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The impacts of competition and shadow banking on profitability: evidence from the Chinese Banking Industry
Get PDFThis paper contributes to the empirical literature on banking profitability by testing the impacts of competition and shadow banking on bank profitability using a sample of 100 Chinese commercial banks over 2003–2013 with 417 and 395 observations. The current study fills the gaps in the empirical studies by examining the competition in different banking markets (i.e. deposit market, loan market and non-interest income market) in China and further evaluating their impacts on bank profitability. The findings show that the non-interest income market has a higher level of competition compared to the deposit market and loan market. It is further reported that a lower level of competition in deposit market leads to an increase in the profitability of Chinese commercial banks. Finally, the results suggest that shadow banking improves the profitability of Chinese banks
Semantic Enrichment for Building Information Modeling: Procedure for Compiling Inference Rules and Operators for Complex Geometry
No full textSemantic enrichment of building models adds meaningful domain-specific or application-specific information to a digital building model. It is applicable to solving interoperability problems and to compilation of models from point cloud data. The SeeBIM (Semantic Enrichment Engine for BIM) prototype software encapsulates domain expert knowledge in computer readable rules for inference of object types, identity and aggregation of systems. However, it is limited to axis-aligned bounding box geometry and the adequacy of its rule-sets cannot be guaranteed. This paper solves these drawbacks by (1) devising a new procedure for compiling inference rule sets that are known a priori to be adequate for complete and thorough classification of model objects, and (2) enhancing the operators to compute complex geometry and enable precise topological rule processing. The procedure for compiling adequate rule sets is illustrated using a synthetic concrete highway bridge model. A real-world highway bridge model, with 333 components of 13 different types and compiled from a laser scanned point cloud, is used to validate the approach and test the enhanced SeeBIM system. All of the elements are classified correctly, demonstrating the efficacy of the approach to semantic enrichment
The potential of chitosan-tripolyphosphate microparticles in the visualisation of latent fingermarks
Get PDFChitosan (CS) is a cationic polymer with excellent film, gel and particle-forming properties. This polymer has been investigated widely for its potential in the development of food and drug delivery systems and pharmaceutical applications, however it has not generally been considered in forensic applications for example fingerprints (fingermarks). Fingerprints are a very common form of physical evidence. The most commonly used procedure for revealing the ridge pattern is powder dusting, which relies on the mechanical adherence of fingerprint formulation to the fatty components of the skin deposit that are secreted by sweat pores that exist on friction ridges. Cross-linking between oppositely charged molecules can be used to prepare chitosan microparticles. Tripolyphosphate (TPP) is a nontoxic polyanion; it can form particles by ionic interaction between positively charged amino groups of CS and negatively charged counter ions of TPP. In the present study chitosan microparticles (CSMPs) were prepared under four different processing/formulation conditions. The development of latent fingermarks using CSMPs was analysed by using a 23 factorial design, which considered simultaneously three main factors: pH, ionic strength and CS: TPP (v/v) ratio. In this study CS: TPP ratio has the strongest effect on fingerprint quality. The best conditions for fingerprint visualisation were pH 4.8, CS: TPP of 2:1 and 0.2 M of ionic strength in buffer (AB-12)
Missives and Deposit in Scots Law: Diachronic and Comparative Reflections about the Concept of Arrha
No full textA jurisdiction such as the Scottish one, reputedly with solid Roman roots, is practically bereft of the fundamental concept of a deposit in the concluding passage of the missives. Conversely, the relevant ‘ancestor’ (Roman law) has been profoundly permeated, throughout the course of its history, by the notion of an arrha (the earnest) in the conclusion of a contract annexed to the transfer of heritable properties. Moreover, in contemporary times and outwith Scotland, a Continental jurisdiction (the Italian one) is resolutely lingering on the Roman caparra penitenziale while, ironically, the English system (comprehensively ‘un-Roman’ in its formation) has expressly adopted the ‘deposit’ as part of the closing particulars.
These asymmetries, brim-full with inviting legal ingredients, seem, in the present work, to conjure up an intriguing and captivating plot worthy of an Indiana Jones’ film, where the lost treasure can be deemed replaceable, for the distracted reader, by the ancient Roman notion of an arrha, so evidently not inherited by the contemporary Scottish jurisprudence. Ultimately, the contribution engenders the usual unsettling query: in the light of the phenomenology of the arrha so neglected in Scotland in contemporary times, is Scottish law still a mixed legal system or, conversely, a jurisdiction progressively getting closer to the English common law counterpart
Mental Toughness and Individual Differences in Learning, Educational and Work Performance, Psychological Well-being, and Personality: A Systematic Review
No full textMental toughness (MT) is an umbrella term that entails positive psychological resources, which are crucial across a wide range of achievement contexts and in the domain of mental health. We systematically review empirical studies that explored the associations between the concept of MT and individual differences in learning, educational and work performance, psychological well-being, personality, and other psychological attributes. Studies that explored the genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences in MT are also reviewed. The findings suggest that MT is associated with various positive psychological traits, more efficient coping strategies and positive outcomes in education and mental health. Approximately 50% of the variation in MT can be accounted for by genetic factors. Furthermore, the associations between MT and psychological traits can be explained mainly by either common genetic or non-shared environmental factors. Taken together, our findings suggest a ‘mental toughness advantage’ with possible implications for developing interventions to facilitate achievement in a variety of settings
Brexit – What are the potential consequences for pharma patents and SPCs?
Get PDFBrexit raises a number of difficult questions with regard to intellectual property rights in a post-Brexit world, particularly for UK based pharma companies. Whilst the position with regard to the current European patent system is unchanged, the fate of the unitary patent and the unified patent court remains uncertain. Of more immediate concern is the possible future position with respect to supplementary patent certificates. Should the UK fail to reach an agreement with the EU with respect to marketing authorisations for new pharmaceuticals then there is a real possibility that UK based pharma companies may find themselves in a position where they are unable to obtain EU-wide SPC protection
Resource Capability for Local Government in Mainstreaming Gender into Disaster Risk Reduction: Evidence from Bantul Indonesia
No full textThis research aims to examine various local government capability for mainstreaming gender into disaster risk reduction in Bantul Indonesia. A mixed method study combining qualitative and quantitative methods was applied to explore key local government capability for effective mainstreaming gender into disaster risk reduction. The findings show various benefits of mainstreaming gender for enhancing disaster risk reduction. Women leadership, local government financial resources, availability of local institutional framework, women full participation, financial resources and effective collaboration with non-government organisations are key capabilities that lead to effective mainstreaming gender into sustainable reconstruction
Hospitality and Tourism Education Research from 2005 to 2014: 'Is the Past a Prologue to the Future?'
No full textPurpose:
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and evaluate research on hospitality and tourism education in the past ten years (2005-2014) and to suggest directions for future inquiries.
Design/methodology/approach:
From 13 hospitality and tourism journals, 644 full-length articles were reviewed. A multi-stage process was used to code and analyze each article by two analysts independently to ensure objectivity and accuracy. Two more researchers were involved in discussion to resolve differences in coding.
Findings:
The analysis resulted in five distinctive meta-themes, grounded within 30 sub-themes. Observations are made in terms of teaching and learning, student development, curricula and programs, education environment and faculty development. Areas requiring further scholarly attention under each theme were identified.
Research limitations/implications:
This review provides an important reflection of the scholarly activities over the past decade on hospitality and tourism education, summarizes the current knowledge on various relevant concepts and offers avenues for future education research.
Practical implications:
This review provides a one-stop information source for education and industry practitioners engaged in human capital, professional and executive development practices.
Originality/value:
Operating under the dynamic industry and changing higher education environment, it is timely to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of recent education research to assess whether these activities address the challenges faced
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