Despite the unpleasant conditions, such as lower and insufficient wages, higher working hours, longer length of service, total absence of casual workers union, indirect employment aided by the bank’s top directors, etc., casual workers are highly committed in performing their roles and achieving their organizational goals. Neoliberal theory and Equity theory were used for guidance in this study. The study employed qualitative analysis style; Total of ten banks were selected as a sample of the study involving sixty participants who were all casual workers; twenty-four female and the remaining thirty-six were male, have been selected using purposeful sampling. Content analysis was used as the method of data analysis. The study shows some of the functions performed by the casual workers of Nigerian banks include quick client service, amenability to work, client care services, opening of accounts, marketing, and timely task completion. Others include furnishing prompt client service, being prepared to work, and finishing assignments on schedule., thus, the study concludes that despite the outstanding performance of casual workers in achieving their organizational pretensions, they’re largely exploited. The recommendation of the study is that employment should be grounded on fair stipend, safety at work and protection for casual workers, in short, work should encompass fairness, equivalency, and freedom of association. Also, Payment of the benefit accumulated by the casual workers should be linked directly between casual workers and their associations.

Scholars widely agree that modular technologies can significantly improve environmental sustainability compared to traditional building methods. There has been considerable debate about the viability of replacing traditional cast-in-place structures with modular construction projects. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of using modular technology for construction projects in island areas. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the potential problems and suitable solutions associated with modular building project implementation. This study is accomplished through the use of qualitative and quantitative methods. It systematically examines desk research based on the wide academic literature and real case studies, collating secondary data from government files, news articles, professional blogs, and interviews. This research identifies several important barriers to the use of modular construction projects. Among the issues are the complexity of stakeholder engagement, limited practical skills and construction methodologies, and a scarcity of manufacturing capacity specialised for modular components. Fortunately, these unresolved challenges can be mitigated through fiscal incentives and governmental regulations, induction training programmes, efficient management strategies, and adaptive governance approaches. As a result, the findings support the feasibility of starting and advancing modular building initiatives in island areas. Project developers will likely be more willing to embrace and commit resources to initiate modular building projects. Additional studies can be undertaken to acquire the most recent first-hand data for detailed validation.

Organomineral fertilizer is used to improve and ameliorate the supply of nutrients in soils. Right and adequate application of fertilizers are determinants of its nutrient supply efficiency, which in turn enhances the vegetative growth and yield of cucumber. Field experiments were conducted at the Research Farm of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, to assess the effects of variety and rate of organomineral fertilizer on cucumber growth and yield. Trials were conducted from June to August 2019 and repeated from September to November 2019. The cultivars were Poinsett, Greengo, and Monalisa. The rates of organomineral fertilizer were 0, 2.5, or 5.0 tons. ha⁻¹. The treatments were replicated three times. Cucumber vegetative characters, yield, and yield components were studied. ‘Greengo’ produced the most leaves, followed by ‘Monalisa’; ‘Poinsett’ produced the least. Application of 5.0 tons. ha⁻¹ organomineral fertilizer produced the longest vines and fruits. ‘Greengo’ had the earliest days to 50% flowering, followed by ‘Monalisa’; ‘Poinsett’ had the most days to 50% flowering. Plants treated with an application of 5.0 tons. ha⁻¹ organomineral fertilizer attained 50% flowering in 29 days, but in 30 days with an application of 2.5 tons. ha⁻¹ organomineral fertilizer; the control treatment attained 50% flowering in 33 days. Application of 5.0 tons. ha⁻¹ organomineral fertilizer produced the longest fruits, thicker fruit diameter, and highest fruit yield compared with 2.5 and 0 tons. ha⁻¹ of organomineral fertilizer treatments. The Greengo variety with application of 5.0 tons. ha⁻¹ of organomineral fertilizer is recommended for optimum growth and yield in south western Nigeria.

This article attempts to use public sphere theory as a starting point to compare the behavior of the British government in protecting the interests of British business in China in the 19th century with the Chinese government’s neglect of the interests of Chinese business in the Philippines. Mill’s method of finding identities will be used. This article uses the Shanghai Branch of the China Association and the Philippine Chinese Charitable Association Inc. as representatives of civil business groups in the UK and China. For the UK, due to the public sphere of competition with the central government within the UK, civil business groups must consult with relevant civil business groups when implementing any economic foreign policy. This process promotes consensus between the British government and society to promotes the British government’s determination to maintain British business in China. However, for China, due to the absence of a public sphere where the central government interacts with society, even though Chinese civil business groups have huge interests overseas, the state and society have always been unable to form a positive interaction. At the same time, this situation also results in Chinese business in the Philippines having to rely on their abilities to maintain their local interests.

Given the growing significance of the metaverse in research, it is crucial to understand its scope, relevance in the tourism industry, and the human-computer interaction it involves. The emerging field of metaverse tourism has a noticeable research gap, limiting a comprehensive understanding of the concept. This article addresses this gap by conducting a hybrid systematic review, including a variable-oriented literature review, to assess the extent and scope of metaverse tourism. A scrutiny on Scopus identified a reduced number of relevant documents. The analysis exposes theoretical and empirical gaps, along with promising opportunities in the metaverse and tourism intersection. These insights contribute to shaping a contemporary research agenda, emphasizing metaverse tourism. While this study offers an overview of current research in metaverse tourism, it is essential to recognize that this field is still in its early stages, marked by the convergence of technology and transformations in tourism. This exploration underscores the challenges and opportunities arising from the evolving narrative of metaverse tourism.

Recent technological advances in the fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering have spurred interest in biopolymers for various biomedical applications. The advantage of biopolymers is their favorable characteristics for these applications, among which proteins are of particular importance. Proteins are explored widely for 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering applications, wound healing, drug delivery systems, implants, etc., and the proteins mainly available include collagen, gelatin, albumin, zein, etc. Zein is a plant protein abundantly present in corn endosperm, and it is about 80% of total corn protein. It is a highly renewable source, and zein has been reported to be applicable in different industrial applications. Lately, it has gained attention in biomedical applications. This research interest in zein is on account of its biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and certain unique physico-chemical properties. Zein comes under the GRAS category and is considered safe for biomedical applications. The hydrophobic nature of this protein gives it an added advantage and has wider applications in drug delivery. This review focuses on details about zein protein, its properties, and potential applications in biomedical sectors.