Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Review of Asia’s IPO Research

Asian markets provide ideal experimental sample for IPO research. Market development and regulatory changes give academic researchers the chance to gain detail insights on IPO topics. The main objective of this paper is to survey the literature on Asian IPOs. We use Web of Science as a data source to collect related literature. We survey papers using Asian IPO samples to study classical IPO topics and discuss special IPO topics in Asian IPO markets. Finally, we provide suggestions for future research on this subject.
Effects of Family Literacy Programs on the Emergent Literacy Skills of Children From Low-SES Families: A Meta-Analysis

The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate effects of family literacy programs on the emergent literacy skills of children from low socioeconomic status families (0–6) and to establish which program, sample, study, and measurement characteristics moderate program effects. Outcomes of 48 (quasi-)experimental studies covering 42 different programs revealed a medium average effect of Cohen’s d = 0.50 on immediate posttests and a marginal average effect of Cohen’s d = 0.16 on follow-up measures. Together, effects of different moderator variables indicate that children benefit from targeted programs that focus on a limited set of activities and skills and that are restricted to one (training) context. Additionally, we found larger effects in experimental studies and when researcher-developed tests were used. Our outcomes not only provide guidelines for program developers but also call for more longitudinal research that examines how positive short-term changes as a consequence of program participation can be sustained over time.
Review of the reinforcement sizing in the strength designof reinforced concrete slabs

This paper presents a review of the two widespread approaches which deal with the ultimate strength design of RC slabs subjected to bending moments and torsion: The Field of Moments Method (FoMM) and the Sandwich method (SM). Special attention is paid to the ultimate strain distribution implicitly assumed when using each one of the methodologies, in particular, the yielding of the steel reinforcement. This work analyzes the initial assumption regarding ultimate strain distribution in the SM. Furthermore, this work studies the resisting moments field on which the Wood-Armer method is based, and it finds some inconsistencies. Several examples have been developed.
Natural Grasslands as Lignocellulosic Biofuel Resources: Factors Affecting Fermentable Sugar Production

Semi-natural grassland habitats are most often limited to animal grazing and low intensity farming. Their potential in bioenergy production is complicated due to the heterogeneity, variation, accessibility, and need for complex pre-treatment/hydrolysis techniques to convert into valuable products. In this research, fermentable sugar production efficiency from various habitats at various vegetation periods was evaluated. The highest fermentable sugar yields (above 0.2 g/g volatile solids) over a period of 3 years were observed from habitats “xeric and calcareous grasslands” (Natura 2000 code: 6120) and “semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates” (Natura 2000 code: 6210). Both had a higher proportion of dicotyledonous plants. At the same time, the highest productivity (above 0.7 t sugar/ha) was observed from lowland hay meadows in the initial stage of the vegetation. Thus, despite variable yield-affecting factors, grasslands can be a potential resource for energy production.
The 3Ps (Profit, Planet, and People) of Sustainability amidst Climate Change: A South African Grape and Wine Perspective

Conventional agriculture has made the search for sustainability urgent, more so with regards to climate change. This has extended to the grape and wine industry, an important industry in South Africa in terms of labor employment and foreign exchange. This paper aims to review the current state of knowledge with regards to the three pillars of sustainability and with regards to climate change. In order to understand sustainability in South Africa, a historical context is needed, because the welfare of farm workers still retains vestiges of past Apartheid. Ecological responsibility and higher profits are the main reasons for sustainable practices. Additionally, water use, chemical use, and soil erosion are important environmental sustainability concerns. With regards to climate change, in terms of economic sustainability, there will be winners and losers and social sustainability issues will intensify as changes occur in farms. Table grape producers are relatively more profitable than wine grape producers. Furthermore, pest, disease, irrigation pressure will worsen as the climate warms. However, there are long- and short-term adaptation strategies such as changes in viticulture practices and grape cultivars, respectively, to stem the effects of climate change, but this may be stymied by cost and farmers’ perceptions of climate change.
Field and Lab Protocols: Achievements of the DNAqua-Net Working Group 3

We review the progress made in building capacity and consensus around field and laboratory methods during the course of the DNAqua-net programme, including short-term scientific missions, training courses, workshops and ring tests. We highlight the challenge of methodological standardisation, where in some cases the same written protocol employed by different laboratories may not always give the same results, but in other cases almost identical results can be obtained using different methodological workflows. As the field of DNA-based biomonitoring moves increasingly into practical application, we consider how end-users can best ensure quality and consistency of results, while also enabling continued technical innovation, which will continue to move the field forwards. We also reflect on the benefits of multi-stakeholder forums such as DNAqua-net for bridging the research-policy gap and accelerating the application and impact of research. Finally, we introduce a major output from the working group: A Practical Guide to DNAbased Methods for Biodiversity Assessment, which synthesises current knowledge to help end-users or those new to the field to understand the methodological choices that have to be made, and the trade-offs implicit in those choices. ‡ § © Bruce K, Keskin E. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Flavonoid antioxidants in chicken meat production: Potential application and future trends

SUMMARY Meat-type chickens (broilers) are highly prone to oxidative stress because of genetic selection for their growth rate and because of the environmental conditions in which they are reared. Oxidative stress has significant impacts on chicken meat quality and safety. As such, antioxidants are often added to the diets of chickens to prevent oxidative stress and to ensure the quality and safety of the meat. This paper discusses sources of oxidative stress (pro-oxidants) in the chicken meat industry, from the raising of live birds to the production of chicken meat. The potential of flavonoids – the biggest group of natural antioxidants – is also explored with a discussion of their natural sources, bioavailability, and their potential application in the chicken meat industry.
A review of green remediation strategies for heavy metal contaminated soil

Heavy metals and metalloids can accumulate in soil, with potentially toxic effects to human health and ecosystems, threatening the sustainable use and management of soil resources. Although a number of remediation technologies, such as Solidification/Stabilization (S/S), soil washing, electrokinetic remediation and chemical oxidation/reduction can be applied for the immobilization, removal or detoxification of heavy metals in soil, the environmental, social and economic impacts associated with these conventional approaches hinder their overall sustainability. More attempts have been made to maximize the ‘net environmental benefit’ in various ways, including recovering resources, embracing nature‐based solutions (NBS), and saving energy with the emergence and development of the ‘green and sustainable remediation’ (GSR) movement. This review critically discusses these green remediation strategies, and the novel soil amendments being utilized in these sustainable approaches. Iron‐based amendments are the most promising candidates in green remediation due to the highest stabilization performances for both oxyanions and metallic cations as well as relatively low disturbance to soil. In comparison, waste‐derived materials suffer from risks of contaminant release in the long run, reducing the overall sustainability despite their low costs. It has been found that phytoremediation and green amendment‐based S/S are typically the ‘greenest’ remediation strategies, but wise decisions should be made on the basis of case‐specific sustainability assessment results. Finally, it is proposed that integration of several green remediation techniques may have a synergistic effect on remediation efficiency.
Contrasting fish biomarker responses between streams with different environmental conditions

Streams are environments susceptible to anthropic impacts that harm aquatic organisms by affecting their homeostasis. This study aimed to determine variations in the response of biochemical and genetic biomarkers of fish under the influence of anthropogenic impacts. Therefore, individuals of the tetra fish Astyanax lacustris were exposed to the water column in an impacted stream and one of its nonimpacted tributaries (reference) during the dry and wet seasons. For biochemical analyzes, we evaluated the antioxidant enzymes catalase and glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation in tissue samples from the gills and liver. For the genotoxicity test, we evaluated micronuclei and nuclear anomalies in blood samples. The antioxidant enzymes showed seasonal variation, regardless of the stream; lipid peroxidation did not differ between seasons or between streams. The frequency of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities were more frequent in the impacted stream during the wet season, probably in response to the leaching of toxic compounds which tend to be increased during this period. These results support the use of genotoxicity biomarkers in biomonitoring programs.
Effect of Public Debt on Public Investment in Nigeria: 1985-2018

This study examined the effect of Nigeria public debt on public investment from 1985-2018. Data for the analysis was obtained from Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical bulletin and the study chooses Nigeria as its sample. ARDL Auto-regressive Distributed lag models was used to test the effect of the independent variables (Public Debt, Budget Deficit, Debt Servicing, Public Debt to GDP Ratio) on the dependent variable (Public Investment). The cointegration test found the existence of longrun relationship among the investigated variables. The short run result shows that public debt has insignificant effect on public investment in Nigeria. The study therefore recommends among others that Federal government should be fiscal responsible by channeling borrowed funds to investments that will bring growth in the economy. Government should tackle waste and corruption by making sure that funds borrowed and allocated for investment should be transparently and judiciously utilized in the provision of infrastructure. Debts should be taken only when necessary and should be for investment and not for payment of salaries. Original Research Article Origin et al.; AJEBA, 21(2): 98-114, 2021; Article no.AJEBA. 65810 99
PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF PTEROCARPUS SANTALINUS L.F. PLANT PARTS

Objective: Oxidation is a normal process in many biological metabolisms in living beings, but in this technology era radiation, pollution, irregular life style, and unhealthy diet leads to excessive oxidation resulting in imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals in body called oxidative stress, which may result in cardiac problems, diabetes, and carcinogenic diseases. Therefore, exploration of natural antioxidants in flora and fauna is becoming important. In this motive a phytochemical study was taken up on various parts of Pterocarpus santalinus L.f. plant belonging to Leguminosae family to check the presence of antioxidant activity (AA). Methods: The leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots of this plant were extracted with six different organic solvents from polar to non-polar. To estimate the AA of these extracts, four types of antioxidant tests were done on them, namely, α, α – Diphenyl – β – Picryl - Hydrazyl free radical scavenging activity (DPPH RSA) assay, relative reducing power (RRP) assay, Ferric thiocyanate (FTC) assay, and β - carotene bleaching assay with Butylated Hydroxy Toluene (BHT) as synthetic standard. Results: In extraction, Me extracts showed highest yields. Qualitative phytochemical screening has revealed many bioactive components in the Me and Et extracts of plant parts majorly. In DPPH RSA assay, Me extracts of leaves showed RSA activity almost equal to reference standard. In RRP assay, Me floral extracts showed AA higher than standard. FTC and β – Carotene assays showed that Me sample extracts possess good AA than BHT. In FTC assay, lower absorption values specify high AA, whereas in β – Carotene assay, high absorption values indicate high AA of the sample extracts. Conclusion: Among six solvents methanol showed highest extraction efficiency and also revealed highest number of phytochemicals in its extracts. These four AA assays revealed that the methanol extracts of all plant parts, that is. , leaves, roots, fruits, and flowers possess better AA compared other solvent extracts.
Role of roughness geometry function on spatially averaged form induced shear stresses and pressure energy diffusion rates in gravel-bed stream

ABSTRACT Stream-bed porosity has received substantial interest of research in the field of fluvial hydraulics since few decades and the focus of our present study has been on the respond of gravel-bed porosity on form-induced shear stresses and pressure energy diffusion rates in open channel flows. An inherent parameter called roughness geometry function is introduced to further broaden the aforementioned issues within the frameworks of near-bed turbulent flow characteristics. Laboratory experiments were conducted over three rough beds: (a) uniformly poised gravel bed (b) water-worked bed and (c) uniformly poised sphere bed. The roughness geometry functions of the channel beds are compared to those obtained by water displacement method. An acoustic Doppler velocimeter is used to measure the instantaneous velocity components and double-averaging methodology is applied for data interpretation. Most significantly, the form-induced shear stresses were predicted 30–42% of the double averaged Reynolds shear stresses in case of water-worked bed. The extreme upper limits of the form-induced shear stress distributions in all the three beds corroborated the effects of gravel bed porosity. Furthermore, the negative pressure energy diffusion rates with increasing turbulent production provided additional support offering overwhelming evidence of the effects of gravel bed porosity within the interfacial sub-layer.
Deepfakes on Twitter: Which Actors Control Their Spread?

The term deepfake was first used in a Reddit post in 2017 to refer to videos manipulated using artificial intelligence techniques and since then it is becoming easier to create such fake videos. A recent investigation by the cybersecurity company Deeptrace in September 2019 indicated that the number of what is known as fake videos had doubled in the last nine months and that most were pornographic videos used as revenge to harm many women. The report also highlighted the potential of this technology to be used in political campaigns such as in Gabon and Malaysia. In this sense, the phenomenon of deepfake has become a concern for governments because it poses a short-term threat not only to politics, but also for fraud or cyberbullying. The starting point of this research was Twitter’s announcement of a change in its protocols to fight fake news and deepfakes. We have used the Social Network Analysis technique, with visualization as a key component, to analyze the conversation on Twitter about the deepfake phenomenon. NodeXL was used to identify main actors and the network of connections between all these accounts. In addition, the semantic networks of the tweets were analyzed to discover hidden patterns of meaning. The results show that half of the actors who function as bridges in the interactions that shape the network are journalists and media, which is a sign of the concern that this sophisticated form of manipulation generates in this collective.
The governance of energy transition: lessons from the Nigerian electricity sector

Background The rising need for transition towards more sustainable energy sources requires a rethink in the governance of energy systems. Arguably, policy makers have very important roles in governing transitions in any given society through established institutional frameworks. It has also been argued that energy infrastructure choices are determined by institutional dynamics and structures. However, what are the underlying influences required to change energy systems and what lessons can we draw from them for the governance of energy transition? This study focuses on understanding the dynamics of energy transition governance in the Nigerian electricity sector with the aim of drawing lessons that impact on energy transition and energy systems change. Methods Using explorative research tools, this study investigates the dynamics of energy transition governance in the Nigerian electricity sector with the aim of drawing lessons that impact on energy transition and energy systems change. Data from primary and secondary sources in documentary archives as well as other published sources that are linked with the provision of the Nigerian historical energy infrastructure were used for the analysis in order to draw lessons on energy transition dynamics in Nigeria. Results The study revealed that there were three important factors that had a direct impact on energy transition and energy systems change in Nigeria’s electricity sector. These are: (1) Changing perceptions and goals (during the period leading up to Nigeria’s independence, 1890–1960s); (2) Direct government interventions in energy infrastructure provisions (1940s–1970s); and (3) Major changes in market rules (from 2005 and beyond). Conclusions The study concludes by highlighting that: (1) there is a need for government institutions to tackle energy access issues that address the needs of the poor; (2) it is imperative to explore technological options that are more sustainable; and (3) there is a need to address energy consumption patterns that are more energy intensive. Indeed, available energy resources, technological changes in electricity supply systems, and the ‘geographies of energy’ are major factors that influence energy production and consumption dynamics. All of them needs should be considered, as energy decisions are primarily political choices.
Real Estate Cost Estimation Through Data Mining Techniques

Real estate is one of the most fast-paced and emerging industries today. Nowadays everyone wants to be the owner of their house rather than live on rent. Therefore, people are very cautious in searching for the most suitable house. Different people have a different budgets and so varies their desire. This paper draws attention to the house rate predictions based on different objectives like financial status and expectations of non-house holders. It consists of two prediction sets, one with all the available features required for buying the house and the other with a few selected features. It involves varying machine learning regression techniques like linear regression, polynomial regression, decision tree, and random forest. Here, all the above techniques are compared, and it is found that polynomial regression with all the features gives the best results.
Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts (GUMBOS): A Review of Their Solid State Properties and Applications

Ionic liquids (ILs) are defined as organic salts with melting points below 100 °C. Such ionic compounds are typically formed using bulky cations and/or bulky anions in order to produce liquids or lower melting solids. ILs have been widely explored in several research areas including catalysis, remediation, solvents, separations, and many others. The utility of such compounds has also been recently broadened to include solid phase ionic materials. Thus, researchers have pushed the boundaries of ILs chemistry toward the solid state and have hypothesized that valuable properties of ILs can be preserved and fine-tuned to achieve comparable properties in the solid state. In addition, as with ILs, tunability of these solid-phase materials can be achieved through simple counterion metathesis reactions. These solid-state forms of ILs have been designated as a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS). In contrast to ILs, these materials have an expanded melting point range of 25 to 250 °C. In this chapter, we focus on recent developments and studies from the literature that provide for fine tuning and enhancing properties through transformation and recycling of diverse ionic compounds such as dyes, antibiotics, and others into solid state ionic materials of greater utility.
Medical Management of Open-Angle Glaucoma: Focus on Mechanisms of Action and Adverse Drug Reactions

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterised by optic nerve degeneration associated with visual field defects. It remains the world’s number one cause of irreversible blindness and patients usually present at late stage of the disease since it is generally asymptomatic until severe. The disease is subdivided into primary and secondary with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) being the most common type. At present, lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP) remains the only proven efficient approach in delaying the onset or preventing the progression of the disease. Medical treatment with topical antiglaucoma agents is the treatment of choice in open angle glaucoma. The use of antiglaucoma drugs aims to reduce IOP by enhancing aqueous humour (AH) outflow, reducing AH production, or both. The choice to use any available treatment option should be carefully considered in an attempt to maximise benefits and reducing the risk of developing adverse drug reactions. This review highlights the six classes of ocular hypotensive agents currently in use for POAG treatment including prostaglandin analogues; B-adrenergic receptor blockers; a-2 adrenergic receptor stimulants; carbonic anhydrase inhibitors; muscarinic receptor stimulants; rho kinase inhibitors with regards to their mechanism/s of action and potential adverse drug reactions, and antiglaucoma fixed drug combinations.
Comment on bg-2021-2

This manuscript is indeed a valid compendium of diagnostics for assessing global ocean ecosystem models, which has been prepared with the aim to demonstrate the use of the multi-disciplinary dataset made available by the BGC-Argo array. The authors should thus be praised for their intention to bring together the community and follow the steps taken by Russel et al. (2018). However, that paper had different entry points, since it was specifically dedicated to a poorly sampled oceanic region and offered a multi-model analysis. This manuscript is well written and constructed, but only conveys a demonstrative message. I am thus not fully convinced by the scope of this present version of the manuscript, as well as by its effective novelty, since it does not add further knowledge to the existing literature.