Search results for "CQ"

Monitoring and Market Power in Loan Markets

2000

Whether or not banks are engaged in ex ante monitoring of customers may have important consequences for the whole economy. We approach this question via a model in which banks can invest in either information acquisition or market power (product differentiation). The two alternatives generate different predictions, which are tested using panel data on Finnish local banks. We find evidence that banks’ investments in branch networks and human capital (personnel) contribute to information acquisition but not to market power. We also find that managing customers’ money transactions enhances banks ability to control their lending risks.

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) as Modern Ways of Investments

2015

The decrease in business activity and the fall in the production volume in the sectors of economy relying on long-term crediting is characteristic feature of the modern recessions. The pessimistic expectations of entrepreneurs concerning product demand leads to falling direct investment into business despite unlimited investment opportunities due to the developed capital markets nowadays. As a result it has created the opportunity for the development of the acquisition of enterprises. Potential investors are different and their investment motivation is different, but the goal is the same – to increase the value of the business and its efficiency as a result of mergers and acquisitions. Ho…

Financial Synergies of Mergers and Acquisitions: Between Intentions and Achievements

2018

Factors Associated with Mortality in Patients Experiencing First Episodes of Acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (aTTP). Results of the Span…

2019

Introduction: Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP) is a rare, but life-threatening, hematological disorder characterized by severe thrombocytopenia, hemolytic microangiopathic anemia, and frequent organ damage. The underlying pathophysiology of aTTP is a functional deficiency of plasma ADAMTS13 activity caused by antibodies directed against the ADAMTS13 protease. Despite plasma exchange (PEX) and immunosuppression with corticosteroids, and, more recently, rituximab, which achieve remission in most patients with aTTP, 10-20% of patients are refractory to treatment and die as a result of disease progression. Most of such deaths occur during first episodes of aTTP, as subsequent…

Atypical perceptual narrowing in prematurely born infants is associated with compromised language acquisition at 2 years of age

2010

Abstract Background Early auditory experiences are a prerequisite for speech and language acquisition. In healthy children, phoneme discrimination abilities improve for native and degrade for unfamiliar, socially irrelevant phoneme contrasts between 6 and 12 months of age as the brain tunes itself to, and specializes in the native spoken language. This process is known as perceptual narrowing, and has been found to predict normal native language acquisition. Prematurely born infants are known to be at an elevated risk for later language problems, but it remains unclear whether these problems relate to early perceptual narrowing. To address this question, we investigated early neurophysiolog…

Complement component C1 and the collectins – first-line defense molecules in innate and acquired immunity

2002

Abstract The 5th International Workshop on C1 and the Collectins was held in Lufthansa-Bildungszentrum, Seeheim, Germany from 26–28 October 2001.

Structural and functional diversity of the lectin repertoire in teleost fish: Relevance to innate and adaptive immunity

2011

Protein–carbohydrate interactions mediated by lectins have been recognized as key components of innate immunity in vertebrates and invertebrates, not only for recognition of potential pathogens, but also for participating in downstream effector functions, such as their agglutination, immobilization, and complement-mediated opsonization and killing. More recently, lectins have been identified as critical regulators of mammalian adaptive immune responses. Fish are endowed with virtually all components of the mammalian adaptive immunity, and are equipped with a complex lectin repertoire. In this review, we discuss evidence suggesting that: (a) lectin repertoires in teleost fish are highly dive…

Mechatronic Concept for Airflow Tests Laboratory Equipment

2015

The paper presents application of the mechatronic concept for laboratory test to support a research activity. Laboratory test is taken into account as set of processes for which some number of environmental parameters must be controlled. This paper describes the laboratory stand for investigations of airflow phenomena, where modern data acquisition system is applied to control pressure, temperature and velocity of the air stream. To acquire and process a large number of data, the idea of virtual instruments is introduced to control system. Modern, high-level graphical language was used and the author’s program was developed. The presented solution of the laboratory stand allows increasing t…

CD1a and antitumour immune response

2004

Primary immune response is based on the capacity of local professional antigen-presenting cells (whose prototype is represented by dendritic cells, DCs) to take up and present antigens to selected clones of T cells, but also to non-specific effector cells such as macrophages or natural killer cells. The four CD1 proteins, all of which share a limited homology to class I MHC proteins, are differently expressed in various cell types, of both mesenchymal and, as recently described, epithelial lineage. Regarding the role of CD1 molecules in the anti-tumour response, it has been reported that CD1+ dendritic cells are involved in the first steps of the primary immune response in a number of malig…

Correlates and Predictors of L2 Willingness to Communicate in Polish Adolescents

2014

The concept of willingness to communicate (WTC) in L2 denotes “a readiness to enter into discourse at a particular time with a specific person or persons, using a L2” (MacIntyre et al. 1998, p. 547). In the early model of L2 WTC, there are two main variables influencing its levels: perceived communication competence and communication anxiety (MacIntyre 1994). WTC is now considered a fundamental goal of second language education (MacIntyre et al. 2003) because it offers L2 learners “greater chances for L2 practice and authentic L2 usage” (MacIntyre et al. 2001, p. 382). Students taking the risk of initiating communication in a language they do not know well are likely to become more proficie…