Mannose Binding Lectin Deficiency: More than Meets the Eye

This case report describes a 5-year-old boy who presented to the emergency department with clinical symptoms and chest X-ray findings suggestive of pneumonia. Further history revealed multiple other infections, and workup for immunodeficiency revealed a deficiency of mannose-binding lectin (MBL), a pattern recognition receptor involved in activation of the complement system. Innate immunodeficiency may be more common than currently appreciated, with mutations of MBL affecting up to 50% of individuals in some populations. While pneumonia is a common presentation in the Pediatric Emergency Department, clinical presentations of children with defects of innate immunity can be unpredictable. Children may initially appear well with sudden deterioration. These cases pose particular challenges to physicians, and the level of suspicion for innate defects must remain high. It is crucial to identify patients with such impairments to better manage and prevent future complications

Service Multinationals: Conceptualization, Measurement and Theory

The application of MNE definitions, measurements and theories to international services is still in its infancy, despite the considerable size and growth of this sector. There are problems in defining, classifying, measuring, comparing and explaining service MNEs, but they do not require special definitions and theories. Still, research to date suggests: (1) delinking the concepts of multinational enterprise and foreign direct investment under certain conditions, and (2) qualifying the nature of ownership, internalization and location advantages in FDI theory, as far as service MNEs are concerned.© 1986 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1986) 17, 41–57