 82, 13, and 51) in clades II, XI, and IX acted on kernel maturation. We have characterized the NAC genes in siberian apricot during this study. Our results will provide resources for future research of the biological roles of PsNACs in fruit and kernel development in siberian apricot.
Prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Pneumonia Patients that Attend Madonna Catholic Hospital Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

Aim: To determine the prevalence of Streptococcus pnenumoniae in pnenumonia patients attending Madonna Catholic Hospital, Umuahia; Abia State. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study on the prevalence of Streptococcus pnenumoniae among patients in Madonna Catholic Hospital, Umuahia. It lasted for a period of three months (September 2019 to January 2020). Standard microbiological techniques were used to evaluate 60 sputum samples collected from pneumonia patients and the modified Kirby-Buar disk diffusion technique was used to test the sensitive pattern of the isolates to some antibiotics. Results: A total of thirty-three (33) Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were recovered from sixty (60) sputum samples from pneumonia patients. 17(51%) were gotten from male and 16 (49%) of isolates were gotten from female. The highest frequency of occurrence among the age groups was observed with adults (19-59 years) (34.4%) followed by adolescence (13-18 years) (33.3%), while Original Research Article Nwankwo et al.; SAJRM, 9(4): 35-43, 2021; Article no.SAJRM. 68464 36 the least frequency was from those of senior adults (>60) (9.1%). However, the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from the sputum samples shows varying degrees of sensitivity and resistance to the antibiotics. From the study, Streptomycin and Cotrimoxazole showed a high percentage of sensitivity against Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates at 78.8% and 72.7% respectively. The highest percentage of resistance was observed with Gentamicin and Tetracycline at 42.4% each. Conclusion: This study highlights that there was no distinct variation in occurrence of Streptococcus pneumoniae in relation to gender and age. As most patients were hospitalized in separated wards, this suggests a role for local dissemination of this bacterium in the respective wards rather than age or gender specific predilection. This study also suggests that streptomycin and Cotrimoxazole could be a drug of choice in the treatment of pneumonia.
Emerging Adults’ Self-Efficacy as a Resource for Coping With the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting emerging adults during a crucial developmental period, which may have long-lasting effects on their developmental task progression and psychosocial adjustment. Because self-efficacy is a well-researched psychological resource to deal with substantial challenges, the present study examined the link between emerging adults’ life- and domain-specific satisfaction during the pandemic and self-efficacy before the pandemic. Drawing on a sample of 377 German emerging adults (56.5% female), we found that self-efficacy prior to the pandemic was not associated with life or domain-specific satisfaction during the pandemic. However, results revealed that associations between domain-specific satisfaction during the pandemic and self-efficacy varied by educational attainment. Results are discussed in light of specific circumstances related to the progression of the pandemic in Germany, possible non-response bias, as well as implications for social policy and future research.