This thesis investigates how ESG ratings for Nordic companies vary between two ESG providers, and how the risk and expected return differs between two highly rated ESG portfolios according to the two providers. In doing so, we aim to contribute to research on the topic of ESG divergence as it is of great importance for investors that this subject is studied further. To achieve the purpose of this thesis, secondary data was gathered in terms of ESG ratings from two chosen providers, S&P Global and Refinitiv. Based on the collected data, a Spearman correlation analysis was performed as well as statistical investigations in Excel in order to examine the rating divergence between the two providers. Additionally, efficient frontier values of the two provider dependent portfolios were calculated using R Studio. The results found suggests that there is an evident ESG rating divergence amongst all companies examined, regardless of origin and industry. Furthermore, it was concluded that Refinitiv consistently rated companies higher than S&P Global. The comparison between the two provider dependent portfolios illustrates that relying on ESG ratings from different providers will result in different portfolio composition. In turn, this has an impact on investors seeking to implement ESG as a part of their investment strategy. The results indicate that the composition differences affects portfolio performance. This led to the conclusion that it is of great importance for investors to be aware of the existing divergence in order to make accurate investment decisions.

To address the shortcomings in existing Markov model implementations in handling large amount of metagenomic data with comparable or better accuracy in classification, we developed a new algorithm based on pseudo-count supplemented standard Markov model (SMM), which leverages the power of higher order models to more robustly classify reads at different taxonomic levels. Assessment on simulated metagenomic datasets demonstrated that overall SMM was more accurate in classifying reads to their respective taxa at all ranks compared to the interpolated methods. Higher order SMMs (9th order or greater) also outperformed BLAST alignments in assigning taxonomic labels to metagenomic reads at different taxonomic ranks (genus and higher) on tests that masked the read originating species (genome models) in the database. Similar results were obtained by masking at other taxonomic ranks in order to simulate the plausible scenarios of non-representation of the source of a read at different taxonomic levels in the genome database. The performance gap became more pronounced with higher taxonomic levels. To eliminate contaminations in datasets and to further improve our alignment-free approach, we developed a new framework based on a genome segmentation and clustering algorithm. This framework allowed removal of adapter sequences and contaminant DNA, as well as generation of clusters of similar segments, which were then used to sample representative read fragments to constitute training datasets. The parameters of a logistic regression model were learnt from these training datasets using a Bayesian optimization procedure. This allowed us to establish thresholds for classifying metagenomic reads by SMM. This led to the development of a Python-based frontend that combines our SMM algorithm with the logistic regression optimization, named POSMM (Python Optimized Standard Markov Model). POSMM provides a much-needed alternative to metagenome profiling programs. Our algorithm that builds the genome models on the fly, and thus obviates the need to build a database, complements alignment-based classification and can thus be used in concert with alignment-based classifiers to raise the bar in metagenome profiling.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(地球環境学) / 甲第24064号 / 地環博第227号 / 新制||地環||43(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院地球環境学舎地球環境学専攻 / (主査)准教授 西川 完途, 教授 瀬戸口 浩彰, 教授 本川 雅治 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Global Environmental Studies / Kyoto University / DGAM

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京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第24310号 / 理博第4880号 / 新制||理||1698(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科生物科学専攻 / (主査)教授 曽田 貞滋, 准教授 渡辺 勝敏, 教授 中務 真人 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Composed of a chromophore bound to an integral membrane protein (opsin), visual pigments are phenotypically characterized by the wavelength of maximal absorption (λmax). The underlying molecular mechanism controlling λmax is the interaction between the opsin amino acid sequence and the chromophore. While a plethora of studies have looked at structure/function relationships in vertebrate opsins, fewer studies have investigated similar issues in invertebrates. Furthermore, those few studies undertaken in invertebrate systems suggest different mechanisms of spectral tuning and photoactivation compared to vertebrate systems. This dissertation research is focused on expanding our knowledge of opsin evolution in invertebrate systems, particularly from non-insect taxa. First, issues related to opsin evolution and the maintenance of supposedly ‘non-functional’ genes were explored in a review of regressive and reverse evolution. Second, in order to place studies of crustacean opsin evolution in context, phylogenetic studies of two crustacean groups (Mysidae and Decapoda) were completed. Studies of Mysidae utilized 16S mtDNA, and 18S and 28S rDNA to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and assess newly developed Bayesian methods of assessing pattern heterogeneity. Using this suite of genetic markers, there are incongruencies between current taxonomy and inferred phylogenetic relationships. Studies of Decapoda assessed phylogenetic relationships and estimated divergence times using 16S mtDNA, H3 nDNA, and 18S and 28S rDNA sequence data in conjunction with a set of eight fossil calibrations. Reconstructed phylogenies show support for two well supported nodes corresponding to the Pleocyemata and the informal ‘Reptantia’ and place the emergence of the Decapod lineage in the early Devonian (407 MYA. Finally, opsin sequences and spectral sensitivity data from species within the Mysidae and Decapoda were combined with previously characterized invertebrate sequences to investigate opsin evolution. Standard dN/dS methods did not detect any evidence of selection. Methods investigating selection on amino acid properties, however, identified four properties (coil tendencies, compressibility, power to be at the middle of the alpha helix, and refractive index) to be under positive destabilizing selection. These properties occurred mostly at sites in transmembrane helices and included residues previously identified to affect spectral tuning as well as identifying novel sites.

The scientific discipline of phylogenetics involves understanding the diversity of life in the context of history. Technological advances in molecular biology and computational power have created an exponential increase in the number and kind of phylogenetic studies, allowing exploration of all manner of questions concerning the evolutionary history of a group. This dissertation research is focused on phylogenetic theory and applying these methods to the plant tribe Psoraleeae (Leguminosae; Fabaceae) with an emphasis on North American (NAm) members. First, theory of phylogeny estimation is explored in a review chapter focusing on strengths and weaknesses of phylogenetic methodology. Second, methods are applied to estimating evolutionary relationships within Psoraleeae based on six chloroplast (trnD/T, trnL/F, trnS/G, trnK, matK, and rpoB-trnC) and two nuclear (ITS and waxy) DNA regions. This study explores approaches for coding insertion-deletion events (gaps) as phylogenetic characters using maximum parsimony and Bayesian Inference. Inclusion of gaps generally increased topological resolution and nodal support, attesting to their phylogenetic utility. Findings suggest inclusion of gaps to be especially useful in chloroplast-based studies as they represent a greater proportion of phylogenetic signal as compared to nuclear regions. Past Psoraleeae classification schemes were tested and taxonomic revisions suggested. Furthermore, phylogenetic comparative methods are used to investigate correlation between geography and narrow endemism in NAm Psoraleeae. Geographic variables of latitude, longitude, and elevation all correlate with range size and provide support for Rapoport's rule of species-richness following latitudinal gradients. Finally, estimated phylogenies are used to investigate divergence dates, nucleotide substitution rates, diversification rates, and the impact of climate change, past and present, on diversification of NAm Psoraleeae. Results suggest the group has undergone a recent, rapid radiation. Rates of molecular evolution are fast, relative to other Legume lineages. Topological and temporal methods confirm the existence of diversification rate shifts in NAm Psoraleeae. Quaternary climate oscillations are shown to have significantly impacted diversification in the group while current shifts from mesic to xeric climate regimes did not.

Policy conflict plays an important role in shaping public policy—both as a process and as a product. The policy conflict framework—a theoretical framework, developed by Christopher Weible and Tanya Heikkila in 2017—considers position divergence among policymakers a key characteristic of policy conflict, which can be affected several factors including organizational and network affiliation of policymakers. This dissertation analyzes position divergence among local and regional officials over community sustainability policy, with a focus on affordable housing, which is a major concern of community sustainability. This research examines if, and how, local government officials' engagement with regional governance can play a role in shaping their policy positions. Understanding what influences officials' policy positions is essential in managing conflicts that arise in the making of sustainability policies in general and affordable housing policies, in particular. This study argues that local government officials' engagement with regional governance can lower policy position divergence among them by influencing their policy core beliefs and policy relevant knowledge. This analysis includes testing several hypotheses using data from a state-wide survey of local and regional policymakers. Employing cross-tabulation, multivariate regression, and ordered logit analysis, this study finds that (a) policymakers share a wide range of policy positions on community sustainability policies and (b) for local government officials engaged with regional governance, position divergence on community sustainability is lower than that among those who are not engaged with regional governance. Although position divergence on affordable housing among those engaged with regional governance is generally lower than those who are not engaged with regional governance, this finding is not robust. In some regions and localities, the relationship between position divergence and engagement with regional governance does not hold. Furthermore, this study finds that local government officials' engagement with regional governance is associated with higher levels of policy relevant knowledge, which can influence the policymakers' policy positions. The relationship, if any, between policymakers' core beliefs and their engagement with regional governance is weak and statistically insignificant. This cross-sectional analysis based on limited data suggests that local government officials' policy core beliefs are not related to their engagement with regional governance. However, future studies with better data may yield different results. / Doctor of Philosophy / Policy conflicts can impede the policymaking process; they usually influence and shape policy goals. Metropolitan governance is rife with policy conflicts. Especially in substantive policy areas such as community sustainability and affordable housing, policy conflicts are quite common. Policy conflicts emerge because of policy actors' divergent views, beliefs, priorities, preferences, and aspirations. To ensure a smoother policymaking process, mechanisms to handle conflicts are imperative. Regional governance can offer one such mechanism to handle policy conflicts that arise due to divergent policy positions of local government officials. This dissertation examines policy conflicts focusing on community sustainability policies. Analyzing survey data from Maryland, this study finds that (a) local government officials share a wide range of policy positions on community sustainability policies, (b) local government officials engaged with regional governance take policy positions that are more homogeneous compared to those who are not engaged with regional governance, and (c) officials engaged regional governance tend to have better policy relevant knowledge than others.

L'objectif principal de ce mémoire est de généraliser du cas discret au cas continu plusieurs quantités, inégalités et preuves qui surviennent en théorie de l'information. Dans plusieurs cas, à la place de transposer la preuve ou les quantités d'intérêts au continu, le cas discret est étendu à l'extrême en prenant un très grand nombre de probabilités discrètes. Nous espérons que ce mémoire puisse servir de ressource pour faciliter la transition du discret au continu et que les différentes quantités trouvées puissent servir de fondation à toute autre preuve concernant les variables continues en théorie de l'information. Les premières sections présenteront un survol des fondements de la théorie de l'information, une introduction aux probabilités ainsi que des fondements mathématiques requis pour la compréhension du reste du document. Les sections subséquentes introduiront les analogues continus à la théorie de l'information classique, en plus de différentes inégalités et preuves en rapport avec ces quantités. / This document's main goal is to generalize multiple quantities, inequalities, and proofs that arise in information theory. Many of these proofs use discrete variables. We seek here to generalize these proofs to the continuous case. In many instances, instead of transposing the proofs to the continuous case, the discrete case is taken to the extreme by taking very large pools of discrete possibilities. We hope that this thesis can serve as a tool to ease the transition from the discrete case to the continuous case and that the various quantities and bounds found herein will help in establishing a framework to prove statements regarding continuous variables in information theory. The first few sections will present a review of elementary information theory, as well as a primer on probabilities and fundamental mathematical concepts required for the rest of the document. The later sections will introduce the continuous counterparts of classical information theory, as well as various inequalities and proofs with respect to these new quantities.

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