Time series prediction of reservoir bank landslide failure probability considering the spatial variability of soil properties

Historically,landslides have been the primary type of geological disaster worldwide.Generally,the stability of reservoir banks is primarily affected by rainfall and reservoir water level fluctuations.Moreover,the stability of reservoir banks changes with the long-term dynamics of external disastercausing factors.Thus,assessing the time-varying reliability of reservoir landslides remains a challenge.In this paper,a machine learning(ML)based approach is proposed to analyze the long-term reliability of reservoir bank landslides in spatially variable soils through time series prediction.This study systematically investigated the prediction performances of three ML algorithms,i.e.multilayer perceptron(MLP),convolutional neural network(CNN),and long short-term memory(LSTM).Additionally,the effects of the data quantity and data ratio on the predictive power of deep learning models are considered.The results show that all three ML models can accurately depict the changes in the time-varying failure probability of reservoir landslides.The CNN model outperforms both the MLP and LSTM models in predicting the failure probability.Furthermore,selecting the right data ratio can improve the prediction accuracy of the failure probability obtained by ML models.

Research on the Impact of the Digital Transformation of Commercial Banks

The development of the digital economy has presented both opportunities and challenges for the transformation of commercial banks.This article aims to conduct a literature review on the impact of digital transformation on commercial banks and to explore the multi-dimensional effects it brings.Through a review and analysis of relevant domestic and international literature,this paper first defines the connotation of digital transformation in commercial banks.It then conducts a literature analysis and research on the strategic governance,business performance,and risk management aspects of the digital transformation of commercial banks from multiple perspectives.Based on the analysis of the existing literature,the paper explores directions for future in-depth research and offers corresponding policy suggestions,providing a theoretical and practical foundation for the future digital development of commercial banks.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of Ecological Quality in Alpine Freshwater Lake Nature Reserves in the Past 20 Years

The Caohai Nature Reserve is one of the three major plateau freshwater lakes in China.Since the 1950s,human activities such as land reclamation and population relocation have greatly damaged Caohai.A rapid evaluation of the spatiotemporal evolution trend of the ecological quality of the Caohai Nature Reserve is significant for the maintenance and construction of the ecosystem in this area.The research is based on the Google Earth Engine(GEE)remote sensing cloud computing platform.Landsat TM/OLI images from May to October in five time periods:2000-2002,2004-2006,2009-2011,2014-2016,and 2019-2021 were obtained to reconstruct the optimal cloud image set by averaging the images in each time period.By constructing four ecological indicators:Greenness(NDVI),Wetness(Wet),Hotness(LST),and Dryness(NDBSI),and using Principal Component Analysis(PCA)method to obtain the Remote Sensing Ecological Index(RSEI)for the corresponding years,the spatiotemporal variation of ecological quality in the Caohai Nature Reserve over 20 years was analyzed.The results indicate:①the mean value of RSEI increased from 0.460 in 2000-2002 to 0.772 in 2019-2021,a 67.83%increase,indicating a significant improvement in the ecological quality of the reserve over the 20 years;②from the perspective of functional zoning of the Caohai Nature Reserve,the ecological quality of the core area showed a degrading trend,while the ecological quality of the buffer zone and experimental zone significantly improved;③with the implementation of ecological restoration projects,the ecological quality of the reserve gradually recovered and improved from 2014 to 2021.The trend of RSEI value changes is well correlated with human interventions,indicating that the PCA-based RSEI model can be effectively used for ecological quality assessment in lake areas.

Research on the Impact of Digital Transformation on the Business Performance of Commercial Banks

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.

Study on the Countermeasures to Improve the Public Outdoor Leisure and Fitness Function on the Two Rivers and Four Banks in the Main Urban Area of Chongqing

The main urban area of Chongqing is surrounded by two rivers and set against each other.With its unique waterfront landscape,it has the resource conditions to become a leisure tourism destination.Intending to enhance people’s happiness,improve city quality,and promote Chongqing’s main urban area to become a tourist destination,this paper finds out the existing problems in the construction of public outdoor leisure and fitness facilities on the two rivers and four banks of Chongqing’s main urban area through investigation and analysis based on relevant experiences at home and abroad,takes the value chain theory as the guidance,and to find solutions to the problem.On this basis,combined with the law of economic operation,this paper puts forward the guiding ideology,principles,development goals,functional orientation,and development path for the improvement of public outdoor leisure and fitness on two rivers and four banks in the main city of Chongqing,and accordingly puts forward the policy system and guarantee measures for its improvement.

An 80-GHz DCO utilizing improved SC ladder and promoted DCTL-based hybrid tuning banks

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.

Determination of Main Design Indicators of Patrol Road in Nature Reserves

In principle,nature reserves are managed and controlled according to the core area and the general control area.At present,there is no relevant design specification for the design system of patrol road in various protected areas.This paper analyzed the factors to be considered in determining the grade,horizontal and vertical design indicators,and cross section indicators of the patrol road in the protected area,and came up with the corresponding design indicators and parameters,so as to provide a certain reference for the subsequent patrol road design.

Estimation of bamboo forest carbon reserves and analysis of temporal and spatial variation characteristics in China

The study looks at the carbon reserves of bamboo forests in China from 2004 to 2018.The temporal and spatial variation characteristics of the carbon reserves of bamboo forests in China were analyzed.It enriches the research field of bamboo forest carbon reserve change at the national level.The bamboo forest carbon reserves of 20 provinces in China were estimated by using the calculation method of bamboo forest biomass and bamboo forest soil organic matter carbon reserves,and the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of bamboo forest carbon reserves in China were analyzed by GIS spatial analysis method.The results are as follows:(1)the carbon reserves of bamboo forests in China during 2004-2008,2009-2013 and 2014-2018 were 707.08 Tg C,802.83 Tg C and 845.05 Tg C respectively,with an average annual growth rate of 1.95%.Fujian,Jiangxi,Zhejiang,Hunan,Sichuan and Guangdong account for 78.01%-78.80% of the total bamboo forest carbon storage in China.(2)From 2004 to 2008,the carbon reserves of bamboo biomass in China were 380.63 Tg C-454.92 Tg C,accounting for 52.64%-52.91% of the total carbon reserves;The carbon storage of soil organic matter is 342.39 Tg C-406.33 Tg C,accounting for 47.01%-47.36% of the total carbon storage.(3)The spatial distribution of bamboo forest carbon reserves in China shows a high-high,low-low correlation trend.The relevant provinces are Zhejiang,Fujian,Guangdong and Jiangxi,which are concentrated in the southern provinces of China.The low-low related provinces are Inner Mongolia,Hebei and Liaoning,which are concentrated in the northern provinces of China.In the future,China’s bamboo forest carbon reserves will increase steadily.Bamboo forest carbon reserves are concentrated in southern provinces.China should further improve the level of spatial agglomeration and give full play to the role of bamboo forest carbon sink.

The Mechanism of Internet Finance on the Assets and Business of Commercial Banks in China

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.

Developing an Abstraction Framework for Managing and Controlling Saudi Banks’ Cybersecurity Threats Based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO/IEC 27001

Saudi Arabian banks are deeply concerned about how to effectively monitor and control security threats. In recent years, the country has taken several steps towards restructuring its organizational security and, consequently, protecting financial institutions and their clients. However, there are still several challenges left to be addressed. Accordingly, this article aims to address this problem by proposing an abstract framework based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework and International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC 27001). The framework proposed in this paper considers the following factors involved in the security policy of Saudi banks: safety, Saudi information bank, operations and security of Saudi banks, Saudi banks’ supplier relationships, risk assessment, risk mitigation, monitoring and detection, incident response, Saudi banks’ business continuity, compliance, education, and awareness about all factors contributing to the framework implementation. This way, the proposed framework provides a comprehensive, unified approach to managing bank security threats. Not only does the proposed framework provide effective guidance on how to identify, assess, and mitigate security threats, but it also instructs how to develop policy and procedure documents relating to security issues.

Automated Actuarial Data Analytics-Based Inflation Adjusted Frequency Severity Loss Reserving Model

In this paper, the Automated Actuarial Loss Reserving Model is developed and extended using machine learning. The traditional actuarial reserving techniques are no longer compatible with the increase in technological advancement currently at hand. As a result, the development of the alternative Artificial Intelligence Based Automated Actuarial Loss Reserving Methodology which captures diverse risk profiles for various policyholders through augmenting the Micro Finance services, Auto Insurance Services and Both Services lines of business on the same platform through the computation of the Comprehensive Automated Actuarial Loss Reserves (CAALR) has been implemented in this paper. The introduction of the four further types of actuarial loss reserves to those existing in the actuarial literature seems to significantly reduce lapse rates, reduce the reinsurance costs as well as expenses and outgo. As a matter of consequence, this helps to bring together a combination of new and existing policyholders in the insurance company. The frequency severity models have been extended in this paper using ten machine learning algorithms which ultimately leads to the derivation of the proposed machine learning-based actuarial loss reserving model which remarkably performed well when compared to the traditional chain ladder actuarial reserving method using simulated data.

Many Kinds of Reserved Judgement in No-Data Problem

The reserved judgment can be broadly categorized into three types: Re-Do, Re-Set, and Natural Flowing Case (i.e. step by step in Re-Try). Hori et al. constructed the Bayes-Fuzzy Estimation and demonstrated that system theory can be applied to the possibility of Markov processes, and that decision-making approaches can be applied to sequential Bayes estimation. In this paper, we focus on the Natural Flowing Case within reserved judgment. Here, the possibility of oblique (or principal) factor rotation is considered as a part of the tandem fuzzy system that follows step by step for sequential Bayes estimation. Ultimately, we achieve a significant result whereby the expected utility can be calculated automatically without the need to construct a utility function for reserved judgment. There, this utility in Re-Do can be calculated by the prior utility, and that utility in Re-set does not exist by our research in this paper. Finally, we elucidate the relationship between fuzzy system theory and fuzzy decision theory through an applied example of Bayes-Fuzzy theory. Fuzzy estimation can be applied to only normal making decision, but it is impossible to apply abnormal decision problem. Our Vague, specially Type 2 Vague can be applied to abnormal case, too.

Peat properties of a tropical forest reserve adjacent to a fire-break canal

Tropical peat comprises decomposed dead plant material and acts like a sponge to absorb water,making it fully saturated.However,drought periods dry it readily and increases its vulnerability to fire.Peat fires emit greenhouse gases and particles contributing to haze,and prevention by constructing fire-break canals to reduce fire spread into forest reserves is crucial.This paper aims to determine peat physical and chemical properties near a fire-break canal at different fire frequency areas.Peat sampling was conducted at two forest reserves in Malaysia which represent low fire frequency and high fire frequency areas.The results show that peat properties were not affected by the construction of a fire-break canal,however lignin and cellulose content increased significantly from the distance of the canal in both areas.The study concluded that fire frequency did not significantly influence peat properties except for porosity.The higher fibre content in the high frequency area did not influence moisture content nor the ability to regain moisture.Thus,fire frequency might contribute differently to changes in physical and chemical properties,hence management efforts to construct fire-break canals and restoration efforts should protect peatlands from further degradation.These findings will benefit future management and planning for forest reserves.

Ovarian Reserve in a Population of Obese Infertile Patients in Kinshasa

Background: The ovarian reserve, which is an important marker in the management of couple infertility, undergoes depletion over time. This depletion could accelerate in the presence of certain circumstances, such as obesity. The contradictory results of studies on the impact of obesity on the ovarian reserve throughout the world accelerated ovarian ageing in infertile women from Kinshasa, as well as the high rate of obese women in this population, seemed necessary to undertake this study to find out if this obesity impacted the ovarian reserve of Kinshasa women. The objective of this study was to identify the profile of markers of ovarian reserve in obese infertile patients according to certain characteristics. Method: A case-control study with retrospective data collection on 439 obese infertile patients (cases) and 439 normal-weight infertile patients (controls) who had consulted for the desire to conceive at the University Hospital of Kinshasa and the Edith Medical Center between January 2016 and December 2021. Results: The average age of the patients was 33.6 years ± 4.3 years, with 47.8% of patients aged at least 35 years. Menarche and menstrual duration were correlated with AMH in linear regression (p = 0.043 and 0.021, respectively). Late menarche and irregular cycle were risk factors for ovarian ageing [OR: 4.6;95% CI: (1.052 - 20.636);p = 0.043 and OR: 4.8;95% CI: (1.633 - 14.566);p = 0.005] while PCO was a protective factor for ovarian ageing [OR: 0.109;95% CI: (0.182 - 0.652);p = 0.015]. Conclusion: Within the limits of our study, we found that the more obese the patients were, the faster the ovaries aged.

Swelling pressure evolution characterization of strong expansive soil considering the influence of reserved expansion deformation

Numerous engineering cases have demonstrated that the expansive soil channel slope remains susceptible to damage with the implementation of a rigid or closed protective structure. It is common for the protective structure to experience bulging failure due to excessive swelling pressure. To investigate the swelling pressure properties of expansive soil, the constant volume test was employed to study the influence of water content and reserved expansion deformation on the characteristics of swelling pressure in strong expansive soils, and also to explore the evolution mechanism of the swelling pressure. The findings demonstrate that the swelling pressure-time curve can be classified into swelling pressure-time softening and swelling pressure-time stability type. The swelling pressuretime curve of the specimen with low water content is the swelling pressure-time softening type, and the softening level will be weakened with increasing reserved expansion deformation. Besides, the maximum swelling pressure Psmax decreases with increasing water content and reserved expansion deformation, especially for expansion ratio η from 24% to 37%. The reserved deformation has little effect on reducing Psmax when it is beyond 7% of the expansion rate. The specimen with low water content has a more homogeneous structure due to the significant expansion-filling effect, and the fracture and reorganization of the aggregates in the specimens with low water content cause the swelling pressure-time softening behavior. In addition, the proposed swelling pressure-time curve prediction model has a good prediction on the test results. If necessary, a deformation space of about 7% expansion rate is recommended to be reserved in the engineering to reduce the swelling pressure except for keeping a stable water content.

Efficacy of intraovarian autologous platelet-rich plasma administration in women with low ovarian reserve: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To conduct a systematic examination and meta-analysis of the most reliable data from experimental studies evaluating the efficacy of autologous platelet-rich plasma(PRP)on low ovarian reserve.Methods:A comprehensive search was performed utilizing pertinent search terms across electronic databases,including PubMed,Cochrane,and Google Scholar.We included studies that assigned infertile women with low ovarian reserve in experimental studies.Ovarian reserve parameters were measured before and after PRP injection into ovaries.The data of each study was retrieved and subsequently compiled.Results:Of 301 articles collected and reviewed,six studies were finally included in the meta-analysis.Following PRP injection,infertile women showed a non-significant increase in anti-Mullerian hormone(AMH)level(MD=0.10;95%CI-0.04,0.23),a significant increase in antral follicular count(AFC)(MD=1.88;95%CI 0.47,3.29),and a non-significant reduction in follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)level(MD=-0.22;95%CI-8.32,7.87).Conclusions:Autologous PRP may increase AFC,but not AMH.Although it is found beneficial in enhancing ovarian reserve(AFC),further research with strong evidence is still required.

Automated Clearing System on Deposit Money Banks’Performance:Experience from the Nigerian Banks

This study majorly examined the effect of automated cheque clearing system on banks.Specifically,this study examined the effect of automated cheque clearing system on total deposits of deposit money banks in Nigeria.Data were extracted from the CBN Statistical Bulletin(2020).Using the ordinary least square method of analysis via E-views 10,the findings of the study revealed that deposit money banks’total deposits increased significantly owing to the decline in the value of cheques cleared,since the adoption of the automated cheque clearing system in Nigeria.Guided by the findings of this study,the researcher recommended that the regulatory authorities and banks should continue to liaise with each other on how to improve the efficiency of automated services so as to improve customer satisfaction and patronage.

The Effect of Uterine Artery Occlusion with Tourniquet on Ovarian Reserve during Open Myomectomy at a University Teaching Hospital in Southern Nigeria

Background: The most common surgical treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids, particularly in women with fertility concerns, is open myomectomy. Given the high vascularity of the uterus, haemorrhage during the procedure is a serious risk that is often mitigated with a uterine tourniquet. Aim and Objectives: To evaluate the effect of uterine artery occlusion with a tourniquet during open myomectomy on ovarian reserve using serial anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) measurements. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study with a quasi-experimental design and a convenient sampling technique. The study enrolled 47 women who had abdominal myomectomy between September 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Blood samples were collected before anaesthesia was administered in theatre, on day two, and three months after open abdominal myomectomy for anti-Mullerian hormone assay. The data was collected using a semi-structured proforma, entered into an Excel spreadsheet, and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 with a 95% confidence interval. Statistical significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The pre-surgery AMH mean value was 1.67 ± 1.44 ng/ml, while the values after using a uterine tourniquet at myomectomy on the second day and three months later were 1.22 ± 1.24 ng/ml and 1.59 ± 1.43 ng/ml, respectively. There was no statistically significant change in AMH levels, and there was no statistically significant relationship between blood loss and tourniquet time and AMH after open abdominal myomectomy. Conclusion: The use of a uterine tourniquet and blood loss during open myomectomy has no effect on ovarian reserve.

Impacts of Human Activities and Season on Species Diversity and Abundance of Butterflies in Mpanga Kipengere Game Reserve and Surrounding Farmlands, Tanzania

Maintaining natural habitats is crucial for the preservation of insects and other species that indicate environmental changes. However, the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve and its surrounding farmlands are facing disturbance due to human activities, which is putting many wildlife species, particularly larger mammals, at risk. To determine the impact of human activities on butterfly species diversity and abundance in the reserve and its surrounding areas, we conducted a study from November 2021 to October 2023. We collected butterfly data using transect walks and baited traps in two habitat types. Our study yielded 2799 butterfly Individuals ranging in 124 species divided into five families habitat, season, and anthropogenic factors are significant environmental variables influencing species diversity and abundance of butterflies. Therefore, it’s important to protect habitat and dry-season water for the conservation of invertebrates such as butterflies. Our study findings provide essential information for ecological monitoring and future assessment of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve ecosystem health.

The Actuarial Data Intelligent Based Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Automobile Insurance Inflation Adjusted Frequency Severity Loss Reserving Model

This study proposes a novel approach for estimating automobile insurance loss reserves utilizing Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques integrated with actuarial data intelligence. The model aims to address the challenges of accurately predicting insurance claim frequencies, severities, and overall loss reserves while accounting for inflation adjustments. Through comprehensive data analysis and model development, this research explores the effectiveness of ANN methodologies in capturing complex nonlinear relationships within insurance data. The study leverages a data set comprising automobile insurance policyholder information, claim history, and economic indicators to train and validate the ANN-based reserving model. Key aspects of the methodology include data preprocessing techniques such as one-hot encoding and scaling, followed by the construction of frequency, severity, and overall loss reserving models using ANN architectures. Moreover, the model incorporates inflation adjustment factors to ensure the accurate estimation of future loss reserves in real terms. Results from the study demonstrate the superior predictive performance of the ANN-based reserving model compared to traditional actuarial methods, with substantial improvements in accuracy and robustness. Furthermore, the model’s ability to adapt to changing market conditions and regulatory requirements, such as IFRS17, highlights its practical relevance in the insurance industry. The findings of this research contribute to the advancement of actuarial science and provide valuable insights for insurance companies seeking more accurate and efficient loss reserving techniques. The proposed ANN-based approach offers a promising avenue for enhancing risk management practices and optimizing financial decision-making processes in the automobile insurance sector.