The banks in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River in China are weak in erosion resistance and prone to collapse.Vegetation,as a natural reinforcement material,can effectively improve slope stability and cur...The banks in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River in China are weak in erosion resistance and prone to collapse.Vegetation,as a natural reinforcement material,can effectively improve slope stability and curb soil erosion.In March and July 2023,a field survey was conducted on the types and distribution characteristics of vegetation along both banks of a certain section in the lower reaches of the Tarim River.Taking COMSOL Multiphysics as the finite element numerical simulation platform,we investigated the variation law of bank slope stability in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River under different root morphologies,considering changes in transpiration time,rainfall,and water level under the action of hydro-mechanical reinforcement.The findings showed that vegetation transpiration has a significant effect on soil pore water pressure.Given the same transpiration rate,shorter root systems produced greater pore water pressure.For equal root lengths,the pore water pressures generated by roots in exponential and triangular morphologies were significantly greater than those generated by roots in uniformly distributed and parabolic morphologies.The water absorption capacity of the root system increased with transpiration rate.After 7 d of transpiration,the maximum safety factor of the bank slope reinforced by exponential roots was 1.568,which was a 9.88%improvement over that of the bare slope.After 24 h of rainfall,the effect of vegetation transpiration on soil pore water pressure weakened rapidly;the pore water pressure of the surface soil generated by transpiration from vegetation with different root morphologies was concentrated near–10.00 kPa.After rainfall,the displacement of the exponential root reinforced slope was minimized to 0.137 m.The effect of transpiration-induced changes in substrate suction on slope stability was negligible during the rainfall period.Compared with that of the bare slope,the displacements of bank slopes reinforced by root systems significantly increased.The maximum displacement occurred when the water level changed by 1.5 m/d;the displacement of the bare slope was 0.554 m,whereas the displacements of bank slopes reinforced by roots in different morphologies were 0.260–0.273 m.The impact of vegetation transpiration on the safety factor of riverbanks under sudden water level drops was relatively minor,but it can enhance the stability of riverbanks to a certain extent.Among these,riverbanks reinforced by roots in triangular and exponential morphologies exhibited superior stability compared with those reinforced by uniformly distributed or parabolic root systems.The findings offer a theoretical basis and practical guidance for designing vegetation slope protection in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River.展开更多
Belowground bud banks are essential for the regeneration of plant population in arid desert areas,and their response to environmental changes could reflect adaptive strategies of plants to desert habitats.However,the ...Belowground bud banks are essential for the regeneration of plant population in arid desert areas,and their response to environmental changes could reflect adaptive strategies of plants to desert habitats.However,the size and composition of belowground bud banks and their response to environmental factors in the desert steppe zone remain poorly understood,challenging desertification control efforts in arid desert areas.This study examined the density and vertical distribution of horizontal and vertical rhizome buds of a rhizomatous legume herb Sophora alopecuroides L.,its population characteristics,and soil physical-chemical properties in three habitats(interdune lowland(IL),flat sandy land(FSL),and desert steppe(DS))in a desert steppe zone,northern China.Our findings revealed that:(1)total and horizontal rhizome bud densities of S.alopecuroides differed significantly among the three habitats(P<0.05),with the largest total rhizome bud density(177 buds/m2)in IL and the smallest(63 buds/m2)in DS;(2)horizontal rhizome buds distributed in the deep soil layer were dominant in IL,while vertical rhizome buds in the top soil layer were predominant in DS;and(3)soil coarse sand,nutrient content,and population density were the primary factors affecting bud bank density of S.alopecuroides.Specifically,horizontal rhizome buds were dependent largely on soil coarse sand content,and vertical rhizome buds tended to be more related to soil organic matter content and population density.Our results indicated that horizontal rhizome buds were more important in IL with frequent aeolian disturbance,whereas vertical rhizome buds were more important in DS with abundant water and nutrient resources.The plastic responses and survival strategies of S.alopecuroides bud bank to different habitats provide valuable information for the effective implementation of desertification control measures and the management of desert steppe ecosystems.展开更多
The probabilistic stability evolution analysis of reservoir bank slopes is a crucial aspect of risk assessment,with core challenges including the consideration of deformation mechanisms and accurate determination of m...The probabilistic stability evolution analysis of reservoir bank slopes is a crucial aspect of risk assessment,with core challenges including the consideration of deformation mechanisms and accurate determination of mechanical parameters.In this study,a novel time-varying reliability analysis framework based on sequential Bayesian updating of mechanical parameters is proposed.The inverse parameters account for damage time-dependent behavior,incorporating water effect and a strain-driven softening-hardening process that depends on sliding states.The likelihood function is enhanced to simultaneously consider observation error,surrogate model prediction error,and model structural error,with the introduction of physical penalty.Exploration of the high-dimensional parameter space is achieved via the Hamiltonian Monte Carlo(HMC)method and the physics knowledge-based time-dependent deformation surrogate model.The time-varying reliability analysis of the slope is performed using the multi-grid method.Taking a reservoir bank slope as a case study,the sequential updating of 12 mechanical parameters is conducted based on deformation time series from 16 monitoring points,thereby validating the proposed framework.The results indicate that the proposed framework effectively captures the posterior distribution of mechanical parameters,with the case slope remaining in a critically stable state after overall sliding,showing a high failure probability.Introducing model structural error can reduce parameter compensation,and a reasonable sequential updating step size can improve inversion accuracy.展开更多
This paper studies banking efficiency from a Kuwaiti banking sector perspective. This will be accomplished by comparing and analysing the efficiency of Kuwaiti banking operations before and after the International Fin...This paper studies banking efficiency from a Kuwaiti banking sector perspective. This will be accomplished by comparing and analysing the efficiency of Kuwaiti banking operations before and after the International Financial Crisis. Traditional and Islamic banks will be taken into consideration. The overall goal of this inquiry is to determine whether the efficiency of Kuwaiti banks has improved and why. Internal and external influences on Kuwaiti banking efficiency will be examined as well. Methods of work performed by bank managers and policy makers in Kuwait contributing to banking operations efficiency will be considered as well.展开更多
The combination patterns and depositional characteristics of the carbonate banks are investigated based on outcrop sections, thin sections, and carbon isotopes of Ordovician in the western Tarim Basin, China. Four car...The combination patterns and depositional characteristics of the carbonate banks are investigated based on outcrop sections, thin sections, and carbon isotopes of Ordovician in the western Tarim Basin, China. Four carbonate bank combination patterns are deposited in the Ordovician, western Tarim Basin, including： Reef-Bank Complex （RBC）, Algae-Reef-Bank Interbed （ARBI）, Thick-Layer Cake Aggradation Bank （TLCAB）, and Thin-Layer Cake Retrogradation Bank （TLCRB）. All combination patterns show clear periods vertically. The RBC is mainly composed of reefs and bioclastic banks, and the dimension of the RBC depends on the scale of the reefs. Bioclastic banks deposits surround the reefs. The range of the ARBI is determined by the scale of algae-reefs, algae peloid dolomite microfacies and algal dolomite microfacies deposit alternating vertically. TLCAB and TLCRB are deposited as layer-cakes stacking in cycles and extending widely with cross bedding developed. The grains of TLCAB and TLCRB are diverse and multi-source. With the impacting of relative sea level change, biological development and geomorphology, the ARBI, TLCAB or TLCRB, RBC are successively developed from the Lower Ordovician Penglaiba Formation to the Middle Ordovician Yijianfang Formation. The depositional environment analysis of Ordovician indicates that the RBC and ARBI can form effective oil and gas reservoirs, and the TLCAB and TLCRB have the potential to form the huge scale oil and gas reservoirs and to be the crucial targets of exploration for the Ordovician carbonate banks in the future.展开更多
There is fierce global competition within the banking industry.Therefore,banks endeavor to grow and strive to increase their market share.We analyzed the effect of developing innovative channels of presenting bank ser...There is fierce global competition within the banking industry.Therefore,banks endeavor to grow and strive to increase their market share.We analyzed the effect of developing innovative channels of presenting bank services on banks’market share.The statistical population of this research was Shahr bank’s central headquarter and its branches in Tehran,Iran.We developed questionnaires for gathering the data.The validity and reliability of the scales were tested by EFA,CFA,experts’opinion,and Cronbach’s alpha.We used linear regression to assess the impact of innovative channels,including internet banking,automatic teller machines(ATMs),mobile banking,telephone banking(TB),and point of sales(POS)on banks’market share.The results indicated that some of these channels,including internet banking,POS,and TB,positively affect a bank’s market share.The effect of two other platforms,including mobile banking and ATM development,on banks’market share was rejected.The findings of this study expand our understanding of how bank managers can improve their market share by developing innovative e-banking channels.展开更多
In the year 1971,the world’s biggest structural biology collaboration name—The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics(RCSB),was formed to gather all the structural biologists at a single platform and t...In the year 1971,the world’s biggest structural biology collaboration name—The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics(RCSB),was formed to gather all the structural biologists at a single platform and then extended out to be the world’s most extensive structural data repository named RCSB-Protein Data Bank(PDB)(https://www.rcsb.org/)that has provided the service for more than 50 years and continues its legacy for the discoveries and repositories for structural data.The RCSB has evolved from being a collaboratory network to a full-fledged database and tool with a huge list of protein structures,nucleic acid-containing structures,ModelArchive,and AlphaFold structures,and the best is that it is expanding day by day with computational advancement with tools and visual experiences.In this review article,we have discussed how RCSB has been a successful collaboratory network,its expansion in each decade,and how it has helped the ground-breaking research.The PDB tools that are helping the researchers,yearly data deposition,validation,processing,and suggestions that can help the developer improve for upcoming years are also discussed.This review will help future researchers understand the complete history of RCSB and its developments in each decade and how various future collaborative networks can be developed in various scientific areas and can be successful by keeping RCSB as a case study.展开更多
The finn value is the fundamental topic of corporate finance. The value creation is the aim of economic initiatives, strategies, corporate policies, and all business activities, including banking. It depends, among ot...The finn value is the fundamental topic of corporate finance. The value creation is the aim of economic initiatives, strategies, corporate policies, and all business activities, including banking. It depends, among other things, on size, legal form, and business model. Therefore, this paper wants to demonstrate and explain the differences about the value created in the Italian banking sector, where there is much diversity regarding size, legal form, and business model. This paper estimated and compared the value of Italian listed companies from 2010 to 2012 and found the result： Banks create more value if they are big and operate in investment banking. Furthermore, it proved that legal form hasn＇t influenced performance and value of banks.展开更多
Characteristics of total soil seed banks and permanent soil seed banks in three microhabitats in a Mediterranean coastal sand dune were investigated by using natural germination method combined with physically scannin...Characteristics of total soil seed banks and permanent soil seed banks in three microhabitats in a Mediterranean coastal sand dune were investigated by using natural germination method combined with physically scanning separation method. The composition and structure of soil seed banks were analyzed between the microhabitats by using functional group method. The distribution patterns of soil seed bank were also analyzed between the microhabitats. We also analyzed the relationship between seed size and seed persistence in soil. The results show greatly spatial heterogeneity existed in soil seed bank of the Mediterranean coastal sand dune, even in the same microhabitats seed distribution was uneven. Sometimes a great difference occurred between them. Microhabitats significantly affected the distribution patterns of total soil seed banks and seed banks of the functional groups. The open area generally had the greater densities of seeds, but the seed densities under shrub and in trail were lower than that in the open area. Legumes seeds accounted for 76.0% total persistent seed banks. Annual and perennial grasses produced transient seed banks as no seeds were retrieved from the sieved soils. Seed persistence of legumes, umbeliferaes, perennial forbs, compositaes, annual forbs, crucifer decreased gradually. They were 50.1%, 45.6%, 40.6%, 6.3%, 5.6% and 0.6% respectively in the soil. There was a positive relationship between seed size and seed persistence. Bigger seeds had higher persistence, and vice versa.展开更多
Overall bank performance in a particular year or period is important to all banking industry stakeholders,as it indicates their success or failure relative to predetermined targets.Due to conflicting criteria and unce...Overall bank performance in a particular year or period is important to all banking industry stakeholders,as it indicates their success or failure relative to predetermined targets.Due to conflicting criteria and uncertainties,assessing bank performance is a complicated decision-making problem.The current paper proposes the Fuzzy Level Based Weight Assessment(F-LBWA),the Fuzzy Logarithm Methodology of Additive Weights(F-LMAW),and the Measurement Alternatives and Ranking according to the Compromise Solution(MARCOS)combination as a practical and robust decisionmaking tool to cope with many complex ambiguities.In the first phase,the suggested hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making(MCDM)approach estimates the weight coefficients of the performance criteria with the aid of a combined version of the F-LBWA and F-LMAW methods.In the second phase,the MARCOS method determines the ranking performance of the decision alternatives.The introduced model is tested and validated on a case study assessing publicly traded bank performance in Pakistan.The findings obtained from the sensitivity analysis revealed that the presented F-LBWAF-LMAW-MARCOS approach produces consistent solutions and is a reliable and effective procedure in rational decision-making.展开更多
The Leymus chinensis grassland is one of themost widely distributed associations in the warmtemperate grassland and due to overgrazing in recent years,it has experienced varying degrees of degradation.Vegetative regen...The Leymus chinensis grassland is one of themost widely distributed associations in the warmtemperate grassland and due to overgrazing in recent years,it has experienced varying degrees of degradation.Vegetative regeneration via bud banks serves as the primaryway of vegetation reproduction in the L.chinensis grassland ecosystem.However,the role of the bud bank in the vegetation regeneration of grazing grassland remains unclear.Based on the relationship between the under-ground bud bank and above-ground vegetation of L.chinensis grassland under different grazing stages,this study aimed to explore whether the grazing grassland could self-recover through the existing bud bank.The findings revealed that the bud density initially increased and then decreased with increasing grazing intensity,indicating that appropriate grazing promoted vegetation renewal.Moreover,grazing significantly influenced the composition of the bud bank:during the early grazing stage,the rhizome buds accounted for the main part,and tiller buds dominated during the mid-stage grazing;while during the late-stage grazing,root-sprouting buds prevailed.The meristem restriction index for light,moderate,and heavy grazing grasslands was close to one;conversely,overgrazing and extreme overgrazing grasslands exhibited the highermeristemrestriction index(2.00,3.19),suggesting that plant regeneration was constrained by bud banks under light-grazing conditions where regenerate rates failed to meet above-ground modular’s recovery requirements following overgrazing and extreme overgrazing events.Consequently,moderate grazing grasslands could achieve natural community recovery by continuously adjusting their vegetative regeneration strategies.Understanding the role of bud banks in vegetative regeneration in grazing grassland will not only supply theoretical support for the ecological succession process of degraded grassland but also provide practical experience for the sustainable management of the L.chinensis grassland ecosystem.展开更多
A gravity-driven membrane(GDM)system is a cleaning-free ultrafiltration(UF)process for decentralized water purification.However,GDM has a poor permeate quality and low stable flux when the feed water contains high lev...A gravity-driven membrane(GDM)system is a cleaning-free ultrafiltration(UF)process for decentralized water purification.However,GDM has a poor permeate quality and low stable flux when the feed water contains high levels of particulates,organic matter,and micropollutants.To address these challenges,this study used riverbank filtration(BF)as a pretreatment for GDM.The experimental results showed that BF could effectively reduce turbidity and particulate organic matter,and preferentially remove biopolymers and protein-like fluorescent components from natural organic matter.The removal efficiencies of micropollutants(diclofenac,carbamazepine,acetamidophenol,and bisphenol A)increased by 15.2%-65.3% in the presence of BF.Moreover,BF-GDM improved the removal of assimilable organic carbon(AOC)by 42%,thereby enhancing the biological stability of the permeate.Despite a modest increase of approximately 20%in the removal of dissolved organic matter,the BF significantly improved the stable flux from 2.8 to 7.3 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1).This remarkable improvement is attributed to the effective removal of key foulants,including particulate substances,biopolymers,and protein-like fluorescent substances,which leads to a thinner bio-cake layer with a higher density of microorganisms.Additionally,because of the high microbial diversity of the soil,BF pretreatment enriched the microbial diversity of the biocake layer,thereby enriching functional microorganisms capable of degrading pollutants in BF-GDM,such as Nitrospirota and Ascomycota.Overall,BF is a highly effective pretreatment for GDM,which potentially broadens its application to polluted source water.展开更多
The optimal allocation of foreign resources requires a minimum level of domestic development,including financial development to benefit from the potential benefits of foreign direct investment.This study discusses the...The optimal allocation of foreign resources requires a minimum level of domestic development,including financial development to benefit from the potential benefits of foreign direct investment.This study discusses the mediating role of financial development in the effect of foreign direct investment on economic growth and establishes the banking sector threshold for the 18 least developed African countries over the period 2000 to 2020.We used the generalized method of moments(GMM)and the threshold regression(TR)as part of the dynamic panel data model.The results show the non-significant contribution of foreign direct investment and the banking sector to economic growth.After interaction,the effect of foreign direct investment becomes positive but not significant.However,the coefficient of the interaction variable is significantly negative.This implies that the financial system is unable to allocate foreign resources efficiently.For this reason,this paper resorted to applying the threshold regression to determine the minimum threshold of the banking sector and established a threshold of 74.58%.It therefore becomes necessary for the 18 least developed African countries to develop the financial system in order to get full benefits of foreign direct investment.展开更多
This study aims to identify the key factors influencing the adoption of generative AI(GenAI)by Vietnamese banks and highlight the challenges and opportunities in digital transformation.It extends the technology-organi...This study aims to identify the key factors influencing the adoption of generative AI(GenAI)by Vietnamese banks and highlight the challenges and opportunities in digital transformation.It extends the technology-organization-environment(TOE)framework to incorporate GenAI-specific factors in the Vietnamese banking sector,characterized by rapid digitization and stringent regulations.A survey yielded 236 valid responses.The data were analyzed via partial least squares structural equation modeling(PLSSEM).The key factors identified include organizational readiness(OR),compatibility(CPT),competitive pressure(CP),complexity(CPL),relative advantage(RA),firm size(FS),and government support(GS).OR emerged as the most influential factor because of a robust IT infrastructure and skilled personnel.CPT and CP were also significant,driving banks to adopt GenAI for a competitive edge.However,CPL presents challenges,requiring simpler AI solutions and clear risk mitigation policies.This study enhances the understanding of GenAI adoption within the Vietnamese banking sector,emphasizing the importance of tailored strategies for different bank sizes and the critical role of technology readiness for effective integration.The findings provide actionable insights into banks navigating their digital transformation journeys.展开更多
Amid the deepening implementation of rural revitalization strategies and rapid fintech development,rural commercial banks-core financial institutions serving agriculture,rural areas,and farmers(the“three rurals”)and...Amid the deepening implementation of rural revitalization strategies and rapid fintech development,rural commercial banks-core financial institutions serving agriculture,rural areas,and farmers(the“three rurals”)and county economies-have seen their tellers’service quality and operational efficiency directly impact market competitiveness and sustainable development capabilities.This study examines teller performance management in rural commercial banks from a business management perspective.By analyzing structural issues in existing performance management systems and integrating theoretical frameworks with industry case studies,it proposes systematic optimization measures.The research aims to provide practical references for establishing scientific and efficient teller performance management systems in rural commercial banks,thereby enhancing service quality,strengthening talent support,and better serving the rural financial market.展开更多
Reconfiguration,as well as optimal utilization of distributed generation sources and capacitor banks,are highly effective methods for reducing losses and improving the voltage profile,or in other words,the power quali...Reconfiguration,as well as optimal utilization of distributed generation sources and capacitor banks,are highly effective methods for reducing losses and improving the voltage profile,or in other words,the power quality in the power distribution system.Researchers have considered the use of distributed generation resources in recent years.There are numerous advantages to utilizing these resources,the most significant of which are the reduction of network losses and enhancement of voltage stability.Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II(NSGA-II),Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization(MOPSO),and Intersect Mutation Differential Evolution(IMDE)algorithms are used in this paper to perform optimal reconfiguration,simultaneous location,and capacity determination of distributed generation resources and capacitor banks.Three scenarios were used to replicate the studies.The reconfiguration of the switches,as well as the location and determination of the capacitor bank’s optimal capacity,were investigated in this scenario.However,in the third scenario,reconfiguration,and determining the location and capacity of the Distributed Generation(DG)resources and capacitor banks have been carried out simultaneously.Finally,the simulation results of these three algorithms are compared.The results indicate that the proposed NSGAII algorithm outperformed the other two multi-objective algorithms and was capable of maintaining smaller objective functions in all scenarios.Specifically,the energy losses were reduced from 211 to 51.35 kW(a 75.66%reduction),119.13 kW(a 43.54%reduction),and 23.13 kW(an 89.04%reduction),while the voltage stability index(VSI)decreased from 6.96 to 2.105,1.239,and 1.257,respectively,demonstrating significant improvement in the voltage profile.展开更多
During the construction of bank slopes involving pile driving,ensuring slope stability is crucial.This requires the design of appropriate support systems and a thorough evaluation of the failure mechanisms of pile str...During the construction of bank slopes involving pile driving,ensuring slope stability is crucial.This requires the design of appropriate support systems and a thorough evaluation of the failure mechanisms of pile structures under dynamic loading conditions.Based on the Huarong Coal Wharf project,various support schemes are analyzed using numerical simulation methods to calculate and compare slope stability coefficients.The optimal scheme is then identified.Under the selected support scheme,a numerical model of double-row suspended steel sheet piles is developed to investigate the dynamic response of the pile structures under pile driving loads.A time-history analysis is performed to assess the slope’s dynamic stability.The results show that the maximum displacements of the upper and lower steel sheet pile rows are 2.51 and 3.14 cm,respectively.The maximum principal stresses remain below 20 MPa in both rows,while the maximum von Mises stresses are 20.85 MPa for the upper row and 25.40 MPa for the lower row.The dominant frequencies of the steel sheet pile structures fall between 30 and 35 Hz,with a frequency bandwidth ranging from 0 to 500 Hz.The stability coefficient of the pile structures varies over time during the pile driving process,ultimately reaching a value of 1.26—exceeding the required safety threshold.This research provides practical guidance for designing support systems in wharf piling projects and offers a reliable basis for evaluating the safety performance of steel sheet piles in bank slopes.展开更多
With the advancement of globalization,South Korea has become a key destination for international students.However,these students often face challenges in adapting to daily life,particularly when using mobile banking a...With the advancement of globalization,South Korea has become a key destination for international students.However,these students often face challenges in adapting to daily life,particularly when using mobile banking applications,due to insufficient language support,cultural differences,and complex operational procedures.This study focuses on Chinese international students and analyzes the UI/UX design of mobile banking applications offered by Kookmin Bank and Hana Bank.Through literature reviews and surveys,the study identifies limitations in language adaptability,functionality layout,user interaction,and cultural adaptation,proposing concrete design improvements.The findings indicate that optimizing UI/UX design can significantly enhance international students’user experience and strengthen the global competitiveness of South Korean mobile banking services.This research provides reference material for designing for multicultural user groups and aims to promote research and practice in cross-cultural UI/UX design.展开更多
基金funded by the Key Research and Development Projects in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2022B03024-3)the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Central Leading Local Science and Technology Development Fund Project(ZYYD2024CG20)the Autonomous Region'Tianshan Talents'Training Program Young Top Talents Project(2023TSYCJU0007).
文摘The banks in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River in China are weak in erosion resistance and prone to collapse.Vegetation,as a natural reinforcement material,can effectively improve slope stability and curb soil erosion.In March and July 2023,a field survey was conducted on the types and distribution characteristics of vegetation along both banks of a certain section in the lower reaches of the Tarim River.Taking COMSOL Multiphysics as the finite element numerical simulation platform,we investigated the variation law of bank slope stability in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River under different root morphologies,considering changes in transpiration time,rainfall,and water level under the action of hydro-mechanical reinforcement.The findings showed that vegetation transpiration has a significant effect on soil pore water pressure.Given the same transpiration rate,shorter root systems produced greater pore water pressure.For equal root lengths,the pore water pressures generated by roots in exponential and triangular morphologies were significantly greater than those generated by roots in uniformly distributed and parabolic morphologies.The water absorption capacity of the root system increased with transpiration rate.After 7 d of transpiration,the maximum safety factor of the bank slope reinforced by exponential roots was 1.568,which was a 9.88%improvement over that of the bare slope.After 24 h of rainfall,the effect of vegetation transpiration on soil pore water pressure weakened rapidly;the pore water pressure of the surface soil generated by transpiration from vegetation with different root morphologies was concentrated near–10.00 kPa.After rainfall,the displacement of the exponential root reinforced slope was minimized to 0.137 m.The effect of transpiration-induced changes in substrate suction on slope stability was negligible during the rainfall period.Compared with that of the bare slope,the displacements of bank slopes reinforced by root systems significantly increased.The maximum displacement occurred when the water level changed by 1.5 m/d;the displacement of the bare slope was 0.554 m,whereas the displacements of bank slopes reinforced by roots in different morphologies were 0.260–0.273 m.The impact of vegetation transpiration on the safety factor of riverbanks under sudden water level drops was relatively minor,but it can enhance the stability of riverbanks to a certain extent.Among these,riverbanks reinforced by roots in triangular and exponential morphologies exhibited superior stability compared with those reinforced by uniformly distributed or parabolic root systems.The findings offer a theoretical basis and practical guidance for designing vegetation slope protection in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42207539,42377470)the Key Research and Development Project of Science and Technology Plan of Gansu Province in China International Science and Technology Cooperation Project(25YFWA009).
文摘Belowground bud banks are essential for the regeneration of plant population in arid desert areas,and their response to environmental changes could reflect adaptive strategies of plants to desert habitats.However,the size and composition of belowground bud banks and their response to environmental factors in the desert steppe zone remain poorly understood,challenging desertification control efforts in arid desert areas.This study examined the density and vertical distribution of horizontal and vertical rhizome buds of a rhizomatous legume herb Sophora alopecuroides L.,its population characteristics,and soil physical-chemical properties in three habitats(interdune lowland(IL),flat sandy land(FSL),and desert steppe(DS))in a desert steppe zone,northern China.Our findings revealed that:(1)total and horizontal rhizome bud densities of S.alopecuroides differed significantly among the three habitats(P<0.05),with the largest total rhizome bud density(177 buds/m2)in IL and the smallest(63 buds/m2)in DS;(2)horizontal rhizome buds distributed in the deep soil layer were dominant in IL,while vertical rhizome buds in the top soil layer were predominant in DS;and(3)soil coarse sand,nutrient content,and population density were the primary factors affecting bud bank density of S.alopecuroides.Specifically,horizontal rhizome buds were dependent largely on soil coarse sand content,and vertical rhizome buds tended to be more related to soil organic matter content and population density.Our results indicated that horizontal rhizome buds were more important in IL with frequent aeolian disturbance,whereas vertical rhizome buds were more important in DS with abundant water and nutrient resources.The plastic responses and survival strategies of S.alopecuroides bud bank to different habitats provide valuable information for the effective implementation of desertification control measures and the management of desert steppe ecosystems.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41961134032).
文摘The probabilistic stability evolution analysis of reservoir bank slopes is a crucial aspect of risk assessment,with core challenges including the consideration of deformation mechanisms and accurate determination of mechanical parameters.In this study,a novel time-varying reliability analysis framework based on sequential Bayesian updating of mechanical parameters is proposed.The inverse parameters account for damage time-dependent behavior,incorporating water effect and a strain-driven softening-hardening process that depends on sliding states.The likelihood function is enhanced to simultaneously consider observation error,surrogate model prediction error,and model structural error,with the introduction of physical penalty.Exploration of the high-dimensional parameter space is achieved via the Hamiltonian Monte Carlo(HMC)method and the physics knowledge-based time-dependent deformation surrogate model.The time-varying reliability analysis of the slope is performed using the multi-grid method.Taking a reservoir bank slope as a case study,the sequential updating of 12 mechanical parameters is conducted based on deformation time series from 16 monitoring points,thereby validating the proposed framework.The results indicate that the proposed framework effectively captures the posterior distribution of mechanical parameters,with the case slope remaining in a critically stable state after overall sliding,showing a high failure probability.Introducing model structural error can reduce parameter compensation,and a reasonable sequential updating step size can improve inversion accuracy.
文摘This paper studies banking efficiency from a Kuwaiti banking sector perspective. This will be accomplished by comparing and analysing the efficiency of Kuwaiti banking operations before and after the International Financial Crisis. Traditional and Islamic banks will be taken into consideration. The overall goal of this inquiry is to determine whether the efficiency of Kuwaiti banks has improved and why. Internal and external influences on Kuwaiti banking efficiency will be examined as well. Methods of work performed by bank managers and policy makers in Kuwait contributing to banking operations efficiency will be considered as well.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China grant(41102087)the Key Project of the National Science & Technology grant(2011ZX05005-002-010HZ,2011ZX05009-002)+1 种基金National Basic Research Program of China grant (2012CB214802)the Special Foundation for Doctoral Subjects in China University of Geosciences(Beijing) grant(2011PY0199)
文摘The combination patterns and depositional characteristics of the carbonate banks are investigated based on outcrop sections, thin sections, and carbon isotopes of Ordovician in the western Tarim Basin, China. Four carbonate bank combination patterns are deposited in the Ordovician, western Tarim Basin, including： Reef-Bank Complex （RBC）, Algae-Reef-Bank Interbed （ARBI）, Thick-Layer Cake Aggradation Bank （TLCAB）, and Thin-Layer Cake Retrogradation Bank （TLCRB）. All combination patterns show clear periods vertically. The RBC is mainly composed of reefs and bioclastic banks, and the dimension of the RBC depends on the scale of the reefs. Bioclastic banks deposits surround the reefs. The range of the ARBI is determined by the scale of algae-reefs, algae peloid dolomite microfacies and algal dolomite microfacies deposit alternating vertically. TLCAB and TLCRB are deposited as layer-cakes stacking in cycles and extending widely with cross bedding developed. The grains of TLCAB and TLCRB are diverse and multi-source. With the impacting of relative sea level change, biological development and geomorphology, the ARBI, TLCAB or TLCRB, RBC are successively developed from the Lower Ordovician Penglaiba Formation to the Middle Ordovician Yijianfang Formation. The depositional environment analysis of Ordovician indicates that the RBC and ARBI can form effective oil and gas reservoirs, and the TLCAB and TLCRB have the potential to form the huge scale oil and gas reservoirs and to be the crucial targets of exploration for the Ordovician carbonate banks in the future.
文摘There is fierce global competition within the banking industry.Therefore,banks endeavor to grow and strive to increase their market share.We analyzed the effect of developing innovative channels of presenting bank services on banks’market share.The statistical population of this research was Shahr bank’s central headquarter and its branches in Tehran,Iran.We developed questionnaires for gathering the data.The validity and reliability of the scales were tested by EFA,CFA,experts’opinion,and Cronbach’s alpha.We used linear regression to assess the impact of innovative channels,including internet banking,automatic teller machines(ATMs),mobile banking,telephone banking(TB),and point of sales(POS)on banks’market share.The results indicated that some of these channels,including internet banking,POS,and TB,positively affect a bank’s market share.The effect of two other platforms,including mobile banking and ATM development,on banks’market share was rejected.The findings of this study expand our understanding of how bank managers can improve their market share by developing innovative e-banking channels.
文摘In the year 1971,the world’s biggest structural biology collaboration name—The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics(RCSB),was formed to gather all the structural biologists at a single platform and then extended out to be the world’s most extensive structural data repository named RCSB-Protein Data Bank(PDB)(https://www.rcsb.org/)that has provided the service for more than 50 years and continues its legacy for the discoveries and repositories for structural data.The RCSB has evolved from being a collaboratory network to a full-fledged database and tool with a huge list of protein structures,nucleic acid-containing structures,ModelArchive,and AlphaFold structures,and the best is that it is expanding day by day with computational advancement with tools and visual experiences.In this review article,we have discussed how RCSB has been a successful collaboratory network,its expansion in each decade,and how it has helped the ground-breaking research.The PDB tools that are helping the researchers,yearly data deposition,validation,processing,and suggestions that can help the developer improve for upcoming years are also discussed.This review will help future researchers understand the complete history of RCSB and its developments in each decade and how various future collaborative networks can be developed in various scientific areas and can be successful by keeping RCSB as a case study.
文摘The finn value is the fundamental topic of corporate finance. The value creation is the aim of economic initiatives, strategies, corporate policies, and all business activities, including banking. It depends, among other things, on size, legal form, and business model. Therefore, this paper wants to demonstrate and explain the differences about the value created in the Italian banking sector, where there is much diversity regarding size, legal form, and business model. This paper estimated and compared the value of Italian listed companies from 2010 to 2012 and found the result： Banks create more value if they are big and operate in investment banking. Furthermore, it proved that legal form hasn＇t influenced performance and value of banks.
文摘Characteristics of total soil seed banks and permanent soil seed banks in three microhabitats in a Mediterranean coastal sand dune were investigated by using natural germination method combined with physically scanning separation method. The composition and structure of soil seed banks were analyzed between the microhabitats by using functional group method. The distribution patterns of soil seed bank were also analyzed between the microhabitats. We also analyzed the relationship between seed size and seed persistence in soil. The results show greatly spatial heterogeneity existed in soil seed bank of the Mediterranean coastal sand dune, even in the same microhabitats seed distribution was uneven. Sometimes a great difference occurred between them. Microhabitats significantly affected the distribution patterns of total soil seed banks and seed banks of the functional groups. The open area generally had the greater densities of seeds, but the seed densities under shrub and in trail were lower than that in the open area. Legumes seeds accounted for 76.0% total persistent seed banks. Annual and perennial grasses produced transient seed banks as no seeds were retrieved from the sieved soils. Seed persistence of legumes, umbeliferaes, perennial forbs, compositaes, annual forbs, crucifer decreased gradually. They were 50.1%, 45.6%, 40.6%, 6.3%, 5.6% and 0.6% respectively in the soil. There was a positive relationship between seed size and seed persistence. Bigger seeds had higher persistence, and vice versa.
文摘Overall bank performance in a particular year or period is important to all banking industry stakeholders,as it indicates their success or failure relative to predetermined targets.Due to conflicting criteria and uncertainties,assessing bank performance is a complicated decision-making problem.The current paper proposes the Fuzzy Level Based Weight Assessment(F-LBWA),the Fuzzy Logarithm Methodology of Additive Weights(F-LMAW),and the Measurement Alternatives and Ranking according to the Compromise Solution(MARCOS)combination as a practical and robust decisionmaking tool to cope with many complex ambiguities.In the first phase,the suggested hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making(MCDM)approach estimates the weight coefficients of the performance criteria with the aid of a combined version of the F-LBWA and F-LMAW methods.In the second phase,the MARCOS method determines the ranking performance of the decision alternatives.The introduced model is tested and validated on a case study assessing publicly traded bank performance in Pakistan.The findings obtained from the sensitivity analysis revealed that the presented F-LBWAF-LMAW-MARCOS approach produces consistent solutions and is a reliable and effective procedure in rational decision-making.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42377458 and 41907411).
文摘The Leymus chinensis grassland is one of themost widely distributed associations in the warmtemperate grassland and due to overgrazing in recent years,it has experienced varying degrees of degradation.Vegetative regeneration via bud banks serves as the primaryway of vegetation reproduction in the L.chinensis grassland ecosystem.However,the role of the bud bank in the vegetation regeneration of grazing grassland remains unclear.Based on the relationship between the under-ground bud bank and above-ground vegetation of L.chinensis grassland under different grazing stages,this study aimed to explore whether the grazing grassland could self-recover through the existing bud bank.The findings revealed that the bud density initially increased and then decreased with increasing grazing intensity,indicating that appropriate grazing promoted vegetation renewal.Moreover,grazing significantly influenced the composition of the bud bank:during the early grazing stage,the rhizome buds accounted for the main part,and tiller buds dominated during the mid-stage grazing;while during the late-stage grazing,root-sprouting buds prevailed.The meristem restriction index for light,moderate,and heavy grazing grasslands was close to one;conversely,overgrazing and extreme overgrazing grasslands exhibited the highermeristemrestriction index(2.00,3.19),suggesting that plant regeneration was constrained by bud banks under light-grazing conditions where regenerate rates failed to meet above-ground modular’s recovery requirements following overgrazing and extreme overgrazing events.Consequently,moderate grazing grasslands could achieve natural community recovery by continuously adjusting their vegetative regeneration strategies.Understanding the role of bud banks in vegetative regeneration in grazing grassland will not only supply theoretical support for the ecological succession process of degraded grassland but also provide practical experience for the sustainable management of the L.chinensis grassland ecosystem.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52270077 and 52070147)。
文摘A gravity-driven membrane(GDM)system is a cleaning-free ultrafiltration(UF)process for decentralized water purification.However,GDM has a poor permeate quality and low stable flux when the feed water contains high levels of particulates,organic matter,and micropollutants.To address these challenges,this study used riverbank filtration(BF)as a pretreatment for GDM.The experimental results showed that BF could effectively reduce turbidity and particulate organic matter,and preferentially remove biopolymers and protein-like fluorescent components from natural organic matter.The removal efficiencies of micropollutants(diclofenac,carbamazepine,acetamidophenol,and bisphenol A)increased by 15.2%-65.3% in the presence of BF.Moreover,BF-GDM improved the removal of assimilable organic carbon(AOC)by 42%,thereby enhancing the biological stability of the permeate.Despite a modest increase of approximately 20%in the removal of dissolved organic matter,the BF significantly improved the stable flux from 2.8 to 7.3 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1).This remarkable improvement is attributed to the effective removal of key foulants,including particulate substances,biopolymers,and protein-like fluorescent substances,which leads to a thinner bio-cake layer with a higher density of microorganisms.Additionally,because of the high microbial diversity of the soil,BF pretreatment enriched the microbial diversity of the biocake layer,thereby enriching functional microorganisms capable of degrading pollutants in BF-GDM,such as Nitrospirota and Ascomycota.Overall,BF is a highly effective pretreatment for GDM,which potentially broadens its application to polluted source water.
文摘The optimal allocation of foreign resources requires a minimum level of domestic development,including financial development to benefit from the potential benefits of foreign direct investment.This study discusses the mediating role of financial development in the effect of foreign direct investment on economic growth and establishes the banking sector threshold for the 18 least developed African countries over the period 2000 to 2020.We used the generalized method of moments(GMM)and the threshold regression(TR)as part of the dynamic panel data model.The results show the non-significant contribution of foreign direct investment and the banking sector to economic growth.After interaction,the effect of foreign direct investment becomes positive but not significant.However,the coefficient of the interaction variable is significantly negative.This implies that the financial system is unable to allocate foreign resources efficiently.For this reason,this paper resorted to applying the threshold regression to determine the minimum threshold of the banking sector and established a threshold of 74.58%.It therefore becomes necessary for the 18 least developed African countries to develop the financial system in order to get full benefits of foreign direct investment.
文摘This study aims to identify the key factors influencing the adoption of generative AI(GenAI)by Vietnamese banks and highlight the challenges and opportunities in digital transformation.It extends the technology-organization-environment(TOE)framework to incorporate GenAI-specific factors in the Vietnamese banking sector,characterized by rapid digitization and stringent regulations.A survey yielded 236 valid responses.The data were analyzed via partial least squares structural equation modeling(PLSSEM).The key factors identified include organizational readiness(OR),compatibility(CPT),competitive pressure(CP),complexity(CPL),relative advantage(RA),firm size(FS),and government support(GS).OR emerged as the most influential factor because of a robust IT infrastructure and skilled personnel.CPT and CP were also significant,driving banks to adopt GenAI for a competitive edge.However,CPL presents challenges,requiring simpler AI solutions and clear risk mitigation policies.This study enhances the understanding of GenAI adoption within the Vietnamese banking sector,emphasizing the importance of tailored strategies for different bank sizes and the critical role of technology readiness for effective integration.The findings provide actionable insights into banks navigating their digital transformation journeys.
文摘Amid the deepening implementation of rural revitalization strategies and rapid fintech development,rural commercial banks-core financial institutions serving agriculture,rural areas,and farmers(the“three rurals”)and county economies-have seen their tellers’service quality and operational efficiency directly impact market competitiveness and sustainable development capabilities.This study examines teller performance management in rural commercial banks from a business management perspective.By analyzing structural issues in existing performance management systems and integrating theoretical frameworks with industry case studies,it proposes systematic optimization measures.The research aims to provide practical references for establishing scientific and efficient teller performance management systems in rural commercial banks,thereby enhancing service quality,strengthening talent support,and better serving the rural financial market.
文摘Reconfiguration,as well as optimal utilization of distributed generation sources and capacitor banks,are highly effective methods for reducing losses and improving the voltage profile,or in other words,the power quality in the power distribution system.Researchers have considered the use of distributed generation resources in recent years.There are numerous advantages to utilizing these resources,the most significant of which are the reduction of network losses and enhancement of voltage stability.Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II(NSGA-II),Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization(MOPSO),and Intersect Mutation Differential Evolution(IMDE)algorithms are used in this paper to perform optimal reconfiguration,simultaneous location,and capacity determination of distributed generation resources and capacitor banks.Three scenarios were used to replicate the studies.The reconfiguration of the switches,as well as the location and determination of the capacitor bank’s optimal capacity,were investigated in this scenario.However,in the third scenario,reconfiguration,and determining the location and capacity of the Distributed Generation(DG)resources and capacitor banks have been carried out simultaneously.Finally,the simulation results of these three algorithms are compared.The results indicate that the proposed NSGAII algorithm outperformed the other two multi-objective algorithms and was capable of maintaining smaller objective functions in all scenarios.Specifically,the energy losses were reduced from 211 to 51.35 kW(a 75.66%reduction),119.13 kW(a 43.54%reduction),and 23.13 kW(an 89.04%reduction),while the voltage stability index(VSI)decreased from 6.96 to 2.105,1.239,and 1.257,respectively,demonstrating significant improvement in the voltage profile.
基金sponsored by Natural Science Research Project of Anhui Educational Committee(GrantNo.2022AH050810),NationalNatural Science Foundation of China(GrantNos.42402276,41972286,42072309,42102329)State Key Laboratory of Precision Blasting and Hubei Key Laboratory of Blasting Engineering,Jianghan University(No.PBSKL2023A1)the Open Fund of National Center for International Research on Deep Earth Drilling and Resource Development(No.DEDRD-2023-02).
文摘During the construction of bank slopes involving pile driving,ensuring slope stability is crucial.This requires the design of appropriate support systems and a thorough evaluation of the failure mechanisms of pile structures under dynamic loading conditions.Based on the Huarong Coal Wharf project,various support schemes are analyzed using numerical simulation methods to calculate and compare slope stability coefficients.The optimal scheme is then identified.Under the selected support scheme,a numerical model of double-row suspended steel sheet piles is developed to investigate the dynamic response of the pile structures under pile driving loads.A time-history analysis is performed to assess the slope’s dynamic stability.The results show that the maximum displacements of the upper and lower steel sheet pile rows are 2.51 and 3.14 cm,respectively.The maximum principal stresses remain below 20 MPa in both rows,while the maximum von Mises stresses are 20.85 MPa for the upper row and 25.40 MPa for the lower row.The dominant frequencies of the steel sheet pile structures fall between 30 and 35 Hz,with a frequency bandwidth ranging from 0 to 500 Hz.The stability coefficient of the pile structures varies over time during the pile driving process,ultimately reaching a value of 1.26—exceeding the required safety threshold.This research provides practical guidance for designing support systems in wharf piling projects and offers a reliable basis for evaluating the safety performance of steel sheet piles in bank slopes.
文摘With the advancement of globalization,South Korea has become a key destination for international students.However,these students often face challenges in adapting to daily life,particularly when using mobile banking applications,due to insufficient language support,cultural differences,and complex operational procedures.This study focuses on Chinese international students and analyzes the UI/UX design of mobile banking applications offered by Kookmin Bank and Hana Bank.Through literature reviews and surveys,the study identifies limitations in language adaptability,functionality layout,user interaction,and cultural adaptation,proposing concrete design improvements.The findings indicate that optimizing UI/UX design can significantly enhance international students’user experience and strengthen the global competitiveness of South Korean mobile banking services.This research provides reference material for designing for multicultural user groups and aims to promote research and practice in cross-cultural UI/UX design.
