Telematics System in Usage Based Motor Insurance

AbstractFor the premium calculation and billing process in the motor insurance, current billing models are very general and not optimally tailored for the end users. Important parameters such as mileage, driving behavior and types of roads driven are not considered for the premium calculation. Development of advanced information and communication systems, significant drop in the technology cost of ownership, as well as the necessity for market differentiation in the insurance industry, facilitated the appearance of new billing models in the motor insurance industry. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate underlying principles of the technology facilitating new billing models in the motor insurance industry. This paper gives an overview of the system architecture of one of the telematics systems offered and used on the market, as well as the data model used in the billing process. The potential of such a system is demonstrated through the real case project implemented in Eastern Europe

Immunophenotypic Modulation of the Blast Cells in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Minimal Residual Disease Detection

Early clearance of leukemic cells during induction therapy of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a basis for treatment optimization. Currently, the most widely used methods for the detection of minute residual malignant cells in the bone marrow and/or peripheral blood, minimal residual disease (MRD), are PCR and flow cytometry (FCM). Immunophenotypic modulation (IM) is a well known factor that can hamper the accurate FCM analysis

Motivations for selecting cross-border e-commerce as a foreign market entry mode

This article is an in-depth case study examining a foreign firm deploying Cross-border E-commerce as an entry mode to the Chinese market, integrating services provided by a major technology provider and a leading marketplace platform. Selecting which foreign market entry mode is an important internationalization strategic decision of firms and could have a considerable impact on the firm's performance. The CBEC mode emerges as a plausible choice: e-commerce has grown rapidly in many markets, particularly in China. Additionally, foreign firms face high transaction costs due to unfamiliar consumer behavior and institutional barriers. It is especially difficult for SMEs. This study deploys transaction cost theory as the underpinning framework to explain the motivations for selecting a CBEC entry mode. The findings suggest that CBEC could reduce uncertainties and opportunistic behaviors, while increasing trust. Foreign firms could lower their asset investment in physical shops, staff requirements and training, logistics and warehousing: these supports are provided by marketplace platforms. This new entry mode also takes advantage of the involvement and the dependency of intermediaries. In addition to providing market knowledge, technology providers help to build trust and reduce risks and thereby transaction costs, despite the high transaction frequency of e-commerce