Comparison between the financial structure of SMES and that of large enterprises (LES) using the BACH database.

This study examines the financial structures and the performances of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as opposed to large enterprises (LEs) on the basis of the BACH database, which is the most advanced publicly available database for comparisons in this field. It covers the period 1990-1996 and concerns 9 countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Japan and the United States. It deals with manufacturing only since this industry provides the best-quality data.SMES, LES, BACH Database, capitcal structures, financial structure and capital, profitability

A Stable Four-Membered N-Heterocyclic Carbene

The synthesis of the first four-membered N-heterocyclic carbene is described. Depending on the substituents on the nitrogen atoms, it is possible to characterize at room temperature the carbene dimer or the free carbene. Crystallographic analyses are provided for these carbene species

A Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalyst with a Four-Membered N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand

The first ruthenium olefin metathesis catalyst bearing a four-membered N-heterocyclic carbene (5) was synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The synthesis of a (carbene)carbonylrhodium complex (6) was also reported, allowing the study of the electronic properties of this new carbene ligand. The complex 5 was screened toward different olefin metathesis reactions, and it showed a slow reactivity

Adaptation à la maternité : les facteurs de risque, leur dépistage et leur relation à l'anxiété maternelle périnatale

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal

Involvement of DnaE, the second replicative DNA polymerase from Bacillus subtilis, in DNA mutagenesis

In a large group of organisms including low G + C bacteria and eukaryotic cells, DNA synthesis at the replication fork strictly requires two distinct replicative DNA polymerases. These are designated pol C and DnaE in Bacillus subtilis. We recently proposed that DnaE might be preferentially involved in lagging strand synthesis, whereas pol C would mainly carry out leading strand synthesis. The biochemical analysis of DnaE reported here is consistent with its postulated function, as it is a highly potent enzyme, replicating as fast as 240 nucleotides/s, and stalling for more than 30 s when encountering annealed 5'-DNA end. DnaE is devoid of 3' --> 5'-proofreading exonuclease activity and has a low processivity (1-75 nucleotides), suggesting that it requires additional factors to fulfill its role in replication. Interestingly, we found that (i) DnaE is SOS-inducible; (ii) variation in DnaE or pol C concentration has no effect on spontaneous mutagenesis; (iii) depletion of pol C or DnaE prevents UV-induced mutagenesis; and (iv) purified DnaE has a rather relaxed active site as it can bypass lesions that generally block other replicative polymerases. These results suggest that DnaE and possibly pol C have a function in DNA repair/mutagenesis, in addition to their role in DNA replication