Leveraging Financial Technology Entity into Sustainable Bank Performance through a Competitive Advantage

The study investigates the existence of a fintech entity that effect sustainable bank performance through competitive advantage and introduces a new fintech entity as an antecedent of competitive advantage and performance. Analysis of the causes of disturbance of the performance uses quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study uses 59 questionnaires returned from all 70 bank financial managers as a National Commercial Bank Association member. Five informants were selected from the Central Bank of Indonesia, the Financial Services Authority, the Indonesian Fintech Association, a bank business player, and the Commercial Bank Association Management. Using Partial Least Square, the results show that the fintech entity can drive sustainable bank performance, directly and indirectly, through competitive advantage. The existence of fintech is a dominant factor for achieving performance. From the informants, the results show that collaboration with a fintech entity is necessary and initially, the banks in running a business based on a perspective of experience. Moreover, Informants predicted that fintech and competitive conditions would significantly influence performance in the present and the future. Then, the implication is that fintech cannot be avoided but must be embraced as bank cooperation partners to sustain the performance. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-01-04 Full Text: PDF

Seeking Solvation: Exploring the Role of Protein Hydration in Silk Gelation

The mechanism by which arthropods (e.g., spiders and many insects) can produce silk fibres from an aqueous protein (fibroin) solution has remained elusive, despite much scientific investigation. In this work, we used several techniques to explore the role of a hydration shell bound to the fibroin in native silk feedstock (NSF) from Bombyx mori silkworms. Small angle X-ray and dynamic light scattering (SAXS and DLS) revealed a coil size (radius of gyration or hydrodynamic radius) around 12 nm, providing considerable scope for hydration. Aggregation in dilute aqueous solution was observed above 65 °C, matching the gelation temperature of more concentrated solutions and suggesting that the strength of interaction with the solvent (i.e., water) was the dominant factor. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy indicated decreasing hydration as the temperature was raised, with similar changes in hydration following gelation by freezing or heating. It was found that the solubility of fibroin in water or aqueous salt solutions could be described well by a relatively simple thermodynamic model for the stability of the protein hydration shell, which suggests that the affected water is enthalpically favoured but entropically penalised, due to its reduced (vibrational or translational) dynamics. Moreover, while the majority of this investigation used fibroin from B. mori, comparisons with published work on silk proteins from other silkworms and spiders, globular proteins and peptide model systems suggest that our findings may be of much wider significance.

What Accounts for the German Labor Market Miracle? A Structural VAR Approach

This study examines the driving forces behind the strong decline in German unemployment from 2005 onwards and the exceptionally small increase during the Great Recession. Structural vector autoregressions (VARs) with sign restrictions show that wage moderation in the aftermath of labor market reforms was the dominant factor of the unemployment decline, and that improved matching and shrinking labor supply also contributed to it. The adjustment to business cycle shocks (Great Recession), on the other hand, is to a large extent borne by the intensive margin, which can be explained by institutional aspects of the German labor market.

Analisis faktor keikutsertaan screening hepatitis “B” pada ibu hamil

Background: Nagan Raya Regency is included in the top 5 districts/cities with the fourth highest number of hepatitis in Aceh Province. The hepatitis B screening program has not been implemented properly. The impact of the low coverage of this program affects public ignorance about the spread of hepatitis B from sufferers to other communities.Objective: This study aims to analyze the participation factors for Hepatitis B screening in pregnant women in the working area of the Ujong Patihah Health Center.Method: This research design is cross sectional study, in 2021. Data were collected using a questionnaire with a sample size of 220 pregnant women. Data collection was carried out by direct interviews with respondents, using a questionnaire instrument. Data analysis used the Cgi-square statistical test with a significance level of 95%, and continued with multivariate analysis using the Binary Logistics Regression test.Results: Bivariate analysis showed that there was a relationship between knowledge (p= 0.022), mother's attitude (p= 0.010), husband's role (p = 0.018), role of health workers (p = 0.028) and participation in hepatitis B screening, while education did not affect participation in hepatitis B screening (p= 0.668). Multivariate results showed that the mother's attitude was the dominant factor for participation in hepatitis B screening (OR= 2.24).Conclusion: Positive attitudes had a 2.24 times relationship to the participation of pregnant women in hepatitis B screening than negative attitudes.

Shifts in Dry-Wet Climate Regions over China and Its Related Climate Factors between 1960–1989 and 1990–2019

The shifts in dry-wet climate regions are a natural response to climate change and have a profound impact on the regional agriculture and ecosystems. In this paper, we divided China into four dry-wet climate regions, i.e., arid, semi-arid, semi-humid, and humid regions, based on the humidity index (HI). A comparison of the two 30-year periods, i.e., 1960–1989 and 1990–2019, revealed that there was a shift in climate type in each dry-wet climate region, with six newly formed transitions, and the total area of the shifts to wetter conditions was more than two times larger than that of the shifts to drier conditions. Interestingly, the shifts to drier types were basically distributed in the monsoon region (east of 100∘ E) and especially concentrated in the North China Plain where agricultural development relies heavily on irrigation, which would increase the challenges in dealing with water shortage and food production security under a warming climate. The transitions to wetter types were mainly distributed in western China (west of 100∘ E), and most areas of the Junggar Basin have changed from arid to semi-arid region, which should benefit the local agricultural production and ecological environment to some extent. Based on a contribution analysis method, we further quantified the impacts of each climate factor on HI changes. Our results demonstrated that the dominant factor controlling HI changes in the six newly formed transition regions was P, followed by air temperature (Ta). In the non-transition zones of the arid and semi-arid regions, an increase in P dominated the increase of HI. However, in the non-transition zones of the semi-humid and humid region with a more humid background climate, the thermal factors (e.g., Ta, and net radiation (Rn)) contributed more than or equivalent to the contribution of P to HI change. These findings can provide scientific reference for water resources management and sustainable agricultural development in the context of climate change.

Improving Madden–Julian Oscillation Simulation in Atmospheric General Circulation Models by Coupling with Snow–Ice–Thermocline One-dimensional Ocean Model

A one-column turbulent kinetic energy–type ocean mixed-layer model Snow–Ice–Thermocline (SIT) when coupled with three atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) to yielded superior Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) simulation. SIT is designed to have fine layers similar to those observed near the ocean surface and therefore can realistically simulate the diurnal warm layer and cool skin. This refined discretization of the near ocean surface in SIT provides accurate sea surface temperature (SST) simulation, thus facilitating realistic air–sea interaction. Coupling SIT with European Centre Hamburg Model, Version 5 (ECHAM5); Community Atmosphere Model, Version 5 (CAM5); and High Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) significantly improved MJO simulation in three coupled AGCMs compared with the AGCM driven with prescribed SST. This study suggests two major improvements to the coupling process. First, during the preconditioning phase of MJO over Maritime Continent (MC), the over underestimated surface latent heat bias in AGCMs can be corrected. Second, during the phase of strongest convection over MC, the change of the intraseasonal circulation in the meridional circulation is the dominant factor in the coupled simulations relative to the uncoupled experiments. The study results indicate that a fine vertical resolution near the surface, which better captures temperature variations in the upper few meters of the ocean, considerably improves different models with different configurations and physical parameterization schemes; this could be an essential factor for accurate MJO simulation.

Novel Synthesis, Characterization and Amoxicillin Release Study of pH-Sensitive Nanosilica/Poly(acrylic acid) Macroporous Hydrogel with High Swelling

The effect of SiO2 nanoparticles on the formation of PAA (poly acrylic acid) gel structure was investigated with seeded emulsion polymerization method used to prepare SiO2/PAA nanoparticles. The morphologies of the nanocomposite nanoparticles were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results indicated that the PAA was chemically bonded to the surface of the SiO2 nanoparticles. Additionally, the resulting morphology of the nanocomposite nanoparticles confirmed the co-crosslinking role of the SiO2 nanoparticles in the formation of the 3D structure and hydrogel of PAA. SiO2/PAA nanocomposite hydrogels were synthesized by in situ solution polymerization with and without toluene. The morphology studies by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed that when the toluene was used as a pore forming agent in the polymerization process, a macroporous hydrogel structure was achieved. The pH-sensitive swelling behaviors of the nanocomposite hydrogels showed that the formation of pores in the gels structure was a dominant factor on the water absorption capacity. In the current research the absorption capacity was changed from about 500 to 4000 g water/g dry hydrogel. Finally, the macroporous nanocomposite hydrogel sample was tested as an amoxicillin release system in buffer solutions with pHs of 3, 7.2, and 9 at 37 °C. The results showed that the percentage cumulative release of amoxicillin from the hydrogels was higher in neutral and basic mediums than in the acidic medium and the amoxicillin release rate was decreased with increasing pH. Additionally, the release results were very similar to swelling results and hence amoxicillin release was a swelling controlled-release system.

Comprehensive Analysis on the Hydrologic Alteration and Causes of River Runoff in Min River of the Yangtze River, China

The construction of water conservancy projects has changed the hydrological situation of rivers and has an essential impact on the river ecosystem. The influence modes of different factors on runoff alteration are discussed to improve the development and utilization of water resources and promote ecological benefits. The ecological, hydrological index change range method (IHA-RVA) and hydrological alteration degree method were comprehensively used to evaluate Min River's hydrological situation. Based on six budyko hypothesis formulas, the contribution rates of climate change and human activities to runoff change are quantitatively analyzed. The study showed that the runoff of Min River basin showed a significant decreasing trend from 1960 to 2019 and a sudden alteration around 1993; The overall alteration in runoff conditions was 45% moderate, and the overall alteration in precipitation was 37% moderate; Precipitation and potential evapotranspiration also showed a decreasing trend within the same period, but the overall trend was not significant; The contribution of climate alteration to runoff alteration is 30.2%, and the contribution of human activities to runoff alteration is 69.8%, human activities are the dominant factor affecting the alteration of runoff situation in Min River basin.

Assessment of Undernutrition Using Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) and its Determinants: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Rural Area of Bogor District in Indonesia

Background: Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) can assess anthropometric failure by combining the three conventional index measurements of weight-for-age, length/height-for-age, and weight-for-length/height to determine the nutritional status of children under five years. This study aims to assess undernutrition using the CIAF and its determinants on children under five years in the rural area of ​​Bogor District, in Indonesia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during February-May 2019 among 330 pairs of mother-children (under five years). Sample selected by systematic random sampling from four villages as undernutrition pockets in the rural area of ​​Bogor District, Indonesia. The nutritional status of children was assessed by measuring weight and length/height. Then, Z-score was calculated using WHO Anthro software and categorized based on conventional indices that included weight-for-age (WAZ), length/height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-length/height (WHZ). CIAF is measured based on a combination of conventional index measurements. In addition, the characteristics of mother’s and child, and clean living behavior measured by structured questionnaires. Meanwhile, environmental sanitation is assessed by the environment meter. Binary logistic regression analysis with SPSS version 22.0 was used to analyze the dominant factors associated with undernutrition.Results: The prevalence underweight, stunted, and wasted was 27.8%, 29.7%, and 10.6% respectively. Children who are undernutrition are 42.1% according to the CIAF of which about a quarter (17.8%) of undernutrition children experience a single anthropometric failure, about half (22.2%) had dual failure, and 2.1% had multiple failures. The most dominant factor associated with underweight, stunted, and wasted is family income [p-value=0.018; AOR=5.44; 95% CI: 1.34-22.11], mother's height [p-value=<0.001; AOR=3.29; 95% CI:1.83-5.91], and child's age [p-value=0.013; AOR=2.59; 95% CI: 1.22-5.47] respectively. Mother's height is the most dominant factor associated with anthropometric failure (CIAF) [p-value=0.008; AOR=1.95; 95% CI: 2.19-3.19].Conclusion: CIAF is worthwhile in preventing undernutrition in children under five years. The CIAF can identify more malnourished children than the conventional index. CIAF can use more widely in various regions in Indonesia and other developing countries. Furthermore, improvements in improving nutrition for mother’s in the child since the First 1000 days of life period are needed to determine optimal nutritional status as an indicator of growth success.

The Synergetic and Multifaceted Nature of Carbon-Carbon Rotation Reveals the Origin of Stability for Bulky Alkane Dimers

Designing compounds with as long carbon-carbon bond distances as possible to challenge conventional chemical wisdom is of current interest in the literature. These compounds with exceedingly long bond lengths are commonly believed to be stabilized by dispersion interactions. In this work, we build nine dimeric models with varying sizes of alkyl groups, let the carbon-carbon bond flexibly rotate, and then analyze rotation barriers with energy decomposition and information-theoretic approaches in density functional theory. Our results show that these rotations lead to extraordinarily elongated carbon-carbon bond distances and rotation barriers are synergetic and multifaceted in nature. The dominant factor contributing to the stability of the dimers with bulky alkane groups is not the dispersion force but the electrostatic interaction with steric and exchange-correlation effects playing minor yet indispensable roles.