Vegetation restoration and reconstruction are effective approaches to desertification control and achieving social and economic sustainability in desert areas.However,the self-succession ability of native plants durin...Vegetation restoration and reconstruction are effective approaches to desertification control and achieving social and economic sustainability in desert areas.However,the self-succession ability of native plants during the later periods of vegetation restoration remains unclear.Therefore,this study was conducted to bridge the knowledge gap by investigating the regeneration dynamics of artificial forest under natural conditions.The information of seed rain and soil seed bank was collected and quantified from an artificial Caragana korshinskii Kom.forest in the Tengger Desert,China.The germination tests were conducted in a laboratory setting.The analysis of species quantity and diversity in seed rain and soil seed bank was conducted to assess the impact of different durations of sand fixation(60,40,and 20 a)on the progress of vegetation restoration and ecological conditions in artificial C.korshinskii forest.The results showed that the top three dominant plant species in seed rain were Echinops gmelinii Turcz.,Eragrostis minor Host.,and Agropyron mongolicum Keng.,and the top three dominant plant species in soil seed bank were E.minor,Chloris virgata Sw.,and E.gmelinii.As restoration period increased,the density of seed rain and soil seed bank increased first and then decreased.While for species richness,as restoration period increased,it gradually increased in seed rain but decreased in soil seed bank.There was a positive correlation between seed rain density and soil seed bank density among all the three restoration periods.The species similarity between seed rain or soil seed bank and aboveground vegetation decreased with the extension of restoration period.The shape of the seeds,specifically those with external appendages such as spines and crown hair,clearly had an effect on their dispersal,then resulting in lower seed density in soil seed bank.In addition,precipitation was a crucial factor in promoting rapid germination,also resulting in lower seed density in soil seed bank.Our findings provide valuable insights for guiding future interventions during the later periods of artificial C.korshinskii forest,such as sowing and restoration efforts using unmanned aerial vehicles.展开更多
The relationship between credit expansion and banking crises is complex and cannot be fully explained by total credit alone.A systematic analysis of the relationship between the amount and structure of total credit an...The relationship between credit expansion and banking crises is complex and cannot be fully explained by total credit alone.A systematic analysis of the relationship between the amount and structure of total credit and banking crises is important for an objective prediction of the influence of potential financial risks.This paper,drawing on data from 15 selected countries,delves into the power of credit indicators in the early warning of banking crises from the perspectives of industrial structure,sector structure,and term structure of credit.Various machine learning methods were used,including Logistic Regression,Random Forest,Decision Tree,Support Vector Machine(SVM),Bagging,and Boosting models.The empirical findings indicate that credit expansion plays a crucial role in triggering banking crises.However,total credit is better suited for the early warning of short-term banking crises,whereas credit structure is more useful for the early warning of long-term banking crises.Moreover,in an early warning system,identifying key early warning indicators is more meaningful than merely increasing the number of indicators.Machine learning can somewhat enhance the early warning power,but it may not always be robust.Therefore,more attention should be paid to potential systemic banking crises resulting from an imbalance in credit structure while regulating the total credit threshold.展开更多
In the view of the international organization of standardization,the introduction of ISO standards is typical of quality management systems oriented towards strengthening the efficiency of enterprises.Business banks a...In the view of the international organization of standardization,the introduction of ISO standards is typical of quality management systems oriented towards strengthening the efficiency of enterprises.Business banks are not excluded from this requirement.The current study aims to evaluate the effect of ISO certification on the technical performance of WAEMU banks.Using BCEAO data(2020),the DEA model and Tobit estimates show that ISO certification has no effect on the efficiency scores of the banks in the sample.It is therefore appropriate for these banks to work on improving their business climate.展开更多
Nowadays,with the development of the digital economy,commercial banks are actively conducting digital transformation.Studying the impact of the digital transformation of commercial banks on their operating performance...Nowadays,with the development of the digital economy,commercial banks are actively conducting digital transformation.Studying the impact of the digital transformation of commercial banks on their operating performance can help commercial banks form a stronger core competitiveness and promote high-quality financial development.Based on the above background,this article first describes the status and development of digital transformation and development of commercial banks,and secondly analyzes whether Chinese commercial banks’digital transformation is conducive to improving their operating performance.Thirdly,by selecting the data of the listed commercial banks in the ten years of 2012–2022,this article obtains the empirical testing of the digital transformation on different property rights.Finally,the higher the level of digitalization,the higher the digital level,the more significantly promotes the performance of commercial banks.Finally,based on the above analysis,this article puts forward feasibility opinions on commercial banks and related regulators.展开更多
The latest regulatory framework,which has been introduced globally in the form of Basel III,and its implementation in the legislation of the member states of the Euro-pean Union has generated much interest in the impa...The latest regulatory framework,which has been introduced globally in the form of Basel III,and its implementation in the legislation of the member states of the Euro-pean Union has generated much interest in the impact of regulation on the efficiency and profitability of banks.This study aims to examine the impact of the introduction of two major regulatory changes(Basel II and Basel III)on bank performance,in terms of bank size and bank-specific and macroeconomic variables.A two-stage empirical anal-ysis was conducted on a sample of 433 European commercial banks over the 2006–2015 period.In the first stage,relative efficiency was calculated using non-parametric data envelopment analysis.In the second stage,the generalized method of moments was used to examine the impact of bank-specific and macroeconomic variables as well as regulation on bank performance,that is,profitability and efficiency.Consider-ing bank size,the results show a diverse impact of regulation on bank performance.Regarding large-and medium-sized banks,regulation positively affects both efficiency and profitability,whereas,for small banks,it negatively affects performance.The results suggest that larger banks have skillfully adapted to the new regulatory environment.In contrast,small banks have problems with profitability and efficiency because the new regulatory framework has imposed additional administrative and regulatory burdens.This could result in future failure or mergers with larger banks,resulting in a higher concentration in the banking sector and increased systemic risk.Our results strongly suggest that regulation should not be implemented equally for all banks;that is,on a one size fits all terms.A distinction between small and large banks when introducing new regulatory frameworks should be made if a reasonable level of competition is to be preserved.展开更多
This paper investigates optimal decisions for private banking development in China under two innovative organizational structures—the big retail mode(BRM)and the independent development mode(IDM).Under the BRM,the re...This paper investigates optimal decisions for private banking development in China under two innovative organizational structures—the big retail mode(BRM)and the independent development mode(IDM).Under the BRM,the retail and private banking divisions form a cooperative relationship wherein the former transfers highnet-worth customers to the latter.In addition,retail banking receives a share of private banking revenues.We investigate the optimal revenue-sharing ratio between the two divisions and the optimal effort by private banking to serve transferred customers within the cooperative relationship.The analytical results show that as the private banking division becomes more developed,the optimal revenue-sharing ratio decreases,and the private banking division’s optimal effort to serve transferred customers decreases because it puts more effort into acquiring new customers.Under the IDM,the two divisions form a competitive relationship since they compete to acquire customers independently.We investigate customer acquisition efforts in this interdivisional competition.Optimal customer acquisition efforts by both divisions increase in potential assets and rates of return.This paper contributes to the literature by(1)analyzing financial innovation by private banks from an organizational perspective;(2)providing an economic analysis for private banking development in China.展开更多
Located south of the West Bank, Wadi Al-Samen is considered one of the most important sources of groundwater recharge for the eastern aquifer in Hebron. It is polluted by sewage originating from domestic and industria...Located south of the West Bank, Wadi Al-Samen is considered one of the most important sources of groundwater recharge for the eastern aquifer in Hebron. It is polluted by sewage originating from domestic and industrial consumption in the Hebron area. Water quality assessment is an important criterion for achieving sustainable development. To evaluate water quality, twenty samples were collected from groundwater sources for two seasons and were analyzed for Physical properties (Total dissolved solids (TDS), Electrical conductivity (EC), potential hydrogen (pH), Temperature (T)), Four major cations (Mg<sup>2+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup> and K<sup>+</sup>), and the Major anions (HCO<sup>-</sup>3</sub>, Cl<sup>-</sup>, and SO<sup>2-</sup>4</sub>);geochemical methods such as Piper scheme were used for the sample result analysis. To characterize wastewater components, six samples were collected from the Wadi discharge for two seasons and were analyzed (potential hydrogen (pH), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD<sub>5</sub>), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The results of nitrate levels showed that 20% of the ground water samples exceeded the standard limit of the World Health Organization (WHO). The quality of drinking water was assessed using the Water Quality Index (WQI), which suggests that 10% of samples are classified from poor to very poor. The abundance of cations from highest to lowest was found to be: Ca;Mg;Na, and for the anions it is HCO<sub>3</sub>;Cl;SO<sub>4</sub>. The dominant hydrochemical facies of 35% of collected aquifer samples reveal that Ca-Mg-Na-Cl-HCO<sub>3</sub> are in the domain. Evaluation of irrigation suitability was performed using parameters of Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), electric conductivity (EC), and Salinity. The results in both rounds for EC showed that all water sources are suitable for irrigation according to Todd’s classification. SAR was not suitable in three water resources samples. Wilcox analysis for the two seasons revealed that 85% of samples are not appropriate for irrigation uses.展开更多
Deep Convolution Neural Networks(DCNNs)can capture discriminative features from large datasets.However,how to incrementally learn new samples without forgetting old ones and recognize novel classes that arise in the d...Deep Convolution Neural Networks(DCNNs)can capture discriminative features from large datasets.However,how to incrementally learn new samples without forgetting old ones and recognize novel classes that arise in the dynamically changing world,e.g.,classifying newly discovered fish species,remains an open problem.We address an even more challenging and realistic setting of this problem where new class samples are insufficient,i.e.,Few-Shot Class-Incremental Learning(FSCIL).Current FSCIL methods augment the training data to alleviate the overfitting of novel classes.By contrast,we propose Filter Bank Networks(FBNs)that augment the learnable filters to capture fine-detailed features for adapting to future new classes.In the forward pass,FBNs augment each convolutional filter to a virtual filter bank containing the canonical one,i.e.,itself,and multiple transformed versions.During back-propagation,FBNs explicitly stimulate fine-detailed features to emerge and collectively align all gradients of each filter bank to learn the canonical one.FBNs capture pattern variants that do not yet exist in the pretraining session,thus making it easy to incorporate new classes in the incremental learning phase.Moreover,FBNs introduce model-level prior knowledge to efficiently utilize the limited few-shot data.Extensive experiments on MNIST,CIFAR100,CUB200,andMini-ImageNet datasets show that FBNs consistently outperformthe baseline by a significantmargin,reporting new state-of-the-art FSCIL results.In addition,we contribute a challenging FSCIL benchmark,Fishshot1K,which contains 8261 underwater images covering 1000 ocean fish species.The code is included in the supplementary materials.展开更多
An 80-GHz DCO based on modified hybrid tuning banks is introduced in this paper.To achieve sub-MHz frequency res-olution with reduced circuit complexity,the improved circuit topology replaces the conventional circuit ...An 80-GHz DCO based on modified hybrid tuning banks is introduced in this paper.To achieve sub-MHz frequency res-olution with reduced circuit complexity,the improved circuit topology replaces the conventional circuit topology with two binary-weighted SC cells,enabling eight SC-cell-based improved SC ladders to achieve the same fine-tuning steps as twelve SC-cell-based conventional SC ladders.To achieve lower phase noise and smaller chip size,the promoted binary-weighted digi-tally controlled transmission lines(DCTLs)are used to implement the coarse and medium tuning banks of the DCO.Compared to the conventional thermometer-coded DCTLs,control bits of the proposed DCTLs are reduced from 30 to 8,and the total length is reduced by 34.3%(from 122.76 to 80.66μm).Fabricated in 40-nm CMOS,the DCO demonstrated in this work fea-tures a small fine-tuning step(483 kHz),a high oscillation frequency(79-85 GHz),and a smaller chip size(0.017 mm^(2)).Com-pared to previous work,the modified DCO exhibits an excellent figure of merit with an area(FoMA)of-198 dBc/Hz.展开更多
Exfoliated deciduous or an extracted healthy adult tooth can be used to harvest,process,and cryogenically preserve dental pulp stem cells.Future stem cell-based regenerative medicine methods could benefit significantl...Exfoliated deciduous or an extracted healthy adult tooth can be used to harvest,process,and cryogenically preserve dental pulp stem cells.Future stem cell-based regenerative medicine methods could benefit significantly from these mesenchymal stem cells.Teeth serve as a substantial source of mesenchymal stem cells,otherwise disposed of as medical waste.Care should be taken to store this treasure trove of stem cells.Collective responsibility of patients,dentists,and physicians is necessary to ensure that this valuable resource is not wasted and that every possible dental pulp stem cell is available for use in the future.The dental pulp stem cells(DPSC)inside teeth represent a significant future source of stem cells for regenerative medicine procedures.This review describes the ontogeny,the laboratory processing and collection,and isolation methods of DPSC.This review also discusses currently available stem cell banking facilities and their potential use in regenerative medicine procedures in dental and general medical applications in the future.展开更多
Reclamation of lands abandoned after mining in mountain areas is critical to erosion control,safety from landslides,and ecological protection of mountain ecosystems.However,little is known about alpine coal mine recla...Reclamation of lands abandoned after mining in mountain areas is critical to erosion control,safety from landslides,and ecological protection of mountain ecosystems.However,little is known about alpine coal mine reclamation using the soil seed bank as a potential source for revegetation.We collected samples of persistent soil seed bank for germination experiments from nine reclaimed sites with different soil cover thicknesses and from six control sites in the Qilian Mountains of China.Soil properties of each site were determined(including soil water content,soil available potassium,soil available phosphorus,soil total nitrogen,pH,soil organic matter,soil total phosphorus,and soil total potassium,and soil alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen),and the relationships of the characteristics of the soil seed bank with soil cover thickness and soil properties were examined.The results showed that the density,number of species,and diversity of the topsoil seed bank were significantly correlated with soil cover thickness,and all increased with the increment of soil cover thickness.Soil cover thickness controlled the soil seed bank by influencing soil properties.With the increase in soil cover thickness,soil properties(e.g.,soil organic matter,soil total nitrogen,etc.)content increased while soil pH decreased.The soil seed bank had the potential to restored the pre-mining habitat at reclaimed sites with approximately 20-cm soil cover thickness.Soil properties of reclaimed sites were lower than that of natural sites.The relationship between the soil seed bank and soil cover thickness determined in this study provides a foundation for improving reclamation measures used in coal mines,as well as for the management and monitoring of reclaimed areas.展开更多
The soil seed bank is an important source of restoration and resilience of disturbed ecosystems. This study evaluates the regeneration potential through the soil seed bank of the shrub savannas of Nguela and Mbe in or...The soil seed bank is an important source of restoration and resilience of disturbed ecosystems. This study evaluates the regeneration potential through the soil seed bank of the shrub savannas of Nguela and Mbe in order to predict the eventual dynamics. Three plots of 0.25 ha subdivided into four sub-plots of 0.015 ha have been installed in each savannah. In total, 48 samples of each savannah, i.e. 96 samples of both savannas, have been taken from the soil layers, 0 - 5 cm, 5 - 10 cm, 10 - 15 cm and 15 - 20 cm. Species diversity and abundance of the soil seed bank have been assessed after germination. The results reveal 167 seedlings belonging to 23 species in the Mbe savannah and 144 seedlings belonging to 14 species in the Nguela savannah. The total densities of the germinated seeds were respectively 463.63 seeds/m<sup>2</sup> and 400 seeds/m<sup>2</sup>. Nevertheless, the 20 cm deep layers have illustrated themselves compared to the superficial layers with densities of 16.29 seeds/m<sup>2</sup> and 21.66 seeds/m<sup>2</sup>, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. Herbaceous species largely dominated, with percentages of 91% and 100%, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. Alone, the Trema orientalis (L.) Blume species has been identified as woody species in the Mbe savannah. The greatest specific richness has been obtained in the first five centimeters of soil, with 21.73% and 28.57% of exclusive species, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. The results reveal that restoration through the soil seed bank would be limited to a single woody species found (T. orientalis). Consequently, the study suggests silvicultural interventions based on planting or enrichment techniques for sustainably managed savannas exposed to anthropogenic disturbances.展开更多
This study aims to fill the gap in the literature by specifically investigating the impact of country risk on the credit risk of the banking sectors operating in Brazil,Russia,India,China,and South Africa(BRICS),emerg...This study aims to fill the gap in the literature by specifically investigating the impact of country risk on the credit risk of the banking sectors operating in Brazil,Russia,India,China,and South Africa(BRICS),emerging countries.More specifically,we explore whether the country-specific risks,namely financial,economic,and political risks significantly impact the BRICS banking sectors’non-performing loans and also probe which risk has the most outstanding effect on credit risk.To do so,we perform panel data analysis using the quantile estimation approach covering the period 2004–2020.The empirical results reveal that the country risk significantly leads to increasing the banking sector’s credit risk and this effect is prominent in the banking sector of countries with a higher degree of non-performing loans(Q.25=−0.105,Q.50=−0.131,Q.75=−0.153,Q.95=−0.175).Furthermore,the results underscore that an emerging country’s political,economic,and financial instabilities are strongly associated with increasing the banking sector’s credit risk and a rise in political risk in particular has the most positive prominent impact on the banking sector of countries with a higher degree of non-performing loans(Q.25=−0.122,Q.50=−0.141,Q.75=−0.163,Q.95=−0.172).Moreover,the results suggest that,in addition to the banking sectorspecific determinants,credit risk is significantly impacted by the financial market development,lending interest rate,and global risk.The results are robust and have significant policy suggestions for many policymakers,bank executives,researchers,and analysts.展开更多
Internet finance has structural impact and market impact on commercial banking.Various forms of Internet finance such as third-party payment,crowdfunding,P2P lending,and internet money funds have emerged.Due to their ...Internet finance has structural impact and market impact on commercial banking.Various forms of Internet finance such as third-party payment,crowdfunding,P2P lending,and internet money funds have emerged.Due to their low cost,high efficiency,and diversification characteristics,an increasing number of people are utilizing Internet finance for their businesses.This trend significantly affects traditional commercial banking operations and presents challenges.In order to gain competitive advantages through Internet finance,this paper explores how commercial banks can leverage their traditional business models.It introduces the concept,model,and characteristics of Internet finance;analyzes the importance of asset management for commercial banks;examines the influence of Internet on commercial bank’s asset management;finally proposes countermeasures for the development of Internet finance.It is advocated that commercial banks should actively explore the road of“structured finance”with all-round structural reform in the future.展开更多
In the European Union(EU),the revised Payment Services Directive(PSD2)aims to provide more convenient and customized financial products through open banking(OB)platforms.However,little attention has been paid to the r...In the European Union(EU),the revised Payment Services Directive(PSD2)aims to provide more convenient and customized financial products through open banking(OB)platforms.However,little attention has been paid to the role of OB in improving the financial well-being of the growing number of the EU’s underserved groups,which currently constitute approximately a quarter of its population.This study examines how the PSD2 and OB impact inclusive finance in the EU based on the perspectives of the Netherlands’ecosystem,one of the leaders in the EU’s financial technology(FinTech)landscape.A fundamental distinction can be drawn between the OB users and the ecosystem’s players.Regarding the impact of financial services on the users’inclusivity,while the PSD2 strengthens the infrastructure necessary for financial inclusion,many challenges remain,mainly because it was not designed for this purpose.This study identifies several areas of improvement that include adjustments to the know your customer and anti-money laundering processes for underserved customers,innovative ways to communicate the PSD2’s potential,and the regulation of technology providers’activities to build trust.Meanwhile,from the ecosystem’s position,there is a need to strengthen and improve microfinance regulation according to the opportunities provided by the PSD2 to support microfinance institutions(MFIs)in scaling up and reaching underserved clients across borders with innovative services.OB improvements can also be achieved by organizations formed by MFIs and FinTechs in collaboration with banks.Such hybrid institutions will combine the best features of each of them:knowledge of the needs of local underserved clients from MFIs,technological innovations from FinTechs,and large and trusted customer bases,infrastructures,and access to institutional investments and governments from banks.Finally,an EU inclusive OB sector depends on the centrality of trusted regulators as coordination bodies.The PSD2 requires adjustments for underserved populations’specific needs.OB improvements can be achieved by organizations formed by MFIs and Fin-Techs in collaboration with banks.Regulated technical service providers(TSPs)are crucial to building trust and customer adoption in OB.The European Banking Authority(EBA)may function as coordination body to design inclusive rules by engaging with OB stakeholders.As inclusive finance moves into open-finance and data eras,an increasing regulatory complexity and scope will require networks of innovative and trusted regulators.展开更多
In the nonparametric data envelopment analysis literature,scale elasticity is evaluated in two alternative ways:using either the technical efficiency model or the cost efficiency model.This evaluation becomes problema...In the nonparametric data envelopment analysis literature,scale elasticity is evaluated in two alternative ways:using either the technical efficiency model or the cost efficiency model.This evaluation becomes problematic in several situations,for example(a)when input proportions change in the long run,(b)when inputs are heterogeneous,and(c)when firms face ex-ante price uncertainty in making their production decisions.To address these situations,a scale elasticity evaluation was performed using a value-based cost efficiency model.However,this alternative value-based scale elasticity evaluation is sensitive to the uncertainty and variability underlying input and output data.Therefore,in this study,we introduce a stochastic cost-efficiency model based on chance-constrained programming to develop a value-based measure of the scale elasticity of firms facing data uncertainty.An illustrative empirical application to the Indian banking industry comprising 71 banks for eight years(1998–2005)was made to compare inferences about their efficiency and scale properties.The key findings are as follows:First,both the deterministic model and our proposed stochastic model yield distinctly different results concerning the efficiency and scale elasticity scores at various tolerance levels of chance constraints.However,both models yield the same results at a tolerance level of 0.5,implying that the deterministic model is a special case of the stochastic model in that it reveals the same efficiency and returns to scale characterizations of banks.Second,the stochastic model generates higher efficiency scores for inefficient banks than its deterministic counterpart.Third,public banks exhibit higher efficiency than private and foreign banks.Finally,public and old private banks mostly exhibit either decreasing or constant returns to scale,whereas foreign and new private banks experience either increasing or decreasing returns to scale.Although the application of our proposed stochastic model is illustrative,it can be potentially applied to all firms in the information and distribution-intensive industry with high fixed costs,which have ample potential for reaping scale and scope benefits.展开更多
This paper reconsiders the outcome of the adoption of a single legal currency in the 1999 Euro Act. Installing a central bank, several different solutions surfaced among the EU members and in the global economy, since...This paper reconsiders the outcome of the adoption of a single legal currency in the 1999 Euro Act. Installing a central bank, several different solutions surfaced among the EU members and in the global economy, since the 1922 Genoa summit. The last Euro solution came after the severe, unexpected stock market crash on October 19, 1987. Furthermore, the sub-prime bubble 2007, the financial collapse 2008 and the final 2012 the banking melt down, induce to reconsider the overlapping monetary and financial fallouts. The 89 Interstate Banking Act and the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994, induce a monetary and financial evolving infrastructure. This paper focuses on the conflicts at the enlarging EU community seen the unavoidable monetary and financial integration, considering that the unique definition of the monetary functions as its essence is misinterpreted, in a clear common asymmetry affecting the whole evolving situation.展开更多
This paper revises the crucial outcome of adopting a single legal currency,within the environment of a classic based competing central bank infrastructure,in an uncertain monetary category definition class,from a gene...This paper revises the crucial outcome of adopting a single legal currency,within the environment of a classic based competing central bank infrastructure,in an uncertain monetary category definition class,from a generally closed economy,to a competing quasi-global market,for an unbiased monetary unit alone.The fallout effects of such a system include the transfer of capitals,the unavoidable reallocation of resources,and the non-homogenous economic development in different regional areas.The recent USA Interstate Banking Act experience,after the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994,constitutes a valid example of some necessary frameworks when opening a new financial operating infrastructure.This new paper focuses on the special conditions in the EU community States and the necessity-pending their financial integration-of a consideration of some likely negative fallout effects,in order to implement and consolidate some effective balancing measures.Nevertheless,the role that the globalization of the economic activity plays,especially in the financial community,is endorsing a rapid integration of the technology and operating techniques,that require critical volumes of trading and rapidly adjusting enterprise dimensions and operating techniques.The latter call for some form of institutional frameworks,considering the correct definition of the monetary function and its essence,requires a clear and unique common monetary framework.展开更多
基金funded by the General Project of Key R&D Plan of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China(2021BEG03008,2022BEG02012)the Science and Technology Innovation Leading Talent Project of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region(2021GKLRLX13)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31760707).
文摘Vegetation restoration and reconstruction are effective approaches to desertification control and achieving social and economic sustainability in desert areas.However,the self-succession ability of native plants during the later periods of vegetation restoration remains unclear.Therefore,this study was conducted to bridge the knowledge gap by investigating the regeneration dynamics of artificial forest under natural conditions.The information of seed rain and soil seed bank was collected and quantified from an artificial Caragana korshinskii Kom.forest in the Tengger Desert,China.The germination tests were conducted in a laboratory setting.The analysis of species quantity and diversity in seed rain and soil seed bank was conducted to assess the impact of different durations of sand fixation(60,40,and 20 a)on the progress of vegetation restoration and ecological conditions in artificial C.korshinskii forest.The results showed that the top three dominant plant species in seed rain were Echinops gmelinii Turcz.,Eragrostis minor Host.,and Agropyron mongolicum Keng.,and the top three dominant plant species in soil seed bank were E.minor,Chloris virgata Sw.,and E.gmelinii.As restoration period increased,the density of seed rain and soil seed bank increased first and then decreased.While for species richness,as restoration period increased,it gradually increased in seed rain but decreased in soil seed bank.There was a positive correlation between seed rain density and soil seed bank density among all the three restoration periods.The species similarity between seed rain or soil seed bank and aboveground vegetation decreased with the extension of restoration period.The shape of the seeds,specifically those with external appendages such as spines and crown hair,clearly had an effect on their dispersal,then resulting in lower seed density in soil seed bank.In addition,precipitation was a crucial factor in promoting rapid germination,also resulting in lower seed density in soil seed bank.Our findings provide valuable insights for guiding future interventions during the later periods of artificial C.korshinskii forest,such as sowing and restoration efforts using unmanned aerial vehicles.
基金funded by the Chongqing Social Sciences Planning Project (2023NDQN22)the Social Sciences and Philosophy Project of the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission (23SKGH097)the Youth Program of Science and Technology Research of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission (KJQN202300545)。
文摘The relationship between credit expansion and banking crises is complex and cannot be fully explained by total credit alone.A systematic analysis of the relationship between the amount and structure of total credit and banking crises is important for an objective prediction of the influence of potential financial risks.This paper,drawing on data from 15 selected countries,delves into the power of credit indicators in the early warning of banking crises from the perspectives of industrial structure,sector structure,and term structure of credit.Various machine learning methods were used,including Logistic Regression,Random Forest,Decision Tree,Support Vector Machine(SVM),Bagging,and Boosting models.The empirical findings indicate that credit expansion plays a crucial role in triggering banking crises.However,total credit is better suited for the early warning of short-term banking crises,whereas credit structure is more useful for the early warning of long-term banking crises.Moreover,in an early warning system,identifying key early warning indicators is more meaningful than merely increasing the number of indicators.Machine learning can somewhat enhance the early warning power,but it may not always be robust.Therefore,more attention should be paid to potential systemic banking crises resulting from an imbalance in credit structure while regulating the total credit threshold.
文摘In the view of the international organization of standardization,the introduction of ISO standards is typical of quality management systems oriented towards strengthening the efficiency of enterprises.Business banks are not excluded from this requirement.The current study aims to evaluate the effect of ISO certification on the technical performance of WAEMU banks.Using BCEAO data(2020),the DEA model and Tobit estimates show that ISO certification has no effect on the efficiency scores of the banks in the sample.It is therefore appropriate for these banks to work on improving their business climate.
文摘Nowadays,with the development of the digital economy,commercial banks are actively conducting digital transformation.Studying the impact of the digital transformation of commercial banks on their operating performance can help commercial banks form a stronger core competitiveness and promote high-quality financial development.Based on the above background,this article first describes the status and development of digital transformation and development of commercial banks,and secondly analyzes whether Chinese commercial banks’digital transformation is conducive to improving their operating performance.Thirdly,by selecting the data of the listed commercial banks in the ten years of 2012–2022,this article obtains the empirical testing of the digital transformation on different property rights.Finally,the higher the level of digitalization,the higher the digital level,the more significantly promotes the performance of commercial banks.Finally,based on the above analysis,this article puts forward feasibility opinions on commercial banks and related regulators.
基金supported by the University of Rijeka projects uniri-mladi-drustv-20-5.and uniri-drustv-18-228.
文摘The latest regulatory framework,which has been introduced globally in the form of Basel III,and its implementation in the legislation of the member states of the Euro-pean Union has generated much interest in the impact of regulation on the efficiency and profitability of banks.This study aims to examine the impact of the introduction of two major regulatory changes(Basel II and Basel III)on bank performance,in terms of bank size and bank-specific and macroeconomic variables.A two-stage empirical anal-ysis was conducted on a sample of 433 European commercial banks over the 2006–2015 period.In the first stage,relative efficiency was calculated using non-parametric data envelopment analysis.In the second stage,the generalized method of moments was used to examine the impact of bank-specific and macroeconomic variables as well as regulation on bank performance,that is,profitability and efficiency.Consider-ing bank size,the results show a diverse impact of regulation on bank performance.Regarding large-and medium-sized banks,regulation positively affects both efficiency and profitability,whereas,for small banks,it negatively affects performance.The results suggest that larger banks have skillfully adapted to the new regulatory environment.In contrast,small banks have problems with profitability and efficiency because the new regulatory framework has imposed additional administrative and regulatory burdens.This could result in future failure or mergers with larger banks,resulting in a higher concentration in the banking sector and increased systemic risk.Our results strongly suggest that regulation should not be implemented equally for all banks;that is,on a one size fits all terms.A distinction between small and large banks when introducing new regulatory frameworks should be made if a reasonable level of competition is to be preserved.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.72101281,72192843,71872171,71988101)the National Social Science Fund of China(Grant No 22VRC055)Program for Innovation Research in Central University of Finance and Economics.
文摘This paper investigates optimal decisions for private banking development in China under two innovative organizational structures—the big retail mode(BRM)and the independent development mode(IDM).Under the BRM,the retail and private banking divisions form a cooperative relationship wherein the former transfers highnet-worth customers to the latter.In addition,retail banking receives a share of private banking revenues.We investigate the optimal revenue-sharing ratio between the two divisions and the optimal effort by private banking to serve transferred customers within the cooperative relationship.The analytical results show that as the private banking division becomes more developed,the optimal revenue-sharing ratio decreases,and the private banking division’s optimal effort to serve transferred customers decreases because it puts more effort into acquiring new customers.Under the IDM,the two divisions form a competitive relationship since they compete to acquire customers independently.We investigate customer acquisition efforts in this interdivisional competition.Optimal customer acquisition efforts by both divisions increase in potential assets and rates of return.This paper contributes to the literature by(1)analyzing financial innovation by private banks from an organizational perspective;(2)providing an economic analysis for private banking development in China.
文摘Located south of the West Bank, Wadi Al-Samen is considered one of the most important sources of groundwater recharge for the eastern aquifer in Hebron. It is polluted by sewage originating from domestic and industrial consumption in the Hebron area. Water quality assessment is an important criterion for achieving sustainable development. To evaluate water quality, twenty samples were collected from groundwater sources for two seasons and were analyzed for Physical properties (Total dissolved solids (TDS), Electrical conductivity (EC), potential hydrogen (pH), Temperature (T)), Four major cations (Mg<sup>2+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup> and K<sup>+</sup>), and the Major anions (HCO<sup>-</sup>3</sub>, Cl<sup>-</sup>, and SO<sup>2-</sup>4</sub>);geochemical methods such as Piper scheme were used for the sample result analysis. To characterize wastewater components, six samples were collected from the Wadi discharge for two seasons and were analyzed (potential hydrogen (pH), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD<sub>5</sub>), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The results of nitrate levels showed that 20% of the ground water samples exceeded the standard limit of the World Health Organization (WHO). The quality of drinking water was assessed using the Water Quality Index (WQI), which suggests that 10% of samples are classified from poor to very poor. The abundance of cations from highest to lowest was found to be: Ca;Mg;Na, and for the anions it is HCO<sub>3</sub>;Cl;SO<sub>4</sub>. The dominant hydrochemical facies of 35% of collected aquifer samples reveal that Ca-Mg-Na-Cl-HCO<sub>3</sub> are in the domain. Evaluation of irrigation suitability was performed using parameters of Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), electric conductivity (EC), and Salinity. The results in both rounds for EC showed that all water sources are suitable for irrigation according to Todd’s classification. SAR was not suitable in three water resources samples. Wilcox analysis for the two seasons revealed that 85% of samples are not appropriate for irrigation uses.
基金support from the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No.XDA27000000.
文摘Deep Convolution Neural Networks(DCNNs)can capture discriminative features from large datasets.However,how to incrementally learn new samples without forgetting old ones and recognize novel classes that arise in the dynamically changing world,e.g.,classifying newly discovered fish species,remains an open problem.We address an even more challenging and realistic setting of this problem where new class samples are insufficient,i.e.,Few-Shot Class-Incremental Learning(FSCIL).Current FSCIL methods augment the training data to alleviate the overfitting of novel classes.By contrast,we propose Filter Bank Networks(FBNs)that augment the learnable filters to capture fine-detailed features for adapting to future new classes.In the forward pass,FBNs augment each convolutional filter to a virtual filter bank containing the canonical one,i.e.,itself,and multiple transformed versions.During back-propagation,FBNs explicitly stimulate fine-detailed features to emerge and collectively align all gradients of each filter bank to learn the canonical one.FBNs capture pattern variants that do not yet exist in the pretraining session,thus making it easy to incorporate new classes in the incremental learning phase.Moreover,FBNs introduce model-level prior knowledge to efficiently utilize the limited few-shot data.Extensive experiments on MNIST,CIFAR100,CUB200,andMini-ImageNet datasets show that FBNs consistently outperformthe baseline by a significantmargin,reporting new state-of-the-art FSCIL results.In addition,we contribute a challenging FSCIL benchmark,Fishshot1K,which contains 8261 underwater images covering 1000 ocean fish species.The code is included in the supplementary materials.
基金This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61674036)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFB2202200).
文摘An 80-GHz DCO based on modified hybrid tuning banks is introduced in this paper.To achieve sub-MHz frequency res-olution with reduced circuit complexity,the improved circuit topology replaces the conventional circuit topology with two binary-weighted SC cells,enabling eight SC-cell-based improved SC ladders to achieve the same fine-tuning steps as twelve SC-cell-based conventional SC ladders.To achieve lower phase noise and smaller chip size,the promoted binary-weighted digi-tally controlled transmission lines(DCTLs)are used to implement the coarse and medium tuning banks of the DCO.Compared to the conventional thermometer-coded DCTLs,control bits of the proposed DCTLs are reduced from 30 to 8,and the total length is reduced by 34.3%(from 122.76 to 80.66μm).Fabricated in 40-nm CMOS,the DCO demonstrated in this work fea-tures a small fine-tuning step(483 kHz),a high oscillation frequency(79-85 GHz),and a smaller chip size(0.017 mm^(2)).Com-pared to previous work,the modified DCO exhibits an excellent figure of merit with an area(FoMA)of-198 dBc/Hz.
文摘Exfoliated deciduous or an extracted healthy adult tooth can be used to harvest,process,and cryogenically preserve dental pulp stem cells.Future stem cell-based regenerative medicine methods could benefit significantly from these mesenchymal stem cells.Teeth serve as a substantial source of mesenchymal stem cells,otherwise disposed of as medical waste.Care should be taken to store this treasure trove of stem cells.Collective responsibility of patients,dentists,and physicians is necessary to ensure that this valuable resource is not wasted and that every possible dental pulp stem cell is available for use in the future.The dental pulp stem cells(DPSC)inside teeth represent a significant future source of stem cells for regenerative medicine procedures.This review describes the ontogeny,the laboratory processing and collection,and isolation methods of DPSC.This review also discusses currently available stem cell banking facilities and their potential use in regenerative medicine procedures in dental and general medical applications in the future.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019YFC0507400)
文摘Reclamation of lands abandoned after mining in mountain areas is critical to erosion control,safety from landslides,and ecological protection of mountain ecosystems.However,little is known about alpine coal mine reclamation using the soil seed bank as a potential source for revegetation.We collected samples of persistent soil seed bank for germination experiments from nine reclaimed sites with different soil cover thicknesses and from six control sites in the Qilian Mountains of China.Soil properties of each site were determined(including soil water content,soil available potassium,soil available phosphorus,soil total nitrogen,pH,soil organic matter,soil total phosphorus,and soil total potassium,and soil alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen),and the relationships of the characteristics of the soil seed bank with soil cover thickness and soil properties were examined.The results showed that the density,number of species,and diversity of the topsoil seed bank were significantly correlated with soil cover thickness,and all increased with the increment of soil cover thickness.Soil cover thickness controlled the soil seed bank by influencing soil properties.With the increase in soil cover thickness,soil properties(e.g.,soil organic matter,soil total nitrogen,etc.)content increased while soil pH decreased.The soil seed bank had the potential to restored the pre-mining habitat at reclaimed sites with approximately 20-cm soil cover thickness.Soil properties of reclaimed sites were lower than that of natural sites.The relationship between the soil seed bank and soil cover thickness determined in this study provides a foundation for improving reclamation measures used in coal mines,as well as for the management and monitoring of reclaimed areas.
文摘The soil seed bank is an important source of restoration and resilience of disturbed ecosystems. This study evaluates the regeneration potential through the soil seed bank of the shrub savannas of Nguela and Mbe in order to predict the eventual dynamics. Three plots of 0.25 ha subdivided into four sub-plots of 0.015 ha have been installed in each savannah. In total, 48 samples of each savannah, i.e. 96 samples of both savannas, have been taken from the soil layers, 0 - 5 cm, 5 - 10 cm, 10 - 15 cm and 15 - 20 cm. Species diversity and abundance of the soil seed bank have been assessed after germination. The results reveal 167 seedlings belonging to 23 species in the Mbe savannah and 144 seedlings belonging to 14 species in the Nguela savannah. The total densities of the germinated seeds were respectively 463.63 seeds/m<sup>2</sup> and 400 seeds/m<sup>2</sup>. Nevertheless, the 20 cm deep layers have illustrated themselves compared to the superficial layers with densities of 16.29 seeds/m<sup>2</sup> and 21.66 seeds/m<sup>2</sup>, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. Herbaceous species largely dominated, with percentages of 91% and 100%, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. Alone, the Trema orientalis (L.) Blume species has been identified as woody species in the Mbe savannah. The greatest specific richness has been obtained in the first five centimeters of soil, with 21.73% and 28.57% of exclusive species, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. The results reveal that restoration through the soil seed bank would be limited to a single woody species found (T. orientalis). Consequently, the study suggests silvicultural interventions based on planting or enrichment techniques for sustainably managed savannas exposed to anthropogenic disturbances.
文摘This study aims to fill the gap in the literature by specifically investigating the impact of country risk on the credit risk of the banking sectors operating in Brazil,Russia,India,China,and South Africa(BRICS),emerging countries.More specifically,we explore whether the country-specific risks,namely financial,economic,and political risks significantly impact the BRICS banking sectors’non-performing loans and also probe which risk has the most outstanding effect on credit risk.To do so,we perform panel data analysis using the quantile estimation approach covering the period 2004–2020.The empirical results reveal that the country risk significantly leads to increasing the banking sector’s credit risk and this effect is prominent in the banking sector of countries with a higher degree of non-performing loans(Q.25=−0.105,Q.50=−0.131,Q.75=−0.153,Q.95=−0.175).Furthermore,the results underscore that an emerging country’s political,economic,and financial instabilities are strongly associated with increasing the banking sector’s credit risk and a rise in political risk in particular has the most positive prominent impact on the banking sector of countries with a higher degree of non-performing loans(Q.25=−0.122,Q.50=−0.141,Q.75=−0.163,Q.95=−0.172).Moreover,the results suggest that,in addition to the banking sectorspecific determinants,credit risk is significantly impacted by the financial market development,lending interest rate,and global risk.The results are robust and have significant policy suggestions for many policymakers,bank executives,researchers,and analysts.
文摘Internet finance has structural impact and market impact on commercial banking.Various forms of Internet finance such as third-party payment,crowdfunding,P2P lending,and internet money funds have emerged.Due to their low cost,high efficiency,and diversification characteristics,an increasing number of people are utilizing Internet finance for their businesses.This trend significantly affects traditional commercial banking operations and presents challenges.In order to gain competitive advantages through Internet finance,this paper explores how commercial banks can leverage their traditional business models.It introduces the concept,model,and characteristics of Internet finance;analyzes the importance of asset management for commercial banks;examines the influence of Internet on commercial bank’s asset management;finally proposes countermeasures for the development of Internet finance.It is advocated that commercial banks should actively explore the road of“structured finance”with all-round structural reform in the future.
基金Financial Inclusion through Digitalisation in Europe]research project.SFIDE is funded by The European Investment Bank Institute,EIBURS research grant(2020-22)on the theme“Building the future of inclusive finance:the role of FinTechs and digitalisation”.The funding body had no role in the design of the study,collection,analysis,and interpretation of data,as well as in writing or revising the manuscript.
文摘In the European Union(EU),the revised Payment Services Directive(PSD2)aims to provide more convenient and customized financial products through open banking(OB)platforms.However,little attention has been paid to the role of OB in improving the financial well-being of the growing number of the EU’s underserved groups,which currently constitute approximately a quarter of its population.This study examines how the PSD2 and OB impact inclusive finance in the EU based on the perspectives of the Netherlands’ecosystem,one of the leaders in the EU’s financial technology(FinTech)landscape.A fundamental distinction can be drawn between the OB users and the ecosystem’s players.Regarding the impact of financial services on the users’inclusivity,while the PSD2 strengthens the infrastructure necessary for financial inclusion,many challenges remain,mainly because it was not designed for this purpose.This study identifies several areas of improvement that include adjustments to the know your customer and anti-money laundering processes for underserved customers,innovative ways to communicate the PSD2’s potential,and the regulation of technology providers’activities to build trust.Meanwhile,from the ecosystem’s position,there is a need to strengthen and improve microfinance regulation according to the opportunities provided by the PSD2 to support microfinance institutions(MFIs)in scaling up and reaching underserved clients across borders with innovative services.OB improvements can also be achieved by organizations formed by MFIs and FinTechs in collaboration with banks.Such hybrid institutions will combine the best features of each of them:knowledge of the needs of local underserved clients from MFIs,technological innovations from FinTechs,and large and trusted customer bases,infrastructures,and access to institutional investments and governments from banks.Finally,an EU inclusive OB sector depends on the centrality of trusted regulators as coordination bodies.The PSD2 requires adjustments for underserved populations’specific needs.OB improvements can be achieved by organizations formed by MFIs and Fin-Techs in collaboration with banks.Regulated technical service providers(TSPs)are crucial to building trust and customer adoption in OB.The European Banking Authority(EBA)may function as coordination body to design inclusive rules by engaging with OB stakeholders.As inclusive finance moves into open-finance and data eras,an increasing regulatory complexity and scope will require networks of innovative and trusted regulators.
文摘In the nonparametric data envelopment analysis literature,scale elasticity is evaluated in two alternative ways:using either the technical efficiency model or the cost efficiency model.This evaluation becomes problematic in several situations,for example(a)when input proportions change in the long run,(b)when inputs are heterogeneous,and(c)when firms face ex-ante price uncertainty in making their production decisions.To address these situations,a scale elasticity evaluation was performed using a value-based cost efficiency model.However,this alternative value-based scale elasticity evaluation is sensitive to the uncertainty and variability underlying input and output data.Therefore,in this study,we introduce a stochastic cost-efficiency model based on chance-constrained programming to develop a value-based measure of the scale elasticity of firms facing data uncertainty.An illustrative empirical application to the Indian banking industry comprising 71 banks for eight years(1998–2005)was made to compare inferences about their efficiency and scale properties.The key findings are as follows:First,both the deterministic model and our proposed stochastic model yield distinctly different results concerning the efficiency and scale elasticity scores at various tolerance levels of chance constraints.However,both models yield the same results at a tolerance level of 0.5,implying that the deterministic model is a special case of the stochastic model in that it reveals the same efficiency and returns to scale characterizations of banks.Second,the stochastic model generates higher efficiency scores for inefficient banks than its deterministic counterpart.Third,public banks exhibit higher efficiency than private and foreign banks.Finally,public and old private banks mostly exhibit either decreasing or constant returns to scale,whereas foreign and new private banks experience either increasing or decreasing returns to scale.Although the application of our proposed stochastic model is illustrative,it can be potentially applied to all firms in the information and distribution-intensive industry with high fixed costs,which have ample potential for reaping scale and scope benefits.
文摘This paper reconsiders the outcome of the adoption of a single legal currency in the 1999 Euro Act. Installing a central bank, several different solutions surfaced among the EU members and in the global economy, since the 1922 Genoa summit. The last Euro solution came after the severe, unexpected stock market crash on October 19, 1987. Furthermore, the sub-prime bubble 2007, the financial collapse 2008 and the final 2012 the banking melt down, induce to reconsider the overlapping monetary and financial fallouts. The 89 Interstate Banking Act and the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994, induce a monetary and financial evolving infrastructure. This paper focuses on the conflicts at the enlarging EU community seen the unavoidable monetary and financial integration, considering that the unique definition of the monetary functions as its essence is misinterpreted, in a clear common asymmetry affecting the whole evolving situation.
文摘This paper revises the crucial outcome of adopting a single legal currency,within the environment of a classic based competing central bank infrastructure,in an uncertain monetary category definition class,from a generally closed economy,to a competing quasi-global market,for an unbiased monetary unit alone.The fallout effects of such a system include the transfer of capitals,the unavoidable reallocation of resources,and the non-homogenous economic development in different regional areas.The recent USA Interstate Banking Act experience,after the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994,constitutes a valid example of some necessary frameworks when opening a new financial operating infrastructure.This new paper focuses on the special conditions in the EU community States and the necessity-pending their financial integration-of a consideration of some likely negative fallout effects,in order to implement and consolidate some effective balancing measures.Nevertheless,the role that the globalization of the economic activity plays,especially in the financial community,is endorsing a rapid integration of the technology and operating techniques,that require critical volumes of trading and rapidly adjusting enterprise dimensions and operating techniques.The latter call for some form of institutional frameworks,considering the correct definition of the monetary function and its essence,requires a clear and unique common monetary framework.