The Relative Cost Efficiencies of Commercial Banks, Rural Financial Institutions, and Microfinance Institutions in China

This study employed data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the comparative efficiency performance of selected commercial banks, rural financial institutions and microfinance institutions in China. The first pairwise comparison indicated that commercial banks achieved higher level of overall technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency than rural financial institutions (including RCCs) through the study period (2004-2007). Overall technical inefficiency seems to be more attributed to scale inefficiency rather than pure technical inefficiency for both commercial banks and rural financial institutions. The second pairwise comparison indicated that RCCs and CFPA are the most efficient institutions with efficiency scores of 1 while other MFIs experienced some overall technical inefficiency and scale inefficiency during the study period.microfinance, China, data envelopment analysis, technical inefficiency, scale efficiency, Agricultural Finance,

The asymmetric profile of the H76 alpha line emission from MWC349

MWC349 is an emission-line star found by Merrill, Humason and Burwell (1932). Braes, Habing and Schoenmaker (1972) discovered that it is a strong radio source. The radio emission originates in a massive ionized wind that is expanding with a velocity of about 50 km s(-1). Its continuum spectrum fits well a nu(0.6) power law from the cm wavelengths to the far-IR. Radio recombination line emission from the envelope of MWC349 was first detected by Altenhoff, Strittmatter and Wendker (1981). We have obtained good signal-to-noise ratio, Very Large Array observations of the H76 alpha radio recombination line from the ionized wind of MWC349. Our data reveal that the profile is markedly asymmetric, with a steep rise on the blue side. This asymmetry could be due to non-LTE effects in the formation and transfer of the line or to intrinsic asymmetries in the envelope. Our analysis suggests that most probably the peculiar profile is caused by a non-LTE enhancement of the line emission from the side of the envelope nearer to the observer. This asymmetry has the opposite sense than that observed in optical and IR recombination lines, where a different effect (absorption of the stellar continuum by the gas in the wind between the star and the observer) is known to be dominant, leading to the classic P Cygni profile. We propose that the profiles of the radio recombination lines from ionized stellar winds will have this characteristic shape, while optical and IR recombination lines are characterized by P Cygni-like profiles. Unfortunately, at present the detection of radio recombination lines from ionized stellar winds is only feasible for MWC349 and a few other objects

Agricultural Banking and Early Warning Models for the Bank Failures of the Late 2000s Great Recession

This paper is designed to validate if the agricultural sector can once again be labeled as an instigator of the late-2000s Great Recession using the early warning models technique. The empirical results indicate that exposure to agribusiness operations does not necessarily enhance a banks’ tendency to fail.Agricultural Banking, Early warning signals, In-sample accuracy, Out-of-sample forecasting, Agricultural Finance, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, G21, G32, G33, C01,

Inflation with a constant ratio of scalar and tensor perturbation amplitudes

The single scalar field inflationary models that lead to scalar and tensor perturbation spectra with amplitudes varying in direct proportion to one another are reconstructed by solving the Stewart-Lyth inverse problem to next-to-leading order in the slow-roll approximation. The potentials asymptote at high energies to an exponential form, corresponding to power law inflation, but diverge from this model at low energies, indicating that power law inflation is a repellor in this case. This feature implies that a fine-tuning of initial conditions is required if such models are to reproduce the observations. The required initial conditions might be set through the eternal inflation mechanism. If this is the case, it will imply that the spectral indices must be nearly constant, making the underlying model observationally indistinguishable from power law inflation.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures. Major changes to the Introduction following referee's comments. One figure added. Some other minor changes. No conclusion was modifie

Use of Machine Learning Models of the ”Transformers” Type in the Construction of Services in a Gamified Web app.

The purpose of this document is to describe the use of a natural language processing model in the multiplatform system ”Gamivity” by means of a sentence similarity algorithm to offer a personalized experience module based on the conceptual relationship between questions. For the selection process, certain criteria were chosen that will allow several pre-trained models under the “Transformers” architecture for evaluation, later. These criteria were the language with which the model was altered; Python was the programming language used for the implementation. Regarding the evaluation phase of the selected models, the ”Sentence Transformers” library of the Python programming language was used. In addition, a work environment analogous to the module present in the ”Gamivity” system was built, in which the development platform ”Google Colab” was used to test these models. The criteria for choosing the candidate model were based on its effectiveness in relation to questions as well as the computational cost involved while performing the operations in the said model Based on the applied methodology, the model that yielded the best results was ”paraphrase-multilingual- MiniLM-L12-v2,” modified with a large corpus of text in Spanish and 50 other languages, which showed a degree of precision. When it comes to conceptually relating the questions provided it was found to be optimal, having relatively low computational cost when performing these operations. Keywords: sentence transformers, sentence similarity, relate questions, personalized learning. Resumen El presente documento, tiene como propósito el de describir la utilización de un modelo de procesamiento de lenguaje natural en el sistema multiplataforma “Gamivity”, por medio de un algoritmo de similitud de oraciones para ofrecer un módulo de experiencia personalizada a partir de la relación conceptual entre preguntas. Para el proceso de selección, se establecieron ciertos criterios que permitieron elegir varios modelos pre entrenados bajo la arquitectura “Transformers” para su posterior evaluación. Dichos criterios, fueron el idioma con el que fue entrenado el modelo, así como que el lenguaje de programación utilizado para la implementación fuese Python. En lo que concierne a la fase de evaluación de los modelos seleccionados, se hizo uso de la biblioteca “Sentence Transformers” del lenguaje de programación Python, además se construyó un entorno de trabajo análogo al módulo presente en el sistema “Gamivity”, en la plataforma de desarrollo “Google Colab” para poner a prueba dichos modelos, los criterios para la elección del modelo candidato, se resumen en la eficacia a la hora de relacionar preguntas, así como el coste computacional a la hora de realizar las operaciones involucradas en dicho proceso. A partir de la metodología aplicada, el modelo que mejor resultados generó fue “paraphrase-multilingual-MiniLM L12-v2”, entrenado con un gran corpus de texto en español, así como de otros 50 idiomas, el cual mostró un grado de precisión óptimo a la hora de relacionar conceptualmente las preguntas proporcionadas, así como su relativo bajo coste computacional a la hora de efectuar dichas operaciones. Palabras Clave: sentence transformers, sentence similarity, relacionar preguntas, aprendizaje personalizado

Reversal of hepatorenal syndrome type 1 with terlipressin plus albumin vs. placebo plus albumin in a pooled analysis of the OT-0401 and REVERSE randomised clinical studies

Background The goal of hepatorenal syndrome type 1 (HRS-1) treatment is to improve renal function. Terlipressin, a synthetic vasopressin analogue, is a systemic vasoconstrictor used for the treatment of HRS-1, where it is available. Aim To compare the efficacy of terlipressin plus albumin vs. placebo plus albumin in patients with HRS-1. Methods Pooled patient-level data from two large phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled studies were analysed for HRS reversal [serum creatinine (SCr) value ≤133 μmol/L], 90-day survival, need for renal replacement therapy and predictors of HRS reversal. Patients received intravenous terlipressin 1–2 mg every 6 hours plus albumin or placebo plus albumin up to 14 days. Results The pooled analysis comprised 308 patients (terlipressin: n = 153; placebo: n = 155). HRS reversal was significantly more frequent with terlipressin vs. placebo (27% vs. 14%; P = 0.004). Terlipressin was associated with a more significant improvement in renal function from baseline until end of treatment, with a mean between-group difference in SCr concentration of −53.0 μmol/L (P \u3c 0.0001). Lower SCr, lower mean arterial pressure and lower total bilirubin and absence of known precipitating factors for HRS were independent predictors of HRS reversal and longer survival in terlipressin-treated patients. Conclusions Terlipressin plus albumin resulted in a significantly higher rate of HRS reversal vs. albumin alone in patients with HRS-1. Terlipressin treatment is associated with improved renal function

Recolonization of the Flicker and other notes from Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

During a visit to Isla Guadalupe from 31 May to 3 June 1996, we documented three species new to the island, the Barn Owl, Swainson\u27s Thrush, and Hooded Oriole, and established first breeding records for the European Starling and Western Meadowlark. Red-shafted Flickers are now breeding on the island, representing a recent recolonization from the mainland following the extinction of the endemic population. We investigated the validity of Colaptes auratus rufipileus and concluded that it doesn’t meet the standard for phylogenetic species but differs from C. a. collaris at the 75% level usually associated with subspecific rank. Damage to the cypress forest by goats continues, and all species dependent on these trees are threatened by loss of habitat