Government size, composition of public expenditure, and economic development

This paper analyzes the effects of government size and of the composition of public expenditure on economic development. Using the system-GMM estimator for linear dynamic panel data models, on a sample covering up to 156 countries and 5-year periods from 1980 to 2010, we find that government size as a percentage of GDP has a quadratic (inverted U-shaped) effect on the growth rate of the Human Development Index (HDI). This effect is especially pronounced in developed and high income countries. We also find that the composition of public expenditure affects development, with the share of five subcomponents exhibiting non-linear relationships with HDI growth.COMPETE, QREN, FEDER, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Targeting surface nucleolin with a multivalent pseudopeptide delays development of spontaneous melanoma in RET transgenic mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The importance of cell-surface nucleolin in cancer biology was recently highlighted by studies showing that ligands of nucleolin play critical role in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis. By using a specific antagonist that binds the C-terminal tail of nucleolin, the HB-19 pseudopeptide, we recently reported that HB-19 treatment markedly suppressed the progression of established human breast tumor cell xenografts in the athymic nude mice without apparent toxicity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The <it>in vivo </it>antitumoral action of HB-19 treatment was assessed on the spontaneous development of melanoma in the RET transgenic mouse model. Ten days old RET mice were treated with HB-19 in a prophylactic setting that extended 300 days. In parallel, the molecular basis for the action of HB-19 was investigated on a melanoma cell line (called TIII) derived from a cutaneous nodule of a RET mouse.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HB-19 treatment of RET mice caused a significant delay in the onset of cutaneous tumors, several-months delay in the incidence of large tumors, a lower frequency of cutaneous nodules, and a reduction of visceral metastatic nodules while displaying no toxicity to normal tissue. Moreover, microvessel density was significantly reduced in tumors recovered from HB-19 treated mice compared to corresponding controls. Studies on the melanoma-derived tumor cells demonstrated that HB-19 treatment of TIII cells could restore contact inhibition, impair anchorage-independent growth, and reduce their tumorigenic potential in mice. Moreover, HB-19 treatment caused selective down regulation of transcripts coding matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9, and tumor necrosis factor-α in the TIII cells and in melanoma tumors of RET mice.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although HB-19 treatment failed to prevent the development of spontaneous melanoma in the RET mice, it delayed for several months the onset and frequency of cutaneous tumors, and exerted a significant inhibitory effect on visceral metastasis. Consequently, HB-19 could provide a novel therapeutic agent by itself or as an adjuvant therapy in association with current therapeutic interventions on a virulent cancer like melanoma.</p

False Leser-Trélat sign.

Cutaneous melanoma metastases (CMMs) have no specific clinical and dermoscopic features, and may be difficult to differentiate from benign lesions. Recently, we observed a case of CMM clinically and dermoscopically resembling eruptive, grouped, seborrheic keratoses (SKs)

Xanthomatous papule in a child. Solitary reticulohistiocytoma (SRH).

Solitary reticulohistiocytoma, also known as reticulohistiocytic granuloma1 is a rare neoformation that may develop anywhere on the body, although it does not tend to involve the digits and is uncommon on the face.1 Histologically identical lesions in the oral cavity have been reported. The disease has a male predominance. Most patients are young adults and < 20% of cases have multiple tumours

A rare case of primitive neuroectodermal tumor in the soft tissues of the hand

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the hand are extremely rare, and only 5 cases have been described to date. Here, we report a case of a 35 year-old male who presented a progressive swelling on the palm of his right hand. Clinical examination showed a solid mass and X-ray revealed a soft tissue mass. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed infiltrated interosseous muscles, metacarpal bones and tendons. The patient underwent surgery and the lesion was removed. On the basis of morphological, immunohistochemical and molecular biology findings, a diagnosis of primitive neuroctodermal tumor was made