This paper investigates the impact of rating agencies in a market with asymmetric information. In particular, the role of credit rating agencies as an intermediary between investors and bond issuers is discussed. We model this setting in a dynamic framework in which both rating agencies and bond issuers are of heterogeneous quality. Rating agencies can apply costly research technology to reveal th

In order to support a sustainability transition in the energy sector, actors need knowledge about barriers and drivers to the deployment of clean energy technologies. Solar photovoltaics (PV) is a renewable energy technology that is technically mature and on the verge of becoming economically competitive in numerous regions around the world. Not least in the residential segment, PV has considerabl

Chinese private schools may come across as a contradictory phenomenon: why would an authoritarian and officially socialist government, that needs to rely on education as an instrument of national unification and ideological control, allow for private schools and profit-making in the educational sector? However, seen against the background of the far-reaching privatisation processes that have been

Organizational image is a contested concept in interdisciplinary research, drawing upon organizational communication, corporate communication, organization, marketing, and public relations studies. As such, organizational image is seen as the impression of an organization that exists among both external stakeholders as well as organizational members themselves as “construed external images” and “d

Neurohormones (biogenic amines, neuropeptides, and protein hormones) and their G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) occupy a high hierarchic position in the physiology of invertebrates because they steer important processes such as development, growth, reproduction, feeding, homeostasis, and behavior. In this article, we focus on the neurohormone GPCRs from insects (which comprise 75% of all animal

In Sweden, tutoring in the mother tongue is a special support measure primarily intended for newly arrived students to facilitate their transition into the Swedish school system. Tutoring is premised on the collaboration between the class teacher, responsible for subject-related expertise, and the tutor, who contributes with knowledge of the student’s mother tongue and previous context of studies.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction between small-scale turbulence and aerosol and cloud microphysical properties using direct numerical simulations (DNS). We consider the domain located at the height of about 2000 m from the sea level, experiencing transient high supersaturation due to atmospheric fluctuations of temperature and humidity. To study the effect of total numbe

Intracellular α-synuclein deposits, known as Lewy bodies, have been linked to a range of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease. α-Synuclein binds to synthetic and biological lipids, and this interaction has been shown to play a crucial role for both α-synuclein's native function, including synaptic plasticity, and the initiation of its aggregation. Here, we describe the interp

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is poor in patients with persistent diabetic foot ulcers and poor HRQoL predicts worse outcomes in these patients. Amputation is often considered a treatment failure, which is why conservative treatment is generally preferred over amputation. However, it is unclear whether minor amputation negatively affects HRQoL compared with conservative treatm

Autonomous driving is a technology that is currently in a phase of being developed and tested on roads in several countries. A major challenge for autonomous driving and for smart city technologies in general is regulatory challenges both regarding regulation of the technology in itself and technology as a regulator of urban space. This article examines how the development of autonomous driving em

We report on a theoretical study of the electronic structures of freestanding nanowires made from narrow band gap semiconductors GaSb, InSb and InAs. The nanowires are described by the eight-band k.p Hamiltonians and the band structures are computed by means of the finite element method in a mixture basis consisting of linear triangular elements inside the nanowires and constrained Hermite triangu

Articular cartilage is a soft tissue built mainly from collagen and highly negatively charged biological polyelectrolytes. The high negative charge is responsible for crucial properties of cartilage, such as tissue hydration and biomechanical load resistance. As a consequence, breakdown and loss of the polyelectrolytes in cartilage has an adverse effect on its function and there is a need for meth

Introduction: Although metabolic alkalosis is a common occurrence in intensive care units (ICUs), no study has evaluated its prevalence or outcomes in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of critically ill patients suffering from severe sepsis and septic shock admitted to the ICUs of Halmstad and Varberg County hospitals. From 910 patient recor

Positive allosteric modulators of the ionotropic glutamate receptor-2 (GluA2) are promising compounds for the treatment of cognitive disorders, e.g. Alzheimer's disease. These modulators bind within the dimer interface of the LBD (ligand-binding domain) and stabilize the agonist-bound conformation slowing receptor desensitization and/or deactivation. In the present study, we employ isothermal titr

The aims of this article are (1) to critically review the theoretical arguments and contribution of the knowledge base approach to economic geography and innovation studies, and the value added and limitations of applying it in empirical studies as reported about in the extant literatures; (2) to propose a new interpretation of the knowledge base approach by integrating it into a larger analytical