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Bayesian nonparametric inference in bank business models with transient and persistent cost inefficiency
No full textThis paper introduces a novel econometric framework for identifying and modeling bank business models (BBMs), which dynamically evolve in response to changing financial and economic conditions. Building on the stochastic frontier literature, we extend the traditional cost-efficiency models by decomposing inefficiency into persistent and transient components. We propose a Bayesian nonparametric approach that adapts to the data through an infinite mixture model with predictor-dependent clustering, enabling a flexible classification of banks into distinct business models. Our method, based on the Logit Stick-Breaking Process (LSBP), provides a data-driven way to capture the heterogeneity in bank strategies, allowing for dynamic transitions between business models over time. This model offers a significant advancement over existing parametric and kernel-based approaches by combining the scalability of nonparametric methods with efficient computational routines. We apply the model to a dataset of European banks and identify four distinct business model clusters, providing novel insights into the evolution of bank performance and efficiency. Our findings contribute to the growing literature on the identification and measurement of bank business models, offering valuable implications for policy and regulatory frameworks
Studies on the mechanical properties of interlayer interlocking 3D printed concrete based on a novel nozzle
Get PDFThe interlocking can effectively improve the mechanical properties of concrete. However, the strength of 3D printed concrete with interlocking interfaces, fabricated using non-automated methods, is reduced due to the time-consuming interface processing. Additionally, studies on the effects of interlocking on the mechanical properties, failure modes, and anisotropic behavior of 3D printed concrete are not yet systematic. In order to address these issues, a printing forming scheme and nozzles were designed for interlayer interlocking 3D printing, and the mechanical properties of interlayer interlocking 3D printed concrete were tested. Firstly, the forming scheme and nozzles are specifically designed for the preparation of 3D printed concrete with interlocking interfaces between the layers. Furthermore, extrudability tests are carried out to determine the appropriate printing parameters for interlayer interlocking 3D printed concrete. Finally, specimens were printed, and interfacial splitting tests, interlayer interfacial shear tests, and compression tests were conducted. The results reveal that: (1) by utilizing the appropriate extrusion rate of the rotating shaft and nozzle travel speed, better-formed interlayer interlocking concrete filaments can be obtained. (2) the interlayer interlocking 3D printed specimens exhibit higher strength. The interfacial splitting tensile strength is increased by about 14.5–30.7 %, and the interlayer interfacial shear strength is increased by about 7.8–18.0 % compared to those with smooth interlayer interfaces. (3) the interlayer interlocking 3D printed concrete exhibits a reduction in the anisotropic coefficient of about 13.7–25.5 %, and the anisotropy is significantly weakened
Self-cumulative contrastive graph clustering
No full textContrastive graph clustering (CGC) has become a prominent method for self-supervised representation learning by contrasting augmented graph data pairs. However, the performance of CGC methods critically depends on the choice of data augmentation, which usually limits the capacity of network generalization. Besides, most existing methods characterize positive and negative samples based on the nodes themselves, ignoring the influence of neighbors with different hop numbers on the node. In this study, a novel self-cumulative contrastive graph clustering (SC-CGC) method is devised, which is capable of dynamically adjusting the influence of neighbors with different hops. Our intuition is that better neighbors are closer and distant ones are further away in their feature space, thus we can perform neighbor contrasting without data augmentation. To be specific, SC-CGC relies on two neural networks, i.e., autoencoder network (AE) and graph autoencoder network (GAE), to encode the node information and graph structure, respectively. To make these two networks interact and learn from each other, a dynamic fusion mechanism is devised to transfer the knowledge learned by AE to the corresponding GAE layer by layer. Then, a self-cumulative contrastive loss function is designed to characterize the structural information by dynamically accumulating the influence of the nodes with different hops. Finally, our approach simultaneously refines the representation learning and clustering assignments in a self-supervised manner. Extensive experiments on 8 realistic datasets demonstrate that SC-CGC consistently performs better over SOTA techniques. The code is available at https://github.com/Xiaoqiang-Yan/JAS-SCCGC
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of Screening via Clinical Breast Examination (CBE): A Pooled Analysis of 9.3 Million Screened Women
Get PDFBackground:
Standalone CBE is widely adopted as an alternative to mammography for screening of breast cancer in resource-limited settings and in populations with peculiar characteristics.
Methods:
We conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies reporting on screening outcomes in average risk populations. Eligible studies included a standalone CBE +/- a comparator arm, were prospective or regional/national programmes and screened >10,000 women. The primary endpoint was to pool the cancer detection rate (pCDR) of CBE. Meta-analyses used a generalised linear mixed model with logit transformation and Hartung-Knapp adjustment to pool proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Results:
A total of 19 studies reporting on 9,322,126 women were eligible for final analysis. The pCDR was 1.41 per 1000 CBEs (95% CI: 0.95–2.09), without significant change in the leave-one-out analysis (pCDR range 1.3-1.5). No significant difference in pCDR according to age group of participants, examiner training, study design, country income level (p>0.05). The pooled proportion of abnormal CBEs ultimately diagnosed as cancer was 31.73 per 1000 abnormal CBEs (95% CI: 16.99–58.50). The pooled rate of stage 0-II cancers was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.66–0.88). Examiner type (trained physician vs other healthcare workers) was associated with a significant increase in stage 0-II rate (0.90 vs 0.69, p <0.0001). The pooled screening uptake rate was 0.39 (95% CI: 0.19–0.63), based on 27,419,574 targeted individuals across 5 studies. In studies with a comparator arm, CBE had a higher pCDR than no intervention (odds ratio (OR):1.59, 95%CI: 0.32–7.94) and a lower pCDR than mammography alone (OR:0.76, 95% CI: 0.65–0.88) or combined mammography and CBE (OR:0.55, 95% CI: 0.05–6.13). However, subgroup differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.13). CBE was associated with more stage 0-II diagnoses than no intervention (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 0.77–3.63).
Conclusions:
Our findings serve as valuable benchmark resource for quality assurance of CBE-based breast cancer screening programmes.
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding:
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure:
K.S. Shohdy: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Salary Support: InstilBio; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: AstraZeneca, Novartis; Financial Interests, Other, Educational Grant: Adaptimmune. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest
Vaccination against helminth IL-33 modulators permits immune-mediated parasite ejection
Get PDFThe murine intestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri (Hpb) modulates the host immune response via the Hpb alarmin release inhibitor (HpARI) family (HpARI1/2/3), which acts on interleukin (IL)-33, and the Hpb binds alarmin receptor and inhibits (HpBARI) family (HpBARI and HpBARI_Hom2), which acts on the IL-33 receptor ST2. Here, we find that this immunomodulation is evident only in the first week of infection and affects local and distal tissues. Vaccination with HpARI or HpBARI proteins raises antibody responses that block their immunomodulatory activities: HpARI2 vaccination results in significantly increased type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), T helper (Th)2, and serum IL-4 and IL-5 responses, while HpBARI + HpBARI_Hom2 vaccination reverses infection-mediated ST2 suppression and increases Th2 immunity. A cocktail of HpARI2 + HpBARI + HpBARI_Hom2 gives robust protection against infection, associated with stunting of adult parasites, reduced egg burden, increased type 2 immune responses, and intestinal goblet cell expansion. Therefore, vaccination with immunomodulatory proteins can protect the host against infection and can be used as a tool for blocking the effects of specific parasite-derived proteins
A Pt(II) complex with a PNN type ligand dppmaphen exhibits selective, reversible vapor-chromic photoluminescence
Get PDFThe reaction of PtCl2 with a PNN type ligand dppmaphen (N-(diphenylphosphanylmethyl)-2-amino-1,10-phenanthroline) yielded a new Pt(II) complex [Pt(dppmaphen)Cl]Cl·H2O (1). Upon excitation at 370 nm, compound 1 emits yellow phosphorescence at 539 and 576 nm at room temperature. Exposure of compound 1 to MeOH vapor induces a shift in its emission to 645 nm, which can be attributed to the substitution of MeOH molecules for H2O, resulting in the disruption and reorganization of weak interactions in 1. This response is selective for MeOH and, to a lesser extent, EtOH, the orange photoluminescence recovered in air. The emission change of 1 was reversible and visible to the naked eye
Exploring the prevalence of pulmonary involvement in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: data from the UK JSLE Cohort Study
Get PDFBackground:
Juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) is a rare autoimmune disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary manifestations in JSLE have not been comprehensively described in the literature to date.
Objectives:
To report the frequency, clinical, and demographic characteristics of JSLE patients with pulmonary manifestations compared to those without.
Methods:
United Kingdom (UK) JSLE Cohort Study participants aged < 18 years at diagnosis, with ≥4 American College of Rheumatology (ACR-1997) criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), were eligible. Patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of pulmonary involvement. Pulmonary manifestations were described at diagnosis, 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year follow-up. Demographics and clinical characteristics of patients with/without pulmonary manifestations were compared.
Results:
480 JSLE patients were included. Overall, 24.8% had pulmonary manifestations; 22.7% at diagnosis, 19.1% at 1 year, 17.2% at 2 years, and 22.4% patients at 5 years after diagnosis. Overall, the commonest manifestation was pulmonary serositis. Pulmonary involvement was associated with higher American College of Rheumatology (ACR)-1997 scores (p < 0.002) and higher pediatric version of British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (pBILAG) scores (p < 0.001) at diagnosis but there were no differences in Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinic Damage Index (SLICC-SDI) scores (p > 0.05). pBILAG defined pulmonary involvement was associated with increased frequency of constitutional (48.3 vs 26.1%), musculoskeletal (49.1 vs 26.1%), gastrointestinal (10.3 vs 3.8%), and hematological (37.9 vs 20.6%) involvement (all p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Pulmonary disease is common in JSLE. It is associated with wider organ involvement, suggesting a need for close monitoring and prompt treatment
Associations Between Experiences of Racial Discrimination Across the Life Course and Mental Health: Exploring Direct and Indirect Pathways
Get PDFWe aim to explore the association between racial discrimination across the life course on common mental disorders (CMD) during the COVID‐19 pandemic, testing direct and indirect pathways. Cross‐sectional data were obtained from the Evidence for Equality National Survey (Feb–Nov 2021, N = 8897 ethnic minority people aged 18–60). The survey measured experiences of racial discrimination across multiple domains and time periods. Path analyses were used to explore the associations between racial discrimination and CMD and the indirect associations via SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, financial concerns, loneliness and belonging. We find a clear dose–response relationship between experiences of racial discrimination over time and CMD. Compared to no reporting of experiences, chronic experiences of racial discrimination were associated with 2.91 times the odds of CMD (95%CI: 2.33–3.65; recent experiences only OR = 2.11, 1.67–2.67; past experiences only OR = 1.50, 1.16–1.92). Recent and chronic experiences of racial discrimination (but not past experiences) were also indirectly associated with CMD, via SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, greater financial concerns, greater feelings of loneliness and a reduced sense of belonging. These findings were consistent across all domains of racial discrimination, indicating that racial discrimination in any setting can negatively impact mental health. Anti‐racist interventions which target the interconnected dimensions of racism are needed
Solving the interdependence between electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient: a case study of PEDOT:PSS
No full textPEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate) is a promising, biocompatible, thermoelectric material with (bi)polaron‐type transport properties. Inexpensive, flexible thermoelectric generators based on PEDOT:PSS will have considerable commercial potential for wearable devices such as Internet of Things (IOT), biomedical sensors, even portable electronics. However, thermoelectric performance is still far from that required for practical applications due to the inharmonicity of thermoelectric parameters and a paucity of information on the relationship between molecular structure and Seebeck coefficient. This review introduces the structure–physical property relationships of PEDOT:PSS, and describes recent strategies for decoupling the apparent trade‐off between electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. These strategies include thermal treatment of the conductive polymer, secondary doping/dedoping optimization, hybridization, and crystal engineering. While these approaches have been successful in understanding the structure−charge transport relationship in PEDOT:PSS, they have not addressed the influence of secondary and tertiary structure on Seebeck coefficient. The purpose of this review is to provide new insights into the positive Seebeck coefficient dependence on electrical conductivity and to elucidate the independent influences and the synergetic effects of processing and post‐treatment strategies
ESMO-ESTRO framework for assessing the interactions and safety of combining radiotherapy with targeted cancer therapies or immunotherapy
Get PDFWith the emergence of targeted therapies and immunotherapy, various cellular pathways are utilized to improve tumor control and patient survival. In patients receiving these new agents, radiotherapy is commonly applied with both radical and palliative intent. Combining radiotherapy with targeted therapies or immunotherapy may improve treatment outcomes, but may also lead to increased toxicity. High-quality toxicity data and evidence-based guidelines regarding combined therapy are very limited. The present framework, developed by ESMO and ESTRO, explores the main biological effects and interaction mechanisms of radiotherapy combined with targeted agents or immunotherapy. It addresses general clinical factors to take into consideration when deciding on whether and/or how to combine radiotherapy with these agents. Furthermore, it provides pragmatic, biological mechanism-based, clinical considerations for combining radiotherapy with various targeted agents or immunotherapy
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