Operational Risk Modelling and Capital Adequacy – are There any Rewards in Greater Complexity?

The paper applies the methodologies proposed by Basel Committee on Banking Supervision for assessing the capital requirements in the context of operational risk to a Romanian commercial bank. The basic indicator, standard and internal measurement approaches (IMA) have been used to asses the capital requirement levels needed to cover the operational risk. The IMA is implemented using the loss distribution methodology (LDA). The capital at risk is computed from the loss distribution that aggregates, using Monte-Carlo simulations, the frequency and loss size distributions, fitted to the empirical data, for each business line and event type pair. Even though IMA is more costly and difficult to implement, it has, in some circumstances, considerable rewards in terms of capital requirements.operational risk, basic indicator approach, standardized approach, internal measurement approach, loss distribution methodology, Monte-Carlo simulation

Operational risk measurement

Beginning with the fact that performant strategies of the financial institutions have programmes and management procedures for the banking risks, which have as main objective to minimize the probability of risk generation and the bank’s potential exposure, this paper wants to present the operational risk measurement. Therefore, the first part presents the conceptual approach of the operational risks through the point of view of the financial institutions exposed to this type of risk. The second part describes different measurement methods for the operational risk. The final part of this article presents the approach assumed by a financial institution with a precise purpose: the quantification of the minimum capital requirements of the operational risk.peer-reviewe

Poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) hydrogels for biomedical applications

Synthetic polymers have had a major impact on the biomedical field. However, all polymers have their advantages and disadvantages, so that the selection of a certain polymeric material always is a compromise with regard to many properties, such as synthetic accessibility, solubility, thermal properties, biocompatibility, and degradability. The development of novel polymers with superior properties for medical applications is the focus of many research groups. The present study highlights the use of poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) (PiPOx), as biocompatible functional polymer to develop synthetic hydrogel materials using a simple straightforward synthesis protocol. A library of hydrogels was obtained by chemical cross-linking of PiPO(x), using eight different nontoxic and bio-based dicarboxylic acids. The equilibrium swelling degree of the final material can be modulated by simple modification of the composition of the reaction mixture, including the polymer concentration in the feed ratio between the 2-oxazoline pendent groups and the carboxylic acid groups as well as the cross-linker length. The hydrogels with the highest water uptake were selected for further investigations regarding their potential use as biomaterials. We evaluated the thermoresponsiveness, the pH degradability under physiological conditions, and demonstrated proof-of-concept drug delivery experiments. The in vitro cellular studies demonstrated the noncytotoxic character of the PiPOx hydrogels, and their protein repellent properties, while mineralization studies revealed that such scaffolds do not promote mineralization/calcification phenomena. In view of these results, these hydrogels show potential use as ophthalmologic materials or in drug delivery applications

Maternal and fetal outcome in HELLP syndrome in a tertiary care hospital in north east Romania

UMF “Gr.T.Popa”, Iaşi, Spitalul “Cuza Vodă”, IaşiObjective: Hepatic vascular injury in preeclampsia is responsible for HELLP syndrome (Haemolisis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelet count), sometimes without hypertension or proteinuria. The aim of the study was to evaluate maternal and fetal outcome in pregnant women with HELLP syndrome hospitalized in a third level maternal-fetal unit. Methods: Data concerning the clinical evolution of patients and laboratory analyzes were recuperated from the electronic archive of “Cuza Voda” Hospital. Statistical processing was performed with Microsoft Office Excel 2007 TM. Results: Between 01.01.2009-31.12.2013, in “Cuza Voda” Hospital, Iasi, a number of 29 352 births were recorded, 55 (0.187 %) being diagnosed with HELLP syndrome. Among them, only for 25 cases we could recover complete data for statistical processing. The 25 patients had a mean age of 29.2 years (range 19-39). The mean gestational age when HELLP syndrome was diagnosed, was 31.8 weeks of amenorrhea (range 27-38 ) and the mean biometric age at the preoperative ultrasound was 30.3 weeks of amenorrhea (range 24-37). Caesarean section was completed in 22/25 cases (88 %), the remaining 3 cases delivered vaginally, at a mean of 56.2 hours after admission (range 0.5 – 384 h). Maternal prognosis was burdened with the following complications: severe preeclampsia (10/25 cases), eclampsia (3/25 cases), uteroplacental apoplexy (4/25 cases), pulmonary edema (3/25 cases), acute renal failure (9/25 cases), disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome (2/25 cases), maternal death (1/25 cases). Fetal evolution presented the following complications: antepartum fetal death (4/25 cases), RCIU (11/25 cases), prematurity (22/25 cases) with a premature birth between 27-34 weeks (17/25 cases) and between 34 -37 weeks (5 cases). One minute Apgar score was 0 in 4 cases, the remaining cases showing an average of 6.3 (range 1-9) at 1 minute and of 7.1 (range 1-9) at 5 minutes. Conclusions: Management and delivery of patients with HELLP syndrome should take place in a tertiary level unit with a trained multidisciplinary team (obstetrician, anesthetist, neonatologist, medical laboratory doctor, operating theater nurses, intensive care nurses, midwives) and technical facilities available. A rapid and accurate diagnosis and a prompt intervention can reduce the risk of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity.Obiectiv: Atingerea hepatică vasculară în preeclampsie este responsabilă de sindromul HELLP (haemolisis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count), uneori fără HTA şi nici proteinurie. Scopul studiului a fost de a evalua prognosticul matern şi fetal la gravidele internate cu HELLP sindrom într-o unitate materno-fetală de nivel trei. Material şi metodă: Datele despre evoluţia clinică a pacientelor şi analizele de laborator au fost preluate din arhiva electronică a Spitalului “Cuza Vodă” cât şi din foile de observaţie. Prelucrarea statistică s-a efectuat utilizând programul Microsoft Office Excel 2007 TM. Rezultate: În perioada 01.01.2009-31.12.2013, în Spitalul Clinic de Obstetrică-Ginecologie Cuza Vodă, Iaşi au fost asistate un număr de 29352 naşteri, dintre care 55 (0.187%) au fost diagnosticate cu HELLP sindrom. Dintre acestea, doar pentru 25 cazuri s-au putut recupera datelele complete pentru prelucrarea statistică. Cele 25 paciente au avut o vârstă medie de 29.2 ani (interval 19-39). Vârsta gestaţională medie la care s-a instalat HELLP sindromul a fost de 31.8 săptămâni amenoree (interval 27-38) iar vârsta medie biometrică conform ecografiei preoperatorii a fost de 30.3 săptămâni amenoree (interval 24-37). Naşterea s-a finalizat prin cezariană în 22/25 cazuri (88%), restul de 3 cazuri care au născut natural internându-se cu naştere declanşată, la o distanţă medie de 56.2 ore de la internare (interval 0,5-384h). Prognosticul matern a fost grevat de următoarele complicaţii: preeclampsie severă (10/25 cazuri), eclampsie (3/25 cazuri), apoplexie utero-placentară (4/25 cazuri), edem pulmonar acut (3/25 cazuri), insuficienţa renală acută (9/25 cazuri), sindrom de coagulare intravasculară diseminată (2/25 cazuri), deces matern (1/25 cazuri). Evoluţia fetală a prezentat următoarele complicaţii: moarte fetală antepartum (4/25 cazuri), RCIU (11/25 cazuri), prematuritate (22/25 cazuri) din care naştere prematură între 27-34 săptămâni (17/25 cazuri), iar între 34-37 săptămâni (5 cazuri). Scorul APGAR la 1 minut a fost 0 în 4 cazuri, restul cazurilor prezentând o medie de 6.3 (interval 1-9) la 1 minut şi de 7.1 (interval 1-9) la 5 minute. Concluzii: Managementul şi naşterea pacientelor cu sindrom HELLP trebuie să aibă loc într-o unitate de nivel trei, cu o echipă multidisciplinară antrenată (obstetrician, anestezist, neonatolog, medic de laborator, asistente de bloc operator, reanimare, moaşe) şi facilităţi tehnice disponibile. Un diagnostic rapid şi corect şi o intervenţie promptă, pot reduce riscul de mortalitate şi morbiditate maternă şi fetală

Operational Risk Measurement

Beginning with the fact that performant strategies of the financial institutions have programmes and management procedures for the banking risks, which have as main objective to minimize the probability of risk generation and the bank’s potential exposure, this paper wants to present the operational risk measurement. Therefore, the first part presents the conceptual approach of the operational risks through the point of view of the financial institutions exposed to this type of risk. The second part describes different measurement methods for the operational risk. The final part of this article presents the approach assumed by a financial institution with a precise purpose: the quantification of the minimum capital requirements of the operational risk*. *Taking into consideration the values obtained we can mention that in the case of Standard Approach we have a different percentage of the needed capital in comparison with the Advanced Approach. Therefore in the second case we concluded that the percentage needed by a bank is 12, which is less than 15, the percentage needed in the first case.operational risk, operational risk management, Basic Indicator Approach, Standard Approach, Advanced Measurement Approach

Poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) as a versatile platform towards thermoresponsive copolymers

The present study describes the synthesis of thermoresponsive polymers with tailorable properties using a simple, straightforward and robust polymer modification approach. Herein, we first report a simple strategy to obtain poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) (PiPOx) polymers with narrow distribution by controlled living anionic polymerization initiated with commercially available n-butyllithium. Further on, the welldefined PiPOx polymer is reacted with four aliphatic acids by a partial ring-opening reaction of the pendant 2-oxazoline side chains, thus enabling access to a large structural diversity of statistical (co) polymers with LCST behavior. Depending on the final PiPOx copolymer composition and the hydrophobic character of the side-chain functionalities, the cloud point temperatures (TCP) of the resulting PiPOx copolymers span the entire liquid water temperature scale (5 degrees C to 97 degrees C). As such, this work opens up the use of PiPOx as a highly versatile platform for advanced smart materials as the retained 2-oxazoline side chains can be further modified to introduce functionalities

Analysis of the Situation of Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Consumption in the European Union

In this article, the authors present the results of research undertaken in relation to the situation regarding renewable and non-renewable energy reserves in the European Union, as well as the way in which this energy is consumed. The general view presented regarding energy resources around the world is that oil, natural gas and coal are being exhausted at an alarming rate and if we continue to exploit these oil resources at our current pace, we will see a massive depletion in energy resources over the next 41 years. The authors also focus on representing the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption, demonstrating that it has shown a slight decrease in the European Union. The resources and consumption of renewable and non-renewable energy were analyzed in close interdependence with these indicators under study, such as final energy consumption, renewable energy and total energy production, in order to give a correct interpretation of how these resources are used. At the same time, starting from the fact that the world economy is currently facing a cluster of crises (pandemic, financial-economic, energy, general resources), it was deemed important to highlight the fact that the total production of energy demonstrated an oscillating trend during this period

The Effects of Health Crisis on Economic Growth, Health and Movement of Population

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis, which was triggered in 2019 with oscillating evolution in 2020 and 2021, was a factor that has had dramatic effects on the economic growth of countries worldwide. In the context of the pandemic crisis, population health has deteriorated; education and economic activity in all the countries around the world have been affected. The main purpose of this paper is to highlight the special situations that humanity is experiencing as a result of the unprecedented effects that the COVID-19 crisis is having on the socioeconomic evolution. Specific statistical econometric methods (such as analysis of linear correlations, multiple linear regression, analysis based on dynamics indicators, and spectral analysis, comparability based on indices) were applied to highlight the evolution and future prospects of the COVID-19 virus worldwide. The COVID-19 crisis has generated another major issue for mankind, along with global warming and the energy transition, namely, population health. For this reason, in this study, we focused on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on population health in a broader context; the sustained growth of populations in developing countries and aging populations in developed economies

The Effects of Health Crisis on Economic Growth, Health and Movement of Population

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis, which was triggered in 2019 with oscillating evolution in 2020 and 2021, was a factor that has had dramatic effects on the economic growth of countries worldwide. In the context of the pandemic crisis, population health has deteriorated; education and economic activity in all the countries around the world have been affected. The main purpose of this paper is to highlight the special situations that humanity is experiencing as a result of the unprecedented effects that the COVID-19 crisis is having on the socioeconomic evolution. Specific statistical econometric methods (such as analysis of linear correlations, multiple linear regression, analysis based on dynamics indicators, and spectral analysis, comparability based on indices) were applied to highlight the evolution and future prospects of the COVID-19 virus worldwide. The COVID-19 crisis has generated another major issue for mankind, along with global warming and the energy transition, namely, population health. For this reason, in this study, we focused on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on population health in a broader context; the sustained growth of populations in developing countries and aging populations in developed economies