The determinants of variation in firm leverage across European countries

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsIn this paper I empirically test what variables directly affect firm leverage across European countries, considering institutional, economic and macroeconomic variables. I find evidence in favour of the trade-off theory, given by the positive relation between profitability and leverage, and also evidence in favour of the pecking-order theory, given by the negative relation between tax rate and leverage. Thus, at the country-level, capital structure choices are partially explained by the trade-off theory and the pecking-order theory. In addition, I find that institutional and macroeconomic factors, such as entry into the EMU and economic crisis, greatly impact firm leverage across European Countries

Evaluation of monitoring systems in cardiology

Automated medical instrumentation - made available by the continuous advances in technology and biomedical research - is largely available in clinical practice today. Reliability and effectiveness should always be quantitatively assessed however, given the complexity and variability of physiological systems that need analysed. To evaluate the performances of ECG monitoring systems, the use of reference databases of annotated signals is a standard de-facto

Giustino II e il Restyling del Portus Novus a Costantinopoli

Several monuments, either within or outside the walls of Constantinople, are to be quite certainly attributed to emperor Justin II (565-578). Sources inform us about some public buildings he commanded ex-novo, as well as concerning restorations he undertook in a number of already existing complexes. This latter is the case - for instance - of the old Harbour of Julian, located to the southwest of the hippodrome, in a deep inlet of the coastline of the Sea of Marmara. Having been inaugurated with the name of Portus Novus under emperor Julian (361-363), it provided a convenient shelter even for large ships in the very proximity of the Great Palace. Since it proved to be quite exposed to sand filling, it underwent to frequent dredging works. Further - significant - works were carried out at the harbour by order of Justin II. These works consisted in a whole architectural restyling. New honorary columns were raised, bearing the statues of the emperor and - notably - of his wife Sophia, after whom the harbour was renamed “Harbour of Sophia”

Differential sensitivity of the cystic fibrosis (CF)-associated mutants G551D and G1349D to potentiators of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl- channel.

The genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by loss of function of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl- channel. Two CF mutants, G551D and G1349D, affect equivalent residues in the highly conserved LSGGQ motifs that are essential components of the ATP-binding sites of CFTR. Both mutants severely disrupt CFTR channel gating by decreasing mean burst duration (MBD) and prolonging greatly the interburst interval (IBI). To identify small molecules that rescue the gating defects of G551D- and G1349D-CFTR and understand better how these agents work, we used the patch clamp technique to study the effects on G551D- and G1349D-CFTR of phloxine B, pyrophosphate (PP(i)), and 2'-deoxy ATP (2'-dATP), three agents that strongly enhance CFTR channel gating. Phloxine B (5 microm) potentiated robustly G551D-CFTR Cl- channels by altering both MBD and IBI. In contrast, phloxine B (5 microm) decreased the IBI of G1349D-CFTR, but this effect was insufficient to rescue G1349D-CFTR channel gating. PP(i) (5 mm) potentiated weakly G551D-CFTR and was without effect on the G1349D-CFTR Cl- channel. However, by altering both MBD and IBI, albeit with different efficacies, 2'-dATP (1 mm) potentiated both G551D- and G1349D-CFTR Cl- channels. Using the ATP-driven nucleotide-binding domain dimerization model of CFTR channel gating, we suggest that phloxine B, PP(i) and 2'-dATP alter channel gating by distinct mechanisms. We conclude that G551D- and G1349D-CFTR have distinct pharmacological profiles and speculate that drug therapy for CF is likely to be mutation-specific

Telemedicine network for cooperative medical decision making in Balkan Countries

The project, developed by Heart Hospital in Massa, supported by Cuore un Mondo Association and Tuscany Region, was aimed at medical cooperation with Balkan Countries in diagnosis and care of congenital heart diseases. First step was to set up a telemedicine network for multi-center cooperative medical decision making. While echography studies allow to recognize abnormalities in newborns or in fetus, operators are not skilled in many hospitals. Frequently it is necessary to transfer urgently to specialized cardiac units newborns suffering by critical disorders while early care planning, before delivery, would limit risks and costs. Tele-echocardiography was implemented connecting Balkan clinical centres with Heart Hospital in Massa. Initially commercial videoconference equipment was applied but recently a low-cost Open-Source device has been designed, allowing both on-line streaming of video signals for real-time interaction and off-line transmission of diagnostic images (DICOM and not) in addition to conference functions and image storage and management. This device is also challenging for use in remote Countries not able to acquire expensive medical technology

DMTMM, un nuovo reattivo di "coupling" per la sintesi di ammidi in fase solida ed in fase omogenea

La formazione di un legame ammidico é la reazione per la quale esistono forse più metodi disponibili in letteratura. Nonostante tale abbondanza di metodi, non sono molti i reattivi che formano un legame ammidico direttamente a partire dall’acido carbossilico e dalla ammina, che funzionano sia su fase solida che su fase omogenea senza la formazione di molti sottoprodoti e che limitano la possibilità di racemizzazione allorquando si lavori con α-amminoacidi. Molto versatile é risultato il sale di N-metil morfolinio della 4,6-dimetossi[1,3,5]triazina (DMTMM), ottenuto direttamente dalla 2-cloro, 4, 6-dimetossi[1,3,5]triazina per reazione con Nmetil morfolina, che é un solido isolabile e stabile

Fasting small vessels to prevent microvascular ageing? The experience of a microvascular research group working in the shadow of the leaning tower

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