Loan loss provisioning in the commercial banking system of Barbados: practices and determinants

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process of loan loss provisioning within the commercial banking system of Barbados. It uses questionnaires and interviews to ascertain how banks set their provisional standards and levels. In addition, the results from this approach reveal, for the first time in Barbados, the individual banks‟ procedures for loan loss provisioning. An evaluation of the impact of macroeconomic and bank specific factors on commercial banks‟ provisions utilising panel dynamic ordinary least squares is also undertaken. Both sets of factors are found to influence the level of provisions. In particular, loan loss provisions are heavily dependent upon the performance of the real economy and competition in international markets is shown to have serious implications for the banking sector in both the short and long run. Moreover, this study asserts that larger banks in Barbados are better able to screen loans and avoid defaults.Loan Loss Provisioning; Banking System; Loan Classification

Compressing nearly hard sphere fluids increases glass fragility

We use molecular dynamics to investigate the glass transition occurring at large volume fraction, phi, and low temperature, T, in assemblies of soft repulsive particles. We find that equilibrium dynamics in the (phi, T) plane obey a form of dynamic scaling in the proximity of a critical point at T=0 and phi=phi_0, which should correspond to the ideal glass transition of hard spheres. This glass point, `point G', is distinct from athermal jamming thresholds. A remarkable consequence of scaling behaviour is that the dynamics at fixed phi passes smoothly from that of a strong glass to that of a very fragile glass as phi increases beyond phi_0. Correlations between fragility and various physical properties are explored.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; Version accepted at Europhys. Let

Spectral Properties and Linear Stability of Self-Similar Wave Maps

We study co--rotational wave maps from $(3+1)$--Minkowski space to the three--sphere $S^3$. It is known that there exists a countable family $\{f_n\}$ of self--similar solutions. We investigate their stability under linear perturbations by operator theoretic methods. To this end we study the spectra of the perturbation operators, prove well--posedness of the corresponding linear Cauchy problem and deduce a growth estimate for solutions. Finally, we study perturbations of the limiting solution which is obtained from $f_n$ by letting $n \to \infty$.Comment: Some extensions added to match the published versio

Effects of Herbicide-Resistant Technology Fees on the Plant Population Decision for Cotton Production

This study evaluated effects on cotton net revenues of four herbicide-resistant technology policies used since 1996 by Monsanto. Results indicate that farmers may have an incentive to switch from narrow-row to wide-row cotton and to use a lower plant density when the technology fee is tied to the seeding rate.Farm Management,

The Variable-Rate Decision for Multiple Inputs with Multiple Management Zones

Research has evaluated the relative profitability of variable-rate versus uniform-rate application of a single input in fields with multiple management zones. This paper addresses the variable-rate decision for multiple inputs. The decision-making framework is evaluated for nitrogen and water applied to irrigated cotton in fields with three management zones.Crop Production/Industries,

Nuclear collisions at the Future Circular Collider

The Future Circular Collider is a new proposed collider at CERN with centre-of-mass energies around 100 TeV in the pp mode. Ongoing studies aim at assessing its physics potential and technical feasibility. Here we focus on updates in physics opportunities accessible in pA and AA collisions not covered in previous Quark Matter contributions, including Quark-Gluon Plasma and gluon saturation studies, novel hard probes of QCD matter, and photon-induced collisions.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, proceedings of Quark Matter 201

OPTIMAL PLANT POPULATION FOR ULTRA-NARROW-ROW COTTON PRODUCTION AS INFLUENCED BY LINT AND TRANSGENIC SEED PRICES

Farmers are concerned about the high costs of transgenic seed and technology fees associated with the large plant population densities recommended for ultra-narrow row cotton. This study evaluated the effects of alternative plant population density decision criteria on net revenues under different lint price and transgenic seed cost scenarios. Results indicate that farmers may be able to maximize profits by seeding for a target plant population density of approximately 15.5 plants m-2.Crop Production/Industries,

Transverse Velocity Dependence of the Proton-Antiproton Ratio as a Signature of the QCD Critical Endpoint

The presence of a critical point in the QCD phase diagram can deform the trajectories describing the evolution of the expanding fireball in the $\mu_B-T$ phase diagram. If the average emission time of hadrons is a function of transverse velocity, as microscopic simulations of the hadronic freeze-out dynamics suggest, the deformation of the hydrodynamic trajectories will change the transverse velocity ($\beta_{\rm T}$) dependence of the proton-antiproton ratio when the fireball passes in the vicinity of the critical point. An unusual $\beta_{\rm T}$-dependence of the $\bar{p}/p$ ratio in a narrow beam energy window would thus signal the presence of the critical point.Comment: Final version accepted for publicatio

The Variable-Rate Input Application Decision for Multiple Inputs with Interactions

Research has evaluated the relative profitability of variable-rate (VRT) versus uniform-rate (URT) application of a single input in fields with multiple management zones. This study addresses map-based VRT decisions for multiple inputs in fields with multiple management zones. The decision-making framework is illustrated for nitrogen and water applied to irrigated cotton in fields with three management zones. Results suggest traditional methods of determining VRT application of a single input may by suboptimal if interactions exist among VRT inputs and URT inputs. Implications are that a systems approach to multiple-input VRT decisions can produce increased net returns to VRT.breakeven analysis, cotton, economic feasibility, multiple-inputs, precision farming, variable-rate technology, Crop Production/Industries,