45 research outputs found
Optimal score cutoffs and pricing in regulatory capital in retail credit portfolios
No full textThis paper addresses the risk cutoff policies of a retail bank whose objectives are to maximize return on equity for shareholders and live within regulatory capital requirements, such as those of the Basel Capital Accord, to meet unexpected default losses. It investigates the changes that have to be made in the operating decision of which applicants for loans to accept and which to reject because of the changes in the financial regulations imposed on the bank. It is assumed that portfolios consist entirely of consumer credit accounts (mortgages, auto loans, revolving credit etc) for which acquisition risk scores are available to the lender and regulator. The solutions that we obtain not only yield an optimal cutoff score for default risk but also optimal pricing conditions for additional equity capital in the event that the existing level can not satisfy the regulatory requirements. The paper concludes with several numerical examples illustrating the effects of current and proposed Basel regulations. We believe that some important insights are derived from this formulation linking the financial variables such as the lending and borrowing rates, and the debt and equity structure of the lender and the operational decisions of which level of risk to set as the cutoff in the consumer credit portfolios
Engineering of vitamin and cofactor synthesis in yeasts
No full textThe increase in world population together with an unsustainable and fossil fuel-based economy are at the root of the significant increase in the average global temperature since the pre-industrial era. Switching to a more sustainable and circular bio-based economy is one of the main pillars included in the Paris agreement aimed at reducing green-house gasses emissions in the next decades. Biotechnology promises to play a crucial role in this context by providing novel, more sustainable processes for the production of food, drugs, fuels and chemicals
Engineering of molybdenum-cofactor-dependent nitrate assimilation in Yarrowia lipolytica
No full textEngineering a new metabolic function in a microbial host can be limited by the availability of the relevant cofactor. For instance, in Yarrowia lipolytica, the expression of a functional nitrate reductase is precluded by the absence of molybdenum cofactor (Moco) biosynthesis. In this study, we demonstrated that the Ogataea parapolymorpha Moco biosynthesis pathway combined with the expression of a high affinity molybdate transporter could lead to the synthesis of Moco in Y. lipolytica. The functionality of Moco was demonstrated by expression of an active Moco-dependent nitrate assimilation pathway from the same yeast donor, O. parapolymorpha. In addition to 11 heterologous genes, fast growth on nitrate required adaptive laboratory evolution which, resulted in up to 100-fold increase in nitrate reductase activity and in up to 4-fold increase in growth rate, reaching 0.13h-1. Genome sequencing of evolved isolates revealed the presence of a limited number of non-synonymous mutations or small insertions/deletions in annotated coding sequences. This study that builds up on a previous work establishing Moco synthesis in S. cerevisiae demonstrated that the Moco pathway could be successfully transferred in very distant yeasts and, potentially, to any other genera, which would enable the expression of new enzyme families and expand the nutrient range used by industrial yeasts. BT/Industriele Microbiologi
Activities by child protection for a child in children's shelter
No full textTänapäeva ühiskonnas on toimumas suured muutused, mis mõjutavad nii täiskasvanuid kui ka lapsi. Selle tõttu on perekondi, kelle majanduslik olukord on halvenenud ja see on viinud omavaheliste arusaamatusteni, mis on halvimatel juhtudel lõppenud perevägivallaga. Kõik see omakorda mõjutab lapsi ja asjaolu, et lapsed jõuavad üha enam turvakoduteenusele.
Töö autor on arvamusel, et laste heaolu ja arengut silmas pidades on oluline, et lapse bioloogiline perekond võimaldaks lapsele Maslow’ püramiidis välja toodud inimvajaduste hierharia. Töö autor on arvamusel, et kui mõni Maslow’ püramiidis olevatest vajadustest jääb lapse puhul täitmata, siis võib see olla põhjuseks, miks lapsed satuvad turvakodusse.
Lõputöö eesmärgiks oli leida vastus küsimusele, millised on lastekaitse poolsed tegevused turvakodus viibivale lapsele, et taastada kiiremas korras lapse heaolu ja põhivajadused. Lõputöö uuringu läbiviimiseks kasutati kvalitatiivset uurimismetoodikat, mis lasi suhelda intervjueeritavatega vahetult, aitas mõista intervjueeritavate nägemusi ja kogemusi antud töö kontekstist ning võimaldas vajadusel küsimusi ümber formuleerida. Lõputöö läbiviimiseks püstitati uurimisküsimused ning lõputöö autori arvates sobis kvalitatiivne uurimismeetod kõige paremini ka püstitatud uurimisküsimustele vastuste leidmiseks. Lõputöö eesmärgi saavutamiseks püstitatud uurimisülesanded said täidetud ning uurimisprobleem tõestatud.
Läbiviidud uuringus tuli ilmsiks, miks lapsed jõuavad turvakodusse. Autor jõudis seisukohale, et igal lapsel on turvakodusse jõudmiseks oma põhjus. Samas vaadates 2021. aasta statistikat ja läbiviidud intervjuusid, saab tuua välja, et peamised põhjused turvakodusse jõudmisel on lähisuhtevägivald, alkoholi tarbimine ja hoolimatus. Intervjuudes tuli väga selgelt esile, et nende kolme põhjuse puhul üks põhjus mõjutab teist. Nende põhjuste puhul viib lastekaitsespetsialist läbi erinevad tegevused, milleks on nõustamine, erinevatele teenustele suunamine ja kõikvõimalik psühholoogiline abi. Samuti jõudis autor järeldusele, et väga suure osa tööst teeb ära turvakodu meeskond.
Autor leidis, et turvakodus olemise periood ei sõltu ainult lastekaitsespetsialistidest, vaid samuti lapsevanematest, kohtust, asenduspere või asenduskodu leidmise kiirusest. Samuti jõudis autor uurimuses järeldusele, et teatud olukordades on lapsele pigem kasulik, kui laps saab pikemalt turvakodus viibida, mitte liikuda ühest elukohast teise.
Autor jõudis järeldusele, et Eestis on küll 55 asendushooldusteenuse pakkujat, aga hetkel vaja minevast teenusehulgast on seda vähe, ehk siis teenusepakkujaid oleks vaja juurde. Samuti sai autor teada, et hetkel on Eestis ära hinnatud 37 sobivat hooldusperet, kes ootavad oma perre last. 2022 aasta andmete seisuga elab 154 last hooldusperedes. Hooldusperede andmed muutuvad igapäevaselt.
Autor on oma lõputöös andnud ülevaate teoreetilistest lähtekohtadest, kirjeldanud lastekaitseseadust ja toonud välja lastekaitsespetsialisti tööülesanded lähtuvalt ametijuhendist. Autor on oma töös andnud sisulise ülevaate Tartu Laste Turvakodu ajaloost ja seal pakutavatest teenustest. Töö autor kavandas uurimistöö metoodika etapilise teostamise.
Kokkuvõtvalt võib öelda, et vanem mõjutab last ja vastupidi. Igal inimesel on kaheksa arenguetappi ja kõigil lapsevanematel on kohustus oma last kuni täiskasvanueani nendes etappides toetada ja õpetada. Kui lapsevanema toetus nendes etappides puudub, on tulemus laste puhul koheselt näha, kuna mitmes arenguetapis on lapse jaoks just olulised suhted oma vanematega. Samuti on lapsevanema taotluse puudumine üks põhjustest, miks lapsed satuvad turvakodusse.
Lõputöö aitas autoril mõista, et turvakodu pole koht, mida peaks ilmtingimata vältima, vaid see on koht, kus lapsed saavad abi. Kuigi seal puudub igapäevane stabiilne keskkond, siis turvakodu meeskond annab endast kõik, et lapsel oleks turvaline seal ööbida. Samuti on turvakodus pikemal perioodil viibimine lapsele kasulik, mitte kahjulik. Pigem säästetakse sellega last, et hoiduda uutest traumadest.Big changes are taking place in today's society, which affects both adults and children. Thanks to this, there are families whose economic situation has worsened and this has led to mutual misunderstandings, which in the worst cases have ended in domestic violence. All this affects the children to reach the shelter service more and more. The author of the research is of the opinion that, in view of children's well-being and development, it is important that the child's biological family provides the child with the hierarchy of human needs outlined in Maslow's pyramid.
The author of the research is of the opinion that if any of the hierarchy of human needs outlined in Maslow's pyramid is not fulfilled in the case of a child, this is one of the influencing reasons why children end up in a shelter. The aim of the thesis was to find an answer to what child protection activities are for a child staying in a shelter in order to restore the child's well-being and basic needs as soon as possible. Qualitative research methodology was used to conduct the thesis research, which allowed direct communication with the interviewees and made it possible to reformulate the questions if necessary.
According to the author of the thesis, the qualitative research method was the best for finding answers to the research questions. Research questions were set up to carry out the thesis. The research was conducted using a qualitative research method, which was suitable for understanding the views and experiences of the subjects in the context of this work. The research tasks set for the thesis were fulfilled and the research problem was proven. Through the research, it became clear why children ends up in a shelter. The author came to the opinion that every child has his own reason for coming to a shelter, but at the same time, looking at the statistics of 2021 and the conducted interviews, it can be concluded that the main reasons for coming to a shelter are violence from a close relationship, alcohol consumption and carelessness.
It was very clear in the interviews that among these three reasons, one reason affects the other. In the interviews, it was revealed that the main reasons for children arriving at the shelter are violence in a close relationship, alcohol consumption and child neglect. From the point of view of these three basic reasons, the child protection specialist carries out various activities, which are counseling, referral to various services and all kinds of psychological help. The subject also came to the conclusion that a very large part of the work is done by the team of the shelter. The author found that the period of being in a shelter depends not only on child protection specialists, but also on the parents, the court, the speed of finding a foster family or a foster home.
The researcher also came to the conclusion in the research that in certain situations it is more beneficial for the child if the child can stay longer in a shelter, rather than moving from one place of residence to another. The author has provided an overview of theoretical starting points, described the Child Protection Act and outlined the duties of a child protection specialist based on the job description. The author has given a substantive overview of the history of the Tartu Children's Shelter and the services offered there.
The author of the work has planned the step-by-step implementation of the research methodology. In summary, it can be said that the parent influences the child and vice versa. Each person has two stages of development, and all parents have a duty to support and teach their child in these stages until adulthood. If there is no parental support in these stages, the result is immediately visible in the case of children, because in several stages of development, it is the relationships with their parents that are important for the child. Also, the lack of it is one of the reasons why children end up in shelters.
The research helped the author to understand that the shelter is not a place that should necessarily be avoided, but a place where children can get help. Although there is no daily stable environment, the shelter team does everything to ensure that children stays there safely. Also, staying in a shelter for a longer period is beneficial for children, not harmful. Rather, children is spared in order to avoid new traumas
An integrated CRISPR-Cas toolkit for engineering human cells
No full textThesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2015.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 145-158).Natively functioning Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas) system is a prokaryotic adaptive immune system that confers resistance to foreign genetic elements including plasmids and phages. Very recently, a two-component CRISPR-Cas technology from Streptococcus Pyogenes comprising of the RNA-guided DNA endonuclease Cas9 and the guide RNA (gRNA) has been demonstrated to enable unprecedented genome editing efficiency across all domains of life. Current applications however, employ CRISPR/Cas technology in a stand-alone fashion, isolated from the rich biological machinery of the host environment in which it is applied. In this thesis, I present a toolkit designed by integrating CRISPR/Cas technology with a wide array of mammalian molecular components, thereby enabling altogether novel applications while enhancing the efficiency of current applications. By integrating a catalytically dead version of the CRISPR/Cas protein Cas9 (dCas9) with mammalian transcriptional activator VP64 and mammalian transcriptional repressor KRAB, we build and characterize tunable, multifunctional and orthogonal CRISPR/Cas transcription factors (CRISPR-TFs) in human cells. By integrating CRISPR-TFs and Cas6/Csy4 based RNA processing with multiple mammalian RNA regulatory strategies including RNA Polymerase II (RNAP II) promoters, RNAtriple- helix structures, introns, microRNAs and ribozymes, we demonstrate efficient modulation of endogenous promoters and the implementation of tunable synthetic circuits such as multistage cascades and RNA-dependent networks that can be rewired with Csy4. In summary, our integrated toolkit enables efficient and multiplexed modulation of endogenous gene networks, construction of highly scalable and tunable synthetic gene circuits. Our toolkit can be used for perturbing endogenous networks towards developmental, therapeutic and synthetic biology applications.by Samuel David Perli.Ph. D
Vitamin requirements and biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
No full textChemically defined media for yeast cultivation (CDMY) were developed to support fast growth, experimental reproducibility, and quantitative analysis of growth rates and biomass yields. In addition to mineral salts and a carbon substrate, popular CDMYs contain seven to nine B-group vitamins, which are either enzyme cofactors or precursors for their synthesis. Despite the widespread use of CDMY in fundamental and applied yeast research, the relation of their design and composition to the actual vitamin requirements of yeasts has not been subjected to critical review since their first development in the 1940s. Vitamins are formally defined as essential organic molecules that cannot be synthesized by an organism. In yeast physiology, use of the term “vitamin” is primarily based on essentiality for humans, but the genome of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae reference strain S288C harbours most of the structural genes required for synthesis of the vitamins included in popular CDMY. Here, we review the biochemistry and genetics of the biosynthesis of these compounds by S. cerevisiae and, based on a comparative genomics analysis, assess the diversity within the Saccharomyces genus with respect to vitamin prototrophy.BT/Industriele MicrobiologieBT/Biotechnologi
Data underlying the research of Evolutionary and reverse engineering of single vitamin requirement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
No full textThe popular Saccharomyces cerevisiae laboratory strain CEN.PK113-7D is regularly grown in chemically defined also referred to synthetic media (SM) that contain a set of organic compounds known as class B vitamins to support fast growth. While previous work showed how specific vitamin requirements could be eliminated through directed evolution, this approach is still limited to the biotin requirement. In this study, the CEN.PK113-7D vitamin requirements were evaluated and showed that growth was suboptimal upon omission of thiamine, pyridoxine, para-aminobenzoic acid, pantothenic acid, inositol, or nicotinic acid. The S. cerevisiae strain was then evolved for fast growth in the absence of one of the vitamins. In all evolution lines, strains reached growth rates comparable to those of the strain grown in the presence of the vitamin. After few generations on medium without myo-inositol, nicotinic acid or pABA, CEN.PK113-7D exhibited fast prototrophic growth, conversely evolution for thiamine, pyridoxine and pantothenate had to be prolonged for over 300 generations. The genome of evolved single-colony isolates was re-sequenced and non-synonymous mutations identified. A subset of the mutations was selected and reintroduced using CRISPR/Cas9 in the naïve background strain. A limited number of mutations were necessary to reverse-engineer the parent strain into a single vitamin prototroph revealing a new aspect of vitamin metabolism and its regulation. These results pave the way towards the design of a cheap and entirely mineral media that would have to be complemented with a carbon source only.
Measurement data collected and plotted in Figures 2, 3 and 7 are provide
The territory of the existence : Francesco Biamonti (1928-2001)
No full textCette thèse est consacrée à l’étude de l’œuvre et de la poétique de Francesco Biamonti (1928-2001). Elle propose un parcours critique qui montre les liens entre l’écriture de l’auteur, aussi bien dans ses thématiques que dans ses choix stylistiques, et l’expérience culturelle qui la sous-tend. Les romans biamontiens apparaissent comme une tentative d’exprimer sous forme artistique une vision personnelle du monde et de l’homme, que l’écrivain italien élabora en autodidacte pendant sa vie. Il s’agit d’une vision qui ne peut ne pas tenir compte de la réflexion sur le territoire du Ponant ligurien, représenté par Biamonti dans ses transformations du XXe siècle et dans son actualité. Ainsi, la juxtaposition des termes territoire et existence dans le titre suggère une première clef de lecture de cette étude.Cette thèse s’articule en trois grandes parties. Dans la première partie, l’étude de l’espace romanesque favorise l’analyse de la vision biamontienne de l’histoire méditerranéenne et européenne, et montre les mécanismes de transfiguration et les processus mythopoïétiques caractérisant la représentation du Ponant ligurien et de l’« ailleurs » français dans les romans. La deuxième partie porte sur l’analyse des personnages et propose une interprétation de la conception biamontienne de la réalité humaine sur la base des théories existentialistes et phénoménologiques. Enfin, la dernière partie explore l’idée de création artistique et souligne certaines caractéristiques de la prose biamontienne et de son lyrisme dans une perspective aussi bien textuelle que théorique.The PhD Thesis is devoted to the study of the work and the poetics of Francesco Biamonti (1928-2001). It proposes a critical analysis showing the connections between the writing of the author, in both its themes and its stylistic choices, and its underlying cultural influences. Biamonti’s novels appear as an attempt to express his personal vision of the world and the human condition, which the Italian writer developed as autodidact all along his life. Framing this vision cannot ignore the considerations of the author about the Ligurian west territory, represented through its twentieth century transformations and its contemporary topics. Thus, the juxtaposition of the words territory and existence in the title suggests the first key to read this work by.The PhD Thesis is articulated in three main parts. The first part, through the study of the narrative space, analyses Biamonti’s reflections on the Mediterranean and European history; moreover, it contains the literary mechanisms and the mythopoietic processes characterizing the representation of the Ligurian territory and the French “Elsewhere” in the novels of the author. The second part is concerned with the study of the characters and, in light of a series of philosophical readings, it examines Biamonti’s conception of the human reality and existence. The third and final part explores the idea of artistic creation and highlights specific characteristic
The Jones R&D Growth Model: Comment on Stability
No full textThe dynamics of most prominent endogenous growth models are well understood. One notable exception is the Jones (1995) R&D growth model. This paper provides an analytical treatment of this model's transitional dynamics. It is shown that, given constant returns to labor in R&D (as conventionally assumed in R\&D growth models), a unique trajectory converging to the balanced growth path exists. The equilibrium growth path can be monotonic or oscillatory. Moreover, applying a theorem from Arnold (2004), this result can be used to characterize the dynamic behavior of the multi-country open-economy version of the model. Von den meisten wichtigen Modellen endogenen Wachstums ist das dynamische Verhalten abschließend untersucht und wohlbekannt. Eine wichtige Ausnahme ist das Jones- (1995) F&E-Wachstumsmodell. In diesem Paper wird gezeigt, dass unter der üblichen Annahme konstanter Grenzerträge von Arbeit in F&E ein eindeutiger Wachstumspfad existiert, der die Jones-Ökonomie in ihr stationäres Gleichgewicht führt. Dieser Gleichgewichtspfad kann monoton sein oder gedämpft oszillieren. Durch die Anwendung eines Theorems aus einer verwandten Arbeit folgt darüber hinaus, dass dieses Stabilitätsergebnis auch auf die Mehr-Länder-Version des Jones-Modells übertragen werden kann.Endogenes Wirtschaftswachstum ; Dynamische Stabilität; ; endogenous growth ; stability
Concert schedules and artist itineraries from the Symphony Australia tours of 1940.
No full textTypescript travel arrangements for individual performers including dates, mode of transport, concert programmes and handwritten ammendments.; Condition: brittle, fragile paper.; Also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-vn5741312. Touring artists include: Bernard Heinze (conductor) -- Georg Schneevoigt -- Raymond Beatty and Heather Kinnaird -- Joe Bernnarn and Ida Newton (entertainers) -- Helena Bromley (soprano) -- Stanley Clarkson (baritone) -- Colin Chapman (baritone) -- Nora Coalstad (piano) and Alice Mallon (soprano) -- June Epstein (piano) -- Lulla Fanning and Paul de Rayonne (light comedy duo) -- Eunice Gardiner (piano) -- Joyce Greer (piano) -- Dorothy Helmrich (soprano) -- Minnie Love and Arthur Hemsley (light entertainers) -- Dave Howard (entertainer) -- Jean Jones (mezzo-soprano) -- Kay and Cottham (entertainers) -- Lord Lurgan (baritone) and John Douglas Todd (accompanist) -- Christopher Lodge (baritone) -- Cuthbert Matthews (baritone) and Barbara Lane (soprano) -- Lawrence Power and Annunciata Garrotto -- Jascha Spivakovsky (piano) -- Laurence Godfrey Smith (piano) and Osric Fyfe (cello) -- Wilfrid Thomas (baritone) -- Elsie Wooley (contralto) -- Antal Dorati (conductor) -- Thomas Beecham (conductor) -- Madam Sigrid Sundgren -- Oscar Natzke -- Heddle Nash and Henry Penn -- Ignaz Friedman -- Lisa Perli -- Gladys Moncrieff -- Maria Markan -- Harold Williams
