Banking market integration in the Asia Pacific has greatly accelerated in recent years, in an environment of many other rapid advances in banking and finance. This has increased competition between domestic and foreign banks, and made the measurement of bank efficiency, competition, and liquidity creation a critical issue for both policy makers and bank managers. This book investigates important policy-related issues in Asia Pacific banking. It analyses the link between competition and stability, examining the cases of fourteen Asia Pacific countries between 2003 and 2010, and goes on to discuss whether bank shareholder value is influenced by cost and profit efficiency changes over time. The authors explore the different ways in which banks in Asia-Pacific create liquidity, and whether this is linked to capital generation. This book provides valuable insight for researchers, policy makers and bank managers with an interest in financial rationalization, restructuring and consolidation.

Rough set approach to reasoning under uncertainty is based on inducing knowledge representation from data under constraints expressed by discernibility or, more generally, similarity of objects. Knowledge derived by this approach consists of reducts, decision or association rules, dependencies, templates, or classifiers. This monograph presents the state of the art of this area. The reader will find here a deep theoretical discussion of relevant notions and ideas as well as rich inventory of algorithmic and heuristic tools for knowledge discovery by rough set methods. An extensive bibliography will help the reader to get an acquaintance with this rapidly growing area of research.

This new edition is a high-yield review that is an ideal study guide for the ENT in-service and board exams. While other review guides are low yield, this is quick, concise, and easy-to-use, providing everything you need to know in a easy to digest format. ENT Board Prep offers review on sections such as cancer, ear, sinus, plastics, sleep, and laryngology, as well as case studies useful for studying for the oral board exams. Written and edited by leaders in the field, this book aims to serve future residents and fellows in those crucial weeks leading up to the ENT board exam. The new edition includes fully updated sections, illustrations, and board review material. Specific updates include head and neck cancer staging and therapies, sleep apnea therapy advances, and virtual reality planning for skull base surgery. This is an ideal guide for ENT specialists, and specifically those studying for board exams.

An up-to-date compilation of the theoretical background and practical procedures involved in lignin characterization. Whenever possible, the procedures are presented in sufficient detail to enable the reader to perform the analysis solely by following the step-by-step description. The advantages and limitations of individual methods are discussed and, more importantly, illustrated by typical analytical data in comparison to results obtained from other methods. This handbook serves the need of researchers and other professionals in academia, the pulp and paper industry as well as allied industries. It is equally useful for those with no previous experience in lignin or lignocellulosics.