Country Creditor Rights, Information Sharing, and Commercial Banks’ Profitability

The authors analyze commercial banks’ profitability (return on equity, ROE) at different levels of creditor rights and an aggregate score of information sharing in terms of credit bureaus. After controlling for bank size and some macroeconomic variables, the results indicate that profitability is higher and more persistent when creditors are well protected. Furthermore, the presence of a (public or private) credit bureau increases the persistence of ROE, but higher levels of information sharing foster competition and erode future profitability.return on equity (ROE), commercial banks, creditor rights, information sharing, predictive ability of accounting

The spatial–temporal dynamics in job accessibility by car in the Netherlands during the crisis

This paper analyzes the changes in spatial–temporal job accessibility by car in the Netherlands during the economic crisis (2009–14). It also assesses which component change is the most determinant in accessibility changes per municipality and part of the day. The paper shows that changes in job distribution reduced accessibility in almost the entire country, except around Amsterdam. Improvements in the road network capacity increased accessibility in the central provinces, particularly during peak hours. In summary, the values of job accessibility by car in the Netherlands became more transport dependent, except in the Amsterdam region.</p

Dynamics for a 2-vertex Quantum Gravity Model

We use the recently introduced U(N) framework for loop quantum gravity to study the dynamics of spin network states on the simplest class of graphs: two vertices linked with an arbitrary number N of edges. Such graphs represent two regions, in and out, separated by a boundary surface. We study the algebraic structure of the Hilbert space of spin networks from the U(N) perspective. In particular, we describe the algebra of operators acting on that space and discuss their relation to the standard holonomy operator of loop quantum gravity. Furthermore, we show that it is possible to make the restriction to the isotropic/homogeneous sector of the model by imposing the invariance under a global U(N) symmetry. We then propose a U(N) invariant Hamiltonian operator and study the induced dynamics. Finally, we explore the analogies between this model and loop quantum cosmology and sketch some possible generalizations of it.Comment: 28 pages, v2: typos correcte

Feather growth rate and mass in nearctic passerines with variablemigratory behavior and molt pattern

Bird species vary greatly in the duration of their annual complete feather molt. However, such variation is not well documented in birds from many biogeographic areas, which restricts our understanding of the diversification of molt strategies. Recent research has revealed that molt duration can be estimated in passerines from ptilochronology-based measurements of the growth rate of their tail feathers. We used this approach to explore how molt duration varied in 98 Nearctic species that have different migratory strategies and molt patterns. As previously documented for Palearctic species, migration was associated with a shortening of molt duration among species that molted during summer on their breeding range. However, molts of winter-molting migratory species were as long as those of summer-molting sedentary species, which suggests that winter molt also allows Nearctic migrants to avoid the temporal constraints experienced during summer. Our results also suggest that migratory species that undergo a stopover molt within the Mexican monsoon region have the shortest molt duration among all Nearctic passerines. Interestingly, and contrary to expectations from a potential tradeoff between molt duration and feather quality, observed variation in feather growth rate was positively correlated with differences in tail feather mass, which may be caused by differences among groups in the availability of resources for molting. We encourage the use of similar approaches to study the variation in molt duration in other geographic areas where knowledge of the evolution of molt is limited.

Niveles, divisiones y falsos dilemas : el futuro de la teoría de relaciones internacionales

Reseña del libro : Interests, institutions, and information : domestic politics and international relations, by Helen V. Milner,  Princeton N.J., : Princeton University Press, 199

Investigating the use of ChatGPT for the scheduling of construction projects

Large language models such as ChatGPT have the potential to revolutionize the construction industry by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks. This paper presents a study in which ChatGPT was used to generate a construction schedule for a simple construction project. The output from ChatGPT was evaluated by a pool of participants that provided feedback regarding their overall interaction experience and the quality of the output. The results show that ChatGPT can generate a coherent schedule that follows a logical approach to fulfill the requirements of the scope indicated. The participants had an overall positive interaction experience and indicated the great potential of such a tool to automate many preliminary and time-consuming tasks. However, the technology still has limitations, and further development is needed before it can be widely adopted in the industry. Overall, this study highlights the potential of using large language models in the construction industry and the need for further research.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

Biodiversity of intertidal mollusks in Surigao City, Philippines

Intertidal zones are crucial ecological interfaces, but there is a lack of comprehensive studies on mollusk communities in Surigao City, Philippines. This research aimed to assess intertidal mollusk profiles, including species density, diversity, evenness, and richness, addressing a knowledge gap in regional mollusk biodiversity. Using a belt transect quadrat method in three sampling areas during 2021, the study employed a descriptive correlation design to investigate relationships between mollusk profiles and seawater physico-chemical parameters (conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, and temperature). In Surigao City's Day-asan, Hikdop Island, and Sibale, 44 gastropod species (19 families) and 11 bivalve species (9 families) were identified. Conidae and Strombidae families dominated. Average seawater parameters were conductivity 51.33, dissolved oxygen 7.45, pH 7.84, salinity 32, and temperature 28.52. Day-asan exhibited the highest species count (49), followed by Hikdop Island (42) and Sibale Island (37). Hikdop Island had the highest species density and evenness, Day-asan had the highest species diversity index, and Sibale Island had the highest species richness. Mollusk profiles showed no significant differences between sampling areas, and a strong negative correlation between pH and species evenness was observed. Surigao City displayed diverse mollusk biodiversity, but a declining trend in diversity indices was noted. This study fills a critical knowledge gap in understanding mollusk community dynamics, providing essential baseline data for future conservation and management strategies in the region, while also shedding light on the impact of environmental factors on intertidal mollusk populations in Surigao City.