Bank Accession Research Articles

GIS for location planning of banks’ physical networks

ABSTRACT Spatial aspects are often crucial for agriculture-related companies. This paper presents how methods of spatial analysis can help to elaborate regional network planning strategy for a large agricultural bank. Corporate reporting microdata, a novel source for the research of Russian business, were processed and visualized with geographical information system (GIS). The overlay of agribusiness clusters and bank accessibility zones revealed uneven patterns of its current branch network. This approach was applicable as a first step for the location choice strategy. The results allowed us to propose a new office location in order to cover territories for the further development of the bank.

Central bank digital currencies: experience of pilot projects and conclusions for the NBU

An overview of the definitions of central bank digital currency (CBDC), formulated by researchers of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Bank of England, is presented, and the essence of the CBDC is revealed. It is stated that the existing electronic money is a digital form of obligations of financial intermediaries, and CBDC is a form of emission and obligations of central banks. The types and forms of CBDC are generalized, namely: retail or wholesale, account-based or token-based ones. The structure and functionality of the register, payment authentication, access to infrastructure, and governance are defined as factors taken into account during CBDC designing. Similar models of launching national CBDC by the Bank of England (economy-wide access or financial institutions access, and financial institutions plus CBDC backed narrow bank access) and BIS (direct, indirect, hybrid) are under consideration. The synthetic CBDCs are marked as a theoretical concept of CBDC. The overview of projects of the People's Bank of China – "e-renminbi", the Central Bank of the Uruguay – "e-peso", the Central Bank of the Bahamas – "sand dollar" and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank affirm the interest of developing countries in launching national retail CBDCs. It was found that apart from the Riksbank with the successful "e-krona" project, most of the monetary authorities of developed countries (BIS, Bank of Japan, Bank of Canada, Deutsche Bank, FRS) are just planning or starting to experiment with the issuance of digital securities, which demonstrates their concern about the restructuring of the banking system and the changes of global role of traditional currencies. Among the positive consequences of the introduction of CBDC for the domestic banking system are the emergence of an alternative payment instrument, the implementation of effective monetary policy through increased influence on interest rates, and regulation of the legal regime of crypto currencies. At the same time, the introduction of CBDC involves certain changes in financial intermediation (replacement of the deposits of commercial banks with the CBDC, the performance of functions inherent to commercial banks by the central bank or fintech companies), and will require powerful technical capabilities, including those related to protection from cyber risks. The results of the study point to the need for a cautious approach to the implementation of the Ukrainian CBDC only after the NBU assesses the public demand for new forms of money and the impact of the launch of CBDC models on price and financial stability, and compares available payment technologies that can achieve the same goals as the CBDC.

Цифрові валюти центральних банків: досвід пілотних проєктів та висновки для НБУ

An overview of the definitions of central bank digital currency (CBDC), formulated by researchers of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Bank of England, is presented, and the essence of the CBDC is revealed. It is stated that the existing electronic money is a digital form of obligations of financial intermediaries, and CBDC is a form of emission and obligations of central banks. The types and forms of CBDC are generalized, namely: retail or wholesale, account-based or token-based ones. The structure and functionality of the register, payment authentication, access to infrastructure, and governance are defined as factors taken into account during CBDC designing. Similar models of launching national CBDC by the Bank of England (economy-wide access or financial institutions access, and financial institutions plus CBDC backed narrow bank access) and BIS (direct, indirect, hybrid) are under consideration. The synthetic CBDCs are marked as a theoretical concept of CBDC. The overview of projects of the People's Bank of China – "e-renminbi", the Central Bank of the Uruguay – "e-peso", the Central Bank of the Bahamas – "sand dollar" and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank affirm the interest of developing countries in launching national retail CBDCs. It was found that apart from the Riksbank with the successful "e-krona" project, most of the monetary authorities of developed countries (BIS, Bank of Japan, Bank of Canada, Deutsche Bank, FRS) are just planning or starting to experiment with the issuance of digital securities, which demonstrates their concern about the restructuring of the banking system and the changes of global role of traditional currencies. Among the positive consequences of the introduction of CBDC for the domestic banking system are the emergence of an alternative payment instrument, the implementation of effective monetary policy through increased influence on interest rates, and regulation of the legal regime of crypto currencies. At the same time, the introduction of CBDC involves certain changes in financial intermediation (replacement of the deposits of commercial banks with the CBDC, the performance of functions inherent to commercial banks by the central bank or fintech companies), and will require powerful technical capabilities, including those related to protection from cyber risks. The results of the study point to the need for a cautious approach to the implementation of the Ukrainian CBDC only after the NBU assesses the public demand for new forms of money and the impact of the launch of CBDC models on price and financial stability, and compares available payment technologies that can achieve the same goals as the CBDC.

Screening small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) field gene bank accessions for phenotypic characters, yield potential and disease resistance

Evaluation of 117 field gene bank accessions of small cardamom for phenotypic characters along with yield potential and disease resistance (rhizome rot and leaf blight) at ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research Regional Station, Appangala revealed significant variation with respect to phenotypic characters. The highest plant height (350 cm) and number of bearing tillers (36.4) were recorded in the accessions, field gene bank (FGB) 65 and FGB 16, respectively. The highest fresh weight of capsules (399.61 g) and maximum number of capsules (244.20) plant-1 were recorded in the accession, FGB 13. Further, based on screening for disease resistance, 35 and 15 accessions of cardamom were identified as resistant to leaf blight and highly resistant to rhizome rot, respectively. Based on the multivariate cluster analysis, 117 FGB accessions were classified into 5 clusters viz., clusters 1 and 2 encompassing equal number of accessions (44), cluster 3 with one accession (FGB 10), clusters 4 and 5 with 8 and 20 accessions, respectively.

Large Banks and Systemic Spillovers

What are the spillover effects when central financial institutions with dominant market shares simultaneously halt their liquidity creation and risk transformation roles? To shed light on this question, we build a novel, comprehensive dataset. Firms without a history of debt financing exhibit limited exposure to a systemic event. For firms that rely on external debt financing, their exposures are mainly driven by pre-existing connections to these central financial institutions. Further, having multiple bank connections or access to public debt issuance does not mitigate systemic exposures. The often-hypothesized diversification channels appear to be limited when central institutions are collectively constrained.

The Influence of Muslim Batik Entrepreneurs' Financial Literacy of The Banking Sector on Productivity

The batik business in the Islamic community of the North coast of East Java is categorized as a micro and small business. One of the main problems of the business is capital adequacy. Capital adequacy is one instrument to run and increase productivity. Although the government has provided soft capital loans through banking instruments and rural development program, not all micro and small businesses are willing and able to access it. It is heavily relied on the entrepreneurs' financial literacy on banking sector and their willingness to use banking access. The survey results show that there are variations of the financial literacy level of batik entrepreneurs on banking sector. Batik entrepreneur who have high financial literacy were motivated to access the bank financiang service and improve its productivity.Education and location play a significant role to financial literacy on banking sector.

The finance-growth nexus: The role of banks

We contribute to the finance-growth nexus literature by showing that credit origin, bank ownership, type of credit, and bank type matter in economic growth. We use a unique dataset covering 5555 cities in Brazil, with granular information on credit characteristics. We find that non-earmarked credit to the corporate sector is associated with municipal economic growth more strongly than earmarked credit, despite the increase in the relevance of the latter after the global financial crisis. We also find that the type of credit—whether the loans are general purpose or for a specific purpose—is associated with economic growth in different ways. Overall, credit provided to the corporate sector by domestic private banks is correlated with higher economic growth rates. In contrast, the relationship between credit from state-owned banks and economic growth becomes statistically significant only after the crisis. Although we follow the finance-growth literature in our empirical exercises using internal instruments in generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations, we also conduct robustness tests using two additional external instruments: the number of complaints filed against each bank and local credit accessibility. Our findings with external instruments are the same with respect to the use of traditional internal instruments in GMM estimations.

Mutations in the Human Factor XII Gene

AbstractThe factor XII gene from 31 unrelated factor XII-deficient patients from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria was screened for mutations at the genomic level. Several novel mutations were detected and their absence in a control group of 74 healthy unrelated individuals was checked. Most changes are in the serine protease domain affecting the catalytic triad His-393–Asp-442–Ser-544; two missense mutations, R398Q (arginine 398 to glutamine; gene bank accession no. U71276) and L395M (leucine 395 to methionine; gene bank accession no. U71277), are close to the active site histidine at position 393. Another mutation detected in a cross-reacting material (CRM)-positive female with a history of three abortions affects the active site aspartic acid by changing it to asparagine (D442N; gene bank accession no. U71275). The novel mutation G570R (glycine 570 to arginine; gene bank accession no. U71274) giving rise to a CRM-positive phenotype is located next to Cys571, which forms a vital disulfide bridge. Two mutations are causing reading frame shifts: one single basepair deletion in exon 12 [exon 12: 10590(DelC); gene bank accession no. U71278] and one acceptor splice site mutation [exon 14: 11397(G → A); gene bank accession no. L43615]. The putative regulatory mutation exon 1:−8 (g → c) in the upstream region of the gene is associated with an aberrant Taq I restriction site allele in intron B of the gene (gene bank accession no. X80393).

Merger and Acquisition and Perfomance of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria: Pre and Post Analysis

Low capital base, insolvency, poor corporate governance and incessant banks distress among other factors have contributed to the recent failure of banks in Nigeria. To curb such challenges, banks all over the world now adopt mergers and acquisitions as a strategy to improve their performances. Therefore, this study examined the impact of mergers and acquisition on the performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study considered capital structure, asset profile, total deposit and profit after tax of the selected bank as the measurement for the performance and effect of merger and acquisition of the bank in both pre and post merger and acquisition period. Data were collected from the published financial statements of the bank namely former Intercontinental Bank Plc and Access Bank (now Access Bank Plc) from 2005 to 2017 and the model was formulated using ordinary least square method. It was revealed that for both the pre-merger and post-merger periods, it was revealed that the access bank performed better. In the post – merger and acquisition period as asset profile and total deposit has no significant effect on the profit after tax of access bank in Nigeria, while capital structure has a significant effect on profit after tax of access bank plc. While in the pre-merger and acquisition capital structure, asset profile and total deposit have no significant impact on profit after tax of access bank plc. The study concludes that mergers and acquisitions have a significant impact on the performance of deposit money bank in Nigeria. Therefore, the study recommended that banks can merge or acquire one and other. This has proved to be an effective strategy for rescuing ailing or weak banks. This would provide financial muscles and managerial competence that would enhance financial performance.

Efficient graphical-processor-unit parallelization algorithm for computing Eigen values

Several leading-edge applications such as pathology detection, biometric identification, and face recognition are based mainly on blob and line detection. To address this problem, Eigen value computing has been commonly employed due to its accuracy and robustness. However, Eigen value computing requires a raised computational processing, intensive memory data access, and data overlapping, which involve higher execution times. To overcome these limitations, we propose in this paper a new parallel strategy to implement Eigen value computing using a graphics processing unit (GPU). Our contributions are (1) to optimize instruction scheduling to reduce the computation time, (2) to efficiently partition processing into blocks to increase the occupancy of streaming multiprocessors, (3) to provide efficient input data splitting on shared memory to benefit from its lower access time, and (4) to propose new data management of shared memory to avoid access memory conflict and reduce memory bank accesses. Experimental results show that our proposed GPU parallel strategy for Eigen value computing achieves speedups of 27 compared with a multithreaded implementation, of 16 compared with a predefined function in the OpenCV library, and of eight compared with a predefined function in the Cublas library, all of which are performed into a quad core multi-central-processing unit platform. Next, our parallel strategy is evaluated through an Eigen value-based method for retinal thick vessel segmentation, which is essential for detecting ocular pathologies. Eigen value computing is executed in 0.017 s when using Structured Analysis of the Retina database images. Accordingly, we achieved real-time thick retinal vessel segmentation with an average execution time of about 0.039 s.

Cloning and functional analysis of HMGR gene in Ligularia fischeri

3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase cDNA genes have been successfully isolated from Ligularia fischeri and named as HMGR with 2031bp (Gen Bank accession number: DQ916106), which encodes a predicted polypeptide of 579 amino acids. The pBSHMGR gene vector was successfully constructed. The HMGR gene is over expressed through agrobacterium transformation. Southern and Northern analyses of transgenic plants showed that the HMGR gene was integrated into the Ligularia fischeri genome and expressed at the transcriptional level. HPLC analysis showed that the Shionone content in transgenic roots and stems of Ligularia fischeri were increased 16.67% and 12.25% as compared with the control.

The crystal structure of mouse IRG1 suggests that cis-aconitate decarboxylase has an open and closed conformation.

Itaconate, produced as an offshoot of the TCA cycle, is a multifunctional immunometabolite possessing antibacterial, antiviral, immune regulation, and tumor progression activities. The production of itaconate in biological systems is catalyzed by cis-aconitate decarboxylase (CAD, also known as immune responsive gene 1 (IRG1) in mammals). In this study, we solved the structure of IRG1 from Mus musculus (mouse IRG1). Structural comparison analysis revealed that IRG1 can exist in either an open or closed conformation and that this is controlled by the A1 loop located proximal to the active site. Our closed form structure was maintained by an unidentified molecule in the active site, which might mimic its substrate.Protein Data Bank accession codesCoordinate and structural factors were deposited with the Protein Data Bank under PDB ID: 7BR9.

The barley pan-genome reveals the hidden legacy of mutation breeding

Genetic diversity is key to crop improvement. Owing to pervasive genomic structural variation, a single reference genome assembly cannot capture the full complement of sequence diversity of a crop species (known as the ‘pan-genome’1). Multiple high-quality sequence assemblies are an indispensable component of a pan-genome infrastructure. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important cereal crop with a long history of cultivation that is adapted to a wide range of agro-climatic conditions2. Here we report the construction of chromosome-scale sequence assemblies for the genotypes of 20 varieties of barley—comprising landraces, cultivars and a wild barley—that were selected as representatives of global barley diversity. We catalogued genomic presence/absence variants and explored the use of structural variants for quantitative genetic analysis through whole-genome shotgun sequencing of 300 gene bank accessions. We discovered abundant large inversion polymorphisms and analysed in detail two inversions that are frequently found in current elite barley germplasm; one is probably the product of mutation breeding and the other is tightly linked to a locus that is involved in the expansion of geographical range. This first-generation barley pan-genome makes previously hidden genetic variation accessible to genetic studies and breeding.

Fungal endophytes from leaves of Avicennia marina growing in semi-arid environment as a promising source for bioactive compounds.

Endophytic fungi are broadly dispersed residing inside plant tissues and have been demonstrated as a treasure for bioactive natural products. Unexplored harsh and heavy metal contaminant habitat of Avicennia marina may have diverse and potential fungal association. Therefore, this work aimed to isolate the culturable fungal endophytes associated with leaves of A. marina and to evaluate their medical potentialities. Seventeen isolates of endophyte fungi were isolated from healthy leaves and their antimicrobial activities were evaluated. Results showed that isolates had activity against micro-organisms in addition to their antioxidant activity produced a variety of phenolic compounds, besides exhibited a lowest cytotoxicity against ATCC-CCL-81 cell line. Consequently, selected endophytic fungal isolates were identified genetically as Chaetomium sp., Chaetomium madrasense, Chaetomium sp., Chaetomium globosum, Aspergillus hiratsukae, Aspergillus ochraceus, Alternaria tenuissima and Curvularia lunata with gene bank accession numbers MT089951, MT089952, MT089953, MT089954, MT089955, MT089956, MT089957 and MT089958 respectively. The most potent fungus extract was analysed using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry which verified the presence of numerous bioactive compounds. These findings confirmed that new endophytic fungal strains derived from A. marina thrive in harsh ecosystem produce bioactive metabolites which can be recommended as a novel source for drug discovery.

Exploration of a Resequenced Tomato Core Collection for Phenotypic and Genotypic Variation in Plant Growth and Fruit Quality Traits.

A tomato core collection consisting of 122 gene bank accessions, including landraces, old cultivars, and wild relatives, was explored for variation in several plant growth, yield and fruit quality traits. The resequenced accessions were also genotyped with respect to a number of mutations or variations in key genes known to underlie these traits. The yield-related traits fruit number and fruit weight were much higher in cultivated varieties when compared to wild accessions, while, in wild tomato accessions, Brix was higher than in cultivated varieties. Known mutations in fruit size and shape genes could well explain the fruit size variation, and fruit colour variation could be well explained by known mutations in key genes of the carotenoid and flavonoid pathway. The presence and phenotype of several plant architecture affecting mutations, such as self-pruning (sp), compound inflorescence (s), jointless-2 (j-2), and potato leaf (c) were also confirmed. This study provides valuable phenotypic information on important plant growth- and quality-related traits in this collection. The allelic distribution of known genes that underlie these traits provides insight into the role and importance of these genes in tomato domestication and breeding. This resource can be used to support (precision) breeding strategies for tomato crop improvement.

Biodesulfurization of refractory sulfur compounds in petro-diesel by a novel hydrocarbon tolerable strain Paenibacillus glucanolyticus HN4.

One of the main precursors of air pollution and acid rains is the presence of the recalcitrant thiophenic compounds, for example dibenzothiophene (DBT) and its derivatives in transportation fuels. In an attempt to achieve the worldwide regulations of ultra-low sulfur transportation fuels without affecting its hydrocarbon skeleton, a biphasic medium containing 100 mg/L DBT dissolved in n-hexadecane (1/4 oil/water v/v) used for enrichment and isolation of selective biodesulfurizing bacterium from an oil-polluted sediment sample collected from Egyptian Red Sea shoreline. The isolated bacterium is facultative anaerobe, motile, spore-former, and mesophile. It is genetically identified as Paenibacillus glucanolyticus strain HN4 (NCBI Gene Bank Accession No. MT645230). HN4 desulfurized DBT as a model of the recalcitrant thiophenic compounds without affecting its hydrocarbon skeleton via the 4S-pathway producing 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP) as a dead end product. HN4 substantiated to be a hydrocarbon tolerant, biosurfactants(s) producer, and endorsed unique enzymatic system capable of desulfurizing broad range of thiophenic compounds and expressed an efficient desulfurization activity against the recalcitrant alkylated DBTs. As far our knowledge, it is the first reported BDS study using P. glucanolyticus. Statistical optimization based on One-Factor-At-A-Time (OFAT) technique and response surface methodology (RSM) applied for elucidation of mathematical model correlations describing and optimizing the effect of different physicochemical parameters on batch biphasic BDS process. That illustrated an approximate increase in BDS efficiency by 1.34 fold and recorded 94% sulfur removal in biphasic batch process at optimum operation conditions of 120 h, 0.14 wt% S-content model oil (DBT dissolved in n-hexadecane), 33.5 °C, pH7 and 1/1 oil/water phase ratio, and 147 rpm. Resting cells of HN4 in a biphasic reactor (1/1 v/v) decreased the sulfur content of a refractory thiophenic model oil (thiophene, benzothiophene, DBT, and alkylated DBT dissolved in n-hexadecane) from 0.14 to 0.027 wt%, and petro-diesel from 0.2 to 0.04 wt%, within 120 h, keeping the calorific value of the treated fuel intact. Consequently, that novel strain could be recommended as a promising candidate for BDS as complementary to hydrodesulfurization process in oil refinery.

Screening for Probiotic Potential of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Strain CRD4

Lactic acid bacteria are the foremost used probiotic worldwide. Its successful application in manufacturing dairy products and probiotic foods makes it a promising industrial prerequisite. The objective of the present investigation was to isolate, identify, and molecularly characterize Lactic acid bacteria from local dairy samples of Odisha state of India and explores its probiotic traits. One potential strain was isolated using a selective Lactobacillus-MRS agar medium. The biochemical studies illustrated the bacteria were gram-positive, catalyze (-ve), and non-motile. The taxonomical diversity of the bacterium was analyzed by 16s RNA sequencing and classified as Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain CRD4 with gene bank accession no [MG573074]. Further, the selected strain was screened for its probiotic competence of lower acid and bile tolerance. The result confirmed that lactobacillus strain successfully defended the low pH and bile stress and acclaimed 70% cell surface hydrophobicity. Antibiotic studies obtained confirmed the possible resistance of the strain. The maximum zone of inhibition was expressed in diameter 42mm against Ciprofloxacin. In conclusion, based upon the above results, Lactobacillus rhamnosus can be a profound probiotic candidate.

Distrust in Banks and Fintech Participation: The Case of Peer-to-Peer Lending

What has boosted crowdfunding’s growth? In the case of peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, we highlight the role of consumers’ distrust in banks. We offer evidence that distrust in banks likely triggers individuals to supply funding toward crowdfunding and away from bank deposits. We highlight that a distrust mindset promotes questioning default choices and considering alternatives, and fosters comparisons focusing on dissimilarities. Our findings suggest US states whose residents express greater distrust in banks are more likely to fund P2P loans and, conditional on funding, lend higher amounts. This relationship is more pronounced when funding small loans or borrowers with less banking access.

Biodegradation efficacy of soil inherent novel sp. Bacillus tropicus (MK318648) onto low density polyethylene matrix

The biodegradation of low density polyethylene (LDPE) was studied by employing a microbial strain isolated from the dumping site soil. The bacterium strain was identified as Bacillus tropicus (Gen Bank Accession no: MK318648) by 16S rRNA sequencing. The growth of the strain was observed on virgin LDPE during the biodegradation process. The change in properties of LDPE films before and after bacterial strain incubation was observed by FTIR, SEM, AFM, contact angle, mechanical and optical testing. Loss in mechanical properties and changes in optical properties of the polymer matrix was observed. Weight reduction by 10.15% and fall in the value of tensile strength, elongation at break, tear strength, Young’s Modulus, hardness and stiffness to 8.59 MPa, 10.85 mm, 69.18 N, 272.36, 37.6 Shor D and 10,672.21 N/m respectively were observed after 40 days of incubation. The transparency and haze percentage were also changed to 93.7% and 18.6% respectively after the study period. The pH of the media was measured during incubation to evaluate the change due to formation of different extracellular and intracellular enzymes excreted by the strain. Hence, Bacillus tropicus could be an efficient microorganism to degrade 10-micron thickness LDPE films, thereby preventing its harmful impacts in the environment.

Genome-Wide Diversity Analysis of Valeriana officinalis L. Using DArT-seq Derived SNP Markers

Common valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants, with a mild sedative, nervine, antispasmodic and relaxant effect. Despite a substantial number of studies on this species, the genetic diversity and population structure have not yet been analyzed. Here, we use a next-generation sequencing-based Diversity Array Technology sequencing (DArT-seq) technique to analyze Polish gene bank accessions that originated from wild populations and cultivars. The major and, also, the most astounding result of our work is the low level of observed heterozygosity of individual plants from natural populations, despite the fact that the species is widespread in the studied area. Inbreeding in naturally outcrossing species such as valerian decreases reproductive success. The analysis of the population structure showed the potential presence of a metapopulation in the central part of Poland and the formation of a distinct gene pool in the Bieszczady Mountains. The results also indicate the presence of the cultivated gene pool within wild populations in the region where the species is cultivated for the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, and this could lead to structural and genetic imbalances in wild populations.