Banking Globalization: International Consolidation and Mergers in Banking

This paper surveys recent literature on international mergers and acquisitions in banking. We focus on three main questions. First, what are the determinants of cross-border mergers of commercial banks? Second, do cross-border mergers affect the efficiency of banks? Third, what are the risk effects of international bank mergers? We begin with a brief summary of the stylized facts, and we conclude with implications for policymakers.mergers and acquisition, international banking, survey

Predictors of Self-Control During Emerging Adulthood: The Roles of Implicit Beliefs and Early Risk

This study explored how early adverse experiences (i.e., low socioeconomic status, household chaos, attachment insecurity) and implicit beliefs about self-control (i.e., whether self-control is a limited or nonlimited resource) were associated with trait and momentary self-control in a sample of college students. As the first study to explore these factors together, individuals’ implicit beliefs were tested as a moderator and meditator of the association between early risk and self-control. Participants (N = 214) first completed a baseline survey with the main predictors and trait self-control, followed by one week of experience sampling to assess momentary self-control, or success resisting desires. SPSS was used to conduct analyses with data collected at baseline, and HLM version 8 and Mplus version 8 were used for analyses with data collected via experience sampling. Higher levels of early risks predicted lower levels of trait self-control and less successful resistance against desires. Individuals who believed self-control was nonlimited reported higher trait self-control and marginally better success at resisting desires. Individuals’ beliefs did not moderate the association between early risks and trait or momentary self-control. There was an indirect effect of early risk on trait self-control through individuals’ implicit beliefs. However, this pattern was not found for momentary self-control. Together, these results indicated that implicit beliefs may partially explain the link between accumulated early risks and self-control, but that other contextual factors may play a large role for momentary self-control. This study offers a possible explanation for how early risk is associated with self-control, and a promising target for future interventions for individuals who have low self-control

The Future of Reef Ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico: Insights From Coupled Climate Model Simulations and Ancient Hot-House Reefs

emperatures (SST), salinity, carbonate chemistry, and acidity. Over the last half-century, some reef communities have been disappearing at an alarming pace. This study focuses on the Gulf of Mexico, where the majority of shallow coral reefs are reported to be in poor or fair condition. We analyze the RCP8.5 ensemble of the Community Earth System Model v1.2 to identify monthly-to-decadal trends in Gulf of Mexico SST. Secondly, we examine projected changes in ocean pH, carbonate saturation state, and salinity in the same coupled model simulations. We find that the joint impacts of predicted higher temperatures and changes in ocean acidification will severely degrade Gulf of Mexico reef systems by the end of the twenty-first century. SSTs are likely to warm by 2.5-3 degrees C; while corals do show signs of an ability to adapt toward higher temperatures, current coral species and reef systems are likely to suffer major bleaching events in coming years. We contextualize future changes with ancient reefs from paleoclimate analogs, periods of Earth\u27s past that were also exceptionally warm, specifically rapid hyperthermal events. Ancient analog events are often associated with extinctions, reef collapse, and significant ecological changes, yet reef communities managed to survive these events on evolutionary timescales. Finally, we review research which discusses the adaptive potential of the Gulf of Mexico\u27s coral reefs, meccas of biodiversity and oceanic health. We assert that the only guaranteed solution for long-term conservation and recovery is substantial, rapid reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions

High-Intensity Pleasure and Self-Regulation in Adolescence

Much research exists on the importance of high-intensity pleasure and self-regulation predicting various outcomes in adolescence. Less well understood is how these constructs interact. The present study includes 116 adolescents (Mage = 15.50, 61.7% male) and a participating parent. The present studied investigated if self-regulation moderated the association between high- intensity pleasure and adolescent outcomes including depressive symptoms, substance use, interpersonal functioning, and academic functioning. Covarying age and gender, main and moderation effects were examined with hierarchical linear regression and logistic regression analyses. More high-intensity pleasure only predicted parent-rated adolescent interpersonal functioning. Self-regulation predicted less likelihood of alcohol use in the past three months and marginally predicted fewer number of substances tried, and significantly predicted fewer depressive symptoms, more frequent school-related positive events, and more frequent interpersonal positive events. Self-regulation moderated the negative association between high- intensity pleasure and interpersonal positive events so that those with less desire for novelty and excitement and more regulatory abilities had significantly more frequent positive events than those with fewer regulatory abilities. Although there were limited findings with only some main effects and three interactions, the findings indicate that it is important to consider both high- intensity pleasure and self-regulation because they predict adolescent outcomes in nuanced ways. Research should continue to study these important constructs to be better prepared to intervene with negative outcomes and enhance positive outcomes

Improving pinniped diet analyses through identification of multiple skeletal structures in fecal samples

Marine mammal diet is typically characterized by identifying fish otoliths and cephalopod beaks retrieved from stomachs and fecal material (scats). The use and applicability of these techniques has been the matter of some debate given inherent biases associated with the method. Recent attempts to identify prey using skeletal remains in addition to beaks and otoliths are an improvement; however, difficulties incorporating these data into quantitative analyses have limited results for descriptive analyses such as frequency of occurrence. We attempted to characterize harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) diet in an area where seals co-occur with several salmon species, some endangered and all managed by state or federal agencies, or both. Although diet was extremely variable within sampling date, season, year, and between years, the frequency and number of individual prey were at least two times greater for most taxa when prey structures in addition to otoliths were identified. Estimating prey mass in addition to frequency and number resulted in an extremely different relative importance of prey in harbor seal diet. These data analyses are a necessary step in generating estimates of the size, total number, and annual biomass of a prey species eaten by pinnipeds for inclusion in fisheries management plans

Weed Control Equipment

Clean seed, proper seedbed preparation, good crop rotations, and sound soil management practices are reliable measures to use in preventing weed infestations. Once weeds have become established, special cultivation practices and chemicals are generally required to eliminate them. This circular discusses the equipment most commonly used for cleaning seeds, cultivating, and applying chemicals

Continuously operating 4He evaporation refrigerator

Journal ArticleA simple and compact device was developed to provide continuous, self-regulating refrigeration at approximately 1.3 K. The temperature of the device remains nearly constant, independent of external power, up to a critical power. For a molar flow rate of 10^-4 moles/sec, the refrigerator can absorb 4.5 mW. Such a refrigerator should be suitable for condensing 3He in a 3He-4He dilution refrigerator

Tuning Jeff = 1/2 Insulating State via Electron Doping and Pressure in Double-Layered Iridate Sr3Ir2O7

Sr3Ir2O7 exhibits a novel Jeff=1/2 insulating state that features a splitting between Jeff=1/2 and 3/2 bands due to spin-orbit interaction. We report a metal-insulator transition in Sr3Ir2O7 via either dilute electron doping (La3+ for Sr2+) or application of high pressure up to 35 GPa. Our study of single-crystal Sr3Ir2O7 and (Sr1-xLax)3Ir2O7 reveals that application of high hydrostatic pressure P leads to a drastic reduction in the electrical resistivity by as much as six orders of magnitude at a critical pressure, PC = 13.2 GPa, manifesting a closing of the gap; but further increasing P up to 35 GPa produces no fully metallic state at low temperatures, possibly as a consequence of localization due to a narrow distribution of bonding angles {\theta}. In contrast, slight doping of La3+ ions for Sr2+ ions in Sr3Ir2O7 readily induces a robust metallic state in the resistivity at low temperatures; the magnetic ordering temperature is significantly suppressed but remains finite for (Sr0.95La0.05)3Ir2O7 where the metallic state occurs. The results are discussed along with comparisons drawn with Sr2IrO4, a prototype of the Jeff = 1/2 insulator.Comment: five figure