Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Assessment of Board Attributes and Financial Performance of Listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) are the backbone of the financial system, playing a crucial role in mobilizing savings, allocating capital, and facilitating economic growth. In light of this, the study focused on the analysis of firm attributes and how they affect the financial performance of Nigeria's publicly quoted deposit money banks with a strong emphasis on analyzing how board size, board independence, board diversity, board expertise, and CEO duality affect the financial performance of the selected institutions. Return on assets (ROA), return on equity, (ROE) and Tobin's Q (TQ) were employed to evaluate financial results. The study used ex-post facto and longitudinal research designs in obtaining the data from the financial statements of the selected banks. The population of the study was nineteen (19) deposit money banks listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group profile as of 31st December 2021. The choice of selection of this sector was based on the fact that banks are the bedrock of Nigeria’s economy. The study used a purposive sampling technique due to the complete availability of data and the sample size was ten (10) firms. The data collected for this study we reanalyzed by panel estimation techniques. The results found that board size had an insignificant effect on ROA, ROE, and TQ. Whereas board independence, board diversity, board expertise, and CEO duality had a significant effect on ROA, ROE, and TQ. The study concluded that the number of board’s members did not have anything to do with the financial performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study recommends that deposit money banks should adhere strictly to corporate governance codes and ensure the complete independence of their directors to enhance their financial performance.
An unstructured finite volume model for unsteady turbulent shallow water flow with wet-dry fronts: numerical solver and experimental validation

El principal objetivo de esta tesis es aplicar las ecuaciones de aguas someras bidimensionales a diferentes flujos en lamina libre, centrandose especialmente en aquellos problemas en los que o bien el tratamiento de la turbulencia o bien el tratamiento del frente seco-mojado son de especial relevancia. Para ello se ha desarrollado un codigo de volumenes finitos que resuelve las ecuaciones de aguas someras acopladas con diferentes modelos de turbulencia. El codigo incluye un modelo parabolico de viscosidad turbulenta, un modelo algebraico de longitud de mezcla y 3 versiones del modelo k-e para aguas someras. Al mismo tiempo se ha propuesto e incluido un modelo de tensiones algebraicas para aguas someras. El codigo desarrollado se ha utilizado para simular el flujo en 4 aplicaciones practicas diferentes que incluyen el oleaje de onda larga, el flujo inducido por la marea en un estuario, el flujo en canal con un codo de 90o, y el flujo en escalas de peces de hendidura vertical. En todos los casos los resultados numericos se han comparado con datos experimentales.
Intestinal flora and linear growth in children

The gut microbiota plays a critical role in human growth and development as well as the regulation of human pathophysiological processes. According to research, the gut microbiota controls the host's growth and development in areas such as nutrition, metabolism, endocrine hormones, and immune modulation. The human gut microbiota has an important role in child and adolescent growth, especially when nutritional conditions are poor. In this review, we focus on recent findings about the gut microbiota's influence on child growth, including the relationship between the gut microbiota and linear growth during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Furthermore, we also review some mechanisms by which intestinal flora influence the host's linear growth. Although the data supports a link between intestinal flora and linear development in children, our review has limitations that prohibit us from fully verifying the causal relationship between gut flora and linear development in children. Improving the gut microbiota, in conjunction with renutrition techniques, has the potential to ameliorate the growth and development impairments currently associated with chronic illness and malnutrition in children.
Comparative Studies on the Functional Properties of Neem, Jatropha, Castor, and Moringa Seeds Oil as Potential Feed Stocks for Biodiesel Production in Nigeria

Fossil fuel resources are decreasing daily while biodiesel fuels are attracting increasing attention worldwide as blending components or direct replacements for diesel fuel in vehicle engines. This study investigated the physicochemical properties of oils extracted from Jatropha, neem, moringa and castor seeds for their suitability in biodiesel production. This is with a view to compare which of the oils has better functional properties for a quality biodiesel production. Our results has shown that all the oil from the plants seed study, have good physiochemical properties and are very good precursor for biodiesel synthesis.
Prevalence of Anemia among Iraqi Patients after Renal Transplantation

Background: Although the issue of anemia after renal transplantation (RT) has received increasing attention lately, the data on the exact prevalence of post-transplantation anemia (PTA) in the Iraqi patients are limited.Objective: In this study we sought to determine the prevalence of PTA among Iraqi patients and to correlate the renal allograft function measurements and the use of immunosuppressant with the prevalence of anemia.Patients and Methods: One hundred and twelve (74 male, 38 female) kidney transplant recipients (KTR) attending the kidney transplant center at surgical specialties hospital were studied. All patients were on maintenance, combined immunosuppressive therapy. The renal function tests [blood urea, serum creatinine, and creatinine clearance] and the hematological tests [Hb, HTC, and white blood cell count (WBC)] were determined in all patients. Anemia was defined according to the genderspecific K/DOQI classification.Results: In this study, we identified anemia (Hb < 12 g/dl in males and Hb < 11 g/dl in females) in 25% of the patients (28 out of 112). The anemic patients had a significantly higher mean blood urea and serum creatinine levels and lower mean creatinine clearance level than the non-anemic patients. Among the immunosuppressant drugs, patients on tacrolimus combined with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) had significantly lower Hb and HTC compared with patients without such treatment.Conclusion: Anemia is common in Iraqi patients after RT. The PTA is associated with impaired renal allograft function when compared with non-anemic RTR. Immunosuppressant including tacrolimus combined with MMF was correlated with decreased Hb and HTC concentrations.
β‑carotene attenuates muscle wasting in cancer cachexia by regulating myogenesis and muscle atrophy

Cancer cachexia is a metabolic disease involving multiple organs, which is accompanied by the depletion of muscle tissue and is associated with ~20% of cancer-related deaths. Muscle wasting is a critical factor in cancer cachexia. β-carotene (BC) has been shown to increase muscle mass and hypertrophy in healthy mice. However, its effects on muscle tissue dysregulation in cancer cachexia have yet to be studied. In the present study, 5-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were injected with 1×106 Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells to induce cancer cachexia; then the mice were administered BC (4 or 8 mg/kg) for 22 days to assess its effects on muscle atrophy in the gastrocnemius muscles. The effects of BC on inflammatory cytokines, myogenesis and muscle atrophy were evaluated using C2C12 myotubes treated with LLC-conditioned media. BC supplementation significantly suppressed tumor growth, inflammatory cytokines, and hepatic gluconeogenesis in the LLC-induced cancer cachexia mouse model, while also improving muscle weight and grip strength. These effects are considered to be mediated by the PI3K/Akt pathway and through regulation of muscle atrophy. Moreover, BC treatment was associated with the recovery of LLC-conditioned media-induced muscle differentiation deficits and muscle atrophy in C2C12 myotubes. These findings indicate BC as a potential novel therapeutic agent for cancer cachexia.
Measuring crop residue cover

ABSTRACT: The photographic, meterstick, and line-transect methods of measuring the percentage of land covered with crop residue were evaluated by comparing residue cover on 10 Iowa fields farmed with conservation tillage. Although the line-transect method overestimated crop residue by 6 to 10 percent, variability in measurements proved less than with the photograph and meterstick methods. The line-transect method is preferable for field use, particularly if technicians are carefully trained in its use and in self-calibration so that overestimation of crop residue can be avoided.
Remote remanence estimation (RRE)

The remote determination of magnetic remanence in rocks is a method that has largely been ignored because of the ambiguity associated with the estimation of both the Koenigsberger ratio and remanent magnetisation direction. Our research shows that the resultant magnetisation direction can be derived directly through inversion of magnetic data for an isolated magnetic anomaly from a compact magnetic source. The resultant magnetisation direction is a property of the target magnetic rocks and a robust inversion parameter. The departure angle of the resultant magnetisation vector from that of the inducing magnetic field is an important indicator of the existence of remanent magnetisation and the inversion process can detect departures that are not easily detected by visual inspection. This departure angle is called the apparent resultant rotation angle or ARRA. The induced field vector, remanent magnetisation vector and resultant magnetisation vector lie on the plane of a great circle. We find the intersection of the transformed polar wander vector trace with the great circle plane to obtain one or more possible solutions for the remanent magnetisation vector. Geological deduction will normally allow us to reduce the ambiguity for multiple solutions to obtain the most likely remanent magnetisation direction. Once the remanent magnetisation direction is established, it is then possible to determine the Koenigsberger ratio and magnetic susceptibility for the target. We illustrate the methodology using survey data over the Black Hill Norite which also has extensive palaeomagnetic data available for comparison with the inversion results. We then apply the remote remanence estimation (RRE) method to a systematic study of a large number of intrusive pipes in the Thomson Orogen, New South Wales. The corrected magnetic susceptibility and remanence properties, spatial distribution and underlying uncertainties are evaluated for their potential use by diamond explorers. The additional information assists with differentiating kimberlites from other intrusive pipes based on age and remanence properties. The resultant magnetisation vector of a compact magnetic source can be obtained through simultaneous inversion for geometry and magnetisation. The resultant magnetisation vector and induced field vector lie on a plane that intersects the transformed apparent polar wander path to provide estimates for magnetic remanence, susceptibility and age.
POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARDS OF CONSUMING CLARIAS GARIEPINUS FISH CONTAMINATED WITH HEAVY METALS OF RIVER NIGER

Spatial and seasonal concentrations of heavy metals Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), and Lead (Pb) in water columns and the African Catfish Clarias gariepinus of River Niger at Onitsha, Nigeria were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Mean concentrations of the analyzed metals were significantly higher in catfish than water columns (P<0.05). Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in catfish indicated that River Niger was experiencing impairment. Results also showed that mean concentrations of Zn (3.9860.617) and Cu (0.8760.382) in Catfish were within WHO/UNEP/FEPA permissible limits in aquatic foods but Fe (5.2320.704) and Pb (0.2280.266) far exceeded their limits. Since prolonged consumption of heavy metal-contaminated Clarias gariepinus of River Niger may pose serious human health risks, it is necessary to make a comprehensive assessment of the hazards posed by other heavy metals in many fish species found in different Nigerian water bodies.
Current status and perspectives of genetic testing in gastrointestinal cancer (Review)

Genetic testing has become widespread in daily medical care for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. However, unlike breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, in which personalized medicine targeting various driver genes is standardized, the incidence of targeted gene abnormalities in GI cancers is low. Nevertheless, such abnormalities may be linked to therapeutic agents and the further development of therapeutic agents for personalized medicine for GI cancers is desired. A liquid biopsy is of great benefit in offering clinical decision support, in applications such as GI cancer screening, surgical interventions, monitoring disease status and enhancing patient survival outcomes, all of which would contribute to personalized medicine. Germline genetic testing is required for several types of GI cancer, which shows clinical indications of hereditary predisposition. The increasing use of multigene panel testing has redefined gene-cancer associations, and consequently the estimate of cancer risk that vary from low to high penetrance. Comprehensive genetic testing can enable the detection of novel treatment targets and the discovery of undefined multiple diagnostic/predictive markers, which may enhance the molecular-level understanding of GI cancers. Genetic testing can also aid the design of more appropriate and adequate genomic-driven therapies for patients who may benefit from other standardized therapeutic methods.
Stock Market Reaction to Dividend Announcements: Evidence from the Russian Market

The inquiry into the influence of dividend declarations on the stock values of corporations has been extensively investigated across various countries. The results of these studies have been varied, and there is limited information available on this topic specifically for the Russian market. This paper aims to demonstrate the impact of dividend announcements on the yield of Russian companies' shares. The study utilizes comprehensive data from MOEX for the period of 2008–2021, which encompasses both economic growth and recessionary periods. The results of the study indicate that the effect of decreasing, maintaining and increasing the amount of dividends corresponds to the signal theory. There are differences betweenindustries: there are fairly stable and mature companies on the market that are not subject to significant changes (Electric Power, Oil and Gas industries); shares of companies in the Transport industry and a number of other industries behave more distinctively. In comparison with other studies, this paper analyzes the effect of increasing and decreasing dividends on stock returns using not only event analysis, but also regression analysis. This work adds results to the few available on the Russian market.The main limitations include the small number of variables in the construction of regression models and the limited period of the study. The work is carried out only for the Russian market. The obtained findings can be taken into account by company managers in order to make optimal decisions regarding the dividend policy and enhancing their dividend policies.
Dynamic saturation area and water balance modelling of karstic basins

Water balance models are known as major tools for simulation of basin‐wide water cycle components. Considering the complexity of the runoff generation processes in karstic basins, it is crucial to bring the model processes closer to the physical reality of karstic springs and their contribution to runoff formation. One of the challenges in basin‐scale modelling of karstic basins is that the basin response to precipitation is highly influenced by the soil saturation condition and its seasonal variability. One way to address this challenge is to include a dynamic structure for the water balance model. In this research, the structure of SAM‐KARST water balance model for estimation of monthly streamflows in the outlet of karst basins was presented. Moreover, to better simulate the basin response fluctuations in different seasons, the SAMdyn‐KARST model with a dynamic storage structure was introduced and developed. The results of the SAMdyn‐KARST model were compared with the saturation area model (SAM) and SAM‐KARST models for the Shapur river basin in southwest of Iran. The results confirmed the importance of considering larger saturation storage in the karst basins. The case study results also showed that SAMdyn‐KARST outperformed SAM‐KARST model and provided higher accuracy in estimating seasonal variations of surface streamflows at the basin outlet.
Late Archean Aragonite Precipitation: Petrography, Facies Associations, and Environmental Significance

Large crystal pseudomorphs composed of limestone and dolomite that radiate upward to form centimeter to meter tall fans are known from every well preserved Late Archean carbonate platform on earth In many cases these crystal fans are an important facies constituting as much as 50 of the observed volume of carbonate rock Texturally the fans are composed of elongate blades consisting of a mosaicof crystals with randomly oriented optic axes In some pseudomorphs trains of inclusions define thefibrous characterof theprecursor mineral and the blades exhibit blunt terminations when draped by micritic sediment Some of the pseudomorphs contain strontium concentrations of up to 3700 ppm Associated facies include strongly elongate giant stromatolites hummocky cross stratified sandstones ooid intraclast packstone to grainstone small domal stromatolites and several thinly laminated micritic facies that may display desiccation cracks Previously some of these crystal fans have been interpreted as calcite and dolomite replaced pseudomorphs after gypsum formed under restricted conditions resulting from evaporative concentration of seawater However replacement textures and elevated strontium concentrations suggest that the crystal fans are more likely the result of neomorphism of large botryoids of aragonite that formed thick crusts directly on the sea floor Furthermore occurrence of the crystal fans in direct association with strongly elongate giant stromatolites and hummocky cross stratified sediments suggests precipitation of the fans in open marine wave and current swept environments Although evaporation of seawater mayhave contributed to the growth of fans in some peritidal environments most occurrences are not associated with any other indicators of evaporitic conditions such as halite or gypsum pseudomorphs The reinterpretation of most reported occurrences of Late Archean gypsum pseudomorphs as aragonite pseudomorphs indicates that calcium sulfate precipitation from Late Archean seawater was rare and that precipitation of aragonite as thick crusts on the sea floor was significantly more abundantthan during any subsequent time in earth history Rapid aragonite precipitation rates and the paucity of calcium sulfate precipitation can be accounted forin a model for Late Archean seawater featuring relative to present day seawater higher supersaturation with respect to calcium carbonate and high HCO concentrations
Climatic Controls on Streamflow and Suspended Sediment Transport in Three Large Middle Arctic Catchments, Boothia Peninsula, Nunavut, Canada

Abstract Streamflow, suspended sediment transport, and meteorological variables were measured during two field seasons in order to determine the climatic controls on daily discharge and suspended sediment load for three large middle arctic catchments. Substantive suspended sediment transfer only occurred during the short-lived nival peak, and the duration of the peak appears to be broadly scaled with interannual catchment snow water equivalence (SWE). Thermal energy was critical in generating streamflow and suspended sediment transfer, but only until watershed snowpack had been exhausted. Thus, total annual suspended sediment load in this environment is ultimately a function of total discharge through SWE rather than melt energy. Specific sediment yields were some of the lowest recorded in the arctic, ranging between 0.2 and 1.9 t km−2·a−1. This study demonstrates the sensitivity middle arctic watersheds to both winter snowpack and spring thermal conditions and provides a basis for understanding the hydrological impact of future climate changes.
Active transform fault zone at the fringe of the Dead Sea Basin

The evolution of an asymmetric basin at the edge of a pull‐apart structure is studied using geophysical observations and mechanical modeling. A new seismic analysis of the northern edge of the Dead Sea basin indicates recent subsidence, folding and oblique faulting along the Jericho strike‐slip fault; a main segment of the Dead Sea Transform fault. The subvertical fault trace crosses the entire sedimentary sequence typically branching in the shallow subsurface. The seismic analysis reveals the three‐dimensional structure of the area as an asymmetrical basin bordered on the east and on the west by long monoclinic folds. The thickness of the sedimentary fill varies from ~ 1.4 km near the present lake shores to a few hundreds of meters about 10 km northward. The subsidence is partitioned between a vertical component of slip along the Jericho Fault and the simultaneously active monoclines bordering the basin. We present a model and simulations that reconstruct the present basin structure in the uppermost part of the crust and demonstrates the generation of flexures along the basin margins without horizontal shortening. We show that the basin asymmetry and the association of folds and fault can be explained as a long‐term ductile response of the sediments to local subsidence. The asymmetry along the basin is a consequence of a later vertical displacement component on a pre‐existing strike‐slip fault. Our analysis points to ongoing northward propagation of the Dead Sea basin and provides an explanation for the structural asymmetry of the basin margins.