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
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
Although numerous studies have examined the impact of ESG practices on bank profitability,the results remain inconclusive,underscoring the importance of analyzing ESG components separately.This study examines the impa...Although numerous studies have examined the impact of ESG practices on bank profitability,the results remain inconclusive,underscoring the importance of analyzing ESG components separately.This study examines the impact of ESG performance—in each of its individual dimensions—on the profitability of 192 European listed banks over the period 2009–2019,a critical decade following the 2008 global financial crisis.Via a panel regression model,the findings suggest that environmental practices deliver more immediate benefits.While governance practices are vital for ensuring stability,they do not appear to be sufficient to drive short-term variations in profitability.Moreover,social practices are negatively related to profitability.To address this finding,this study adopts the One Health approach,fostering the need for policy-makers and bank managers to integrate this perspective into bank’s approach to sustainability in a more holistic and forward-thinking vision of social responsibility via the exploitation of specialized expertise.展开更多
In this study,we investigate the extent to which sustainability disclosures in the narrative sections of European banks’annual reports improve analysts’forecasting accuracy.We capture sustainability disclosures with...In this study,we investigate the extent to which sustainability disclosures in the narrative sections of European banks’annual reports improve analysts’forecasting accuracy.We capture sustainability disclosures with a machine learning approach and use forecast errors as a proxy for analysts’forecast accuracy.Our results suggest that sustainability disclosures significantly improve analysts’forecasting accuracy by reducing forecast errors.In a further analysis,we also find that the introduction of Directive 2014/95/European Union is associated with increased disclosure content,which reduces forecast error.Collectively,our results suggest that sustainability disclosures improve forecast accuracy,and the introduction of the new EU directive strengthens this improvement.These results hold after several robustness tests.Our findings have important implications for market participants and policymakers.展开更多
The rapid development of digital finance is profoundly changing the structure and management mode of bank credit.Through mobile banking,artificial intelligence,big data,cloud computing,and online lending platforms,ban...The rapid development of digital finance is profoundly changing the structure and management mode of bank credit.Through mobile banking,artificial intelligence,big data,cloud computing,and online lending platforms,banks are able to optimize credit services,increase efficiency,and improve access to credit[1].This evolution began in the late 20th century and accelerated after the 2008 global financial crisis.Through automated approval,precise risk assessment,and real-time monitoring,digital finance has improved credit efficiency,reduced costs,promoted financial inclusion,and enabled groups not covered by traditional financial services to gain support.However,the popularity of digital finance has also brought new challenges,such as consumer protection,cybersecurity,and fraud risks,and there is an urgent need to update the regulatory framework to address these issues.Nonetheless,the technological spillover effects of digital finance have promoted bank credit innovation and improved market competitiveness.This paper analyzes the role of digital finance in credit efficiency,cost,risk management,and financial inclusion,and puts forward policy recommendations to deal with potential risks and ensure the stability and sustainable development of the financial system.展开更多
As part of its longstanding commitment to advancing cultural exchange between China and Singapore,Bank of China Singapore Branch is supporting a major cultural initiative-the exhibition“Journeys through Mountains and...As part of its longstanding commitment to advancing cultural exchange between China and Singapore,Bank of China Singapore Branch is supporting a major cultural initiative-the exhibition“Journeys through Mountains and Rivers in Ming and Qing Painting”presented by the China Culture Centre in Singapore from November 1,2025,to January 18,2026.展开更多
In the paper,copepod universal formulas are applied to construct a copepod individual-based model(IBM),and a genetic algorithm(GA)is incorporated in the formulas with genes as species parameters.The IBM initially cons...In the paper,copepod universal formulas are applied to construct a copepod individual-based model(IBM),and a genetic algorithm(GA)is incorporated in the formulas with genes as species parameters.The IBM initially constructs the individuals with all possible genes similar to the original state of natural selection.Climate-averaged temperature and chlorophyll a(Chl a)time series at the surface layer of fixed points in the Georges Bank(GB)and the Gulf of Maine(GOM)are taken as the model environment.The IBM has been running for 50 a in the environment without inter-annual change.The IBM results indicate that some of the life history traits of the top ten abundant species output by the IBM in the GB and the GOM are consistent with the real species Calanus finmarchicus,Pseudocalanus spp.,Centropages typicus,and Centropages hamatus in terms of reproduction strategy,time to reach the maximum abundance,water temperature preference,and adult body mass.The study of the top ten abundant species with multidimensional scaling(MDS)and clustering analysis(CA)methods indicates that reproduction strategy is the basis for grouping.For the species taking the broadcasting strategy,both GB and GOM environments tend to choose smallbodied species with cold-water preference,such as Pseudocalanus spp.;for the species taking the egg-carrying strategies,the GB environment selects large-bodied species with cold-water preference,such as C.finmarchicus,while the GOM environment selects medium-bodied species with warm-water preference,such as Centropages spp.(C.typicus and C.hamatus).After gene mutation is added to the IBM,the model result gets simple,which needs to be further improved.The significance of the paper lies in systematically studying the impact of GB and GOM environments on the evolutionary life history traits of copepods for the first time.展开更多
Rapid and reliable onboard optimization of bank angle profiles is crucial for mitigating uncertainties during Mars atmospheric entry.This paper presents a neural-network-accelerated methodology for optimizing parametr...Rapid and reliable onboard optimization of bank angle profiles is crucial for mitigating uncertainties during Mars atmospheric entry.This paper presents a neural-network-accelerated methodology for optimizing parametric bank angle profiles in Mars atmospheric entry missions.The methodology includes a universal approach to handling path constraints and a reliable solution method based on the Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO)algorithm.For illustrative purposes,a mission with the objective of maximizing terminal altitude is considered.The original entry optimization problem is converted into optimizing three coefficients for the bank angle profiles with terminal constraints by formulating a parametric Mars entry bank angle profile and constraint handling methods.The parameter optimization problem is addressed using the PSO algorithm,with reliability enhanced by increasing the PSO swarm size.To improve computational efficiency,an enhanced Deep Operator Network(Deep ONet)is used as a dynamics solver to predict terminal states under various bank angle profiles rapidly.Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed methodology ensures reliable convergence with a sufficiently large PSO swarm while maintaining high computational efficiency facilitated by the neural-network-based dynamics solver.Compared to the existing methodologies,this methodology offers a streamlined process,the reduced sensitivity to initial guesses,and the improved computational efficiency.展开更多
This research centers on commercial banks'human resource allocation.It constructs a staffing model grounded in human capital value creation theory and analyzes relevant factors through longitudinal panel data regr...This research centers on commercial banks'human resource allocation.It constructs a staffing model grounded in human capital value creation theory and analyzes relevant factors through longitudinal panel data regression.Taking City Commercial Bank A as an instance,the model identifies 12.3%redundant positions and matches jobs with business scale.Additionally,the study proposes a“staffing effectiveness salary”system,providing a framework for optimizing commercial bank human capital in the digital age.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
This study examines the impact of banks’environmental,social,and governance(ESG)disclosure assurance(BEDA)on borrowing enterprises’ESG performance to investigate China’s bank-enterprise loan relationships.Using man...This study examines the impact of banks’environmental,social,and governance(ESG)disclosure assurance(BEDA)on borrowing enterprises’ESG performance to investigate China’s bank-enterprise loan relationships.Using manually collected bank loan relationship data and financial data of Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2021,our findings reveal that BEDA significantly enhances borrowers’ESG performance.Moreover,this effect is more pronounced when banks have a higher information demand,better internal controls,and share auditors with borrowers;when borrowers operate in environmentally sensitive industries,and in the period following the Paris Agreement signing.Among the individual ESG subcategories,the impact of BEDA on borrowers’ESG performance is primarily reflected in environmental(E)and social(S)considerations.Finally,we do not find that BEDA significantly suppresses banks’greenwashing.These findings indicate that BEDA has an informational or advisory influence on banks’ESG governance rather than a supervisory role at this stage of sustainability reporting development.This study suggests that policymakers should guide BEDA’s evolution from a passive information tool to a proactive governance tool,facilitating enterprises in achieving sub‐stantive ESG transformations while reducing systemic greenwashing risks.展开更多
In the process of implementing data openness between banks and fin-tech companies,as the breadth and depth of cooperation between banks and enterprises continue to increase,there is a risk of“too much correlation to ...In the process of implementing data openness between banks and fin-tech companies,as the breadth and depth of cooperation between banks and enterprises continue to increase,there is a risk of“too much correlation to fail”and“too many links to fail”.There are problems with the implementation of financial data openness by regulatory agencies for banks and fin-tech enterprises,such as the ambiguity of regulatory responsibilities,the emphasis on financial regulatory goals,and the lag in regulatory methods.To address these issues,it is necessary to clarify the responsibilities of financial regulatory agencies,establish a collaborative mechanism for financial regulation,coordinate the types of risks in bank enterprise cooperation,achieve the technical implementation of financial regulatory measures and the design of regulatory systems,obtain regulatory data in real time,establish a hierarchical regulatory system for bank enterprise cooperation to improve the regulatory path,and ensure the rational and legal use of financial data in bank enterprise cooperation.展开更多
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.
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.
基金ARD receives support within the GRINS project–Growing Resilient,INclusive and Sustainable from the European Union Next-Generation EU(GRINS PE00000018,CUP:H23C24000110006,Spoke 4 Sustainable Finance)PT received research support by a grant from the Italian Research Center on High Performance Computing,Big Data and Quantum Computing(ICSC)funded by EU-Next Generation EU(PNRR-HPC,CUP:C83C22000560007).
文摘Although numerous studies have examined the impact of ESG practices on bank profitability,the results remain inconclusive,underscoring the importance of analyzing ESG components separately.This study examines the impact of ESG performance—in each of its individual dimensions—on the profitability of 192 European listed banks over the period 2009–2019,a critical decade following the 2008 global financial crisis.Via a panel regression model,the findings suggest that environmental practices deliver more immediate benefits.While governance practices are vital for ensuring stability,they do not appear to be sufficient to drive short-term variations in profitability.Moreover,social practices are negatively related to profitability.To address this finding,this study adopts the One Health approach,fostering the need for policy-makers and bank managers to integrate this perspective into bank’s approach to sustainability in a more holistic and forward-thinking vision of social responsibility via the exploitation of specialized expertise.
文摘In this study,we investigate the extent to which sustainability disclosures in the narrative sections of European banks’annual reports improve analysts’forecasting accuracy.We capture sustainability disclosures with a machine learning approach and use forecast errors as a proxy for analysts’forecast accuracy.Our results suggest that sustainability disclosures significantly improve analysts’forecasting accuracy by reducing forecast errors.In a further analysis,we also find that the introduction of Directive 2014/95/European Union is associated with increased disclosure content,which reduces forecast error.Collectively,our results suggest that sustainability disclosures improve forecast accuracy,and the introduction of the new EU directive strengthens this improvement.These results hold after several robustness tests.Our findings have important implications for market participants and policymakers.
文摘The rapid development of digital finance is profoundly changing the structure and management mode of bank credit.Through mobile banking,artificial intelligence,big data,cloud computing,and online lending platforms,banks are able to optimize credit services,increase efficiency,and improve access to credit[1].This evolution began in the late 20th century and accelerated after the 2008 global financial crisis.Through automated approval,precise risk assessment,and real-time monitoring,digital finance has improved credit efficiency,reduced costs,promoted financial inclusion,and enabled groups not covered by traditional financial services to gain support.However,the popularity of digital finance has also brought new challenges,such as consumer protection,cybersecurity,and fraud risks,and there is an urgent need to update the regulatory framework to address these issues.Nonetheless,the technological spillover effects of digital finance have promoted bank credit innovation and improved market competitiveness.This paper analyzes the role of digital finance in credit efficiency,cost,risk management,and financial inclusion,and puts forward policy recommendations to deal with potential risks and ensure the stability and sustainable development of the financial system.
文摘As part of its longstanding commitment to advancing cultural exchange between China and Singapore,Bank of China Singapore Branch is supporting a major cultural initiative-the exhibition“Journeys through Mountains and Rivers in Ming and Qing Painting”presented by the China Culture Centre in Singapore from November 1,2025,to January 18,2026.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China Project under contract No.42206150the Technology Development Program of Shanghai Ocean University under contract No.A2-2006-20-200207.
文摘In the paper,copepod universal formulas are applied to construct a copepod individual-based model(IBM),and a genetic algorithm(GA)is incorporated in the formulas with genes as species parameters.The IBM initially constructs the individuals with all possible genes similar to the original state of natural selection.Climate-averaged temperature and chlorophyll a(Chl a)time series at the surface layer of fixed points in the Georges Bank(GB)and the Gulf of Maine(GOM)are taken as the model environment.The IBM has been running for 50 a in the environment without inter-annual change.The IBM results indicate that some of the life history traits of the top ten abundant species output by the IBM in the GB and the GOM are consistent with the real species Calanus finmarchicus,Pseudocalanus spp.,Centropages typicus,and Centropages hamatus in terms of reproduction strategy,time to reach the maximum abundance,water temperature preference,and adult body mass.The study of the top ten abundant species with multidimensional scaling(MDS)and clustering analysis(CA)methods indicates that reproduction strategy is the basis for grouping.For the species taking the broadcasting strategy,both GB and GOM environments tend to choose smallbodied species with cold-water preference,such as Pseudocalanus spp.;for the species taking the egg-carrying strategies,the GB environment selects large-bodied species with cold-water preference,such as C.finmarchicus,while the GOM environment selects medium-bodied species with warm-water preference,such as Centropages spp.(C.typicus and C.hamatus).After gene mutation is added to the IBM,the model result gets simple,which needs to be further improved.The significance of the paper lies in systematically studying the impact of GB and GOM environments on the evolutionary life history traits of copepods for the first time.
基金supported in part by the National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program of China(No.JCKY2021603B030)the Shenzhen Fundamental Research Program,China(No.JCYJ20220818102601004)the Science Center Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.62188101)。
文摘Rapid and reliable onboard optimization of bank angle profiles is crucial for mitigating uncertainties during Mars atmospheric entry.This paper presents a neural-network-accelerated methodology for optimizing parametric bank angle profiles in Mars atmospheric entry missions.The methodology includes a universal approach to handling path constraints and a reliable solution method based on the Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO)algorithm.For illustrative purposes,a mission with the objective of maximizing terminal altitude is considered.The original entry optimization problem is converted into optimizing three coefficients for the bank angle profiles with terminal constraints by formulating a parametric Mars entry bank angle profile and constraint handling methods.The parameter optimization problem is addressed using the PSO algorithm,with reliability enhanced by increasing the PSO swarm size.To improve computational efficiency,an enhanced Deep Operator Network(Deep ONet)is used as a dynamics solver to predict terminal states under various bank angle profiles rapidly.Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed methodology ensures reliable convergence with a sufficiently large PSO swarm while maintaining high computational efficiency facilitated by the neural-network-based dynamics solver.Compared to the existing methodologies,this methodology offers a streamlined process,the reduced sensitivity to initial guesses,and the improved computational efficiency.
文摘This research centers on commercial banks'human resource allocation.It constructs a staffing model grounded in human capital value creation theory and analyzes relevant factors through longitudinal panel data regression.Taking City Commercial Bank A as an instance,the model identifies 12.3%redundant positions and matches jobs with business scale.Additionally,the study proposes a“staffing effectiveness salary”system,providing a framework for optimizing commercial bank human capital in the digital age.
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.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[Grant No.72102187,72102197]the General Program of Soft Science Research Project for Chengdu Science and Technology Bureau[Grant No.2025-RK00-00076-ZF]Project of the Center for Systems Science and Enterprise Development,a Key Re‐search Base for Social Sciences in Sichuan Province[Grant No.Xq24C09]and the Chengdu High-Quality Development Research Cen‐ter Project[Grant No.yb2024103].
文摘This study examines the impact of banks’environmental,social,and governance(ESG)disclosure assurance(BEDA)on borrowing enterprises’ESG performance to investigate China’s bank-enterprise loan relationships.Using manually collected bank loan relationship data and financial data of Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2021,our findings reveal that BEDA significantly enhances borrowers’ESG performance.Moreover,this effect is more pronounced when banks have a higher information demand,better internal controls,and share auditors with borrowers;when borrowers operate in environmentally sensitive industries,and in the period following the Paris Agreement signing.Among the individual ESG subcategories,the impact of BEDA on borrowers’ESG performance is primarily reflected in environmental(E)and social(S)considerations.Finally,we do not find that BEDA significantly suppresses banks’greenwashing.These findings indicate that BEDA has an informational or advisory influence on banks’ESG governance rather than a supervisory role at this stage of sustainability reporting development.This study suggests that policymakers should guide BEDA’s evolution from a passive information tool to a proactive governance tool,facilitating enterprises in achieving sub‐stantive ESG transformations while reducing systemic greenwashing risks.
文摘In the process of implementing data openness between banks and fin-tech companies,as the breadth and depth of cooperation between banks and enterprises continue to increase,there is a risk of“too much correlation to fail”and“too many links to fail”.There are problems with the implementation of financial data openness by regulatory agencies for banks and fin-tech enterprises,such as the ambiguity of regulatory responsibilities,the emphasis on financial regulatory goals,and the lag in regulatory methods.To address these issues,it is necessary to clarify the responsibilities of financial regulatory agencies,establish a collaborative mechanism for financial regulation,coordinate the types of risks in bank enterprise cooperation,achieve the technical implementation of financial regulatory measures and the design of regulatory systems,obtain regulatory data in real time,establish a hierarchical regulatory system for bank enterprise cooperation to improve the regulatory path,and ensure the rational and legal use of financial data in bank enterprise cooperation.
