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News recommendation systems heavily rely on the information exchange between news articles and users to personalize the recommendation. Consequently, one of the significant challenges is the cold-start problem in news recommendation models, referring to the low accuracy of recommendations for new users due to a lack of interaction data. This study addresses the cold-start challenge in news recommendation systems by introducing a novel zero-shot-based approach. The ZS-CEBE approach presented in this paper utilizes a rarely explored zero-shot paradigm to effectively tackle the cold-start problem in news recommendations. The methodology incorporates two crucial models: the fine-tuned Cross-Encoder and a Bi-Encoder model. The cross-encoder captures user-news interactions, predicting the likelihood of user engagement with a news article. Subsequently, the bi-encoder, designed for swift inference, precomputes embeddings for users and articles and calculates their relevance during predictions. The proposed technique is applicable to various neural news recommendation systems and is empirically evaluated using real-world benchmark datasets MIND and Adressa. The experimental results demonstrate that ZS-CEBE outperforms baseline methods in terms of nDCG@k, AUC, and MRR, both in cold-start scenarios and regular user-news interaction situations. This underscores the efficacy of the zero-shot approach in mitigating the cold-start dilemma and improving overall recommendation system performance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility turned into a global sensation from the inception of the twenty-first century in the corporate world and grabbed immense engrossment from all stakeholders in their decision-making process. Capital structure and corporate governance practices are the well-mellowed facets of corporate finance literature. In this study, the moderating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) between corporate governance and leverage of the US and Chinese listed firms has been established, with a further extension of analyzing the moderating role of CSR between corporate governance and leverage in high vs low leveraged firms and high CSR vs low CSR firms as the novelty of this study and has never been examined in both economies and globally. The data of 1989 Chinese-listed firms from 28 sectors of the economy and 6640 US-listed firms from 27 sectors of the economy has been taken from 2001 to 2019 and analyzed through fixed effect regression and system generalized method of moment (GMM). Results of the study reveal that CSR and corporate governance are negatively associated with the leverage of both Chinese and US firms. Moreover, the moderating role of CSR has established between corporate governance and leverage negative relationship. The moderating role of CSR in the relationship of leverage and corporate governance is established only in low-leveraged firms whereas it is insignificant in high-leveraged firms. System GMM confirms the signs and significance of the regression results; that is why regression results are robust and reliable, and there is no endogeneity problem in our model. The study also gives an insight for future research on high- and low-leveraged firms and firms with more CSR score than less CSR score with other dimensions such as firm performance and firm value variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preventing the environment is a gigantic challenge for policy-makers as well as for researchers nowadays. The environment is not distressed by only economic activities, but social factors like institutional quality, ethnic diversity, and political freedom also play an important role for environmental performance in developing economies. This paper is an effort explaining the impact of social, political, and economic activities on environment in 116 developing economies for the time span of 1996–2019. For the purpose, panel autoregressive distributed lags technique is employed to determine long-run relation among variables. The findings of the study reveal that GDP growth, financial sector, and energy consumption in these economies are causing to increase the carbon dioxide emissions while institutional quality, ethnic fractionalization, and political freedom have their crucial role to reduce the level of environmental deterioration. The policy-makers may adopt a policy of social interconnection among various ethnic groups, high-quality institutions, political freedom to all, and inclusive financial development for less pollutant environment in these economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ethnic diversity generally subsists in different countries which may have consequential effects on the various socioeconomic factors including international trade and environment. It is more arduous for nations when the high degree of ethnic diversity shatters trust amongst nations, obstructs trade contracts and may affect environment. Given this unique nexus, the present study explores the distinctive linkages among ethnic diversity, international trade, and environment for the case of Pakistan by utilizing time series data from 1970 to 2015 of Pakistan. This study applies nonlinear autoregressive distributed lags technique to observe negative and positive effects of ethnic diversity on environmental performance and international trade. This study found strong evidence of asymmetric co-integration among the concerned variables. GDP per capita is more consistent for trade and exports in both positive and negative shocks and responsible for CO2 emission to increase, whereas a negative shock to social exclusion may decrease CO2 emission via uniform consumption pattern. This study suggests that problems of diversity can be curtailed through the assurance of equal opportunity for society in order to make it cohesive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study endeavors to explore the bearing of financial development, political institutions, urbanization, and trade openness on CO2 emanations in a group of 59 less-developed countries, over the period of 1996–2016. In order to estimate environmental impacts of aforementioned series, we used cross-sectionally weighted Estimated Generalized Least Square (EGLS) methodology, Arellano-Bond Generalized Method of Moment (A-B GMM), and Orthogonal-Deviation GMM (O-D GMM). The study finds that financial development, urbanization, composition effect (measured by capital/labor ratio) and energy consumption deteriorate environmental quality. Our results confirmed the prevalence of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) proposition which undertakes upturned-U shape bond amid economic growth and pollution emanations. Furthermore, institutions and foreign trade are found to have beneficial environmental impact. This study suggests resilient institutional reforms and comprehensively integrated environmental quality concerns in financial reforms to help to mitigate pollution emanations and achieve sustained economic growth in less-developed economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-organized ethnic diversity plays a crucial role in performing quality environment and international trade. Discrimination, segregation and bigotry are escalating the pressure on world's population and spreading prejudice, later as a consequence may lead to social exclusion. This study aims to investigate whether ethnic or religious diversity affects international trade and the environmental performance by using the data of 187-countries (including 56 high-income, 102 middle-income and 29 low-income countries) of the world. The results indicate that diversity (ethnic and religious) plays a significant positive impact on international trade and environmental performance of high- and middle-income countries and vice versa with low-income countries. This study further suggested that diversity cannot be abbreviated; however, its disastrous effects may be curtailed by providing equal opportunities and peace in society to ensure the well-being of people through cohesiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belt and Road initiative has been proposed by China to initiate the cooperation among relevant countries in sector of energy and Trade. The study investigate highlighting the relationship between industrial value added per capita, transport freight and CO2 emission among the partner countries of Belt and Road initiatives by using panel of 33 economies from 1986-2017. Study includes panel autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL) to estimate the long-run relationship among variables. Estimated results of pool mean group (PMG) indicates that increase in industrial value added per capita and transport freight deteriorates the quality of environment in long-run. However, short-run results of granger causality reveals positive and unidirectional causality running from industrial value added per capita to emission of CO2 while transport freight and CO2 emission shows bidirectional causality. The study emphasized to formulate environment friendly policies in industrial and transport sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study stabs to probe the impact of financial development, urbanization, trade openness, political institutions, and energy consumption on the ecological footprints (EF), within the framework of EKC, of 110 countries congregated by income levels, over the time span of 1996–2016. The final outcome of cross-sectionally weighted Panel EGLS and multi-step A-B GMM evidently reinforced the existence of EKC hypothesis in case of EF both in developed and less-developed countries. This study finds the destructive environmental impact of composition effect and energy consumption while political institutions, trade openness, and urbanization have constructive environmental effect. Financial development reduces the human demand on nature only in less-developed countries. The ultimate consequences of this study are equipped with several policy recommendations for the concerned authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clopidogrel (CLOP) is an antiplatelet drug with poor solubility in intestinal fluid, which limits its bioavailability after oral administration. Objectives: Current study focuses on developing site-specific floating microcarriers of CLOP using solvent diffusion evaporation method (SDEM) for retaining the drug in the stomach, thus improving the solubility of drug for better absorption. Methods: SDEM was employed to formulate floating microcarriers using lipidic excipients, namely Gelucires (GL) to impart floating properties, in combination with ethyl cellulose as release retarding polymer. Results: Prepared particles were 169 ± 6 μm to 375 ± 13 μm in size, whilst encapsulation efficiency was ranged from 39.6 ± 0.60% to 96.50 ± 3.50%. Electron micrographs depicted discrete spherical microcarriers with porous structure, which amplified with increasing HLB value of GL and concentration of Eudragit E100. FTIR study confirmed absence of major drug polymer interactions while DSC and XRD studies revealed the presence of non-crystalline nature of drug in all formulations. Drug release at pH 1.2 enhanced more than 2-folds with increasing HLB value with 32% cumulative drug release for GL 43/01 and 69% for GL 50/13. More interestingly, adding various proportions of Eudragit E100 to GL 43/01 based formulations resulted in increased drug release as high as 71%. In all formulations, the drug release followed diffusion dependent process. Conclusion: It is envisaged that this formulation strategy for CLOP is promising and could possibly be tested in future for its in vivo performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eventual objective of social disciplines is to ensure the existence of peaceful and prosperous societies through the provision and protection of property rights for all segments of society. The deprived and socially excluded persons attempt to violate the formal rules and informal norms of the society. Developing countries have been facing rapidly increased number of violators of rules and norms, causing to higher crime rate which confronts multifarious ethnic problems, religion, multi-lingual problems. The case of Pakistan dose not varies when our study consider socioeconomic causes of crimes i.e. ethnic diversity and social exclusion. Present study is a contribution in this blistering issue, particularly in case of Pakistan. Therefore, our study explores the socioeconomic determinants of crime rate in Pakistan, by using bound testing and auto regressive distributive lag technique for the data period of 1970-2015. The estimated results reveal that ethnic diversity, social exclusion and deterrence have positive and significant impact on property, violence crime rates, and on overall crimes in Pakistan. While per capita income and population density, both have negative and significant impact on property and violence crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymmetric composite membranes of cellulose acetate (CA)/hydroxyapatite (HA) are prepared using phase inversion method for the separation of water, urea, glucose, and protein. Various concentrations of HA up to 15 wt% are dispersed uniformly in the CA matrix. The pore size of the CA matrix is tunable by varying the concentration of HA. The flux of water, urea and glucose is ~7 times higher while for BSA ~12 times higher in CA/HA composite membranes than pure CA. Similarly, water absorption capacity of CA/HA composite membranes are increased owing to the incorporation of hydrophilic HA in CA matrix. Moreover, the retention rates are also reasonable in CA/HA composite membranes depending on the difference in porosity of the membranes. The permeation of urea is much higher in the CA/HA composite membranes as compared to pure CA, which is more suitable for hemodialysis. Thereby, such CA/HA composite membrane offers the potential to be used in hemodialysis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid exfoliated, hydroxylated functionalized hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNSs-OH) are prepared for improved dispersion in polymers. Polymer nanocomposites are fabricated using (0–0.03 Vf) hydroxyl (OH) functionalized and non-functionalized BNNSs with poly methyl methacrylate, PMMA, by solution mixing for comparative study. Mechanical properties of the composites are improved considerably. The maximum ultimate tensile strength of the functionalized BN/PMMA (0.003 Vf BN) reached to ~ 26 MPa as compared to non-functionalized composites maximum value of ~ 19 MPa while the base polymer value remained at ~ 15 MPa. The Young's modulus enhanced as well from 1.45 GPa (PMMA) to 2.01 GPa and 2.19 GPa both for non-functionalized and functionalized composites respectively. The degree of reinforcement validated with the Halpin–Tsai Model is in close agreement for functionalized polymer nanocomposites. Structural and morphological characteristics are analyzed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) respectively, confirming the composites formation. The lateral dimension of the synthesized nanosheets is estimated with SEM as well. Dimensional analysis of nanosheets is carried out using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The estimated thickness of functionalized hBN flakes was around 5–10 nm. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) is used to confirm the presence of functional groups on h-BN. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) is used to study the polymer and nanosheets interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ontario municipal government agencies have recently been afflicted by significant premature pavement cracking. In response, stricter specifications were developed and implemented for acceptance on contracts. All but a few proven additives are banned in order to provide a cleaner product and the asphalt is graded after extraction and recovery from the loose mix. A set of highly sensitive rheological and failure properties are used to effectively control hard to detect constituents (e.g., reclaimed asphalt, oils, waxes, other unknowns). This paper discusses the background to the specification, the development of acceptance criteria, potential moisture susceptibility issues to be monitored, and early implementation experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The malfunction of electronic devices and many health-related issues may be caused due to electromagnetic interference (EMI) pollution. To overcome this problem a new set of material SAN/PANI/FLG hybrid composite with better EMI shielding properties is prepared using solution casting technique. Conductive polyaniline (PANI) is added (5 wt% and 10 wt%) to otherwise, an insulative polymer styrene acrylonitrile (SAN). Furthermore, few layer graphene (FLG) is added (0.1-1 wt%) to SAN/PANI polymer blends for preparation of SAN/PANI/FLG hybrid composites. The incorporation of PANI in SAN produces a phase separated morphology, whereas graphene appears in sheet like structure. For 0.1 wt% FLG/SAN/PANI-10 composite, total shielding effectiveness (SET) is enhanced from 1.1 to 24.3 dB (100 Hz), mainly due to enhanced dielectric characteristics. However, the maximum increase in tensile strength (49.6 MPa) and modulus (1.5 GPa) is observed for 0.5 wt% FLG/SAN/PANI-5.0 hybrid composite. The increase in dielectric properties and shielding efficiency of SAN/PANI/FLG may be credited to the accumulation of space charges or electric dipoles at the insulator conductor-interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]