VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Essays on structural credit risk modelling and financial econometrics

The third essay empirically studies a jump-diffusion model for stock price movements using high-frequency data. The stock price is assumed to follow a jump-diffusion process which may exhibit time-varying volatilities. An econometric technique is then developed for this model and applied to high-frequency time series of stock prices that are subject to microstructure noises. The estimation method is based on first devising a localized particle filter and then employing fixed-lag smoothing technique in the Monte Carlo EM algorithm to perform the maximum likelihood estimation and inference. Evidence based on the intra-day IBM stock prices in 2004 suggests that high-frequency data is crucial to disentangling frequent small jumps from infrequent large jumps. Furthermore, accounting for microstructure noises becomes important as the sampling frequency increases. The first essay studies whether credit rating downgrades feed back on the asset value of the downgraded companies and thus cause real losses. To investigate this issue, I construct a structural credit risk model incorporating rating changes and their associated feedback losses. A maximum likelihood estimation method based on time series of equity prices and credit ratings is then developed for the credit rating feedback model. Evidence from a sample of US public firms downgraded from investment grade to junk shows strong support for the existence of feedback losses. The estimated feedback losses are significant for a third of our sample, and the cross-sectional mean of the feedback loss is 7%. In the second essay, the transformed-data maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method for structural credit risk models developed by Duan (1994) is extended to account for the fact that observed equity prices are likely contaminated by trading noises. With the presence of trading noises, the likelihood function based on the observed equity prices can only be evaluated via some nonlinear filtering scheme. A localized particle filtering algorithm is devised for the structural credit risk model of Merton (1974) to execute this task. Applying the estimation method to the Dow Jones 30 firms and 100 randomly selected US public firms, the findings suggest that ignoring trading noises can lead to significant over-estimation of the firm's asset volatility.
Allocating aid: Justification, fairness and deliberation in international aid organizations

The central question addressed in this dissertation is as follows: "How ought international, non-governmental aid organizations decide who to aid, given that they operate under resource constraints and so will not be in a position to help all eligible recipients?" The dissertation begins by considering whether or not international aid agencies (IAOs) ought to take global distributive justice as their goal. Having established that they have a limited obligation to contribute to global justice, I move on to consider several consequentialist and prioritarian principles for allocating resources. Due mainly to problems of uncertainty and undue arbitrariness, these are rejected. I then introduce several additional problems which further complicate the choice situation of IAOs. In particular, since IAOs make choices from a position in which they are already committed to many populations, they have obligations to particular beneficiaries in the form of associative duties. These ongoing relationships also generate other, non-welfare goods which must be taken into account when allocation decisions are made. Following Norman Daniels and James Sabin, I argue for a broadly deliberative approach to just decision-making. I take their four conditions of "accountability for reasonableness" as my general framework. With its focus on deliberation and reasons capable of generating free agreement among stakeholders, this approach nicely accommodates the variety of principles and values at stake. I expand this general account by specifying three constraints which IAOs must not violate: a minimum threshold for welfare improvement, a concern for fairness, and a legitimacy constraint. I also argue that IAOs may permissibly adopt various other goals, provided these are independently justifiable. Finally, some practical issues are addressed, including IAO complicity in prolonging situations of armed conflict and the extent to which IAOs must design projects which reflect their beneficiaries' values and culture. The overall aim of the dissertation is not to specify a rigid decision-procedure for IAO resource allocation. Rather, I aim to specify the kinds of constraints on the decision-making process that will foster fair, legitimate outcomes while at the same time allowing for the diversity of values and projects that IAOs typically wish to endorse.
Characterization of potential virulence determinants in the fish and human pathogen streptococcus iniae

Streptococcus iniae is an aetiological agent of invasive disease in fish and humans. While determinants of disease are not well characterized, molecular analysis correlated a distinct genotype of S. iniae with disease, leading to the hypothesis that the pathogenicity of S. iniae is influenced by specific factors encoded by disease-associated strains. In a murine model of subcutaneous infection, as little as 10 2 CFU of disease-associated strains induced significant weight loss and bacteremia, with higher inocula resulting in increased mortality. In contrast, non-disease-associated (commensal) strains failed to cause bacteremia and weight loss in mice, even at inocula of 108 CFU. Disease-associated strains were also cytotoxic to cultured endothelial cells and resistant to phagocytic clearance by human whole blood, while the capacity for cellular invasion of epithelial and endothelial cells was shared by disease-associated and commensal isolates. S. iniae is Î²-hemolytic on blood agar media but the phenotypic profile of diseaseassociated strains differs from that of commensal isolates in an oxygen tension-dependent manner. Characterization of nonhemolytic transposon insertional mutants revealed a nine-gene sag operon in disease-associated and commensal strains encoding a functional homologue of the cytolysin streptolysin S, with 73% amino acid identity to the sag operon in GAS. Using a disease-associated strain, a nonhemolytic, targeted mutant was generated by replacing the sagB locus with the ermB gene through homologous recombination. Analysis of this mutant indicated that streptolysin S was required for tissue necrosis, but did not influence invasive disease in mice. Disease-associated strains were also buoyant in standing broth culture whereas commensal strains formed cell aggregates and precipitated. A nonbuoyant transposon mutant of a disease-associated strain was attributed to disruption of a putative sensor kinase locus (sinS) of a two-component signal transduction system. Mutagenesis of this locus abrogated invasive disease in mice and markedly reduced resistance to phagocytic clearance. In conclusion, while SLS is important for tissue damage, SinS is critical to the pathogenesis of S. iniae disease.
Control of a high-precision positioning system using magnetic levitation

A pre-existing high-precision three degrees-of-freedom (3-DOF) positioning system using magnetic levitation is enhanced to a 5-DOF system including three translations and two rotations. Four independently controlled iron-cored permanent magnet linear synchronous motors are used to actuate the system and a total of six optical encoders with 10Î¼m resolution are used to measure the displacements and rotations. A detailed 5-DOF model is developed and parameter estimation techniques are used to determine the model parameters. A model simplification is investigated and justified experimentally and theoretically using a Lyapunov stability analysis. Tracking controllers are developed for the 5-DOF system using internal model regulation for step and sinusoidal references. A path following controller is also designed using transverse feedback linearization in collaboration with Chris Nielsen. Experimental results from the tracking controller and path following controller are presented and compared.
A longitudinal examination of heritability in the developing dental arcade

This study examined the relative influences of genetics and the environment in the determination of variation in dental arcade size and shape in an upper middle class modern Canadian population of European ancestry. Heritability provides an estimate of the proportion of genetic, as distinct from environmental, contributions to a quantitative trait's variation within a population. The relative importance of genetics in defining dental arcade size and shape was examined in adults who had achieved their functional permanent dentition, and in the longitudinal patterns of the dental arcade during development. The sample for this project (142 families, N=632 individuals, and 85 additional sibships, N = 214 individuals) was taken from the files of the Burlington Growth Centre, in the Faculty of Dentistry, at the University of Toronto. Thirty-two dimensions were derived from the dental casts of parents and their children at the age stages of 4 years, 14 years, and 16â€“21 years. Dental arcade measurements involved the determination of three proportions (1) arcade widths; (2) arcade depths and chords; (3) arcade size ratios.

Keywords: Teeth, Abnormalities
Mouth, Abnormalities
A high density, low on-resistance, trench lateral power MOSFET with a trench bottom source contact

This thesis deals with the design and implementation of lateral power MOSFETs which are used in a variety of applications such as disc drives, power supplies and automotive applications. Power MOSFETs are popular because of their high switching speed, high input impedance and wide safe operating area. In this thesis, a novel Trench Lateral Power MOSFET with a trench bottom source contact (imbedded in the silicon substrate and referred to as the TLPM/S) is proposed. The device fabrication process is presented. The TLPM/S is implemented along the sidewall of trenches in order to increase packing density of the MOSFET. The process utilizes a self-aligned technique to form the gate electrode and trench bottom contact holes to the source to achieve minimum pitch and very low on-resistance compared to conventional lateral power MOSFETs. In addition, the TLPM/S features a small Miller capacitance and improved switching performance. Integration of the TLPM/S in a low voltage BiCMOS process is also proposed. Only the trench mask is added to integrate the TLPM/S devices in conventional low voltage BiCMOS process. A 70 V class TLPM/S device with a device pitch of 3.0 Î¼m, implemented in a 0.6 Î¼m BiCMOS compatible process, exhibits a breakdown voltage of 73 V and a specific on-resistance of 60 mÎ©-mm2. These values represent the best reported values to date and are very close to the silicon limit for this class of devices.
Effectiveness of sulphur-impregnated activated carbons in mercury vapour adsorption

This study evaluates the performance of five activated carbons in Hg adsorption and the temperature effect (25 to 125°C), to better understand the process of Hg adsorption by SIAC. Results suggest that the mercury attaches to SIAC via both physical and chemical adsorption. At 25°C, physical adsorption contributes substantially to the overall Hg uptake, particularly when the surface area is large and the sulphur content is low. At 125°C chemical adsorption dominates, which is particularly evident when the surface area is small and the sulphur content is substantial. Sulphur addition is found to enhance Hg uptake, although the type and distribution of sulphur seem more important than the amount. Using surface analyzing techniques, it was found that SO2 at 900°C was capable of penetrating graphite crystals within 50 nm. Sulphur within the top 2 nm layers is likely elemental sulphur and sulphide species, with an atomic percentage of 0.6%.
Structure et contenu dans une sélection de contes populaires acadiens: Une analyse sémio-narrative

Notre dissertation porte sur neuf recueils de contes populaires publiés des provinces canadiennes Maritimes (la Nouvelle-Écosse, le Nouveau-Brunswick, l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard) et de Terre-Neuve. Notre étude se veut avant tout une description analytique des divers aspects du contenu et de la structure des contes de notre corpus. Nous commençons par la classification: nous organisons les divers éléments de ces textes en trois catégories majeures, c'est-à-dire les personnages, les objets (magiques) et les événements, selon un modèle conçu par Stith Thompson. Nous analysons alors ces composantes des contes choisis en nous inspirant de la méthodologie sémio-narrative, surtout des théories d'Algirdas Greimas, de Joseph Courtés, d'Eleazar Meletinski, et de Paul Larivaille. Pour ces chercheurs, il est important de comprendre la distinction qui existe entre les motifs ou la composante figurative (c'est-à-dire les personnages et les objets “modaux”) et les actions des personnages ou la composante syntagmatique. Ces auteurs nous ont donc aidés à voir le conte comme une sorte d'énoncé comprenant un Sujet (ce qui est pour nous un personnage, aidé par des objets modaux) qui est responsable d'une certaine Performance (une action qui mène à l'acquisition d'un Objet de valeur). En faisant ressortir les éléments communs sur les plans formel et figuratif dans les contes de notre corpus, nous avons trouvé qu'il existe un principe organisateur qui transparaît au-delà du réseau de détails que nous avons étudiés. Nous nous servons d'un terme d'Algirdas Greimas pour rendre compte de cette continuité de thèmes dans notre corpus: il explique que le récit peut comporter deux modes narratifs qu'il nomme le mode déceptif et le mode véridique . Cette relation fondamentale, c'est-á-dire celle de l'être vs le paraître est, selon Greimas, un aspect typique du conte populaire en général. Dans notre étude, nous examinons le fonctionnement de ce thème dans les textes que nous avons choisis. Nous décrivons ses différentes manifestations (le mensonge, le secret, la tromperie, le déguisement, l'illusion, la révélation…) et nous montrons qu'elles font toutes partie d'un système narratif logique et bien organisé.
A CAD-free and a CAD-based geometry control system for aerodynamic shape optimization

The performance of an aerodynamic shape optimization routine is greatly dependent on its geometry control system. This system must accurately parameterize the initial geometry and generate a flexible set of design variables for the optimization cycle. It must also generate new instances of the geometry based on the changes to the design variables dictated by the optimization routine. It is also desirable to generate a new surface grid with the same topology as the original grid in response to changes in the geometry. This new surface grid can be used to perturb the associated volume grid. This thesis develops two geometry control systems, a CAD free system and a CATIA V5 CAD-based system. The two systems provide practical tools for aerodynamic optimization. They also provide a basis for comparing CAD-free and CAD-based systems and understanding additional issues that need to be addressed in order to develop reliable optimization systems.

Keywords: Aerodynamics, Mathematics
Engineering design, Mathematical models
Mapping sites of struggle: Representations of China in World History textbooks

This thesis locates possibilities for social engagement at the intersections of historiography and critical pedagogy, by mapping representations of China in World History textbooks as sites of struggle for decolonizing the production of knowledge about China. In Grade 11 textbooks, freestanding discussions of premodern China frequently negotiate the trope of "Traditional China" which becomes reinscribed in Grade 12 textbooks, where narratives of modernity wedded to historicist thinking exclude China from the formative period of the making of the modern West and represent recent Chinese pasts as a history of lack inviting completion. I venture that such theoretically problematic and empirically untenable representations reproduce geographies of space and mind, denying students the conceptual tools which would enable them to think about the past and visualize the future in more imaginative and emancipatory ways. Clearly, the present historical moment demands that we work towards alternative ways of knowing and pedagogies of dissent.
Convex integrated design of controlled mechanical systems

This thesis addresses the problem of integrated mechanical structure and control system design problem, while a set of n closed-loop performance specifications are required to be satisfied simultaneously. The traditional method of solving the integrated design problem is by simultaneous optimization of both mechanical structure parameters and control gains, with respect to a fixed controller structure. Based on this frame of optimization, the integrated design approach is mathematically compared with its counterpart---the sequential design approach. The comparison leads to two important conclusions in this thesis, as why and when should the integrated design approach be applied. However, the optimization method to solve the integrated design problem is hard to perform since nonconvex optimization problems are always need to be solved. Hence, in this thesis, a new integrated design method referred to as the Convex Integrated Design (CID) method, is proposed when all closed-loop performance specifications are convex with respect to the closed-loop transfer matrix. By making use of the convexity of the closed-loop performance specifications, the CID problem is solved with a simple three-stage CID algorithm. The main strength of the CID method lies in the first two stages of the CID algorithm. In the first stage, a set of n sample systems are found so that each closed-loop specification is satisfied by at least one sample system. Then, these sample systems are combined through a "convex combination" process, and it is proved that the resultant closed-loop system satisfies the set of n specifications simultaneously. This design strategy lessens much of the burden on the designer, when he/she only needs to focus on finding sample system to meet one of the multiple specifications at each time. Then in the third stage, through the solution of an equality-constrained optimization problem, the design parameters, i.e., the mechanical structure parameters and the controller, are uniquely determined, and the closed-loop performance beyond that defined by the set of performance specifications is obtained. This CID method is straightforward and easily implemented. Its effectiveness is verified in the design of a linear positioning system, a semi-active suspension system and a planar parallel manipulator in this thesis.
Random walks and random polynomials

In Part 2, we consider an n-step simple symmetric random walk {Sk} on Z2 with the final point Sn= (pn, q n), which is motivated by group theory. When n rarr; infinity, we prove that with probability tending to 1 there exists a line l whose slope is qnpn such that S0, S 1 ..., Sn meet l once at a unique point. This answers an open conjecture from group theory, which is given by Sapir. In the last part, we consider the real random power series fU (z) = Sinfinityi=0 bizi with i.i.d. standard real normal coefficients {bn} and U = ( -l, 1). With a very simple proof, we obtain concise analytical expressions for n-point correlations between real zeros of fU (z) in the unit interval U = ( -1, 1). Consider the zero set of a Gaussian analytic function f(z) which is an at least 3-dimensional polynomial in C (its values form an at least 3 dimensional vector space as random variables). Virag conjectures that there are always two points z1 and z2 such that p(z1, z2)> p(z1)p(z2), where p(z) is the intensity of the zero process at z and p(z1, z2) is the joint intensity. In the first part, we prove that the above conjecture is true for f(z) = Snk=0 akbkzk where {an} are i.i.d. standard complex Gaussian coefficients and {bn} are non-random constants. We consider more general cases f(z) = A 0 + A1z + A 2z2 where (A0,A1,A2) are jointly Gaussian random variables, and prove that the above conjecture is also true. Furthermore, we consider f(z) = Snk=0 akzk. We get the rates of Convergence for hole probability (there is no zero of the polynomial in this disk) and full probability (all zeros of the polynomial are contained in this disk).
Russia's accession to the WTO: implications for telecommunications regulation

The telecommunications industry is one the most dynamic and fastest expanding sectors in the Russian Federation nowadays. It is of cardinal importance to focus on Russian telecommunications industry in view of Russia's imminent accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and identify the main gaps, problems and suggest further corrections for this accession. My research deals with Russia's system of regulating its telecommunication industry in the context of its application for entry into the WTO.

Keywords: Telecommunication, Law and legislation
Telecommunication, Russia (Federation)
Public-private partnerships and municipal water sector reform in Ontario

The use of public-private partnerships to deliver municipal water services is controversial due to the special importance of water to public health and the environment. In Ontario, the establishment of public-private partnerships in this sector has been slowed by the Walkerton tragedy, the public inquiry into its causes, and the subsequent enactment of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 and the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act, 2002. Critics have suggested that these statutes will force many municipalities to privatize their water infrastructure. This thesis argues that the prospects for public-private partnerships in the Ontario water sector are modest due to the unique characteristics of the municipal water infrastructure, concerns over opportunistic behaviour in this politically sensitive sector, the emphasis on public accountability in the new legislation, and the broad powers given to the province to both interfere with water pricing and to alter contracts between municipalities and private firms.

Keywords: Municipal water supply, Ontario
Sewage disposal, Law and legislation
Sewage disposal, Ontario
Drinking water, Law and legislation
Drinking water, Ontario
Applications of size and shape dependent properties of nanocrystalline lead sulfide and cadmium selenide

Over the last decade, the interest in nanocrystals (NCs) has expanded exponentially, as their properties can be tailored by size-tuning for a range of applications. In order to apply NCs to device technologies, their synthesis and properties need be understood and analyzed. Herein, the morphology of CdSe nanorods is characterized by PXRD and HRTEM. PbS NCs are excellent candidates for telecommunication and optoelectronic devices because of their NIR emission spectra. The conditions for PbS NC synthesis and their morphological and spectral characterization are reported. The unusual phenomenon of self-narrowing by both the optical spectra and the size distribution of PbS NCs is discussed. The manufacture via ligand exchange of PbS NCs coated With multidentate polymer ligands is presented. Finally, the fabrication and characterization of a solution-processable PbS NCs bilayer hybrid solar cell is covered. Comment as to future directions of research concludes this thesis.