Evaluation of MMP‑2, MMP‑9, TIMP‑1, TIMP‑2, NGAL and MMP‑9/NGAL complex in urine and sera from patients with bladder cancer

The identification of biomarkers in urine or serum samples from patients with bladder cancer is urgently required for the development of non-invasive methods for the diagnosis of bladder carcinoma and to facilitate follow-up surveillance, to combat the high progression and recurrence rates of this type of cancer. The current study measured the content of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9, as well as tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and -2 in the urine and sera of 41 patients with bladder cancer by ELISA. The association between levels of MMP-2 and -9 and TIMP-1 and -2, and tumor grade and stage were investigated to verify whether these molecules are involved in tumor differentiation. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that urinary TIMP-1 levels were significantly higher in the high grade group compared with those of the low grade samples (P=0.022). The results also revealed a significantly differing distribution of TIMP-1 expression between Ta and T1 stage specimens (P=0.040). The corresponding area under the curves (AUCs) were 0.72, with a sensitivity of 0.70 and specificity of 0.75. In addition, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and MMP-9/NGAL complex levels in the sera were measured. All molecules evaluated were detected in the sera of the patients studied. In particular, tumors staged as non-muscle invasive (Ta and T1), demonstrated significantly higher NGAL levels compared with those of muscle invasive (>T1) bladder cancer (32.8 ng/ml vs. 16.2 ng/ml; P=0.029). The discriminatory ability of NGAL expression was confirmed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis that revealed an AUC of 0.75, a sensitivity of 0.88 and a specificity of 0.67. These data indicated that urinary TIMP-1 and serum NGAL may be useful non-invasive biomarkers to provide clinical information for bladder cancer disease management. Multicenter, prospective studies are required to confirm these preliminary results

Axiomatization of residual income and generation of financial securities

This paper presents an axiomatization of residual income, aka excess profit, and illustrates how it may univocally engenders fixed-income or variable-income assets. In the first part it is shown that, depending on the relations between excess profit and the investor's excess wealth, a well-specified theory of residual income is generated: one is the standard theory, which historically traces back to Hamilton (1777) and Marshall (1890) and is a deep-rooted notion in economic theory, finance, and accounting. Another one is the systemic value added or lost-capital paradigm: introduced in Magni (2000, 2003), the theory is enfolded in Keynes's (1936) notion of user cost and is naturally generated by an arbitrage-theory perspective. In the second part, the paper reverts the usual analysis: instead of computing residual incomes profits from a pattern of cash flows, residual incomes are fixed first to derive vectors of cash flows. It is shown that variable- or fixed-income assets may be constructed on the basis of either theory starting from pre-determined growth rates for excess profit. In particular, zero-coupon bonds and coupon bonds traded in a capital market are shown to be deducted as equilibrium vectors of residual-income-based assets.Residual income, excess profit, capital, arbitrage, bond

La musica di Roman Vlad per il cinema, la televisione e il teatro.

Boer, J. de [Promotor]Lamoree, M.H. [Copromotor]Leonards, P.E.G. [Copromotor

Raman identification of cuneiform tablet pigments. Emphasis and colour technology in ancient Mesopotamian mid-third millennium

In the modern age, there is a large number of ways to manage a written text, from bolding or underlining some words with the preferred PC editing software down to animated gifs or emoticons for short edited text of mobile messaging and social posting. The task is to catch the eye and rapidly convey the important message. Besides the almost endless opportunities of high-tech displays, to put emphasis on a text written on a hard support mainly relies on changing the editing style, by applying bold, italic or underline style to selected words or phrases and exploiting the characteristic of human eye to be sensible to the change of brightness into a written text

Long term effects of mesoglycan on brachial arterial stiffness and MMP-9/TIMP-1 system in patients with metabolic syndrome

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the chronic effects of mesoglycan on the vascular remodeling in patients with metabolic syndrome (Mets). Background: MetS is defined by a clustering of vascular risk factors that require both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, including body weight reductions and physical activity. The correction of vascular remodeling associated with MetS has lately received increasing interest. Methods: Thirty consecutive ambulatory patients affected by MetS were 2:1 randomized in a doubleblind fashion to receive mesoglycan or placebo, respectively. At the beginning and after 90 days of oral treatment we appraised the effects of mesoglycan (50 mg per os bid) or placebo on vascular remodeling, as assessed by the measurement of arterial wall elastic properties. Moreover, the matrix metalloproteinase’s (MMPs) type 9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) type 1 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) and gelatin substrate zymography at the beginning of the study and after 90 days of treatment. Results: After 90 days of treatment, a marked improvement of arterial distensibility and compliance was detected in Mesoglycan group, with associated significant reduction of arterial stiffness, and a significant reduction of serum levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 and significant reduction of enzyme activity of MMPs. Conclusions: This small, preliminary study shows that mesoglycan exerts relevant effects on vascular remodeling after three-month treatment, in patients affected by metabolic syndrome

Finite size corrections to disordered Ising models on Random Regular Graphs

We derive the analytical expression for the first finite size correction to the average free energy of disordered Ising models on random regular graphs. The formula can be physically interpreted as a weighted sum over all non self-intersecting loops in the graph, the weight being the free-energy shift due to the addition of the loop to an infinite tree