156 research outputs found

    Unleashing Innovation

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    Using a sample of venture capital (VC)-backed initial public offering (IPO) firms, we study the effect of financial intermediariesā€™ tight leash on entrepreneursā€™ innovation productivity. We find that financial intermediariesā€™ tight leash impedes innovation: IPO firms are significantly less innovative when VCs interfere with their development more frequently through stagingā€”as measured by a larger number of VC financing rounds. To establish causality, we exploit plausibly exogenous variation in the frequency of direct flights between VC domiciles and IPO firm headquarters that are due to airline restructuring. Our identification tests suggest a negative, causal effect of VC staging on firm innovation. Furthermore, staging is more detrimental to innovation when innovation is more difficult to achieve and when VCs are less experienced with the industry in which their entrepreneurial firms operate. By documenting a previously underrecognized adverse consequence of VC stage financing, our evidence suggests that contract mechanisms are at play so that short-termist incentives can be cultivated even in a private equity market populated with long-term, sophisticated investors

    Invasive papillary carcinoma of the breast

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    Invasive papillary carcinoma is a rare form of breast cancer that is more likely to occur in postmenopausal women. Previous studies have been limited to case reports and small retrospective studies, leading to low awareness of this type of tumor and difficult clinical management. According to the available literature, invasive papillary carcinoma exhibits unique pathological features and biological behaviors. Invasive papillary carcinoma is mostly luminal type, with a low rate of lymph node metastasis, which underlies its favorable prognosis. The effectiveness of adjuvant therapy in reducing tumor burden and improving prognosis in patients with invasive papillary carcinoma remains uncertain. Due to the rarity of the lesion, conducting prospective clinical trials is impractical. The use of biological models, such as organoids, can help alleviate the impact of the scarcity of this condition on research. In addition, invasive papillary carcinoma is affected by specific genomic events, and more extensive studies of gene expression profiling may provide molecular-level insights to make optimal therapeutic decisions

    Stearoyl-ACP Ī”9 Desaturase 6 and 8 (GhA-SAD6 and GhD-SAD8) Are Responsible for Biosynthesis of Palmitoleic Acid Specifically in Developing Endosperm of Upland Cotton Seeds

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    Palmitoleic acid (16:1Ī”9) is one kind of Ļ‰-7 fatty acids (Ļ‰-7 FAs) widely used in food, nutraceutical and industry. However, such high-valued Ļ‰-7 FA only has a trace level in mature seeds of cotton and other common oil crops. We found that palmitoleic acid (>10.58 Mol%) was specially enriched in developing cotton endosperm which is disappeared in its mature seed. The present study was conducted to investigate the mechanism underlying high accumulation of palmitoleic acid in developing endosperm but not in embryo of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seed. Of 17 stearoyl-ACP Ī”9 desaturases (SAD) gene family members identified in upland cotton, six GhSADs may specifically work in the desaturation of palmitic acid (16:0-ACP) to produce palmitoleic acid (16:1Ī”9-ACP), which were revealed by examining the key amino acids in the catalytic center and their cis-elements. Gene expression analysis showed that spatial patterns of these GhSADs were different in developing ovules, with GhA-SAD6 and GhD-SAD8 preferentially expressed in developing endosperms. Functional analysis by transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and genetic complementary assay using yeast mutant BY4389 strain unable to synthesize unsaturated fatty acids demonstrated that GhA-SAD6 and GhD-SAD8 have strong substrate specificity for 16:0-ACP. In contrast, GhA-SAD5 and GhA-SAD7 exhibited high specific activity on 18:0-ACP. Taken together, these data evidence that GhA-SAD6 and GhD-SAD8 are responsible for making palmitoleic acid in developing cotton endosperms, and provide endogenous gene targets for genetic modification to enrich Ļ‰-7 FAs in cotton seed oil required for sustainable production of functionality-valued products

    Intelligence Deficits in Chinese Patients with Brain Tumor: The Impact of Tumor Resection

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    Background. Intelligence is much important for brain tumor patients after their operation, while the reports about surgical related intelligence deficits are not frequent. It is not only theoretically important but also meaningful for clinical practice. Methods. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was employed to evaluate the intelligence of 103 patients with intracranial tumor and to compare the intelligence quotient (IQ), verbal IQ (VIQ), and performance IQ (PIQ) between the intracerebral and extracerebral subgroups. Results. Although preoperative intelligence deficits appeared in all subgroups, IQ, VIQ, and PIQ were not found to have any significant difference between the intracerebral and extracerebral subgroups, but with VIQ lower than PIQ in all the subgroups. An immediate postoperative follow-up demonstrated a decline of IQ and PIQ in the extracerebral subgroup, but an improvement of VIQ in the right intracerebral subgroup. Pituitary adenoma resection exerted no effect on intelligence. In addition, age, years of education, and tumor size were found to play important roles. Conclusions. Brain tumors will impair IQ, VIQ, and PIQ. The extracerebral tumor resection can deteriorate IQ and PIQ. However, right intracerebral tumor resection is beneficial to VIQ, and transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma resection performs no effect on intelligence

    Adjuvant Chemotherapy Versus Adjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy After Radical Surgery for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A Randomized, Non-Inferiority, Multicenter Trial

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    We conducted a prospective study to assess the non-inferiority of adjuvant chemotherapy alone versus adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) as an alternative strategy for patients with early-stage (FIGO 2009 stage IB-IIA) cervical cancer having risk factors after surgery. The condition was assessed in terms of prognosis, adverse effects, and quality of life. This randomized trial involved nine centers across China. Eligible patients were randomized to receive adjuvant chemotherapy or CCRT after surgery. The primary end-point was progression-free survival (PFS). From December 2012 to December 2014, 337 patients were subjected to randomization. Final analysis included 329 patients, including 165 in the adjuvant chemotherapy group and 164 in the adjuvant CCRT group. The median follow-up was 72.1 months. The three-year PFS rates were both 91.9%, and the five-year OS was 90.6% versus 90.0% in adjuvant chemotherapy and CCRT groups, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the PFS or OS between groups. The adjusted HR for PFS was 0.854 (95% confidence interval 0.415-1.757; P = 0.667) favoring adjuvant chemotherapy, excluding the predefined non-inferiority boundary of 1.9. The chemotherapy group showed a tendency toward good quality of life. In comparison with post-operative adjuvant CCRT, adjuvant chemotherapy treatment showed non-inferior efficacy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer having pathological risk factors. Adjuvant chemotherapy alone is a favorable alternative post-operative treatment

    Untersuchungen uber das Schicksal der in rohes und gekochtes Brunnenwasser gemischten pathogenen Bakterien

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    Der Verfasser hat Untersuchungen uber die Lebensdauer von pathogenen Darmbakterien, die in rohes und gekochtes Brunnenwasser gemischt wurden, durchgefuhrt. Er hat 5 Brunnenwasser untersucht mit B. typhosus, B. paratyphosus A u. B, B. dysenteriae Komagome A u. B, B. dysenteriae Shiga; die Stamme erhielt Verf. aus dem Staatlichen Institut fur Infektionskrankheiten und aus dem bakteriologischen Institut zu Chiba. Die Ergebnisse sind folgende: 1) war die Menge der verwandten Bakterien klein (ca. 1/3000 Ose in 10 cc.), lebten alle Bakterien in rohem Wasser langer als in gekochtem Wasser. 2) war die Bakterienmenge relativ gross (1 Ose in 10 cc.), lebten die Bakterien zwar langer als bei geringer Menge, verschwanden aber in rohem Wasser schneller als in gekochtem. 3) Unter beiden Versuchsanordnungen lebten die Bakterien im Brunnenwasser langer als in Aq. dest. oder in physiologischer Kochsalzlosung. 4) Die Tabellen zeigen kurz die Ergebnisse: (Autoreferat

    Peripheral cutaneous synucleinopathy characteristics in genetic Parkinsonā€™s disease

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    BackgroundCutaneous phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (p-Ī±-syn) deposition is an important biomarker of idiopathic Parkinsonā€™s disease (iPD). Recent studies have reported synucleinopathies in patients with common genetic forms of PD.ObjectiveThis study aimed to detect p-Ī±-syn deposition characteristic in rare genetic PD patients with CHCHD2 or RAB39B mutations. Moreover, this study also aimed to describe peripheral alpha-synuclein prion-like activity in genetic PD patients, and acquire whether the cutaneous synucleinopathy characteristics of genetic PD are consistent with central neuropathologies.MethodsWe performed four skin biopsy samples from the distal leg (DL) and proximal neck (C7) of 161 participants, including four patients with CHCHD2 mutations, two patients with RAB39B mutations, 16 patients with PRKN mutations, 14 patients with LRRK2 mutations, five patients with GBA mutations, 100 iPD patients, and 20 healthy controls. We detected cutaneous synucleinopathies using immunofluorescence staining and a seeding amplification assay (SAA). A systematic literature review was also conducted, involving 64 skin biopsies and 205 autopsies of genetic PD patients with synucleinopathy.ResultsP-Ī±-syn was deposited in the peripheral cutaneous nerves of PD patients with CHCHD2, LRRK2, or GBA mutations but not in those with RAB39B or PRKN mutations. There were no significant differences in the location or rate of Ī±-syn-positive deposits between genetic PD and iPD patients. Peripheral cutaneous synucleinopathy appears to well represent brain synucleinopathy of genetic PD, especially autosomal dominant PD (AD-PD). Cutaneous Ī±-synuclein SAA analysis of iPD and LRRK2 and GBA mutation patients revealed prion-like activity.ConclusionP-Ī±-syn deposition in peripheral cutaneous nerves, detected using SAA and immunofluorescence staining, may serve as an accurate biomarker for genetic PD and iPD in the future

    Organic Carbon: A New Concept for Development of Modern Fertilizers and Plant Nutrition Theory

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    The development of modern fertilizers has broken the theoretical framework of traditional mineral nutrition theory, and it is urgent to take theoretical considerations. Many years of the research and development practice of new fertilizer products have provided a lot of research materials and scientific basis for the development of modern plant nutrition theory, in which the organic carbon is a major research field. This paper introduced the unique advantages of organic carbon nutrition, made clear the differences among organic fertilizer, organic nitrogen and organic carbon, and pointed out that apart from "replenishing carbon by the air (CO2)", it is of great theoretical significance and practical value to exploited a new way for supplementing carbon by fertilizing
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