Competition Policy in Switzerland

This paper provides a critical review of competition policy in Switzerland. We analyse the legal statute, the institutional arrangements for its implementation and the case law since 1985.competition policy, Switzerland; political economy

The Competitive Impact of the UBS-SBC Merger

This short paper reviews the recent anti-trust analysis of banking mergers as well as recent decisions by the Department of Justice and the Bundeskartellamt (in the last few months). We analyse the proposed merger between UBS and SBC in light of this evidence and focus on the domestic retail banking. Three conclusions stand out : - There is overwhelming evidence that the relevant market for some products is local. In particular, the market for loans to small and medium size enterprises should be considered as a local market and this has consistently been the practice of both the US and German authorities. - Barriers to entry in retail banking are significant so that high concentration should be a source of concern. This concern is reflected in recent decisions on bank mergers by the Department of Justice. By the standards of the US practice, the concentration resulting from the UBS-SBC merger would be simply unacceptable and by a wide margin. - Divestiture is the most common remedy in banking and it seems to be effective. Given the concentration entailed by the proposed merger, nothing less than a the full divestiture of one retail network seems adequate.UBS-SBC merger; concentration; barriers to entry; local markets

Die Fusion UBS-SBV aus der Sicht der Wettbewerbspolitik

This paper examines the effects the planned merger between UBS and SBC would have on competition in the Swiss banking market. It is shown that the merger would lead to a dangerous level of concentration in certain submarkets such as the (economically important) market for credits to small and medium enterprises. The merger should be permitted only under severe remedies such as the selling of one of the domestic retail networks to an outside competitor. The merger would probalby not be allowed by the British, EU or US competiton authorities. In England there have been two attempts to merge two of the four universal banks in the last decade. Both have failed, largely as a result of competitive concerns.banks, merger; competition policy; joint dominance; credit market

Truncating Mutations of MAGEL2, a Gene within the Prader-Willi Locus, Are Responsible for Severe Arthrogryposis

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is characterized by the presence of multiple joint contractures resulting from reduced or absent fetal movement. Here, we report two unrelated families affected by lethal AMC. By genetic mapping and whole-exome sequencing in a multiplex family, a heterozygous truncating MAGEL2 mutation leading to frameshift and a premature stop codon (c.1996delC, p.Gln666Serfs∗36) and inherited from the father was identified in the probands. In another family, a distinct heterozygous truncating mutation leading to frameshift (c.2118delT, p.Leu708Trpfs∗7) and occurring de novo on the paternal allele of MAGEL2 was identified in the affected individual. In both families, RNA analysis identified the mutated paternal MAGEL2 transcripts only in affected individuals. MAGEL2 is one of the paternally expressed genes within the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) locus. PWS is associated with, to varying extents, reduced fetal mobility, severe infantile hypotonia, childhood-onset obesity, hypogonadism, and intellectual disability. MAGEL2 mutations have been recently reported in affected individuals with features resembling PWS and called Schaaf-Yang syndrome. Here, we show that paternal MAGEL2 mutations are also responsible for lethal AMC, recapitulating the clinical spectrum of PWS and suggesting that MAGEL2 is a PWS-determining gene

Процесс импортозамещения на предприятиях ВЭД в условиях экономических санкций и эмбарго

Дипломная работа на тему "Процесс импортозамещения на предприятиях ВЭД в условиях внешнеэкономических санкций и эмбарго". Целью исследования является раскрытие импортозамещющих процессов в условиях санкций и эмбарго на предприятиях разных отраслей промышленности. В работе рассматриваются проблемные места государственной программы импортозамещения в разных отраслях, такие как недостаточность правовой базы процесса, недоступность финансовых ресурсов для развития компаний, а также использование научного и инновационного потенциала России не в полной мере. В основной части рассмотрены проблемы и перспективы внедрения отечественных компаний аграрной, легкой и фармацевтической промышленности в импортозамещение.Diploma work on the topic "The process of import substitution in foreign trade enterprises in terms of foreign economic sanctions and embargoes." The purpose of this diploma is to disclose import-substituting processes in conditions of sanctions and embargoes at enterprises of different industries. The paper examines the problems of the state program of import substitution in various sectors, such as the lack of a legal framework for the process, the inaccessibility of financial resources for the development of companies, and the use of Russia's scientific and innovative potential is not fully realized. In the main part, problems and prospects for introducing domestic companies of the agrarian, light and pharmaceutical industries into import substitution are discussed

The Gene Ontology knowledgebase in 2023

The Gene Ontology (GO) knowledgebase (http://geneontology.org) is a comprehensive resource concerning the functions of genes and gene products (proteins and noncoding RNAs). GO annotations cover genes from organisms across the tree of life as well as viruses, though most gene function knowledge currently derives from experiments carried out in a relatively small number of model organisms. Here, we provide an updated overview of the GO knowledgebase, as well as the efforts of the broad, international consortium of scientists that develops, maintains, and updates the GO knowledgebase. The GO knowledgebase consists of three components: (1) the GO-a computational knowledge structure describing the functional characteristics of genes; (2) GO annotations-evidence-supported statements asserting that a specific gene product has a particular functional characteristic; and (3) GO Causal Activity Models (GO-CAMs)-mechanistic models of molecular "pathways" (GO biological processes) created by linking multiple GO annotations using defined relations. Each of these components is continually expanded, revised, and updated in response to newly published discoveries and receives extensive QA checks, reviews, and user feedback. For each of these components, we provide a description of the current contents, recent developments to keep the knowledgebase up to date with new discoveries, and guidance on how users can best make use of the data that we provide. We conclude with future directions for the project

Patterns of Growth and Decline in Lung Function in Persistent Childhood Asthma

BACKGROUND: Tracking longitudinal measurements of growth and decline in lung function in patients with persistent childhood asthma may reveal links between asthma and subsequent chronic airflow obstruction. METHODS: We classified children with asthma according to four characteristic patterns of lung-function growth and decline on the basis of graphs showing forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), representing spirometric measurements performed from childhood into adulthood. Risk factors associated with abnormal patterns were also examined. To define normal values, we used FEV1 values from participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who did not have asthma. RESULTS: Of the 684 study participants, 170 (25%) had a normal pattern of lung-function growth without early decline, and 514 (75%) had abnormal patterns: 176 (26%) had reduced growth and an early decline, 160 (23%) had reduced growth only, and 178 (26%) had normal growth and an early decline. Lower baseline values for FEV1, smaller bronchodilator response, airway hyperresponsiveness at baseline, and male sex were associated with reduced growth (P<0.001 for all comparisons). At the last spirometric measurement (mean [±SD] age, 26.0±1.8 years), 73 participants (11%) met Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease spirometric criteria for lung-function impairment that was consistent with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); these participants were more likely to have a reduced pattern of growth than a normal pattern (18% vs. 3%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Childhood impairment of lung function and male sex were the most significant predictors of abnormal longitudinal patterns of lung-function growth and decline. Children with persistent asthma and reduced growth of lung function are at increased risk for fixed airflow obstruction and possibly COPD in early adulthood. (Funded by the Parker B. Francis Foundation and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00000575.