Optimization of Post-Scoring Classification and Impact on Regulatory Capital for Low Default Portfolios

After the crisis of 2008, new regulatory requirements have emerged with supervisors strengthening their position in terms of requirements to meet IRBA standards. Low Default Portfolios (LDP) present specific characteristics that raise challenges for banks when building and implementing credit risk models. In this context, where banks are looking to improve their Return On Equity and supervisors strengthening their positions, this paper aims to provide clues for optimizing Post-Scoring classification as well as analyzing the relationship between the number of classes in a rating scale and the impact on regulatory capital for LDPs

Optimization of Post-Scoring Classification and Impact on Regulatory Capital for Low Default Portfolios

After the crisis of 2008, new regulatory requirements have emerged with supervisors strengthening their position in terms of requirements to meet IRBA standards. Low Default Portfolios (LDP) present specific characteristics that raise challenges for banks when building and implementing credit risk models. In this context, where banks are looking to improve their Return On Equity and supervisors strengthening their positions, this paper aims to provide clues for optimizing Post-Scoring classification as well as analyzing the relationship between the number of classes in a rating scale and the impact on regulatory capital for LDPs

Dynamic Stress Test Diffusion Model Considering the Credit Score Performance

After the crisis of 2008, and the important losses and shortfall in capital that it revealed, regulators conducted massive stress testing exercises in order to test the resilience of financial institutions in times of stress conditions. In this context, and considering the impact of these exercises on the banks’ capital, organization and image, this white paper proposes a methodology that diffuses dynamically the stress on the credit rating scale while considering the performance of the credit score. Consequently, the aim is to more accurately reflect the impact of the stress on the portfolio by taking into account the purity of the score and its ability to precisely rank the individuals of the portfolio

Presence of sandfly-borne phleboviruses of two antigenic complexes (Sandfly fever Naples virus and Sandfly fever Sicilian virus) in two different bio-geographical regions of Tunisia demonstrated by a microneutralisation-based seroprevalence study in dogs

International audienceBACKGROUND: Sandfly-borne phleboviruses are present in North Africa where they can infect humans in regions where Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in the Western Mediterranean basin is present affecting both humans and dogs. We investigated the capacity of dogs to be used as sentinels for sandfly-borne phleboviruses as previously shown for leishmaniasis.FINDINGS: A total of 312 sera were collected from guard dogs in two different bioclimatic regions (governorates of Kairouan and Bizerte) of Tunisia where zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis has been reported. These sera were tested for the presence of neutralising antibodies against 3 phleboviruses: Toscana virus, Punique virus and Sicilian virus. In the governorate of Kairouan, seroprevalence rates of 7.5%, 43.5%, and 38.1% were observed for Toscana, Punique and Sicilian virus, respectively. A high proportion of sera from the governorate of Bizerte were hemolyzed and showed high cytotoxicity for the cells and subsequently precluded detailed interpretation of this batch. However, validated results for 27 sera were in agreement with data observed in the governorate of Kairouan.CONCLUSIONS: Toscana virus is present in the governorate of Kairouan but at a lower rate compared to Punique and Sicilian viruses. These three sandfly-borne phleboviruses can infect dogs. Direct detection and isolation of the viruses are now to be attempted in animals as well as in humans. Our findings showed that guard dogs are good sentinels for virus transmitted by sandflies and strongly suggested that the high seroprevalence rates observed in dogs merit further attention

Osteoporosis in the Setting of Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Narrative Review

Patients who undergo shoulder surgery are frequently affected by osteoporosis and osteopenia, and the prevalence of this association is expected to increase due to the growing number of elderly individuals undergoing these procedures. It may be advisable to conduct a preoperative DXA scan for orthopedic surgical candidates at high risk, to detect those who could benefit from early intervention and avoid any related adverse events. Some of these complications include periprosthetic fractures, infection, subsequent fragility fractures, and have an all-cause revision arthroplasty at 2 years post-op. Some studies analyzed the beneficence of antiresorptive medications pre-operatively but the latter did not show favorable outcomes. Surgical management may include cementing components of the prosthesis as well as modifying the diameter of the shoulder stem. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of any intervention, whether medical or surgical, to avoid any shoulder arthroplasty related-complication that may be precipitated by the reduced bone mineral density

Treatment technologies for cooling water blowdown: A critical review

Cooling water blowdown (CWBD) generated from different industries and district cooling facilities contains high concentrations of various chemicals (e.g., scale and corrosion inhibitors) and pollutants. These contaminants in CWBD streams deem them unsuitable for discharge into surface water and some wastewater treatment plants. The pollutants present in CWBD, their sources, and the corresponding impacts on the ecosystem are discussed. The international and regional (Gulf states) policies and regulations related to contaminated water discharge standards into water bodies are examined. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the existing and emerging water treatment technologies for the treatment of CWBD. The study presents a comparison between the membrane (membrane distillation (MD), reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), and vibratory shear enhanced membrane process (VSEP)) and nonmembrane-based (electrocoagulation (EC), ballasted sand flocculation (BSF), and electrodialysis (ED)) technologies on the basis of performance, cost, and limitations, along with other factors. Results from the literature revealed that EC and VSEP technologies generate high treatment performance (EC~99.54% reduction in terms of silica ions) compared to other processes (membrane UF with reduction of 65% of colloidal silica). However, the high energy demand of these processes (EC~0.18-3.05 kWh/m3 and VSEP~2.1 kWh/m3) limit their large-scale applications unless connected with renewable sources of energy.Funding: This research is funded by Ministry of Municipality and Environment in Qatar, Project MME contract no. P2020/1.Scopu

Combining acetabular and femoral morphology improves our understanding of the down syndrome hip.

Background: Hip instability is frequent in patients with Down syndrome. Recent studies have suggested that skeletal hip alterations are responsible for this instability; however, there are currently no studies simultaneously assessing femoral and acetabular anatomy in subjects with Down syndrome in the standing position. The aim was to analyze the three-dimensional anatomy of the Down syndrome hip in standing position. Methods: Down syndrome subjects were age and sex-matched to asymptomatic controls. All subjects underwent full body biplanar X-rays with three-dimensional reconstructions of their pelvises and lower limbs. Parameter means and distributions were compared between the two groups. Findings: Forty-one Down syndrome and 41 control subjects were recruited. Acetabular abduction (mean=52° [SD=9°] vs. mean=56° [SD=8°]) and anteversion (mean=14° [SD=8°] vs. mean=17.5° [SD=5°]) as well as posterior acetabular sector angle (mean=91° [SD=7°] vs. mean=94° [SD=7°]) were significantly lower in Down syndrome subjects compared to controls (P < 0.01). Anterior acetabular sector angle (mean=62° [SD=10°] vs. mean=59° [SD=7°]; P < 0.01) was significantly higher in Down syndrome compared to controls. The distributions of acetabular anteversion (P=0.002;V=0.325), femoral anteversion (P=0.004;V=0.309) and the instability index (P < 0.001;V=0.383) were significantly different between the two groups, with subjects with Down syndrome having both increased anteversion and retroversion for each of these parameters. Interpretation: Subjects with Down syndrome were found to have a significantly altered and more heterogeneous anatomy of their proximal hips compared to controls. This heterogeneity suggests that treatment strategies of hip instability in Down syndrome should be subject-specific and should rely on the understanding of the underlying three-dimensional anatomy of each patient.This research was funded by the University of Saint-Joseph (grant# FM183). The authors did not receive any external funding for this stud

How do 3D skeletal parameters and demographics determine kinematic adaptation from normal to fast speed gait?

The occurrence of falls during gait in elderly people is an important source of morbidity [1]. One of the useful screening tests for falls is the kinematic analysis of fast walking, that identifies subjects with risk of multiple falls [2]. Although the kinematic adaptations from normal to fast speed gait have been studied in asymptomatic adults [3], the demographic and skeletal determinants of these adaptations are still unknown

Influence of patient rotational malpositioning on pelvic parameters assessed on lateral radiographs

Aim: To estimate the effect of patients' axial rotation (AR) during pelvic radiograph acquisition, on the reliability and validity of sagittal pelvic parameters. Materials and methods: Lateral digitally reconstructed radiographs (LDRRs) were obtained from the pelvic computed tomography (CT) scans of eight children and nine adults. Then, the AR of the pelvis was simulated and the corresponding LDRRs were reconstructed at 5°, 10°, 15°, and 20° of the AR. Pelvic parameters were measured digitally on each radiograph. Intra- and interobserver variability were evaluated at each AR position (three operators repeated the measurements three times each). The bias on each clinical parameter, in each AR position, was calculated relatively to the 0° position. Results: Interobserver variability increased similarly in children and adults with AR. It reached 4.4° for pelvic incidence and 4.7° for the sacral slope at 20° of AR. Biases on radiological parameters increased with AR and exceeded the acceptable threshold of errors when AR reached 10°. A linear regression was established (R2=0.834, p<0.0001) in order to estimate the AR of a patient on a lateral pelvic radiograph based on the measurement of the bifemoral distance normalized to the sagittal pelvic thickness. Conclusions: AR of patients during radiograph acquisition can be estimated in clinical practice, which would allow physicians to discard any radiographs where the calculated AR exceeded 10°