Highly nutritive and antioxidants-enriched okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) gets sub-optimal field yield due to the irregular germination coupled with non-synchronized harvests. Hence, the research aimed at assessing the combined impact of seed priming and field-level gibberellic acid (GA3) foliar spray on the yield and post-harvest quality of okra. The lab studies were conducted using a complete randomized design (CRD), while the field trials were performed following a factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Okra seeds were subjected to ten different priming methods to assess their impact on seed germination and seeding vigor. In the premier step, okra seeds were subjected to ten different priming methods, like hydro priming for 6, 12, and 18 h, halo priming with 3% NaCl at 35 ℃, 45 ℃, and 60 ℃, acid priming with 80% H2SO4 for 2.5, 5, and 10 min. Based on the observation, hydro priming for 12 h exhibited the best germination rate (90%), followed by halo seed priming at 60 ℃ and acid priming for 5 min. Furthermore, the halo priming at 60 ℃ demonstrated the greatest seedling vigor index (1965), whereas acid priming for 5 min resulted in favorable outcomes in terms of early emergence in 2.66 days. In addition, varying concentrations of GA3 (0, 100, 200, and 300 ppm) were also administered to the best three primed seedlings for evaluating their field performance. The findings indicated that applying GA3 at a concentration of 300 ppm to seedlings raised through acid priming (80% H2SO4 for 5 min) resulted in improved leaf length, reduced time to flowering (first and 50%) and harvest, increased pod diameter, individual pod weight, and yield per plant (735.16 g). Additionally, the treatment involving GA3 at 300 ppm with halo priming (3% NaCl) at 60 ℃ exhibited the longest shelf life (21 days) of okra with the lowest levels of rotting (6.73%) and color change (1.12) in the polyethylene storage condition.
This study examines the relationship between board diversity (in term of percentage of female board members, educational qualification, independent directors, interlocking directorship, and financial literacy) and earnings quality of listed insurance companies in Nigeria. The study used secondary data from the stock exchange fact books and audited financial statements of the selected companies. We adopted a quantitative research design in which data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Three variants of regression model, namely pooled ordinary least square, fixed effects and random effects models were estimated. Results revealed that significant differences exist in board diversity and earnings quality across the listed insurance companies in Nigeria. Also, the impact of board diversity on earnings quality is positive and strong. That is, the higher the company’s board diversity the better the ability to generate quality earnings. The results suggest than insurance companies with large number of women on the board are more likely to generate higher quality earning than those dominated by men. The paper draws the attention of management of listed insurance companies to the need to comply with the code of corporate governance on board diversity to increase the number of women on the board and ensure that the board consists of educationally qualified members, and financial literate members. The study also draws the attention of Nigeria Stock Exchange Group (NSGG) and other regulatory authorities to the need for regulation that will make disclosure of directors’ personal information a regulatory disclosure.
Forests have ecological functions in water conservation, climate regulation, environmental purification, soil and water conservation, biodiversity protection and so on. Carrying out forest ecological quality assessment is of great significance to understand the global carbon cycle, energy cycle and climate change. Based on the introduction of the concept and research methods of forest ecological quality, this paper analyzes and summarizes the evaluation of forest ecological quality from three comprehensive indicators: forest biomass, forest productivity and forest structure. This paper focuses on the construction of evaluation index system, the acquisition of evaluation data and the estimation of key ecological parameters, discusses the main problems existing in the current forest ecological quality evaluation, and looks forward to its development prospects, including the unified standardization of evaluation indexes, high-quality data, the impact of forest living environment, the acquisition of forest level from multi-source remote sensing data, the application of vertical structural parameters and the interaction between forest ecological quality and ecological function.
Over the past twenty years, service organizations have adopted total quality management to enhance their service quality, significantly impacting business performance, customer satisfaction, and profitability. This study delves into policy development of sustainable quality management theory, benefits, and various service components, while reviewing its implementation in services industries and policy innovation. The concept of Sustainable Quality Management 4.0 (SQM 4.0) integrates sustainable management, traditional quality management, and Quality 4.0 principles to optimize resources, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance decision-making through Industry 4.0, IoT, AI, and big data analytics. The findings offer valuable framework and policy insights for managers and practitioners on quality management and service systems, providing an implementation framework for Sustainable Quality Management in the service sector. The paper outlines comprehensive elements and strategies for implementation as a SQM framework for attaining sustainable quality management in the services industry.
Sustainable hybrid education is an educational approach that combines multiple kinds of instruction. Online education and traditional face-to-face education will be implemented in tandem to propel the educational process towards contemporary approaches, with the aim of achieving high-quality outcomes and staying abreast of scientific and technical advancements. The objective of this study is to determine the correlation between hybrid education, which is a sustainable model, and the academic performance of graduate students in select Egyptian universities, based on international quality criteria. The study employed a descriptive analytical methodology, and data was collected using a meticulously designed computerized questionnaire, whose validity and reliability were verified using proper statistical techniques. The study sample comprised 2235 postgraduate students enrolled in Egyptian universities, specifically Cairo, Helwan, and Ain Shams. The study’s findings determined that the extent of hybrid education and the efficacy of the procedure. The sample members possess a high level of education, and hybrid education has a significant positive influence on the quality of the educational process. Hybrid education mostly impacts the academic components, and there are variations among universities in implementing hybrid education, with Ain Shams University being particularly favorable towards it. The study proposed enhancing the university’s human resources for students, faculty, and staff, as well as assuring the availability of diverse gadgets and resources utilized in the hybrid education setting.
Copyright © by EnPress Publisher. All rights reserved.